Procession - what is it and why is it needed? Velikoretsky procession What is worn during the procession.
Procession- a reverent procession of believers with, crosses, and other Christian shrines, organized for the purpose of glorification, asking Him for mercy and grace-filled support. The procession can be performed either along a closed route, for example, around a field, village, city, temple, or along a special route, where the starting and ending points are different.
The procession is deeply symbolic. Solemn expresses the triumph of Christ, majestically carried, surrounded by a host of faithful who follow him like warriors for their sign. The procession goes under the leadership, the icons of which are carried in front.
Processions of the cross consecrate all the elements of nature (earth, air, water, fire). This comes from icons, the overshadowing of all parts of the world, sprinkling with water, burning candles ...
When was the tradition of religious processions established?
The practice of performing religious processions has an ancient origin. Already in the first centuries of existence, Christians organized special solemn, thanksgiving or propitiatory processions on various occasions.
The immediate reason for the organization of propitiatory processions could be extraordinary circumstances, for example, natural or natural disasters (earthquakes, floods, droughts, crop failures), epidemics, the threat of the seizure of territory by the enemy. Such processions were accompanied by general ones containing petitions to God to protect the land and the inhabitants living on it from troubles. In the event of a siege of the city, the route could run along the city walls or along the walls.
During the spread, special processions were made, motivated by the desire to protect the Orthodox faith from desecration, and the believers themselves from mistakes and delusions.
Over time, the practice of solemn religious processions took root in the Church. Such passages were carried out on some holidays, during the consecration of temples, the transfer of the relics of saints, miraculous icons.
One of the oldest, Old Testament prototypes of the Processions is the seven-day walk by the Israeli people of the walls of Jericho (), the solemn transfer of the Ark of the Covenant from the house of Aveddar to the city of David ().
What does the procession symbolize?
First of all, each participant of the procession individually and all of them together express their readiness to follow in the footsteps of Christ. In this sense, the modern Cross processions are approaching in their inner content with the procession of believers who accompanied Christ on, with the procession to the Savior's Tomb.
At the same time, the symbolism of the procession may have more specific meanings. So, for example, a procession along a closed route outlines an image resembling a circle - a symbol of Divine eternity and infinity.
Since the morning of Holy Saturday, believers have been asking each other a question, Procession for Easter 2020: what time. We can fully answer this question. Moreover, the date and time of the procession does not change from year to year. Or rather, the date changes, but the event - Easter, always remains the same.
On Saturday, after the fussy preparations for the holiday, when all the Easter cakes are ready and the eggs are painted, you can relax a bit. But, it should be remembered that the Easter evening service begins at 20.00. In general, it is better to have time to do all the work before this time and already calmly go to the service. If you want to get only to the procession, then you need to come closer to midnight.
How is the procession
The procession is some kind of independent action in itself. It runs within
festive Easter service. Rather, it divides the worship itself into two parts. At first, these are still mournful prayers about what happened to Christ on Holy Week. Then the priest, followed by all the ministers, and behind them the faithful go out into the street, where the procession is being performed.
During the course, church servants carry the most important icons, also banners, lamps. Three times you need to go around the temple and each time stop at the door of the temple. The first two times the doors will be closed, and the third time the doors will open. And this is a good sign that tells us that Easter has come. Already after the procession and after the priest informs everyone about the approach of Easter, the clergy change into white festive clothes and the service continues for several more hours.
It turns out that the date when the Procession of the Cross 2020 is April 18. Rather, the service will begin in the evening, at 20.00 on April 18, but will gradually move to April 19. The Easter service is amazing and very beautiful. If you have never gone to church this night before, we strongly recommend that you do so. In principle, you need to reach at least the procession and make it. Then, if the forces already leave, you can go home.
What to do after the procession
Yes, in the church, together with other believers, you were the first to learn the good news that Christ is Risen. This means that Easter has come and Lent will end. You can eat any food, rejoice and have fun. But you should not eat illuminated foods immediately after you come home: no matter how much you want. According to the church charter, this is fundamentally wrong.
You should definitely go to bed, and in the morning start celebrating Easter for real. In the morning the whole family gathers at the table. An Easter cake is placed in the center of the table, in which there is a candle from the church, illuminated products are laid out around the Easter cake. You should light a candle and start your morning with a prayer. Then each family member should eat a small piece of each illuminated product. After that, you can start eating, beat eggs and just enjoy such a wonderful, bright and eventful holiday.
So, you already know what time the procession for Easter will be, and how it will take place. It remains only to find the strength in yourself to go to church on this holy night. By the way, we remind you that on Great Saturday it is recommended to adhere to a strict fast. This means not to eat until the end of the evening service, and after it, eat bread and drink water. But, there is very little left until Easter comes and how the period of restrictions ends. Christ is Risen, which means that we can celebrate this event in full force.
We wish that Easter this year will bring you good and kind events in a large volume. For the festive table offers
You won’t even need to find out, the procession for Easter 2018: what time if you go to the evening service. The service begins on Saturday evening and continues until and after midnight. As for the procession, which is part of the festive service, it takes place some time before midnight.
About the features of the procession
If we give a brief description of the Procession on Easter or on another Christian holiday, then we can say that this is a solemn procession. First come the clergy with icons and other paraphernalia, church banners. Behind them are the believers who came to the service. During the procession, a large area of the church is consecrated.
The procession takes place several times during the church year. In addition to Easter, this also happens at Epiphany, at the second Savior for the blessing of water. Also, church processions are often organized in honor of some great church or state events. Sometimes the procession is held by the church for emergencies, for example, during natural disasters, disasters or war.
What else is important to know
In Orthodox churches, as well as in Catholic ones, but performing Eastern liturgical rites in their religious life, it has become a tradition to organize solemn processions with banners and icons, in front of which a large cross is usually carried. From him, such processions received the name of religious processions. These can be processions organized on Easter week, on Epiphany, or on the occasion of any significant church events.
The birth of a tradition
Processions are a tradition that came to us from the first centuries of Christianity. However, during the times of persecution against the followers of the gospel doctrine, they were associated with considerable risk, and therefore were performed in secret, and almost no information about them has been preserved. Only a few drawings on the walls of the catacombs are known.
The earliest mention of the performance of such a rite dates back to the 4th century, when the first Christian emperor Constantine I the Great, before the decisive battle, saw in the sky the sign of the cross and the inscription: “By this you conquer.” Ordering to make banners and shields with the image of a cross, which became the prototype of future banners, he moved a column of his troops against the enemy.
Further, the chronicles report that a century later, Bishop Porfiry of Gaza, before erecting another Christian temple on the site of the ruined pagan temple, made a procession to it in order to consecrate the land desecrated by idolaters.
Emperor in hair shirt
It is also known that the last emperor of the united Roman Empire, Theodosius I the Great, used to make religious processions with his soldiers every time he went on a campaign. These processions, in front of which the emperor walked, dressed in a sackcloth, always ended near the tombs of the Christian martyrs, where the honest army prostrated themselves, asking for their intercession before the Heavenly Forces.
In the 6th century, religious processions in churches were finally legalized and became a tradition. They were given such great importance that the Byzantine emperor Justinian I (482-565) issued a special decree according to which it was forbidden for the laity to perform them without the participation of clergy, since the pious ruler saw this as a profanation of the sacred rite.
The most common types of religious processions
Over time, having become an integral part of church life, processions today have a wide variety of forms and are performed on a number of occasions. Among them, the most famous are:
- Easter procession, as well as all other processions associated with this main holiday of the annual Orthodox circle. This includes the procession on Palm Sunday ─ "walking on a donkey." On Holy Saturday, the prototype of the procession is the removal of the shroud. It is performed at Easter Matins (more on this will be discussed below), as well as daily during Bright Week and every Sunday until the day Easter is given.
- Processions on the days of major Orthodox holidays, as well as patronal feasts celebrated by the community of a particular parish. Such processions are often organized in honor of the consecration of temples or celebrations dedicated to especially revered icons. In these cases, the route of the procession runs from village to village, or from church to church.
- To consecrate the water of various sources, as well as rivers, lakes, etc. They are performed on the day of the Baptism of the Lord (or on the Christmas Eve preceding it), on Friday of Bright Week ─ the feast of the Life-Giving Spring, and on August 14 on the day of the Exaltation of the Honorable Trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord .
- Funeral religious processions accompanying the deceased to the cemetery.
- Associated with some, as a rule, unfavorable life circumstances, for example, drought, floods, epidemics, etc. In such cases, the procession is part of the prayer service for the intercession of the Heavenly Forces and the sending down of deliverance from the disasters that have befallen, which include as well as man-made disasters and military actions.
- Inside the temple, performed on a number of holidays. Litiya is also considered a kind of procession.
- Committed on the occasion of any public holidays or major events. For example, in recent years it has become a tradition to celebrate National Unity Day with religious processions.
- Missionary religious processions held with the aim of attracting unbelievers or followers of other religious teachings into their ranks.
Air processions
It is curious to note that in our age of scientific and technological progress, a completely new non-canonical form of holding a religious procession using technical means has appeared. This term usually means a flight made by a group of priests with an icon on an airplane, their prayers in certain places.
It began in 1941, when the miraculous list of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God was surrounded in this way around Moscow. This tradition was continued already in the years of perestroika by flying around the borders of Russia, timed to coincide with the 2000th anniversary of the birth of Christ. It is believed that how long the religious procession performed on the plane lasts, so much time the grace of God is sent down to earth.
Features of the procession
According to the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic tradition, the Easter procession, like any other that takes place around the temple, marches in the direction opposite to the movement of the sun, that is, counterclockwise ─ “anti-salt”. Orthodox Old Believers, on the other hand, make their religious processions, moving in the direction of the sun ─ “salting”.
All the church clergy participating in it walk in pairs in vestments appropriate for this occasion. At the same time, they sing a prayer canon. A mandatory attribute of the procession is the cross, as well as burnt censers and lamps. In addition, banners are carried during the procession, the ancient prototype of which is military banners, which once became part of sacred rites, since emperors took part in them. Also from time immemorial came the tradition of carrying icons and the Gospel.
When does the Easter procession start?
Among the many questions that interest everyone who is just starting their "path to the temple", on the eve of the Holy Resurrection of Christ, this one is asked most often. “What time is the procession for Easter?” ─ ask mostly those who attend church not regularly, but only on the days of the main Orthodox holidays. It is impossible to answer it by naming the exact time, since this happens around midnight, and some deviations in one direction or the other are quite acceptable.
Midnight Office
The festive church service, during which the procession takes place, begins on Holy Saturday evening at 20:00. The first part of it is called the Midnight Office. It is accompanied by sad hymns dedicated to the sufferings on the Cross and the death of the Savior. The priest and the deacon perform censing (fumigation with a censer) around the Shroud - a cloth board with the image of Christ laid in the coffin. Then, with the singing of prayers, they take it to the altar and place it on the Throne, where the Shroud will remain for 40 days until the feast of the Ascension of the Lord.
The main part of the holiday
Shortly before midnight, it is time for Easter matins. All the priests, standing at the Throne, perform a prayer service, at the end of which the ringing of bells is heard, announcing the approach of the bright feast of the Resurrection of Christ and the beginning of the procession. According to tradition, the solemn procession goes around the temple three times, each time stopping at its doors. Regardless of how long the procession lasts, they remain closed, thus symbolizing the stone that blocked the entrance to the Holy Sepulcher. Only for the third time the doors are opened (the stone is thrown away), and the procession rushes inside the temple, where the Bright Matins are performed.
Festive bells singing
An important component of the solemn procession around the temple is the ringing of bells ─ at the same time as the procession for Easter leaves the doors of the temple, at the same time its joyful sounds, called “ringing”, begin to be heard. The complexity of this type of bell ringing lies in the fact that it includes three independent parts, constantly alternating and separated by only a small pause. From time immemorial, it was believed that it was during the procession that the bell ringers had the most favorable opportunity to show off their skills.
The festive Easter service usually ends no later than 4 o'clock in the morning, after which the Orthodox break their fast, eating painted eggs, Easter, Easter cakes and other food. Throughout the entire Bright Week, resounding with the joyful ringing of bells, it was customary to have fun, go to visit and host relatives and friends. One of the main requirements for each owner of the house was generosity and hospitality, so common in Orthodox Russia.
In Orthodox churches, there is always a procession on Easter. This solemn procession symbolizes the path of the church towards the good news of the resurrection of Christ. It is held annually on the night from Great Saturday to Holy Sunday. The clergy and believers pass around the temple three times, and then, standing at its porch and hearing the good news about the Resurrection of the Savior, they enter the open doors of the church, where the Easter service begins from that moment.
The solemn church procession began to be called the "procession" due to the fact that at the beginning of the procession there is always a clergyman who carries a large cross. This tradition is based on the belief in the power of common prayer performed during processions of the cross. Such processions look very solemn. They are led by clergy who read prayers and carry religious relics: a cross, icons and church banners depicting biblical scenes (banners). And the believers follow the holy fathers.
The history of religious processions dates back to the birth of Christianity. And if initially only a procession was performed on Easter, then over time, after the cessation of the persecution of Christians, this custom became widespread and firmly entered the rites of Orthodox worship. Now almost all significant events of church life are accompanied by a solemn Orthodox procession.
Religious processions have been held since ancient times:
- in honor of church festivities;
- when transferring the relics of saints, as well as other religious shrines;
- during various natural disasters, epidemics and wars, when people asked God for protection and salvation from the troubles that befell them.
It is known that the church history of Russia itself began with the procession to the Dnieper, when the people of Kiev were baptized. Orthodox in Russia often made processions not only in honor of church holidays, but also in the event of various disasters, including natural disasters. For example, they went around the fields with icons during periods of drought, as well as villages and cities during terrible epidemics.
In the annals there is a mention of one of the first mass religious processions that took place in the middle of the 14th century, when a pestilence attacked Russia, from which the inhabitants of Pskov suffered the most. Then Archbishop Vasily of Novgorod, carrying the cross and holy relics, accompanied by the clergy and townspeople, made a procession around the city. Together with the clergy, almost all the local residents who were still on their feet, from the elderly to the babies, whom their parents carried in their arms, took part in the procession. All the while the procession was going on, priests and believers were praying, loudly crying out in hundreds of voices: “Lord have mercy!”.
For a long time, only a procession on foot with the participation of clergy and believers was recognized as a procession. However, over time, thanks to technological progress, with the blessing of the clergy, non-canonical flight or air religious processions began to take place.
During the Great Patriotic War, on December 2, 1941, an airplane flew around Moscow with the miraculous list of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God on board (according to other sources, it was the icon of the Kazan Mother of God). After that, the capital was saved from the enemy offensive.
Easter procession: rules and symbolic meaning
Initially, the procession took place only on the day of the Holy Resurrection of Christ. From time immemorial, this procession symbolized not only the church going towards the Savior, but also the fact that before the news of the resurrection of Christ, everyone was forced to wander in the dark, until He showed everyone the way to the Light. Therefore, the Easter procession, although quite short, is very solemn, and participation in it is very important for any Christian.
Church service in honor of the Resurrection of Christ begins at exactly 00.00 hours on the night of Holy Saturday to Bright Sunday. Shortly before midnight, a solemn Easter procession takes place in all churches.
Despite the late hour, the procession passes under the incessant ringing of bells. The clergy and worshipers walk around the temple three times, each time stopping in front of its main entrance. The first two times the doors of the church are closed to the parishioners. The moment when people stand in front of locked temple doors in the darkness of the night has a great symbolic meaning. The church recalls how the contemporaries of Christ before his resurrection also stood in the darkness in front of the closed entrance to the cave where the Savior rested, as if in front of the closed gates of paradise.
Around midnight, when the procession again, for the third time, glorifying the Holy Trinity and the resurrected son of God, approaches the doors of the church, they solemnly swing open, revealing light to all who pray in the darkness of the night. Thus, the church seems to open the heavenly gates of paradise for people and shows the way to them. After that, the whole procession enters the temple, which symbolizes the path of the myrrh-bearing women who entered Jerusalem in order to inform the apostles of the good news of the Resurrection of Christ. The myrrh-bearing women, who did not know about the Resurrection of Christ, came to his tomb on the third day in order to rub the body of the Savior with precious oils. And only when they came to the entrance to the cave, where, as they thought, Jesus Christ rested, the women learned about the miracle that had happened, after which they went to Jerusalem in order to tell everyone about the resurrection of the Son of God.
The fact that the doors of the temple are opened to the believers only for the third time has a deep theological meaning. Jesus Christ was resurrected on the third day, so the Easter procession must go around the temple three times.