It occurred to us that many people may (especially those who do not attend it) may not understand what the Compline Service is, and why we celebrate it on the eve of the Nativity. The following is a compilation of materials from various Orthodox websites… The compline is effectively a private prayer that is read in the evenings. The great compline is an extended version that is sung on the evening before three (3) feast days - Christmas, Theophany and Annunciation - as well as during the first week of Great Lent. Usually in a darkened church with candles flickering, the priest and reader start the service with the opening prayers and psalms, at which point the priest and choir cry out the joyous hymn “God is with us! - З нами Бог!” The service continues with the words of the prophecy of Isaiah. At compline there is also the singing of the Tropar and Kondak of the feast along with the special hymns glorifying the Saviour’s birth. There are also the special long litanies of intercession and the solemn blessing of the five loaves of bread together with the wheat and the wine of which the faithful partake and the oil with which they are anointed. This part of the festal vigil, which is done on all great feasts, is called the litia. What are the key aspects of and the meaning of this service? Compline is held on the evening of the prescribe feast, often before Matins (in those parishes which observe the Matins service). This is a penitential and prayerful service anticipating the joy of Christmas, asking for God's protection through the night. The service itself has a particular structure, and is divided into three parts, beginning with blessings and psalms of repentance, followed by psalms of trust, and concluding with prayers of praise, including the Creed. This service is a spiritual preparation for the Feast, marking the completion of the day's prayers with themes of vigilance and God's coming to save humanity. In essence, it's a deeply spiritual, communal "after-supper" prayer that sets the tone for the joyous celebration of Christ's birth, contrasting the darkness of the world with the coming Light.