Traditions and customs of Orthodox holidays.

Research object: traditions and customs of Orthodox holidays.

Objective of the research: to learn as much as possible about the traditions and customs of Orthodox holidays: Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Trinity.

Research objectives:

· Contribute to the formation of a respectful attitude towards the traditions and customs of their people;

· Develop cognitive motivation, the desire to know as much historical information as possible about the traditions of celebrating folk holidays;

· To get acquainted with the history of the main Orthodox holidays and their customs;

· To conduct a survey among school students in order to identify their attitude to these holidays.

Research methods:

Search engine (collection of information);

Questioning;

Generalization.

Introduction.

We celebrate a huge number of holidays: personal, state, church. At the same time, we perform certain actions, for example, we go to a rally or swim in an ice hole. But why are we doing this? Many will say that it is customary, everyone does it. But behind every, even generally accepted action, there is a certain meaning. Many foreign holidays have entered our modern life: Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, City Day - behind all this diversity, the primordial Russian culture, our Orthodox holidays and customs are lost.

In 988. Rus was baptized, baptized into Orthodoxy. And from that moment, whatever happens in our country, faith has always saved the Russian people. And it was so because our ancestors honored their roots, knew Orthodox holidays and observed traditions.

The Orthodox Church has established 12 major holidays. They are called twins.

1. Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos - September 21.

2. Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord - September 27.

3. Entry into the temple of the Most Holy Theotokos - December 4.

12. Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos - 28 August.

The main holiday is Easter.

In our project, we will focus on the four most revered Orthodox holidays, as well as the patronal holiday of the village of Kopyl, the day of memory of the Archangel Michael.

Nativity.

The holiday of Christmas is celebrated on January 7th. This holiday is preceded by a 40-day Christmas or Filippov fast. The Virgin Mary and her husband Joseph left Nazareth for Bethlehem. In that year, the emperor Augustus conducted a population census. Every Jew had to register in the place where he was born and where his ancestors lived. And since Mary and Joseph were natives of Bethlehem, they went to this city. The journey took 40 days, therefore, that is how long the fast lasts. Maria was expecting a baby, so they wanted to find a shelter for the night as soon as possible. But since the city was overcrowded, they found a place only in the stable. The day before Christmas is called Christmas Eve. This day of strict fasting, only after sunset is allowed, to eat juicy: boiled rice with honey and fruit, honey "pancakes" and lean pies.

According to an old legend, on the eve of Christmas, at midnight, the heavenly gates are opened, and the Son of God descends from the heights of the sky beyond the clouds. During this solemn appearance, the "glorious paradise" reveals to the eyes of righteous people all its invaluable treasures, all its inexplicable secrets. All the waters in the rivers of paradise come to life and move; the springs are transformed into wine and endowed with miraculous power for this great night; in the gardens of paradise, flowers bloom on the trees and golden apples are poured. If someone prays for something at midnight, something to ask for, everything will come true, it will come true, as it is written, the people say.

When Christ was born, a bright star lit up in the sky. That is why at Christmas they put a fir tree as a symbol of eternal life and crown it with a star - a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem. It is customary to give gifts at Christmas, and this ceremony is also not accidental. The Newborn Christ came to greet the Magi Melchior, Gaspar, Belshazzar with gifts. They brought gold, incense and myrrh. We also present each other on this day with wishes of health and longevity. The church and people rejoice over the event that took place on this day - the union of man and God, which became the beginning of the salvation of mankind from slavery to sin and death.

Celebration of the Nativity of Christ in the royal chambers of the 16-17th centuries. began the day before, early in the morning. The king made a secret exit. First, he visited the Great Prison Yard. He listened to the complaints of the convicts - he released some of them at his own royal gracious will and quick trial, to others he eased the bonds, to the third he gave out a ruble and a half for a holiday. All the "inmates" of the prison, by order of the sovereign, were assigned a festive grub on the great days.

Then the sovereign wiped out from his hands every poor man he met. Returning to the chambers, the king went to his chambers to rest. After resting and changing his clothes, he went to church.

Thus, the sovereigns of Moscow and “all Rus” loved to mark all great holidays with deeds of benevolence.

Baptism.

Baptism of the Lord - January 19. At the time when John the Baptist was preaching on the banks of the Jordan River and baptizing people, Jesus turned 30. He also came to the Jordan River to receive the baptism from John. After baptism, when Jesus Christ came out of the water, heaven suddenly opened above him, and John saw the spirit of God descending on Christ in the form of a dove. And they all heard a voice from heaven: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." When the Son of God was immersed in the river, the water changed, acquired vitality, became holy. She healed the souls and bodies of people plunging into the river. Since then, every year, priests have illuminated the sources: rivers, lakes, wells and wells. At the same time, they say special prayers and immerse the cross in the water. One drop of consecrated water is enough for all water to become holy. For three days, the laity in the churches are given baptismal water, which is kept all year round. In Russia, Epiphany bathing existed for Epiphany. It was believed that on this day you need to plunge into an ice-hole to cleanse your soul and body. The hole was made in the form of a cross, and was called "Jordan".

On Epiphany Eve, Orthodox people put signs of the cross with chalk on all doors, on all window frames, in order to protect their homes from evil spirits.

Many beliefs related to the fate of a person are associated with the holiday of Epiphany in folk Russia, for example, if someone is baptized on this day, then according to the word of folk wisdom, he will be the happiest person on earth. It is considered a good omen if they get married on this day.

Folk omens associated with the feast of Epiphany.

ü Inflate snow under Epiphany - bread will arrive.

ü Will roll snow all the way to fences - bad summer. There is a yield in between.

ü If in the evening before Epiphany a scattering of stars shines with a bright light in the sky, it will be good this year the sheep will lamb.

ü If a snowstorm sweeps across Epiphany, it will snow almost until the Holy One.

ü If dogs bark a lot at Epiphany, there will be plenty of all kinds of animals and game.

ü Snow in flakes - for the harvest, clearly - for the poor.

ü At Epiphany noon, blue clouds - for a fruitful year.

ü On Epiphany the day is warm - the bread will be dark.

Easter is a holiday of all holidays.

Bright Resurrection of Christ - Easter. Easter in translation from the ancient Hebrew language means "salvation". But the ancient Jews fled from the Egyptian yoke, and we, the Orthodox, celebrate the salvation of the human soul on this day. The feast of Great Easter was established in the city of Nicaea in 325. ad. Easter is celebrated only on Sunday and never happens on the same date.

Easter Sunday is preceded by a period of fasting when people eat lean food. This fast lasts 40 days, starting on the Monday after Forgiveness Sunday and ending on the Saturday before the great Sunday holiday. This post serves as a reminder that Jesus Christ prayed and fasted for 40 days in the wilderness.

On Easter, the bell rings especially solemnly. Throughout Bright Week, anyone can climb the bell tower and call in honor of the holiday.

On this day we eat cakes, which symbolize Golgotha, the mountain on which Christ was crucified.

We greet each other differently. We say: "Christ is Risen!" and to this we hear the answer "Truly He is Risen!"

We paint eggs. The red egg is a symbol of a miracle. There is a parable that Mary Magdalene came to the emperor of Rome to glorify Christ. But the emperor had to come with gifts, and she had nothing but a chicken egg, which she presented to him. After finishing her sermon, Mary was about to leave. But the emperor said: "More likely this egg will turn red than I will believe everything that you said!" And a miracle happened - the egg turned red.

Since then, it has been customary to give colored eggs for Easter.

The tsar, boyars, rich people distributed generous alms on this day: they presented prisoners, the sick, the poor with money, new things, painted Easter eggs.

In addition to painted natural eggs, souvenir eggs were also prepared. Eggs were carved from wood and painted on gold with bright herbal patterns. Artists-jewelers glorified the Faberge firm with their imagination in the manufacture of Easter souvenirs from gold and silver with enamels and precious stones. The amazing red and blue lacquered eggs made of papier-mâché were made by the icon painters of Palekh and Mstera. They decorated them with miniatures with Christian subjects. Some wooden eggs were covered with oil or enamel paint and painted on them with bright colored patterns, images of saints, or just the letters "X" and "B" - Christ is Risen. Such eggs were called in different places in their own way: "dyes", "Easter eggs", "huts".

In the 18-19th centuries, in addition to bone and wood eggs, they began to make eggs from glass and crystal with carvings; from precious metals and stones; made of porcelain, and even embroidered with beads and silk.

In Russian cities, starting from the end of the 19th century. and before the beginning of the 20th century, the custom of giving Easter eggs became mandatory for everyone.

Easter egg customs.

1. Easter eggs can be stored for a year, until next Easter. The remains of Easter eggs were buried in the ground.

2. In the old days, Easter eggs were buried in a tub of grain that was prepared for sowing. This could suggest that a rich harvest awaits the owners.

3. People who built their houses embedded a painted egg into the foundation of the house. This egg served as a talisman against evil forces, against the destruction of the house.

4. If they went into the field and took a colored egg with them, they threw it up so that the bread was high.

5. And today eggshells from colored eggs are collected and scattered across the fields for a better harvest.

6. When the cattle were first driven out into the field, they rolled them with a colored egg along the ridge of the animal so that it became full and round like an egg.

7. Eggs were used to treat human diseases. For example, a splinter of an eggshell was strung on a woolen thread and worn on the body against colds and fevers.

8. The Easter egg is used to commemorate the dead. It was believed that if you come to the grave of the dead with an Easter egg, which was presented to you first on Easter Sunday, then it would be possible to communicate with deceased relatives through the egg.

9. It is customary to give colored eggs to each other for happiness and health. This is a symbol of the good disposition of people towards each other.

10. Earlier, painted eggs were given by brides to their grooms, and grooms to brides as a sign of love and fidelity.

Did you know that ...

─ The most ancient pattern of Easter eggs is geometric;

─ Easter eggs often feature an oak leaf pattern. The oak leaf is a symbol of the harmony of beauty and strength.

─ In the painting of Easter eggs, red, yellow, green, blue, blue, brown colors are most often present.

o Red is a sign of happiness, light;

o yellow - a sign of the sun;

o green is a sign of life;

o blue - a sign of the sky;

o blue is the color of night and mystery;

o brown is the color of the earth.

─ Often in the painting of Easter eggs there are triangles that denote the unity of spirit, mind and body, the unity of the present, past and future, the unity of the family - mom, dad, child, the unity of the earthly elements - earth, water, fire.

─ Carl Faberge is a master jeweler, who for the first time in 1895. By order of Emperor Alexander III, he made a golden Easter egg, which was made of white enamel in a golden crown with rubies.

─ Most of Carl Faberge's Easter eggs included some kind of surprise. For example, in an egg that was made in 1891. A model of the cruiser "Memory of Azov" is hiding.

─ In total, 56 jewelry was made in the form of Easter eggs by Cala Faberge.

─ In Russia, you can admire the collection of jewelry Easter eggs in the exposition of the Armory Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin.

Trinity.

Trinity is Pentecost. Celebrated on the 50th day after Easter on the first Sunday of summer. In Russia, this holiday was similar to meeting the New Year, only on the New Year they decorated a Christmas tree, and on Trinity - a birch tree.

Trinity was considered a girl's holiday. The girls took refreshments with them - pies, cheesecakes - and went into the forest, where they found an elegant birch tree. They tied bows on its branches and asked them to fulfill their wishes. On Trinity Day, it was customary to weave wreaths of flowers, make wishes and throw wreaths into the water. If the wreath floated, then the wish will come true.

Quarrels were not allowed on Trinity. And if a quarrel broke out between someone, such people were immediately ordered to kiss through the wreath. It was believed that in this way people became relatives, godfathers, and godfathers should not quarrel with each other, but they could only give gifts to each other. But these were pagan rites.

On this day, under the domes of the temple, as under a blessed sky, not only man, but also all nature glorifies the Holy Trinity: herbs, flowers, trees.

On this day, everyone adorns both churches and their homes with birch branches and bright flowers in honor of the Spirit of God. And in the villages the floors are covered with fresh grass - and how wonderful it smells in every hut!

OUR RESEARCH.

Traditions and customs of holidays in the village of Kopyl.

The people of our village inherited from their ancestors many traditions that have partially survived to this day:

· At Christmas, they glorified Christ, the mummers walked, whoever entered the house first was put on a fur coat at the doorway and they said: “There are little kids, calves, calves, hens rush” with the aim of keeping this house running. Christians received sweets, pancakes, gingerbread, and sometimes money - 1 kopeck, rarely 10 kopecks. On the eve of the holiday they gave a secret alms: they would bring some thing or food, put it on the doorstep, knock on the window, and leave.

· Easter was considered the greatest and most anticipated holiday. It took a long time to prepare for it. They cleaned the house, prepared various dishes. We fasted for 40 days. On Easter, they rolled colored eggs, exchanged them, rang the bells, and did not work in the field for the entire Easter week. They made sure to bake the cakes themselves; no one ate anything before mass. We shared food with the poor and the sick, fed them. If a beggar came to a holiday, she was seated at the table, it was believed that the Lord himself visited this house.

· On Trinity, the house was decorated with twigs of trees, and the floors were covered with grass. We went to the cemetery with branches. The eggs were dyed green with grass.

· On Epiphany they swam in the ice-hole. The whole house, yard, clothes were sprinkled with Epiphany water. The food was eaten after sprinkling with water. We drew crosses on the doors with chalk.

· St. Michael's Day was considered a patronal holiday in Kopyl. On this day, the largest number of weddings was celebrated in the village. The church hitching posts were overflowing with horses with dressed-up teams. There was no end to the wedding couples. Kopyl was famous for its merry weddings with stringy old songs, with vociferous accordions, with perky dances. On this patronal holiday, Kopyl was bursting with guests who came to each house from other villages. For the patronal day, the owners prepared a treat in advance: they cooked meat, rubbed noodles and pastries, baked pancakes. For tea, gludki (sugar loaves) were crushed with special tongs. A huge samovar was placed on the table, and after the meal, they “drove” teas for a long, long time.

Questioning.

We conducted a survey among the students of our school:

· - Which of the Orthodox holidays is your favorite for your family?

· - What does it mean to you? What feelings awakens in your soul?

· - How do you prepare for this holiday?

We found out that children give the greatest preference to the holidays of Easter and Christmas. With the onset of these holidays, the soul becomes pleasant, light, joyful to see smiles on the faces of passers-by and to hear congratulations, you feel good. Preparations are underway for each holiday: delicious treats are prepared, the house is cleaned. For Easter, Easter cakes are lit, eggs are painted, at Christmas they glorify Christ and receive gifts, money, and gifts for this. During the holidays, lamps are lit in front of the icons in the house.

Generalization.

Acquaintance with the customs of Orthodox holidays, the study made it possible to conclude that some traditions in our village of Kopyl are honored and observed.

Christianity, like any religion, honors saints or celebrates events in the life of the church on certain days of the calendar. Christian holidays are rooted in ancient ritual traditions associated with specific stages, types of economic activities, annual astronomical or calendar cycle. Conventionally, they are divided into all Christians (recognized by the Orthodox, Catholic, most Protestant churches) and confessional (marked only by individual confessions). The most important of them relate to the twelve feasts - the twelve most important holidays after Easter, which the church celebrates with solemn divine services.

Nativity. This is one of the main holidays of Christianity associated with the birth of Jesus Christ. In Catholicism, it is celebrated on December 25, in Orthodoxy (refers to the twelve holidays) on January 7. Establishing itself in different countries, this holiday absorbed the rituals and customs of other religions, folk holidays, acquiring new features that corresponded to Christian dogmas.

The very tradition of Christmas reaches its sources in primitive cult actions. The church assigns the main role in its dogmatic sense to the teaching of the birth of Jesus Christ, who appeared to atone for the sins of people, to show mankind the way to salvation. Indeed, in Ancient Egypt, for example, on January 6, they celebrated the birthday of the god of water, vegetation, the owner of the afterlife, Osiris. In ancient Greece, the birth of Dionysus was celebrated on the same day. In Iran, on December 25, the birth of the god of the sun, purity and truth, Mithra, was celebrated.

In Kievan Rus, the feast of the Nativity of Christ came along with Christianity in the 10th century. and merged with the ancient Slavic winter holiday - Christmastide (lasted for 12 days - from December 25 (January 7) to January 6 (19)). The Orthodox Church tried in every possible way to replace them with the holiday of the Nativity of Christ, but the holidays and customs existing among the Eastern Slavs were so deeply rooted that it was forced to combine church holidays with folk ones. So, the church combined carols with the gospel story of the star of Bethlehem, which announced the birth of Christ. "Pagan" carols turned into a walk of Christians with a star to their homes. Children were widely involved in the glorification of Christ. The believers thanked them with gifts.

Since 1990. Christmas Day is an official holiday on the territory of Ukraine.

Baptism of the Lord (Vodokhrischa, Baptism of Water, Epiphany). It is one of the main holidays in Christianity. In Orthodoxy it belongs to the Twelve Great Feasts. Catholics celebrate January 6th, Orthodox Christians celebrate January 19th. It was introduced in memory of the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. It is also called the Epiphany, because, according to the Gospel, during the baptism on Jesus, God the Holy Spirit descended from heaven in the form of a dove.

In Christianity, it was introduced in the 2nd half of the 2nd century, and was first celebrated together with the Nativity of Christ. In the IV Art. this day began to be celebrated separately. The Church regards it as a "holiday of enlightenment" of the nations, because, according to the teaching, it was with baptism that Jesus began to enlighten them with the light of the gospel truth.

This holiday was always celebrated very solemnly. His main rite is the consecration of water in the church and in the ice hole. A procession was going to the ice hole, solemn prayers were heard. The consecration of water in churches is still taking place today.

Sprinkling with water existed in many pre-Christian religions. Spiritual phenomena of nature, people also spiritualized water as an important source of life. In the early stages of its development, Christianity did not know the rite of baptism; it borrowed it somewhat later from the ancient cults, which assigned an important role to the rite of “cleansing” a person from any “filth” or “evil” with the help of water. According to ancient beliefs, water cleansed people from "evil spirits", "demons". Therefore, among the ancient peoples there was a custom to sprinkle water on newborns.

Candlemas. It is celebrated as one of the twelve feasts on February 15, on the occasion of the meeting (meeting) of the righteous Simeon with the baby Jesus, whom his parents brought to the Jerusalem temple on the fortieth day after his birth to be presented to God. It was then that Simeon predicted to Jesus his messenger mission of the Savior of people. This is stated in the Gospel of. Luke. By introducing the holiday, the church was concerned not only with the dissemination of the ideas of Christianity, but also with the "truth to the facts" of the biography of Christ, emphasizing the obligation of believers to bring babies to the temple within 40 days after birth. In addition, the church tried to protect Christians from ancient cults, since the Romans served "cleansing", repentance, and fasting in February, believing that before the spring fieldwork began, it was necessary to "cleanse from sins" and "evil spirits" by sacrifices to spirits and gods. The main cleansing rite fell on February 15, when people with torches in their hands drove out the evil spirits of winter cold and disease.

For a long time, supporters of Orthodoxy did not recognize the Meeting. Later they gave it the meaning of a holiday of purification. This is how it appeared in Russia, having established itself, mainly, as a church holiday. In the popular consciousness, the Meeting marked the end of winter and the beginning of spring economic concerns, as evidenced by the popular belief: "On Meeting, winter meets summer."

Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. This twelve feast is celebrated on the last Sunday before Easter. Everyday its name is Palm Sunday, before the day of Holy Week, timed to "mention the sufferings of Christ."

According to the calendar, it is directly adjacent to Easter and does not have a fixed date. It was introduced in the IV Art. as an important stage in preparation for Easter. At the heart of the biblical legend about the entry of Jesus Christ with the apostles into Jerusalem, accompanied by the creation of miracles. The people joyfully greeted the Son of God with palm branches.

In Russia, the ritual meaning of palm branches was transferred to pussy willow branches, which bloom at this time, and, according to popular belief, protect from evil spirits. The celebration of the Lord's entry into Jerusalem is intended to induce believers to open their hearts to the teaching of Christ about the resurrection and eternal salvation, as did the inhabitants of Ancient Jerusalem.

Ascension of the Lord. It is celebrated on the fortieth day after Easter. And the very moment of the ascension to heaven of the resurrected after the execution of Christ completes his earthly biography. In everyday life, it is very common and remains purely churchly. Its content generates among believers the idea of ​​the frailty of earthly life and directs them to Christian asceticism for the sake of achieving the "eternal".

Christian theology claims that the ascension of Christ opens the way for the righteous to heaven, in the resurrection after death. This idea existed long before the rise of Christianity. Beliefs in the ascension of people, heroes and gods to heaven were common among the Phoenicians, Jews and other peoples.

Trinity (Pentecost). The holiday established in honor of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Christ on the fiftieth day after his resurrection, as a result of which they began to speak in different languages ​​that they did not know before. It is called to focus the attention of believers on the voice of the church, which carries the "Word of God", to attract them to the preaching of Christianity by other "languages", that is, to other nations. Celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter. In Orthodoxy it belongs to the Twelve Great Feasts.

The concept of the divine trinity existed long before Christianity. In the process of the formation of the Christian religion, it became necessary to link it with the legends of the Old Testament. Therefore, in the New Testament books, Christ is presented as the son of the Hebrew god Yahweh, as the hypostasis of one God, which is evidenced by the step of Christianity from polytheism to monotheism. Accordingly, Christianity has borrowed many Jewish holidays, including the Feast of Pentecost. Among the ancient Jews, it arose with their transition to agriculture and was associated with the completion of the harvest, which lasted "seven weeks", that is, seven weeks, accompanied by the offering of bread from the new harvest to local field spirits and deities. Christianity has given him a new foundation.

In the majority of Eastern Slavs, the Trinity holiday merged with the local holiday seven (another name is "trinity"), borrowing its everyday meaning. The ancient Slavs associated the seven with the completion of spring work, trying to appease the spirits of vegetation during the period of flowering and harvest. An important element of the Orthodox holiday of the Trinity is the commemoration of the spirits of deceased relatives (memorial Saturday). In Ukraine since 1990. Trinity is an official holiday.

Saved. This is one of three holidays dedicated to the Savior Jesus Christ. It is based on the gospel story of the transfiguration of Christ, who at the end of his earthly life brought his disciples (Peter, James, John) to the mountain and during prayer completely changed: his face shone, his clothes became white, shiny, and a voice from heaven confirmed his divine origin. Christian teaching claims that Jesus wanted to reinforce faith in his disciples and prove to them that he is truly the Son of God.

This event is associated with the holiday of the Transfiguration ("apple" Savior), which is celebrated on August 19. On this day, they not only glorify Jesus Christ, but also bless apples and other fruits (according to folk custom, since then they can be consumed).

An important feature of the Savior, like many other holidays, is the combination of Christian pathos with calendar rituals and customs of cleansing from evil spirits. For example, during the celebration of "honey" spas ("makoveya"), which takes place on August 14, fresh honey is consecrated in the church. Installed in 1164 in honor of the victory of the Byzantines over the Muslims. We especially honor this day in Russian Orthodoxy, since it is believed that it was on August 14 that the great Kiev prince Vladimir was baptized. The third - "bread" spas is celebrated on August 29, coinciding with the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter sowing. Christianity associates it with the celebration of the image of Christ not made by hands, imprinted on a towel and transferred to Abgar, the king of Edessa.

In many parishes there is also a feast for the Savior (temple).

Exaltation of the Holy Cross. One of the twelve great holidays dedicated to the cult of the Cross as a symbol of the Christian faith. The church connects several events with the cross. According to legend, the Roman emperor Constantine, before one of his largest battles, had a vision: in the sky, a shining cross with the inscription "By this, conquer!" That same night, Jesus Christ himself appeared to the emperor in a dream and advised him to take the banner with the image of the cross into battle. Constantine did so, in addition, ordered his legionnaires to draw the sign of the cross on their shields. In the battle, Constantine won a victory and since then believed in the miraculous power of the cross, although historical facts testify that in commemoration of victory, Constantine ordered the minting of coins depicting pagan gods, who, he believed, helped him in the battle with his enemies.

The church established this holiday in memory of the receipt by the mother of the Roman emperor Helen in the IV century. the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. To be seen by the people, the cross was raised (erected) on Mount Golgotha, where Christ was executed, and on the place where the cross was found, a temple was built, consecration of which took place on September 13, 335.

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross is solemnly celebrated on September 27. It is accompanied by lavish rituals. During the service, a cross decorated with flowers is brought out and installed in the middle of the temple. The ceremony is accompanied by ringing and church chants.

Believers revere the cross as a symbol of Christianity as a symbol of redemption, suffering and salvation, believing that every person, like Christ, must overcome his own "way of the cross".

Theotokos holidays. They cover the feast in honor of the Virgin Mary - the mother of Jesus Christ (Mother of God). These are the Nativity of the Virgin, the Introduction to the Church of the Virgin, the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the feast of the Dormition, the Intercession (the first four are referred to as the twelve) and many holidays in honor of the "miraculous" icons of the Virgin.

In the celebration of Mary the Mother of God, there are traces of veneration by the ancient peoples of the goddess of the earth, who gave birth to a savior, a son of God - the god of vegetation. The creation of the image of the Christian Mother of God was influenced by the ideas of the ancient Egyptians about the goddess Izidu. Christianity depicts the Mother of God as "the queen of heaven", a winged celestial dweller, "enveloped in the sun." She has a wreath of twelve stars on her head. The ancient Egyptian goddess Izida was also depicted as the queen of heaven, believing that she gave birth to a divine son, the savior Horus. The Christian Mother of God has similarities with the goddess of the Syrians and the Phoenicians Astarte.

The ancient peoples worshiped these goddesses, considering them to be the deities of the fertility of the earth and livestock, the intercessors of agriculture.

From pre-Christian religions she borrowed the church and the idea of ​​the immaculate conception. According to the myths of the peoples of the Ancient East, Mitra, Buddha, Zarathushtra were born from immaculate mothers. It was these myths that served to create the Christian legend of the "Immaculate Conception" of the Virgin Mary.

Nativity of the Virgin (Malaya Prechistaya). The church connects it with the ancient agricultural autumn holidays, timed to coincide with the end of the harvest. On this day, it is emphasized that the Mother of God is a great righteous woman, helper and intercessor of people, the patroness of agriculture, who by the "birth of Christ" took the first step towards their "eternal salvation." Celebrated on September 21st.

Introduction to the Temple of the Virgin. It is connected with the tradition of three-year-old Mary to be raised in the Jerusalem Temple. Establishing this holiday, the church pursued primarily the goal of convincing parents of the need to bring a child to church at an early age. Celebrated on December 4th.

Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos. They celebrate it on the occasion of Mary's receiving news from the archangel Gabriel that she will give birth to a child from the Holy Spirit. In Russia, the church associated this holiday with the beginning of spring field work ("consecration" of seeds, etc.) and signs of the future harvest. Celebrated on April 7th.

The First Pure One. The church celebrates it as the day of remembrance of the Mother of God. The ecclesiastical interpretation of this holiday in many ways resembles the old-world legends about the death of Cybele, the goddess of fertility. In Russia, the feast of the Assumption merged with the ancient Slavic pagan holiday of harvesting and offering bread and fruits as a sacrifice to spirits. Celebrated on 28 August.

Protection of the Virgin. This holiday is associated with the vision of the Virgin, which allegedly appeared in 910 in the Blachernae Church of the Virgin in Constantinople. During the night service, the holy fool Andrew was accepted as a saint, and his disciple Epiphanius allegedly saw how the Mother of God, surrounded by angels and saints, appeared over them, prayed for the salvation of the world from troubles and suffering, a white veil spread over everyone.

The holiday came to Russia along with Orthodoxy, the church used it to supplant the autumn pagan holidays, which were arranged at the end of field work. It is celebrated on October 14th.

In Ukraine, the holiday of the Intercession is very respected, it has absorbed the traditional veneration of women, mothers, and the feminine principle in general, personified in the image of the earth-mother. The attitude of the Ukrainian Cossacks to this holiday was special.

Easter (Easter). This is one of the most significant Christian religious holidays. It was established by the first Christians in memory of the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Historically, the holiday comes from the custom of some ancient peoples of the Middle East (Babylonians, Egyptians, Jews), who were engaged in cattle breeding, to sacrifice lambs and calves from their first offspring during the spring holiday. They believed that with this they appease evil spirits, and they will no longer destroy livestock and send diseases to her. With the transition to agriculture, bread, cakes, fruits, and the like, baked from the grain of the new harvest, were offered as an expiatory sacrifice to the spirits. These agricultural holidays merged with the Skotarsky Easter and adopted its name. they were united by the hope for the miraculous good power of the deities who die and are resurrected.

Christianity borrowed this tradition, embodying it in the doctrine of the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. But the main idea - the self-sacrifice of God for the sake of people - has survived. The religious essence of the ceremony remained the same as it was thousands of years ago: by making a sacrifice to cleanse people of evil, disease, misfortune and tragedy.

The idea of ​​salvation, at least after death, became widespread, especially among the common people. The image of Christ, who voluntarily accepted a martyr's death, as if calls to endure earthly suffering. Establishing and developing, Christian doctrine developed the ceremony of celebrating Easter, and from the II century. this holiday has become one of the main ones.

The week before Easter is called Great, or Passion, since its days are associated with the Passion of the Lord. Especially important days start from Thursday, which is called "clean". It is associated with the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the apostles.

The material embodiment of the resurrection is Easter eggs (in Ukraine - dyes, Easter eggs) a symbol of life, spring, sun, in Christianity a symbol of the atonement of a person's sin.

In Kievan Rus, the celebration of Easter was introduced in the 10th century. Here it merged with the local Slavic spring holidays. The ancient Slavs in the spring, before the start of agricultural work, organized a holiday of the sun, which "resurrects". In those days, they made sacrifices to the spirits and deities of vegetation, sought to satisfy the spirits of their deceased ancestors. Christian Easter absorbed many of the ancient Slavic religious practices, including public family meals in which bread, cheese, eggs, smoked meat, and the like were prepared.

Since in early Christianity the celebration of the resurrection of Christ coincided with the Jewish Easter, it was decided at the Councils of Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381) to celebrate Easter on the first Sunday after the full moon, which came either on the vernal equinox (March 21), or after him. But it was obligatory to celebrate Passover on a different day than that of the Jews. According to the lunar calendar, the spring full moon falls on the same day, after the solar one on different dates and even on different days of the week. Therefore, Easter has no fixed calendar. It is celebrated within 35 days.

For a more accurate determination of the date of the celebration of Easter for each year, corresponding calculations were made, which are called Easter. In Orthodoxy, they have remained unchanged to this day. In Catholicism, the formula for these calculations has undergone some changes, so not always both churches celebrate Easter on the same day.

Our Jesus Christ

The Feast of the Bright Resurrection of Christ, Easter is the main event of the year for Orthodox Christians and the largest Orthodox holiday. The word "Easter" came to us from the Greek language and means "coming", "deliverance". On this day, we celebrate the deliverance through Christ the Savior of all mankind from slavery to the devil and the gift of life and eternal bliss to us. As Christ's death on the cross accomplished our redemption, so His Resurrection granted us eternal life. The Resurrection of Christ is the foundation and crown of our faith, this is the first and greatest truth that the apostles began to preach.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, as predicted by the prophets and by the Savior Himself, was resurrected, resurrected on the third day after His death and burial.

Despite all the precautions taken by the Jews to prevent the fulfillment of the Savior's words, on the third day of His death - from Saturday to the first day of the week, in the early morning "still existing darkness" there was a great earthquake, and the Angel of God descended from heaven and rolled the stone from the door coffin. The guards set by the Jews at the tomb were horrified and fell to the ground like dead. After the accomplishment of this great miracle, while it was still dark, the myrrh-bearing wives came to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus with fragrances, but the tomb was opened, the stone was rolled away, and an angel sat on it, who said to the frightened women: "Do not be afraid! What are you looking for between dead? He is not here! He was resurrected! Remember how He spoke when He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of man must be in the hands of a sinful man and be crucified, and on the third day he must be resurrected. "

On the same morning, Jesus Himself appeared to Mary Magdalene and other myrrh-bearing women who met Him on the way. He said to them: "Rejoice!" On the same day, the Lord appeared to him: first to two disciples who came to the village of Emmaus, and then to all the apostles, when they had a conversation with each other about Jesus Christ (they were at the tomb and were the first to believe in the resurrection of Christ). For forty days after the resurrection, the Lord appeared to His disciples, expounded the Scriptures to them and, promising His merciful help, commanded them to preach His divine teaching throughout the world.

The Resurrection of Christ, celebrated on the Bright Resurrection of Easter, is the most joyful and solemn event for Christians, because it gives us hope that through faith in the risen Jesus Christ we will be resurrected and receive eternal life.

The Feast of the Resurrection of Christ is the oldest of all Christian holidays; celebrated solemnly since the times of the Apostles and, but by the decree of the first Ecumenical Council, is celebrated on the first Sunday after the vernal equinox and the first March full moon. The celebration of Holy Easter lasts seven days.

2. Twelve non-passing holidays

2.1 Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Blessed Mother of God was born from elderly sterile parents in the city of Nazareth, which lies on the slope of a mountain, at a distance of three days' journey from Jerusalem. In all Galilee there was no small town like Nazareth; "From Nazareth, can there be anything good," the Jews said when they heard that the great prophet Jesus had appeared from there. According to the prophets, the promised Savior of the world was to come from the royal tribe of David. But from the time of the Babylonian captivity, the descendants of King David gradually lost their rights, and when the Maccabean tribe rose, all the distinction of the royal tribe disappeared and it became along with the common people. When, at the time predicted by the prophets, the royal scepter passed to the foreigner Herod. When the iron and all-crushing kingdom of Rome came, when a general decline in morality and religion was revealed, then the Jews realized that the weeks of Daniel were coming to an end, and they looked forward to the appearance of the Messiah, hoping to see Him in the form of the great king-conqueror who would free them from a foreign yoke and will grant dominion over other peoples.

In Nazareth lived a pious couple - Joachim and Anna. Joachim was descended from the tribe of Judah, the king's tribe; Anna was the youngest daughter of a priest from the Aaronic tribe, Matthan, who had three daughters - Mary, Sophia and na. Sophia had a daughter, Elizabeth, who became the mother of John the Baptist. Joachim and Anna were righteous before the Lord and kept his commandments with a pure heart and were known to everyone not so much by the nobility of their origin as by their humility and mercy. So they reached a ripe old age. Their whole life was imbued with love for God and mercy for their neighbors. Every year they allocated two-thirds of their significant income: one donated to the temple of God, the other distributed to the poor and strangers; the rest was left for their own needs.

They were happy, but the disgrace filled their hearts with sorrow: according to the concepts of that time, the disgrace was considered disgrace and a heavy degradation, all the more regrettable that the descendants of David were given the hope of becoming an instrument of salvation for the human race through the birth of the promised Messiah. After 50 years of their marriage life, they endured the burden of childlessness.

On great feasts they went to Jerusalem. On the day of the renovation of the temple, Joachim came there to make a sacrifice. But Bishop Issachar rejected the offering of Joachim and, reproaching him for the mischief, said: "The Lord, for the sake of some secret thy sins, took away his blessing from you."

It was hard for Joachim to hear such complaints publicly, and he did not return home, but went into the wilderness. For forty days and nights he cried, fasted, prayed, cried out to God that a child would be given to him in old age.

At the same time, upon learning of the insult inflicted on her husband, Anna wept inconsolably and, in order to hide her grief from her family, went into the garden. Sitting under a laurel tree, she never stopped crying and praying with unshakable faith that God is powerful to make the impossible possible! At this time, raising her eyes to the sky, she saw a nest with fledgling chicks among the branches of a laurel tree. Tears poured from her eyes even more mournfully, prayers poured out even more mournfully from her heart: "Woe to me, lonely," she cried, "everyone in the world is comforted by children: both the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth are fertile with You, Lord, and the earth bears its fruits. , and everyone blesses You! I alone am like a waterless steppe, without life and vegetation! Look at me, Lord, and hear my prayer! "

Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared before her and said: "Anna! The Lord has heard your prayers, and you will give birth to a child, and all the generations of the earth will be blessed with your seed. May your daughter's name be Mary, and she will give salvation to the whole world." An angel commanded Anna to go to Jerusalem, predicting to her that she would meet her husband at the golden gate. Filled with reverent joy, Anna exclaimed: "As the Lord my God lives! If I have a daughter, I will give her to the service of God, and let her serve Him day and night, praising his holy name." And, having uttered this vow, she hastened to Jerusalem to give praise and thanksgiving to the Most High. They met; together they brought sacrifices of thanks in the temple of God, together they returned home, with firm faith that they would receive according to the promise of the Lord.

The Blessed Virgin Mary was born in the little-known place of Nazareth from the humiliated, once famous house of David, which had already lost its glitter of grandeur. Neither the glory nor the glory of the world surrounded her cradle: all these earthly advantages faded in the light of the invisible glory prepared from the age of the Mother of God, called, according to the testimony of the Gospel, graceful and blessed from the day of the incarnation of the Savior of the world from Her. Eternal wisdom hid this blessed secret from the limited human mind: the blessed mystery is received by faith.

According to Jewish custom, on the 15th day after her birth, Her name was given, indicated by the angel of God - Mary, which means in Hebrew - "lady", "hope". Mary, having become the Mother of the Creator, became the mistress and hope of all creatures. In remembrance of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Church has established a holiday since ancient times: as early as the 4th century, Equal-to-the-Apostles Elena built a temple in honor and memory of the Nativity of the Mother of God. This great, twelveth, ecumenical holiday was established on September 8th. This is a holiday of universal joy, because by the Mother of God the entire human race was renewed and the sadness of the foremother Eve turned into joy.

In the order of church services, the celebration of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos lasts six days: from September 7, the forefeast, and on September 12 - the celebration of the holiday. (Luke, 10: 38-42; 11: 27-28).

Note. As a rule, on the day of this holiday, women who, due to some illness, cannot have children, pray to the Most Holy Theotokos for their healing and for an early conception. In addition, on this day you can turn to the Mother of God with any prayer request for help and patronage.

2.2 Exaltation of the honest and life-giving cross of the Lord

This holiday was originally established in memory of the acquisition of the Honorable and Life-giving Cross of the Lord (in 326) by the Equal-to-the-Apostles Queen Helen, mother of the first Christian emperor Constantine the Great, and from the 7th century on this day began to combine the memory of the return of the Life-giving Cross from Persia by the Greek emperor Heraclius (in 620s). Both during the acquisition, and during the erection of the Cross, returned from Persia, the patriarch, in order to enable all those gathered for the celebration to see the shrine, erected, that is, raised, the Cross, turning it to all four sides, and each time the people reverently bowed down, crying out: "Lord have mercy!" From this raising of the Cross, the holiday received the name: Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord. Since the power of the Cross was revealed in the victories of the faithful rulers over the enemies, and in the triumph of Christianity over paganism, the main chant of the Exaltation day is prayer for the Christian people.

The Feast of the Exaltation continues in the Orthodox Church from September 18 to 21. On the eve of the feast for the All-night Vigil, the Cross is taken out of the altar and placed on the lectern in the middle of the church to worship the worshipers. September 21 The Cross is again taken to the altar.

2.3 Introduction to the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos

The introduction into the temple of the Most Holy Theotokos took place, according to the stories preserved in Tradition, as follows. The parents of the Virgin Mary, the righteous Joachim and Anna, praying for the resolution of infertility, made a vow, if a child is born, to consecrate him to serve God.

When the Blessed Virgin was three years old, the holy parents decided to fulfill their promise. Gathering relatives and acquaintances, dressing the Most Pure Mary in the best clothes, singing sacred songs, with lighted candles in their hands, they brought her to the Jerusalem temple. There the high priest met the young woman with many priests. A staircase of fifteen high steps led to the temple. Infant Mary, it seemed, could not have climbed these stairs by Herself. But as soon as She was placed on the first step, strengthened by the power of God, She quickly overcame the rest of the steps and ascended to the upper one. Then the high priest, by inspiration from above, led the Blessed Virgin into the Holy of Holies, where of all people, only once a year did the high priest enter with a cleansing sacrificial blood. All those present in the temple were amazed at the extraordinary event.

Righteous Joachim and Anna, having entrusted the Child to the will of the Heavenly Father, returned home. The Blessed Mary remained in the room for virgins, which was located at the temple. Around the temple, according to the testimony of Holy Scripture (Ex. 38; 1 Kings 1:28; Luke 2:37) and the historian Josephus Flavius, there were many living quarters in which those dedicated to the service of God stayed.

The earthly life of the Most Holy Theotokos from infancy to ascension to heaven is covered with a deep mystery. Her life in the Jerusalem temple was also sacred. "If someone asked me," said Blessed Jerome, "how the Most Holy Virgin spent the time of her youth," I would answer: this is known to God Himself and Archangel Gabriel, Her persistent guardian. "

But in the Church tradition, information has been preserved that during the stay of the Most Pure Virgin in the Jerusalem temple, she was brought up in the company of pious virgins, diligently read the Holy Scriptures, did handicrafts, constantly prayed and grew in love for God. In commemoration of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Jerusalem Temple, the Holy Church from ancient times established a solemn feast. The indications of the celebration of the holiday in the first centuries of Christianity are found in the legends of Palestinian Christians, where it is said that the holy empress Helen built a temple in honor of the Entry into the temple of the Most Holy Theotokos.

The Feast of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos is a forerunner of God's grace to the human race, the preaching of salvation, the promise of Christ's coming.

Note. On this holiday, you can contact the Most Holy Theotokos with any

A prayer request for help and patronage.

2.4 The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ

The Roman emperor Augustus ordered a popular census to be made in the Judean land subject to him. To do this, every Jew had to go to enroll in the city where his ancestors lived. Joseph and Mary went to the city of Bethlehem to record. Here they could not find a place in the house, since on the occasion of the census, a lot of people gathered in Bethlehem, and they stopped outside the city in a cave where the shepherds drove their cattle into a bad pagoda. Here at night the Blessed Virgin gave birth to a Baby, wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger.

On the night of the Nativity of Christ, the shepherds of Bethlehem grazed their flocks in the field. Suddenly an angel appeared to them. The shepherds were frightened. But the angel said to them: "Do not be afraid! I proclaim to you great joy: on this night the Savior of the world was born and here is a sign for you: you will find the Baby in swaddling clothes lying in a manger." At this time, many angels appeared in heaven, who glorified God and sang: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will in men."

When the angels disappeared, the shepherds began to say: "Let's go to Bethlehem and see what the Lord has announced to us." They came to the cave and found Mary, Joseph and the Baby lying in a manger. They bowed to Him and told Joseph and Mary what they had seen and heard from the angels.

On the eighth day after his birth, he was given the name Jesus.

Adoration of the Magi. When the Lord Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, magi from a distant eastern country came to Jerusalem and asked: "Where is he who is born King of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and came to worship Him"?

King Herod, hearing this, was very frightened, thinking that the new king would take the throne from him and therefore decided to kill him. He called the chief priests and scribes to him and asked them: "where should Christ be born." They answered: "in Bethlehem of Judea, because it is written in the prophet Micah." Then Herod secretly summoned the Magi to him, learned from them the time of the appearance of the star and told them: "Go to Bethlehem and learn about the Baby, and when you find Him, let me know so that I can worship Him." The Magi went to Bethlehem, and the star went in front of them and led to the place where the Baby Jesus was. The Magi worshiped Him and brought gifts: gold, incense and myrrh (fragrant resin). Then they wanted to go to Jerusalem to Herod, but in a dream they received an instruction from the Lord and returned by another road to their country.

When Herod learned that the Magi had deceived him, he became angry and sent soldiers to kill all male babies from two years old and below in Bethlehem and its environs. The soldiers went and killed fourteen thousand babies. Herod hoped that the born Tsar would also be killed. But Joseph and Mary, at the direction of the angel, left in advance with the Child to Egypt and returned from there to Nazareth only after the death of Herod.

Orthodox holiday Easter apostle

2.5 Presentation of the Lord

On the feast of the Meeting of the Lord, the Church remembers an important event in the earthly life of our Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 2, 22-40). On the 40th day after birth, the Divine Infant was brought to the Jerusalem Temple - the center of the religious life of God's chosen people.

According to the law of Moses (Lev. 12), a woman who gave birth to a male baby was forbidden to enter the temple of God for 40 days. After this period, the mother came to the temple with the baby to bring a thankful and cleansing sacrifice to the Lord. The Most Holy Virgin, the Mother of God, had no need for purification, for she unknowingly gave birth to the Source of purity and holiness, but out of deep humility She obeyed the prescription of the law.

Note. On the second day of the Meeting of the Lord, February 3, the Church commemorates Simeon the God-Receiver and Anna the Prophetess.

2.6 Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos

When the Virgin Mary lived with Joseph, the Archangel Gabriel was sent to Her from God to announce the good news of the birth of the Savior of the world from Her. He appeared to Her with the following words: "Rejoice, Graceful One, the Lord is with You, blessed are You in women."

The Virgin Mary was embarrassed and thought: what does this greeting mean? The Archangel continued: "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found grace with God; you will give birth to a Son and you will call Him Jesus." The Virgin Mary asked in bewilderment: "How can this be when I am not married"? The Archangel answered Her: "The Holy Spirit will come upon You and the power of the Most High will overshadow You, therefore the Holy One being born will be called the Son of God." The Virgin Mary humbly said: "I am the servant of the Lord, let it be for me according to your word." And the angel departed from Her.

2.7 Transfiguration of the Lord

Shortly before His suffering, Jesus Christ took with Him three of His disciples: Peter, James and John, and went up with them to Mount Tabor to pray. While He was praying, the disciples fell asleep. When they woke up, they saw that Jesus Christ was transformed: His face shone like the sun, and his clothes were white like snow, and Moses and Elijah appeared to Him in glory and talked with Him about the suffering and death that He had to endure in Jerusalem ... When Moses and Elijah were leaving Jesus Christ, Peter exclaimed: "Lord, it is good for us here; we will make three tents: one for You, one for Moses and one for Elijah." Suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and they heard a voice from the cloud: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; listen to Him." The disciples threw themselves to the ground in fear. Jesus Christ approached them, touched them and said: "get up, do not be afraid"! The disciples stood up and saw Jesus Christ in his ordinary form.

2.8 Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

After the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Mother of God lived in Jerusalem in the house of the holy Apostle John the Theologian. She was notified of her dormition three days in advance by the Archangel Gabriel. Then, according to Her desire, all the apostles, except Thomas, were miraculously gathered into Jerusalem by the power of God. At the hour of death, an extraordinary light shone in the room where the Mother of God was; The Lord Jesus Christ Himself appeared and received Her most pure soul, and the apostles buried Her body in the garden of Gethsemane, in the cave where the bodies of Her parents and righteous Joseph were buried. Three days later the Apostle Thomas also arrived and wished to bow to the body of the Mother of God. But when they opened the cave, they did not find the body there. The apostles stood at a loss. Suddenly the Mother of God Herself appeared to them and said: "Rejoice! I will always be your prayer book before God."

3. Twelve rolling holidays

3.1 The Lord's Entry into Jerusalem, or Palm Sunday

Six days before Easter, Jesus Christ went from Bethany to Jerusalem. Halfway down the road, at his request, the disciples brought a donkey and a colt to him so that He could ride them. They covered them with their clothes and Jesus Christ sat down and went to Jerusalem. And as He rode, a multitude of people came out to meet from Jerusalem. Some took off their clothes and laid them on the way; others cut off palm branches, carried them in their hands or threw them along the road, and everyone exclaimed loudly: "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the Highest!" The children especially zealously and joyfully greeted the Savior and even shouted to Him in the church: "Hosanna to the Son of David"!

The Lord's Entry into Jerusalem is celebrated on Sunday, the week before Easter. During the service, a pussy willow is consecrated and distributed (instead of palm branches). This happens during Great Lent, before Holy Week. On this day, students usually receive communion with their parents and teachers.

3.2 The Ascension Of The Lord

On the fortieth day after the resurrection from the dead, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to His disciples and told them to stay in Jerusalem until they receive the Holy Spirit. Then He led them out of the city to the Mount of Olives and, raising his hands, blessed them, and when he blessed them, He began to ascend to heaven. Finally, a bright cloud hid Jesus Christ from the sight of the disciples. They looked at the sky for a long time. Suddenly two angels in white robes appeared to them and said: "Men of Galilee, why are you standing and looking at heaven? This Jesus, ascended into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him ascending into heaven." The disciples bowed down to the ascended Lord and joyfully returned to Jerusalem.

It was not Christ who did not want to be with the apostles, apparently forever, but the world, which hates Christ, could not accommodate Christ's stay in it. The world, hating Christ, could again and again condemn Him to death. The world could no longer see Christ because of its unrighteousness, which the Holy Spirit, who came into the world, was supposed to expose (John 16: 8-10).

The sin, committed by man, brought the decay of death, made impossible the eternal bliss of man on earth. The body, which received the seed of corruption, had to collapse, die, because “corruption does not inherit incorruption” (1 Cor. 15.50). The very sin, which was the sting of death, its source, could not be destroyed without the destruction of the corruptible body, tk. the soul of a fallen man, as it were, was dissolved in the flesh and the flesh became the seat of sin. And the earth through the sin of man became a dwelling place of corruption, having glued the heart of man to itself by the passions that it aroused, and therefore "" the earth and all the works on it "" must once burn up, the elements melt away, collapse, so that a new heaven and a new earth appear (2 Pet. 3.10-13), the dwelling place of the righteous.

The Ascension of the Lord is celebrated on the fortieth day after Easter, always on Thursday.

3.3 St. Pentecost, or Trinity Day

The feast of the Holy Trinity is called Pentecost because the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles took place on the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Christ. The feast of Christian Pentecost contains a double celebration: - both to the glory of the Most Holy Trinity, and to the glory of the Most Holy Spirit, who apparently descended upon the Apostles and sealed the new eternal covenant of God with men.

The first day of Pentecost, i.e. resurrection, the Church dedicates mainly to the glory of the Most Holy Trinity; and this day is popularly called Trinity Day, and the second, i.e. Monday is for the glory of the Holy Spirit, which is why it is called Spiritual Day.

4. Great Holidays

4.1 Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos

"The Virgin is to be in the Church today, and invisibly prays to God from the faces of the saints for dreams: angels worship with bishops, while the apostles with prophets rejoice: for our sake the Mother of God is praying for us" - this miraculous apparition of the Mother of God happened in the middle of the 10th century in Constantinople, in the Blachernae Church, where the robe of the Mother of God, Her head cover (maforium) and part of the belt were kept, transferred from Palestine in the 5th century. On Sunday, October 1, during the all-night vigil, when the church was overflowing with worshipers, Saint Andrew, for the sake of the holy fool (Comm. 2 October), at four o'clock in the morning, raising his eyes to heaven, he saw our Most Holy Theotokos walking through the air, illuminated heavenly light and surrounded by Angels and a host of saints. The Holy Baptist of the Lord John and the holy Apostle John the Theologian accompanied the Queen of Heaven. Kneeling down, the Blessed Virgin began to pray for Christians with tears and stayed in prayer for a long time, then, approaching the Throne, continued Her prayer, having finished which, She removed the veil from Her head and spread it over the people praying in the church, protecting them from enemies visible and invisible. The Most Holy Lady shone with heavenly glory, and the veil in Her hands shone "more than the rays of the sun." Saint Andrew contemplated the wondrous vision with trepidation and asked his disciple, Blessed Epiphanius, who was standing next to him: "Do you see, brother, the Queen and Lady praying for the whole world?" Epiphanius replied: "I see, holy father, and I am terrified." The Most Blessed Mother of God asked the Lord Jesus Christ to accept the prayers of all people calling on His Most Holy Name and resorting to Her intercession. "To the Heavenly King, - verb in prayer in the air from the Angels, the All-Immaculate Queen stands, - accept every person who prays to You and calls on My Name for help, may he not leave My Face thin and unheard." Saints Andrew and Epiphanius, who were worthy to contemplate the praying Mother of God, "for a long time looked at the veil spread over the people and at the glory of the Lord that shone like lightning; while the Most Holy Theotokos was there, apparently there was a veil; after Her departure, it also became invisible, but, taking him with Her, She left the grace that was there. " In the Blachernae Church, the memory of the wondrous appearance of the Mother of God has been preserved. In the XIV century, the Russian pilgrim clerk Alexander saw in the church an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos praying for peace, painted as Saint Andrew contemplated Her. But the Greek Church does not know this holiday.

Exaltation of the cross of the Lord

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin

Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos

Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos

Holy Apostles Peter and Paul

Holy Pentecost Day

Ascension of the Lord

Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem

Annunciation to the Most Holy Theotokos

Presentation of the Lord

Introduction to the temple of the Most Holy Theotokos

Transfiguration

Orthodox church holidays are divided into great, medium and small. The great ones include Easter, twelve and non-twelve. On these days, services in churches are held with special solemnity.

Easter

Easter (the full church name is the Bright Resurrection of Christ) is the most important and brightest event in the Christian church calendar. The date of the holiday is unique for each year, it is determined by the solar-lunar calendar and falls in the period from April 4 to May 8. Easter is dedicated to the resurrection of Jesus Christ after the crucifixion. On this day, it is customary to attend divine services, consecrate Easter cakes and colored eggs in churches, set a festive table, and arrange festivities. People greet each other with the words: "Christ is risen!"

The twentieth holidays

Twelve holidays are 12 most important holidays of the Orthodox calendar, dedicated to the events of the earthly life of Jesus Christ and the Mother of God. They are divided into two categories: non-transient and transient.

Twelve non-passing holidays

The twelve non-passing holidays have a fixed date, each year falling on the same date.

Nativity of Christ - January 7
The holiday is established in honor of the birth of Jesus Christ. On this day, it is customary to attend services, set the festive table, go home and sing carols. People greet each other with the words: "Christ was born!" The holiday is preceded by a 40-day Nativity Fast.

Baptism of the Lord (Holy Epiphany) - January 19
The holiday is established in honor of the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. On this day, it is customary to consecrate water in churches, to swim in an ice-hole.

Presentation of the Lord - February 15
The holiday is established in memory of the meeting in the Jerusalem temple of Simeon the God-receiver with little Jesus during the rite of dedication to God. The meeting took place on the 40th day after the birth of Jesus. On this day, it is customary to pray, go to church, and consecrate candles.

Annunciation to the Most Holy Theotokos - April 7
The holiday is dedicated to the announcement by the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary of the conception and future birth of the Son of God. On this day, it is customary to attend divine services, consecrate broths in churches, give alms, and do charity work.

Transfiguration of the Lord - August 19
The holiday is dedicated to the remembrance of the Divine Transfiguration of Jesus before the disciples during prayer on Mount Tabor. On this day, it is customary to consecrate apples, pears, grapes in the church, to honor the memory of deceased relatives.

Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos - August 28
The holiday is dedicated to the memory of the Assumption (death) of the Mother of God. On this day, believers go to church, pray to the Most Holy Theotokos, consecrate bread, give alms. The holiday is preceded by the Assumption Fast.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary - September 21
The holiday is established in honor of the birth of the Virgin Mary - the mother of Jesus Christ. On this day, it is customary to visit church, pray to the Most Holy Theotokos, and do charity work.

Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord - September 27
The full name of the holiday is the Exaltation of the Honorable and Life-giving Cross of the Lord. It was erected in honor of the finding in Jerusalem near the Mount of Calvary of the Cross, on which Jesus was crucified. On this day, it is customary to observe a strict fast, to pray for your health and the health of loved ones.

Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos - December 4
The holiday is dedicated to the introduction of little Mary - the mother of Jesus Christ - to the Jerusalem temple for dedication to God. On this day, a solemn service is held in churches, parishioners pray to the Virgin Mary.

Twelve rolling holidays

The twelve rolling holidays have a unique date for each year, which depends on the date of the celebration of Easter and moves with it.

Palm Sunday (Lord's Entry into Jerusalem)
The holiday is celebrated a week before Easter. Dedicated to the solemn appearance of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem on the eve of His martyrdom and death. On this day, it is customary to consecrate a pussy willow in the church, whip branches of family members, saying at the same time: "I am not hitting, the pussy willow is hitting!" or "Whipping pussy willow, beat to tears!"

Ascension of the Lord
The full name of the holiday is the Ascension of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ. Celebrated on the 40th day after Easter. The holiday is dedicated to the ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven. On this day, it is customary to attend services in churches, pray, and give alms.

Holy Trinity Day (Pentecost)
Celebrated on the 50th day after Easter. The holiday is established in honor of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles and the Virgin Mary. On Trinity, it is customary to attend a solemn service in the church, decorate temples and houses with tree branches, cover the floor with fresh grass, arrange a festive dinner, organize festivities and fairs.

Non-twelve holidays

Non-twisted holidays - 5 great holidays of the Orthodox Church, dedicated to the birth and death of John the Baptist - the baptist of Jesus Christ, the apostles Peter and Paul, the appearance of the Mother of God, the circumcision of the Lord.

Circumcision of the Lord - January 14
The holiday is established in remembrance of the performance of the Jewish rite of circumcision over the infant Jesus. On this day, festive services are held in churches, people go from door to door, sing sowing songs and wish the owners well and prosperity.

Nativity of John the Baptist - July 7
The full name of the holiday is the Nativity of the honest glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John. Dedicated to the birth of John the Baptist - the baptist of Jesus Christ. On this day, people attend services, consecrate water, herbs and flowers in the church.

Saints Peter and Paul - July 12
The holiday is dedicated to the remembrance of the transfer of the relics of the holy apostles Peter and Paul. On this day, fishermen pray for successful fishing, fairs and festivities are organized.

Beheading of John the Baptist - September 11
The holiday is dedicated to the remembrance of the martyrdom of John the Baptist - the baptist of Jesus Christ. On this day, it is customary to attend services and observe strict fasting.

Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos - October 14
The holiday is established in honor of the appearance of the Virgin Mary to St. Andrew the Fool. On this day, it is customary to visit churches, to pray to the Most Holy Theotokos for health, intercession, and a happy family life.

Medium and small Orthodox holidays are distinguished by less solemnity of worship.

Everyday are not inherently holidays. These are the days of remembrance of the saints.

Orthodox posts- periods of abstinence from food of animal origin.
By their duration, posts are divided into multi-day and one-day posts. There are 4 multi-day and 3 one-day fasts a year. Also, fast days are every Wednesday and Friday (there is no fast on these days). Fasts vary in severity, up to complete abstinence from food.

Continuous weeks- weeks in which there is no fasting on Wednesday and Friday. There are 5 such weeks in a year.

Days of remembrance of the departed- days of universal commemoration of dead Christians. There are 8 such days in a year.

Christian believers call Easter a holiday of holidays. At the heart of this main church is the legend of the miraculous resurrection of Jesus Christ, crucified on the cross by the verdict of the Jewish Sanhedrin court. The idea of ​​resurrection is central, therefore a special role is assigned to the holiday in honor of this event.

Among the great twelve Orthodox holidays, the day of the Nativity of the Lord Jesus Christ (January 7) stands out. The significance of the birth of the Savior of the world still cannot be overestimated, because according to the teachings of the Church, it was through the Incarnation that man was saved and the latter was reconciled with God. Historically, in Russia, the celebration of the Nativity of Christ found its reflection in certain folk festivals, called Christmastide. People went to visit each other and sang songs glorifying the born infant Christ. The emerging practice of decorating a spruce tree for this holiday and crowning the top of the tree with a star testified to the Gospel story of how the star led the wise men from the East to the birthplace of the Savior. Later, in Soviet times, the spruce became an attribute of the secular New Year, and the star symbolized not the Star of Bethlehem, but a symbol of Soviet power.

Another significant holiday of the Orthodox calendar is the day of the Baptism of Jesus Christ in Jordan (January 19th). On this day, water is blessed in Orthodox churches, for which millions of believers come every year. The historical significance of this celebration for the national consciousness is reflected in the practice of dipping into the baptismal hole. In many cities of Russia, special fonts (Jordan) are being prepared, into which, after a prayer service for water, people plunge with reverence, asking God for health of soul and body.

Another important holiday of the Orthodox Church is the Day of the Holy Trinity (Pentecost). This holiday is celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter. The people call this celebration differently "green Easter". This naming was a consequence of the folk tradition of decorating churches with greenery for the feast of the Holy Trinity. Sometimes the Orthodox practice of commemorating the dead is mistakenly associated with this day, but historically, according to church instructions, the departed are commemorated on the eve of Pentecost - on Trinity, and the feast of the Holy Trinity itself is not the day of the dead, but the triumph of the living.

Among the widespread traditions of Russian culture associated with Orthodox holidays, one can note the consecration of willow and willow branches for the twelveth celebration of the Lord's Entry into Jerusalem. The Gospel testifies that before the Savior entered Jerusalem, directly to perform the feat of the cross, people greeted Christ with the branches of palm trees. Such honors were offered to ancient rulers. The miracles of Jesus and his preaching aroused special love and reverence for Christ among the ordinary Jewish people. In Russia, in memory of this historical event, branches of willow and willow are consecrated (in the absence of palm trees in most cases).

The Mother of God feasts occupy a special place in the church calendar. For example, the day of the Nativity of the Mother of God, the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Dormition of the Mother of God. Special reverence for these days was expressed in the postponement of all worldly vanity and the desire to devote the day to God. It is no coincidence that in Russian culture there is an expression: "On the day of the Annunciation, the bird does not build a nest, and the maiden does not weave braids."

Many great Orthodox holidays have found their reflection not only in folk traditions, but also in architecture. So, in Russia, many churches have been erected, which are historical monuments, consecrated in honor of the great Christian holidays. Many Russian Dormition Cathedrals (in honor of the Dormition of the Theotokos), Nativity of Christ churches, Holy Introduction churches, Pokrovskie churches and many others are known.

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