Traditions of Orthodoxy. Lecture “Orthodox traditions - the way of life of a Christian

In so-called "Christian" countries there are many strange customs and habits generated by false religion and the energy of ignorance inherent in it. These customs and habits, from the point of view of common sense, are simply stupid, and “Christians” should think about whether they should continue to do all this.

What do we mean by strange customs? For example, every year during “Christmas” and “New Year” hundreds of millions of trees are cut down in “Christian” countries. These trees decorate the houses of “Christians”, and after the end of the Christmas holidays they are all thrown away. And this happens every year! This is done by “Christians” to celebrate the “birthday” of Jesus Christ! Why are millions of lives lost every year to celebrate the “birthday” of the Savior? Personally, this is not clear to me. Do you understand this?

Well, think for yourself, dear reader: do Jesus Christ and His Heavenly Father really approve of this strange ritual - cutting down trees not for economic needs, but just for fun? The “Christian” pastors’ explanation for this is something like this: “The Nativity of Christ is the birthday of the Messiah, who gave us eternal life. The Christmas tree, like an evergreen plant, symbolizes this eternal life. That’s why we install this tree in our home on the feast of the Nativity of Christ.” But even if the tree symbolizes eternal life in the minds of “Christians,” why then kill this symbol of eternal life? Maybe let it turn green and symbolize eternal life somewhere in the forest? How can you celebrate eternal life while destroying the lives of millions of defenseless trees?

Another massive attack on trees occurs among “Christians” on the so-called “Palm Sunday,” when the solemn entry of Christ into Jerusalem before His crucifixion is celebrated. As is known from the Gospel (Matthew 21:8), along the route of Christ, when He rode into Jerusalem on donkeys1, people spread their clothes, while others cut tree branches and laid them along the route of Jesus. But this entry of Christ into Jerusalem took place only once in this Creation, and once people cut branches to honor the Messiah, who showed many miracles. But “Christians”, to celebrate this event, break tree branches every year for many centuries! Can you imagine how many trees are destroyed and damaged by “Christians” during these two holidays - “Christmas” and “Palm Sunday”?

Using the example of these two “Christian” holidays and their inherent customs, we can again see some inversion of the thinking of pseudo-Christians. By celebrating certain dates in the life of the Savior, who promised them eternal life, “Christians,” as they say, “sow” death around. I would like to urge “Christians” to think about this and stop the senseless destruction and mockery of trees. If you truly love God, then you must love all living things. Is it the Holy Spirit that motivates you to cut down trees and break branches? Many will say: “I didn’t cut it myself, I bought a Christmas tree.” But when you buy, you create demand, which also creates supply. Thus, when you buy a Christmas tree this year, you place an order for further cutting down of trees for next year. If you want to serve God and gain His mercy, give up the Christmas tree! You'll see: your holiday will not become less joyful. In the end, at first, if this tree has already become a habit, you can replace it with a plastic one. And you can enjoy the smell of pine needles in the forest, and you can enjoy the smell of pine needles not of a dead, but of a living Christmas tree...

Another phenomenon of the perverted thinking of so-called “Christians” is the worship of the suffering, bleeding and dying Jesus Christ on the cross. This is expressed in numerous sermons on this topic, in composing songs about the bloody Jesus, in wearing crosses with the image of the dying Christ, in depicting the scene of the crucifixion on paintings, in sculptural statues, in placing a cross with the crucified Lord in dwellings, etc. In “Orthodox” churches, for example, in addition to the altar cross, you can often see an entire sculptural composition depicting the scene of the crucifixion.

This cultivation of the image of the crucified Messiah is either monstrous hypocrisy or a mental deviation close to mental illness. If so-called “Christians” wear crosses with the image of the suffering and dying Christ and depict this scene in numerous paintings, graphics and sculptures, then they like His suffering, right? The question arises: how do so-called “Christians” relate to Jesus Christ? Who is He for them: friend or enemy? Can a normal person enjoy the suffering of a friend? Of course not! If you love someone's suffering, then he is your enemy. If you revel in Christ's death on the cross, then you hate Him. Thus, pseudo-Christians who have changed the laws of God testify against themselves: by cultivating the image of the crucified Christ and carefully “musing” this topic, they behave like His enemies.

Carrying or displaying the "death certificate" of an enemy was a custom among the North American Indians and is still preserved among some savage tribes. The scalps of killed enemies were used to decorate homes, clothing and weapons. The enemy's skull, decorated with cassowary feathers, is an object of worship for the cannibals of Papua New Guinea. Some people may enjoy the suffering of the enemy. But a normal person, although he may be satisfied with the death of his enemy, because... This saves him from danger; he won’t think about it all the time. Only a person with a demonic nature, cruel, sadistic, and mentally ill can constantly revel in all the vicissitudes of the painful death of his enemy. By cultivating worship of a Savior who is not alive, who does not work miracles, who does not preach, who is not risen, but rather the Savior crucified on the cross, “Christians” behave not like friends, but like mentally ill enemies of Jesus Christ.

If these pseudo-Christians had been friends of Jesus, they would not have cultivated images of His crucifixion. If “Christians” like the scene of Christ’s suffering and death so much, then they are His enemies. “Orthodox” and “Catholics” with their religion propagate the idea that God’s Messenger abolished the law of God who sent Him. This is slander against Christ and God, and by this slander, as well as by cultivating the image of the crucified Christ, pseudo-Christians testify that they are the enemies of God and His Messenger.

Death on the cross was considered a shameful death in the ancient world. For true Christians, it would probably be more natural to cultivate the image of a living or resurrected Jesus - as a symbol of the victory of true faith over death. But pseudo-Christians are obsessed with the idea of putting on public display the crucified, tortured or dead Jesus Christ.

In the eyes of representatives of other religions, so-called “Christianity” really looks either funny or very strange: “Christians,” looking “from the outside,” are people who worship a crucified, suffering and dying deity. What can such a deity give them, which itself needs help? The so-called “death” of Christ is a fleeting illusion, as is written even in the Koran, but the so-called “Christians” are trying to perpetuate the “death” of Christ, presenting it as the main gospel event.

Those who have lost a friend or relative know how unpleasant it is to remember, and even more so, to talk about his death. They usually remember scenes from a friend’s life, and not the circumstances of his death. But “Orthodox” and “Catholics” behave differently - as if they rejoice in the death of Christ: they wear crucifixes on their chests, pray in front of them and kiss them. In addition, “Christians” compose songs and poems about the crucified and bleeding Christ. I have heard at least two cassettes with a predominance of songs on this topic: a sad and dreary album by a certain “Orthodox” monk and a simply “bleeding Christ” album by a certain Seventh-day Adventist. And there are a great many such “works”. All this is either monstrous hypocrisy, or an obvious mental deviation, which is one of the fruits of false religion.

The very worship of the cross, the kissing of the cross, accepted, for example, among the “Orthodox”, is, in fact, the worship of the instrument of torture and murder of the Lord. With the help of the cross, an instrument of painful death, the Romans, at the request of the Pharisees, killed Jesus Christ, and pseudo-Christians now worship this instrument of torture. Isn't that weird? Besides being strange, the worship of material objects or symbols and the belief in their miraculous powers is fetishism, or idolatry. Pseudo-Christians consider the cross to be a holy symbol. But what are the centuries-old fruits of this worship of the cross? How many atrocities, thefts and murders have been committed by people with crosses on their necks? How many wars were started by the rulers of states with crosses on banners and coats of arms? Wasn't enough blood shed by armies with crosses on their shields and armor? Obviously, attributing special holiness to a geometric figure is obvious paganism and does not indicate great intelligence.

Another perversion, even more incomprehensible, is accepted mainly among “Catholics”: a large “crucifix”2 is hung over the marriage bed. This strange custom is reflected in many feature films, and it cannot be called anything other than blasphemy. It looks something like this: “You, Lord, continue to suffer and die in agony on the cross for our sins, and in the meantime we’ll have sex.” There is, of course, nothing wrong with sex, for the Lord said: “Be fruitful and multiply” (Gen. 1:22), but why, in the place where you usually do it, hang an image of the crucified, bleeding and dying Messenger of God? What is the connection between the crucified Jesus and sex? You probably need to ask the “Catholics” about this.

Why endlessly reproduce the scene of the crucifixion in thousands of copies, in body crosses and altar crosses, in paintings, in songs and poems? The scene of the crucifixion is only an episode from the life of the Savior. And, although this great sacrifice was very important, the scenes of the torture, crucifixion and death of Christ should cause bitterness in a true Christian, it should be unpleasant for one who truly loves the Lord. But the “Orthodox” and “Catholics” behave as if they were pleased to contemplate the suffering of Christ. It’s as if they are trying to prolong this scene, capture and immortalize it in their crosses and icons. This perversion is a consequence of the disdainful attitude of pseudo-Christians towards the commandments of God. Concluding this topic, it should also be noted that in no other religion on Earth will you see such an increased, simply pathological, interest in the moment of death of its founder, as can be observed among the so-called “Christians”.

There is also much more in “Orthodoxy” and “Catholicism” that a normal person cannot accept without wincing. For example, how can one relate to the kissing of icons, crosses and bones of the dead (relics of “saints”), which is common in “Orthodoxy,” as well as to kissing the hand of a priest? Kissing icons, crosses and relics are the rules of primitive fetishism, the worship of the dust of the earth. Kissing the hand of a priest is simply some kind of perversion.

The strange custom of kissing the priest’s hand after confession or even during a meeting is accepted in the “Orthodox” church. Personally, this ritual causes a natural disgust for me, and, “from a purely human point of view,” it seems simply some kind of perversion: well, “why should I be scared” to kiss the hairy hand of some bearded man in a cassock? This is not only unpleasant, but also humiliating. Who is he, this priest, to rise above his “parishioners” like that? Should a person, especially a believer, humiliate himself in such a way before another person?

Licking the hand of its owner would be natural for a devoted dog, but when this happens between people, it is a humiliation of human dignity. A dog simply has no other way of expressing its devotion to a person, but a person has other ways of expressing devotion or gratitude. So why become like a dumb creature? A person who forces other people to kiss his hand should be recognized as a demon. And we would like to ask “Orthodox Christians”: do you really like this custom? I think that the natural aversion to this strange custom comes from God, for He is the Master of our feelings. The same expression of canine devotion to “dons” and “padres”, expressed in kissing hands, is found among “Catholics”.

God created man with a natural need to kiss women. The mechanism of physical attraction between the sexes was created by God for reproduction and the ability to express love for a person of the opposite sex. Any physical intimacy with a person of the same sex is unnatural for a normal person. But “Orthodox” priests, who came up with the ridiculous custom of kissing the priest’s hand, force “Orthodox” men to act against the order established by God. This ridiculous rule turns “parishioners” into perverts and sinners, and also degrades their dignity.

Lips, despite the fact that they are on a visible part of the body, are a rather intimate part of the human body. With his lips a person touches what he loves: his favorite food and drink, the body of a loved one, of course - the opposite sex. A kiss is an expression of love. It is natural for a man to kiss only a woman's body. But kissing the body of a priest, as required by the “Orthodox” canons, is a perversion for a man, and a sin for a woman. A man who kisses the hand of a priest is forced to put himself in the position of a homosexual, and this, as we know, is condemned by the Bible (Lev. 20: 13; Rom. 1: 27). A woman who kisses the hand of a priest commits the sin of adultery, for she has the right to kiss only her husband, children and close relatives. A man kissing a woman's hand is a natural expression of his attitude towards her as a representative of the fair sex. This kiss is a recognition of her beauty and an expression of a man’s reverent attitude towards this divine beauty. A woman kissing a man’s hand, which can be observed in pseudo-Christian denominations, is a clear perversion.

Such veneration of priests contradicts the teaching of Christ, who said: “Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant” (Matthew 20:26); “Yet you are brothers” (Matthew 23:8). Consequently, priests who allow such a servile attitude toward themselves are false prophets and antichrists, which We have already convincingly proven in previous chapters. People who call themselves Christians and allow others to slavishly kiss their hand are arrogant hypocrites and demons who will face severe punishment. The only salvation for them is to renounce that hypocritical false religion with which they have deceived naive “parishioners” all their lives, repent and turn to the true faith.

To be honest, I also do not understand the “Orthodox” customs that prescribe kissing icons, crosses, relics of “saints,” etc. If “Christians” want to express love with these kisses, then in the Bible there is no commandment ordering to love matter or the dust of the earth, which are wooden boards, crosses and bones of dead people. This has nothing to do with true monotheism. All these are some absurd forms of paganism and idolatry.

The ritual of the so-called “Christification” seems just as ridiculous to me, when on Easter people say: “Christ is risen!” and kiss “everyone they come across.” Yes, Christ called us to love our neighbors, and even all living beings in general. But this does not mean that we should have intimate relationships with everyone. Why, as many “Christians” believe, must love be expressed in kisses? Isn’t it possible to show love without this? Isn't it shown in the Gospel that a kiss means nothing? After all, Judas Iscariot also kissed Christ when he betrayed Him. Pseudo-Christians do the same thing: they hypocritically kiss images of the dying Christ and at the same time do the exact opposite of what He taught.

Love must reside in the heart and be expressed in good deeds. In addition to erotic love, love can be parental, brotherly, cosmic, divine... Kisses are natural for erotic love. Some symbolic kisses may also be characteristic of relationships with parents, close relatives, close friends of the opposite sex (kisses “on the cheek” and a man kissing a woman’s hand). But “giving Christ” and kissing the priest’s hand seems abnormal to me, and yet I, too, “have the mind of Christ” if I believe in Him as the Messiah (1 Cor. 2:16). And I believe.

So, the “Orthodox” and “Catholic” churches constantly incline their adherents to perversion and sin. A wise person, seeing all these oddities and mental deviations of pseudo-Christianity, after thinking carefully, will simply leave these confessions.

In ancient Rus' there was a close connection and interaction between the church and home life of our ancestors. Orthodox people paid great attention not only to What cooked for lunch, but also How preparing. They did this with constant prayer, in a peaceful state of mind and with good thoughts. And they also paid special attention to the church calendar - they looked at what day it was - fasting or fasting.

The rules were observed especially strictly in monasteries.

The ancient Russian monasteries owned vast estates and lands, had the most comfortable farms, which gave them the means to make extensive food supplies, which in turn gave them abundant means for the wide hospitality bequeathed to the inhabitants by their holy founders.

But the matter of receiving strangers in monasteries was subordinated to both the general church and private statutes of each monastery, that is, one food was offered to the brethren, servants, wanderers and beggars on holidays and food (commemorated for depositors and benefactors) days, another on weekdays; one - on fast days, the other - on fast days and on fasts: Great, Rozhdestven, Assumption and Petrovka - all this was strictly determined by the statutes, which were also distinguished by place and means.

Nowadays, not all of the provisions of the church charter, which were oriented primarily at monasteries and clergy, can be applied in everyday life. However, an Orthodox person needs to learn some rules, which we have already mentioned above.

First of all, before you start preparing food, you must pray to God.

What does it mean to pray to God?
To pray to God means to glorify, thank and ask Him for the forgiveness of your sins and your needs. Prayer is the reverent striving of the human soul towards God.

Why do you need to pray to God?
God is our Creator and Father. He cares about us all more than any child-loving father and gives us all the blessings in life. By him we live, move and have our being; that is why we must pray to Him.

How do we pray?
We sometimes pray internally - with our mind and heart; but since each of us consists of a soul and a body, for the most part we say the prayer out loud, and also accompany it with some visible signs and bodily actions: the sign of the cross, a bow to the waist, and for the strongest expression of our reverent feelings for God and deep humility We kneel before Him and bow to the ground.

When should you pray?
You should pray at all times, without ceasing.

When is it especially appropriate to pray?
In the morning, upon awakening from sleep, to thank God for keeping us through the night and asking for His blessings on the coming day.
When starting a business - to ask for God's help.
At the end of the case - to thank God for help and success in the case.
Before lunch - so that God will bless us with food for health.
After lunch - to thank God who feeds us.
In the evening, before going to bed, to thank God for the day and ask Him for forgiveness of our sins, for a peaceful and serene sleep.
For all cases, special prayers are prescribed by the Orthodox Church.

Prayer before lunch and dinner

Our Father... or:
The eyes of all trust in You, Lord, and You give them food in good season, You open Your generous hand and fulfill all animal blessings.

Na Cha- at you. They hope- addressed with hope. In good time- in due time. You open- you open it. Animal- a living being, everything living. Favor- good disposition towards someone, mercy.

What do we ask of God in this prayer?
In this prayer we ask that God bless us with food and drink for health.

What is meant by by the hand of the Lord?
The hand of the Lord is of course here giving us good things.

What do the words mean? having performed every kind of good pleasure on animals?
These words mean that the Lord cares not only about people, but also about animals, birds, fish, and in general about all living things.

Prayer after lunch and dinner

We thank Thee, Christ our God, for Thou hast filled us with Thy earthly blessings; Do not deprive us of Your Heavenly Kingdom, but because You have come among Your disciples, Savior, give them peace, come to us and save us. Amen.

Creature comforts- everything necessary for earthly life, for example, food and drink.

What are we praying for in this prayer?
In this prayer, we thank God for satisfying us with food and drink, and we ask that He not deprive us of His Heavenly Kingdom.

If several people are sitting at the table, the oldest person reads the prayer out loud.

What can be said about someone who crosses himself incorrectly and carelessly during prayer or is ashamed to cross himself?

Such a person does not want to confess his faith in God; Jesus Christ Himself will be ashamed of this at His Last Judgment (Mark 8:38).

How should one be baptized?
To make the sign of the cross, we put the first three fingers of the right hand - thumb, index and middle - together; We bend the last two fingers - the ring and little fingers - to the palm.
We place the fingers folded in this way on the forehead, on the stomach, on the right and left shoulder.

What do we express by folding our fingers like this?
By putting the first three fingers together we express the belief that God is One in Essence, but threefold in Persons.
The two bent fingers show our faith that in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, there are two natures: Divine and human.
By depicting a cross on ourselves with folded fingers, we show that we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ crucified on the Cross.

Why do we sign the cross on our forehead, stomach and shoulders?
To enlighten the mind, heart and strengthen strength.

Perhaps a modern person will find it strange or even fantastic to say that the taste of dinner can depend on prayer or mood. However, in the lives of the saints there is a very convincing story on this topic.

One day, Prince Izyaslav of Kiev came to the monastery to visit Saint Theodisius of Pechersk (who reposed in 1074) and stayed to dine. On the table there was only black bread, water and vegetables, but these simple dishes seemed sweeter to the prince than overseas dishes.

Izyaslav asked Theodosius why the monastery meal seemed so tasty. To which the monk replied:

“Prince, our brethren, when they cook food or bake bread, first they take a blessing from the abbot, then they make three bows in front of the altar, light a candle from a lamp in front of the icon of the Savior, and with this candle they light a fire in the kitchen and bakery.
When it is necessary to pour water into the cauldron, the minister also asks the elder for a blessing for this.
Thus, everything is done with blessing.
Your servants begin every task with grumbling and annoyance at each other. And where there is sin, there can be no pleasure. In addition, your courtyard managers often beat the servants for the slightest offense, and the tears of the offended add bitterness to the food, no matter how expensive they are.”

The Church does not give any special recommendations regarding food intake, but you cannot eat before the morning service, and even more so before communion. This prohibition exists so that the body, burdened with food, does not distract the soul from prayer and communion.

What is the sacrament of communion?
The fact is that a Christian accepts the true Body of Christ under the guise of bread, and the true Blood of Christ under the guise of wine for union with the Lord Jesus Christ and for eternal blissful life with Him (John 6:54-56).

How should one prepare for Holy Communion?
Anyone who wishes to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ must first fast, i.e. fast, pray more in church and at home, make peace with everyone and then confess.

Should you take communion often?
One should receive communion as often as possible, at least once a month and necessarily during all fasts (Great, Nativity, Assumption and Petrov); otherwise it is unfair to be called an Orthodox Christian.

At what church service is the sacrament of communion celebrated?
During the Divine Liturgy, or mass, which is why this service is considered more important than other church services, for example, Vespers, Matins and others.

In liturgical practice, the Russian Orthodox Church uses the Typikon. Typicon, or Charter- a liturgical book containing detailed instructions: on what days and hours, at what divine services and in what order the prayers contained in the Service Book, Book of Hours, Octoechos and other liturgical books should be read or sung.

The Typikon also pays great attention to the food eaten by believers. However, a secular person should not literally follow all the instructions contained in the Charter, for it is aimed primarily at the monastic brethren.

Trinity is one of the most significant and revered holidays by all Christians. It traditionally falls in the summer, in the month of June. Celebrated on Sunday, the fiftieth day from Easter. Therefore, another name for the holiday is Holy Pentecost. It is accompanied by various, very interesting rituals and traditions.

History of the holiday

Trinity has several other names. Firstly, this is the birthday of the Church of Christ. It is said that it was created not by the human mind, but by the grace of the Lord himself. And since the Divine essence is presented in three forms - Father, Son and Spirit - then this holiday is the Trinity. Pentecost is also famous for the fact that on this day the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles, disciples of Christ, and all the holiness and grandeur of divine plans were revealed to people. And finally, the third name: people have long considered the day as the Green Saint. By the way, there is also a fourth thing: maiden Christmastide.

Traditions and customs

Many in Rus' (meaning historical, ancient Slavic Rus') were and are celebrated today on those days on which ancient pagan days also fall. Thus, there was an overlap of two egregors: a young one, associated with a new religion, and an ancient one, already “prayed.” This was especially important in the first centuries of Christianity. And even now it has not lost its relevance. Echoes of pagan rituals are clearly visible in many traditions. For example, on the day of the Holy Trinity, it is customary to decorate houses and churches with herbs, birch and lilac branches. The girls wove wreaths for themselves and their betrotheds and organized games. Families gathered in meadows and forests for meals. One of the obligatory dishes was scrambled eggs.

Ancient rituals

Trinity Day has always been celebrated outdoors. The main holiday tree was considered to be the birch. The girls threw wreaths of birch branches into the river, hoping to learn from them their future fate. From early morning, the sweet spirit of fresh loaves of bread flowed through the villages, to which friends and neighbors were invited. Then the real fun began. Tablecloths were laid under the birch trees, treats and the same morning loaves, which were also decorated with wildflowers, were placed on them. The girls sang, danced around, showed off new outfits, flirted with the guys, and they were looking for someone to marry. It is worth noting that the bread, wreaths and tablecloths that were used on this holiday - the Day of the Holy Trinity - had a special meaning and played a special role in a girl’s life. The loaf was dried, and when the girl got married, its crumbs were poured into the wedding bread, which was supposed to provide the young people with a friendly, happy life of prosperity and joy. According to the ritual, the Trinity tablecloth was spread on the table when the parents of the future groom came to the bride’s house for the bride’s viewing. The magical energy of Trinity Day was supposed to envelop the girl in an invisible flair and present her in the most favorable light. And they gave wreaths to their beloved as a sign of fidelity, confirming the sanctity of their vows. The herbs collected for the Green Holy Day were dried and fed to the sick. They were believed to have special great healing powers.

Girl's fortune telling

Trinity Day 2013 fell on June 23. Of course, now it’s the 21st century, the century of nanotechnology and general computerization. And two centuries ago, when they heard the cuckoo, the girls asked it how long they would have to trample on the threshold of their father’s house. And they counted with bated breath, because each “peek-a-boo” meant a year of unmarried life. And throwing wreaths into the river, they noticed: he was swimming steadily, calmly - life would be like that too, without shocks and problems. The waves throw him from side to side, whirlpools spin - the future does not promise anything good. And if the wreath drowns, expect trouble; the girl will not live to see the next Trinity Day.

A lot of mysterious, unusual, interesting things happened on this day. Based on the weather, they noted what summer and autumn would be like. They appeased and commemorated the spirits of deceased relatives. We went to churches and defended services. The special bright energy of the holiday is felt to this day.

Teacher: How do you understand the epigraph? How can it be related to the topic of the lesson?

Disciples: Prayers and bows are the rites and customs of our church. These are sacred actions of Orthodox Christians in the form of asking God for mercy and blessings.

Teacher: What rituals do you know?

Disciples: The main ritual actions of the Russian Orthodox Church include: prayers, consecration of a home, consecration of bread, eggs, Easter cakes, religious processions, etc.

Teacher: A ritual is any external sign of reverence expressing prayer - this is the sign of the cross and bows, as well as the lighting of a church candle and lamp.

2 slide

– Let’s write down the definition of ritual and forms of rituals in a notebook.

Ritual- this is a set of actions in which some religious ideas are embodied (Ozhegov’s dictionary).

Forms of rituals:

Any church service (for example, blessing of water)
Sacrament (the sacrament of marriage is performed in the wedding ceremony)
Prayers (they are accompanied by the sign of the cross, kneeling)

Sign of the Cross

The word "sign" ( emphasize that the stress falls on the first syllable) means “sign”. Thus, the sign of the cross is a sign of the cross, its image. Christians make the sign of the cross, asking for help and protection from God, to testify to their faith in Jesus Christ, His death on the cross, His resurrection.

Nowadays, it is customary to perform the Sign of the Cross in the following sequence:

According to Orthodox teaching, the power of the sign of the cross, like prayer, calls on God and protects from the influence of demonic forces. In addition, from the lives of saints it is known that sometimes the sign of the cross was enough to dispel demonic spells and perform a miracle.

Until the 5th century, the sign of the cross was made with one finger, most likely the index finger. The imposition of the full sign of the cross (forehead - belly - shoulders) is first mentioned in Georgian sources - in the “Life of Saint Nina Equal to the Apostles”. The sign of the cross with two fingers began to be used after the 5th century. This method was adopted in order to emphasize the unity of the Divine and human nature of Christ. By the way a person is baptized, one can determine what religion he is. At the last lesson, an individual task was proposed: “Using the two-fingered hand.”

The student tells the prepared material.

Teacher: When is it necessary to be baptized?

At the beginning, end and during prayer.
When approaching one or another shrine.
When entering and leaving the temple.
Before kissing a cross or icon.

In all significant cases of life (danger, trial, joy, grief, work, etc.)

Bows

Teacher: After the sign of the cross, Orthodox Christians bow. What do you think bowing means?

Disciples: In Orthodoxy, bowing means humility of a person, awareness of one’s sinfulness and giving honor to the Greatness of God.

Teacher: The Church Charter requires that Orthodox Christians bow in church slowly and when necessary. There are two types of bows: waist and earth.

Belt bows are performed:

At the end of the prayers
When pronouncing the name of the Lord or the Virgin Mary
With three times “Hallelujah”

Prostrations

In order to know how to behave in church, you don’t need to try to “learn” all the provisions of church life: you should just go to church more often, and when going to it, think about meeting God, and not about how they will react to the actions of a “newbie” "

The custom of lighting a candle

What does a person do first when he crosses the threshold of the temple? Nine times out of ten, it goes to the candle box. Lighting candles in front of sacred objects is an ancient custom. The custom of lighting candles in churches came to Russia from Greece.

In the first centuries of Christianity, candles were always lit during services. On the one hand, it was a necessity: Christians, persecuted by pagans, retired to dungeons and catacombs for worship, and besides, worship services most often took place at night. But for another, and main reason, lighting had spiritual significance. Lamps and candles were used to depict Christ - the Uncreated Light, without which we would wander in darkness even at midday.

When the persecution of the church stopped, the custom of lighting candles remained. It is customary to light candles and lamps in front of icons of saints and tombs of martyrs, as in front of shrines.

Russian-Byzantine churches had very narrow windows, creating twilight, darkness even in the most sunny light. This symbolized earthly human life, immersed in the darkness of sin, but in which the light of faith shines.

Teacher: Where do they put the candles?

Students: Place candles in the cells of candlesticks, melting the bottom edge for stability.

Teacher: How many candles do they put?

Students: A church candle is a visible sign of ardent love. If they are not in a person’s soul, a candle as a sign does not express anything. The quantity doesn't matter.

Teacher: When do you light the candles?

Students: During non-liturgical times and before the start of the service.

Teacher: In ancient times, wax was an offering made by believers to the temple as a voluntary sacrifice. Pure wax signifies the purity of the people carrying it. Wax is offered as a sign of our repentance and readiness to obey God, similar to the softness and pliability of wax.

8 slide

Blessing of water

Orthodox Christians have the custom of using bread and water consecrated in the church. Almost every believer keeps a bottle of holy water and prosphora.

The consecration of water was accepted by the Church from the apostles and their successors. When Jesus Christ was baptized in the Jordan, the element of water was sanctified and became a source of sanctification for man. This is where the Christian tradition of blessing water in church originates. It is believed that such water receives the beneficial power to sanctify, heal, protect and protect from evil.

Blessed water can be stored for many years while remaining fresh. There is a known case when the Monk Ambrose of Optina sent a bottle of holy water to a terminally ill man and he was healed.

Teacher: In what cases is holy water used?

Disciples: 1. In the sacrament of baptism for immersion in the font. 2. When consecrating temples, residential buildings, buildings. 3. For sprinkling believers at prayer services and during religious processions. 4. For distribution to believers.

Teacher: It should be remembered that, according to the teachings of the Church, the miraculous properties of water are revealed only to sincere believers.

Slide 9

Blessing of bread

There has always been a special relationship with bread. It was bread that Jesus Christ used, saying: “Eat, this is My body,” when he first performed the main sacrament for Christians - communion.

Teacher: What is the bread for communion called?

Pupils: Prosphora.

Teacher: (emphasis falls on the last syllable)- this is the name of the bread that was brought for the liturgy. It consisted of two parts, which symbolized earthly bread and heavenly bread. Each part of the prosphora is made one from the other, and only then they are joined together. On the upper part there is a seal depicting a four-pointed equilateral cross with the inscriptions above the crossbar IC and XC (Jesus Christ), under the crossbar NIKA (Victory).

The lower part of the prosphora corresponds to the earthly composition of a person, the upper part with a seal corresponds to the spiritual principle in a person.

The prosphora is made round as a sign of the eternity of Christ, as a sign that man was created for eternal life. The prosphora can be received at the candle box after the liturgy by submitting a note of health or repose before the start of the service. Prosphora is a sacred thing and is eaten along with holy water on an empty stomach.

We invite you to remember the ritual of consecrating Easter cakes and eggs. The guys share their impressions.

I would like to remind you that blessed eggs cannot be thrown away; they must either be eaten, or, like spoiled prosphora, taken to church or burned.

So, today we got acquainted with the main customs and rituals of the Orthodox Church: the sign of the cross, bows, the custom of lighting a candle, the blessing of water and bread.

Orthodox traditions

In ancient Rus' there was a close connection and interaction between the church and home life of our ancestors. Orthodox people pay great attention not only to what they prepare for lunch, but also to how they prepare it. They always do this with prayer, in a peaceful state of mind and with good thoughts. And they also pay special attention to the church calendar - they look at what day it is - fasting or fasting. These rules are observed especially strictly in monasteries. An Orthodox person must pray to God before starting to prepare food. Prayer is the reverent striving of the human soul towards the Creator. God is our Creator and Father. He cares about all of us more than any loving father and gives us all the good things in life. By him we live, move and have our being; In this regard, we must pray to Him. We sometimes pray internally - with our mind and heart, but since each of us consists of a soul and a body, for the most part we say the prayer out loud, and also accompany it with some visible signs and bodily actions, such as the sign of the cross, bowing to the waist , and for the strongest expression of our reverent feelings for God and deep humility before Him, we kneel and bow to the ground (bows to the ground). You should pray at all times, without ceasing. Church tradition prescribes praying in the morning, upon awakening from sleep, to thank God for keeping us through the night and asking for His blessing on the coming day. When starting a business - to ask for God's help. At the end of the matter - to thank God for help and success in the matter. Before lunch - so that God will bless us with food for health. After lunch - to thank God who feeds us. In the evening, before going to bed, to thank God for the day and ask Him for forgiveness of our sins, for a peaceful and serene sleep. The Orthodox Church provides special prayers for all cases. Prayer before lunch and dinner - “Our Father” or “The eyes of all trust in You, O Lord, and You give them food in good season, You open Your generous hand and fulfill every animal’s good pleasure.” In this prayer we ask that God bless us with food and drink for health. By the hand of the Lord we mean here the giving of blessings to us, as well as the fulfillment of all living good will, that is, the Lord cares not only about people, but also about animals, birds, fish, and in general about all living things. Prayer after lunch and dinner: “We thank You, Christ our God, for You have satisfied us with Your earthly blessings; Do not deprive us of Your Heavenly Kingdom, but because You have come among Your disciples, Savior, give them peace, come to us and save us. Amen. In this prayer, we thank God for satisfying us with food and drink, and we ask that He not deprive us of His Heavenly Kingdom. These prayers should be read standing, facing the icon, which must certainly be in the kitchen or dining room, out loud or silently, making the sign of the cross at the beginning and end of the prayer. If several people are sitting at the table, the oldest person reads the prayer out loud. It is important to note that to make the sign of the cross, the first three fingers of the right hand - thumb, index and middle - are folded together, the last two fingers - the ring and little fingers - are bent to the palm. The fingers folded in this way are placed on the forehead, on the stomach, and then on the right and left shoulders. By putting the first three fingers together we express the belief that God is One in Essence, but threefold in Persons. The two bent fingers show our faith that in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, there are two natures: Divine and human. By depicting a cross on ourselves with folded fingers, we show that we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ crucified on the Cross. We place the cross on the forehead, stomach and shoulders to enlighten the mind, heart and strengthen strength. The taste of dinner can depend on prayer or mood. The Lives of the Saints have a very convincing story on this topic. One day, Prince Izyaslav of Kiev came to the monastery to visit Saint Theodosius of Pechersk (who reposed in 1074) and stayed to dine. On the table there was only black bread, water and vegetables, but these simple dishes seemed sweeter to the prince than overseas dishes. Izyaslav asked Theodosius why the monastery meal seemed so tasty to him. To which the monk answered: “Prince, our brethren, when they cook food or bake bread, first they take a blessing from the abbot, then they make three bows in front of the altar, light a candle from a lamp in front of the icon of the Savior, and with this candle they light a fire in the kitchen and bakery. When it is necessary to pour water into the cauldron, the minister also asks the elder for a blessing for this. However, with us everything is done with a blessing. Your servants begin every task with grumbling and annoyance at each other. And where there is sin, there should be no pleasure. At the same time, your courtyard managers often beat the servants for the slightest offense, and the tears of the offended add bitterness to the food, no matter how expensive they are.

People who consider themselves believers try to live all aspects of life in accordance with their religious tradition. In the Biblical tradition of the Mediterranean culture, which includes Christianity in general, and Orthodoxy in particular, the question of a person’s name has always been very important. The names of the heroes of the faith - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - were repeated many times over generations, first among the Old Testament Jews, and then among Christians. It was believed that giving a child the name of a righteous man made him, the child, a participant in the holiness and glory that the original bearer of the name had already received from God. Here, the main motive for naming the baby was the desire to delegate to him, even if only by name for now, part of the merits before God with their prototypes.

The era of early Christianity, especially its pronounced Hellenistic period, did not regulate the special process of choosing a name for a child. Many names were specifically pagan in nature, as evidenced by their Greek translation into Russian. Actually, people who became saints gave their names a sacred character and made them Christian names. We must understand that the effect of precedent is very precious to any believer. If once in religious life something turned out exactly like this, then in the future it is worth repeating the same path in order to achieve success in the most important thing - the salvation of one’s own soul. In part, this approach resembles the Old Testament tradition, but only in part, since in the Old Testament there is no understanding that the dead saints are active characters, especially in the lives of the people who bear their names. There it is precisely more of a tradition than mysticism.

In Christianity, with its feeling that “everyone is alive with God,” the saint whose name a person bears is a real active character in the fate of his ward. This patronage was expressed in the concept of “heavenly patron”. It is interesting that often the “heavenly patrons” themselves did not have any heavenly patrons at one time, therefore, they were able to realize their holiness without an additional mystical element in their lives, without additional help. At the same time, there is no such thing as too much help, and the tradition of giving names in honor of saints - and receiving prayer books and patrons in their person - has already been strengthened over the first few centuries of Christianity. In Rus', this tradition appeared along with the adoption of Orthodoxy as an integral part of it. The Baptist of Rus', Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, himself received the Christian name Vasily in his baptism.

The issue of choosing a name in Christian families has always been decided by the parents. In Russia, during the Synodal period, a custom formed among the peasantry to delegate this right to the priest who performs baptism. It is clear that the parish clergyman, not really bothering himself with the question of finding out the lives of his or not his parishioners, preferred to use the calendar. Saints - a list of saints with the dates of their death, distributed according to the calendar. In the Christian tradition, the date of earthly death has always been considered the beginning of eternal life, and even more so among saints. Consequently, special holidays in honor of saints were celebrated, as a rule, not when their birth was remembered, but when the day of their departure to God was remembered. Over the centuries-old history of the Church, the calendar has been constantly replenished. For this reason, now every day the Church celebrates the memory of many saints, therefore, you can choose the most suitable name based on euphony and tolerance for the tastes of relatives. At the same time, as the most authoritative books on Orthodox ritual, “The New Tablet” and “Interpretation of Orthodox Liturgy” by Blessed Simeon of Thessaloniki, say, the name of the baby is given by the parents. The priest, while reading the naming prayer, only records the parental choice.

Parents, if they do not have a clear plan for the child’s name, can use the calendar. The principle here is simple: you need to look at the names of the saints on or after the baby’s birthday, or on the day of baptism.

In the old days, people were baptized, if there were no emergency cases, on the fortieth day after birth, on which, according to Old Testament belief, the woman-mother was cleared of the consequences of pregnancy and could herself attend the baptism of the baby. But the name was given and included in the category of the so-called catechumens on the eighth day. Here, too, not everything is so arbitrary and random. On the one hand, on the eighth day, the Jews had the ritual of circumcising the baby, that is, dedicating him to God and becoming one of the chosen people. This has been the case since the time of Abraham.

Since Christian baptism replaced circumcision, it was logical that the baby’s entry into the ranks of the “holy people,” that is, Christians, also occurred on the eighth day. At the same time, there was also the actual Gospel interpretation of this tradition. Symbolically, the eighth day was associated with the advent of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Apostle Paul writes about this in his Epistle to the Hebrews: in seven days God created this world and took care of it, and now believers are waiting for “that day,” the eighth, when Jesus Christ comes. By the way, the eighth day of the week in the Orthodox week coincides with the first, and this is Sunday, when Easter is remembered. Consequently, the symbolic meaning of the naming ceremony on the eighth day after the Birthday is also “inscribing the name of the newborn in the book of life of the Kingdom of Heaven.”

But this, of course, is ideal; in practice, now the prayer of naming is performed on the same day when the child is baptized, and is not separated into a separate liturgical action. In this prayer, the priest invokes the grace of the Holy Spirit on the newly baptized person and makes the sign of the cross over him, sanctifying all his thoughts, feelings and actions, calling him for the first time by his chosen Christian name. And from now on, this name will be used throughout a person’s life as his church name, by which he will ultimately be called to the Judgment of the future Kingdom.

At the same time, the most widespread tradition has always been the custom of naming a child in honor of a saint revered by the family. This practice is based on the fact that truly believers make personal prayer contact with one or another saint. If this is the case, then usually in the family of previous generations there are already people bearing the names of the revered saint. Hence, there is a kind of tradition of continuity, which for outsiders can create the illusion of only tribal respect, for example, naming children in honor of grandfathers, grandmothers, mothers or fathers, and so on. Yes, for a person with little religion this is the case; moreover, this is a worthwhile motive in non-religious families, at least it is not reprehensible and very human. Moreover, initially the main reason was precisely the veneration of a particular saint by entire generations. Sometimes it happens that a real miracle associated with one or another saint breaks into the ordinary course of life, then grateful parents can give his child his name in order to perpetuate their relationship to the heavenly patron in their son or daughter.

Now the Baptism Certificate, as a rule, indicates the “heavenly patron” and the day of the year when a person celebrates Angel Day, or name day. If a child is baptized by Alexander, this does not mean that he celebrates his name day every time he sees the day of remembrance of St. Alexander on the calendar, since there are several saints with that name. Name day is the day of remembrance of a very specific person - for example, the holy righteous prince Alexander Nevsky. Actually, the name Angel Day is the popular name for the day of remembrance of the saint whose name a person bears. The fact is that the Guardian Angel is also given to a person at baptism, as a companion and assistant in spiritual life. At the same time, the saint in whose honor a person is named is in a figurative sense also called an Angel, or a messenger, conveying the will of God to man. More precisely, of course, to say not Angel Day, but name day, or namesake day, that is, the date of memory when the Church remembers the achievement of the saints of the Heavenly Kingdom.

Moreover, if the life of a saint is known in detail, in addition, after his death some unusual miracle occurred, for example, the discovery of his remains (the discovery of relics), then there should be several days of remembrance of such a saint per year. Accordingly, there are also several name days - both as reasons for intense religious life and as family holidays. The largest number of name days per year are for people named in honor of John the Baptist.

The main responsibilities in relation to his heavenly patron for any person are the following: knowledge of his life story, prayer to him, possible imitation of his holiness. Any believer strives to have in his home not only an icon, that is, an image of the saint in whose honor he is named, but also his Life, as well as special prayers for him - an akathist and a canon.

What does the word holiday itself mean in the Christian calendar? The root ʼʼholidayʼʼ means ʼʼemptyʼʼ or ʼʼemptyʼʼ. And all because earlier the border between holiday and rest was rigid, and in connection with this it was so difficult and with great difficulty to evaluate this social phenomenon itself, which was actually called a holiday.

Holidays in Christian traditions were developed from Jewish holidays, which greatly influenced the Christian tradition itself. Thus, a kind of sacred calendar was formed, in which such a cultural and religious phenomenon of the holiday as worship took shape. But each holiday differs from the other in that they have a different type of worship.

An equally important and interesting question is the original meaning of the Christian holiday. It essentially consists of singing, reading, bowing on a given day... These Orthodox traditions also include folk traditions, which include baking pies, rolls, Easter cakes and many other delicacies, and dyeing eggs.

Many Christian traditions are borrowed from the worship of the Jewish community. Our holidays sometimes overlapped with Jewish holidays, drawing from them something important and special, but at the same time adding their own customs and traditions, and even adding their own meaning regarding the life, death, birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The science that directly deals with the study of the holiday is usually called eortology (from eortho – ʼʼholidayʼʼ).

The national traditions associated with the sacrament of marriage are interesting. Wedding is one of the seven Sacraments of the Holy Church, through it a special grace is given, which is sanctifying. This is a sacred rite, a Sacrament, in which, with the free (before the priest and the Church) promise by the bride and groom of mutual fidelity to each other, their marital union is blessed, in the image of the spiritual union of Christ with the Church, and the grace of God is asked and given for mutual help and unanimity, and for blessed birth and Christian upbringing of children. Grace in the sacrament is united with the visible side. Such methods of giving grace were established by the Lord himself and are carried out by priests or bishops appointed by persons of the church hierarchy. The church in our country is separated from the state; therefore, today a wedding takes place only when the marriage is registered in the registry office. First of all, there must be mutual consent of the bride and groom. There should be no forced marriage. If during the marriage the priest sees that the bride is refuting this decision with her behavior (crying, etc.), then the priest must find out what the reason is. There must be a blessing for the marriage of the parents. No matter what age the spouses are, they enter into marriage with their permission or with the permission of their guardians or trustees.

Parents have more spiritual experience and responsibility for their children before God. It happens that young people get married out of the frivolity of youth, out of a passing infatuation, and in connection with this, disturbances, both moral and human, enter their family life. It often happens that marriages do not last long, because there was no blessing from the parents, no comprehension and preparation for the path of life, no deep awareness of the great responsibility not only for oneself, but also for one’s family, for one’s half. The Gospel says that the flesh is united into one. Wife and husband are one flesh. Happiness, joy and sorrow in half. Young people cannot fully realize this, and when they get married frivolously, everyday life disappoints them, and divorce comes.

The church refuses to perform a wedding if, for example, a person is mentally or mentally ill. Marriage is not allowed for persons who are closely related, and, of course, a church marriage is impossible if one of the people getting married is an atheist or a representative of a Muslim or pagan, non-Christian religion. Laymen are allowed to get married three times, but a fourth wedding is not allowed. Such marriages are declared invalid. You shouldn't come to the wedding drunk. The question of pregnancy is often asked; it is not an obstacle to marriage. Now the betrothal and the Sacrament of wedding itself are performed together, on the same day. It is extremely important for young people to properly prepare for holy marriage: to confess their sins, repent, take communion, and spiritually cleanse themselves for a new period of their life.

Usually the wedding takes place after the liturgy, in the middle of the day, but not in the evening. It must be Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Sunday. In Orthodox churches, weddings do not take place on the following days: on the eve of Wednesday, Friday and Sunday (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) throughout the year; on the eve of the twelve and great holidays; in continuation of the multi-day fasts: the Great, Petrov, Uspensky and Rozhdestvensky; in the continuation of Christmastide, as well as the continuous weeks of Cheese (Maslenitsa) and Easter (Light); September 10, 11, 26 and 27 (in connection with strict fasting for the Beheading of John the Baptist and the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord), on the eve of temple holidays (each temple has its own).

A white dress - everything light in the church is a symbol of holiness and purity. For the Sacrament you need to wear your most beautiful clothes. The white foot towels on which the bride and groom stand also symbolize the purity of the marriage. The bride must definitely have a headdress - a veil or scarf; cosmetics and jewelry – either absent or in minimal quantities. Pectoral crosses are required for both spouses. Previously, two icons were taken from home - the Savior and the Mother of God, but now not everyone has them and they are purchased in churches on the eve of the wedding. The flame of candles in the hands of the newlyweds symbolizes the burning of their souls with faith and love for God, as well as the fiery and pure love of the spouses for each other. According to Russian tradition, it is advisable to keep the candles and towel for life.

Wedding rings are also needed - a sign of eternity and indissolubility of the marriage union. In the old days, one of the rings had to be gold and the other silver. The golden ring symbolized with its brilliance the sun, the light of which the husband in a marriage is likened to, the silver ring - the likeness of the moon, a lesser luminary shining with reflected sunlight. Now, as a rule, gold rings are bought for both spouses. The rings are placed on the throne before the betrothal, and then they are put on the fingers of the spouses, and the betrothal with rings is performed.

During a wedding, it is advisable to have witnesses. They must hold the crowns on the heads of those getting married. Crowns are a sign of victory over passions and a reminder of the duty to maintain purity. Being a symbol of royal power, they are also a symbol of the unity of husband and wife.

Previously, in the first century of Christianity, it was the custom to wear these crowns for another eight days without taking them off. Parents must also be present. They pray to God, because in the Sacrament not only the priests turn to God in their prayers, but also everyone present in the temple. Those getting married are usually congratulated by their parents. They bless with the icon that has been preserved from their wedding, then they pass it on to the newlyweds when they go to get married. If the parents did not get married, they purchase icons from the church. These icons are brought to the temple, placed near the iconostasis, and after the wedding the priest blesses them with these icons. Usually these are icons of the Savior and the Mother of God.

There are many patrons of Holy Marriage in Orthodoxy. Childbirth and marriage were considered sacred even in Old Testament times, as they awaited the coming of the Messiah, the Savior of the world, and childless families were considered punished by God. Large families, on the contrary, were considered blessed by God. Sometimes the Lord tests people, and after prayers sends them a child. For example, Zechariah and Elizabeth, the parents of Saint John the Prophet and Forerunner, the Baptist of the Lord, did not have children for a long time. Joachim and Anna, the parents of the Most Holy Theotokos, gave birth in old age. For this reason, it is customary to pray to them as the patrons of marriage. Those getting married, turning to the priest for a blessing, confess and spend their further married life with the blessing of the Church, trying to live according to the commandments of God. If any questions arise, they come to the priest for advice. There are second and third marriages. If the bride and groom have already been married, then it is less solemn. But if one of them gets married for the first time, then it is celebrated as usual, for the first time.

According to church canons, neither divorce nor second marriage is allowed. Divorce is carried out according to Orthodox law. In the documents of the local council of 1917–1918 there is a certificate in which it is accepted that the dissolution of a marriage, sanctified by the Church, occurs in cases where a person changes his faith; commits adultery or has unnatural vices; inability to cohabitate in marriage, occurring before marriage or resulting from intentional self-mutilation; disease of leprosy, syphilis. When, without the knowledge of the spouse, a person leaves the family and lives separately. Conviction by sentence. An attack on the life of a spouse or children, pimping, one party entering into a new marriage, or an incurable, severe mental illness. Unfortunately, this happens quite often. The Church does not issue papers for divorce and no ceremony is performed for this purpose. If a person wants to enter into a new marriage and get married again, in this case he turns to the diocesan bishop with a written application and indicating the reason why the previous marriage was dissolved. The Bishop considers the request and gives him permission. The Sacrament of Marriage and faith in the Lord do not accord with fashion or popularity. This is a deeply personal matter for each person.

Since ancient times in Rus', every young couple getting married was married in a church. Thus, it was believed that from now on the spouses became responsible before God and the Church. They swore an oath not to violate the alliance sent from above. In modern society, young people have the right to choose for themselves whether they should get married in a church. This depends on their immediate perception of the world and understanding of the importance of the upcoming event. After all, the Church says that Christian marriage should be the only one in the lives of two people.

Typically, registration for the ceremony is carried out 2-3 weeks before the event. You should ask the rector of the temple where the wedding is supposed to happen how everything should happen, and also get permission for photo and video filming. According to church traditions, before getting married, the newlyweds should observe several regulations, namely, fast for several days and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. It is important to note that to perform the sacrament of Marriage, icons of the Savior and the Mother of God are needed, with which the bride and groom are blessed. There should also be wedding rings, wedding candles and a white towel, which will symbolize the purity of the newlyweds' intentions.

The wedding ceremony lasts about 40 minutes, which must be taken into account when inviting relatives and friends to the temple. You should also think about who will play the role of witnesses, since they will have to hold the crowns above the heads of the wedding party at all times. Under no circumstances should they be lowered; you can only change the hand with which the crown is held. Witnesses must be baptized and wear a cross. At the temple, you must first present a certificate of civil marriage.

A wedding in a church is performed as follows. Through the Royal Doors the priest goes out to the bride and groom. Holding the cross and the Gospel, he blesses the young three times. During the betrothal, the priest gives the newlyweds lighted candles and places the rings on the altar table. After reading the prayers, the rings are put on. It is important to note that to perform the Sacrament of Wedding, the newlyweds go to the center of the church and stand on a white towel (foot) in front of the lectern on which the Cross, Gospel and crowns lie. The priest asks about the consent of the young people to unite their hearts before the Church. Decorated crowns (crowns) rise above the heads of the newlyweds. Cups of wine are brought to the newlyweds, and the newlyweds drink from them three times. At the end of the wedding, the priest takes the hands of the bride and groom and leads them around the lectern three times in a circle. Approaching the wedding icons at the Royal Doors, the newlyweds kiss them. The wedding ends with a chaste kiss from the bride and groom. Having gone through this solemn moment together, the newlyweds become even closer to each other.

Over the entire history of the development of ancient Rus', many wedding traditions have accumulated. The territory of the state was a huge space with different cultures and nationalities. For this reason, it is not surprising that each nation tried to follow the customs and traditions that took root in their land.

It was customary for young people in Rus' to marry at an early age, starting from the age of 12. At the same time, it was in the order of things that the bride and groom did not know each other well enough before their wedding, and often had never seen each other at all. The decision for the young man was made by the parents, and he was only informed of “his fate” shortly before the wedding. In some areas of the country, a guy who had his eye on a bride had to, first of all, tell his father about it. If he received approval from him, then two matchmakers with bread were sent to the girl’s house.

In general, weddings lasted an average of 3 days. Sometimes they lasted for a week. But any wedding, of course, was preceded by the so-called “conspiracy” and “matchmaking”. There have been cases when it was the parents of the future bride who initiated the wedding. They sent a person close to them to the groom's house, and he acted as a matchmaker. If he received consent, then the future relatives began matchmaking in the usual manner. Sometimes the bride's parents resorted to a trick: if their daughter was not particularly beautiful or good, they replaced her with a maid for the duration of the bride's wedding. The groom did not have the right to see his bride before the wedding; therefore, when the deception was discovered, the marriage could be dissolved. However, this happened very rarely. They usually went to the bride's house to make a match together with relatives. The bride's parents were presented with various gifts in the form of wine, beer and various pies. According to tradition, the father of the bride did not have to agree to give up his daughter at any time. But, following the results of the conspiracy, in the end he blessed her for the wedding. The agreement between the families went like this: before signing a paper on the details of the upcoming celebration, the parents sat down opposite each other and were silent for a while. The contract also specified the dowry to be given along with the bride. Usually it consisted of the bride's things, various small things for the house and, if wealth allowed, then money, people and some real estate. In the event that the bride came from a poor family, the groom was obliged to transfer a certain amount of money to the bride’s parents to create the appearance of a dowry.

On the eve of the wedding, a bachelor party and a bachelorette party were held in the houses of the bride and groom, respectively. The father or brother of the groom invited numerous friends to the bachelor party. As “invitees,” they went from house to house with gifts and invited them to a bachelor party.

At the bachelorette party, the bride was preparing for the upcoming wedding. Often the bride would lament, saying goodbye to her family and her maiden share, fearing an unknown future in someone else’s family. Sometimes the bride's friends sang choral songs.

According to tradition, at the wedding feast, the newlyweds were supposed to eat and drink practically nothing. On the second day, the wedding moved to the groom's house. On the third day, the bride boasted of her cooking skills and treated the guests to her pies.

The day before or on the morning of the celebration, the bride's matchmaker went to the groom's house to prepare the marriage bed. This is roughly how an old Russian wedding took place. Some traditions have survived to this day and are successfully used in different variations to this day.

Wedding dresses will always be slightly different from wedding dresses. The fact is that the Orthodox Church adheres to certain rules regarding the clothes in which we enter the temple, and wedding dresses are no exception. The basic requirements for a bride’s wedding dress are the same in all churches - in general, the outfit should be quite modest.

The colors that are definitely suitable for a wedding dress are, of course, white and all possible light shades of warm or cold tones, from pearl gray to the color of baked milk. Pale pink, blue, cream, vanilla, beige will correspond to the spirit of the bright wedding holiday.

It is best to discuss all minor deviations from this rule with the priest in advance. The color of a wedding dress is not as important as the length and degree of openness of the top. The wedding dress should be below the knee, shoulders and arms up to the elbows should be covered, and the head should be covered with a cape. At the same time, it is better not to hide the face behind a veil: it is believed that the open face of the bride symbolizes her openness towards God and her husband.

Clothes for a wedding should not go beyond the rules about what you can wear to church. Hence the conclusion: even a black dress for a bride is more acceptable than a trouser suit, neckline or short skirt. In the Orthodox wedding tradition, it is not customary for a boy and a girl to carry the train behind the bride in church, as happens in a Catholic wedding. Before the wedding, you should not use lipstick, so as not to leave marks on the icons that will need to be kissed.

There are no prohibitions regarding the future fate of the wedding dress. A wedding dress can also be worn in everyday life. The belief that a wedding dress must be kept throughout one’s life is nothing more than a prejudice today. In the 19th century, in peasant society, this made sense, since only two events stood out against the background of everyday life - a wedding and a funeral. Usually, what they got married in was what they buried them in. The fact is that it was no longer possible to use a wedding dress - you can’t even go to church on Sunday in a wedding dress. Another option was possible - to pass on the wedding dress by inheritance.

Among other Orthodox rites, it is extremely important to note the burial rite. Its essence lies in the Church’s view of the body as a temple of the soul sanctified by grace, of present life as a time of preparation for the future life, and of death as a dream, upon awakening from which eternal life will begin.

Death is the last earthly destiny of every person; after death, the soul, having been separated from the body, appears at the Judgment of God. Believers in Christ do not want to die with unrepentant sins, because in the afterlife they will become a heavy, painful burden. Of the many questions you can ask yourself, perhaps the most important is how best to prepare for death. A priest must be invited to visit a seriously ill person, who will confess him, give him communion, and perform the Sacrament of Unction (Blessing of Unction) on him. At the very moment of death, a person experiences a painful feeling of fear and languor. When leaving the body, the soul meets not only the Guardian Angel given to it in Holy Baptism, but also demons, the terrible appearance of which makes it tremble. To pacify the restless soul, the relatives and friends of a person leaving this world can themselves read the prayer over him - in the Prayer Book, this collection of songs and prayers is usually called “The Canon of Prayer for the Separation of the Soul from the Body.” The canon ends with a prayer from the priest (priest), spoken (read) for the exodus of the soul, for its release from all bonds, liberation from all oaths, forgiveness of sins and repose in the abodes of saints. This prayer is supposed to be read only by a priest; therefore, if the canon was read by lay people, the prayer is omitted.

The touching rites performed by the Orthodox Church over a deceased Christian are not just solemn ceremonies, often invented by human vanity and saying nothing to either the mind or the heart, but on the contrary: they have a deep meaning and significance, since they are based on the revelations of the holy faith (i.e. opened, bequeathed by the Lord Himself), known even from the apostles - disciples and followers of Jesus Christ. The funeral rites of the Orthodox Church bring consolation and serve as symbols that express the idea of the general resurrection and future immortal life.

On the first day, the body of the deceased is washed immediately after death. Washing is performed as a sign of the spiritual purity and integrity of the life of the deceased and out of the desire for him to appear in purity before God after the resurrection of the dead. After washing, the deceased is dressed in new, clean clothes, which indicate a new robe of incorruption and immortality. If for some reason a person did not have a pectoral cross on before his death, then it must be worn. Next, the deceased is placed in a coffin, as if in an ark for preservation, which is first sprinkled with holy water - outside and inside. A pillow is placed under the shoulders and head. The arms are folded crosswise so that the right one is on top. A cross is placed in the left hand of the deceased, and an icon is placed on the chest (usually for men - the image of the Savior, for women - the image of the Mother of God). This is done as a sign that the deceased believed in Christ crucified on the cross for his salvation, and gave up his soul to Christ, that together with the saints he moves on to eternal contemplation - face to face - of his Creator, on Whom he placed everything during his life. hope. A paper whisk is placed on the forehead of the deceased. A deceased Christian is symbolically decorated with a crown, like a warrior who has won a victory on the battlefield. This means that the Christian’s exploits on earth in the fight against all the destructive passions, worldly temptations and other temptations that beset him have already ended, and now he expects a reward for them in the Kingdom of Heaven. On the corolla there is an image of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Mother of God and St. John the Baptist, the Baptist of the Lord, with the words of the Trisagion (Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us) - their own crown, which is given to everyone after completing the feat and observing the faith, the deceased hopes to receive by the mercy of the Triune God and by the intercession of the Mother of God and the Forerunner of the Lord.

The body of the deceased, when placed in the coffin, is covered with a special white cover (shroud) - as a sign that the deceased, as belonging to the Orthodox Church and united with Christ in her holy sacraments, is under the protection of Christ, under the patronage of the Church - she will pray until the end of time about his soul. The coffin is usually placed in the middle of the room in front of household icons. A lamp (or candle) is lit in the house, which

Orthodox traditions - concept and types. Classification and features of the category "Orthodox Traditions" 2017, 2018.