Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos: schedule of divine services on April 6 and 7, the most powerful prayers

Orthodox Christians on April 7 will celebrate the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a bright holiday that is associated with the miracle and mystery of the Immaculate conception, and in the world with the flourishing of nature and the onset of warm days. On the eve of the bright celebration, Great Compline begins, which flows into the morning Liturgy. The clergy dress in blue vestments, which is associated with the Mother of God. For more information about how the church service takes place and what prayers are customary to read on this significant day, see the Izvestia article.

Annunciation in 2025: the name and meaning of the holiday

The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the 12 main or twelve church celebrations after Easter. These holidays are dedicated to the main events of the earthly life of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary. According to church tradition, the Virgin received the good news of the Savior's birth from the archangel Gabriel, thereby partially redeeming the original sin of the human progenitors Adam and Eve.

The Annunciation is one of the earliest Christian holidays, it was revered as early as the 3rd century. However, believers called the celebration differently.: "The Conception of Christ," "The Annunciation of Christ," "The Beginning of the Atonement," and so on. The current version spread only in the 7th century, and the word "annunciation" itself came from the Greek evangelismos, which translates to "good news."

Religious scholar Yulia Kovaleva recalled that, according to legend, the Virgin Mary was born in one of the suburbs of Jerusalem, and her parents Joachim and Anna could not have children for a long time, so they vowed to dedicate the child to God.

The events of the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary are described in detail in the Gospel of Luke. Legend has it that on the day of the Annunciation, the archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary. He was sent to Nazareth to tell her the news that she would become the mother of the son of God. At first, Maria couldn't believe it and was confused, but then she accepted her destiny.

The Annunciation is celebrated exactly nine months before the Birth of Christ and is celebrated on April 7. In 2024, the date falls on a Sunday.

Schedule of services for the Annunciation

On Annunciation Day, it is customary to attend a traditional church service, and temples are open all day. The schedule of services in different churches may vary, so you need to know the specific time in advance.

Traditionally, the first divine service in honor of the identity begins on April 6 with Great Compline and special prayers, which are performed after the evening meal, and then the all-night vigil begins.

The ceremony will begin at 18:00 on April 6 at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. The early Liturgy on April 7 will take place at 7:00 a.m., and confession at 9:00 a.m. The late Liturgy will begin at 10:00. It all ends with an evening service at 17:00.

The clergy wear blue robes, which is associated with the Mother of God. The Annunciation is always celebrated with a full liturgy, even if the holiday falls on a weekday or coincides with Easter. Everyone who comes to the temple is told the story of the bright celebration and its significance. According to an ancient custom, snow-white pigeons are released on April 7, which symbolize the Holy Spirit, as well as peace and freedom. It is believed that birds are messengers of guardian angels. This tradition is also mentioned in one of Alexander Pushkin's poems.:

Birdie

I observe sacredly in a foreign land

A native custom of antiquity:

I release the bird into the wild

At the bright spring festival.

I became available to solace;

Why should I complain to God?,

When at least one creation

I could grant freedom.

Konstantin Balmont, Valery Bryusov and Marina Tsvetaeva dedicated poems to this holiday.

Today, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia is releasing pigeons into the sky for the holiday. The main ceremony takes place in the Annunciation Cathedral of the Kremlin.

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Church service for the Annunciation: prayers, confession, communion

The first festive service for the Annunciation begins on Sunday evening, April 6. On this day, the all-night vigil lasts a little longer than usual: it consists of consecutively performed Vespers, matins and the service of the first hour.

Before vespers, the priest in the altar carries the cross from the altar to the altar table. This action is not visible to the parishioners, but those who came to the service in advance stand with reverence, praying to the Lord. As on any holiday, at the end of Vespers, the clergy solemnly leave the altar and the litiya begins — special prayers for the faithful and for the entire Church, which, according to the charter, are performed in the vestibule of the temple. After this ceremony, the consecration of the loaves will be performed (at matins, this bread is given to the faithful).

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At matins, with the lights out, the Six Psalms will sound. Then, after the kathisma from the Psalter and litany, they will read the Gospel of Luke, which tells the story of the feast of the Annunciation, sing the polyeleos (singing the psalms "Praise the name of the Lord", etc.) and magnification. The canon of the feast, according to tradition, is read by two reciters: one reads the troparia of the "Angel", the other reads the "Mother of God". The troparia of the ninth canto is recited by one reader with a chorus sung by the choir. On the day of the feast, the liturgy of John Chrysostom or Basil the Great is celebrated. In 2024, the holiday falls on a Sunday, so the liturgy of St. Basil the Great will be performed. The service says that thanks to the birth of the Lord from the Virgin, heaven is united with the earth, Adam is renewed, Eve is freed, and people become partakers of the temple of God.

At the end of matins, the cross is taken out, it is placed on the lectern, where it will remain throughout the next week. After that, the worship of the Crucifixion is performed: the clergy and all parishioners make three prostrations to the ground to the singing of the choir: "We worship Your Cross, Vladyka ...". The time of completion of the service depends on the number of communicants.