Trinity: what can and cannot be done on this holiday, signs on the Trinity. Holiday Dinner Traditions

Orthodox Christians on June 5 celebrate the second day of the Trinity - Spirits Day. What kind of holiday is this, what can not be done on this day, read in our section "Question-Answer".

history of the holiday

Trinity and Spirits Day are considered by the Orthodox Church as a single holiday of Pentecost - the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, which occurred on the 50th day after the Resurrection of Christ.

After the Resurrection of the Lord, his disciples lived in anticipation of the feast. For 40 days the Lord appeared to them one at a time and when they gathered together. Before the eyes of the disciples, he rose above the earth, giving hope that on the last day of the world he would return. Saying goodbye, the Lord promised to send them a comforter - the Holy Spirit, coming from God the Father.

On the tenth day after the ascension of Jesus Christ, when the disciples and the Virgin Mary were in the Zion room, they heard a loud noise. Bright fluttering tongues of fire appeared in the air, which was of the same nature as the blessed fire. It shone without burning. Hovering over the heads of the apostles, the tongues of fire fell on them and went out.

After that, everyone who was in the upper room felt an extraordinary power acting in them. The Holy Spirit descended on the apostles. They spoke in languages ​​they had never spoken before. This was the gift needed to preach the gospel throughout the world.

When and how is Spirits Day celebrated?

The Day of the Holy Spirit in 2017 falls on June 5th. Every year this holiday is celebrated on the day after the Trinity, and it always falls on Monday, on the 51st day after Easter.

The Orthodox holiday is also called Spirits Day. Its other names have also been preserved: Name Day of the Earth, Earth-birthday, Seeing off the mermaids, Ivan da Marya, Mermaid.

According to legend, in the evening the Holy Spirit descends from heaven on the Trinity, which sanctifies and blesses the earth and everything that grows on it. In churches on this day, services are held in honor of the Most Holy and Life-Giving Spirit, which fills the soul with kindness, love, joy, faith and patience.

On the Day of the Holy Spirit, believers visit church to pray for deceased relatives and friends. After the temple, they visit the cemetery to decorate the graves with birch branches. They also had a meal there. And in the evening the whole family gathered at the table.

What can not be done on the Day of the Holy Spirit?

It is believed that on Spirits Day it is impossible to disturb the earth and do work in the garden and garden. It is not recommended to dig the ground, plant plants, weed the beds, perform any work that violates the integrity of the ground cover. Since ancient times, there has been a belief that this can harm the future harvest. Also on this day you can not sew, dye, wash, do the cleaning. It is not necessary to prepare birch brooms on this day.

Story

The celebration of the Day of the Holy Trinity or Pentecost, like the feast of Easter, has its roots in Old Testament times. On the fiftieth day after the Old Testament Passover (the day of the exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt), at Mount Sinai, the prophet Moses gave his people God's law and founded the Old Testament priesthood. So this day became the founding day of the Old Testament Church, writes abc-people.com.

In a similar way, the Day of the Holy Trinity is associated with the New Testament Easter, because on the fiftieth day after his resurrection from the dead and on the tenth day after his ascension to his Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ sent the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to the apostles.

In Russia, the Trinity began to be celebrated 300 years after the baptism by Prince Vladimir.

The holiday of the Trinity is closely connected with the farewell to spring and the meeting of summer - Green holidays. The week before Trinity is called “green”, “klechalnaya” or “mermaid”, and three days before Trinity and three days after it are actually called Green Week.

During the Green Holidays, oats bloom, people decorate their houses with greenery and flowers, girls weave wreaths. And, according to legend, at this time the dead wake up and mermaids come out of the water.

At this holiday Orthodox Church recalls the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles and celebrates the Holy Trinity - one of the main provisions of Christianity. The concept of the Trinity symbolizes the image of God - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

This big religious holiday liberation from everything bad and sinful in the human soul. It was on this day that the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles in the form of sacred fire, which endowed them with grace and gave them strength to equip the Holy Church on earth in order to convey the Word of God to every person.

The feast of Pentecost is the birthday of the church; God's chosen disciples were endowed with special power to preach the gospel throughout the world and carry the message of Jesus as Savior and Lord. Now the successors of the apostles are the clergy, who are considered mediators between God and people.

celebration

By the holiday of the Trinity, the housewives clean the house and clean it up, decorate the rooms with flowers, young grass and green branches, which symbolizes the coming spring, prosperity and the continuation of life. Most often, branches of birch, oak, mountain ash, maple, calamus grass, mint, lemon balm, etc. are used for decoration, advises tochka.net.

On Trinity Day, they attend a festive church service in the morning. Parishioners hold flowers, fragrant herbs and green branches in their hands, symbolizing renewal through the descending Holy Spirit.

Close people and relatives are invited to a festive dinner, they are treated to a loaf, egg dishes, pancakes, pies, jelly and give each other funny gifts.

You can also get out into nature, organize a picnic - after all, the Trinity of 2013, like in other years, is celebrated on a day off.

The tradition of folk festivals has been preserved to our time. Many cities host cultural events, concerts, fairs.

Traditions and rituals

In the old days, after the morning service, mass folk festivals, chants, round dances began, active games and outdoor contests. In the evening, the girls danced round dances, and the guys looked after their brides. Girls from flowers and herbs wove wreaths and floated on the water. Some wreaths were secretly given to the chosen ones as a token of love.

Trinity herbs were dried and subsequently used as medicine and a remedy for various ills. According to signs, such greenery protects the house from a thunderstorm.

Rusks from the Trinity loaf were kept until the wedding and added to the wedding cake for the newlyweds as a sign of happiness and love.

Signs

One of the most ancient signs is the custom to bring to church for consecration, and then hide in the house behind the frame or later behind the icon bunches of “tearful” herbs - grass that was specially mourned, since tears symbolized rain. Thus, people begged from nature, and later from God, have a nice summer without drought, with rains and a rich harvest from the earth saturated with moisture.

Birch twigs inserted behind window frames, platbands, shutters, green grass, scattered around the upper room, also symbolized a good harvest summer, because it was like that in every village house.

Any peasant labor for the Trinity was condemned in the village: neither in the field nor in the house it was possible to do business, except for cooking. It was also impossible to swim, because this time is the time of mermaids, when mermaids can lure to their bottom.

The day before Trinity parent Saturday everyone went to the cemetery - to remember relatives, if someone did not get on that day, it was believed that he invited the dead to him, and they, in turn, would take someone away from home (that is, the relative would die). Therefore, before the Trinity, they left a memorial dinner, and hung out the clothes of the dead on the fence - and remember, and postpone death, drive away.

It was on Trinity that old women went to the cemetery to sweep the graves with birch brooms - it was believed that evil spirits recede at the same time, and the dead rejoice and promote peace, harmony and wealth in the whole village.

Marriage was a good omen. It was believed that if they get married to the Trinity, and they get married to the Intercession, then the life of these spouses will be long, happy, in love and harmony.

Of the agricultural signs, one can note the well-known "rain" ones: rain on the Trinity - for the harvest, for mushrooms, for warm weather, without frost.

And the next day after the Trinity - Spirits day. The land was considered a birthday girl, they also didn’t work on it, and in the morning they went in search of treasures, because on their name days good man the earth is sure to reveal something of value.

divination

The Church rejected all sorts of fortune-telling, but it just so happened among the people that between Christmas and Epiphany, the big Christian holidays, there was a long period of Christmas time - the time of fortune-telling, and on the Trinity, during the mermaids, the girls guessed at fate, at the betrothed, with trepidation they waited for matchmakers writes Kyiv Pravda.

The most common fortune-telling is the "curling" of a birch and the weaving of wreaths. On the eve of Trinity, the girls went into the forest, tilted the tops of young birch trees and wove a wreath from twigs - they “curled”, if, upon arriving at Trinity to her birch, the girl saw that she had developed or withered, you won’t have to wait for good. If it remains the same, there will be a wedding, and a beloved betrothed, and wealth in the house.

Weaving wreaths is also a custom for the Trinity. Weaving girls in the company, men were not allowed to their place, if a guy saw someone's wreath, it was bad omen, the "evil eye" of the girl. Wreaths were woven directly to the Trinity and went with them to the river.

There they launched: where he swam - from there the groom will be, stayed by the shore - the girl will not marry, well, if she drowned - she will die this year. Moreover, the wreaths were not removed from the head with their hands, but bent so that they themselves fell into the water.

In order for the betrothed to dream, they put birch twigs under the pillow.

Is it possible to work in the Trinity - such a question is often asked by believers Orthodox people. Such interest is quite understandable, given that this holiday is one of the most significant and it falls at the beginning of summer, when the peasants, according to tradition, had an agricultural harvest in full swing. Currently, for many people who work irregular or shift schedules, this day can be a work day. The topical issue of working on is also for those who live in countryside and has subsidiary farm, as well as for summer residents and gardeners who cannot leave field work even for one day.

Is it possible to work on the Holy Trinity?

Formally, the Trinity holiday lasts not one day, but a whole week, which is called "green" or "mermaid". But the strictest day is Sunday. According to biblical legend, it was on this day that the holy spirit appeared to the followers of Christ and his mother, who was one in three persons. Therefore, in fact, the holiday was called the Trinity. It is celebrated 50 days after Bright Sunday and is considered one of the most important religious celebrations. And this naturally entails certain obligations for believers, including a ban on work. Before this significant day, it was necessary to put the house and yourself in order, prepare refreshments, decorate the house with birch branches, etc. On the morning of Trinity Sunday, it was imperative to visit the temple, attend the solemn service, and then the festivities loved by the people in the forest began. Girls wove wreaths and danced round dances, older people treated themselves to scrambled eggs and pies with onions. And in the evening they set up a big bonfire, where they burned the greenery used to decorate the interior, so that all troubles and ailments would disappear with it. And, of course, no one worked that day.

When asked whether it is possible to work on Trinity at least after lunch, church canons give a clear answer - “no”. But it is stipulated that this is permissible in special occasions. For example, you can’t do cleaning, but if on that day dirt accidentally appeared in the house - millet crumbled, milk spilled, then you can take care of its elimination and this will not be a sin. However, it is better to simply forget about all the things that can be postponed until tomorrow, even in the afternoon.

Is it permissible to work in the garden on Trinity?

Many people are also extremely interested in whether they work on the Trinity in the garden, on personal plot, in the backyard. classifies these types of work as exceptions and allows them to be performed in holidays. After all, the peasants were very dependent on the land, if the work schedule was violated and necessary measures, then the family risked losing the harvest, which threatened famine in winter time. But modern people they are not so dependent on household plots, therefore it is undesirable for them to work in the garden for Trinity. But again, there are exceptions. Unreasonable plants do not care if it is Sunday in the yard, a holiday or an ordinary day, they are still waiting for care, watering. If necessary, it is quite possible to go out into the garden with a watering can. But here digging new beds, planting plants, weeding, fertilizing, processing chemicals on the Trinity is not worth it. Things like that could well wait until Monday or even next weekend.

Can I work on the Saturday before Trinity?

The Sabbath before Trinity is also a big holiday, but not with such strict prohibitions. Parental Saturday is quite acceptable to devote to cleaning the house, but after dinner. And in the morning you should converge on the cemetery and put things in order on the graves of relatives. It was also desirable to visit the temple and pray for all the departed.

Holy Trinity Day is one of the twelve twelfth holidays in church calendar. Other names of the holiday: Trinity, Pentecost, Descent of the Holy Spirit.

On this day, we remember the event that took place fifty days after the Resurrection of Christ - the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles, and they went to preach the Risen Christ to all nations in all lands.

No wonder this day is called the birthday of the Church. Trinity Day always falls on a Sunday. Most The best way spend this holiday - in the temple, among brothers and sisters in Christ.

The Liturgy for Pentecost is unusually picturesque: the floors in the temple are lined with field herbs, birch branches, flowers in vases. The fragrance of freshly cut greenery, the green vestments of the clergy, kneeling prayers - everything speaks to believers about the great plan of God, about the victory of Christ over death, about the Kingdom of God.

We have collected answers to the most common questions about what is possible and impossible on the Trinity:

What can not be done on Trinity?

Is it possible to work for the Trinity?

Can I swim on Trinity?

Week after Trinity - what not to do?

Is it possible to baptize on the Trinity?

Is it possible to play a wedding, get married (get married), get married on the Trinity?

Trinity - what is this holiday and what can not be done?

Trinity is a great Christian holiday, which is one of the twelfth - the most important of the year. It takes place on the fiftieth day after Easter, which is why it is also called Pentecost. On this day, Orthodox Christians remember the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, after which the disciples of the Lord became able to speak different languages and dispersed throughout the world to preach the doctrine of Christ.

The Feast of the Holy Trinity always falls on a Sunday. Believers always try to be present on this day at the service, to take communion. The Trinity service itself is especially solemn - inside the temples are decorated with greenery, plant branches and flowers. After the Liturgy, an evening service is served with the reading of kneeling prayers, during which, turning to the Lord, we ask Him for help and intercession.

There is a mass folk customs associated with the holiday: - this is impossible, this is impossible ... But for most of them - purely pagan, folk roots. And often such customs contradict the very essence Christian faith. Therefore, when studying the Russian traditions of the feast of the Trinity, one must clearly distinguish what is consonant with Orthodoxy in them and what is not.

There are no everyday rules in the Church about what is forbidden and what can be done on the days of certain holidays. The main thing that is possible and necessary is to be in the temple and pray.

If you still have any doubts about how you should spend the day of the Trinity (Pentecost) holiday, you can find below a selection of the most frequently asked questions and answers about what you can and cannot do on Trinity.

What can not be done on Trinity?

On the Trinity, one cannot follow common signs and superstitions, many of which just give advice on what supposedly “not” to do on the Trinity (swim, walk in the forest and in the field, work, etc.). And you need to live this day in a Christian way - go to the temple, pray, take communion, try to be kind and attentive to your loved ones, spend your free time with them.

For a Christian, there are no prohibitions on certain types of activities on an ordinary or holiday day, if they do not harm his soul. Neither bathing, nor walking, nor work will interfere with a believing person if he remembers God.

On Trinity, every believer tries to be in the temple, where on this day, after the Liturgy, special kneeling prayers are read for the forgiveness of sins, the mercy of God and the bestowal of the grace of the Holy Spirit. But a Christian can only preserve and multiply this grace in his life, following the Gospel, and not superstitious rules.

Is it possible to work for the Trinity?

It is possible to work for the Trinity, if circumstances so develop.

The feast of the Trinity (Pentecost) always falls on Sunday, and for most believers this is a day off, which is dedicated to going to the temple and praying. But in modern world there are many works that must be done daily, without breaks and days off, and believers are also involved in them. If a Christian working on this day fails to change and go to the temple for the Trinity, this should not be a reason for despondency.

You can find time for prayer at the workplace, but you will have to go to the temple on another day. The Monday following Trinity, Spirits Day, is considered a continuation of the feast of Pentecost. And the giving of the Trinity takes place almost a week later, next Saturday.

Is it possible to work on the second day of Trinity?

The Feast of the Holy Trinity is divided into two days. The first day is dedicated to the glorification of the Trinity and the remembrance of the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, which is why it is called Trinity Day. The second day sings of the All-Holy Life-Giving Spirit and in honor of this is called the Spiritual Day.

Orthodox believers, realizing the holiness of the holiday, are sure to try these days to be present in the temple for worship, put aside all vain affairs and devote time to prayer. Since the first day of Trinity always falls on a Sunday, there is usually no problem for a Christian to attend a service on that day. The second day of the Trinity - Spirits Day - falls at the beginning working week. It is clear that on Monday modern man it is difficult to postpone their affairs, work. But if possible, it is better to start its implementation after attending the morning service in order to pay tribute to the holiday.

Is it possible to work in the garden for Trinity?

The feast of the Holy Trinity always falls on a Sunday, so believers always try to attend the festive service in the temple, partake of the Saints Mysteries of Christ refrain from doing any work and devote time to prayer.

Working on the day of the Trinity, we seem to show our disrespect to God. No wonder people have always tried to put aside all external, vain deeds on the days of great holidays - this is not pleasing to the Lord. The work, as a rule, turned out to be in vain and did not bring positive result. Of course, there are especially important things that cannot be rescheduled for another time. It is better to start their implementation only after attending the service and prayer. But if possible, on the days of big holidays, such as the Trinity, it is better to postpone all business, including work in the garden.

Is it possible to commemorate the suicidal on Trinity?

The feast of the Holy Trinity is preceded by the Trinity Parental Saturday - the day of universal commemoration of the dead. On Trinity Saturday, a memorial service is served in churches, during which the Church commemorates all Orthodox Christians who have died.

As for the commemoration of suicides at the memorial service, the Church does not bless this - neither on the Trinity, nor on any other day. Taking the life of another person is a great sin, but the killer can always sincerely repent of his sin and the Lord will forgive him. A person who commits suicide does not have the opportunity to repent of his act. The soul of a suicide is left to God's will. However, this does not mean that it is impossible to pray for such people at all. On the contrary, their souls especially need the prayers of loved ones, which can be performed at home.

Why can't you kneel before Trinity?

Hieromonk Konstantin (Simon) answers:

"We do not kneel from Easter to Pentecost because it is a time of joy. We very often kneel in prayer during Great Lent, as it is a time of repentance. But the period after Easter is a joyful time, we should not be sad. Of course, we should always ask the Lord for the forgiveness of our sins. But Easter is a special time, this is the time of the triumph of Jesus Christ over death. These days we live in a special, special way, we live by Paschal grace. And this grace does not allow us kneel.

And on the day of the Holy Trinity at Great Vespers, for the first time since Easter, we kneel. Kneeling prayers are read on it, during which we can again ask God for the forgiveness of our sins, we can repent. The moment of repentance is clearly reflected in the texts of these prayers.

It is also worth noting that Great Vespers refers to Monday, the second day of the Holy Trinity - Spiritual Day, since according to the rules of the Nicene Council, Orthodox Christians should not kneel on Sundays.

Can I swim on Trinity?

You can swim on Trinity.

Often there is a statement that you can’t swim on the Trinity for three days. This is explained by a certain belief that it was during this period that “mermaids walk”, which can “lure the bather to the bottom”. At the same time, some "well-wishers" extend the ban on swimming on Trinity not only to the seas, rivers and lakes, but also to pools and home showers. It is clear that not only from the point of view of the Church, but also from the point of view of any sane person, there are no and cannot be any grounds not to allow bathing on the Trinity.

Another thing is that you should not replace going to church and praying. beach holiday, but you can go to nature to the reservoir after the service. Moreover, the Trinity always falls at the end of May or June, it is always celebrated on Sunday, and the weather on this day is hot.

Is it possible to go to the cemetery on Trinity?

Do not visit the cemetery on Trinity. On this important day for Christians, you need to visit the temple, pray and, if possible, take communion.

On the Trinity, believers remember how, after His Ascension to heaven, the Lord sent the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to all who believe in Him. This holiday is considered the birthday of the Church, since it was after this event that the disciples of Christ began to preach the Gospel throughout the world. This event is so significant and so joyful that it is on the day of the Trinity that it is not customary to specifically commemorate the dead. But the Church does not turn away and does not forget about them: the day before the Trinity is intended for commemoration and visiting the cemetery - Trinity parental Saturday. Moreover, in the kneeling prayers heard at Vespers, which is served on Trinity immediately after the Liturgy, there is a separate prayer for the departed.

Of course, there are different situations in life, and sometimes it is impossible to refuse a trip to the cemetery even on a completely unintended day. But even when you are forced to visit the Trinity cemetery, it would be good to try not to forget about the meaning and significance of this day in church history.

What can you do on the Saturday before Trinity?

Saturday before the Trinity is also called the Trinity Parental Saturday, on this day in the temples special commemoration all the dead. Believers come to the morning service, after which a memorial service is performed. In addition, on Saturday before Trinity, as on the eve of other great holidays, newlyweds are not crowned. Also on Saturday before Trinity, it is recommended to attend the evening service and confess at it, so that on Sunday morning you can come to the church for the Liturgy and take communion. The Church does not impose any other special restrictions on this day.

Can I work on Wednesdays until Trinity?

On the Wednesday before the Trinity holiday, you can work. This day is indicated in the church calendar as a day of non-strict fasting - believers abstain from meat, but there are no other special restrictions.

Is it possible to marry before the Trinity?

The Church does not crown directly on the eve of great holidays, as well as on fast days weeks: Wednesday and Friday. As for the rest of the days of the week before Trinity, these days, as a rule, you can get married. Of course, in a particular temple there may be special circumstances related to the schedule of its work and services. Therefore, it is worth agreeing in advance on the time and place of the wedding.

Week after Trinity: what not to do?

The first day of the week after Trinity is called Spiritual Day. It is also a great church holiday, on which pious Christians try to come back to the temple. But there are no additional restrictions in the week after the Trinity in the church tradition (with the exception of fasting on Wednesday and Friday). Since ancient times, pagan beliefs have been preserved that in the week after the Christian holiday of the Trinity, it is supposedly worth staying away from water, or even not leaving the villages and villages at all: the most superstitious peasants feared the attacks of mermaids, believing that the week after the Trinity - a special time for evil spirits. However, such mythology never had anything to do with Christianity, and over time, belief in mermaids remained only a part of rural folklore.

Is it possible to make wishes on the Trinity and which ones?

This question is often asked by secular people to their church acquaintances, and sometimes just to random sites on the Internet. But if sites can answer differently, then believers, like the whole Church, will tell you one thing: the signs associated with making wishes are in no way connected with Orthodox dogma and are pure water superstition. Christians believe that it is always possible to turn to God with a request, but it will not work to “deceive” him by making a wish at some special moment in time. This also applies to making wishes for the Trinity.

How many days can not work on Trinity?

Another popular question of people who are just immersing themselves in the church tradition. The answer will disappoint someone, but will please someone: there are no restrictions on work on the eve of the Trinity. So workaholics can safely enjoy their work, but lazy people will not have a new reason to relax, alas.

Is it possible to baptize on the Trinity?

It is possible to baptize on the Trinity, but keep in mind that on major holidays there are many believers in churches, the services are longer, the priests are very busy, and therefore you will most likely be offered to reschedule the baptism to another day.

On the day of the Trinity, Christians remember the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles. This is miraculous phenomenon, which happened almost two thousand years ago, attracted a lot of people, many believed and were baptized, and therefore the Trinity is also called the birthday of the Church. Of course, it is symbolic to be baptized or to baptize a child on this particular holiday. But in fact, there are no more or less suitable days for baptism, and the grace of the Holy Spirit, which a person receives through the Sacrament of Chrismation, joining the Church, is the same both on the Trinity and on any other day of the year.

Is it possible to get married / get married / get married on the Trinity?

It is impossible to get married on the Trinity, since the Sacrament of marriage is not performed by the Church on the days of the twelfth (that is, the twelve main after Easter) holidays.

On Trinity, Christians remember one of major events Church history - the descent of the Holy Spirit the Comforter, whose coming to earth Christ promised when ascending to heaven. On this day, immediately after the Liturgy, Vespers is served, at which the faithful kneel to the Trinity in all its fullness: God the Father, the Holy Spirit and the Son of God. The meaning of this holiday is so great that it is hardly possible, without missing anything, to take into your heart on this day also the experience of a great personal event - the Sacrament of Marriage.

Is it possible to play a wedding before Trinity?

You can play a wedding before Trinity in the period from Antipascha (the Sunday following Easter, also called Fomin) until Friday on the eve of Trinity, when weddings are performed in churches for the last time before Peter's Lent. You can enter into a church marriage on the days intended for this (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday, not falling on the eve or the Twelfth and Church patronal holidays themselves). Before going to church, you need to register the marriage in government bodies. And to win back the wedding, that is, to celebrate the birth new family, newlyweds can on any convenient day, but for a feast and fun, you should choose a day when there is no fasting.

Playing a wedding right before the Trinity is not entirely appropriate and not very convenient. Saturday the day before is the day of commemoration of the dead and preparation for the holiday itself, in which most believers try to take communion, which means that they try to devote the days before the Trinity to fasting and prayer.

Is it possible to sign for the Trinity?

Signing for the Trinity is unlikely to succeed, since this most important church holiday is always celebrated on Sunday, and in registry offices Sunday is usually a day off.

The Church has determined the days when a wedding is not performed, but it does not regulate the choice of the day of the week for registering a marriage. But if the question arises because it seems to future spouses that it is the marriage concluded, for example, on the feast of the Trinity, that will be strong and happy, then here the opinion of the Church is unequivocal. Neither the date of the wedding, nor the attempt to observe any wedding signs will make your family life happy. There will be peace and love in the family if the spouses themselves daily try to preserve and increase them, asking the Lord for help in this.

Trinity: traditions and rituals of the holiday

The Slavs called the Trinity, or Pentecost, Trinity Day. And also - the Trinity-Mother of God, Wreaths, Venoshnik, Birch Day.

Birches in the temple

On Trinity, temples were traditionally decorated with birch branches and grass. This custom has several explanations. Firstly, birch trees can remind of the oak forest of Mamre, where there was an oak under which the Lord, the Holy Trinity, appeared to Abraham in the form of three angels. She is depicted on the icons of the Trinity.

Secondly, on the day when the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles, the Jews celebrated the feast of Pentecost, which was associated with the history of the giving of the Law of God to them. On the fiftieth day after the exodus from the land of Egypt, the Jews approached Mount Sinai, where the Lord gave Moses the Ten Commandments.

It was the time of spring, and the whole of Mount Sinai was covered flowering trees. Probably from here ancient church there was a custom on the day of Pentecost to decorate their temples and houses with greenery, in order, as it were, to find themselves again on Mount Sinai with Moses.

Trinity Parental Saturday and Trinity Day

Often, the “Trinity” was called the entire time period from Semik (1 *) to Spiritual Day, that is, the Day of the Holy Spirit, which the Church celebrates on Monday after the Trinity.

Trinity festivities marked the transition from spring to summer. By Trinity, as a rule, all spring agricultural work ended.

By the holiday, the housewives traditionally washed and cleaned the house and yard, the fathers of families and sons mowed the grass in the fields. They baked pies and loaves, curled wreaths of birch and flowers, went to visit. Guys and girls walked in the forests and meadows, and the girls specially sewed outfits for the holiday. Heads were decorated with wreaths of flowers or headdresses embroidered with gold threads.

AT Belgorod region for each day of the Trinity cycle, a special dress was supposed to be worn: on Trinity parental Saturday they put on red shirts, on Sunday - white ones from grandmother's chests, on Monday, Spirits Day - sewn from factory fabric.

Elizabeth Kiktenko

Orthodox magazine "Foma"

(1 *) Semik (Rusalchin Great Day, Trinity of the Dead) - East Slavic holiday of the spring-summer calendar period; celebrated on the seventh Thursday after Easter, three days before Trinity. hallmark Semik was the commemoration of the "mortgaged" dead, preceding the commemoration of the ancestors on Trinity Saturday (see Trinity, Assholes). Already in the 17th century, Semik was timed to coincide with the burial of the dead, those executed or those who died of hunger and disease, in poor houses, or miserable houses.

folk traditions Semik (Green Christmas time)

People came to the fields and spent magical rites to increase yields June 1 (date for 2017)

Semik (Green Christmas time) was the main boundary between spring and summer. AT folk calendar, with the adoption of Christianity, the feast of the Trinity was timed to these days. In the rites of the Green Christmastide, the first greenery and the beginning of summer field work were welcomed.

The cycle of Green Christmastide consisted of several rituals: bringing a birch tree into the village, curling wreaths, kumlenya, burial of a cuckoo (Kostroma or a mermaid). The birch was a symbol of inexhaustible life force. As during the winter Christmas time - carols, mummers participated in all the rites, depicting animals, devils and mermaids. Two main themes can be distinguished in the songs performed during the Green Christmas holidays: love and labor. It was believed that imitation labor activity ensured the well-being of future field work.

During the performance of the song “You succeed, succeed, my flax”, the girls showed the process of sowing flax, weeding, cleaning, combing and spinning. The singing of the song “We sowed millet” was accompanied by movements in which the participants reproduced the processes of sowing, gathering, threshing, and putting millet into the cellar.

In ancient times, both songs were sung in the fields and performed a magical function. Later, the ritual meaning was lost, and they began to be sung in places of festivities.

It was customary to bring birch branches and bouquets of first flowers into the house. They were dried and stored in a secluded place all year round. After the start of the harvest, the plants were placed in the granary or mixed with fresh hay. Wreaths were made from the leaves of the trees collected during the holiday, they were placed in pots, where cabbage seedlings were planted. Trinity plants were believed to have magical powers.

To provide high yield sometimes served a special prayer service. The custom of “crying for flowers” ​​is associated with it - dropping tears on the turf or a bunch of flowers.

After the completion of special prayers, all participants went to the cemetery, where they decorated graves with birch branches and arranged refreshments. Having remembered the dead, they went home, leaving food in the cemetery.

Green Christmastide ended with a funeral or seeing off Kostroma. The image of Kostroma is associated with the completion of green Christmas time, rites and rituals often took the form of ritual funerals.

Kostroma could portray beautiful girl or a young woman dressed in white, holding oak branches. She was chosen from those participating in the ceremony, surrounded by a girlish round dance, after which they began to bow, show signs of respect. The "Dead Kostroma" was laid on boards, and the procession moved to the river, where the "Kostroma" was awakened, and the celebration ended with a bath.

In addition, the burial ceremony of Kostroma could be carried out with a straw effigy. Accompanied by a round dance, a scarecrow was carried around the village, and then buried in the ground, burned at the stake or thrown into the river. It was believed that next year Kostroma would rise again and come to earth again, bringing fertility to the fields and plants.

One of the most loved Orthodox holidays after Easter remains the Trinity. The celebration of the Trinity begins after fifty days after Easter. This holiday, called Pentecost, was celebrated by the Jews even before our era, but with the advent of Christianity, the holiday acquired a slightly different meaning. Prepare for Trinity the Jews have it a little differently, since Pentecost symbolized the receipt by Moses on Mount Sinai of the commandments of God, which happened exactly fifty days after Easter.

Christians celebrate Pentecost in memory of the appearance of the Holy Spirit to the apostles after the ascension of Christ, which also happened on the fiftieth day after Easter. In honor of the triune god, the holiday was renamed the Trinity, and the day of the Holy Trinity and the descent of the Holy Spirit to the apostles is considered the beginning of Christianity as a religion.

Week before Trinity

Based on the meaning of the holiday and Orthodox traditions, preparation for the Trinity begins a week before the holiday and is called the Semitskaya week. The symbol of the holiday is considered to be a young birch, which, having absorbed all the power of the earth, will help to get a new rich harvest, and bestow good health on people and animals.

Wednesday at the Semitskaya (Trinity) week is called Lenten. On this day in Russia, girls aged seven to twelve went to the forest to break birch branches, with which they then decorated the house inside and out. Of course, in our time, one should not break birch branches and decorate the house with them, but you can prepare for Thursday, and according to tradition, string various shreds and candy wrappers on long threads, as well as prepare for trinity fancy new clothes.

When Thursday comes, children are served scrambled eggs for breakfast, which resembles a bright summer sun. Previously, children were also given colored eggs with them, after which the children went to the forest to decorate a birch tree with prepared threads with shreds and candy wrappers. In modern realities, it is quite possible to decorate a birch tree in a personal plot with children or go with them to the forest for the same purpose. Birch should be decorated in the following way: the branches of the tree are gathered in a nest, after which they are tied together, braided in the form of a braid and twisted into a wreath of wild flowers. Now you can decorate the prepared branches with prepared threads with shreds, as well as ribbons, beads, scarves and other similar material. After decorating the birch, according to tradition, one should sit under the tree, eat cooked food and colored eggs, and be sure to leave half-eaten food for the birds. In Russia, it was also customary to dance around a birch, and perhaps even now children will like it very much.

Then they continued to prepare for the Trinity on Saturday, in addition, even among the Slavs, Saturday was considered the main memorial day. That is why Saturday before the Trinity is called parental.

Celebration of the Holy Trinity

And finally, all preparations for Trinity completed and on Sunday the great feast itself begins. In the morning it is customary to go to church, taking with you branches, bunches of grass or flowers. It is on Sunday that you should decorate your home with flowers and leaves. After the end of the service, it is customary to develop the birch back, which in Russia was the responsibility of the youth. But it is necessary to develop a birch tree, since it has been curled, otherwise, according to belief, the tree will begin to feel resentment and then you don’t have to wait good harvest and good health. In order to develop a birch, you should repeat the entire ceremony, that is, dance, sing songs and eat again under the tree. True, after the ceremony, the birch was cut down, which is not recommended to do now. The felled tree was carried around the village, accompanying the procession with songs. Sometimes a birch tree was dressed up in a girl's dress, and a girl climbed under the dress and carried the birch tree around the village, holding it by the trunk. Then it seemed that the tree itself was walking through the village, leading the festive procession.

The end of the holiday

At the end of the festive processions, the birch was undressed and drowned in the river, then it was believed that the tree would give all its strength to new shoots.

Trinity is still considered one of the most mysterious holidays, where pagan and Orthodox traditions intertwined in the most bizarre way. In any case, the holiday came to us from time immemorial and it is in our power to extend its traditions already in the twenty-first century.