In times of trial, a person strives for God. His soul asks for Holy place- in church. To find answers to your questions, to find peace. Both secular places and church places have their own basic rules and dress code. It is imperative to follow them. Otherwise, the parishioners will reprimand you, because... misbehavior will hurt their feelings. And your mood will deteriorate. During the tsarist reign, people were taught how to behave correctly in church; now they have to find out the information on their own.
Prepare in advance for going to church:- Choose appropriate clothing. Women wear sweaters with long sleeve, skirts below the knee, preferably to the floor. The head must be covered with a scarf or stole. The main thing is to hide your hair. Be as natural as possible. You should not wear makeup, even say “No” to hygienic lipstick. Men similarly choose clothes that cover the body as much as possible. It is not recommended to wear shorts, even in hot weather. Opt for loose-fitting clothes.
- If you plan to attend a service, find out the service start time in advance. Usually the schedule hangs on a board in the vestibule - a place located on the street territory of the temple. Buy candles there. The Church is unkind to candles purchased in regular stores. Come to the service early, 15-20 minutes in advance. If you are still late, do not come in, because... you will prevent people from praying. Just wait until the end of the service and light a candle for health or repose.
- 1 time on the street in front of the church entrance;
- 1 time in front of the doors to the church;
- 3 times on the threshold of the church;
- 3 times at the main icon in the center, then touch it with your lips;
- 3 times at the exit from the church;
- 1 time near the icon.
- Place candles in front of the icon. Light the wick from any burning candle, and then lightly melt the bottom tip of your candle. So that she stands straight and stable.
- If someone else's candle goes out, you are allowed to light it again. You can’t put out other people’s candles, but you can do your own.
- Place the candle for repose on a candlestick specially designated for this purpose. It has a square shape and a small crucifix.
It is important to behave correctly in church. This is a manifestation of respect for others, adherence to traditions.
In church you need to bow and be baptized on time.
What to do when you go to church
You need to come to the service in advance in order to have time to buy a candle, order a service for health or repose. You will also have additional time to ask questions of interest. You should not eat or drink water before the service unless you are sick.
How to enter the temple:
- when entering the church courtyard, stop outside the gate;
- alternately cross yourself three times and bow;
- go inside the temple;
- also cross yourself three times and bow;
- if you want, buy candles;
- take a seat at the back of the hall.
Women should come to the temple with their heads covered, without lipstick, and without heavy makeup. Wear a dress or skirt no higher than the knee, or tie a long scarf around your hips if you don’t have such clothes. Men must not wear a headdress.
What to do in church during services
Before going to church, turn off your mobile phone and take away your child’s toys. Women are supposed to stand on the left side, leaning more on left leg, and men on the right. You need to stand with your head slightly lowered, try not to talk.
Watch how other parishioners and the priest behave. Make bows and cross yourself after them
What not to do in church
Unbaptized people and menstruating women should remain in the church hallway. Touching icons, lighting candles and receiving communion is prohibited. Only weak and sick people can sit.
What is undesirable to do in church:
- talk loudly, laugh;
- chew gum;
- keep your hands in your pockets;
- cross your legs and arms;
- stand in the aisle.
There are no strict prohibitions on behavior in church, except for disturbing the order. It’s not scary to miss one bow, you don’t have to light candles, but it’s important to get into the spirit and sincerely pray, think about your actions and repent.
During the Renaissance Orthodox traditions a wide range of people show a desire to attend church. Parishioners have established habits of behavior that should not interfere in a holy place. A beginner should familiarize himself with simple tips about how to go to church correctly. These traditions have been observed since the times ancient times. We need to respect this place. The soul should be bright and joyful, ready for prayer.
The Orthodox tradition has long created simple rules, explaining how to go to church. When visiting a temple, a beginner needs to be aware of the presence of God and angels in this sacred place. Parishioners go to church with faith in their hearts and prayer on their lips. It is not difficult to attend church correctly; it is better to go with other people and observe them.
The first rule: do not offend the priests and laity present by your inappropriate behavior. Inside the temple there are often shrines whose value can be measured over centuries. Even if a lay person does not recognize the holiness of the icon or relics, their value should not be publicly questioned. If parishioners bow next to a valuable icon, then it will not be difficult to bow following the example of others.
Few people think about what precedes a visit to the temple. This also has great importance. During your morning visit, it is better to refrain from eating. According to the religious canon, it is better to come to church hungry. A hearty breakfast is only allowed to sick parishioners.
Before God, one must maintain a meek spirit, fully understand one's sinfulness, and show respect to those saints who have decided to cleanse themselves of sin in their worldly lives.
The temple allows you to create a connection between the sinful earth and the pure heavens, when a person comes with faith in a powerful patron and intercessor. The church is created as a house of prayer, where they come to ask for the most secret things.
Rules for women
Requirements for women relate only to details of appearance and the place where one should stand during the Divine Service. Someone from the older generation in the family knows how to properly go to church as a woman. You can find out about this from your grandmother or mother. The main requirement of appearance is emphasized modesty. The beauty of a woman's body is a symbol of temptation, and therefore a woman should not wear clothes that expose any part of her body. You cannot wear a short skirt, a low neckline, or even a dress that exposes your shoulders.
Before visiting, it is advisable for a girl to wash off her makeup and cover her head with a scarf. In a holy place, every parishioner should think about the eternal. Concern for the salvation of your soul, pray. On the good path he should not be distracted by beauty and lust. Therefore, bright outfits are considered inappropriate. Church is not a place to attract attention.
During the service, women should stand on the left side. During communion, women stand at the back of the line.
Where to start
As soon as the church appears in sight, you need to bow to it and make the sign of the cross, even if you do not plan to go inside.
When approaching the door, you need to stop, think about your goal, and cross yourself again. When visiting a temple, you need to imagine that from the space of earthly sin you are entering a small and clean house God's.
There is a simple ritual common to all parishioners on how to properly enter the church. You should start with a bow as a symbol of humility of your pride. Next you need to cross yourself and read the lines, addressing the face of Christ the Savior in the following order:
- Before the first bow it is said: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”
- The second bow is accompanied by the words: “God, cleanse my sins and have mercy on me.”
- The words “I have sinned without number, Lord, forgive me” complete the ritual.
It is advisable to remember this sequence and repeat it during exit.
When visiting, it is advisable not to take large bags, and if you have one, you should leave it at the entrance. During the communion ritual, both hands must be free.
You can indicate your secret goal in a note to the priest. Usually a request is sent to pray for yourself or for your neighbor.
At the entrance, you can go to the minister to buy candles, while at the same time donating to the needs of the temple in a symbolic form. A burning candle is important symbol in Christianity. A small light of God's spark burns in everyone eternal soul, so the candle is lit:
- Wishing health to your neighbors.
- For the difficulties in life that we managed to overcome. In this case, the candle is lit with gratitude to your Saint for the trials and help sent.
- The day before key event in life. Before important decision, turning to God, angels and saints for support and admonition.
- For the peace of those who have already passed on to eternal life.
To remember the dead, every church has a special eve. funeral table. On the eve you can put bread, red wine and cookies.
In every temple, the central place is occupied by a “festive” icon. The first thing a visitor does is touch it. This icon can be different for each day. The priest, according to the calendar known to him, selects a “festive” icon, placing it in the center, on the lectern.
When approaching the holiday icon, you need to sign yourself with the sign of the cross and make a bow to the ground and from the waist. When the parishioners move away from the icon, they need to bow to it a third time.
In addition to the holiday icon, a particularly valuable, ancient icon is displayed in the temple. Typically there are several wonderful icons who travel from one temple to another. The arrival of a particularly revered icon is announced in advance.
When they approach the icon of a revered saint, their intercessor, they pronounce his name and ask: “pray to God for the servant of God,” saying the name of the relative for whose recovery they came to ask.
The main godly feature of behavior will be humility. There is no need to look around as if on an excursion. It is important to always remember main goal of his arrival at the temple.
When a well-known friend appears in church, it is not customary inside the church to shake hands. Friends bow as a greeting. It is important to remain silent and allocate another time for friendly conversation.
Particular attention should be paid to the behavior of children. The child may want to have fun. It is necessary to explain to him in advance the importance of the temple as a special place of communication with God. The child should be taught to behave as modestly and quietly as possible.
Special time of worship
After the start of the service, it is advisable not to disturb people and the priest himself, and therefore all prayers, placing candles and passing notes should be completed before the start of the church service.
Do not bother other people with your questions. The words of the priest should be listened to in silence and concentration, since at this moment the Word of God is transmitted.
Demonstration of uncivil behavior in the temple will result in big troubles, than in ordinary life. If parishioners look at a person with condemnation, he provokes them to sin.
When those around you begin to bow and cross yourself, you need to join them, performing the ritual together with everyone.
For those who would like to sit down during the service, it is worth remembering that Divine service is an act of spiritual labor and is therefore performed while standing. Standing for a long time strengthens a person’s spirit, and everyone can check themselves: if it’s hard to stand, there’s a reason for it. Those who are full of faith do not notice difficulties. It is difficult for one who cannot be filled with reverence. Attention to the words of the priest leads each listener to his moment of spiritual enlightenment and self-improvement. For the sake of these good goals, you need to forget about minor inconveniences.
A candle is held in hands only during a funeral service or on special occasions. On a normal day, a candle is placed in a candlestick. You need to make sure that the wax does not drip onto the person in front.
Since a layman comes to visit God, it is advisable not to leave before the service ends. For the same reason, you cannot be late for it. The period of worship is a personal sacrifice that we offer to God. Devoting one's time to spirituality is a must for every believer. Leaving the service is permitted only for a very good reason. If a mother cannot calm her child down, she is advised to leave the church for a while and return when the child calms down.
Only those in whose body there is illness and whose need for relief is undeniable are allowed to sit.
During the liturgy and reading the Gospel, you need to ask God to enlighten you to understand all the Truths. When the priest opens the Royal Doors, it is customary to bow. If words are heard in an unknown language and you cannot pronounce them, then you can replace these words with a well-known prayer.
When the Priest finishes his sermon, he comes out to the people with a cross in his hands. Parishioners traditionally kiss his hand and cross. During the procession there is a traditional order:
- Parents with small children should arrive first.
- Minor children come second.
- Then it’s the men’s turn.
- Women complete the procession.
The priest has his own prayer prepared for each group. If someone breaks the line, they will tell him where to stand correctly.
Which day to choose
For an Orthodox Christian, it is godly to visit church once a week. Regular attendance is required so that a layman can rest his soul from the sinful world, get out of the everyday bustle and turn to eternal questions.
The priest expects parishioners on Saturday and Sunday, as well as during church holidays. The exact day can be found from Orthodox calendar. If the need arises to pray, you can go to church any day you wish.
Small churches may not work on weekdays due to a shortage of priests. Monday is considered a time of rest after two consecutive days of worship. On Monday, the church devotes prayers to angels, so it does not welcome the popular superstition about the severity of this day. Small name days are celebrated on Monday because guardian angels are venerated on this day.
What you want to know
There is an altar worker inside the church who can tell you how to properly enter the church and what not to do. Cell phones You don’t have to turn it off, but be sure to switch it to “silent” mode. You cannot answer the phone during the service, as this is not the time for talking.
In the evening after the service, you can purchase candles again for your home. Even if you don’t have enough money, you can ask for a candle for free. It is not accepted in a Christian environment to refuse people in need.
If someone is sick at home, the candle lit in the temple is taken home and placed in the room where the sick person is lying. You can light a candle for an unbaptized person, but you cannot ask for a note or order a prayer. It is not customary to ask for suicide.
At the end of the service, you can return to individual prayer or ask the priest for a conversation, if there is a good reason for this. At this time, it is possible to order a prayer for another person who is sick, but cannot attend Church on his own.
Thus, A Christian believer should attend church at least once a week, observing in the temple simple rituals and rules of conduct. Regularly turning to eternal questions, to God, a person becomes purer and wiser. The holiness of the temple is determined not only by the age-old religion, but also miraculous icons saints to whom you can turn. Listening to the words of the priest during worship is useful for every person for the salvation of his eternal soul.
How to behave in church- this question is mainly asked by people who do not often visit sacred places of worship. However, there are customs and rules that need to be studied before going to the temple. We will tell you about them.
Rules of conduct in church: appearance
People come to church with humility, so the clothes for visiting it should be appropriate: neat, clean and modest. It is best to opt for a robe of calm tones, although sometimes its color should be specific - light clothing will be appropriate for the Easter service, and black clothing for mournful days. It is not allowed to attend church in home or beach clothes.
For women:
- You should not come to the temple in jeans or trousers; it is better to wear a skirt below the knees, without slits or frilly details. This is especially important if you are going to confession or communion. The blouse should be modest, with long sleeves, without deep necklines or bright accents. The head must be covered with a headscarf or light scarf. You should not excessively use cosmetics (especially lipstick), perfume, or wear jewelry.
For men:
- For representatives of the stronger sex, jeans are not forbidden, but it is better to give preference to trousers paired with a dull shirt or turtleneck; a suit would also be appropriate. Shorts and T-shirts are not allowed, even in hot weather. In contrast to women, men should bare their heads when entering the temple - and in the cold season too.
- If you take children to church with you, remember that there are rules for them too. Their clothing should not be too revealing or bright; shorts are only allowed for children under 7 years old. Do not dress your child for service in clothes with loud slogans or stickers. If a child is small and begins to act up in church, it is worth taking him out and calming him down so as not to disturb others. Before visiting a temple with an older child, explain to him that he is not allowed to run, laugh loudly or scream in it.
The general rules are: your appearance and behavior should express humility, not cause negative feelings in believers and not create inconvenience for them. During church celebrations you can dress more formally, and on fasting days - more modestly. As for the choice of clothes and shoes from the point of view of functionality, they should be as comfortable as possible, since during services you have to spend quite a lot of time on your feet. for a long time- 2-3 hours.
How to behave in church: sign of the cross
It would seem that even if we don’t know the rules of conduct in church, we definitely know how to be baptized. However, we often do this incorrectly. Please note that the sign of the cross itself, like pectoral cross, are not salvation. They must not be used simply as talismans and rituals that protect against evil. According to Orthodox canons, salvation is only true faith. And the sign of the cross and wearing a cross are its visible manifestations.
How to make the sign of the cross correctly?
- Place the tips of the index, thumb and middle fingers of your right hand together (this is how faith in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit is expressed). The ring and little fingers should be pressed to the palm (this symbolizes Christ who descended to earth when two essences were united in Him - both man and god).
- Place the folded three fingers towards yourself in the following order: to the forehead - sanctifying the mind, to the stomach (but not to the chest) - sanctifying the inner feelings, to the right shoulder and, finally, to the left shoulder - sanctifying bodily strength.
- Lower your hand and bow, paying tribute to the feat of Christ. It is unacceptable to make a bow and the sign of the cross at the same time.
The sign of the cross is performed: approaching shrines (entering the temple, kissing the cross, icons, etc.), at the beginning and end of prayer, as well as during it, at the main moments of the service, at the beginning of Matins and in many other cases, which must be clarified before visiting the church.
Rules of behavior in the temple during worship
If you are planning to attend a service in the temple, come to it in advance - 10-15 minutes before the start. At this time, you can light candles, give a note, venerate the icons, so as not to be distracted by this during the service itself and not disturb others.
Having entered the temple, they first kiss the main icon, located opposite the Royal Doors (double doors leading to the altar). Before this, you need to cross yourself three times, and then kiss the corner of the icon or the edge of the clothing of the person depicted on it, cross yourself again and calmly move away. Under no circumstances should you touch the icon with painted lips.
Candles are placed as follows: for the repose - on a square candlestick with a small crucifix. Candles for health are placed on other candlesticks.
During worship, try to choose a place that is comfortable for you. At the same time, try not to disturb those praying. Don't talk, turn off cellular telephone. During the service you must stand, but if it is difficult for you to stand, you can sit on a bench.
No one is allowed to sit with the Royal Doors open, even the sick and infirm. It is not allowed to have your back to the altar during the service. Women and girls are not allowed through the Royal Doors under any circumstances, and boys and men can only enter them during the sacrament of baptism.
You should not leave the service before it ends. But if for one reason or another you need to leave it, quietly, without disturbing anyone, leave the church, crossing yourself at the exit and in front of the church itself.
Are women always allowed to go to church?
The question often arises about whether women can go to church during critical days. Unfortunately, there is no clear answer to this. By Old Testament, if a person is not clean (and he relates menstruation to this concept), it is better for him to stay away from God.
And here New Testament states the situation differently, allowing a woman to attend church on these days. It is believed that monthly cleansing, like the woman herself, was created by God, and everything created by him cannot be unclean. The New Testament also allows for the sacrament and the application of holy items during menstruation, if a woman needs it.
Thus, today some clergy adhere to the previous rules, while others consider them outdated and do not see anything wrong with a woman visiting the temple during menstrual periods. It may be better to stick to the golden mean - if there is no strong need, postpone visiting the temple for a few days. Well, if you really need spiritual support, remember that during menstruation this is not forbidden.
Rules of conduct in the temple and the law
In Russia there are not only generally accepted church rules, but also legal norms that protect the feelings of believers and establish liability for offenses related to the church and religion. These include:
- Article 148 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which concerns insulting the feelings of believers, including in churches and temples.
- Article 213 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which establishes liability for hooliganism committed for religious reasons.
- Article 214 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which punishes vandalism, including for religious reasons.
- Article 244 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which applies to the desecration of the bodies of the dead and burial places.
- Article 5.26 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, which protects freedom of religion.
These articles provide for very serious fines - up to a million rubles, and for criminal offenses even loss of freedom for several years is possible.
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