The Christmas Pre-Festal Period


On November 15ᵗʰ, the Orthodox Church begins the Nativity Fast. Among the Slavs, this lenten period is commonly known as “Filipovka” or Philip’s Fast since it begins on the day after the feast of the Apostle Philip. Among Western Christians it is referred to as Advent, from the Latin verb "advenire" meaning “to come to”, "to reach", or “to arrive at”.


Unlike Great Lent, the liturgical life of the Church barely notices the existence of this lenten period. There are no preparatory Sundays and besides the 2 Sundays prior to Christmas, the rest of the Sundays of this Lenten period have no specific commemorations. They are observed as simply “Sundays after Pentecost”.


The two Sundays preceding Christmas are the Sunday of the Forefathers (2 Sundays before) and the Sunday of the Fathers or of the Genealogy (the Sunday immediately before). Each of these Sundays has its own proper hymnography and special Epistle and Gospel readings at the Liturgy. In addition, the Saturday before Christmas (in churches where the liturgy is celebrated on that day) also has special Epistle and Gospel readings.


The pre-festal period of Christmas begins at Vespers on December 20ᵗʰ and ends with the celebration of the Vigil Service of Great Compline and Matins on the evening of December 24ᵗʰ. Along with the hymns for the saints commemorated on these days (from the Menaion) are added the pre-festive hymns.


Come let us faithfully celebrate beforehand the birth of Christ. Let us sing spiritual hymns of praise. With the shepherds, let us cry out: The Savior of all has come from a Virgin, and He summons all the faithful. (Aposticha, December 20)


Dance, O Zion! Adorn yourself, O cave! O Bethlehem, prepare yourself; for behold, the Virgin is coming to give birth to Christ. ( Aposticha, December 22)


The services on December 24ᵗʰ, Christmas Eve, are modeled on those of Good Friday and Holy Saturday. The day itself is likewise a strict fast day.


Just as on Good Friday, the Great (or Royal) Hours are celebrated. Unlike the (3ʳᵈ and 6ᵗʰ) Hours read before Liturgy on Sundays, the Great Hours include a series of stichera, a prokeimenon, and readings from the prophets, an Epistle, and a Gospel.


Just like on Holy Saturday, Vespers with the Liturgy of St. Basil is celebrated in the late afternoon. At Psalm 140 (Lord I call to You) eight stichera for the feast are sung. The entrance is with the Gospel Book. Gladsome Light is sung followed by the daily evening prokeimenon. Then follow eight Old Testament readings.


After the third reading a troparion is sung:

You were born in a cave, hidden from the eyes of all; but the heavens revealed You to all by means of a star, O Savior. It brought the Magi to You; they worshiped You in the fervor of their faith. Have mercy upon all of us.

After the sixth reading another troparion is sung:

You have shown forth from the Virgin, O Christ, Sun of Justice. A star found You, whom nothing can contain, manifested in a cave. It led the Magi to adore You. With them, we worship You, O Giver of Life; glory to You.

After the eighth reading the Trisagion is sung, followed by the Epistle, the Gospel, and the rest of the Liturgy of St. Basil.


At the end of the Liturgy, the celebrant takes a lighted candle to the center of the Church and the choir sings the troparion and kontakion of the Feast:

Your Nativity, O Christ our God, has shown to the world the light of wisdom. For by it, those who worshipped the stars were taught by a star to adore You, the Sun of Righteousness, and to know You, the Orient from on high. O Lord, glory to You! (Troparion)

Today the Virgin gives birth to the Transcendent One, and the earth offers a cave to the Unapproachable One! Angels with shepherds glorify Him! The wise men journey with a star! Since for our sake the Eternal God was born as a Little Child! (Kontakion)


If Christmas Eve falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the Great Hours are transferred to Friday, the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is celebrated (without Vespers) on the morning of Christmas Eve, and the Liturgy of St. Basil is celebrated on Christmas Day itself. In addition, the church books prescribe that the Vigil Service is Great Vespers followed by Matins. Great Compline would not celebrated.


Thank you to Ben Kalemba for this article.