The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary as celebrated. Traditions and rituals of the holiday

Annunciation means "good" or "good" news. On this day, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary and announced to Her the coming birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Savior of the world.

Until the age of 14, the Blessed Virgin was brought up in the temple, and then, according to the law, she had to leave the temple, as she had reached the age of majority, and either return to her parents or get married. The priests wanted to marry her, but Mary announced to them her promise to God - to remain forever a Virgin. Then the priests betrothed Her distant relative, the 80-year-old Elder Joseph, to take care of Her and protect Her virginity. Living in the Galilean city of Nazareth, in the house of Joseph, the Blessed Virgin Mary led the same modest and secluded life as in the temple.

Four months after the betrothal, an angel appeared to Mary when She was reading the Holy Scriptures and, going in to Her, said: “Hail, Blessed One! (that is, filled with the grace of God - the gifts of the Holy Spirit). The Lord is with you! Blessed are You among women." Archangel Gabriel announced to Her that She had found the greatest grace from God - to be the Mother of the Son of God.

Mary, perplexed, asked the Angel how a son could be born to one who does not know her husband. And then the Archangel revealed to Her the truth that he brought from Almighty God: “The Holy Spirit will find on You, and the power of the Most High will overshadow You; Therefore, the Holy One who is being born will be called the Son of God. Having comprehended the will of God and completely surrendering herself to it, the Most Holy Virgin answered: “Behold, the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word."

“That event, which is called the Annunciation, means the conception of Jesus Christ,” recalls the professor of theology, deacon Andrei Kuraev. – The development of a new human life began in the bosom of Mary by the action of the grace of God. Mary did not conceive from God the Father, not from the Archangel Gabriel, and not from her betrothed husband Joseph. Cynical "physiological" arguments are best left to yourself - Christians know the laws of biology as well as skeptics, and therefore they talk about the Miracle. And the miracle is not so much that the Virgin, who did not know her husband, began to bear a child, but that God has identified Himself with this child and with everything that will happen in His life. God doesn't just inhabit Virgo. Through the archangel Gabriel, He (the Almighty, Lord and Lord) humbly asks the consent of the maiden. And only when He hears human consent. May it be to me according to Thy word,” only then the Word becomes flesh.

This is how the gospel story begins. Ahead - Christmas and flight to Egypt, temptations in the desert and healing of the possessed, the Last Supper and arrest, the Crucifixion and Resurrection ... ".

History of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

March 25 is considered the date of the Annunciation both in the West and in the East. This date is exactly 9 months from December 25, which since the 4th century, first in the West, and then in the East, is considered the day of the Nativity of Christ. In addition, this number is consistent with the ideas of ancient church historians that the Annunciation and Easter, as historical events, occurred on the same day of the year.

For the first time, this date appears in the writings of western authors of the 3rd century Tertullian and the Hieromartyr Hippolytus of Rome as the day of the Crucifixion of the Savior according to the Roman calendar (even in the 6th century, St. Martin of Braga wrote that many Gallic bishops considered Easter to be a fixed holiday). At the same time, schmch. Hippolytus, based on a comparison of a number of biblical verses and their literal interpretation, argued that the Nativity of Christ occurred 5,500 years after the creation of the world.

The belief about the 5,500-year age of creation by the time of the Savior's coming into the world and about the coincidence of the dates of the creation of the world and the coming of Christ in the flesh passed into the Alexandrian tradition, but here the decisive date was not the Nativity of Christ, but the Annunciation: St. Athanasius the Great wrote that Christ was incarnated in the womb of the Virgin on the 25th day of March, because on this day God originally created man.

From the 5th century, the date of the Resurrection took the place of the date of the Crucifixion, and the time of the Savior's earthly ministry from the Incarnation to the Resurrection began to be considered a multiple of an integer number of years.
In the Byzantine tradition, the date of March 25 is of great importance - this is the day not only of the Annunciation, but also the creation of the world, and the Resurrection of Christ; the dates of other holidays are counted from it: the Nativity of Christ, the Conception and the Nativity of St. John the Baptist.

The day of the Annunciation was often considered the day of the beginning of the church or even civil year, both in the East and in the West. The belief that the historical date of the Resurrection of Christ coincides with March 25 led to the fact that this day was called “Kyriopaskha” (Kyriopaskha - Dominant (that is, real, normal) Easter; sometimes there is an incorrect etymology - the Lord's Easter). Now Kyriopaskha is called the coincidence of the holidays of Easter and the Annunciation that happens every few years.
In Russia, in connection with the use of the Julian calendar by the Church, March 25 falls on April 7. according to the Gregorian ("civil") calendar).

Images of the Annunciation are already present among the murals of the catacombs of the 2nd half of II - 1st floor. III centuries, however, it can be argued with a high degree of probability that the establishment of a special feast of the Annunciation did not occur earlier than the IV century.

Opening of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Helena at the beginning of the 4th century. the holy places of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ and the construction of temples that she began in these places (in particular, in Nazareth) caused an increase in interest in the event of the Nativity of Christ and the mystery of the Incarnation; Perhaps this is connected with the establishment of the Annunciation as a separate holiday. At the beginning of the 8th century Armenian author Grigor Asharuni wrote that the feast of the Annunciation was established by St. Cyril of Jerusalem, that is, in the 3rd quarter of the 4th c.

Since information about the worship of Constantinople in the 5th-6th centuries. not numerous, nothing definite can be said about the celebration of the Annunciation during this period in Constantinople, but by the end of the 7th century. this is one of the most revered holidays here. All Byzantine monuments of the 8th and subsequent centuries list the Annunciation among the most important holidays; the service of the Annunciation is invariably celebrated on March 25.

In the West, information about the feast of the Annunciation dates back to about the same time as in the East. From the writings of the Western Fathers of the Church and writers, the words on the Annunciation are known, attributed to the Latin authors of the 5th century. Blessed Augustine, Saints Peter Chrysologus and Leo I the Great. The liturgical veneration of the day of the Annunciation is clearly mentioned in the Liber Pontificalis of the time of Pope Sergius I (687-701), where the Annunciation is one of the 3 feasts dedicated to the Mother of God, when a solemn procession took place in Rome.

The name of the holiday in ancient times was not stable, the modern Greek name "Evangelismos" appears only from the 7th century. In the writings of ancient authors there are names: Greek. “day of greeting”, “announcement” or “day/feast of the Annunciation”; lat. “annuntiatio angeli ad beatam Mariam Virginem” (Annunciation of an angel to the Blessed Virgin Mary), “Mariae salutatio” (greeting Mary) and a number of other similar names. The Annunciation was perceived both as the Lord's and as the Mother of God feast. Unlike the Orthodox Church, where the Annunciation is considered one of the most important holidays (the full name is the Annunciation of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary), in Catholicism it is a second-class holiday (the full name is Annuntiatio beatae Mariae Virginis - the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary).

The meaning of the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh:

“The Annunciation is the day of the good news that a Virgin has been found throughout the human world, so believing in God, so deeply capable of obedience and trust, that the Son of God can be born from Her. The incarnation of the Son of God, on the one hand, is the work of God's love - the cross, affectionate, saving - and God's power; but at the same time, the incarnation of the Son of God is a matter of human freedom. St. Gregory Palamas says that the Incarnation would have been just as impossible without the free human consent of the Mother of God, as it would have been impossible without the creative will of God. And on this day of the Annunciation, we contemplate the Virgin in the Mother of God, Who, with all her heart, with all her mind, with all her soul, with all her strength, managed to trust God to the end.

And the good news was truly terrible: the appearance of an angel, this greeting: Blessed are you in women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, they could not help but cause not only amazement, not only trembling, but also fear in the soul of a virgin who did not know her husband - how is this could be?..

And here we catch the difference between the vacillating - albeit deep - faith of Zechariah, the father of the Forerunner, and the faith of the Mother of God. Zechariah is also told that his wife will have a son - naturally, in spite of her advanced age; and his answer to this message of God: How can this be? This can't happen! How can you prove it? What assurance can You give me?.. The Mother of God puts the question only this way: How can this happen to me - I'm a virgin? Her words: Behold, the Servant of the Lord; wake me according to your word...

The word "slave" in our present usage speaks of enslavement; in the Slavic language, a man who gave his life, his will to another called himself a slave. And She really gave Her life, Her will, Her destiny to God, accepting by faith – that is, incomprehensible trust – the news that She would be the Mother of the incarnate Son of God. Of her, the righteous Elizabeth says: Blessed is she who believed, for what shall be spoken to her from the Lord shall come to her...

In the Mother of God we find an amazing ability to trust God to the end; but this ability is not natural, not natural: such a faith can be forged in oneself by the feat of purity of heart, the feat of love for God. A feat, for the fathers say: Shed blood, and you will receive the Spirit ... One of the Western writers says that the Incarnation became possible when the Virgin of Israel was found, Who, with all her thought, with all her heart, with all her life, was able to pronounce the Name of God so that It became flesh in Her.

Here is the gospel that we have just heard in the Gospel: the human race gave birth, brought to God as a gift the Virgin, Who was able in Her royal human freedom to become the Mother of the Son of God, who freely gave herself for the salvation of the world. Amen".

Prayers of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Troparion to the Feast

Troparion

Kontakion

magnificence

Choruses

Irmos of the 9th song

Quotes about the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

“A worthy admirer of the Annunciation should at times plunge into the reading of the Word of God and concentrate on what was read, as the Blessed One in women used to do.

One of the goals of the worshiper of the Mother of God should be the desire for a life that is quiet and away from the hustle and bustle, but at the same time internally rich and deep.

Conditions of existence may not give a person such a gift, and he himself may be incapable of a long concentrated life. But to strive for silence and prayer, to sigh from time to time about their absence, every person is obliged to raise his eyes to heaven and repeat the words of Gabriel: “Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you.”

“To the lie about man, to his reduction to the earth and to the belly, to the base and the animal, to his submission to the immutable and impersonal laws of nature, the Church responds with the image of Mary, the most pure Mother of God, the One to whom, according to the Russian poet, they always ascend “from great fullness, the sweetest human tears. Joy about, therefore, that here that untruth, that lie about man, with which the world is constantly being filled, is overcome. The joy of admiring, the joy of possession - for this image is always with us, as consolation and encouragement, as inspiration and help.

“And on the feast of the Annunciation of the Mother of God, these two moods are mysteriously and frighteningly, frighteningly and wonderfully intertwined. On the one hand, how not to rejoice, how not to be amazed and tremble at the thought that the voice of the Lord reached the Most Pure Virgin Theotokos and an angel announced to Her that God Himself would become a man through Her, enter this world, and that the whole world would already be the coming of God transfigured, will no longer stand face to face with his Creator only in awe and reverence, but will rejoice that God Himself is in him, in his core: not only that a person is so great that God could unite with him, but all material, visible creation is connected with Him mysteriously…”

Icons of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Poems about the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Valery Bryusov

Annunciation

You were one of us
During the day your dream was owned by yarn,
But to You, holy one, in the evening hour
The angelic guard has arrived.

O queen of all worldly queens,
Virgin, foretold by the prophet.
Gabriel, entering, bowed down
Before You in deep humility.

Attention to the incomprehensible mind,
You lowered your eyes meekly.
Wake me according to your word,
Holy! Holy! Holy! your voice, o prophet.

Marina Tsvetaeva

On the day of the Annunciation
Hands uncrossed
The flower is watered withering,
The windows are wide open,
Annunciation, my holiday!

On the day of the Annunciation
I solemnly affirm:
I do not need tame pigeons, swans, eagles!
- Fly where your eyes look

On the day of the Annunciation
I smile until the evening
Saying goodbye to the feathered guests.
- I don't need anything for myself.
In the Annunciation, my holiday!

Konstantin Balmont

blessing and light,
The willows turned white.
Or there is definitely no grief,
Right, really?

Blessings and laughter
Kidneys flushed.
And on the streets for everyone
Blue flowers.

How many blue flowers
Taken from the snow
Again the world is both fresh and new,
And bliss is everywhere.

I see old Moscow
In youthful attire.
I laugh and I live
Sun in every look.

From the ancient Kremlin
The sound floats like a wave.
And the earth lives in ditches
Young grass.

In the slightly broken grass
Dream of spring and summer.
Annunciation in Moscow
It's a festival of light!

Archpriest Nikolai Guryanov

Holy Annunciation -
Great day in Russia
With him you feel young
Resurrect in a hard heart;
Respond to the soul, like youth,
With my full breast
For radiant joy
To the smile of spring days.
Observing the holiday strictly,
On this day, the people say
That even a bird praises God
And he does not build a nest for himself;
On this holiday, going out to the field
With a handful full of grain,
Good-natured birds at will
Released old.
The approach of Easter
Clears a frown
From the alien sides
Swallows fly to visit.
And inspiring the thought of brotherhood,
About the gifts of good love,
As if arguing about wealth
Heaven with sinful earth.
Everyone listens with a keen ear
Anthem of golden dawns,
Wrapped in soft fluff
Young willow branches.
And looks at us, shining
The inaccessibility of miracles,
This eternity is blue
Triumphant skies.

Holy Fathers on the Annunciation

Saint Elijah Minyatiy. Word on the Annunciation of the Mother of God:

“How different are God and man! But God, having become a man, did not leave the nature of the Divine in the perception of the flesh. And how different are the Virgin and the Mother! But the Virgin, having become the Mother, did not lose the glory of virginity in maternal womb. What a strange communion of two natures - Divine and human, inextricably united into one hypostasis! The divine nature assimilated the peculiarities of the human, and God became a perfect man; the human became involved in the properties of the Divine, and the same man became perfect God.

In the same way, what an extraordinary combination of virginal purity and maternal womb, which are strangely combined in one Wife! Virginity gave the Mother the purity that the Mother of God was supposed to have, all pure, all immaculate, beautiful like the sun, chosen like the moon, as the Holy Spirit calls Her (See Songs 6, 9). The gestation gave virginity the blessing that the Virgin should have had in accordance with the way the archangel greeted Her: Blessed are you in women(Luke 1:28).

There was born this wonderful union - the God-man; here another conjunction takes place, just as miraculous, the Virgin Mother. “Strange and wonderful, and in many ways deviating from ordinary nature: the same Virgin and Mother, abiding in the sanctification of virginity and inheriting the blessing of childbearing,” declares the undeclared Basil. Such a Son, I repeat, must have such a Mother; the Son, Who was born a man and did not cease to be God, - the Mother, Who gave birth to the Son and did not cease to be a Virgin.

Saint Nicholas (Velimirovich):

“Never has any spring water been such a pure mirror of the sun as the Blessed Virgin Mary was a mirror of purity. (“O purity, which creates joy in the heart and transforms the soul into heaven! O purity, good acquisition, not defiled by beasts! O purity, which dwells in the souls of the meek and humble and creates these people of God! O purity, in the midst of soul and body, like a flower, flourishing filling the whole temple with incense!” Rev. Efrem Sirin. About cleanliness.)

And the dawn, giving birth to the sun, would be ashamed before the purity of the Virgin Mary, who gave birth to the Immortal Sun, Christ our Savior. Which knee will not bow before Her, which lips will not cry out: “Rejoice, Blessed One! Rejoice, Dawn of human salvation! Rejoice, Most Honorable Cherubim and Most Glorious Seraphim! Glory to Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, with the Father and the Holy Spirit - the Trinity of Consubstantial and Indivisible, now and forever, at all times and forever and ever. Amen“.

Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt. "The Beginning of Salvation" (Word on the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos):

“The Sacrament that has taken place on this day astonishes not only human, but also all angelic, lofty minds. They also wonder how God, without beginning, boundless, impregnable, descended to the form of a slave and became a man, without ceasing to be God and without in the least belittling the glory of the Divine? How could the Virgin contain the unbearable fire of the Divine in her most pure womb, and remain undamaged, and remain forever the Mother of God incarnate? So great, wonderful, such divine wisdom is this sacrament of the annunciation by the Archangel to the Blessed Virgin of the incarnation of the Son of God from Her! Rejoice, earthly ones, rejoice, especially faithful Christian souls, but rejoice with trembling before the greatness of the sacrament, as you have been overlaid with the filth of sin; rejoice, but immediately cleanse yourselves by the grace of God from the filth of sin with sincere and living, deep repentance.

Exalt with pure hearts and lips the Mother of God, exalted and exalted above all creatures, angels and men, exalted by God Himself, the Creator of all creatures, and remember that the sacrament of the incarnation and incarnation of the Son of God took place for our salvation from sin, the curse that was rightly pronounced on us in the beginning from God for sins, and from temporal and eternal death. With fear and joy, accept the Lord who is coming to us to establish on earth, in our hearts and souls the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of truth, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, and hate God-hating sin, malice, impurity, intemperance, pride, hardness of heart, unmercifulness, selfishness , carnality, every unrighteousness. Christ came down to earth to lead us to heaven.”

Sermons and articles about the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin - April 7, 2016

The Great Gift of Freedom. . .

According to the words of His Holiness the Patriarch, this tradition, full of deep meaning, “symbolizing that the birds are no longer in a cage, but in freedom, reminds us that in our free will - search for the Kingdom of God".

In pre-revolutionary Russia, before the Annunciation, birds were bought on Okhotny Ryad. Now, on the day of the holiday, pigeons raised by the Federation of Sports Pigeon Breeding soar over the Kremlin cathedrals.

The starting speed of such a sports pigeon is 175 kilometers per hour. Having circled a little over the Cathedral Square, the pigeon flock quickly dissolves into the sky. There, the birds are divided into groups, each of which returns to its nursery, located in Moscow or the Moscow region.

In addition to pigeons, Patriach Alexy II also released seven of his own birds - titmouse.

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is an Orthodox holiday that takes place every year April 7(March 25, old style) and is exactly 9 months away from the date of the celebration. The holiday was established in remembrance of the announcement to the Virgin Mary by the archangel Gabriel of the good news about the conception and birth of the Divine Infant Jesus Christ by Her. The Annunciation has one day of fore-feast and one day of after-feast, on which the Cathedral of St. Archangel Gabriel.

Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos. worship

Holiday Annunciation in the Orthodox tradition is consonant with the Gospel (from the Greek. " good news"). The icon of this holiday is usually placed on the Royal Doors, the Mother of God is depicted on the top on the right half, and the Archangel Gabriel is on the left. The Annunciation sometimes coincides with Easter. This holiday is so great that even the Easter service does not cancel it. According to a special Charter, the hymns of the Annunciation and Pascha can be combined.

The festive divine service tells the prayers about the event of the holiday, explains the meaning of the fulfilled Old Testament prophecies. Again and again we hear explanations of the great Mystery of the Incarnation. In verses, in addition to describing the event of the Annunciation, the same thoughts are expressed as in general on the Mother of God holidays. It is said that, thanks to the birth of the Lord from the Mother of God, heaven is again united with the earth, Adam is renewed, Eve is freed, and we become partakers of the Divine, we become the church, that is, the temple of God. Very beautiful and full of deep meaning are the verses of the Great Vespers, constructed as a dialogue between the Archangel and the Mother of God:

With the advice of the eternal, tkryvaz You ntrokovitse, gavrii1l presented, you kissed and 3 things, the radius of the earth is not inhabited. raduisz cupino2 did not fall1maz. radiusz depth2 inconvenient visibility, radiusz m0ste k8 nb7sє1m trans. and 3 ladder vy0kaz, u4zhe їya1kov vi1de. raduiz ru1chko divine manna. raduisz the resolution of the class. Raduisz Gdam's exaltation, with you gD.

K vseshimisz ћkw chlk, speech imperishable z ntrokovi1tsa to ґrhistrati1gu. and 3 how you veshchayesh gly more than a chlka. with me rekl є3si2 bGu bhti, and3 sat1tisz in my womb2. and 3 as I will be clay, in a 8 spacious place, and 3 a place of suc7enz, and 4 even on the cherubimah ascending. yes, do not deceive me flattering, heaven 2 understands a man. marriage є4sm is not involved, like ybw ntrochA birth2.

B G and 3dzhe x0chet, wins є3stva chi1n, speech is free. and 3 even more than a man they create, my 1 believe with a true verb, everything © taz and 3 is immaculate. cry out 2, be me nhne according to your deeds 2, and 3 birth 2 of the unembodied, the flesh t borrowed me, ћkw let it raise a bang, ћkw є3d1n s1len, ancient worthy, extreme descent.

On the polyeleos, the magnification of a holiday or a saint is always sung, beginning with the words: “We magnify thee ...”. Magnification of the Annunciation is special:

Ґ rhagglskyi voice crying out to you. Radiusz Bradovannaz, GD with you.

The canon for the holiday was compiled in the 8th century. It was written by famous Orthodox hymnographers John of Damascus and Theophan, Metropolitan of Nicaea. The canon is built in the form of a dialogue between the Mother of God and the Archangel Gabriel. The canon speaks of the Divine condescension towards people of the incarnating Savior and points to the extraordinary greatness of the Blessed Virgin, who accepted God into herself.

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The Apostle (Heb. II, 11-18) expresses the idea that for the salvation of people it was necessary for the Son of God to take on human flesh. The Gospel (Lk. I, 24-38) contains a story about the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Troparion to the holiday. Church Slavonic text

Let us bring salvation to our beginnings, and 3 eternal secret manifestations, ch7 b9ii, ch7 dv7yz happens, and 3 gavri1l the joy of blessing. dark i3 we2 s8 ni1m btsde vozopіє1m, radiusz њbradovannaz gd s8 you.

Russian text

Today is the beginning of our salvation and the manifestation of the mystery that has been from time immemorial: the Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin and Gabriel proclaims the good news of grace. Therefore, we also exclaim to the Theotokos: Rejoice, rejoicing one, the Lord is with you.

Holiday kontakion. Church Slavonic text

In the chosen war, it is victorious, how and 3 liberating t shlh, thanks to the resurrection of your slaves, your 2 btsde. but ћkw and 3mu1schi the power is not conquered, t all our troubles of freedom2, let us call you, raduisz the bride is unmarried.

Russian text

To you, the supreme Commander, having got rid of troubles, we, Your unworthy servants, Mother of God, sing a song of victory and thanksgiving. But you, who have invincible power, free us from all troubles so that we cry out to You: Rejoice, Bride who has not entered into marriage.

Celebration of the Annunciation in Russia. Folk customs and traditions

In terms of the strength of popular veneration and the size of the celebration of Christian holidays in rural life since ancient times, the day of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is in third place after the Nativity of Christ and Holy Pascha. In everyday life of working village life, this holiday was considered a day of complete rest. In many villages, whole families in the evening, at sunset, went to the mills and settled here on the straw for a peaceful conversation about what the coming spring will be like, what the sowing, what the plowing, what the harvest. The Annunciation was considered a day of blessing for every good deed, especially for agricultural work. According to popular legend, on this day, as on Easter, the sun “plays” at dawn and sinners are not tormented in hell. Before the revolution, there was also a custom to release caged birds on this day as a symbol of the announcement of freedom to all people.

On this day, the smallest physical work, even leaving or leaving on the road to earn money, was considered the greatest sin. Not idle fun with the seasoning of festive revelry, but precisely concentrated, silent meditation befitted this holiday of perfect peace, freedom from work, based on an immutable belief and universal conviction that “ on Annunciation Day, the bird of the nest does not curl, the maiden does not braid her braids". Not for one day in the year there are so many signs and fortune-telling as on the day of the Annunciation: the greatest number of those beliefs that were strengthened on practical economic foundations depended on it.

Icons of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The oldest images of the Annunciation are frescoes in the ancient Roman catacombs (II century) and images on early Christian sarcophagi. Already by the 5th century, icon-painting canons had developed from the early Christian ones, which remain almost unchanged in Byzantine and Russian icon painting.

The basic principles of the iconography of the holiday are a two-figure composition representing the Archangel and the Mother of God.

The most common version is the "Annunciation with Yarn". The Mother of God is represented sitting at the spinning, an angel with a staff in his left hand blesses her with an impulsive gesture, reporting the message sent by the Lord. According to Tradition, the lot fell to the Virgin Mary to spin the red curtain for the Jerusalem temple, the very one that was torn in two at the time of the death of Her Son.

In the icons "The Annunciation with the Child in the Womb" ("Ustyug Annunciation"), an attempt is made to present the idea of ​​the Immaculate Conception.

Images of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin are found not only in icon painting and monumental painting, but also in manuscript miniatures, sculpture, and embroidery.

Annunciation churches and monasteries in Russia

In the 11th century, Yaroslav I, who surrounded the city of Kyiv with a stone wall with golden gates entering it, built over them Church of the Annunciation and said through the mouth of the chronicler: Yes, these gates of good news come to me in this city with the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos and St. Archangel Gabriel - the joys of the evangelist". The same temple was built over the gates of the Novgorod Kremlin, and then it became a custom to put Annunciation churches over the gates in all the big old monasteries.

In Russia, many churches and monasteries were built, named in the name of the Annunciation, in every Russian city. First of all, the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin comes to mind. In 1397, Grand Duke Vasily I, son of Dmitry Donskoy, built the first wooden cathedral. It was painted by Andrei Rublev, Feofan Grek and master Prokhor of Gorodets. Later, the cathedral was rebuilt, in 1475 it burned down, and the Pskov craftsmen built a new white-stone cathedral (1484-89) on the basement.

There was another Annunciation Church in the Kremlin. One of the Kremlin towers, now bearing the name of Blagoveshchenskaya, served as a prison under Ivan the Terrible. The Mother of God appeared to one prisoner, innocently imprisoned, and ordered to ask for royal mercy. At the same time, on the outer wall of the tower, facing the royal chambers, the image of the Annunciation appeared. Subsequently, a temple was added to the tower, which was destroyed in the 1930s.

One of the most ancient Annunciation churches was located in Vitebsk (Belarus). According to legend, it was built by Princess Olga when the city was founded in 974. The church was rebuilt many times, and in 1961 it was destroyed to make room for trams to turn around. Rebuilt 1993–98 in the form of the XII century.

Many monasteries were dedicated to the Annunciation of the Virgin. Perhaps the most ancient are in Nizhny Novgorod (1221), Kirzhach, Vladimir Region (founded in 1358 by St. Sergius of Radonezh), and Murom.

It should be said that there is even a city named after the holiday - Blagoveshchensk in the Far East, on the border with China. It was founded in 1856 and was called the Ust-Zeya military post (at the confluence of the Zeya and Amur). The first temple that was built there was consecrated in the name of the Annunciation, from which the city got its name. Surprisingly, under Soviet rule, the city retained its "Orthodox" name!

Old Believer Churches of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Old Believers continued the tradition of building Annunciation churches. The church under construction of the Russian Orthodox Old Believer Church in and in (Romania) is dedicated to this holiday.

Communities of the Russian Old Orthodox Church in the Saratov region, the village (Kazakhstan) and the Nizhny Novgorod region also celebrate the patronal feast today.

The churches of the Pomor communities of Arkhangelsk (Estonia), (Latvia), (Latvia) and the chapel of the Riga Epiphany community (Latvia) are dedicated to the Annunciation.

The Annunciation of the Virgin Mary is one of the most significant Christian public holidays. On this “bright” day, the archangel Gabriel brought the good news from the Lord to Mary, told that she would become the Mother of the Son of God. "Rejoice, Blessed One!" - Archangel Gabriel spoke, and told Mary that God's mercy fell on her and she was chosen for the birth of the Son of the Most High.

The interpreters of the Word of God declare that the Good News brought to Mary by an angel is the first favorable news for the human race in a long time, after the disgrace of the Almighty for the many sins committed by people. After the appearance of Gabriel to the Most Pure Virgin Mary, the whole Orthodox people had hope for another bright era under the auspices of the Lord.

History of the Annunciation

To fully understand what kind of holiday the Annunciation is, you need to delve a little into history. First of all, the consent of the Virgin Mary to give birth to Jesus is an expression of good will, which the Lord, by His grace, bestowed on people.

According to theologians, spiritual freedom exalts the human race over cruel nature. Therefore, with the permission of the kind-hearted and obedient Virgin Mary, the Holy Spirit illuminated her without spoiling the innocent maiden's womb. Nevertheless, the pregnancy of the immaculate Virgin proceeded like all other women on earth. And Mary dutifully carried the child of God until his birth.

When the archangel Gabriel appeared with the news of the good Virgin Mary, the same old prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled, which says that the day will come when a simple woman will become the mother of a son, who will be named Emmanuel, which means "God sleeps."

Having settled in the bosom of Mary, the Holy Spirit conceived a baby, whose purpose was to deliver the world from the devil's evil spirits by atonement for sin.

In the very name of the Annunciation lies an important meaning of the interpretation of the good news itself: to inform Mary that she has conceived and is bearing the Son of God.

The bright holiday of the Annunciation is one of the 12 most important Orthodox twelfth holidays after the Bright Resurrection (Easter). All significant Orthodox holidays are timed to significant events in the worldly life of the Mother of God and Jesus.

What date is the Annunciation celebrated?

In the Catholic and Orthodox churches, the dates of the celebration of the Annunciation do not coincide. Catholics and Protestants celebrate the bright holiday on March 25th. The occurrence of this particular date can be interpreted in different ways:

Maybe directly related to December 25, the date of Jesus' birth. If we count from this date the time of bearing a child - 9 months, then it will turn out to be March 25th. It is also assumed that the date of the celebration of the Annunciation can be calculated from the date of the creation of mankind.

There is an opinion that it was not without reason that the appearance of the angel Mary was on March 25, on this day the creation of mankind by the Lord took place. On this memorable date, the beginning of the redemption of original sin by believers is laid.

There is also an opinion that the day of the equinox can also be considered the date of the creation of the world, and in view of this, the atonement of the sins of mankind should begin on the day of the vernal equinox.

The Russian Orthodox Church, in determining the day of the Annunciation, relies on the Julian calendar with a different time reckoning, according to which the Annunciation is celebrated on April 7th.

Celebration of the Annunciation

Often this holiday falls on a bright Easter week or on Great Lent. This determines the type of liturgy. On the Annunciation holiday that fell on Lent, it makes a slight indulgence for believers, on this day you can treat yourself to fish dishes.

But if the holiday falls on one of the days of Passion Week, then the strictness of the fast cannot be broken. It is possible that the Annunciation coincides with the day of Easter (this rare coincidence is called "Kyriopaskha"), in which case the Annunciation is sung along with Easter hymns.

There are many folk rituals on the Annunciation Day, maybe even a little pagan. This is the kindling of bonfires, in which people burn various garbage, rags, old straw and even manure, symbolizing the end of winter and the entry of spring into its own rights.

There is also a popular belief that on the Annunciation the “gates of heaven” are open and you can ask the Lord for the fulfillment of your cherished desires. You just need to notice the appearance of the first big star in the sky and shout out: “God, give me glory!”

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On the Annunciation, Christians remember how the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary and brought her the good news - that through her the Savior, Jesus Christ, would come into the world. We will talk about how the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos was celebrated in Russia.

Traditions of the Annunciation

The Russian Orthodox Church celebrates the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos on April 7 according to the new style, this is a non-transferable holiday, i.e. always celebrated on the same day.

In Russia, around this time, a new cycle of agricultural work began, so the church traditions of the holiday were mixed with folk over the centuries. In some Annunciation customs we find clear echoes of paganism, others were transformed by Christian meaning. These customs - in some ways naive, in some ways wise and invariably beautiful - tell us about the past of the Russian people, about the rich culture of our ancestors.

Let us list some of the traditions of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The tradition of releasing birds on the Annunciation

One of the most poetic traditions of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the release of birds. Historically, these were different birds - pigeons, tits, larks. People caught them in the forest, carefully put them in cages, and then, having gathered all together, released them into the sky. Ordinary people, in the purity of the popular faith, believed that the forest birds, released into the wild, would intercede before the Lord for their liberators. In addition, the dove has always been a symbol of the good news from God. And the doves flying on the Annunciation into the sky personify the good news about the birth of the Savior, which the archangel Gabriel brought to the Mother of God.

BIRD

In a foreign land I sacredly observe
Native custom of antiquity:
I release the bird
At the bright holiday of spring.

I became available for consolation;
Why should I grumble at God,
When at least one creature
I could give freedom

A.S. Pushkin

By the way, we can still take part in this beautiful folk custom - in the 1990s, pigeons were again released in Russian churches on April 7th.

Baking prosphora

Traditionally, on the Annunciation in peasant huts, the housewives baked prosphora, that is, unleavened church bread. Prosphora was baked as much as there were households. The bread was carried to the temple, where the priest consecrated them. Then, already at home, they ate on an empty stomach.

It was also customary for the people to add crumbs from consecrated prosphora to pet food and seeds. It was believed that thanks to this, the harvest would be rich, and the livestock - prolific and healthy. Of course, this was a relic of pagan beliefs, but at the same time, the custom of sharing church bread with animals was a sign that our ancestors wanted to sanctify their entire life, including everyday life, with the light of Christ's faith.

"Calls", "springs"

At the Annunciation, the Russian people called out to spring. Of course, this ancient tradition was rooted in paganism - at that time of historical development, when people did not yet know Christ and deified nature. But the Annunciation - one of the main Orthodox spring holidays - gave new life and new meaning to old customs.

On April 7 (according to the new style), people gathered together to light large bonfires with songs “springs”, or, as they were also called, “calls”. Girls and boys danced round the fire, singing, calling for warmth and flowering - “red spring”. The songs sounded the name of the Virgin and requests for a good harvest. In addition to the Lord and the Mother of God, people turned directly to spring, and also to birds, for example, larks: “ Chuvil - wil - wil, larks are flying, spring has come to us, chuvil - wil - wil, larks are flying».

The "calls" were sung invitingly, often - even sadly, with an alarming intonation. Here, for example, is an excerpt from the "Vesnyanka", which was recorded in 1901 by the poet Apollon of Corinth in the Simbirsk Volga region:

Titmouse sisters,
aunts-tap,
red-throated snowmen,
Goldfinches, well done,
Thieves-sparrows.
Fly at will
You live in freedom
Bring spring to us soon!
Pray to the Mother of God for us!

Here are a few more "springs":

The larks come
Take away the winter to the student,
Bring the warmth of spring:
We are sick of winter
We ate all the bread
And picked up the straw
And raised the chaff.
Already you, the Easter cakes - larks,
Fly, call.

The lark is alive
Flies across the field
Collects grains,
Spring is calling!

Full, little white snow,
To lie on the thawed earth!
Time, little white snow,
Time to melt away
Drain into the valley
And feed the earth with cheese!

Screensaver Photo by S. Vlasov,

On April 7, Orthodox Christians celebrate one of the main church holidays. This event was a turning point for the entire Christian world: it marked the imminent arrival of the Son of God on earth for the salvation of all mankind.

The significance of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos in the religious world is enormous. On this significant day, the message from Heaven was revealed to the Virgin Mary that she would become the mother of the Son of God and bring him into the world from an immaculate conception.

Traditions and customs for the Annunciation

If strict fasting continues on this significant day, the church allows relaxation in honor of the celebration. Christians are allowed to eat fish products.

On April 7, work remains under the ban. You can do household chores that require attention, but you should refrain from idle pastime. Free time should be devoted to prayers, reflections on life and spiritual enlightenment. According to popular beliefs, on this day you can’t sew, knit and weave - this way you can invite trouble into the house and ruin relations with the household.

Particular attention is paid to birds during the holiday. They are set free to bring the good news of the good deeds and deeds of people to Heaven.

On the night of the Annunciation, it is customary to kindle bonfires to finally melt the winter cold and attract a warm spring. Garbage, old household items and any things that have become unusable are thrown into the fires.

The ashes from the fires on the Annunciation were taken to the garden and sprinkled on the beds in order to scare away pests and protect the crop from adversity.

Planted on this day and plants. It is believed that God himself blesses them for a quick shoot and an abundance of fruits.

After the service in the church, prosphora is brought home, which they treat to all household members. Leftovers and crumbs are usually given to pets, protecting them from disease and predatory animals.

Signs for the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Our ancestors carefully observed the weather on this day: rain promised a fruitful year, and thunder or thunder foreshadowed an abundance of nuts in the fall.

Fishermen on the Annunciation hoped for a good catch, because it meant that the fish in the reservoir would not be transferred and the bite would be throughout the year.

On the holiday, any swear words, quarrels and showdown were prohibited. Our ancestors believed that the whole year depends on how the day goes. A benevolent attitude, kindness and mutual assistance were required.

Swallows served as a good indicator of the weather: if they appeared before the holiday, then a warm winter was ahead.

On this day, nothing should be given away from home, so as not to spend a year in poverty and lack of money.

According to signs, the water consecrated on the Annunciation had healing properties and was used in case of illness of the household.

It is forbidden to wear new clothes on this day: according to legend, they quickly become unusable, and new outfits also do not please customers for long.

It is noteworthy that the weather that stood in the Annunciation reflected the weather for Easter.

The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a special day on which you can ask the Higher Forces for protection and patronage. Any of your desires, uttered from a pure heart and not containing self-interest, will surely come true. We wish you good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and

07.04.2017 05:15

The holiday of all Christians, the Annunciation is a truly great day, which symbolizes one of the most important...