Holy Saturday Morning - Liturgy

At the Holy Saturday morning service, also known as the First Resurrection or Vesperal Divine Liturgy of St. Basil, the Solea becomes a place of joyful anticipation and dramatic symbolism. Though the Epitaphios still rests in the flower-covered kouvouklion at the center, the mood shifts from sorrow to hope as the Church begins to proclaim Christ’s victory over death.

During the service, the priest reads prophecies and prayers foretelling the Resurrection, and the tone grows brighter. At a climactic moment, the priest scatters bay leaves or rose petals throughout the church—often from the Solea—symbolizing Christ’s triumph over death and the beginning of new life. The sounds of bells and the change in chanting reflect this shift. The dark vestments are sometimes replaced with bright ones, and the faithful sense the nearness of Pascha. It is a powerful liturgical moment where mourning begins to give way to joy, and the Church…