Touching the ground when doing the cross

George95 · Mar 22, 2013

I've seen many people do it, and I always wondered why.

Dewi Sant · Mar 22, 2013

it is a 'metanoia' which means 'repentance'. A physical gesture which indicates and strengthen's one's prayer to reorientate their life toward God.

I was told the empty palm is to face out and it is a sign of expressing one's own humility by presenting no objects.
Perhaps it comes from a gesticulation of etiquette, much like the genuflection in the western church (on the left knee) was a sign of deference to a monarch or other dignitory, so too is the metanoia a sign of deference to God.

George95 · Mar 22, 2013

I had thought it was a sign of reverence. Thank you for educating me!

Gnarwhal · Mar 22, 2013

George95 said:
I've seen many people do it, and I always wondered why.

Me too. This is how an elderly man taught me how to cross myself a few weeks back. I've also noticed at my parish that during the liturgy some times people will go to the ground and other times the same people won't. Kind of confusing...

Dewi Sant said:
it is a 'metanoia' which means 'repentance'. A physical gesture which indicates and strengthen's one's prayer to reorientate their life toward God.

I was told the empty palm is to face out and it is a sign of expressing one's own humility by presenting no objects.
Perhaps it comes from a gesticulation of etiquette, much like the genuflection in the western church (on the left knee) was a sign of deference to a monarch or other dignitory, so too is the metanoia a sign of deference to God.

Cool, thanks for the info.

GreekOrthodox · Mar 22, 2013

Fudge, it is all pretty personal. Russians tend to do the floor touch more than other "flavors". Im a convert to the Greek church, but I have a heavy dose of Russian practice. Since we have pews in our church, the only time I can really do the floor sweep (okay I have no flexibility) is right before communion.

-Kyriaki- · Mar 23, 2013

It's personal piety, so it varies from person to person although the local tradition will influence it. I usually do bows to the floor like that before venerating an icon on an icon stand, before venerating relics in a normal reliquary (not brought out specially for us in which case I'd do full prostrations) and before holy communion. I do normal crossing for everything else pretty much, lent aside where there's prostrations EVERYWHERE of both kinds.

I'm "greek" tradition with influences from just about everywhere else, for what it's worth.

buzuxi02 · Mar 23, 2013

Many of the Greek church's have pews, so doing a full prostration may end up with you hitting your forehead or chin on the bench inn front of you.

Crossing yourself is a blessing as well as a form of protection from any evil. Thus when we prostrate ourselves, the sign of the cross covers our entire body.

Gnarwhal · Mar 23, 2013

-Kyriaki- said:
It's personal piety, so it varies from person to person although the local tradition will influence it. I usually do bows to the floor like that before venerating an icon on an icon stand, before venerating relics in a normal reliquary (not brought out specially for us in which case I'd do full prostrations) and before holy communion. I do normal crossing for everything else pretty much, lent aside where there's prostrations EVERYWHERE of both kinds.

I'm "greek" tradition with influences from just about everywhere else, for what it's worth.

Yes, when I was shown how to venerate the icons I was shown to cross myself all the way down to the floor.

ArmyMatt · Mar 23, 2013

I always thought it was a matter of personal piety when someone bows. sorta like how some folks touch their heart after they make their cross

Mariya116 · Mar 23, 2013

GreekOrthodox said:
Fudge, it is all pretty personal. Russians tend to do the floor touch more than other "flavors". Im a convert to the Greek church, but I have a heavy dose of Russian practice. Since we have pews in our church, the only time I can really do the floor sweep (okay I have no flexibility) is right before communion.

At my Americanized church, singers up in the choir touch the floor after making the sign of the cross when the words "this is my body" and "this is my blood" sound. In ethnic Russian churches in Russia in the United States, I've never seen people crossing themselves then touching the floor. Folks either do a small bow, a deep waist bow, or a prostration. Maybe touching the floor is supposed to be a simplified prostration? I'd rather do a real prostration when it is supposed to be done since I am young and able-bodied and I'd be embarrassed to opt for a shortcut.

katherine2001 · Mar 23, 2013

A full metanoia is different than a full prostration. For instance, we do the full metanoia when we do the "God cleanse me a sinner" 12 times after saying the prayer of St. Ephraim during Lent (you cross yourself and then bend down and touch the floor). I've also seen it done when singing the Trisagion during Liturgy and the "Amen, Amen, Amen" at the end of the consecration of the gifts during the Liturgy as well. I also tend to do it when venerating icons as well. These are how I was taught to do things, and that it is more reverent than just crossing yourself and bowing. Prostrations are used at different times than full metanoias. For instance, in the Russian tradition, there is no kneeling on Sundays according to the canons, so Russians don't kneel during the consecration of the gifts, as is often done in the Greek tradition.

Mariya116 · Mar 23, 2013

katherine2001 said:
For instance, in the Russian tradition, there is no kneeling on Sundays according to the canons, so Russians don't kneel during the consecration of the gifts, as is often done in the Greek tradition.

Correct, there is no kneeling on Sundays and feast days.

gzt · Mar 23, 2013

There are specific times when it is performed - it is different from merely crossing oneself.

Joseph Hazen · Mar 23, 2013

Lots of ethnic Russians and Serbs do it at my parish. I was told it developed as a compromise - full prostrations were forbidden on Sundays, and certain other days, so it became common just to touch the floor as a symbol of your repentance. Over time it became its own action, meant to be done at certain times and such. Though technically this is called a 'half-metanoia' and the full prostration is called a 'full-metanoia' I've seen most people call the full-prostration "a prostration" and the half-prostration "a metanoia."

But as others have said it's generally personal piety; my wife does two metanoias and kisses the Icon then finishes with a third metanoia to venerate the Icons. I just do two crosses with a bow and then kiss with a third cross and bow after that. Others just cross once then kiss, or do a single metanoia then kiss, or do two crosses without bows, etc. etc. etc.

gurneyhalleck1 · Mar 23, 2013

Or you can do a third of a metanoia three times to make one full one, kiss the icon, then do a half metanoia followed by two one-fourth metanoias, kiss the icon again, then do 8 1/8 metanoias with a kiss.

Isn't it funny how we're all describing how to do this and the variations?

Joseph Hazen said:
Lots of ethnic Russians and Serbs do it at my parish. I was told it developed as a compromise - full prostrations were forbidden on Sundays, and certain other days, so it became common just to touch the floor as a symbol of your repentance. Over time it became its own action, meant to be done at certain times and such. Though technically this is called a 'half-metanoia' and the full prostration is called a 'full-metanoia' I've seen most people call the full-prostration "a prostration" and the half-prostration "a metanoia."

But as others have said it's generally personal piety; my wife does two metanoias and kisses the Icon then finishes with a third metanoia to venerate the Icons. I just do two crosses with a bow and then kiss with a third cross and bow after that. Others just cross once then kiss, or do a single metanoia then kiss, or do two crosses without bows, etc. etc. etc.

Adaephon · Mar 23, 2013

When I converted, I also got really confused by the fact that everyone was doing things different, like when they venerated the icons on entering the church some would touch the ground, some would just bow, etc. etc., and I tried to figure out the "right way" to do things.

Then I gave up trying to figure out the "right way", and now I just do a deep bow with the occasional metanoia just when it seems cool. Touching my hand to the ground when I bow has never seemed all that profound, and it carries the inherent danger of banging my head awkwardly into the butt of the person in front of me.

I'd rather do full prostrations, honestly.

GreekOrthodox · Mar 24, 2013

gurneyhalleck1 said:
Or you can do a third of a metanoia three times to make one full one, kiss the icon, then do a half metanoia followed by two one-fourth metanoias, kiss the icon again, then do 8 1/8 metanoias with a kiss.

Isn't it funny how we're all describing how to do this and the variations?

You do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around
And that's what it's all about!

Brian

gurneyhalleck1 · Mar 24, 2013

You do a half metanoia, kiss the icon, but your hand don't touch the ground, that's what it's all about! LOL

GreekOrthodox said:
You do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around
And that's what it's all about!

Brian

-Kyriaki- · Mar 24, 2013

I love how there are so many variations - when I first started out I was so freaked out at not knowing what to do and not doing it RIGHT until I figured out that for most things there is no 'right way' and just to 'go with it' Everyone seems to find their way of doing it, and nobody seems to care as long as it isn't the opposite of the norm or something. I do a full prostration for the consecration no matter what day of the week it is, but I have enough sense not to do that on a Sunday in a Russian parish The first time I ever saw it done, actually, was by my now-parish priest who had already served Liturgy that day and got there late and so was in the congregation (long story) at the Antiochian parish I was attending at the time, on a weekday - and he managed it despite being in the middle of a pew! Nobody seems to notice what anyone else does, and I like that.

Oh, and here's a quirk that arose out of practicality - the way I was taught to do the prayer of St Ephraim was with twelve "half metanoias" touching the ground between the last verse and the repetition of the last verse, saying God cleanse me the sinner at each one. We have laminate floorboards and no rugs in my room and our living room, where I end up praying. My fingernails touching the ground tends to make a noise and people notice...so I do it and tap on top of my toes instead, making no noise (for some reason the actual prostrations are quieter???) and that works, although it's not exactly the norm...

Touching the ground when doing the cross

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