The cross procession

From the blog, All of Creation Rejoices:

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One of the most exciting of the occasional services in the Byzantine Rite, and one with which I have fallen in love since having become Orthodox, is the Cross Procession. It is one in which there is much active participation from the laity, in which the gathered people of God raise their hearts and voices to God in prayer, invoking the intercessions of his Saints while making procession around the outside of the church. It is a joyous service, offered in a celebratory spirit.

It is clearly rooted in an incarnational understanding of the church building, that it is a physical space, set aside and consecrated to the honour and worship of God. As such, the Cross Procession is customarily performed at the founding of a new church or monastery, and each year upon the church's patronal festival.

I am not sure where exactly the name Cross Procession originates as the Cross does feature heavily in it at different points. Firstly, the procession is headed by a Cross, which makes it stand out as a special event because the people will know from observation that the Cross is not carried during the processions at the Lesser and Great Entrances at the Divine Liturgy, (actually it is, but only when the Patriarch or other Primate/First Hierarch serves - which most people would not have witnessed regularly). Secondly, there are four stations made during the procession, forming a Cross around the outside of the Church. Thirdly, at each station, the priest blesses the people in four directions, again forming a Cross.

The Cross Procession takes one of two forms. The first is also known as the Litya (not to be confused with the Litya inserted into Vespers on the eves of Great Feasts or at Vigil on Saturdays and at other times, as appointed). This is the form that appears in the Trebnik published by the St Tikhon's Seminary Press, which has a note at the beginning saying that it is a remnant of a much grander procession which would take place around the great city of Constantinople during times of crisis. I have only ever seen this form done once. It was at my own parish because at the time we had not been taught how to do it and took it directly from the book. In this version, there is a Gospel and a Litany at each of the four stations, and a blessing of the church, town, and people with holy water at the first three, (the fourth litany is of the departed founders, benefactors, and adorners of the church, so is not followed by a blessing of the living); the procession leaves by the west door of the church and proceeds, anti-clockwise, three-quarters of the way around the church before making each station. This way, the people make a total of three circuits of the church...

Complete article here.