The most powerful prayers for Christmas: which prayers to read on January 7 at home and in church

On Christmas Day, Orthodox believers try not only to observe the external traditions of the holiday, but also to deepen their personal prayer for faith, peace in the soul and family, so that the light of the incarnation of Christ touches every heart. The church calls the most powerful these days not "magical texts", but the prayers that connect a person with the mystery of the Incarnation of God: the troparion and kontakion of the feast, Christmas stichera and special prayers of thanksgiving to the savior. For more information about which prayers to read on Christmas Day, see the Izvestia article.

How to pray properly on Christmas Day

Orthodox clergy advise remembering that the power of the Christmas prayer lies not in the number of texts read, but in their combination with repentance, participation in the sacraments, and living faith. Therefore, many believers arrange a small prayer corner at home with icons of the Nativity of Christ and the Virgin Mary and read the troparion, kontakion and one or two stichera in the morning or evening, calmly, slowly.

What prayers to read on Christmas Day

The main hymn of the Nativity of Christ in the Orthodox Church is the troparion of the feast, which dates back to the early Christian tradition and is included in liturgical books as the main Christmas text. It is sung in the church at vespers and liturgy, at prayer rules and at home starting from the night service on January 7 and until the end of the celebration according to the church regulations.

The Troparion reveals the main meaning of Christmas: through the birth of Christ, the "light of reason" is revealed to the world, and the Savior himself is called the "sun of truth" — the source of true life and light for every person. The prayer is read both aloud and to oneself, paying attention to the image of the Magi stargazers, who through contemplation of creation came to know the creator.

The text of the Nativity Troparion (Church Slavonic)

"Thy Nativity, O Christ our God, hast raised up the light of reason in the world, for in it we serve the stars like a star. We bow to you, the Sun of Truth, and We lead You from the height of the East. Lord, thank You!"

Russian translation:

"Your Nativity, O Christ our God, has illuminated the world with the light of knowledge, for through it those who serve the stars were taught to worship You, the Sun of Truth, and to know You, the Rising Star from on high. Lord, thank You!"

The kontakion is a short liturgical hymn that complements the meaning of the troparion and reveals Christmas as the greatest mystery: the irreplaceable God comes into the world as a Baby, and all creation responds to this miracle. In the Christmas kontakion, heaven and earth unite: the Virgin gives birth to the "Supernatural", the cave becomes an image of the world, angels, shepherds and magi worship Christ together.

This prayer is read in church and at home, especially on holidays, when believers reflect on the fact that God accepts human infirmity for the sake of saving people. Kontakion helps to tune in to thanksgiving, and not just to requests: it praises God, who became a child for the sake of the world and each of us.

Christmas Kontakion

"On this day, the Virgin gives birth to the Supernatural, and the earth brings a cave to the Impregnable; Angels with shepherds praise, and the magi travel with the star, for a young Child, the Eternal God, was born for our sake."

Even before Christmas Day, during the Nativity Fast, special stichera — chants are heard in Orthodox worship, which prepare believers for the holiday. They recall the events of Bethlehem, the Virgin Mary, the Magi, the shepherds, and the mystery of the Savior's birth. Such texts are often read by lay people as a slow prayer "meditation" in the silence of the house.

One of the famous stichera, performed at the All‑Night Vigil on the feast of St. Nicholas (December 19), directly indicates the imminent Christmas and describes the inner beauty of the cave-den in which Christ will be born.

The Christmas Stichera

"Beautify the nativity scene, for the Lamb is coming bearing the womb of Christ: take up the manger with the word that has loosed us from the wordless deeds of our earthly relatives. Pastors, bear witness to the wonders of the terrible: and bring the magi of Persia, gold, lebanon, and myrrh to the king, for the Lord has appeared from the Virgin Mother. Then, bowing down slavishly to my Mother, I said to him who is being held in Her arms: how did you repent in Me, or how did you vegetate in Me, My redeemer and God?"

Russian translation:

"Make yourself beautiful, cave, for the Lamb (that is, the lamb, a meek, humble animal, with which it is customary to compare people who are submissive to God; in this case, the Lamb is the Virgin Mary, the One who will give birth to Christ) is coming, bearing Christ in the womb. As for the manger, lift up the one who freed us, the earthlings, from senseless deeds with a word. Shepherds playing pipes, bear witness to a terrifying miracle; and magi from Persia, bring gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the king, for the Lord has appeared from the Virgin Mother. And before Him, humbly falling down, the Mother herself bowed down, addressing the One who was in Her arms.: "How were You conceived in Me? Or how has my redeemer and God grown in Me?"

On Christmas Day itself, during the All-Night Vigil, after reading the Gospel account of the birth of Christ in Bethlehem, one of the most recognizable Christmas verses is sung. Her text is based on the angelic hymn that sounded that night over the fields of Bethlehem, and constantly repeats the words "Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth."

This verse can also be read at home as a prayer of thanksgiving for peace in the family, in the heart and between people. The main thing in it is not only to ask, but also to praise God, who comes into the world to bring peace and "good will to mankind."

Christmas stichera "Glory to God in the Highest"

"Glory be to God in the highest, and peace be upon the earth, today Bethlehem will receive him who sits forever with the Father, today the Angels glorify the Child who was born gloriously.: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, and good will toward mankind."

Russian translation:

"Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth! On this day, Bethlehem receives Him who sits forever with his Father. On this day, the Angels glorify the newborn Baby as God: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will among men!"

In addition to the liturgical stichera, troparion, and kontakion, the Orthodox tradition preserves a special prayer for Christmas, in which a person thanks God for his "ineffable descent," that is, for the fact that the eternal Creator of the world comes into the world as a Baby, born in a simple nativity scene. Its text is included in Orthodox prayer books and is often read on holidays as a personal prayer of thanks to the savior.

This prayer can be read in silence after visiting a temple or a house prayer service, taking time for attentive, slow reading, with stops on those words that especially touch the heart. It combines sublime theological language and a very personal appeal to Christ as God and savior.

Prayer for the Nativity of Christ

"Eternal Beginning, Holy and Eternal God, and Creator of all creation! Let us give thanks with Your words and magnify with Your songs Your ineffable descent for us, O man, who has not departed by the will of His Divinity, and who has not parted from the bosom of the Father, O God, as a man, you have now placed yourself in the den of the wordless, O Christ our God!"

Most often, the troparion and kontakion of Christmas are read throughout Yuletide — from January 7 to 13, and the stichera "Glory to God in the Highest" — on the feast day itself and the day before. Additionally, you can include a prayer for Christmas in your personal rule, adding your own words of thanksgiving and requests, uttered in simple, understandable language to the heart.