When does the Christmas service start? Nativity of Christ: All-Night Vigil.

Since ancient times, the Church has reckoned the day of the Nativity of Christ among the great twelfth holidays, according to the Divine testimony of the Gospel, depicting this event as the greatest, most joyful and wonderful: in the city of David the Savior, who is Christ the Lord; and here is a sign for you: you will find a baby in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” And suddenly, with an angel, a numerous heavenly army appeared, praising God and crying out: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men!”

The Orthodox Church proclaims about the greatness of the feast of the Nativity of Christ: "Your Christmas, Christ our God, exalt the world with the light of reason, in it, for the stars serving as a star, I learn to bow to You, the Sun of truth, and lead You from the height of the east: Lord, glory to You!"

Within the fore-feast and after-feast, the feast of the Nativity of Christ lasts twelve days.

On the last day before the holiday, the eve of the Nativity of Christ (Christmas Eve) is celebrated, testifying to the special importance of the upcoming celebration, because eve is only before the most important holidays.

AT Orthodox Church on eve, the hours called the Royal Hours are celebrated, because from ancient times kings were present at this Divine service, worshiping the newborn King of kings.

The royal hours begin and take place at the open royal doors, in the midst of the temple, in front of the Gospel laid on the lectern, as if as a sign that now the Savior is no longer hiding, as before, in the darkness of the den, but shines on all peoples. Before the Gospel, censer incense is burned - in remembrance of the incense and myrrh brought by the Magi to the newborn Christ

During the Christmas services, gospel stories are read, and the choir and parishioners sing special hymns dedicated to the Nativity of Christ. The texts of these hymns often use the images of the gospel stories about the Nativity of Christ.

To the great church holidays many parishioners seek communion. Therefore, even before the start of the All-Night Vigil, confession begins: after all, one must prepare worthily for Communion, and confession on the eve of receiving the Holy Mysteries of Christ is a necessary part of such preparation.

The temple is gradually filled with believers. Candles are lit, parishioners kiss the icons.

There are always many children among the parishioners of the temple. Christmas is a holiday especially loved by children, so there are noticeably more children in the church on this holiday than on other church holidays.

On Christmas Eve, in frosty weather, children come to the service in warm clothes, but they try to dress children in festive clothes for the festive liturgy.

Decorated Christmas trees, the smell of fresh pine needles warm light warmed candles create a unique flavor of the holiday. The now almost forgotten holiday atmosphere is recreated in the temple building.

The Divine Liturgy of the Christmas All-Night Vigil begins with Great Compline. All parishioners of the temple take part in joint prayers.

During Great Compline, the altar and the entire temple are burned incense. The choir and parishioners sing the troparion of the feast. This is a very beautiful and childishly simple chant, which sets out the main meaning of the holiday:

Your Christmas, Christ our God,
ascension of the world and the light of reason:
serving the stars in it
I study as a star
To you bow to the Sun of truth,
and lead you from the height of the East;
Lord, glory to You!

There are many chants of this troparion, all very beautiful - and it is difficult to name the best one.

important integral part The Christmas All-Night Vigil is the consecration of bread, wheat, wine and oil. Consecration begins with the recitation of special prayers called litia. These prayers are read at the entrance to the temple. In litia prayers, the church asks for intercession before God from all the saints.

During the consecration, censing is carried out, and prayers are read for the multiplication of God's grace-filled gifts.

After the Litiya, the reading of the Six Psalms begins - six selected psalms from the Psalter.

During the reading of the Six Psalm in the temple, all the lights are extinguished and only the psalmist has a lit candle in his hands.
Children listen with fascination, perhaps not fully understandable words of the psalms.

During the reading of the Six Psalms, the priest reads a special prayer in front of the altar.

After the reading of the Psalter is over, Matins begins.
Parishioners light candles.
The temple is filled with light again.
Children also try to put candles on their own.

The Royal Doors open.

The choir sings a bright and triumphant hymn

God is with us, understand, Gentiles, and submit:
Like God is with us.
Hear up to the last earth:
Mighty ones, submit:
As soon as you can, and you will be victorious:
And if you consult together, the Lord will destroy:
Like God is with us.
And the word, even if you speak, will not remain in you:
Like God is with us.
We will not be afraid of your fear, we will be embarrassed below:
Like God is with us.
God is with us, understand, Gentiles, and submit:
Like God is with us!

With a burning candle in his hand, the priest burns first the altar, then the festive icon.

The censing of the entire temple is also carried out. Parishioners bow their heads while burning.

During Matins, the Gospel and the Apostle are read.

During the All-Night Vigil, special Christmas carols are heard.
Soothing angelic words are heard in the hymn that precedes the litiya:

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill towards men.

Praise Thee, bless Thee, bow down, praise Thee,

we thank Thee great for the sake of Thy glory.

Lord, King of Heaven, God,

Father Almighty,

Lord, the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ,

and Holy Soul.

Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,

take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Take away the sins of the world, accept our prayer.

Sit at the right hand of the Father and have mercy on us.

For thou art the One Holy; Thou art the One Lord, Jesus Christ,

to the glory of God the Father, amen.

Every day I will bless you and praise you your name forever and ever. Vouchsafe, Lord, on this day without sin, be preserved for us!
Blessed are you, Lord God of our fathers,

and praised and glorified is thy name forever, amen.
Wake, Lord, Thy mercy on us, as if we were relying on Thee.

Blessed art Thou, O Lord, teach me Thy justification

Blessed art Thou, O Lord, teach me Thy justification

God! Thou hast been a refuge to us in generation and generation.

Az reh: Lord! have mercy on me, heal my soul, for I have sinned against you.
God! I have resorted to You: teach me to do Your will, as You are my God, as You have a source of life, in Your light we will see light.

Probate Your mercy to the leading You!

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us!

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us! Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

and now and forever and forever and ever, amen.

Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

Holy God, Holy Mighty,

Holy Immortal, have mercy on us!

Majesty sounds in the morning

We glorify you

Life-giving Christ,

for us for the sake of now born in the flesh

from the Brideless and Most Pure

Virgin Mary

In the final part of the evening Divine service, the anointing with oil is performed, during which the priest crosswise anoints the forehead of the parishioners with consecrated oil (oil). Anointing with oil brings special joy to children. One must see their shining eyes after the anointing with oil! There is joy in them from feeling their involvement in the holiday, from feeling like the same parishioners as adults.

... The all-night vigil is coming to an end. Its basic mood is best conveyed by the words of the chant.

Every day joys are fulfilled,

Christ is born in Bethlehem

The all-night vigil service has ended.

On vacation, the priest congratulates the parishioners on the holiday.
Tomorrow morning - festive Christmas liturgy!

Christmas is one of the main Christian holidays established by the church in honor of the birth of the incarnation of Jesus Christ from the Virgin Mary. In Orthodoxy, Christmas is one of the twelve holidays and is preceded by a 40-day Advent fast.

On the night of January 6-7, 2018, believing Christians will celebrate the Nativity of Christ. According to legend, Jesus Christ was born on this day.

Divine service on Christmas, what time does it start: when, what kind of holiday?

Christmas is a holiday that people all over the world rejoice at - because on this day the new era"From the Nativity of Christ". Great universal teacher Saint John Chrysostom calls Christmas "the beginning of all holidays."

According to the new style, the holiday is celebrated annually from 6 to 7 January. The official day of the celebration of the Nativity of Christ, in accordance with the Orthodox calendar, is January 7th.

It should be noted that before the onset of the holiday, believers observe a forty-day Advent fast, which begins at the end of November.

The church charter calls Christmas the "second Easter" and gives it an exclusive place among the days of the liturgical year. This is a holiday twelfth , belonging to the category of the most important 12 Christian holidays. Usually before these holidays one day of forefeast is supposed, before Christmas there are five such days. For the sake of the Nativity of Christ, fasting is canceled, even if the holiday falls on weekly fast days - Wednesday and Friday. After the holiday, "Christmas" come, which will last until Epiphany Christmas Eve (January 18).

The holiday is preceded by Christmas Eve, which falls on January 6th. This is a special day, it is the last and most strict day of fasting.

Nativity service, what time does it start: Christmas service, when and how does it take place?

On Christmas Eve, closer to midnight, Christmas services begin in churches. Believers begin to celebrate Christmas after the end of the service.

Christmas - special holiday. And the service on this day is special. Or rather, at night… After all, in many of our churches the Liturgy (and it happens that both Great Compline and Matins) is served precisely at night.

The beginning of the festive divine service at 23.00.

If we talk about the Christmas service, then this is the best gift for the birthday of Christ!

Let's say a few words about the order and sequence of its commission on the Christmas holiday:

The Divine Liturgy consists of services of the daily cycle: Matins, Vespers, Compline, Midnight Office, Hours and Liturgy. Before the holidays, morning and evening worship is combined into the so-called " all-night vigil ”, that is, a prayer that continues all night. In practice, such a prayer happens only twice a year, on the greatest holidays - Christmas and Easter. The All-Night Vigil is a liturgical service that consists of Vespers and Matins.

With a prayer to the "King of Heaven", addressed to Holy Spirit , many liturgical followings of the Orthodox Church begin.

After the exclamation follows the litany and the famous hymn " God with us ". At the end of Compline, the troparion and kontakion of the Nativity are sung.

A hymn is heard in the temple, completing the rites of Compline. The text of the hymn is taken from the Gospel.

After the solemn proclamation and singing of "God the Lord and appear to us," the polyeleos begins (in translation - "many mercy"). This part of Matins got its name from the content of Psalms 134 and 135, which glorify the mercy of God.

Under the vaults of the temples, magnificence sounds - a short chant glorifying the celebrated event: “We magnify, we magnify Thee, Life-Giver Christ, for the sake of us now in the flesh Born of the Blessed and Most Pure Virgin Mary.”

During the reading of the Gospel, the gospel stichera is sung, repeating the main thoughts of the read passage from Holy Scripture.

The singing of the canon is a particularly solemn part of Matins. A canon is a spiritual and poetic work compiled according to certain rules. The word "canon" itself means "measure" or "rule". The canon consists of nine main parts - songs. The songs consist of several troparions, which are usually recited, and irmos, which are performed by the choir. The word "irmos" means "connection". These hymns link the songs of the canon and the biblical songs. The first lines of this festive sermon are as follows: “Christ is born - praise! Christ from heaven - meet! Christ on earth - ascend!"

At the end of the singing of the canon (at the patriarchal divine service, not all of them, but only the irmos) usually sing the song of the Most Holy Theotokos.

The canon is followed by the singing of stichera in praise - Christmas hymns, which join the verses from the "praise" psalms. Psalms 148, 149 and 150 are called “praiseful” or laudatory. They contain praise to God and all creation is called to glorify the Creator: “Let every breath praise the Lord, praise the Lord from heaven, praise Him in the highest, a song befits you to God.”

exclamation " Glory to You, who showed us the light ” begins the singing of the Great Doxology, proclaimed by the Angels to the Bethlehem shepherds: “Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth.” The great doxology ends with the singing of the Trisagion: "Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us."

Even during the divine service, a petitionary litany is pronounced. The form of the litany is a kind of dialogue. The deacon proclaims prayer petitions, and the choir, on behalf of those praying, answers these petitions: “Give, Lord.” Hence the name of the litany - "petition".

Spotted a typo or mistake? Select the text and press Ctrl+Enter to tell us about it.

In big Orthodox holidays All Christians try to visit the temple in order to take part in the solemn divine service. Well, since one of the most significant events in Christian world considered to be Christmas, then is carried out literally in all, even the smallest, temples and chapels. Thus, believers get the opportunity to visit the temple at a convenient place and time for them, especially since Christmas service schedule covers the widest time zones, starting very early and ending well after midnight.

It is an unconditional fact that worldly fuss does not allow our contemporary to attend church with the regularity that he needs. Meanwhile, in the most important days, such as Christmas, Easter, Trinity, the Annunciation and others - true Christians must come to church. And in this case Christmas service in the church is one of the most important activities that are in priority for Orthodox person. However, and Catholic Christmas service is for a believer the measure by which he orients himself and builds his plans. In fact, here we are talking about the fact that, regardless of religion, a person always worships God, praying for forgiveness and mercy.

Christmas service at the church

On Christmas Eve, many of our compatriots, who rarely manage to visit charitable places, are wondering if what time is the christmas service starts, when do you have to go to church and how do you plan your day? Indeed, according to tradition, preparations for the feast of the Nativity of Christ begin on January 6, when you need to have time to cook 12 dishes and visit the temple. At the same time, it is important to understand that this is an event that is impossible to look at for a minute, but you have to devote a lot of time to it.

Festive Christmas service at the church is a special event attended by the whole family. And since we are talking about children here, it is necessary to prepare them for a long and solemn service in advance. On the other hand, it is important to observe silence and humility here, so if the child starts to get tired, then the best option will quietly go outside with him. Well, if you find christmas service text, then in this case it is possible to continue worship at home. Of course, this is not as solemn as in the temple, but serving and praying to God is not necessarily a triumph, first of all it is faith and hope.

Start of Christmas service

Christmas is considered one of the biggest Christian holidays, so services on this day are held in each church according to their own schedule. That is, in each particular temple start of Christmas service determined by the rector and corrected with an emphasis on the canons of Christianity. In fact, this means that every believer can come to church at any time convenient for him and stay here for as long as he considers necessary.

On the other hand, since Christmas is a very bright, festive, but also busy day, then Christmas service January 6 may be visited. Considering the fact that Christmas falls every year on different days weeks, then the duration of the service will depend on this factor. But, be that as it may, and whenever a person comes to the temple, whether it be on January 6 or 7, or on any other date, he will always be able to find support from our Lord Jesus Christ here, light a candle and pray in silence.

Subscribe to our accounts at , In contact with , Facebook , Classmates , Youtube , Instagram , Twitter. Stay up to date with the latest news!

In many churches in Moscow, parishioners try to sing along, in some churches even “folk singing” is practiced. It is also possible to participate in worship in silence. But in any case, it would be good to understand the liturgical texts, it is convenient to follow with your eyes the text of the key liturgical hymns. We place the text for the general folk singing for the morning service on Christmas Eve (January 6), the Christmas Vigil and the Divine Liturgy (January 6-7)

Miniature Minology of Basil II. Constantinople. 985 Vatican Library. Rome

Christmas Eve (Christmas Eve)
Prefeast of the Nativity of Christ. Prmc. Evgeniya.
Great Vespers with Liturgy of St. Basil the Great

STICHERES on the Lord I cried:
Lord, I call to You, hear me. / Hear me, Lord.
Lord, I cry to Thee, hear me: / hearken to the voice of my supplication, / call me to Thee every now and then. / Hear me, Lord.
May my prayer be corrected, / like a censer before You, / the uplifting of my hand / is an evening sacrifice. / Hear me, Lord.
From the depths I called to Thee, Lord, Lord, hear my voice.
[Holiday verses]:

May Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication.
Come, let us rejoice in the Lord, telling a real mystery: the mediastinum of the city is destroyed, the fiery weapon gives splashes, and the Cherubim retreats from the tree of life, and I partake of the food of paradise, from which they would be expelled for listening; the unchanging image of the Father, the image of His ever-present, accepts the specter of a slave, passed from the Unskilful Mother, without undergoing change, even if it had abode, This God is true, and even if it was not pleasant, Man being for the sake of humanity. Let us cry out to him: be born of the Virgin God, have mercy on us.
If you see iniquity, Lord, Lord, who will stand; / like you have cleansing.

For Thy name's sake, suffer Thee, O Lord;
I am born to the Lord Jesus from the Holy Virgin, enlightened in every way: as a shepherd who swore and worshiping a sorcerer, as an angel singing, Herod, restless, as if God had appeared in the flesh, Savior of our souls.
From the morning watch until night, from the morning watch, let Israel hope in the Lord.
Thy Kingdom, Christ God, the Kingdom of all ages, and Thy Dominion in every kind and generation, incarnated from the Holy Spirit and from the Ever-Virgin Mary became human, shine upon us, Christ God, Thy coming; The light from the Light, the divine radiance, has enlightened the whole creation, every breath praises Thee. The image of the glory of Goth, who is, and who was before, and shone forth from the Virgin, God, have mercy on us.
For the Lord has mercy, and He has much deliverance, and He will deliver Israel from all his iniquities. Thy Kingdom, Christ God, the Kingdom of all ages, and Thy Dominion in every kind and generation, incarnated from the Holy Spirit and from the Ever-Virgin Mary became human, shine upon us, Christ God, Thy coming; The light from the Light, the divine radiance, has enlightened the whole creation, every breath praises Thee. The image of the glory of Goth, who is, and who was before, and shone forth from the Virgin, God, have mercy on us.
Praise the Lord, all nations; praise Him, all people.

For His mercy is established upon us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever.
What shall we bring Thee, O Christ, as thou hast appeared on earth as a Man for us? Every now and then from Thee former creatures bring thanks to Thee: Angels - singing; heaven - a star; Volsvi - gifts; shepherd - a miracle; earth - nativity scene; desert - nursery; we are the Mother of the Virgin. Before the age, God, have mercy on us.
GLORY, AND NOW: Avgusta edino primarily on the earth,/ Many people of the people of the presentine;/ And you are wounded from the Chichesti,/ Multibia and abolished,/ Under the editorship of the world of grades,/ and in this rule of the Divine, it was written. In the name of the Deity, / to You, our God incarnate. / / Great is Your mercy, Lord, glory to You.

Quiet light of the holy glory, / Immortal, Heavenly Father, / Blessed Holy One, Jesus Christ. / Coming to the sunset, / seeing the light evening, / we sing the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, God. / Thou art worthy at all times / do not be the voices of the reverend, / Son of God, give life, / the same world glorifies You.

Prokimen, tone 4: The Lord will hear me, / always call to Him.
Verse: Call on me every now and then, God of my righteousness hear me

PAREMIA
Genesis reading, ch.1:1-13 (translating to Russian language)
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. The earth was invisible and unorganized, and darkness was over the deep, and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters. And God said, "Let there be light." And there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good, and God divided between the light and the darkness. And God called the light day, and the darkness he called night. And there was evening and there was morning: one day. And God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate water from water." And it became so. And God created the firmament, and God divided between the water (which was) under the firmament, and the water (which was) above the firmament. And God called the firmament sky. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning: the second day. And God said: "Let the waters under the sky be gathered into one assembly, and let the dry land appear." And it became so. And the waters under the sky were gathered into their gatherings, and the dry land appeared. And God called the dry land earth, and the pools of water he called seas. And God saw that it was good. And God said, "Let the earth bring forth vegetation, grass yielding seed after its kind and likeness, and a fruitful tree bearing fruit whose seed is in it after its kind on the earth." And it became so. And the earth brought forth vegetation, grass yielding seed after its kind and after its likeness, and a fruitful tree bearing fruit whose seed is in it, after its kind on the earth. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning: the third day.

Numbers reading, chapter 24:2-3, 5-9, 17-18
The Spirit of God was on Balaam, and, beginning his parable, he said: “How beautiful are your dwellings, Jacob, your tents, Israel: like shady valleys, like orchards by rivers, like tents that the Lord pitched, (and) like cedars at waters Man shall come forth from his seed, and shall possess many nations, and his kingdom shall be exalted [greater than Gog] and [his kingdom] shall grow. God brought him out of Egypt: his glory is like that of a unicorn: he shall devour the tribes of his enemies, and fatness shall emaciate them, And with his arrows he will smite the enemy. He reclined and rested like a lion and like a lion cub: who can lift him up? Those who bless you are blessed, and those who curse you are cursed! Edom will be an inheritance, and Esau, his enemy, will be an inheritance, but Israel has shown strength!

Prophecies of Micahine reading, ch. 4:6-7; 5:2-4
In those days, says the Lord, I will gather the contrite and rejected I will receive, and those whom I have rejected. And I will turn the broken one into a remnant and the rejected into a mighty people, and the Lord will reign over them on Mount Zion from now on and forever. Thus says the Lord: and you, Bethlehem, the house of Ephrath, are small to be among the thousands of Judah: but from you will come to Me (Leader -) the One Who should be the Prince in Israel, and His origin is from the beginning, from the days of eternity. Therefore, He will give them until the time when the woman giving birth will give birth; and then the rest of his brethren will turn to the children of Israel. And he will stand, and see, and the Lord will shepherd his flock in power; and in the glory of the name of the Lord their God they shall abide, for now he is exalted to the ends of the earth

You were secretly born in a den, / but Heaven preaches to everyone, / like a mouth, offering a star, Savior, / and bring the wise men to You, worshiping You by faith; / FROM NIMIGHER, HAVE PARTY ON US.

Verse 1: His foundations are on the holy mountains, / the Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the villages of Jacob, / gloriously speaking about you, the city of God. / I will remember Rahab and Babylon leading me. And bring the magi to Thee, worshiping Thee by faith, HAVE PARTY ON US WITH THEM.
Verse 2: And these are the foreigners, and Tire, and the people of Ethiopia, / these were the tamo. / Mati Zion says: / Man and Man be born in him, / and That is the basis and the Highest. And bring the magi to Thee, worshiping Thee by faith, HAVE PARTY ON US WITH THEM.
Verse 3: The Lord has a story in the writings of people / and these princes who were in it, / as if everyone is rejoicing, a dwelling place in You. And bring the magi to Thee, worshiping Thee by faith, HAVE PARTY ON US WITH THEM.

You were secretly born in a den, / but Heaven preaches to everyone, / like a mouth, offering a star, Savior, / and bring the wise men to You, worshiping You by faith; / FROM NIMIGHER, HAVE PARTY ON US.

Prophecies of Isaiah reading, chapter 11:1-10
Thus says the Lord: A branch will come out from the root of Jesse, and a blossom from the root (its) will spring up; and the Spirit of God rests on him: the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of advice and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and piety; He will fill His Spirit with the fear of God: He will not judge by outward appearance, and not by word of mouth reprove, but will judge the humble with a righteous judgment, and will convict with straightness of the glorious earth, and will smite the earth with the word of His mouth, and by the Spirit of His mouth will destroy the wicked. And his loins will be girded with truth, and his ribs will be entwined with truth. And the wolf will graze with the lamb, and the leopard will rest with the goat; and the calf, and the bull, and the lion will feed together, and a little child will lead them. And the bull and the bear will graze together, and their young will be together; and the lion and the ox will eat straw together. And the young Child will lay his hand on the hole of asps and on the nest of the offspring of asps; and they will do no harm, and they will not be able to destroy anyone on my holy mountain, for the whole (earth) will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as much water covers the seas. And in that day there will be the Root of Jesse and Rise to rule over the Gentiles: in Him the Gentiles will hope, and there will be His rest - honor!

Prophecies of Baruch reading 3:36-38; 4:1-4
This is our God, no one else can compare with Him. He invented every way of knowledge and gave it to Jacob, His servant, and Israel, His beloved. After that, He appeared on earth and dwelt among people. It is the book of God's commandments and the law that endures forever. All who hold on to it (will enter) into life, and those who leave it will die. Turn, Jacob, and take hold of her, go to shine in her light. Do not give your glory to another, and what is useful to you - to a strange people. Blessed are we Israel pleasing to God known to us.

Prophecies of Daniel reading 2:31-36, 44-45
Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar: You, the king, looked: and behold, one statue; that statue is great, and its appearance is excellent. It stood before your face, and its vision is terrible. A statue whose head is of pure gold, its arms and chest and muscles are silver, the belly and thighs are copper, the legs are iron, the legs are partly iron and partly clay. You watched until a stone was cut off from the mountain without the assistance of hands, and struck the statue at the feet of iron and clay, and crushed their ashes to the end. Then clay, iron, copper, silver, gold immediately turned to dust, and became like dust from a summer threshing floor, and they were lifted up by the power of the wind, and there was no place for them; and the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. This is a dream; and let us say its interpretation before the king: God will raise up heavenly kingdom which will never be destroyed, and His kingdom will not be left to another people; and it will turn to dust and scatter all kingdoms, and itself will stand forever - in the same way as you saw that a stone was cut from the mountain without the help of hands and crushed clay, iron, copper, silver, gold. The Great God made known to the king what was to be done after this. And this dream is true, and its interpretation is true!

Verse 1: The Lord reigned, clothed in splendor: the Lord was clothed with strength, and girded: for establish the world, even if it does not move. Thy throne is ready from henceforth, Thou art from eternity. Thou hast instructed the Magi to worship Thy, with them we magnify Thee: Giver of life, glory to Thee.
Verse 2: Raise up the rivers, O Lord, raise up the rivers with their voices. Their rivers of controversy will rise up, from the voices of many waters. Thou hast instructed the Magi to worship Thy, with them we magnify Thee: Giver of life, glory to Thee.
Verse 3: Marvelous are the heights of the sea, marvelous in the lofty Lord: Thy testimonies are strongly convinced: the Lord, in the longitude of days, befits Thy house. Thou hast instructed the Magi to worship Thy, with them we magnify Thee: Giver of life, glory to Thee.

Thou hast shone forth, O Christ, from the Virgin, the reasonable Sun of Truth, / and the star of Thee of the show in the den, accommodating the Uncontainable. / Thou hast instructed the Magi on Your worship, / with them we magnify Thee: / Life-giver, glory to Thee.

Prophecies of Isaiah reading, chapter 9:6-7
A baby was born to us, a Son - and given to us, Whose dominion was on His shoulder, and His name is called: Great Council Angel, wonderful Counsellor, mighty God, Ruler, Head of the world, Father of the future age, for I will draw the world against the rulers: peace and health to Him! (And) great is His dominion, and there is no end to His world on the throne of David and in his kingdom, to correct him and support him in judgment and righteousness from now on and forever. The jealousy of the Lord of hosts will do it!

Isaiah's prophecies reading, chapters 7:10-16; 8:1-4, 8-10
The Lord continued the conversation with Ahaz, saying: "Ask for a sign for yourself from the Lord your God in the depths or in the heights." And Ahaz said, "I will not ask, nor will I tempt the Lord!" And Isaiah said, Listen, house of David! Is it not enough for you to give trouble to people? And how do you trouble the Lord? Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: behold, the Virgin will conceive in the womb and give birth to a Son, and they will call His name: Emmanuel. Butter and honey He will eat; before He can know or prefer evil, He will choose good: for before this Child knows good or evil, He will not submit to vice in order to choose good. it with a human pen that the capture of prey will soon take place - for it has come. And make faithful people to Me as witnesses: Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Barahiah." And I approached the Prophetess, and she carried in her womb and gave birth to a Son. before the Child learns to call his father or mother, he will seize the power of Damascus and the spoils of Samaria before the face of the king of Assyria. "God is with us - know, peoples, and obey, hear to the ends of the earth. And whatever counsel you conceive, the Lord will destroy, and whatever word you speak will not stand with you, for God is with us.

Prokeimenon, tone 1: The Lord spoke to Me: Thou art my Son, I have given birth to Thee today.
Verse: Ask from Me, and I will give you tongues, your inheritance and your possession, the ends of the earth.

The Epistle to the Hebrews of St. Apostle Paul (Chapter 13:17-21)
God, who spoke many times and in many ways in ancient times to the fathers in the prophets, in these last days spoke to us in the Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he created the world. He, being the radiance of glory and the image of His essence, and holding everything by the word of His power, having accomplished the cleansing of our sins by Himself, sat down on the right side [of the throne] of the Majesty on high, becoming as much more excellent than the Angels, as he inherited the most excellent Name before them. For to which of the angels did God ever say: “You are my Son, today I gave birth to you”? And again: “I will be His Father, and He will be My Son”? And also, when He introduces the Firstborn into the universe, He says: "And let all the angels of God worship Him." And about the Angels he says: “He who creates His angels with spirits and His servants with flaming fire,” and about the Son: “Thy throne, O God, forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your Kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated iniquity; therefore, O God, Your God has anointed You with the oil of joy more than Your partners.” And: “In the beginning You, O Lord, founded the earth, and the work of Your hands is the heavens; they will perish, but you will remain, and all will be worn out like a garment, and like a garment you will roll them up and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not end.”

GOSPEL according to Luke (chapter 6:17-23)
In those days, a decree was issued from Caesar Augustus on the census of the entire universe. This census was the first in the reign of Quirinius in Syria. And everyone went to sign up, each in his own city. And Joseph also went from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was from the house and family of David, to register with Miriam, his betrothed wife, who was pregnant. But it happened that while they were there, the days were fulfilled when she was to give birth. And she gave birth to her Son, the firstborn, and swaddled him and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in an inn.
And there were shepherds in that country, who were in the field, and kept watch by night with their flock. And behold, the Angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone upon them, and they were afraid with great fear. And the angel said to them: “Do not be afraid! For, behold, I announce to you great joy, which will be to all the people: that today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you, who is Christ the Lord. And here is a sign for you: you will find a swaddled child lying in a manger. And suddenly, with an angel, a numerous heavenly host appeared, praising God and exclaiming: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill among people!” And it happened: when the angels departed from them into heaven, and those people, the shepherds, said to each other: "Let's go to Bethlehem and see what kind of event happened, about which the Lord announced to us." And they came hastily, and found Miriam, and Joseph, and the Child lying in the manger.
When they saw it, they told about the word that he had spoken about this Infant. And all who heard were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. Miriam kept all these words, putting them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they heard and saw, just as it was said.

MAIN TEXTS OF THE SERVICE AND CHANTS FOR NATIONAL SINGING
NATIVITY

God is with us, understand the nations, / and repent: / For God is with us.
Hear to the last of the earth: / For God is with us.
Repent, mighty ones: / For God is with us.
As soon as you can, / and you will be victorious: / For God is with us.
And even if you consult together, / the Lord will destroy: / For God is with us.
And the word, even if you speak, / will not abide in you: / For God is with us.
We will not be afraid of your fear, / below we will be embarrassed: / For God is with us.
Let us sanctify the Lord our God, / and He will be in fear for us: / For God is with us.
And if I hope in Him, / it will be for my sanctification: / For God is with us.
And I will trust in Him, / and be saved by Him: / For God is with us.
Se az and children, even if God gave me: / As God is with us.
People walking in darkness, / seeing a great light: / For God is with us.
Living in the land and the shadow of death, / light will shine on you: / For God is with us.
Like a Child be born to us, / Son, and given to us: / Like God is with us.
His leadership was on His frame: / For God is with us.
And His peace has no limit: / As God is with us.
And His Name is called, / Great Council Angel: / As God is with us.
Wonderful Counselor: / As God is with us.
God is strong, Ruler, / Head of the world: / As God is with us.
Father of the future age: / For God is with us.
God is with us, understand the nations, / and repent: / For God is with us.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. God with us.
And now and forever and forever and ever. Amen. God with us. Like God is with us.

Troparion:
The day has passed, I thank Thee, Lord, the evening, I ask, from the night without sin, give me, Savior, and save me.
Glory: The day has passed, I will glorify Thee, Lord, evening, I ask you, with the night of temptation, give me, Savior, and save me.
And now: The day has passed, I will hymn Thee, Holy One, evening, I ask, from the night of hate, give me, Savior, and save me.
The incorporeal nature of the Cherubim, they glorify Thee with silent songs. The six-winged animal seraphim, with unceasing voices exalt Thee: the angels of the whole Host with three holy songs praise Thee. First of all, Thou art the Father, and imash Thy Son without beginning: and equally honored to bear the Spirit of life, the Trinity is inseparable.
The Blessed Virgin Mother of God, and others who see the Word and servants: the prophet and martyr are all persons, as if they have immortal life: pray diligently for everyone, as we are all in trouble. Let the charms of the evil one get rid of, let us cry an angelic song: Holy, Holy, Holy, Trisagion Lord, have mercy and save us, amen.

Troparion of the Nativity of Christ, tone 4:
Your Nativity, Christ our God, / shine forth the light of reason, /
in it I serve the stars / I study the star / Bow to you, the Sun of Truth, /
and lead Thee from the height of the east.// Lord, glory to Thee.

Kontakion of the feast, tone 3:
Today the Virgin gives birth to the Most Substantial, / and the earth brings a den to the Unapproachable: / angels with shepherds glorify, / the wise men travel with the star: / for us, for the sake of being born / A young child, the Eternal God.

PETERS on Lithium:
Heaven and earth will rejoice prophetically today, let angels and people spiritually triumph, as if God in the flesh appeared to those who are in darkness and sitting in the canopy, be born of the Virgin; nativity scene and manger priyash Togo; shepherds preach a miracle; Volsvi from the east to Bethlehem bring gifts. But we will bring praise with unworthy angelic lips to Him: glory to God in the Highest, and peace on earth, the Expectation of tongues has come, having come, save us from the work of the enemy.
Heaven and earth are united today, I will be born to Christ. Today God has come to earth, and man has ascended to Heaven. Today to see is the flesh, invisible by nature, for the sake of man. For this sake, we, glorifying, cry out to Him: Glory to God in the Highest, and peace on earth, for the gift of Your coming, our Savior, glory to You.
Glory to God in the Highest, in Bethlehem I hear from the Incorporeal today, on earth peace to those who favor being. Now the Virgin of Heaven is shirshi: ascend the light of the darkened and the humble exalt, singing angelically: glory to God in the Highest.
In the image and likeness, having seen decay with a crime, Jesus, having bowed the Heavens, descended and settled into the virgin womb unchangeably, so that he would renew the decayed Adam in it, calling: glory to your appearance, my Redeemer and God.
GLORY: Volsvi, the king of Persia, having come to know the reality of the born King of Heaven on earth, led from a bright star, having reached Bethlehem, bearing gifts of the chosen ones, gold, and lebanon, and myrrh, and, having fallen, bowed: you saw the Child lying in the den of the flightless.
AND NOW: All Angels rejoice in Heaven, and people rejoice today, but all creation plays for the sake of the Savior of the Lord born in Bethlehem, like all flattery of idols, and Christ reigns forever.

POTS on the poem:
A great and glorious miracle has taken place today: The Virgin gives birth and the womb does not decay: the Word is incarnate and the Father is not separated. Angels with shepherds glorify, and we cry with them: glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth.
From the womb before the morning star, I born Thee: the Lord swears, and he will not repent.
Today, the Virgin, the Creator of all, gives birth: Eden brings a den, and a star will show Christ, the Sun, existing in darkness. Bowing with the gift of the Volsvi, we enlighten by faith: and the shepherd saw a miracle, an angel singing and saying: glory to God in the highest.
The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand.
I will be born to the Lord Jesus in Bethlehem, a Jew, having come from the east, the Volvi, bowing down to God incarnate, and diligently opening my treasures, offering honest gifts: gold is tempted, like the King of the ages: and Lebanon, like the God of all: like a three-day dead man, myrrh Immortal. All tongues, come, let us bow down to the One who is born, to save our souls.
GLORY: Rejoice in Jerusalem, rejoice, all who love Zion: today the temporary solution of the condemnation of Adam has been resolved, paradise has been opened to us, the serpent has been abolished; O depth of wealth, and wisdom, and the mind of God! Even having come forth the death of all flesh, a sinful vessel, salvation began to be the world around, for the sake of the Mother of God. The All-Perfect God is born from Nei, and virginity prints Christmas: resolving the captives of sin with swaddling clothes, and for the sake of infancy, Evina heals even in the sorrows of illness. Let all creation rejoice, and let it play: for Christ has come to renew me, and save our souls.
AND NOW: Thou hast moved into the den, O Christ God, having received Thee, the shepherd and the wolf worshiped. Then the prophetic sermon was fulfilled, and the angelic forces marveled, crying out and saying: glory to your descent, O One Lover of Man.

Now let go Thy servant, Master, / according to Thy word, be in peace; / as my eyes have seen Thy salvation, / Thou hast prepared before the face of all people, / a light for the revelation of tongues, / / ​​and the glory of Your people Israel.

Troparion of the Nativity of Christ, tone 4 (thrice):

END OF GREAT COMPLICATION. THE BEGINNING OF MATINS(the lights are turned off, the six psalms are read: 3, 37, 62, 87, 102, 142 psalms)

God is the Lord, and appear to us, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord
Troparion of the Nativity of Christ:
Thy Nativity, Christ our God, / rise up the world's light of reason, / in it for the stars that serve / I learn from the star / Bow down to You, the Sun of Truth, / and lead Thee from the height of the east. / / Lord, glory to Thee.

We magnify Thee, / life-giver Christ, / for the sake of us now born in the flesh / of the Blessed and Most Pure Virgin Mary.

PROKIMEN, tone 4: From the womb, before the day, I gave birth to Thee, / they swear by the Lord and will not repent
Verse: The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.
Every breath / praise the Lord.
Verse: Praise God in His saints, praise Him in the confirmation of His power.

GOSPEL according to Matthew (ch. 1: 18-25) (translating to Russian language)
The Nativity of Jesus Christ was like this: after the betrothal of His Mother Mary to Joseph, before they were combined, it turned out that She was pregnant with the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her husband, being righteous and not wanting to dishonor her, decided to secretly let her go. But when he thought this, - behold, the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying: "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Miriam, your wife, for what is born in Her is from the Holy Spirit. And She will give birth to a Son, and you will call His name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. And all this happened in order to fulfill what the Lord said through the prophet, who says: "Behold, the Virgin will conceive in the womb and give birth to a Son, and they will call His name: Emmanuel," which in translation means: "God is with us." Awakening from sleep, Joseph did as the Angel of the Lord commanded him, and took his wife, and did not know Her; until she gave birth to her Son, the firstborn, and he called his name Jesus.

GLORY: All joys are fulfilled today, Christ is born of the Virgin.
AND NOW: All joys are fulfilled today, Christ is born in Bethlehem.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy, and according to the multitude of Thy mercies, cleanse my iniquity.
Glory to God in the Highest, / and on earth peace, / today Bethlehem will receive the one sitting ever with the Father, / today the Angels of the Infant, born divinely, glorify: / glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace, / good will towards men.

Orthodox Christians traditionally celebrate the feast of Christ's birth starting on January 6th. The magi were among the first to know about the birth of the Savior. Seeing bright star in the sky, they went to bow to the newly-appeared Messiah with symbolic gifts. They brought him tree resin, like ordinary person frankincense as a messenger of the Lord, and gold as a king. Herod also learned about the birth of the Savior, he could not adequately accept this news, he was afraid of the messenger of God and ordered to kill all the babies who were under 2 years old. Parents fled to Egypt with Christ and thus were able to save him.

Christmas is rightfully considered one of the greatest holidays in Orthodoxy. In the established hierarchy in terms of importance, it is in second place, second only to . In order to properly prepare for it, you need to find out when Christmas 2019 is celebrated. Its date is unchanged - all ritual festivities begin with the rising of the star on January 6th. On this evening it is customary to gather big families at one table, on which, according to tradition, there should be 12 dishes. The main attribute of the holiday is kutya. The basis for it is porridge, nuts, dried fruits, honey, poppy seeds are also added to it. It is noteworthy that Orthodox believers, although they set rich tables, do not eat until the first star rises.

Many churched people do not think about how to celebrate Christmas on January 7, 2019. On the 6th they go to church for the all-night service. It begins with Great Compline and lasts all night. Afterwards, congratulations are heard from everywhere on the arrival of the great holiday and the glorification of the born Jesus.

If you want to see the whole sacrament of the festive service, then you are wondering what time the Christmas service begins on January 6th. In many churches, the service begins an hour before midnight, and the service itself will last until about 4 in the morning. But in order not to be late, it is better to check the exact time with the ministers of the temple where you plan to go.

On Christmas Eve, mummers traditionally walk the streets. They carol under the windows of houses and entertain everyone they meet. This period is considered successful for, despite all church prohibitions, they have always been popular. It is also good to know the signs from January 6 to 7. For example, people say that the starry sky on this night - to the harvest of berries, frost on the trees - to an excellent harvest of cereals, and warmth on Christmas Day will bring a cold spring.

But on the eve of the holiday, it is important not only to remember the signs and traditions, but also not to forget to say a few kind words or to everyone you know. In addition to traditional praises of the Savior, you could say the following to them:

Happy big day! Peace and goodness to you!

Merry Christmas! I wish you to live according to the testaments of Christ, because only in this way grace and peace will reign in your soul!

Happy Birth of the Savior! May his teachings on love and forgiveness bring peace to your soul!

Of course, the date is not so important for going to church. But it is on this day that one can feel special reverence, because the services are held solemnly, in detail, they are filled with prayers. And from the people around comes joy and happiness from the realization of the coming of a great holiday.