Changes

The procession begins near midnight. The people leave the dark church building singing, carrying banners, [[icons]], candles, and the Gospel. The procession circles the outside of the church and returns to the closed front doors. Here the Gospel is read which tells of the empty tomb. Next, the [[Pascha#Hymns|Easter Troparion]] is sung for the first time, together with the verses of [[Psalm]] 68 which will begin all of the Church services during the Easter season.

:''Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered; let those who hate him flee from before his face!''

:''This is the day which the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!''

The doors are opened and the faithful re-enter. The church is brightly lit and adorned with flowers. It is the heavenly bride and the symbol of the empty tomb. The celebrants change to white vestments, the bright robes of the resurrection. The Easter icon stands in the center of the church, where the grave just was. It shows Christ destroying the gates of hell and freeing Adam and Eve from the captivity of death. There constant proclamation of the celebrant: Christ is risen! The faithful continually respond: Indeed he is risen! and censing of the icons and the people.

===Matins===

Next is the service of Easter [[Matins]]. It is entirely sung, nothing is just read in the Church services of Easter, everything is joyfully sung. The [[canon]] hymns of Christ's resurrection ascribed to St [[John of Damascus]], are chanted with the [[Pascha#Hymns|Easter Troparion]] as the constantly recurring refrain.