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The sticharion (also stikharion or stichar; Greek: στιχάριον; Slavonic: Стиха́рь - Stikhár’) is a Divine Liturgy vestment of the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, roughly analogous in function to the alb of the Western Church. The sticharion is worn by all classes of ordained ministers in the Byzantine Rite and comes in two forms: one worn by and one worn by and other .
The sticharion is derived from the chiton, a long, sleeved garment which reached to the ground and was worn in ancient times by both men and women.
In the Russian tradition, a bishop's sticharion can be more elaborately embellished than a priest's and is sometimes called a podsakkosnik (Russian language:подсаккосник), i.e., "under-sakkos".
Coptic priests wear a white sticharion with a large cross on the front and back, and smaller ones on each sleeve. "Ⲓⲏ̅̅ⲥ̅̅ Ⲡⲓⲭ̅̅ⲥ̅̅ ̀Ⲡϣⲏⲣⲓ ̀ⲙⲫ̅ϯ" (Nomina Sacra for Ⲓⲏⲥⲟⲥ Ⲡⲓ̀ⲭⲣⲏⲥⲧⲟⲥ ̀Ⲡϣⲏⲣⲓ ̀ⲙⲪⲛⲟⲩϯ), meaning "Jesus Christ the Son of God," is usually written around the crosses. An epitrachelion-like garment is usually worn on top but not used during lesser services, along with other garments on special occasions. Chaldean Catholic and Assyrian priests wore a similar alb-like garment, called a kottinâ. The Syriac kuttino is now almost always white also. The Armenian patmucan and Ethiopian qamis are similar to the sticharion.
Before vesting, the deacon or altar servicemen will take his sticharion for the priest (or bishop, if he is present) to bless before he puts it on. Bishops and priests will bless their vestments themselves before vesting. Each minister will kiss the cross on the back of their phelonion before putting it on.
When vesting for the Divine Liturgy priests and deacons say the following vesting prayers as they put on the garments:
When a bishop is vesting before the Divine Liturgy the prayer above is read by the Protodeacon, as the subdeacons place the vestment upon him. Sometimes this prayer is chanted by the choir during the vesting of the bishop.
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