The most powerful prayer on Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is a special day in the Orthodox calendar, preceding the great feast of the Nativity of Christ. This evening, believers prepare for the celebration by prayer, fasting and spiritual purification. Among all the prayers of the day, there is one particularly powerful one that helps to find inner peace, strengthen faith and ask God for grace and protection. Izvestia tells us more about which prayer is recommended to be read on Christmas Eve.

The Story of Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is the evening before one of the most significant Orthodox holidays — the Nativity of Christ. This day is considered the final one in the long period of the Nativity fast, which lasts 40 days and is aimed at the spiritual purification of believers. The very name "Christmas Eve" comes from a traditional lean dish, kutia (sochiva), made from wheat, honey and dried fruits.

Historically, the holiday, which has been entrenched in Orthodoxy since the fourth century, has deep roots. In the early church, Christmas was celebrated together with the Epiphany on January 6, and later in some traditions the dates were divided. For believers, Christmas Eve is a time of strict fasting, prayerful concentration and preparation of the heart for meeting God.

Throughout the day, believers abstain from food until sunset and the appearance of the first star, the symbol of the Star of Bethlehem, which showed the way to the Magi to the Christ child. This time is filled with a special reverent atmosphere of expectation and joy. Christmas Eve is not only a day of inner spiritual work, but also of family traditions: the table is covered with a snow—white tablecloth with 12 lenten dishes symbolizing the apostles, and a bunch of fresh hay is placed under it — a reminder of the manger where Christ was born.

In addition, all-night vigils are held in churches on this day with the singing of special Christmas carols, creating a spiritual mood that helps believers experience the greatness of the holiday.

Christmas Eve - 2026: date of celebration

Orthodox Christians traditionally celebrate Christmas Eve on January 6, the eve of the feast of the Nativity of Christ, which falls on January 7 in the new style. In 2026, this day will fall on a Tuesday. The date of Christmas Eve depends on the calendar of a particular denomination. The Orthodox Church traditionally adheres to the Julian calendar, so the holiday falls on January 6 (January 7 according to the Gregorian calendar). In the Catholic tradition, Christmas Eve is celebrated on December 24, the eve of Christmas according to the Gregorian style.

Epiphany in 2026: on what date will the holiday come?

The most powerful prayer on Christmas Eve

The most popular and powerful prayer on Christmas Eve is considered to be the "Prayer before taking holy water." Its text is read with reverence and a special mood on the evening of Christmas Eve, as well as during the celebration of Christmas, before taking holy water to purify the soul and strengthen the body with the prayerful power of God's grace.

Prayer before taking holy water

"O Lord my God, may Your holy gift and Your holy water be for the remission of my sins and for the enlightenment of my mind,

to strengthen my mental and physical strength,

For the health of my soul and body,

To conquer my passions and infirmities

by Your infinite mercy

Through the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother and all Your saints. Amen to that."

The peculiarity of this prayer lies in its deep spiritual concentration and supplicating power, which helps believers tune in to inner purification and receive God's protection. It is pronounced sincerely and with faith, not as a mechanical reading, but as an appeal to God asking for mercy and help. It is recommended to recite this prayer on January 6, as well as every time before taking or collecting holy water during the Christmas holiday.