Consecration of Easter cakes. Prayer for the blessing of Easter cakes and eggs

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 on Holy Saturday (as a rule, in city churches, the consecration of Easter cakes takes place throughout the entire Saturday day 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 - the Resurrection of Christ.

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, Immortal Life, then you put hell to death with the brilliance of the Divine; when you also raised those who had died from the underworld, all the powers of heaven cried out: O 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 consecration Easter cakes- 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, and painted 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: more 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.

It is extremely important to know when Easter cakes and eggs are illuminated so as not to miss this event. First, you need to remember what date Easter will be in 2018. For Orthodox believers, Easter will be on April 8, which means that Lent ends and everyone celebrates the Resurrection of Christ. Easter cakes shine on the eve of Easter, that is, for 2018 it is April 7.

Each day of the last week before Easter is called “great” or “passionate”. Each day has its own traditions, features and signs. On Thursday you need to clean the apartment (do you know?), wash yourself, and start preparing dishes for the holiday table. On Friday you should refrain from any household work and be sure to go to church. This is the day when Jesus Christ was crucified and throughout the year, Good Friday is the most mournful day. What to do on Holy Saturday?

This day is exactly the time when Easter cakes and eggs are illuminated in 2018 (or any other year). On this day, the last day of Lent before Easter, housewives get up early. We need to complete all preparations for the holiday and prepare dishes for the Easter table. We know, among other things, that Easter cakes are prepared and eggs are painted. Then an Easter basket is collected and taken to the temple.

What to put in an Easter basket

It is important for believers not only to know when Easter cakes and eggs are illuminated, but also why they do it. After Lent, you can eat animal products. This is where Easter morning begins. And the first pieces of food that believers eat should be consecrated food. You cannot fill your belly with such foods; you should pray before the meal, and then cut off a piece of Easter cake, egg, or meat for each family member.

IN Easter basket no need to put a lot of food. After all, these products will need to be eaten within holiday week and, if possible, start with them every morning. Consecrated food should never be thrown away. Therefore, when planning to consecrate food on April 7 before Easter in 2018, you need to put several eggs, a cake, a piece of meat, a cucumber and a tomato, and salt in a basket. This will be enough to start Easter morning correctly and to have enough strength to eat all the food.

What else is important to know about date and time

April 7 is the date of Holy Saturday, when the church is illuminated
ichi and eggs. Depending on the church, the consecration procedure may begin at different time, but definitely in the morning. As a rule, the blessing of Easter cakes and other foods begins on Saturday at about 10 am, and ends several hours before the start of the evening service. By the way, Easter occurs during the service on the night from Saturday to Sunday. If you are going to go to a service, then upon returning from it the fast is over for you, Easter has arrived and you can “break your fast” with blessed foods and congratulate each other.

The blessing of food takes place on the street; many churches have this tradition. Benches are installed around the church or baskets are offered to be placed directly on the ground. The priest walks in a circle, blessing food and people for a good and bright holiday. As a rule, on the day of the blessing of food there are many beggars standing near the church; it is customary to give them alms. Moreover, not only with money, but also with holiday cakes and colored eggs. By the way, do not forget that it is considered the most useful.

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 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 on Maundy Thursday, prayerful and physical feats 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. IN 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.

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 pre-holiday and holiday days 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 the Easter cake and light them 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 must be done in 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.

To answer the question about when Easter cakes and eggs are lit in 2018, you need to remember Holy Saturday. Every day Holy Week- the last week of Lent, is called “Passionate” or “Great”. Holy Saturday in 2018 falls on April 7, which means this date is the day when Easter cakes will be blessed in churches.

When collecting baskets for the blessing of food, you need to remember some rules. Wine and any alcohol cannot be blessed. All consecrated food must be eaten and cannot be thrown away. For this reason, you should not put a lot of food in your basket. One Easter cake is enough, you can add a piece of meat and cheese, cucumber and tomato. The salt must be sanctified.

What time should I go light the food?

When Easter cakes and eggs are lit in 2018, at what time, depends on each church. But, as a rule, the ritual of consecrating food is carried out throughout the entire Saturday day, somewhere from 10 am until night. Then the festive service begins in the temple. Food can be blessed at the very beginning, and then the ceremony of consecration is not carried out. For this reason, you need to clearly choose the time on Saturday, April 7, in order to have time to bless your Easter cakes and eggs, and other products in the holiday basket.

When to eat

Remember also that you can eat consecrated food on Sunday morning, when Easter begins. If you adhere to the rule that you must attend the night service, then you can eat consecrated food immediately after this service. Usually at midnight there is a procession of the Cross, after which the priest announces that Easter has come. From this moment on, you can eat consecrated food, the holiday begins, and Lent ends.

The tradition of the ceremony is quite interesting. The priests and congregation walk around the church three times and always stop in front of the closed doors of the temple. The closed doors symbolize the entrance to the cave where Jesus Christ was buried after he was taken down from the cross. But for the third time, the doors of the temple open, which means Easter has arrived, Christ is Risen and announced the victory of life over death. The festive service will continue until the morning, but many go home after the procession.

Remember that the blessed food on Easter Sunday should be the first food you and your family put into your mouth. Before starting the meal, you need to read a prayer. You can’t fill yourself up with this food; you just need to start the meal, and then continue to celebrate the onset of Easter with other dishes that the hostess has prepared for this bright event. Of course, when and where are Easter cakes and eggs illuminated in 2018: only in church.

How to find out what time food will be blessed

On Good or Great Friday, which is the most mournful day during Lent and throughout the Orthodox church calendar, many go to church. There is a night service, which you are encouraged to attend. On this day they remember that biblical Friday when Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross.