The creation is recognized as free, and those who were previously in darkness are recognized as sons of light; one prince of darkness groans. May all the previously suffering tribes of nations now diligently bless the culprit (of this).
Oh, how beyond the mind are the miracles of Your birth, most pure Bride, blessed Mother! Having received through You an all-perfect salvation, we worthily praise (You) as a benefactor, offering a gift of a song of gratitude.
The eve, that is, the day preceding this holiday, is called Christmas Eve, because, in view of the importance of the event that took place on the coming day in the life of Jesus Christ, the Church established a strict fast, allowing only the consumption of soch.
A special feature of the Divine service of this holiday is the great consecration of water, performed on Christmas Eve, after the liturgy. In some churches, the blessing of water also takes place on rivers, springs and lakes, where the clergy go out with a religious procession, which is called the procession to the Jordan, in memory of the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River. During the procession the following troparia are sung:
The voice of the Lord cries out on the waters, saying: come, receive, all of you, the Spirit of wisdom, the Spirit of understanding, the Spirit of the fear of God, Christ who has appeared.
Today nature is sanctified, and the Jordan is divided, and its streams return, the Lord is baptized in vain.
As a man came to the river, O Christ the King, and sought to receive servile baptism, O Blessed One, from the hand of the Forerunner, a sin for our sake, Lover of mankind.
To the voice of him crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, you have come, O Lord, taking on the form of a servant, asking for baptism, not knowing sin. Seeing the water and being afraid, the Forerunner was trembling and cried out, saying: how will the lamp of Light illuminate? How can a slave lay his hand on the Master? Sanctify the waters for me, O Savior, take away the sin of the world.