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→Eve of the Nativity: add link
[[December 20]]th begins the [[Forefeast]] of the Nativity. The liturgical structure is similar to the [[Holy Week]] preceding [[Pascha]]. The Orthodox Church sees the birth of the Son of God as the beginning of the saving ministry which will lead Him, for the sake of man’s salvation, to the ultimate sacrifice of the Cross.
===Eve of the Nativity===
On the [[eve of the Nativity]], the [[Royal Hours]] are read and the [[Divine Liturgy]] of St. [[Basil the Great]] is served with [[Vespers]]. At these services the [[Old Testament]] prophecies of Christ's birth are chanted.
===Christmas vigil===
The Vigil of Christmas begins with Great Compline because Vespers has already been served. At Compline there is the singing of the [[Troparion]] and [[Kontakion]] of the feast with special hymns glorifying the Saviour's birth. There are also the special long litanies of intercession and the solemn blessing of the five loaves of bread together with the wheat, wine, and oil. The faithful partake of the bread soaked in the wine and are also anointed with the oil. This part of the festal vigil, which is done on all great feasts, is called in Slavonic the ''[[litya]]'' and in Greek ''[[artoklasia]],'' or the breaking of the bread.
