Ceremonies

4.3. Easter Vigil

The Great Easter Vigil is an elaborate ceremonial service which celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus. This is the most important event of the Orthodox liturgical year as the doctrine of the resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of the Christian faith. The faithful witness the miracle, spread the Good News that Christ has risen from the dead and are redeemed.

During this service people are baptized and that adult catechumens are received into full communion with the Church.

On Saturday night, the Paschal Vigil begins around 11:00 pm with the chanting of the Midnight Office. The epitaphios depicting the dead body of Christ is solemnly venerated for a last time and then ceremoniously taken into the altar and laid on the Holy Table in enactment of the burial of Jesus. Afterwards, all of the lighting in the church is extinguished except for the unsleeping flame on the altar. Where possible, the Holy Light arrives from the Holy Sepulchre during Holy Saturday afternoon and it is used to light anew the unsleeping flame.

The faithful remain in silence and darkness until the stroke of midnight. Then, the priest lights a single candle from the eternal flame on the altar. The Holy Doors are opened, after which the priest exclaims "Come receive the light from the light that is never overtaken by night, and glorify Christ, Who is risen from the dead!". After this proclamation, the priest approaches the congregation with the Paschal trikirion (lit from the unsleeping flame), spreading the fire from person to person until everyone holds a lighted candle.

The clergy lead a procession outside the church, which circles around the building, while singing hymns of praise to the sound of the church bells. This recreates the journey of the Myrrh Bearers as they journeyed to the Tomb of Jesus on the first Easter morning. The procession stops in front of the closed doors of the church. The opening of these doors symbolized the rolling away of the stone from the tomb by the angel. The Paschal greeting "Christ is risen!" "Truly He is risen!" is exchanged for the first time.

All enter the church joyfully singing the Troparion of Pascha. Paschal Orthros begins with an Ektenia (litany) and the chanting of the Paschal Canon. The Divine Liturgy follows, and every Orthodox Christian is encouraged to confess and receive Holy Communion on this holiest day of the year.

A breakfast usually follows, sometimes lasting till dawn. Eggs which dyed in red are blessed by the priest and distributed to the people for the breaking of the Great Lenten fast. At the end of the service, the Artos, a large loaf of leavened bread, which represents the Resurrected Christ, is blessed. It is then set next to the Icon of the Resurrection and is venerated by the faithful and carried in processions throughout the following week.

On the afternoon of Easter Day, the joyful service Agape Vespers is celebrated and the Great Prokeimenon is chanted. A lesson from the Gospel is read in as many different languages as possible, accompanied by the joyful ringing of bells.

The week that begins on Easter Sunday is called Bright Week, and is considered to be one continuous day. The Holy Doors of the iconostasis remain open from the moment they were opened at midnight throughout all of Bright Week. Most of the unique festive features of the Paschal services continue through the week. Following the Liturgy there is a festive procession outside of the church every day. The entire week is a fast-free period.

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