Blessing of Easter cakes and eggs. How to assemble an Easter basket - what can be blessed

The most detailed description: prayer for the consecration of Easter cakes and eggs - for our readers and subscribers.

Prayers for the consecration of food into holy and great week Easter

Christ rose from the dead, trampling down death by death, and giving life to those in the tombs.

Prayer for the blessing of cheese and eggs

Master Lord our God, Creator and Creator of all, bless the thickened milk, with it the eggs, and keep us in Thy goodness, for by partaking of them, we may be filled with Thy unenviously bestowed gifts, and Thy unspeakable goodness: for Thine is the power, and Thine is the kingdom. , and power, and glory, of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer for the consecration of meat dishes (performed only after the Easter night service)

Look, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, upon the meat of the meat, and sanctify me, just as you sanctified the ram that faithful Abraham brought to you, and the lamb that Abel brought to you for full fruitfulness: likewise the well-fed calf that you commanded to your lost sons, and again to You who returned: so that, just as we have been deemed worthy to enjoy Your goodness, we may also enjoy those sanctified by You and blessed as food for all of us. For You are true food, and the giver of good things, and we send up glory to You with Your beginningless Father, and Your all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

As can be seen from the prayers above, on Easter they consecrate: eggs, meat and Easter cottage cheese. The missal does not say anything specifically about Easter cakes. Kulich is simply a holiday bread that has always been a table decoration.

Cottage cheese – 0.5 kg, egg yolk– 2 pcs., sugar – 1 glass, butter – 100g. Vanillin, walnuts, raisins - to taste.

A LOT DEPENDS ON THE QUALITY OF THE COOK.

Easter cake is a type of holiday sweet bread.

Absolutely meat - meat products. They are consecrated only after the Easter service during the singing of the troparion “Christ is risen. “

“POOR KNIGHT” AKA “FRENCH TOAST” (QUICK BREAKFAST)

Recipe for cottage cheese Easter “You'll lick your fingers” » Recipes with photos FOR EASTER 2014. Recipes for the holidays! Delicious recipes for salads and appetizers, recipes for baking and desserts, first and second courses for you!

Egg yolk – 2 pcs.

Sugar – 1 glass

Vanillin, walnuts, raisins - to taste

Mix the yolks with sugar, add softened butter - grind everything well. Add cottage cheese and stir thoroughly (if possible, rub through a sieve). Add nuts, raisins, mix everything and put on low heat, stirring continuously. Bring to a boil (bubbles will appear) and immediately remove from heat, add vanillin. Place the mixture in cheesecloth and allow excess liquid to drain for about 10-12 hours, place in a vase and decorate with dried fruits to taste. If there is a special form for Easter, put it in a special form for Easter so that it drains excess liquid and after 10-12 hours put it on a plate.

A LOT DEPENDS ON THE QUALITY OF THE COOK. GOOD LUCK!

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Blessing of Easter cakes in church on Easter

According to the pious Orthodox tradition, when we come home after the festive Easter service, we break our fast with Easter cake, Easter cake and Easter eggs blessed in the church.

In order to bless Easter cakes, Easter cakes and eggs, you should come to the temple during the day at Holy Saturday(As a rule, in city churches the consecration of Easter cakes takes place throughout the entire Saturday after the morning service).

There is a reason for this: on this day the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great is combined with the Easter Great Vespers.

The holiday begins, everything happens in an elevated mood and anticipation of tomorrow - Christ's Resurrection.

The priesthood is performed in solemn white vestments.

After the cry of “Blessed be our God!” Before the prayer for consecration, the Sunday troparion in the 2nd tone is sung:

When you descended to death, the Immortal Belly,

then you killed hell with the brilliance of the Divine:

when you also raised those who died from the underworld,

all the powers of heaven cried out:

Life-giver, Christ our God, glory to Thee.

Usually this same troparion is sung while the priest walks around the tables with Easter cakes and painted eggs, sprinkling them with holy water.

To make it easier to understand its meaning, here is a translation into modern Russian:

When You descended to death, Immortal Life,

then You killed hell with the radiance of the Divine.

When You raised the dead from the underworld,

all the Powers of Heaven cried out:

“Giver of life, Christ our God, glory to Thee!”

The blessing of Easter cakes is usually done like this: believers place their offerings on a special table in the temple or on long tables in the temple courtyard.

Those who came to bless the Easter cakes and eggs come to the table and wait for those who have already arrived and taken a place before them to leave.

When the table is free, you need to put down what you brought, if possible, untie the bags and packages, and, if desired, light the candles.

A red Easter candle is inserted into the Easter cake and Easter, which is lit before the consecration begins. To do this, you need to take matches or a lighter with you.

If the candles do not want to light up, they are blown out by the wind or flooded with rain - there is nothing to worry about.

Lighting candles is an optional action that adds festiveness and beauty to the ceremony.

The priest reads a prayer and sprinkles the offerings with holy water, after which parishioners donate part of the Easter food (usually eggs) to the temple.

The priest is accompanied by: an altar server with a large heavy bowl of holy water, a choirboy (or two), a staff member with a plate for collecting monetary offerings, and a staff member with a basket for eggs and other material gifts (but not money).

When the priest approaches with a procession, you need to step back from the table two steps, giving the opportunity to pass and sprinkle what was brought. It's better to do this in advance.

Sprinkling concerns only the food being consecrated. The priest can sprinkle the offerings at his own free will. This is not necessary, but all believers ask that water be sprinkled on them, especially small children. After this, everyone has joy in their eyes and smiles on their faces.

In some parish churches, the consecration of Easter cakes and Easter cakes takes place directly at the Easter service.

After sprinkling and distributing alms, you can roll up the bags and packages and make room for the next visit.

We remind you that the grace emanating from holy water and sanctifying food passes through polyethylene without hindrance, and one drop of holy water is enough to sanctify the entire Easter cake.

A package on which the knot does not give way is not a reason for disappointment. What is inside will still be sanctified.

Prayer for the blessing of Easter cakes at home for Easter 2018

Easter 2018 is celebrated on April 8. For this holiday, eggs are painted, Easter cottage cheese and Easter cakes are prepared. Is it possible to consecrate Easter cakes yourself? How to do this correctly at home and what prayer you need to read for this, we will tell you in detail here.

To bless Easter cakes, Easter cakes and eggs on the eve of this holiday, believers come to churches on Holy Saturday. Usually in city churches the consecration of Easter cakes takes place starting with the morning service throughout the day.

In some parish churches this ritual is performed early on Sunday morning. Therefore, before going to church to bless the Easter cakes, it is better to inquire in advance about the time and order of the Easter service.

However, not all believers can visit churches on this day. Some cannot do this for health reasons.

If the consecration takes place on Saturday, and people couldn’t come, it’s okay, the clergy say. The fact that a person eats consecrated food or unconsecrated food does not in any way bring him closer to God or further him from Him. The Apostle Paul also speaks about this.

And yet, for many believers, the consecration of food has great importance. When Easter approaches after seven weeks of fasting, it is only natural that people would want to serve blessed food to the table.

The custom of bringing fruits in church for blessing was established back in Old Testament(“You shall bring the firstfruits of the fruits of your land into the house of the Lord your God.” Ex. 23:19) and was preserved in subsequent years in Christianity.

The prayer for the blessing of Easter cakes in church on Holy Saturday sounds like this. After the cry: “Blessed is our God!” Before the prayer for consecration, the Sunday troparion in the 2nd tone is sung:

“When you descended to death, the Immortal Belly, then you put hell to death with the brilliance of the Divinity: when you also raised those who died from the underworld, all the powers of heaven cried out: Life-Giver, Christ our God, glory to Thee.”

How to consecrate Easter cake at home?

The everyday form of consecration is the sign of the cross. Orthodox believers daily overshadow food in this way before eating it.

How to bless Easter cakes yourself? The consecration of products by the laity is accomplished by sprinkling them three times with holy water and saying the prayer:

“This food is blessed and sanctified by sprinkling this holy water, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen".

As you can see, the prayer for the blessing of Easter cakes is the same as on other days. There is no special prayer for this case.

Is it necessary to consecrate Easter cakes, eggs and cottage cheese paskhas?

On Holy Saturday, streams of people with bags and bundles containing food for Easter table. Many of those who bring food for consecration do not actually go to church. How should we feel about this? Is it necessary to bless Easter cakes and colored eggs?

Archpriest Alexander Ageikin, rector of the Epiphany Cathedral in Elokhov, Moscow:

No one forces you to bless food for the Easter table - this is a pious tradition. But sanctification is not just something you do for yourself. A man comes to the temple with something, in this case these are traditional Easter dishes - Easter cottage cheese, colored eggs, Easter cakes, meat - with gratitude to God that he has all this.

After all, everything that a person consumes is given to him from God. That’s why we leave some of the food we brought in the temple.

We remember the appeal of Christ, which will be heard at the Last Judgment: “I was hungry, and you fed Me” (Matthew 25:35), because “what you did to one of the least of My brothers, you did to Me” (Matthew 25:40).

By leaving some food in the temple, a person leaves it for his neighbor. Located in extreme need can come to the temple and receive Easter cottage cheese, Easter cake, colored Easter eggs. This is an important part of the tradition of blessing food.

So this is not about magic, not about transforming some substance into something special, but about gratitude to God, about our sacrifice to God in the person of those people who do not have the opportunity to purchase these products for themselves due to various circumstances.

The situation when we come to a store and are offered to buy Easter cakes that have already been consecrated here is not Orthodox tradition: a person is deprived of the opportunity to come to the temple with a thanksgiving sacrifice. Or, for example, a restaurant says: “All our dishes are blessed.” For what? Are we talking about food sacrificed to idols?

The tradition of charity and sincere participation in the life of one's neighbor lives in the consecration of various foods - apples, honey, Easter dishes. By the way, there is such a tradition in Islam, when on Muslim holidays every poor person receives a piece of lamb meat that was sacrificed according to ancient tradition.

We replace this with other dishes, but this refers us to those ancient, Old Testament traditions that no longer have force in the Nativity and Resurrection of Christ, but, transformed, make it possible to participate in the life of our neighbor.

In fact, consecration on Holy Saturday is not a traditional phenomenon, but a certain need of our crowded parishes. Traditionally, food was blessed after the night Easter service. That is, for those who came to the temple to pray, and not just to sanctify.

The situation when it is necessary to consecrate on Saturday is not bad: a person has the opportunity to venerate the Shroud, pray in the temple, and hear Easter chants during the consecration.

But, on the other hand, it turns out a little strange: it’s still Holy Saturday, Christ is still symbolically lying in the Shroud in the middle of the temple, and Easter Hymns are already being sung. Many ignorant people then return home and begin to break their fast.

This is a relic of Soviet times, when there were few churches, when many could not come to the night Easter service.

In small rural churches, even in the Moscow region, many parishioners consecrate the food they brought after the night service or after the liturgy in the morning.

If the consecration takes place on Saturday, and the person could not come, it’s okay. The fact that he eats consecrated food or unconsecrated food does not in any way bring him closer to God or further away from Him. The Apostle Paul also speaks about this.

The fact that many people come to the consecration on Holy Saturday who do not go to church and church life do not live - this is a wonderful opportunity for missionary service.

We are preparing for this day, releasing special leaflets and materials, which are then distributed to people so that they can read and understand: sanctification is a small part of our spiritual tradition, which is based on your presence, you must give yourself to God.

So all full-time missionaries in our church are obliged to go on duty on Holy Saturday, to involve volunteers in distributing missionary leaflets, in conversations, in communicating with people.

So Holy Saturday is a holiday for missionaries, because there is such an opportunity to talk with people about the Main Thing!

The Savior says that the fields are “white and ready for harvest” (John 4:35). When the courtyards of churches are filled with people who have come to bless Easter dishes, this is the field that needs to be worked with.

Everyone has their own level of religiosity

Archpriest Maxim Pervozvansky, Chief Editor magazine "Heir":

I am surprised by the question: is it necessary to consecrate Easter dishes? You can also ask: is it necessary for a person to get married? It seems to me that such a formulation of the question is incorrect.

In the Church in this sense there is nothing obligatory. The Lord, out of love for us, gave us the opportunity to live. And it is quite natural that we try to sanctify everything in this life - to dedicate it to God. Orthodox Christians strive to sanctify everything that can be sanctified.

Every time we eat food, we sanctify it - with the sign of the cross and prayer.

When Easter approaches after 49 days of fasting, it is quite natural that people strive to have food consecrated in the temple on the festive table.

Just as there is an entrance to fasting when a prayer is read for the beginning of the Holy Pentecost, there is also a way out of fasting, including food fasting, which is the consecration of eggs, Easter cakes and Easter cakes.

It is clear that not receiving communion on Easter is much worse than not blessing Easter cakes. By the way, you can also consecrate Easter cakes in church after the night liturgy, if you were unable to do this on Holy Saturday.

Discussions among people within the Church about how important or not at all important it is to consecrate Easter dishes did not appear yesterday. It has long existed between, very relatively speaking, “Protestants from Orthodoxy” and those who, perhaps, even attach excessive attention to the ritual side.

This discussion has existed for more than a hundred years, and in the West since the Reformation: why are beards and vestments of priests needed at all, why are temples with golden domes needed, and so on. Then we can agree on why icons, holy water, prosphora are needed...

Since we consist of soul and body, our body also participates in spiritual life. The same Protestants, having seemingly abandoned rituals, still came up with their own, only more truncated, as if apologizing: “Sorry, but we still have some rituals.”

A ritual is never a value in itself. It is a certain form that expresses a certain content. Sometimes when people stop feeling this content, leaving only external form, - it becomes wrong.

The blessing of Easter food is also one of the forms. It is not obligatory, it is not an element of the Creed, nowhere does it say “I believe in the consecration of Easter cakes and Easter eggs, the tea of ​​the Easter table.” Although we all, when Lent is nearing the end, drink tea and look forward to delicious Easter cottage cheese and Easter cakes.

But it’s quite possible to imagine Orthodox culture, where there are no Easter cakes, no cottage cheese Easter cakes, no consecration on Holy Saturday. Moreover, even purely liturgically, consecration on Saturday is not entirely correct.

It is clear that, according to the rite, the liturgy of Holy Saturday should end somewhere in the evening, after which people do not leave the church, the consecration of wine and bread takes place so that people can refresh themselves without leaving the church. After which people wait for the midnight office, the Easter procession... And the consecration of Easter cakes and Easter eggs is supposed to be after the night Easter service.

But withstand this modern life no one can. And therefore, today, historically, things have developed differently, and people consecrate Easter dishes in advance. And I think this is right.

Yes, tradition is changing: once there were strictly scheduled days when Easter cakes were baked and eggs were painted. To modern man it is not comfortable.

I wouldn’t be surprised if in a hundred years there won’t be any Easter cakes or Easter. But I think the tradition of painting eggs will remain.

Every Orthodox Christian Before Easter, he blesses pre-baked Easter cakes and painted eggs. This event is important, so you need to know exactly when to bless Easter cakes for Easter 2018. Blessing Easter cakes is in some way a symbolic process. It is necessary for the transition of a person observing Lent, from fast food to fast food.

In 2018, the Resurrection of Christ falls on April 8. It is customary to consecrate Easter cakes on the eve of the holiday, i.e. on Holy Saturday April 7th.

Each of the seven days before the Resurrection has its own special meaning. On Thursday, called Clean Thursday, it is customary to celebrate general cleaning home, as well as start preparing Easter cakes and painting eggs. Friday, which is called Holy Friday, is usually spent in humility and prayer, visiting church service, give up all entertainment events, since on this day of the week Christ accepted death in the name of atonement for the sins of all mankind. Good Friday is the most sad and sorrowful day for any Orthodox Christian.

It is Holy Saturday that is the most suitable day for the blessing of festive food. On this day, it is customary to get up at sunrise, prepare to attend the morning service, and also take care of the festive table. For those who observed Lent, prerequisite is, first of all, to say a prayer, and then eat a blessed egg and a piece of Easter cake.

It is customary to attend a festive service with a pre-assembled basket. It should not contain many products, only the most important ones. Food that will be blessed during the festive service must not be thrown away. In the basket it will be enough to place a few eggs, Easter cake, a piece of meat, salt and some vegetables. This set is enough to start the holiday morning right, as well as to mark the end of Lent.

Holy Saturday, which falls on April 7 in 2018, is the only day on which Easter cakes and eggs will be blessed. The timing of this procedure depends on the rules of each specific temple. It may start a little different time, but definitely in the morning. Approximately - this is about 10 o'clock in the morning and almost until the start of the evening service, until about 15 o'clock in the afternoon. For those who attend church services from Saturday to Sunday, already in the morning upon arrival from church they can begin the process of breaking the fast and begin to congratulate their family and friends. The service lasts all night, and at 4 am the first blessing of food takes place.

Since the Easter holiday falls in the spring, the weather is most often favorable for the blessing of Easter cakes on the street under open air. Tables and benches are placed around the temple, and in some places it is customary to place baskets of food directly on the ground. The priest will take turns walking along the tables and consecrating both people and food for a good start to the holiday.

Near the temple on this day you can observe a large number of needy people begging for alms. They should not be denied alms. Moreover, alms can be expressed not only in money, but also holiday products- Easter cakes and eggs.

Those people who do not observe Great Lent, do not stand at the festive service in the church at night, but come in the morning to bless the Easter cakes, should ask themselves the question: should I even celebrate the holiday of the Resurrection of Christ, and what relation do I have to it?

- Father Boris, why is it customary to bless Easter holiday food - Easter cakes, Easter cakes, colored eggs?

Let's start from afar. We know that on the Feast of the Transfiguration, earthly fruits are sanctified, first of all, grapes, apples, etc. Why? To make these apples and grapes holier? Of course not. Let's think about it. We bring to God the fruits that the Lord gave us to grow, right? Man plants, but God grows. And we bring these fruits to Him, dedicate them to Him, and then we accept it from Him as the joy of a holiday, as a kind of blessing from God for our life’s labors.

It is known that in ancient times people brought prosphora to church, which they baked themselves, and they were used in worship to celebrate the Sacrament of the Eucharist. But this is bread that is used in worship, this is an offering to God. But our life passes not only in the temple, but also at home and at work.

In church we rejoice and partake of the Heavenly Bread - the Body and Blood of Christ, we accept Christ into our hearts and into our body. This joy concerns both our souls and our bodies. Therefore, it is quite natural to have a festive meal on the days of great holidays. And on Easter we are not interested in the abundance of different delicacies on the table. Whether there are such or not is not important. The question is different. Look, bread is symbolic - this is the product without which a person could not exist: “Give us this day our daily bread...” In ancient world bread has always been a symbol of life and nutrition. But we receive bread from God: He grows grains, and we use them. And Easter cake is not just bread for our nutrition, but the bread of the joy of the holiday, which we eat at home, during agape, a festive home meal. We make this bread rich and beautiful, because it is bread greatest holiday. Decorated Easter cakes, sweet Easter cottage cheese, painted eggs - it is clear that all this is sanctified by prayer...

Kulich has been traditional since ancient times, as are colored eggs and Easter cottage cheese, which different places may have a different name. Yes, and Easter cake in some areas is called differently. For example, in Ukraine, Easter cake is called Easter, and cottage cheese Easter is called cheese Easter. But the meaning in using them is the same - it is a reflection of our joy.

In the first centuries of Christianity, people celebrated the Liturgy, prayed, received communion, and then agape began - the supper of love, at which they gathered after the holiday, sat at the table, ate food in joy and joy. Now our festive Easter meals are a continuation of the holiday at the table, in the home and family conditions. So Easter cake can well be called the bread of joy - joy brought from God into our earthly life.

Why do we still consecrate Easter foods? So that God's blessing may rest on our food and on us. And first of all, we sanctify the food, sprinkle it with holy water to sanctify our meal.

- Why is the egg a symbol of Easter?

The egg is very symbolic because, on the one hand, it contains a life that has not yet been revealed. But, on the other hand, the egg and the symbol of the Resurrection are like Christ lying in the tomb, who cannot be contained by the tomb cave, and He comes out. This meal is consecrated by thousands of years of tradition. It exists in all Christian countries, although in different countries forms may vary.

- How can the consecration of Easter cakes, Easter and eggs take place in different churches?

Easter cakes, eggs and Easter eggs are blessed in churches. It happens that the church is very crowded, there are a lot of people, then the consecration takes place on the street. The tables are set up, the priest comes by and sprinkles the food brought with holy water. But, of course, if there is such an opportunity, it is very good when the consecration of Easter cakes and other things takes place in the church, and not just people coming to the church and consecrating them. Why? Because it is much better if people come not just to have their testicles sprinkled, but to come to God, to the temple, asking for His blessing.

They came, took a candle, entered the temple, and lit it. Here is a Easter cake with a candle. It means that? Prayerful offering to God. Here is the Shroud, which stands in the middle of the temple. People prayerfully venerate the image of the dead Christ, Who died for our sins and Who will then Resurrect, whose Resurrection we will celebrate.

After this, they approach the priest, and their offerings and themselves are sprinkled.

What happens: people came to the temple with prayer, venerated the shrine, and appeared before the throne of God with their gifts that needed to be consecrated. People of little church, consecrating their Easter cakes in this way, to some extent join their hearts to the shrine, because few people who are indifferent will approach the image of the deceased Christ. And it is very good if the church has the opportunity to conduct consecration in this way. In our church we try to follow exactly this path.

- Does it make sense to take children with you to the blessing of Easter cakes?

If we want Easter joy to touch children, then children should participate in the preparation of Easter, including prayer: both in the Easter service and in the festive Easter meal. Therefore, this is very necessary and important and very useful for children.

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Easter is one of the most revered Christian holidays. It is associated with big amount various rituals and traditions. Traditionally, people go to church to bless an Easter basket of food. Why is it like this? When should you do this and what should you put in your Easter basket? Many Christians face these questions, so let’s try to answer them.

Tradition

Easter is the perfect day to pray and receive communion. Today, few people take communion; most prefer to bless the Easter basket.

And the church also welcomes this, because eating sacred food will remind people of their spiritual purpose, of communion true Easter Christ's.

This is the symbolic end of Lent. When people come home, they can put on the table the foods they limited themselves to before Easter.

When are Easter cakes and eggs illuminated?

Most people do this on the night from Saturday to Sunday. However, according to Christian rules, you can start doing this on Saturday, after the morning liturgy and until 9 pm. It is allowed to come to church to consecrate food on Sundays as well.

On Saturday, not many people come to church, so everyone has the opportunity not only to bless food, but also to venerate the Shroud, listen to Easter chants, and pray in the church.

What other food can you put in an Easter basket?

Eggs and Easter cakes aren't the only things you can put in your Easter basket. According to church traditions, the following products can be blessed:

• salt. It is a symbol of prosperity, so people have been lighting it for a long time. It is also a talisman that will protect a person from bad people and troubles throughout the year. Salt is traditionally prepared on Thursday, and only lit on Saturday or Sunday;
• horseradish. This is a symbol of an indestructible spirit. There is a legend that they tried to kill Jesus Christ with horseradish roots. At that time, due to its specific taste, it was considered poisonous. Blessed horseradish root will instill faith in a person, so it must be placed in the Easter basket;
• meat. You cannot bring blood products to church, but sausages, ham, and various smoked meats can be blessed;
• wine. Only Cahors is allowed to be blessed in the church. This drink is used in church rituals, so the church welcomes its presence in the Easter basket. Other alcoholic drinks It's better to leave it at home.

You can complement the Easter basket with candles, evergreens, and Easter towels.

Blessing of Easter cakes in churches

On holidays and holidays the church is open to everyone. Anyone can come here, pray, bless food and listen to church chants. There is a special table in the church for Easter baskets.

Food is placed here by people who attend the service and listen to the chants. The table with treats is blessed first. The priest sprinkles them with holy water and congratulates people on the bright holiday.

After this, the priest goes out into the street and blesses the food of those who were not present at the service.

What you need to know

There are few rules to follow in church during the blessing of food. But all parishioners should know them:

1. If you brought candles, insert them into Easter cake and light before the service begins.
2. To the priest’s greeting: “Christ is risen,” one must answer: “Truly he is risen.”
3. During the ceremony it is necessary to remain silent. You can repeat a prayer to yourself.

1. Products blessed in the church should not be thrown away. If you have a lot of treats and you realize that you won’t have time to eat them all, it’s better to give them to friends, acquaintances, or simply people in need.
2. Money and other things of material value cannot be blessed in the church.
3. It is not necessary to fill the Easter basket to the top. Do not forget that Easter is a holiday of the soul. Do not put food in a chaotic order; treat the contents with respect.

Question answer

What to wear to church?

According to church rules, a woman who plans to come to church should not dress brightly or wear flashy makeup. You need to dress as modestly as possible: average or long skirt, closed blouse, scarf or scarf on the head. But men need to remove their hats when visiting the temple.

When should you bake Easter cakes and paint eggs?

According to church traditions, this should be done on Maundy Thursday, after the service dedicated to this day and communion. Most people prefer to do this on Friday, but on this day it is better not to deal with any household issues.

Do you need to follow rituals when preparing Easter cakes and eggs?

No, the church does not welcome any rites and rituals. All you can do is pray and ask for God's blessing.

Can unbaptized people bless food?

Yes they can. The church is open to everyone who wants to participate in the worship service and the blessing of food. The only thing the church does not allow unbaptized people to do is receive communion.

What should be on the holiday table?

After the Easter service, all types of food can be placed on the table. However, we must not forget that products should be in moderation. If you have been fasting, you do not need to “pounce” on food. Overeating can cause stomach problems.

Does everyone need to bless food in church?

No, not everyone. The Church encourages you to do this at will. If you don’t want to do this or you can’t do it, then it’s not necessary to come to the temple, listen to the chants, or bless the food.

What to do with candles after the service?

Candles must be left in the temple, where they burn out. You cannot take them home. This can only be done on Maundy Thursday, when after reading the Gospel the candles must be extinguished.

Do I need to bring food to the Liturgy or is it better to do it later?

Products that you want to consecrate in church must be brought with you immediately. You can only bring eggs and Easter cake. When you get home, place them next to other foods so that they are also blessed.

When should you break your fast on Easter?

Breaking the fast is the first meal after the end of fasting. It is celebrated after communion and the Liturgy. If you attended the Liturgy at night, then immediately upon arriving home you can begin the Easter meal. If you were unable to attend church, then you need to break your fast when the festive Liturgy ends in the church.

Go to church and stick Easter traditions it is necessary not by force, but by desire. Only in this case will it benefit you. The blessing of food is a tradition that our people honor and try to observe.

But if you weren’t able to get to church and bless your Easter basket, just pray and ask for God’s blessing. God is merciful and hears everyone who turns to him with sincere motives.

The time when Easter cakes are blessed in different churches differs. In one church, food for the festive table can be blessed on Saturday, in another - early in the morning on Sunday. In some churches, services are conducted in such a way that believers have the opportunity to bring food for blessing twice. Therefore, before going to church to bless the Easter cakes, it is better to inquire in advance about the time and order of the Easter service. This can be done from the church ministers. But before you go to a church service, you need to prepare.

When should Easter cakes be blessed according to the rules?
The church service is conducted according to established canons, which allow for very minor deviations. According to the canon, each service is accompanied by a prayer chant, characteristic of a certain event, time of day, the presence of restrictions on days of fasting and memory of saints, and so on. The Easter service lasts all night, and the ceremony of blessing the products prepared for the morning holiday meal takes place at 4 am. The parishioners then take these products home, and breakfast begins with them.

However, it is also permissible to bless foods on Holy Saturday. The ceremony takes place on Saturday evening, during the evening service. After Good Friday, Holy Saturday is considered a pre-holiday day, the priest already puts on white clothes, and the chants of the church choir become more joyful. The Resurrection of Christ is approaching.

It is more convenient to bless Easter cakes on Holy Saturday, because in order to do this on Sunday, you need to attend the end of the all-night service. Getting up early is very inconvenient, and not everyone can afford to stand the all-night vigil in church. Therefore, the tradition of blessing products the day before, on Saturday, appeared quite a long time ago. Housewives baked Easter cakes on Friday night or early Saturday morning and took them to church in the evening. And the morning was already spent at home, because after cleaning Maundy Thursday, prayerful and physical feat in Good Friday, preparations for Holy Saturday, not everyone had the strength for the all-night vigil.

What food can be blessed for Easter
Easter cakes, Easter cottage cheese, eggs, meat and wine - these are the products that are traditionally brought to church for consecration. It is not necessary to bring a lot of food, since the consecration of meat and wine, fast food, is symbolic. In this way one is allowed to end the fast. But breaking the fast begins either with eggs or a piece of Easter cake or Easter. Therefore, these products should be brought to church first of all.

It is not necessary to bring all the baked goods that were prepared the day before. One or two cakes are enough. The first is eaten during the morning meal, divided among family members, the second is stored for another week or even more, perhaps until next Easter. But this is done very rarely now. Even the best Easter cake gradually becomes stale, so they try to eat it as quickly as possible while it is fresh. Painted eggs It’s worth bringing everything, because they are given as gifts, given for exchange, and often kept as souvenirs of the holiday.

Other products are brought to church if wealth allows. It should be remembered that not all parishioners can afford to buy good wine and meat products even for a holiday. That's why good deed will treat other parishioners in the church after the service with part of the food brought, or leave it for those who stay for a specially organized meal at the church. You should also ask in advance what products you could bring to church along with the Easter cakes. Some priests do not allow meat and wine to be served, even if church tradition has nothing against it.

In addition to Easter cakes and cottage cheese paskas, you can display other baked goods: pies, buns, cookies, Easter sweet bread, pie. You can consecrate sweets and fruits. There are few prohibited products on the list. First of all, you should not try to bring vodka and other alcoholic drinks other than wine. The wine, by the way, does not have to be red. But white wine is not accepted in all churches.

It is better to come to the blessing of Easter cakes in advance. On holidays, there are many more parishioners in the church than usual. It is not always possible to immediately place your products on the table and get to it unhindered. In addition, the service may begin a little earlier or later than expected, and the time of consecration will shift. In small parishes this usually happens more often.

It is more convenient if all the products are placed in a basket, which is placed on the table. This basket is often decorated with flowers. But let its shape and size be compact and convenient. Besides her, there will be many others on the table, and there should be enough space for everyone. The basket is lined with napkins or a towel embroidered especially for the holiday. During transportation, Easter cakes and other products can be covered with a cloth.