At what time can Easter cakes be blessed? How Easter cakes and other Easter dishes are blessed

We always try to go to church to bless Easter cakes, eggs, and cottage cheese on the night of Holy Saturday after 4 p.m., and many do this and come at this time. You can bring other products to be blessed: a little lard, sausage, meat, pastries, a bottle of red wine. If it is not possible to come to bless Easter cakes with eggs on Holy Saturday, then we come to church on Easter Sunday. In the morning on Easter, people also come to bless food.

In general, eggs and Easter cakes are usually blessed after the night Easter service, which takes place on the night from Saturday to Sunday. At the end of the service, the Priest begins to bless Easter cakes, eggs and Easter. The Easter service is very beautiful. It is advisable to attend this service and bless Easter cakes and Easter.

Easter cakes and eggs are blessed early in the morning on Holy Saturday, because the procession of the Cross will begin in the evening. When the All-Night Vigil ends on Saturday morning, eggs and Easter cakes will begin to be blessed, this is at four o’clock in the morning. They will sanctify as long as people continue to walk. Therefore, on Saturday, but better early in the morning, although people usually gather by eleven o’clock in the morning.

On the night from Saturday to Sunday before Easter, an all-night vigil is served. As a rule, this happens from 00.00 to 4 or 5 o'clock in the morning. But the blessing of Easter cakes and other Easter food can be carried out both before the service (on Saturday evening) and on Sunday. This year in our church the consecration was held until 13.00 so that everyone could have time.

Probably depends on the temple. In large parishes they will sanctify the entire Saturday after the morning service. In our church they celebrate the holy day for a couple of years even after the Midnight Office, i.e. night Easter service. But it’s better to come on Saturday.

According to Orthodox tradition, Blessing of Easter cakes and paskas is an urgent necessity in order to sanctify the transition from lean food to fast food. If you want to observe all the rituals, like a true Orthodox Christian, then Easter and Easter cakes must be blessed no earlier than the all-night vigil, which begins at sunset on Holy Saturday and ends at dawn.

However, not everyone will be able to stand through a whole night of worship, so there are two more options for visiting church to bless the holiday bread.

Option 1. Most temples and churches begin the consecration of paskas and Easter cakes on Holy Saturday in the afternoon, after 16:00.

Option 2. You can also come to church to bless Easter cake and Easter, directly early in the morning, on the day of the Resurrection of Christ.

By the way, you can bless not only holiday bread and colored eggs, but also wine and meat, since it was these products that true believers refused during Lent.

After all, Easter begins on the night from Saturday to Sunday - at 00:00 hours and at the same time, the All-Night Vigil begins in the Temples, then the liturgy, and only then the priest blesses all the brought products (at about 4 o’clock). All believers go to Church at 12 o'clock at night and bring with them what they want to consecrate. Here (Khabarovsk - Far East) in the Temple everything ends quite late - by 5 o'clock in the morning - this is difficult for many (especially if you take children with you). We once took the children with us (in vain) and spent half the service persuading them to be patient and not go home.

In Russia, almost everywhere, eggs and Easter cakes are blessed only at night, and on Saturday or Sunday morning it is not common or rare.

Usually, in most Orthodox churches, the consecration of Easter cakes, Easter cottage cheese, eggs and other things begins on Saturday after the morning service. Then the consecration occurs after the solemn Easter service, performed on the night from Saturday to Sunday. It lasts until about four o'clock in the morning.

It is best to check the schedule of all Easter services at your church.

Our parishioners usually go to church on the night from Saturday to Sunday. They bring Easter cakes, eggs, and Easter with them. After the Easter service, the priest begins to bless the eggs in the morning. If it is not possible to attend the service, you can come in the morning to bless the Easter dishes.

This may happen differently in different churches. In one church you can consecrate food for the festive Easter table on Saturday after the Vespers service; in another church this is done early on Sunday morning after the Easter service. And in some churches, services are held in such a way that believers even have the opportunity to bring food twice for consecration. But it’s still more convenient to do this on Saturday. After all, if you consecrate it on Sunday, you will have to stand through the entire night service, which is approximately until 4 o’clock in the morning.

In the Orthodox world, Easter is the main holiday of the year, “the triumph of triumphs.” But since Russian society is not pious, and just a few decades ago it was completely godless, we are still just learning to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ. How to behave correctly on Easter, when to come to services and break Lent, what cannot be done on this day, and what is necessary? We asked the rector of the Church of the Unmercenary Saints Cosmas and Damian in Shubin, Archpriest Alexander Borisov, about this.

-When do Easter cakes and eggs begin to be blessed?

On Saturday, starting from 12.00 until approximately 9 pm. But this can be done on the following days after services: on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.

But the most important thing on Easter is not the blessing of the Easter cake and eggs. You need to be in church, pray, remember the events associated with the Resurrection of Christ.

- What time do you need to come to the Easter service?

It begins at midnight from Saturday to Sunday with the Procession of the Cross. It is advisable to arrive early - around 11 pm. But not everyone can come at night, so in most churches two or three Liturgies are celebrated. In our temple, the second begins at 7 a.m. on Sunday, and the third at 10 a.m.

- At what time does fasting stop and you can sit down to the festive table?

After the end of the Divine Liturgy and communion. Usually the service ends at 4 am. Since public transport is not yet running at this time, people can sit right in the temple, like students, and treat each other to food and water that they brought with them.

-Can I bring strong drinks?

There is no need to bring alcohol to the temple. Let him wait at home. But at home, it’s possible if you know when to stop.

- Can a person participate in the procession if he is not sober?

This happens, but it is not desirable. This is disrespect for the holiday. Just as it is indecent to come to a wedding already drunk. You need to raise your glass with everyone else when it’s supposed to.

- For those who do not come to the night service, does the fast not end at 4 o’clock?

Of course, it continues until the end of the Liturgy that the parishioner attended and received communion.

- Can unbaptized people bless Easter cakes and eggs?

They can, of course, both consecrate and participate in worship. Those who are not baptized are not supposed to receive communion.

- Easter this time coincided with Cosmonautics Day...

There are no contradictions between the church and science and space exploration.

- What should Orthodox Christians not do on Easter?

You cannot use foul language, swear, quarrel, or fight. You can't get drunk. There is no need to commit bad deeds on ordinary days, but even more so to darken a bright holiday with them.

- What should an Orthodox Christian do on Easter, besides participating in the service?

Congratulate your family and friends. Visit your parents or at least call them. Forgive all offenses. Rejoice!

The time when Easter cakes are blessed in different churches differs. In one church you can bless food for the festive table 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 on Maundy Thursday, prayerful and physical labor on Good Friday, and preparations on 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. Everyone should bring colored eggs, because they are given as gifts, given for exchange, and often kept as a souvenir 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. Therefore, it would be a good deed to treat other parishioners in the church after the service with some of the food you 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.

Throughout the entire Saturday before Easter, Easter cakes are blessed in churches. This ancient tradition is still loved and observed by Christians. What time the consecration of Easter cakes begins and ends is important for every Orthodox Christian to know.

When is it customary to bless Easter cakes?

In 2018, the blessing of Easter cakes and Easter eggs will begin on the morning of April 7. Usually this action takes place on the Saturday before the Great Holiday. Beginning at approximately 10 a.m. on Holy Saturday, believers line up at the nearest church with their Easter baskets.

Housewives carefully prepare Easter cakes for Easter, paint eggs, and make Easter eggs. This entire set for consecration is collected in a basket or bag and sent to the temple. In the morning, there are usually a lot of people who want to bless the Easter cakes quickly. But the consecration lasts all day until the evening, until about 21 o'clock, before the beginning of the all-night holiday service.

Interesting! There is nothing wrong with coming to church to consecrate holiday foods in the afternoon or late afternoon. The priests will perform the same ritual.

Many churches practice the blessing of Easter cakes on the street. For this purpose, special benches are installed in the temple courtyard. Believers line up at the benches in order and lay out their Easter cakes and Easter eggs. Many people place a candle in the center of the composition. The priest walks through the rows with prayer and holy water and sprinkles everyone.

The whole ritual takes very little time, but it happens that you have to stand in line because of the large influx of people who want to properly prepare for Great Easter.

On the evening of April 7, 2018, Easter services begin in each church. It will last all night and end by 4 a.m. on April 8. After the procession of the Cross in many churches, priests begin the Easter blessing of Easter cakes.

What to bring with you for consecration

The basket for blessing usually contains a holiday cake, several Easter eggs and Easter. Many people peel eggs, afraid to throw away the blessed shell after the meal.

Important! You can place a candle in the center of the Easter cake or Easter cake and light it before consecration. There is nothing to worry about if it does not burn or the wind extinguishes the flame.

The Orthodox Church celebrates Easter on April 8, 2018. Many believers are interested in when it is correct to consecrate Easter cakes for Easter? We'll talk about this in detail here.

Many delicious dishes are prepared for the main Orthodox holiday, because according to tradition, the Easter table should be plentiful. One of the symbols of this holiday is Easter cake, which serves as a reminder of the meal of the resurrected Jesus Christ and the apostles.

Easter is celebrated after the long days of Lent. The strict forty-day fast, when it was forbidden to eat fast food, ends, and now believers can break their fast. Even in the Soviet years, you could buy Easter cakes in stores these days. In the old days, every home baked them themselves.

Housewives try to prepare the most delicious treat for this day: they choose the best products, do not skimp on eggs and butter, nuts and raisins. It is believed that if the dough for the Easter cake fits well and it comes out well, then prosperity will reign in the family.

When should Easter cakes be blessed?

These products are baked in advance and consecrated in the church on the eve of Easter, on Holy Saturday. For convenience, all products are placed in a basket, which is placed on the common table in the church for consecration.

Where and at what time are Easter cakes blessed? On Saturday, food is blessed in churches from morning until late evening, from 10.00 to 22.00.

What time does the blessing of Easter cakes end? It should be taken into account that on Saturday morning many people visit churches to bless food. And if you didn’t have time to do this, it doesn’t matter.

It is believed that it is better to bless colored eggs, Easter cakes and Easter on the night from Saturday to Sunday after a church service at which the acts of the Holy Apostles are read. It begins at 20.00, and at the end of the service, which ends with a procession of the cross, the food is also illuminated.

Is it possible to sacred Easter cakes on Easter Day?

In some churches, it is customary to consecrate food for the festive table not on Saturday, but 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.

Lent, which believers observe the day before, ends at 24.00, from the moment of the symbolic opening of the temple doors. And believers break their fast with colored eggs, a piece of Easter cake or Easter after the liturgy, at about 4 am. Easter cakes and other dishes of the Easter table are eaten not only on Easter itself, but throughout Bright Week.

The most significant holiday of Orthodoxy has different meanings in the Churches of the Old and New Testaments. In the New Testament Church, Easter means “passing” and is celebrated in honor of the Resurrection of Christ.
Easter Day is a moving holiday and is celebrated at the end of Lent, which comes after Maslenitsa. As soon as they started fasting, believers began to wonder when to consecrate Easter cakes in 2017. Every year, the coverage of Easter products takes place on Saturday, which is referred to as Holy Saturday in Holy Week. In 2017, this day falls on April 15th.

In some churches, food lighting is carried out twice, on Saturday and Sunday after the all-night service. It is better to check with the church ministers for the exact time of the service and lighting of products. The ritual of the Easter service is carried out throughout the night, and the action ends with the process of lighting Easter cakes and colored eggs prepared by the housewives for the Easter table.
Attending the all-night service is an absolutely voluntary event; if for some reason believers cannot afford to attend an entire night service, then it is preferable to carry out the lighting of food on Holy Saturday.
The Day of the Holy Resurrection should begin with a breakfast of illuminated foods, this is a kind of cleansing.

Week

The week or Holy Week precedes Easter. Each day of this week has a special meaning.

Clean Monday

It is also called Scary Monday or Great Monday. It is customary to restore order in the house; if cosmetic repairs are being carried out in the home, it must be completed on this very day. In the old days, Christians tried to keep only lean “clean” food at home on this and the next day.

Clean Tuesday

Women prepared a special drink from seeds and milk; this drink was given to livestock to prevent illness.

Holy Wednesday

The day Judas betrayed Christ. On this day, villagers pour melt water over their pets.

Maundy Thursday

According to tradition, on this day, before sunrise, all family members should wash their bodies. This is done to avoid diseases and illnesses. On this day, you should bring a church candle from the evening service and renew the “living fire” in the house with it. On Maundy Thursday they began to slowly bake Easter cakes and Easter cakes.

Good Friday

This is a day of mourning; Christ was crucified on Friday. Peas and bread sown on this day will be resistant to frost and wind.

Holy Saturday

The second name is Dyeing Saturday. This is the eve of the Great Resurrection of Christ.

Kulich at the head of the table

Integral attributes of the Easter table are painted chicken eggs, Easter cakes and Easter cottage cheese.
Housewives prepare in advance the best products that will be used to prepare dishes for the festive table.
The tradition of baking Easter cakes for the Resurrection of Christ has its roots in distant peasant villages, where bread was revered at all times. The special sacrament of baking Easter cakes included the incantation of prayer when kneading the dough; it was believed that such an Easter cake enchanted by prayers had enormous power, capable of protecting those who eat it from diseases, black incantations and bad influences.
In most regions of Russia, Easter cake resembles the shape of artos - church tall unleavened bread, which is baked at the beginning of Holy Week, blessed with prayers, sprinkled with holy water and distributed to parishioners on Holy Saturday after a special prayer.

Unlike unleavened artos, Easter cake is prepared rich, as a symbol of heavenly life and victory over death.

After Lent, trying a piece of baked goods is considered the highest measure of pleasure and encouragement.

Proper cutting of Easter cake

According to tradition, Easter cake is cut crosswise into round slices, the resulting bread rings can be eaten in any order, without touching the very top of the cake, it is left until the last piece of the cake is eaten, and only after that you can enjoy the top of the bread.
A separate cake is baked for each family member, which should be completely eaten.
Orthodox Easter cake has a light structure, which facilitates rapid absorption after long-term abstinence from heavy food.

Making Easter cake

To prepare Easter cake, you don’t need to have a chef’s level; an ordinary housewife can easily cope with a simple recipe.
Step-by-step Easter cake recipe.

Pour a glass of warm water into a large container and add a packet of dry yeast. Add a glass of flour, mix thoroughly and put in a warm place for half an hour.

Melt and cool 100 grams of butter. Add four chicken eggs, half a teaspoon of salt and 160 grams of brown sugar. For a pleasant aroma, you can add a couple of teaspoons of vanilla sugar. Pour 120 ml into the resulting mass. 20% cream, beat everything thoroughly with a whisk.

Gradually add 500 grams of sifted flour to the resulting liquid mass; the dough should be thoroughly kneaded until the dough comes away from your hands. Let the dough rest for a couple of hours in a warm place.

Fill special cupcakes or cake pans halfway with dough and place in an oven preheated to 180 degrees. You can easily check the readiness of the baked goods with a toothpick; if it remains dry, it’s time to remove the baked goods.

After cooling, each cake can be decorated with powdered sugar or poured with sugar syrup.
If desired, you can add nuts, raisins and candied fruits to Easter cakes; this will give the cake a more subtle and original taste.

Resurrection of the Lord

The bright holiday of Christ's Resurrection has long been revered and respected in Rus', the process of preparing for the celebration of this day begins long before the Easter holiday itself, housewives approach the setting of the Sunday table with all responsibility.

On Easter, it is customary to visit each other and exchange dyes and Easter cakes. To greet on this day, you should use the phrase “Christ is Risen!”, to which the interlocutor should answer “Truly He is Risen!” Now you won’t ask the question: “When to celebrate Easter cakes in 2017?” Happy upcoming holiday)

Have a good day. Christ is risen))

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?

However, it is also permissible to bless foods on Holy Saturday. The ceremony takes place on Saturday evening, during the evening service.

What food can be blessed for Easter

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 cake gradually becomes stale, so they try to eat it as quickly as possible while it is fresh. Everyone should bring colored eggs, because they are given as gifts, given for exchange, and often kept as a souvenir of the holiday.

In addition to Easter cakes and curd paskas, you can display other baked goods: pies , buns, cookies, Easter sweet bread, pie. You can consecrate sweets and fruits.

Many people go to bless the pasochki early in the morning, and in many churches they bless them only at five or six and that’s it, but we usually go at ten or eleven, there are not so many people and it’s a long way to get to the church. I also know that it’s possible in the evening, but I have no idea exactly what time. Still, it is better to consecrate it day after day, because the holiday is such a big one - it is necessary that they sprinkle it with water on the Resurrection of Christ.

Mom always blesses the eggs in church, and only then do they end up on our Easter table at home. And we buy coolies from the church that are already consecrated. But I didn’t know that different foods could be blessed; I was especially surprised by cookies, sweets, and fruits. Now we will go to church with these products too, because not all children eat Easter cakes, and all children love sweets and fruits.

My church is actually across the street. Every goal on Saturday morning there are cars standing next to her, and everyone goes to light the products. As a child, I was taught to light Easter cakes before Easter, which is why I go to this church. I also wear colored eggs and wine. It’s possible to light up our church on Sunday, but there are so many people there that it’s impossible to crowd, so I’ve made it a habit to go on Saturdays.

In our church, Easter cakes and other Easter paraphernalia are always blessed on Saturdays. I definitely attend church on this day and bless Easter cakes, eggs, and cottage cheese. This is our family tradition; even when I was little, my mother, grandmother and I went to church to bless food for the Easter holiday. And I bake Easter cakes and paint eggs on Maundy Thursday, also following tradition.

Everything is so familiar. In my small town, the Easter service always starts at 10 pm, and it goes all night until the morning. Early in the morning after the end of the service, they begin to bless the Easter cakes, and people walk and walk, become large circles, and the priest walks in circles and blesses them. One year my mother invited me to go and watch the sun play. I never thought that the sun could play so beautifully. This is not fiction, but the truth. When I moved to another city, I saw slightly different rules here. There are churches where Easter cakes are blessed during the evening service. You can take with you to the temple only what corresponds to the holiday. Not vodka, sausage and any snacks. It is not customary for Christians to drink and party on such holidays.

I really love Easter. I remember as a child, on Maundy Thursday, my grandmother baked Easter cakes, pies and various goodies, on Saturday she put everything in a basket and went to the all-night service at church. On Sunday at breakfast she divided one cake among all the family members, and the second one, which she took to church for consecration, stood untouched for another whole week.

Unfortunately, we grew up in an atheistic environment (our parents were communists, and we were Komsomol members) and do not thoroughly know all church traditions. Therefore, I practically don’t go to church, although I was baptized in adulthood. But I buy Easter cakes in the store, but they are blessed (we have separate stands in some hypermarkets before Easter where they are displayed).

Not far from us there is a small church, which is currently under restoration, but a large temple is located at a distance of 20 km from our house. Going there on Saturday evening will be problematic; I remember going once during Epiphany frosts, and the traffic jam started 7 km from the temple. There were too many people who wanted to swim in the ice hole and just see that it would be impossible to get there at Easter.

And I remember back in Soviet times, when Easter was celebrated “semi-officially”, housewives baked Easter cakes, painted eggs, but very few went to church to bless food, that is, the formal side of this holiday was mainly observed. In general, Easter cakes can be baked all week after Easter (correct me if I’m wrong), but it turns out that only those made for Sunday are blessed.

To my shame, I must admit that I don’t go to church often, but on Easter I definitely go. And I see that not everyone knows what products cannot be brought for consecration - they bring vodka, beer and even knives. Now it has become fashionable not to paint eggs, but to use plastic stickers. It would be nice only with an ornament, but also with images of saints and churches. I consider it blasphemous to then tear this wrapper and throw it in the trash. Or am I wrong?

In general, they are not thrown into the trash bin, but buried in the ground (in the garden or somewhere else) or burned.

When I was very little, every time before Easter my grandmother took me to church to light the food. We illuminated Easter cakes, eggs, cottage cheese and something else, I don’t remember now. Childhood has passed, but the habit remains. Until now, every year I make sure to go to church for the lighting. They write here that you can go on Saturday, but personally, I go every time on Sunday morning.

For many years I could not understand why Easter cakes and other food should be blessed for Easter, but then one believer explained to me that the meaning of this ritual is that food consecrated by the church (and this is done with the reading of a special prayer) is eaten with reverence and thanksgiving. Gentlemen, will certainly bring enormous spiritual benefit to the Orthodox, which is what we should all strive for.

What nonsense! What do you mean getting up early is not convenient? Is it really impossible for the sake of such a holiday to get up earlier than usual and come to church to bless the Easter cakes? It’s even better to attend the all-night vigil and then bless the food you brought. I don’t understand why it’s difficult to stand the all-night vigil. There are grandmothers and children standing there. I think that this is quite feasible for a healthy person.

I’m wondering if it matters how and by whom the Easter cake was baked, because many people do not make it themselves, but buy it in different stores, where there are a lot of them on sale now. We don’t know under what conditions they are produced, whether there are certain requirements to them and how can you understand whether they are respected? And what happens if you eat them without lighting, does this violate any rules?

On Holy Saturday, streams of people flow to churches with bags and bundles containing food for the Easter table. When do Easter cakes and eggs begin to be blessed for Easter 2017? The blessing of Easter food begins on Saturday, from 12:00 until approximately 9:00 pm. But this can be done on the following days after services: on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.

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.

What can be sacred for Easter?

Don’t forget that you need to assemble the Easter basket correctly and eat foods that are strictly prohibited from being brought to church for blessing.

The main attributes of Easter are krshenki - colored eggs, Easter cakes, Easter cakes - and salt (it is believed that such salt will then sanctify all food), as well as Cahors and candles.

This is the set that the clergy approve of: eggs symbolize the victory of life over death, Easter cake - the body of Christ and the fullness of life, Easter - heavenly life, salt - the connection of God with the people, prosperity and the meaning of life, Cahors - the blood of Christ.

In addition to the above-mentioned mandatory products, vegetables are also placed in the Easter basket for blessing, in particular horseradish, as a symbol of strength and fortitude, as well as fruits and herbs. The Church does not welcome strong alcohol in the Easter basket, but Cahors does allow it.

What cannot be sacred on Easter?

The very first ban on strong alcohol, since church is no place for drunks, and getting drunk “for the health of Christ” is not the best idea, so we leave vodka and cognac at home.

It is also better not to bring money and other material values to the consecration. Townspeople love to dedicate house and car keys, wallets or banknotes, but the church does not like this.

Bloodwort. If your church agrees to sanctify meat products, then this sausage is not generally recognized by Orthodox ministers as fit for consumption.

Believers should also remember that traditional gluttony on Easter is also not welcomed by the church. A little food needs to be blessed - it is intended for an easier exit from Lent, and the rest is recommended to be distributed to the poor.

What should be on the Easter table?

After the Easter service, permission is given for all types of food. But, of course, everything should be in moderation. If a person has been fasting, then there is no need to overeat immediately: this can be dangerous to health. Everything should be in moderation, especially alcohol.

They sit down at the Easter table after the service - at four o'clock in the morning or on Sunday afternoon. The whole family, including children, after praying, sits down at the table and eats consecrated food. The holiday lasts for forty days, being celebrated especially solemnly in the first two weeks after the day of the Resurrection of Christ.

Remember, on Easter you cannot swear, swear, quarrel, or fight. You can't get drunk. There is no need to commit bad deeds on ordinary days, but even more so to darken a bright holiday with them.

Everyone knows that they bake Easter cakes and paint eggs on the eve of such a big holiday as Easter. When the Easter cakes are ready and the beautiful eggs are waiting for their festive hour, people think about consecrating part of the food. After all, lighting food is an important ritual on Easter.

When to consecrate Easter cakes in 2018? First of all, it is necessary to remember that Easter this year falls on April 8th. Based on the date of Easter, the answer to the question of when to bless Easter cakes in 2018 is April 7. This day is called Holy Saturday.

Easter for Orthodox Christians is the most important holiday of the year, hence numerous traditions and signs associated with this day. It is necessary to carry out certain rituals, including such as lighting food.

The best time for Easter cakes to shine in 2018 is on Holy Saturday. Despite the fact that in churches they light food from morning until evening: there are a lot of believers who observe this ritual, it is best to bless food on the night from Saturday to Sunday after the service. But this is an ideal option, because the church is not prohibited from preparing for Easter in advance and sanctifies Easter cakes, eggs and other products in the Easter basket from the very morning of Holy Saturday, which in 2018 falls on April 7.

Some people believe that it is not necessary to bless food on Easter. But, if a person plans to celebrate this holiday, then he must try to follow its strict rules and observe traditions. At least the main ones. If you don’t want to take part in such ritual actions, you should think about whether you should celebrate Easter at all?

When should Easter cakes be blessed in 2018? April 7, 2018, Holy Saturday, is the last day of Lent. In big and small cities, the blessing of Easter baskets is carried out in churches and, as is correct, takes place from 10.00 in the morning to 22.00 in the evening. From 20.00 you can bring your basket to the church for service. A service is held there, during which the Acts of the Holy Apostles are read. After the service, which ends with a procession of the cross, the food is also illuminated.

What is Easter cake?

Now it’s clear when to consecrate Easter cakes in 2018 in Moscow or another city. But why should Easter cake be in the Easter basket along with other products? Kulich is a Russian ritual bread, and it has always been the main attribute of the Easter table.

Proper Easter cakes should be sweet and made from yeast dough, because it is believed that this is the bread Jesus Christ fed his disciples at the last joint dinner before his crucifixion - at the Last Supper.

This is interesting! Kulich is an Orthodox pastry for Easter. Catholics also often prepare shortbread cakes, which are popularly called “baba,” along with yeast cakes.

This pastry must be cylindrical and contain some raisins. The top of the cake is decorated with powdered sugar or icing. You can add a variety of spices: from vanilla to nutmeg.