Easter services are filled with special solemnity. This is completely in sync with the feelings of the faithful Orthodox Christians during the greatest holiday. Already in the most ancient apostolic times, the tradition was adopted for Christians to stay awake on the pre-holiday and holy saving night of Christ’s Bright Resurrection, in the bright night before the bright day, waiting for the coming of the moment for their spiritual liberation.
Some time before the onset of midnight, Midnight Service is served in churches everywhere. On it, the priest and the deacon burn incense around the Shroud, then lift it up and carry it to the altar. There she is placed on the Holy Throne – it remains so until the Resurrection of Easter.
Easter Matins begins at midnight.
Before this, all the clergy in festive robes are brought before the Throne. The priests and worshipers in the temple light candles. Shortly before midnight, a solemn gospel heralds the approach of the great moment of the light-bearing Resurrection of Christ.
A soft chant begins in the altar, which gradually builds in strength. At these moments, a jubilant Easter bell begins to echo from the height of the bell tower. Rituals on the night before Easter are filled with varied and deep spiritual symbolism.
These are not just official ceremonies – each action reminds of one or another event related to the Gospel story of the Savior’s Resurrection. The procession on the Easter night symbolizes the Church’s journey towards the resurrected Jesus Christ.
The procession takes place around the temple amidst the continuous ringing of bells.
In jubilant, bright and majestic form, the Church goes, like a spiritual bride, as it is said in the sacred hymns, to welcome Christ coming from the grave as a bridegroom is welcomed. In front of the cross procession, they carry a lamp, an enthroned image of the Holy Mother of God, an enthroned cross.
Then two standard-bearers, singers, candle-bearers with candles, followed by deacons with their censers and candles, followed by priests. In the last pair of priests, the one walking on the right carries the Gospel, and the one walking on the left – an icon of the Resurrection.
The procession ends with the head of the temple holding a trident and a cross in his left hand.
In the event that the temple is small and only one priest serves in it, then the Gospel and the icon of the Resurrection on shrouds are carried by lay people. As soon as the tour of the temple is finished, the procession stops in front of its closed doors, which at that moment symbolize the entrance to the cave of the Holy Sepulcher.
The bearers of the shrines stop close to the doors facing west. The bells stop ringing. The head of the temple and the priests sing a joyful Easter troparion three times. The troparion is taken up and sung three times by the choir and the other priests. Then a priest recites verses from an ancient prophecy of the holy King David, and the choir and worshipers sing in response to each verse.
Finally, the superior or all the clerical priests sing the words of the response once more.
The doors of the church are opened and the procession goes to the temple with the good news of the Resurrection – just as the myrrh-bearing women once went to Jerusalem to announce it to the disciples of Jesus Christ. Thus, the worshipers from the procession enter the temple, where the singing continues with the Easter canon.
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