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→Célébration de la fête
There is also a tradition of Vale or Holy Supper. This is a 12 course lenten dinner served before the family goes to vespers.
===Christmas vigilVigiles de Noël=== The Vigil of Christmas begins with Great Compline because Vespers has already been servedLes vigiles de Noël comme avec les Grandes Complies du fait que les vêpres aient déjà été célébrées. At Compline there is the singing of the A Complies, est chanté le [[TroparionTropaire]] and et le [[Kontakion]] of the feast with special hymns glorifying the Saviourde la fête avec l's birthhymne spécial glorifiant la naissance du Sauveur. There are also the special long Il y a aussi les longues litanies of spécifiques d'intercession and the solemn blessing of the five loaves of bread together with the wheatet la bénédiction solennelle des cinq miches de pain ensemble avec le blé, wine, and oille vin et l'huile. The faithful partake of the bread soaked in the wine and are also anointed with the oilLes croyants partagent le pain trempé dans le vin et sont aussi oints avec l'huile. This part of the festal vigilCette partie des vigiles festives, which is done on all great feastsqui est fait lors de toutes les grandes fêtes, is called in Slavonic the est appelée en Slavon la ''[[litya]]'' and in Greek et en Grec ''[[artoklasia]],'' or the breaking of the breadou la partage du pain.
===Christmas Liturgy Liturgie de Noël === Concluding the celebration of the Nativity of Christ is the Liturgy. It begins with psalms of glorification and praise instead of the three normal [[Antiphons]]. The troparion and kontakion mark the entrance with the Book of the Gospels. The baptismal line from Galatians 3:27 once again replaces the [[Trisagion|Thrice-Holy]]. The Epistle reading is from Galatians L'Épitre lu est celui des Galates 4:4-7, the Gospel reading is the familiar Christmas story from Matthew l'Évangile lu est celui e Matthieu (2:1-12), and then the liturgy continues in the normal fashion. la liturgie continue ensuite de façon habituelle.
===Twelve days of ChristmasDouze jours de Noël===
The second day of the feast starts a two-day celebration of the [[Synaxis]] of the [[Theotokos]]. Combining the hymns of the Nativity with those celebrating the Mother of God, the Church points to Mary as the one through whom the [[Incarnation]] was made possible. St [[Apostle Stephen the Protomartyr|Stephen]], the First Martyr, is also remembered on these two days.
période de Noël The period of Christmas rejoicing extends to [[Theophany|Epiphany]] during which time the Christmas songs are sung and fasting and kneeling in prayer are not called for by the Church. Throughout this time, it is the custom of some Orthodox Christians to greet each other with the words: ''"'''Christ is Born!'''"'' and the response: ''"'''Glorify Him!'''"''
==Hymns==