typika

Typika, in the plural form, refers to liturgical books used by certain Eastern Christian churches to regulate the order and content of services. The term comes from the Greek typikon, meaning “order” or “instruction.” Typika are historical and contemporary manuals associated with the Byzantine rite and related traditions, and they exist as both directives for daily practice and formal ritual books used in worship.

Function and content: A typikon prescribes the sequence of services for each day in the liturgical year, including the division of the day into Matins, the Hours, and the Divine Liturgy, along with the specific prayers, hymns, scriptural readings, and vestment rules. It provides guidance for celebrations on Sundays, feast days, fast days, and periods such as Great Lent and Holy Week. The typikon also governs movable feasts, adjustments to the liturgical calendar, the use of antiphons and the Oktoechos, and the allocation of commemorations within the rites. In many cases it further stipulates the roles of clergy and singers and the order of processions and other ceremonies.

Historical and regional use: Typika emerged in late antiquity and were developed into more formal manuals during the medieval and patristic periods. Different jurisdictions and monasteries produced regional or institutional typika, such as Athonite or Slavic editions, as well as national church adaptations. In modern times many churches publish revised typika to reflect calendar reforms, vernacular languages, or local practice, while preserving the overall liturgical framework.

See also: Typikon, liturgy, Byzantine rite, Orthodox Church.