Introduction to the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos: schedule of services on December 4

On December 4, Orthodox believers celebrate the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the temple, one of the twelve feasts dedicated to the event when the righteous Joachim and Anna brought little Mary to the Jerusalem Temple. On this day, solemn services are held in all churches of Russia, accompanied by special chanting and reading of festive texts. Believers prepare for the liturgy by fasting, prayer and confession. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.

One of the most important twelve-day holidays of the year

In the Orthodox tradition, the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the temple occupies a place among the twelve feasts and is celebrated annually on December 4 according to the new style (November 21 according to the old style). The holiday dates back to the church tradition of how the righteous Joachim and Anna brought three-year-old Mary to the Jerusalem temple.

The historical account of the event is recorded in apocryphal sources, primarily in the Protoevangelium of James, and was adopted by the liturgical iconography of the Eastern Church. In the theological dimension, the Introduction is interpreted as an omen of the Theotokos' election and an image of the dedication of the human soul to God, a motif that retains significance in the modern church consciousness.

How are the services held in churches on December 3rd and 4th

Traditionally, the liturgical celebration begins on December 3 with an all-night vigil or evening matins (the all-night vigil includes Vespers, Matins and polyeleos), followed by the Divine Liturgy on the holiday itself.

The evening service emphasizes the preparatory nature of the holiday: special troparia, kontakion and stichera of the Introduction are read, canons and akathists are sung, believers participate in funeral and thanksgiving prayers. On the eve, many parishes recommend parishioners to come in advance — confessions and prayer services are often held in churches, especially if the church is a parish center with a large number of parishioners.

The morning service on December 4 usually begins with one-hour services and continues with the Divine Liturgy with the reading of festive troparia and kontakion. The service is often accompanied by festive singing and a procession within or around the church, if weather and organizational conditions permit.

Schedule of services in major Russian churches

Large cathedral churches and monasteries traditionally publish detailed weekly or thematic schedules of services indicating the time of All-night vigils, liturgies and prayer services. On the eve of great holidays and on the day itself, an all-night vigil in the evening and a festive liturgy in the morning are usually scheduled in the metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

On weekdays, the cathedral has regular morning liturgies and evening services. In the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, as one of the main monastic centers, the schedule provides for several prayer services and the opportunity to attend divine services in the Trinity Cathedral and other temple buildings of the monastery during the festive days.

In St. Petersburg, cathedrals, such as the Kazan Cathedral, also publish separate schedule pages for December, which indicate the time of evening services on December 3 and morning liturgies on December 4.

Parishioners are advised to check the current time on official websites and in parish Telegram channels, as programs may vary depending on the number of worshippers and local traditions.

Visitors from other cities and tourists are advised to check the schedule in advance and take into account the need to comply with canonical and organizational rules during the holidays.

What is read during the service

The liturgical set of the Introduction includes a stable set of liturgical texts — troparia, kontakion, magnification and stichera of the feast, as well as relevant readings of the Old and New Testaments, selected in the tradition as a typological correlation of the story of the Virgin with the temple and salvation theme.

At the all-night vigil, psalm cycles, the sixth Psalm and the canon of the feast are read, festive troparia and kontakion are sung at the liturgy, prayer services and special petitions are often performed after the liturgy. For believers who want to prepare for the service, it is useful to familiarize themselves in advance with the texts of the troparia and kontakion — they are available on liturgical Internet resources.

How to prepare for attending the Liturgy

When preparing to participate in the festive divine services, the clergy give several practical recommendations. First of all, December 4 usually falls during the Christmas Fast (in the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church, Christmas fast begins annually on November 28 and lasts until January 6 inclusive), therefore, for those who receive communion, the rules of fasting and preparatory prayer practices are relevant — confession, reading of canons and prayers before communion.

On the eve of the feast, many parishioners come to the evening service and confession in order to begin the liturgy already cleansed. The parish recommendations emphasize that confession is not usually performed after the beginning of the liturgy, and it is better to approach the sacrament of communion according to the instructions of the priest.