Tengrinews.kz - Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan said where and when the services in honor of Orthodox Christmas will be held in Kazakhstan.
The Metropolitan noted that the festive service will be held on Christmas Eve in all the churches of the country.
"During the days of the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus, we will offer fervent prayers for peace, for the end of hostility, for the eradication of hatred and malice. It is necessary to banish every unkind word and deed from our lives (...) This year, as in previous years, the Ascension Cathedral of Almaty, which is located in the Park of 28 Panfilov Heroes, will be the venue for the main celebrations for the residents of Almaty. In the Assumption Cathedral, the main church of the Republic of Kazakhstan, in Astana, the festive service will be performed by His Grace Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, who is the vicar of the Astana diocese," Metropolitan Alexander said at a press conference.
The services in Astana and in other churches of Kazakhstan will begin on the night of January 7, or more precisely, on January 6 at 11 P.M.
Christmas is one of the main Christian holidays, established in honor of the birth in the flesh of Jesus Christ from the Virgin Mary. In Orthodoxy, it is one of the twelve great feasts of the Lord and is preceded by a 40-day Nativity Fast.
In Kazakhstan, Orthodox Christmas is a holiday, a day off. This year, January 7 falls on Tuesday. Accordingly, on this day, Kazakhstanis will rest.
