How to behave in the Orthodox Church

Many, standing on the threshold of an Orthodox church, hesitate to go inside. And there is one reason for this - ignorance of the rules of behavior. There really are many questions, for example, where to put candles and can women come in trousers? But in reality, everything is not as complicated as it seems at first glance.

Appearance

Before you go to church, you need to think about your appearance. The outfit must in no case be yarim or too open. This rule applies to both women and men. The head of a woman must be covered with a scarf, because it is a symbol of obedience. It doesn’t matter whether a woman is married or not. The scarf should be even on little girls.

Ladies who have forgotten this rule and come without a headdress, in some temples borrow scarves. Most often they can be found near the entrance or in the church shop. Wearing trousers by women in the church is not forbidden by any canons. However, according to national tradition, the woman in the church should be in a skirt, and not above the knee. Therefore, it is not recommended to come in pants.

It is believed that a woman while attending church should not be made up. There are no strict requirements in this regard. But you must understand that bright makeup in the temple is superfluous. Also, you can’t use lipstick, because according to the Orthodox tradition in the church you need to kiss the cross, icons, etc.

By the way, contrary to the accepted opinion that women should not go to church during critical days, this is not entirely true. During this period, you can come to the temple to light candles. But participation in various sacraments, for example, in weddings or baptisms, will have to be refused. If in doubt, you can ask the priest for advice.

No need to think that men are more fortunate in terms of appearance. For example, a hundred years ago they had special galoshes, which they removed before entering the temple. And then they went barefoot. It was also possible to come only in clean clothes. Modern men are not required to come barefoot, but their appearance should be neat. Unlike women, an Orthodox man takes off his headdress in the temple.

Rules of behavior

It is necessary to come to the temple, having gathered your thoughts. This should be a conscious visit. Upon entering the church, you need to cross yourself three times and say “Lord have mercy” or “God, be merciful to me a sinner.” Many are embarrassed to do this, so you can just go to the temple. Previously, do not forget to turn off your mobile phone.

But some rules still have to be followed. Entering the church, right in front of you can see the iconostasis - a structure consisting of a large number of icons. The entrance to the altar will be located in the center of the iconostasis, and on the side is a place where parishioners are offered candles, icons, etc.

If this is the first visit to the church, then it is better to come 15-20 minutes before the start of the service and look around. At this time, it is recommended to pray and put candles. You can’t do this during the service, it’s better to wait until its end. Putting candles is very simple - on either side of the candlestick and with any hand. An important rule that should be remembered - candles “for peace” are placed on a candlestick in the form of a table (eve), and “for health” - to any icon.

Also, you do not need to light a candle from a lamp, better from other candles. From below, the candle should be slightly melted, and then put in the cell. If for some reason it doesn’t come out, it’s okay. You can leave such a candle in the candlestick, church workers will light it after. You can kiss the icon, but only before the service. Crossing twice, it is necessary to kiss the lower part of the icon (if it is an icon of the Savior, they are always attached to the feet).Other icons kiss the upper part, that is, the hands.

Before starting the service, the bells always ring. This is a kind of signal that the service will begin, and it is necessary to take places. According to custom, men stand on the right side, and women stand on the left. For those who cannot defend the entire service, there are special benches and chairs at the back wall of the church. You also need to get up so as not to turn your back on the altar. But even the sick and the weak always stand up when reading the gospel.

During the service it is necessary to be baptized and bow. For the first time, you can simply repeat the actions of other parishioners. But it’s best to listen carefully to the priest and study. Usually they are baptized at important exclamations of the priest, for example, “In the name of the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit”, “Lord have mercy”, etc. It is necessary to bow when the priest blesses with a hand or a cross.

In no case should you talk during the service, be distracted by looking at the temple or parishioners. The rules require you to behave in the temple, as in any other decent society. Before coming to worship with young children, they need to explain how to behave.

If the child was frisky, but it is not possible to calm him down, it is better to leave the temple. You can return later. But this is the only reason why you can leave the church before the end of the service. It’s better to wait until its completion. Leaving the church, it is necessary to cross himself three times and bow to the waist facing the altar.

Who to ask

Before the service begins, you can talk with other parishioners and the priest. They can clarify questions regarding behavior in the temple or worship. In order to turn to the priest, it is necessary to say "Father, bless!" and ask him your question. To receive the blessing, you should fold your hands with your palms up, putting your right hand on your left. You also need to kiss the father’s right hand.

Features

Often newcomers to the Orthodox Church are confronted with various characteristics and do not understand how to behave.

1. Suppose it is known that during a service you cannot go to church and do your personal affairs, that is, put candles, etc. In general, this is so. But every Sunday morning in the Orthodox Church there are two services in a row - Matins and Liturgies. And there is no break between them, so the parishioners, waiting for the liturgy, lay candles and pray. Therefore, it seems that the temple is a mess.
2. Many have difficulties when it is necessary to be baptized and how to do it correctly. It is known that the Orthodox are baptized with the right hand from right to left. It is also necessary to correctly fold the fingers - the large, index and middle fingers are folded together, and the other two are pressed to the palm of your hand. You need to learn this, but if at first it doesn’t work out, it’s not scary.
3. Kneeling. Orthodox believers kneel differently than, for example, Catholics. They fall down, lean with their hands and touch their forehead to the floor. Kneeling is not a prerequisite; it is rather a personal manifestation of religiosity. Therefore, many only bow their heads or sit leaning forward. During the service, you can simply stand timidly. No one will condemn and force them to fall to their knees. Perhaps the desire to appear over time.
4. What and how to kiss in the church. First, you need to kiss the icons. This is called the application. In this case, you must be baptized. It is also customary to kiss the Holy Chalice during the sacrament, the hand of the priest after the blessing, etc.
5. Orthodoxy does not have one common confession. And there is no confessional prayer that is read during the liturgy. Each parishioner must personally confess to the priest.
6. At the beginning, people who first came to the service are overwhelmed by the singing of parishioners. Indeed, music occupies more than half of the worship. Most often it sings a small choir.At first, this almost continuous singing is distracting, especially when you consider that the text of the prayers is practically unchanged. But over time, it will become easier to feel the presence of God.
7. It seems to many parishioners that the liturgy lasts too long. Yes, you can trim the text and express it more precisely. But then this will no longer be Orthodox worship. Prayers are not in vain so long. In addition, the first Orthodox services rarely lasted less than 5 hours. And only after centuries this period gradually decreased.

Going to the Orthodox Church is an important step for every person. And no matter at what age this happens. As soon as there is a desire to attend the service, you must go to the temple. No need to be afraid and worry that something will go wrong. A visit to the temple is primarily a fellowship with God and one should not forget about it.

Video: how to behave in a temple