What to take with you to bless on Easter. Does everyone need to sanctify food in church? What to put in your Easter basket at church: Meat and wine

At church this year? The traditional list of products in the Easter basket is usually repeated from year to year. Everyone knows what the Easter eggs, Easter cakes, homemade sausage, Cahors and other exclusively Easter delicacies are illuminated in the church.

Many housewives admit that they bring to church on Easter such delicacies that are not directly related to the holiday: sweets, waffles and cookies, fruits and vegetables.

What can be holy in a church for Easter 2019, in fact, and what is the meaning of each product in the Easter basket?

Church consecration of products is a symbol of the official end of the fast, and the blessing of the church to return to ordinary, modest dishes. Therefore, they bring to the church to consecrate eggs, meat, and butter cakes, and wine - everything that was forbidden during the long 40 days of fasting - for Easter.

On the eve of Easter, many have a question about how.

There is no prohibition for pregnant women, pregnancy is god's blessing... But a woman should understand that the Easter service needs to stand on her feet for several hours, most likely in tightness and stuffiness under the smell of burning wax candles and censer, which is unlikely to have a good effect on her well-being.

The foods that are put into the basket for Easter are not just symbols of the holiday. Each has a deeper meaning than traditional Easter food.

Kulich

The image of the Easter bread, which Christ broke on the eve of the execution, and distributed to his disciples.

This is a symbol of the Kingdom of Heaven and the Resurrection for all who believe in Christ God. So Easter cakes are some of the staples in the pshal basket that is brought to church on Easter.

Colored eggs

If you ask a person who is unfamiliar with, even he will answer the question of what products they bring with them to church for Easter - colored eggs, first of all.

In church tradition it comes about eggs painted red. But for a long time they have been kept company and the most different colors, drawings and ornaments. They represent rebirth to a new life.

Meat dishes

Ham, smoked meats are also among the things that need to be sanctified in the church on Easter.

They symbolize the sacrificial lamb and refer us to the Old Testament story of the exodus of the Jews from Egyptian slavery. The blood of the lamb was marked on door frames in the homes of the Jews in order to save them from the punishment intended for the Egyptians.

Horseradish and salt

You can also consecrate horseradish and salt in the church on Easter. First, they symbolize a strong unbreakable faith, and a deep connection between man and God.

Secondly, a plentiful meat table cannot do without them, and they help digestion to cope with heavy food. Consecrated salt can be seasoned on dishes, or left for future use, for performing various rituals.

In the Ukrainian tradition, over many centuries, their views have been formed. The traditional set is complemented by onions, bacon, millet, poppy seeds, and holiday baked goods.

The church, in turn, reminds every time on the eve of the holiday that alcohol cannot be brought to church on Easter and sanctified. The indulgence is made only for Cahors church wine.

Now you know what foods to put in your Easter basket and what you can dedicate for Easter at church.

Inga Mayakovskaya

Reading time: 7 minutes

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Easter is a great holiday that solemnly celebrates the entire Christian world. It is believed that it was on this day that the resurrection of Jesus Christ took place.

Easter is a wonderful holiday when the whole family, relatives and close friends gather at a generous table. During the holiday reigns special, kind, merciful atmosphere ... In the church, which is beautifully decorated with carpets, towels, goes festive service ... It is not customary to go to bed on Easter night, since it is believed that God gives happiness to those people who do not sleep.

Traditional meeting of Easter in Russia

In Russia, the celebration of Easter was lavish and rich. The festive table was necessarily present 48 dishes ... Traditional, the main ones were colored eggs, cottage cheese easter, Easter cakes ... Wealthy families who lived in big houses, on Easter, they painted a huge number of eggs, even up to 1000 pieces, so that they would be enough for everyone, without exception: both households and employees. Also, a lot of Easter cakes were baked. The most beautiful and largest remained at home. Small cakes and colored eggs were accepted treat neighbors, friends ... Also eggs and Easter cakes donated to monasteries, hospitals, almshouses ... On the feast of Holy Easter, all class and social differences were completely erased, universal grace reigned.
Preparations for the holiday were carried out long before its onset. V Maundy Thursday cleaning was carried out in the house, windows were washed, unnecessary things were thrown away. On this day, they cut their beard, mustache, hair. On the eve of the holiday, all family members were actively painting eggs, baking pies, and preparing cottage cheese Easter.
Nowadays, as well as several centuries ago, we are actively preparing for Easter: we clean the house, bake cakes, paint eggs.

Easter traditions. What to consecrate at Easter?

As soon as the church bells ring, we go to church to sanctify the contents of the basket which we fill in accordance with the traditions of the holiday of Holy Easter. According to the established traditions that came to Ancient Rus, we put in the basket colored eggs, cottage cheese easter, cake, salt, meat, red wine ... You can also put there cheese, fish, lard and other products. It is not customary to hallow only a chicken, since according to an ancient legend, it is believed that on the birthday of Jesus, it was the chicken that prevented him from sleeping. When the walk begins in the church church service, a basket of dishes is sprinkled blessed water... After the food has been sprinkled with water, people return home and set the festive table.

Traditional Easter table

Returning home, crossing the threshold, one should repeat three times: "Holy Easter to the house, all the evil spirits from the house." Sitting behind easter table, first it should be sure to taste everything sanctified... First of all, it was customary to cut a colored egg, then they proceeded to Easter and drinks.
Nowadays, as before, it is customary to cover a generous and beautiful table where, besides all that is holy, there are many others delicious dishes... To make the table look festive, it is customary to beautifully decorate it with the obligatory attributes of Easter - flowers and greens ... In the old days for decoration festive table specially made flowers made of paper or scraps of fabric ... Then icons and Easter cakes were decorated with these flowers. Easter tables have always looked bright and beautiful. Today, as a decoration for the Easter table, you can choose easter meadow which is a symbol of spring and prosperity. You can put colored eggs in the clearing, put bright yellow chickens, beautifully tie colorful ribbons, plant flowers.
As a rule, it is customary for Easter invite relatives and godparents to visit ... If you are visiting, then be sure you should take colored eggs and Easter cake with you ... There is a sign: a person who tastes 10 cakes baked by different housewives will be lucky and happy for a whole year.

Let's start with the most Easter basket to the church. If you don't have a basket to put everything you need there, then now is the time to make an Easter basket with your own hands. You can buy a basket designed like a baby's cradle - a lace frill decorated with delicate roses and beads is put in a circle with an elastic band, and an oval bedspread in the same style is placed on top.

One towel or towel is placed on the bottom of the basket, cake, eggs, sausage, horseradish, salt are carefully placed on it. Often they put in what children are happy to eat - an apple or candy, so that the child can eat the consecrated present. Above, the festive meal is covered with another towel. The threads with which the towel is embroidered symbolize life and destiny. Therefore, it is advisable for every woman to embroider at least one towel.

What to put in the Easter basket at church: Easter cake

If you can't bake a cake, you can buy it at a bakery. As a rule, they bake at home large portions: large to consecrate in church and put on the table and small cakes for all family members. You can start baking cakes on Thursday or Friday, but remember: these days you cannot quarrel, argue, swear. - not a culinary process, but a spiritual act that requires purity of thoughts, concentration and good thoughts.

What to put in your basket for Easter: Painted eggs

Symbol of fertility, rebirth, resurrection and eternal life... , boiled in or decorated with thermal stickers or self-adhesive crosses, rubbed with oil to a shine - it is impossible to imagine an Easter basket without them. The largest and freshest eggs are taken for, and the dyeing process turns into a holiday for home children.

What to put in your basket for Easter: Easter cottage cheese

In Ukrainian families, cottage cheese, butter and sour cream will definitely find a place on the festive table. In villages where there is no tradition to cook cottage cheese Easter, they bake pies or cheesecakes with cottage cheese and raisins. The bottom line is simple: under the press, the curd is formed into an elegant curd pyramid. If you don't have a split mold, Easter can sit in a colander under pressure or hang in gauze. For kids who don't like cottage cheese, you can make chocolate Easter by adding cocoa.

What to put in your basket for Easter: Wax candle

In the old days, believers donated wax to the church to make candles, and the proceeds from the sale went to the maintenance of the temple. So now, candles need to be purchased in the temple in which you came to pray. The purchase of candles has a spiritual meaning, it is your donation to the temple. A lit candle is a symbol of faith and prayer. The wax from which it is made is a symbol of obedience and repentance for sins. It doesn't matter if you buy a big expensive candle or a small one. Better to light a small candle with humility and fervent prayer than a large one with regret.

What to put in your Easter basket at church: Meat and wine

On this, you can consider it collected, but you can add to it meat products, for example classic boiled pork. Since on Sunday all thoughts should be about God, the hostess should not stand at the stove that day. Boiled pork, like Easter cakes, jellied meat or sausage, can be cooked ahead of time and eaten without heating. Going to church with a drink is optional, but you can bless a bottle of red wine, usually Cahors.

What to put in your Easter basket at church: Seasonings

A jar of salt and horseradish is placed in an Easter basket. Horseradish, grated with red beets, goes well with boiled pork and boiled eggs, and to jellied meat or aspic. An indispensable attribute of the festive table symbolizes health and long life... For a better cook homemade horseradish. Salt is not only a symbol of abundance and essence, but also a talisman. Consecrated salt is placed in front of the icon, the guest is welcomed with bread and salt, the baby is sprinkled, driving away evil. Chocolate eggs, an apple, an orange are often sacred - any treat that a child will gladly eat. Baskets can be decorated evergreen, which is a symbol of eternal life. Multicolored eggs look beautiful on green foliage, you can braid the edge of the basket or the handle with periwinkle, or decorate the products in the basket with flowers.

A small basket with Easter cake and eggs can cost less than a hundred hryvnia, the main thing to remember is that it is not so important what you eat on a great holiday. The main thing is what your thoughts will be, how pure and sincere it will be, whether there will be peace, tranquility and joy in your home.

When to hallow Easter cakes and eggs in 2018

The consecration of Easter cakes for Easter 2018 is a serious ritual in every sense, for which all believers are stubbornly preparing. The hostesses interrupt the entire Network to find out when to bless Easter cakes in 2018 and when to bless eggs for Easter 2018. But since it falls on April 8, the blessing of Easter cakes and eggs takes place on April 7. The last Saturday before Easter is called Holy or Great Saturday... All-night services will be held in all churches before the main holiday of the Bright Resurrection of Christ.

After the Easter All-night Liturgy, according to tradition, there will be an Easter procession, which ends with the priests saying the gracious words "Christ is Risen", to which the believers answer "Truly He is Risen". Then there is the consecration of Easter and everything that the parishioners put in their Easter basket. The most severe fast of the year ends with Easter. Now you know when Easter 2018 is holy. Have a nice and bright holiday!

A traditional Easter attribute is the Easter basket. For many, this is perhaps the most important stage of the celebration. Some people try to put as much food as possible in their Easter basket, and sometimes they even collect a few baskets.

But do not forget that the consecration of food in the church is just a blessing of the priest for the use of food that we refused during Lent. Therefore, only those foods that have been excluded from the diet within the last seven weeks should be sanctified.

Easter basket 2015: what foods can be holy in the church for Easter

In ancient times, it was customary to hallow only butter bread (kulich), eggs, meat, cheese and milk. These products could be afforded by both the poor and the rich. Today, the "composition" of the Easter basket depends more on the well-being of the family.

To understand what foods should be blessed in the church on Easter, you can familiarize yourself with the texts of the prayers that are read on Easter night. These are blessing prayers for the consecration of bread (cake), Easter lamb (traditionally for Greece, we have other meat products - sausage, ham, etc.), dairy products (cheese, butter, milk, eggs). This set of products has remained unchanged for centuries.

Easter basket 2015: which foods should not be holy in the church at Easter

It is not customary to sanctify ready-made meals or flavorings (pepper, salt, etc.), as well as alcoholic beverages in the church on Easter.

The priests insist that salt and pepper should not be consecrated, since these products were not prohibited during the fast. Putting these foods in the Easter basket is more like folk tradition, not church. Also, do not bring fruits and vegetables to church.

Even if you have a large family, you shouldn't buy the biggest basket and “stuff” it with food. Everything should be put in moderation, since you should not gorge on the consecrated foods, but only eat while reading the prayer.

The Easter basket is an irreplaceable attribute of one of the most important Christian holidays. What you need to put in it, what products can and cannot be blessed in the church on Easter - read also.

What needs to be consecrated for Easter

Modern believers have a much simpler attitude to filling the Easter basket than our ancestors. Some do not hesitate to consecrate huge chunks of meat or bottled wine. However, everyone can decide for themselves what to bring to church. The main thing is to take the most important thing.

What needs to be sanctified for Easter - a list of products

What foods should be put in the Easter basket:

- pasca- a symbol of the Resurrection and the Kingdom of Heaven. Baking paska is an important step in preparing for the holiday. Most housewives have their own recipe. It is necessary to cook the pastry dough alone, only with good thoughts, because under other circumstances it may not work.;
- eggs- this is a mandatory Easter pasque symbol that symbolizes new life and rebirth. Eggs can be decorated with natural and food dyes, cloth, paper and even rhinestones. But it is advised to do this with the family;
- meat- Usually cold meats are served on Easter, because they are prepared the day before, even during Lent. So put a piece of meat and homemade sausage in your Easter basket. The main thing is that the meat dish should be without blood;
- cheese and dairy products- since dairy products were not consumed during the fast, they are also placed in the Easter basket. It is especially good to cook curd pasta or make hard cheese with your own hands. Cheese and butter are symbols of the tenderness and sacrifice of God - these products are placed in small vessels, and a cross is drawn on top.

In addition to the aforementioned products, they put in the Easter basket for consecration horseradish, as a symbol of strength and fortitude, as well salt and wine... The Church does not approve of alcohol in the Easter basket, but does allow Cahors.

What cannot be sanctified at Easter

Not everything is worth putting in the Easter basket for consecration, there are foods and things that are strictly forbidden to bring to church.

Things not to put in the Easter basket:

Jewelry, documents, money and other material things;
- vodka, cognac, moonshine and other alcohol (except for Cahors);
- blood vessels and other products made from animal blood;
- it is also not advised to put fruits and vegetables, since they could have been consumed during the fast;
- knife - there are opinions that consecrated products should be cut with a consecrated knife. This is fiction and prejudice.

Things not to be holy at Easter - grocery list

The Easter basket is collected only for the blessing of products that can be consumed after the end of Lent. This means that there should be little food.

When is Easter holy?

In different churches and temples, the time for the consecration of the beads may differ. One church can consecrate the Easter basket on the pre-holiday Saturday, and the other - directly on Sunday.

The Easter Liturgy in the church continues throughout the night, and therefore is called "All-night Vigil". An Easter procession takes place at about 4 o'clock in the morning. Then the priests change from dark clothes to light ones and proclaim the words: "Christ is Risen!" In response, the believers say: "Truly He is Risen!" Only after that are the Paski and the Easter basket blessed.

In 2018, the pasca is blessed on the night of April 8