FAQ

About the Old-Rite Orthodox Church

Who are the Old-Rite Old Believers?

Old Believers are Orthodox Christians who have preserved the fullness of the Orthodox Faith, worship, and canonical life as it existed before the mid-17th century reforms in Russia. They adhere strictly to the traditions, rites, and discipline of the ancient Russian Orthodox Church, unchanged and undefiled.

How are Old Believers different from other Orthodox Churches today?

Old Believers differ primarily by:

• Preserving the unchanged Apostolic and Patristic traditions without innovations,
• Strictly adhering to the ancient or old rites (pre-17th century),
• Using the two-fingered formation Cross, (Pray and Bless with two-fingered sign of the cross)
• Maintaining the original Church Slavonic texts and the pre-reform Typikon,
• Not participating in prayer or communion with those outside their canonical jurisdiction, particularly those who follow the new rite introduced after the 17th century reforms.

Are Old Believers in communion with other Orthodox jurisdictions?

No. The Old Believer Russian Orthodox Church is not in communion with modern Orthodox Churches that have accepted the liturgical reforms or engage in ecumenism. Faithfulness to the Apostolic Canons requires separation from those who innovate or compromise the Orthodox Faith.

Do Old Believers participate in ecumenical activities?

No. The Old Believer Church completely rejects ecumenism and is a heresy. Old Believers hold to the teaching that "there is one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism" (Ephesians 4:5) and do not engage in prayer services, dialogues, or joint activities with non-Orthodox communities.

What councils do the Old Believers accept?

Old Believers recognize:

• The Seven Ecumenical Councils,
• The Seven Regional Councils received by the universal Church,
• The Two Local Councils of Constantinople that clarified Orthodox dogma,
• The Stoglav Council (Council of the Hundred Chapters) of 1551 in Moscow, which reiterated Orthodox canonical traditions specifically for the Russian Church.

Following the decrees of the Seventh Ecumenical Council, Old Believers believe that no new councils can change or add to the dogmas and canonical discipline of the Church.

Why do Old Believers cross themselves with two fingers instead of three?

The two-fingered sign of the Cross symbolizes the two natures of Christ — Divine and Human — in one Person. This was the universal practice of Orthodox Christians before the mid-17th century and is maintained faithfully by Old Believers.

Can non-Old Believers attend an Old Believer service?

Yes, visitors are welcome to respectfully observe the services. However, prayer participation (such as singing, responding, or crossing oneself in the Old Believer manner) is reserved for members of the Church.

• Holy Communion is strictly reserved for baptized and properly prepared members of the Old Believer Church.
• Non-Orthodox visitors may stand at the narthex (the entry vestibule), not in the nave where the faithful pray.
• They should refrain from entering the altar area, kissing icons, or receiving any blessings from a Priest, and should observe reverently and silently.

Can a non-Orthodox Christian receive Communion at an Old Believer Russian Orthodox Church?

No. Holy Communion is strictly reserved for baptized and properly prepared members of the Old Believer Russian Orthodox Church.

Additionally, the prosphora (the blessed bread taken after Communion) and antidoron (the blessed bread distributed to the faithful) are also reserved only for members of the Old Believer Church who are in good canonical standing.

Non-members and visitors may attend reverently but should not approach for Holy Communion, prosphora, or antidoron.

Why do Old Believers stand during services and have no pews?

Standing in prayer is the ancient tradition of the Church, symbolizing respect, vigilance, and readiness before God. Sitting during services was introduced much later and is not part of the ancient Orthodox practice.

Why are Old Believer services so long?

Old Believer services follow the complete, unabridged Typikon of the ancient Church. Worship is offered fully, with psalms, canons, bowings, prostrations, and chants according to the holy traditions handed down without abbreviation or haste.

Why do Old Believers not accept any changes to Church practice?

Old Believers believe that the Orthodox Faith must be preserved without alteration. They uphold the apostolic teaching that the "Faith once delivered to the saints" — Jude 1:3 must be guarded in its entirety. Any innovation, even small, threatens the wholeness of the Church’s confession and leads to spiritual corruption.

Do Old Believers have Bishops and Priests today?

Yes. Some branches of the Old Believer Church (such as those who follow the Belokrinitskaya Hierarchy) have restored a full episcopal succession. They maintain Bishops, Priests, and Deacons in accordance with Apostolic succession and canonical order.

-The Restoration of the Old Believer Hierarchy-

After the 17th-century Nikonian reforms divided the Russian Church, the Old Believers continued to preserve the Orthodox Faith unchanged. Contrary to modern slanders, Old Believers always maintained bishops and metropolitans after the reforms. However, the ruling new-rite Church — backed by state power — systematically arrested, exiled, and executed many faithful hierarchs. Despite severe persecution, by the Grace of God, the priesthood among Old Believers was preserved.

For over two centuries, the Russian Church was itself divided and without a patriarch, from 1700 to 1917, functioning under the control of the Tsarist state. During this time, Old Believers, while suffering persecution, kept the ancient Faith alive.

In the early 19th century, by God’s providence, a canonical Orthodox hierarch, Metropolitan Ambrose (Ambrosius), formerly the Metropolitan of Sarajevo and Bosnia, who had been retired and was residing in the region of Sremski Karlovci (then part of the Austrian Empire), agreed to join the Old Believers. After a thorough confession of the Orthodox Faith and lawful canonical acceptance, in 1846 he was received and established the first Old Believer episcopate at Belaya Krinitsa. From him the Belokrinitskaya Hierarchy** was founded, restoring the full episcopal succession among the Old Believers.

Although the ruling new-rite Church slandered this restoration, accusing Metropolitan Ambrose falsely, Orthodox canonical tradition and history clearly show that the Old Believers acted lawfully, faithfully, and in the true spirit of the Church.

Today, the Old Believer Russian Orthodox Church, through the Belokrinitskaya Hierarchy, continues to preserve the ancient Orthodox Faith, worship, and canonical order without innovation or compromise.

What should I know before visiting an Old Believer Church?

• Dress modestly: Men should wear long sleeves and pants; women should wear long skirts and cover their heads with a scarf.
• Observe silence and reverence: Prayer is central; casual conversation is discouraged inside the temple.
• Respect the customs: Do not cross yourself unless you have been instructed in the proper form (two-fingered Cross) and are properly disposed.
• Observe fasting and preparation if intending to confess or commune, after speaking to the priest beforehand.

Is the Old Believer Church only for ethnic Russians?

No. The Orthodox Faith is universal. While the Old Believer Church preserves the Russian Orthodox tradition, any person who sincerely desires to embrace the full Orthodox Faith and live according to the ancient discipline may be received after proper instruction.

How can I learn more about the Old Believer Church or become a member?

You are encouraged to visit a parish regularly, meet with a priest for guidance, and begin catechetical instruction. Entry into the Church requires careful spiritual preparation, including instruction in the Orthodox Faith, confession, and acceptance of the full discipline of Orthodox Christian life.

Why do Old Believer men not shave their beards?

Old Believer men do not shave their beards because the beard is part of the natural image of God in man, as taught by Holy Scripture, Apostolic Tradition, and the Church Fathers. In the Old Testament, God explicitly commands:

You shall not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard.

— Leviticus 19:27 (LXX)

They shall not make baldness on their heads, nor shave the edges of their beards, nor make cuttings in their flesh.

— Leviticus 21:5 (LXX)

Although Christ gave His Apostles the authority to "bind and loose" — Matthew 16:19; 18:18, neither the Apostles nor the Holy Fathers ever "loosed" this law concerning the beard. Instead, the early Church affirmed that the beard must be preserved in its natural state.

The Apostolic Constitutions instruct:

Nor may men destroy the hair of their beards, and unnaturally change the form of a man. For the law says: You shall not mar your beards. For God the Creator has made this decent for women, but has determined that it is unsuitable for men. But if you do these things to please men, in contradiction to the law, you will be abominable with God, who created you after His own image.

— Apostolic Constitutions, Book I, Section II

Shaving the beard is not merely an act of vanity — it is a form of idolatry. It violates the First Commandment ("You shall have no other gods before Me" — Exodus 20:3) and the Second Commandment ("You shall not make for yourself a graven image" — Exodus 20:4) because a man, seeking to reshape his God-given form to attract the praise of others, sets himself up as an idol in place of God. Rather than glorifying the Creator, the one who shaves glorifies his own appearance, seeking human approval over divine obedience.

Thus, for Old Believers, wearing the beard faithfully is a visible confession of humility, obedience, and loyalty to the Orthodox Faith, preserving the natural dignity given by God and rejecting the idolatry of human vanity.

Why are Old Believer women not allowed to wear makeup and are encouraged to practice modesty?

Old Believer women are not permitted to wear makeup, paint nails, jewelry, or extravagant clothing because modesty is an essential commandment of the Orthodox Christian life.

Apostle Paul commands:

In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but with good works, as is fitting for women professing godliness.

— 1 Timothy 2:9–10

Apostle Peter teaches the same:

Do not let your adornment be merely outward — arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel — but rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

— 1 Peter 3:3–4

Makeup and immodesty are not simply personal choices — they are forms of idolatry. By artificially altering their God-given appearance to attract human attention and praise, women set themselves as idols in place of God’s natural image. This directly violates the First and Second Commandments (Exodus 20:3–4), by seeking glory for oneself rather than for the Creator.

Holy Scripture gives a clear warning through the example of Jezebel, the wicked queen, who used makeup and outward adornment to seduce and corrupt:

And she painted her face, and adorned her head, and looked out of the window.

— 4 Kingdoms (2 Kings) 9:30 (LXX)

Her painted face symbolizes rebellion against God, false beauty, and spiritual corruption.

Therefore, Old Believer women are encouraged to cultivate inner beauty — humility, chastity, obedience, and good works — rather than outward vanity. Modesty in clothing, demeanor, and appearance is seen as a visible confession of faith, purity, and dedication to Christ.

Holy Icons

and the Second Commandment

What does the Second Commandment forbid?

You shall not make for yourself a graven image, nor any likeness of anything in heaven above, or on the earth beneath, or in the waters under the earth. You shall not bow down to them nor serve them.

— Exodus 20:4–5; Deuteronomy 5:8–9

The Second Commandment forbids:

• Making and worshiping images as gods.
• Serving, bowing to, or sacrificing to man-made idols in place of the true God.

A "graven image" is any idol — usually made of stone, metal, or wood — which is treated as divine, replacing true worship with created forms. In the Old Testament, these included Baal, Molech, and Asherah.

Are sacred images like icons forbidden?

No. Icons are not graven idols. This is clearly shown in Scripture:

• God commanded Moses to make golden cherubim (images of angels) for the Tabernacle (Exodus 25:18–22).
• These images were placed in the Holy of Holies, where the people turned in worship not to the images, but to the invisible God who revealed Himself there.

Icons are not idols, but sacred manifestations of the Incarnation — they reveal Christ, the Theotokos, and the saints, all glorified by God.

What is an icon in Orthodox Christianity?

An icon is a sacred image, written (painted) according to holy tradition, which depicts Christ, His saints, the Theotokos, or events in salvation history.

The word "icon" comes from the Greek eikon, meaning "image" or "likeness."

Icons are used for:

• Prayer and veneration
• Teaching and instruction
• Glorifying God through matter, in light of the Incarnation

Is the veneration of icons idolatry?

No. Veneration is not worship.

• Worship (latreia) is due to God alone.
• Veneration (proskynesis) is honor given to the person depicted in the icon.

The honor given to the image passes to the one manifested through it.

— Seventh Ecumenical Council, Nicaea II (787 A.D.)

We do not worship wood or paint — we venerate Christ, His saints, and the saving acts of God.

What should our inner attitude be when venerating icons?

"While our bodily eyes look upon the icon, our soul ascends to the one depicted — Christ, the Theotokos, or the Saint — offering reverence to God through the one He has glorified."

Icons are windows into the heavenly reality. We do not stop at the image — we ascend through it.

What do the Church Fathers say about icons?

I do not worship matter, but I worship the Creator of matter, who for my sake became matter... When the Invisible One becomes visible in the flesh, you may then depict the likeness of His visible form.

— St. John of Damascus: On the Divine Images, Book 1

"The honor given to the image passes to the one depicted."

— St. Basil the Great: Epistle 360

St. Theodore the Studite: _"The icon makes present what is absent — not by nature, but by grace and relation."

— St. Theodore the Studite

St. Gregory of Nyssa:"The icon, rightly used, becomes a ladder to contemplation of God."

— St. Gregory of Nyssa

What is the general name for sin against this commandment?

Idolatry — offering, sacrificing to creatures or objects the worship due to God.

What were real Graven Images in the Old Testament?

Baal and Molech: demon-idols to whom people offered human sacrifices, including their children.

They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons.

— Psalm 105:37

Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands... they have mouths but do not speak... those who make them are like them.

— Psalm 115:4–8

Additional Scriptural Testimonies on
Graven Images and Idolatry

The graven images condemned in the Old Testament were not mere art or symbols — they were false gods to whom people bowed, burned incense, and offered human sacrifices, often including their own children. The following passages demonstrate how idolatry was directly linked to demonic worship and sacrifice:

They provoked Him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations they provoked Him to anger. They sacrificed to demons, and not to God; to gods whom they knew not, new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.

— Deuteronomy 32:16–17

They have forsaken Me, and have estranged this place... and have built the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spoke it, neither came it into My mind.

— Jeremiah 19:4–5

And they left all the commandments of the Lord their God... and made them molten images... and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. And they caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire...

— 2 Kings 17:16–17

Moreover you took your sons and your daughters, whom you bore to Me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Was your prostitution a small matter? You slaughtered My children and offered them up to idols.

— Ezekiel 16:20–21

And the rest of the wood he makes into a god, his graven image. He falls down to it and worships it. He says, ‘Deliver me, for you are my god!’... A deceived heart has led him astray.

— Isaiah 44:17–20

These are true idols — lifeless images treated as gods, to whom people prayed, bowed, and sacrificed to.

Orthodox Icons Are Not Idols

Orthodox Christians do not offer sacrifice to icons, do not bow to them as gods, and do not treat them as magical objects. Icons are not idols, but sacred affirmations of the Incarnation —

The Logos became flesh and dwelt among us.

— John 1:14

Through icons, we glorify God by honoring the one depicted — Christ, His Most Pure Mother, and His glorified saints — recognizing His saving work in their lives.

The honor given to the image passes to the one revealed through it.

— Seventh Ecumenical Council, 787 A.D.

In Summary:

• Icons are holy witnesses to Christ and the saints.
• Idolatry is the worship of creation rather than the Creator.
• Icons draw us closer to Christ; idols lead us away from Him.

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons.

— 1 Corinthians 10:21

Let holy icons lift our minds and souls to truth, purity, and the worship of the living God in spirit and in truth.

Clergy

and Ordination

What is the Difference Between Ordination and Receiving a Blessing?

Ordination (Хиротония/Χειροτονία)

Ordination is a sacred Mystery of the Orthodox Church by which a man is set apart and spiritually empowered by the Holy Spirit, through the laying on of hands by a Bishop, to serve in one of the ranks of clergy:

• Deacon
• Priest
• Bishop

It is a once-for-all, unrepeatable action that imparts spiritual authority and grace to perform the holy services of the Church:

• Celebrating the Divine Mysteries (such as the Eucharist, Baptism, and Chrismation),
• Teaching and governing the faithful,
• Offering prayers and blessings on behalf of the Church.

No man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was.

— Hebrews 5:4

Ordination conveys real apostolic succession — a continuous line from the Apostles through the bishops — and confers a grace-bearing office.

What happens if a canonically ordained Old Believer priest seeks re-ordination in ROCOR or anywhere else?

Such an act is a grave sacrilege and a canonical violation. To undergo re-ordination (re-cheirotony) after receiving lawful priesthood in the Old Believer Russian Orthodox Church is a direct transgression of the Apostolic Canons, Ecumenical Councils, and the theology of the one, unrepeatable priesthood.

If any Bishop, or Priest, or Deacon accepts a second ordination from anyone, let him and the one who ordained him be deposed, unless it be established that his ordination has been performed by heretics. For those who have been baptized or ordained by such persons cannot possibly be either faithful Christians or clergymen.

— Pedalion/Πηδάλιο: Apostolic Canon 68

This canon presumes that valid ordination, once conferred, is irrevocable and unrepeatable. Re-ordination implies:

• Rejection of the Mysteries previously performed
• Denial of the grace of the Holy Spirit

What sacrileges are committed by re-ordination?

1. Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit — by denying the operation of divine grace in the first ordination.
2. Profanation of Apostolic Succession — which is preserved without interruption in the Old Believer Church.
3. Simony in Spirit — if the act is driven by desire for jurisdiction, recognition, or personal advancement.
4. Contempt for the Priesthood — treating it as a human office subject to repeatable appointment.

Patristic witness:

Even if the priest is cast into hell, the grace of ordination is not destroyed.

— St. John Chrysostom

He who dares to re-ordain one rightly ordained sins against the Holy Spirit.

— St. Basil the Great

According to The Rudder (Pedalion/Nomocanon):

• Re-ordination is equivalent to rebaptism — an act condemned as anathema.
• It constitutes canonical disobedience and betrayal of the Church — akin to a second Judas.
• It nullifies the priest’s standing until full repentance and restoration.

What if a validly ordained Old Believer priest is re-ordained in ROCOR?

He commits an ecclesiastical crime of apostasy. Orthodox doctrine holds that ordination, once validly conferred, is forever. To submit to re-ordination is to:

• Blaspheme the Holy Spirit
• Deny Apostolic succession
• Reject the grace of the Mysteries already served

There is one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism.

— Ephesians 4:5

The same applies to the priesthood — once received, never repeated.

What theological and canonical offenses occur?

• Blasphemy, by treating true ordination as null or heretical
• Rejection of Apostolic Succession, especially that preserved in the Old Believer Russian Orthodox Church
• Profanation of the Priesthood, reducing it to a jurisdictional formality
• Scandal, misleading the faithful into thinking the Old Believer Russian Orthodox Church is schismatic
• Simony in Spirit, seeking worldly rewards
• Anathema, if done knowingly and without repentance

What happens to the re-ordained priest?

• He is spiritually cut off — a traitor to the priesthood, likened to Judas Iscariot.
• He may be canonically deposed and excommunicated.
• His Mysteries become spiritually invalid or highly doubtful.
• Restoration is possible only through repentance, confession, and canonical penance.

Are the Holy Mysteries performed by a re-ordained priest valid?

This requires doctrinal clarity:

ROCOR and some jurisdictions claim to recognize certain Mysteries (e.g., baptism and marriage) from the Old Believer Russian Orthodox Church — yet simultaneously deny the priesthood by demanding re-ordination.

This creates a theological contradiction:

• If the priesthood is invalid, then all Mysteries served by that priest are also invalid.
• If the Mysteries are valid, then the priesthood must be affirmed.

From the Old Believer Russian Orthodox Church:

• Re-ordination is a rejection of divine grace.
• All Mysteries served by a re-ordained priest are not acknowledged as valid or grace-filled.
• The Holy Spirit does not sanctify betrayal.

He who dares to re-ordain one rightly ordained sins against the Holy Spirit.

— St. Basil the Great

Summary for the Faithful:

• The grace of ordination is unrepeatable.
• Re-ordination is not only unnecessary, but deeply offensive to the Church and Holy Spirit.
• A priest who abandons the canonical Church and undergoes re-ordination forfeits the legitimacy of his priesthood.
• His sacraments are no longer recognized by the Church he betrayed.

Does ROCOR or other jurisdictions truly recognize the Mysteries performed by re-ordained Old Believer priests?

Although ROCOR may superficially acknowledge baptisms or marriages from the Old Believer Russian Orthodox Church, it denies their origin by re-ordaining the clergy.

This inconsistency reveals the deeper problem:

• Denying priesthood is denying the Mysteries.
• If a priest must be re-ordained, his Mysteries are implicitly null.

From the perspective of the Old Believer Russian Orthodox Church:

• Mysteries served in heresy or apostasy are not valid.
• The Church does not distribute grace in contradiction to divine law.

“We accept your Baptism and Marriage but not your Priesthood” is a theological impossibility — a self-refuting claim by ROCOR.

Final Position: Only within the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church — and by a canonically ordained, grace-filled priest — are the Mysteries valid. Re-ordination in heresy cuts one off from that grace, rendering the Mysteries null and void.

What happens when a priest joins a heterodox jurisdiction or is re-ordained?

He is guilty of apostasy — not merely disbelief, but deliberate abandonment of canonical order and Orthodox truth. This includes defection to a body that does not hold the same Holy Tradition or ecclesiastical grace.

What disciplinary action is required?

The Church, guided by the canons, requires the following:

1. Deposition — removal from the priesthood
2. Excommunication — exclusion from the Mysteries and communion of the Church
3. Removal from diptychs — no longer listed among the clergy

If he refuses to hear the Church, let him be to you as a heathen and a tax collector.

— Matthew 18:17

This is not vengeance but a call to repentance and a safeguard for the faithful.

Conclusion: Clergy Apostasy and Re-Ordination

A priest who defects from the Old Believer Russian Orthodox Orthodox Church and undergoes re-ordination has:

• Rejected the grace of the Holy Spirit
• Denied the validity of his own priesthood
• Broken communion with the Apostolic Church

If any presbyter, despising his own Bishop, shall separate himself from the Church... let him be deposed and excommunicated.

— Pedalion/Πηδάλιο: Apostolic Canon 32

The Mysteries he performs are graceless, as they are offered in rebellion against the order of the Church.

Such betrayal, for temporal benefit, places him among those who “exchanged eternal grace for worldly favor.”

Receiving a Blessing from One Who is Ordained

Receiving a blessing from an ordained cleric (bishop or priest) is a liturgical and devotional gesture that acknowledges:

• The grace given to him by ordination,
• His role as an intercessor and servant of Christ on behalf of the people.

When we bow before a priest or bishop and receive a blessing, we are NOT receiving ordination or authority, but we are receiving spiritual benefit through:

• The prayer of the Church,
• The priest's standing as a steward of divine grace (1 Corinthians 4:1).

“Through the priest’s blessing, Christ blesses.” — Patristic summary

Holidays vs Feastdays

Christmas vs The Nativity of Christ our Lord Jesus Christ

There are canons from the Rudder specifically address the participation of secular celebrations.

Canon 62 — 6th Ecumenical Council

Canon 65 — 6th Ecumenical Council

Is the Christmas tree secular/pagan?

Yes. The Christmas tree comes from pagan winter solstice rituals where trees were honored as fertility and eternal life symbols. True Orthodox celebration of the Nativity focuses on the Birth of Christ through prayer, Divine Services, fasting, almsgiving, and pure joy, not by decorating trees.

Should Orthodox Christians put up a Christmas tree?

No. The Orthodox Church calls us to separate ourselves from pagan customs. If a family does choose to have a decorated branch (like in ancient Christian homes), it should be modest and focused only on icons, candles, or a small Nativity scene — never mixed with Santa figures, elves, or worldly symbols.

What about Santa Claus?

Santa Claus is a distorted western invention. St. Nicholas of Myra was a real Orthodox bishop, known for his piety, charity, and miracles — not flying reindeer, climbing down chimneys, or rewarding good behavior with gifts. The modern Santa myth merges St. Nicholas with pagan Norse legends (Odin, flying horses, etc.).

True Orthodox veneration: Celebrate the feast of St. Nicholas on December 6/19 (Old Calendar) by attending Liturgy, giving alms, and teaching children about his holy life.

Pascha

The Resurrection of Christ

What is the difference between Pascha and the western "Easter" celebration?

Pascha is the Feast of Feasts, celebrating the Resurrection of Christ — the defeat of death, sin, and hell. The name “Pascha” comes from the Hebrew "Pesach" meaning Passover — Christ is our true Paschal Lamb. Western "Easter" (named after Ēostre, a pagan fertility goddess) often emphasizes springtime, rabbits, and eggs, disconnected from Christ.

Should Orthodox Christians celebrate the Easter Bunny and egg hunts?

No. The "Easter Bunny" and commercialized egg hunts have pagan roots related to fertility cults. These mock and trivialize the true miracle of the Resurrection.

Orthodox Christians should celebrate Pascha by:

• Attending all Holy Week and Paschal services,
• Proclaiming Christ is Risen!,
• Partaking of the Holy Mysteries, Antidoron and Prosphora,
• Joyfully feasting with family and parish,
• Giving thanks for eternal life through Christ.

Why do Orthodox Christians dye eggs red, not pastel colors?

Red-dyed eggs symbolize:

• The Blood of Christ shed on the Cross,
• The sealed tomb and the breaking open of death by the Resurrection.

- The Red Egg Tradition -

And all the people answered and said, 'His Blood be upon us and upon our children.'

— Matthew 27:25

- Orthodox Interpretation -

• When the Jewish leaders and people cried out these words at Christ's condemnation, they unknowingly pronounced a curse upon themselves.
• According to ancient Orthodox tradition, at that moment many signs and omens occurred: walls, lintels, dishes, fountains — turned red with blood as a terrible witness to their words.
• This connection to the Blood of Christ is why Orthodox Christians dye their Paschal eggs red:
  • The egg symbolizes new life and the Resurrection.
  • The red color symbolizes the Blood of Christ, through which we pass from death to life.

Thus, the red Paschal egg is a symbol of both the suffering and the triumph of Christ — His voluntary Passion and His glorious Resurrection.

-Traditional Orthodox Custom Teaches-

Orthodox Christians dye eggs only red, not pastel colors, to testify to the true Blood of Christ, His voluntary death, and the Resurrection that conquered death.

• Eggs are hard-boiled and dyed red,
• They are blessed after the Paschal Divine Liturgy,
• Cracking the eggs with one another proclaims the Resurrection.

Pastel-colored eggs (pink, yellow, blue) are a modern, secular invention disconnected from the theology of Christ’s sacrifice and victory.

Halloween

Relates to Orthodox Christians

Orthodox Christians are called to worship God alone and flee all works of darkness. Halloween glorifies death, fear, demons, and pagan practices that defile the soul. Participation in Halloween — even “for fun” — breaks the First Commandment by honoring evil rather than Christ. Scripture commands: "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness." (Ephesians 5:11) Therefore, all Orthodox Christians must completely abstain from Halloween in every form, choosing instead to live as children of light.

Scriptural Foundation

Learn not the way of the Gentiles...

— Jeremiah 10:2

Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing.

— 2 Corinthians 6:17

Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

— Ephesians 5:11

-Secular vs. Orthodox Celebrations-

Orthodox Christians must:

• Reject Halloween, Santa Claus myths, Christmas trees, Easter bunnies, and secularization of Holy Feastdays.
• Celebrate Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, Pascha, and all Feasts with purity, prayer, worship, almsgiving, Scripture studies, and family piety.