What you can and cannot do on Easter, signs, traditions and customs

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The spring holiday, without exaggeration, everyone's favorite holiday, Easter, is approaching. Surprisingly, it is celebrated not only by deeply religious people, but even by those who are completely far from religion. And all because in the air you really feel the spirit of something bright and magical.

Source: infoniac.ru

People prepare for Easter long before it arrives. However, do we know everything about this amazing day? Yes, perhaps most of us have repeatedly heard the history of the holiday, and also that there should be delicious Easter cakes, Easter cakes and decorated eggs on the festive table.

What else do you need to know in order to properly meet and celebrate the bright day of Christ’s Resurrection? Let's clarify what can and cannot be done on Easter, as well as on the eve of this great holiday?

Palm Sunday

Let's start with Palm Sunday. Surely, all believers know that Palm Sunday is considered the moment of Jesus Christ’s entry into the city of Jerusalem.

This day is celebrated exactly a week before Easter. Therefore, as for Easter, the date of Palm Sunday will be different every year. In 2018, Palm Sunday falls on April 1st.

On this day, it is customary for believers to bring into the house the symbol of this holiday - willow branches. They became the main attribute of Palm Sunday.

While attending a church service, willow branches are blessed, after which they are taken into the house and also given to relatives and friends. Blessed willow branches replace the palm branches with which the crowd greeted Christ's entry into Jerusalem on the eve of his crucifixion.

According to the biblical story, Jesus rode into the city on a donkey and was met there by people holding palm branches (in those days they were associated with healing).

It should be noted that this day is very important for Catholics.

They have such a holiday called Palm Sunday. As mentioned above, in the Orthodox religion the palm tree was replaced by the willow. However, that same ancient symbolism has been preserved. Indeed, in our culture, it is this willow that is credited with healing properties and magical powers.

Believers know that the consecrated willow has special magic: it protects the home from various natural disasters, for example, fires and floods, and protects all family members from illnesses and various troubles.

However, of course, the branch itself will not work. It is also important to remember a number of rules that must be followed.

What not to do on Palm Sunday

So, remember that you cannot break prohibitions on Palm Sunday. To spend this day decently and correctly, as well as to celebrate Easter with dignity, you need to adhere to some recommendations. Here are the most important of them:

– On Palm Sunday you need to forget about any kind of work. It is forbidden to work physically: postpone cleaning, cooking, sewing, knitting until later. This is a holiday like many other religious holidays. Therefore, it is not recommended to work on this day.

-Also avoid visiting entertainment venues, such as bars and nightclubs. This day should be celebrated peacefully and quietly with family.

-On Palm Sunday you also need to adhere to the menu prescribed for Lent.

-You should take care of the menu for the holiday table in advance. As mentioned earlier, on this day it is recommended to give up physical work, including kitchen chores. First of all, this concerns the preparation of hot dishes.

- Alcohol consumption is strictly prohibited. Still, you need to remember that this is a church holiday, you shouldn’t turn it into a lush feast, as well as another reason to get drunk.

-On this day you cannot swear, or refuse to help someone. If you are asked for something, try to do a good deed.

-In addition, there is another strange recommendation for modern people: you should not comb your hair on Palm Sunday.

What to do on Palm Sunday

But in order to forget about headaches forever, there is a wonderful remedy that our grandmothers and great-grandmothers resorted to: you need to comb your hair, then immerse 2-3 hairs or the comb itself in water.

On a holiday, the willow should be watered with this water. At the same time, do not forget to pronounce the following magic words: “Water, pour on the ground along with the headache.”

So, as already mentioned, the main event on Palm Sunday is the blessing of willow branches.

Then, after the morning church service, the branches are brought into the house so that they protect your home, as well as all household members, from various potential troubles and possible dangers.

There is another very interesting tradition: you need to lightly hit each other with blessed branches and at the same time pronounce the phrase out loud: “I’m not hitting, it’s the willow that’s hitting!” The willow whips - it hits you to tears!”

It is believed that if a twig touches you, it will certainly protect you from damage and the evil eye.

Even the buds of consecrated willow have a special healing effect. Since ancient times, kidneys have found excellent use in folk medicine.

According to traditional healers, willow buds help increase male potency. They also treat female infertility and also promote rapid pregnancy.

A child was also bathed in the decoction if he showed signs of illness, and sick pets were treated with the same decoction. This is a remedy that is widely used in modern medicine.

So, it is recommended to spend Palm Sunday with your family. Believers bless willow twigs. Custom requires that the branches be picked early that day before the sun rises.

As for the dishes on the festive table, you need to remember that now is the time of Lent, and, based on this, it is worth considering the menu.

But on Palm Sunday, you can still make an exception to the rules and introduce fish dishes, and also allow yourself to drink a little red wine.

In addition, on this day it is possible and even recommended to replant home flowers. If you believe folk omens, a houseplant transplanted on Palm Sunday will grow and bloom, and household members will soon experience financial well-being.

But if the plant dries out and its leaves fall off, financial difficulties are most likely just around the corner.

Procession

The religious procession is a solemn procession around the church with crosses, icons and banners. The procession of the cross commemorates the coming of the myrrh-bearing women to the tomb of Christ.

Shortly before midnight (in 2020 - on the night of April 16), services begin in churches, clergy and believers light candles, singing begins behind the altar, and bells ring. Under it, the procession leaves the temple and goes around until it stops in front of the western doors, closed and symbolizing the Cave of the Holy Sepulcher. Then the rector of the temple and the clergy sing verses about the resurrection of Christ, after which the doors of the temple open and believers go inside. Easter Matins begins.

The last week before Easter is called Passion. These days we remember the suffering that Jesus Christ accepted for our salvation. This week is the most severe of all Lent.

Preparations have been underway throughout Holy Week. Starting with household chores and ending with preparations for the festive Easter meal.

Work calendar for Holy Week

On Monday they put their home in order - paint, clean, repair. On this day they begin cleaning the house. Particular importance is given to window cleaning. It was believed that clean windows let the light of the holiday into the house.

On Tuesday you need to prepare your clothes - wash, iron, hem.

According to ancient customs, “juiced milk” was supposed to be made on this day. To do this, early in the morning, even before dawn, hemp and flaxseed were mixed, pounded in mortars and diluted with water. This “milk” was used to feed all livestock to protect them from all sorts of diseases.

All housekeeping work is completed on Wednesday. We need to clean up the house and take out all the trash. On Wednesday they buy eggs that will be painted for Easter.

In the middle of Holy Week, our great-great-grandmothers collected melt water, diluted Thursday salt in it, left over from last year, and sprayed their homes and livestock so that there would be no evil eye all year.

The largest number of rituals occurs on Maundy Thursday.

Maundy Thursday is also called Clean Thursday. On this day, it is customary to thoroughly clean the house and decorate it, but not to sweep (sweeping can be done from Monday to Wednesday) for fear of “clogging the eyes of Christ lying in the tomb.” You need to stock up some clean water for Sunday to wash your face with.

Easter cakes are baked on this day. Kulich symbolizes the body of Christ; its production must be treated with special care. Before baking it, you need to pray to cleanse your soul and thoughts.

On Maundy Thursday, you need to prepare your body for Easter by washing thoroughly, especially for children and the sick, because the water on Maundy Thursday washes away all illnesses and protects from harm.

On this day, while heating the stoves, the salt is burned or heated in the oven, and then everyone in the family needs to take a handful of salt and pour it into one bag. This salt is removed and stored behind the icons, and it is called Thursday salt. It is used for treatment, for example, to warm up a stuffy nose or lower back, chest (during a severe cough). This salt is also diluted in water and sprinkled on the home against the evil eye.

On Maundy Thursday, the elders advise cutting the hair of a one-year-old child for the first time, especially girls. Then they will be thick and beautiful.

The saddest day of the week is Friday. On this day Christ died. A particularly strict fast is observed and no entertainment is allowed. It is considered a great sin to wash, sew, cut or stab anything.

On Friday, Easter cakes are also baked and boiled eggs begin to be colored. The water in which Easter eggs were boiled was not previously thrown away; women used it to wash their faces to have a beautiful complexion.

On Holy Saturday, preparations are underway for the Easter holiday meal. On this day eggs are painted. The color red is mainly used for Easter eggs, as it symbolizes the blood of Christ. Painted eggs, Easter cakes and Easter cakes were brought to the temple to be blessed. They start on Thursday, but those who didn’t have time to paint these days can do it on Saturday. Saturday is the last day to color eggs or bake cakes. They don't do this on Sunday anymore.

The shells from the eggs are not thrown away, but are taken to the river and floated onto the water. It is believed that this should bring good luck.

Bright Sunday of Christ

On Sunday, when waking up, instead of “Good morning”, it is customary to say to all your family and friends: “Christ is Risen!” You need to start the day by washing your face with Thursday water, putting something silver (a spoon or a coin) in it. This type of washing will bring beauty and prosperity.

And then the Easter feast. It begins with blessed eggs. You need to take one egg, divide it by the number of people at your table. Everyone should eat a small piece. It is believed that this first egg strengthens the family.

Easter falls on May 1 this year. This is the biggest Orthodox holiday. The word “Easter” itself translated from Greek means “deliverance.” By His resurrection, Christ delivered people from death and gave us all hope for eternal life. Easter is celebrated every year on different dates of the month, but always on Sunday. We will talk about how to properly prepare and celebrate Orthodox Easter.

Believers prepare for Easter long ago. They fast for 40 days (exactly 40 days Jesus Christ spent in the desert before his crucifixion). The last week before Easter is called Holy Week. All these days, the soul of the believer, as it were, “listens” to what we call the Passion of the Lord, to His last days on earth in human form.

Of particular importance is Holy Thursday - the day when Jesus and his disciples shared a festive meal at the Last Supper. People call this day Maundy Thursday; all Orthodox Christians try to take communion whenever possible. In the evening, the 12 Gospels are read in church, which tells the whole story of the Passion of Christ. During the service, people stand with lit candles, which they then take home and, according to the ancient custom, make the sign of the cross with holy fire on the doorposts.

On this day, it is customary to tidy up your home and cleanse your body.

On Good Friday, the shroud is taken out of the church - a piece of fabric that was wrapped around the body of Christ. It depicts the Savior laid in a tomb. On this mournful day of remembrance of the death of Christ, one is supposed to eat nothing. In the evening, the rite of burial of Christ is performed. The choir sadly sings “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.” The Shroud is carried around the church. This symbolizes Christ's descent into hell.

And then comes Holy Saturday. In ancient times, Christians did not leave the church after the Saturday liturgy, but stayed there until nightfall and ate bread and wine. In memory of this, this food is blessed on Saturday.

During the service, priests change their black vestments to white ones. Easter cakes are baked in the houses and eggs are painted. Everything is filled with anxious anticipation of the holiday.

On the night of the Resurrection of Christ, the night when the miracle happened, the most solemn service is held: the Easter Midnight Office, a procession with lit candles around the church, joyful matins and the divine liturgy. On this day, people rush to the temple. People, having joined in the spiritual joy of the holiday, bless Easter, Easter cakes, and eggs. With this sanctification, the church blesses believers, after a long fast, to again eat “meager” food, that is, non-fasting food. Although the Kingdom of God, in the words of the Apostle Paul, is not food and drink, the rich Easter table is a symbol of heavenly joy, a symbol of the Lord’s Supper.

The next six days of Easter week are also considered holidays; in their significance they are equal to Sundays. This entire week is called Bright, Holy, Easter. Church services take place with the royal doors open as a sign that by the Resurrection of Christ the doors of heaven have been reopened for the human race. In total, the celebration of Easter lasts 40 days, since this is how much time Christ spent on earth with his disciples after the resurrection.

Let us note that, according to legend, we owe the origin of the custom of painting eggs for Easter to the Roman Emperor Tiberius. It was to him that Mary Magdalene came with the news of the resurrection of Christ, bringing with her an egg as a symbolic gift (in ancient times, the egg represented life). The emperor declared that he would believe in the resurrection of Christ no earlier than the white egg in the hands of Mary Magdalene changed its color to red - and it immediately became red. Since then, to celebrate Easter, it has been customary to paint eggs red, in particular, using onion skins. However, Easter cakes and eggs are by no means the only traditional dishes of the Easter table: guests are usually treated to jelly, boiled pork, Easter eggs with cottage cheese, and baked poultry.

Interesting facts related to Easter:

The custom of giving each other colored eggs was not invented by Christians. This was also done by the ancient Egyptians and Persians, who exchanged them as part of the celebration of the beginning of spring. Eggs then meant a wish for fertility.

The most famous Easter eggs were made by Peter Carl Faberge - back in 1883, Tsar Alexander ordered a gift set of such eggs for his wife.

The largest Easter egg is located in Vegreville, Alberta, Canada. It weighs about 2 tons and its length is about 8 meters.

In Russia, the largest Easter egg was made from ice in 2010. Its weight was 880 kilograms and its height was 2.3 meters.

Eggs are painted on Maundy Thursday, just like Easter cakes are baked. At the same time, it was customary to make Easter - a dish made from cottage cheese.

The ceremony of bringing out the Holy Light on Holy Saturday is carried out jointly by the Greek and Armenian patriarchs of Jerusalem.

The world's largest Easter cake, weighing more than 2 tons and 2.4 meters high, was baked in 2011 in the village of Yalta, Donetsk region.

In Russia, painted Easter eggs or pysanky were kept at home throughout the year, thus protecting their home from fires, floods and other natural disasters.

There is a Pysanka Museum in Kolomna; the building is built in the shape of an egg.

During Holy Week, myrrh is prepared only once a year - a special mixture of several dozen substances based on olive oil, aromatic herbs and fragrant resins.

In Russia, in the old days, it was customary for housewives to stay at home on the first day of Easter, and men to go to their loved ones and acquaintances with congratulations. The tables had been set all day and there were already fast (non-lenten) dishes on them. The Easter table was usually decorated mainly with cold dishes: baked lamb, fried veal, pork hams. It was not customary to serve fish on this day.

In addition, some Russians visit the graves of relatives on Easter. However, this is not welcomed in the Orthodox Church. As the holy fathers note, in connection with the joyful day of Easter, the commemoration of the dead ceases for the entire Bright Week. Relatives are called to remember on Radonnitsa (Parents' Day)

In the Russian Orthodox Church there is a custom to read the first 17 verses of the Gospel of John in various languages at the festive Easter service.

In 45% of cases, Catholic Easter is a week earlier than Orthodox Easter, in 30% of cases it is the same, in 5% there is a difference of 4 weeks, in 20% there is a difference of 5 weeks.

In 2014, Catholics celebrated Easter together with Orthodox Christians.

Of the former USSR countries, only in Belarus are both Catholic and Orthodox Easter considered state holidays.

The English name for Easter, Easter, comes from the Anglo-Saxon goddess of the dawn, Eostre. In our country this goddess is better known under the name Ishtar (and the corresponding Greek name Hestia, German Eostre, Ostarta, Lithuanian Austra)

For Catholics, the symbol of Easter is the rabbit. In many European countries, children believe that, subject to exemplary behavior on their part, the Easter Bunny comes on the eve of the holiday and lays colored eggs in the nest. The nest (or basket) had to be prepared in advance in a secluded place. Kids usually used their hats for this purpose, laying them out in barns, barns and other secluded rooms. The arrival of the miracle rabbit is awaited with almost the same impatience as the visit of Santa Claus.

The best Easter bunny is the one with the bell hanging around his neck. On the eve of Easter, this eared character can be found everywhere and in different forms. Rabbits are made from chocolate, marzipan and other tasty materials, they are sewn from plush and fur, and sculpted from clay. “Rabbit” ornaments decorate many Easter items: holiday tablecloths, napkins, dishes. And, of course, postcards.

76 percent of Catholics eat chocolate bunnies' ears first.

A very common Easter game in America is rolling eggs on a sloping lawn. The winner of the competition is the one who can roll his colored egg the farthest without stopping. The most popular competition takes place on Easter Sunday on the lawn near the White House in Washington. Hundreds of children come here with their Easter baskets filled with brightly colored eggs and roll them down the lawn near the presidential palace.

Sweden has its own kind of fun. They even have Easter Witches. Little girls dress in rags and old clothes, most often their outfits consist of oversized skirts and scarves. In this form, the girls go from door to door with a copper teapot and collect treats. They say this custom originated from the ancient belief that witches fly to the German mountain Blockula on the Thursday before Easter and hold a Sabbath. According to legend, when they returned back, the ancestors of the Swedes and Finns lit fires and scared the evil spirits. People also shot into the air and painted crosses on houses and barns to scare away evil spirits. Nowadays, the tradition is alive: in the days before Easter, Swedes and Finns light bonfires and set off fireworks.

At Easter, Bulgarians make a huge amount of clay products, most often pots, which are usually thrown on the same day from the upper floors of houses to the ground: this marks the victory of good over evil. At the same time, every passerby can take a clay fragment with them - for good luck.

And in a number of Latin American countries and some parts of Greece, it is customary to hang an effigy of the apostle who betrayed Christ and burn it. Sometimes fireworks are placed in the effigy.

In Bermuda, Easter kites are flown on Good Friday.

Speaking of Holy Week, Mikhail Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita takes place during Holy Week and ends on the eve of Easter Night.

In many Christian countries, Easter is also associated with the image of a lamb. On themed cards he is often depicted next to a cross and the inscription "Agnus Dei" (Lamb of God).

The tradition of placing a large candle at the altar during the Easter night service exists in all Christian countries. All other lamps in the church are then lit from this candle. The ritual originated in the 4th century AD, with the main candle being a symbol of Jesus Christ and its sacred flame a symbol of the Resurrection.

In the old days, parishioners took home candles with blessed fire in order to use them to light home lamps and light hearths. This custom symbolized the sacrifice of Christ, who gave his life for the sake of people.

Easter has also always been associated with many interesting signs, not only among righteous Christians, but also among those who seriously violate God’s commandments. For example, thieves had a superstition: if you steal something from parishioners during the Easter service in church and don’t get caught, you can safely steal all year, you won’t be caught. Card players believed that a simple ritual would bring good luck in the game - when going to church on Easter, you need to put a coin in your boot.

prepared based on materials from Internet publications

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Olga Prokhorchenko | 04/29/2016 | 1899

Olga Prokhorchenko 04/29/2016 1899

We involve all family members in preparing for the bright holiday.

By the way, it is especially useful to prepare for Easter with your child. This is not only a good time, but also an opportunity to teach him in detail about the traditions and meaning of Easter if he is vague about it.

Pre-holiday cleaning

Before you go to the store to buy eggs and other Easter paraphernalia, you should think about cleaning your house. Call the whole family for help. Divide the responsibilities: let your husband beat the carpets and take down the curtains, you, for example, wash the floors and windows, and the child can wipe the dust. By the way, this is an excellent reason to get rid of old furniture and send clothes you don’t wear “to exile” to the country.

If you live in a private house, you should also clean the area adjacent to the yard.

After general cleaning, you will feel real spring freshness, and the cleanliness will be pleasing to the eye.

Edible shopping for Easter

After cleaning, you can go on pre-holiday shopping to buy everything you need. If pre-New Year shopping requires us to buy kilograms of various foods and drinks, then Easter shopping is much more modest in this regard.

You should definitely put eggs and Easter cake in your grocery basket (if you don’t plan to bake it yourself). You can also buy sweets and cookies - in case your neighbors and relatives come to pray for you (or you want to do it yourself).

Buy other products based on the menu of your holiday table. By the way, it should be plentiful, but quite modest.

You can treat your family and friends with the following dishes:

jellied eggs;
sausages;
stuffed pike perch;
pies with onions or meat;
meat zraz.

Painting eggs

Painting eggs is perhaps one of the most enjoyable moments in preparing for Easter, which children really like. It is advisable to approach this process with imagination and creativity.

Polka Dot Egg

Boil the eggs and cool them. Cut out circles of different sizes from tape and stick them on the eggs in a chaotic manner. Dip them in a pre-prepared solution of 1 glass of water, 1 tsp. vinegar and a few drops of dye. It is enough to hold the eggs in the solution for about 2 minutes to get a fairly rich color. Next, dry the eggs, remove the circles from them and place them in a special Easter basket.

Table decoration

To create a festive mood, you should also think about table decor. It can be decorated with napkins with Easter symbols, a vase with willow branches, “newspaper” eggs.

We offer a simple Easter master class on making decorations for the festive table.

You will need

several balloons;
PVA glue;
threads such as floss or iris.

1. Inflate the balloons to the required size. 2. Soak the threads in PVA glue and carefully wrap the balls with them. 3. Leave it to dry for a day and then pierce the ball. 4. Ready-made thread balls can be used for table decoration or hung on a chandelier.

That's it, now you are ready for Easter! Christ is risen!

producing editor of the website "M.Vkus"

Holy Week (“passion” - suffering in Church Slavonic - editor's note) is also called White or Pure - this is a time of spiritual cleansing and prayer. These days it is not customary to have fun, talk loudly, sing and laugh. Everything should remind us of the last earthly days of Christ, how he was betrayed by one of his disciples, his trial and the martyrdom he accepted. The six strictest days of the year should prepare us for Easter, the day of the Resurrection of Christ, the oldest and most important Christian holiday. This holiday and the traditions and customs that accompany it did not disappear even in anti-religious times. It turned out to be so firmly integrated into our culture that even non-believers, sometimes without knowing it, follow these traditions. Today we will recall the most basic of them.

Monday

On the first day of Holy Week, which follows Palm Sunday, you need to start preparing for Easter - cleaning up the house, getting rid of old and unnecessary things, repairing what is broken. Try not to make cleaning an overwhelming task. To do this, you need to not deviate from it during the day - this is the only way you can complete what you started. Be sure to involve your household members in cleaning - a common cause brings the family closer together and allows you to work much faster. Choose a cleaning scheme: either clean up each room separately, or do the same type of work throughout the entire apartment at once: for example, wipe the dust or remove scattered things throughout the house at once.

Tuesday

On this day, cleaning up the house continues: you need to wash, iron and sort things out. It is worth preparing clothes for a formal service; it is advisable to choose a red outfit, because red is a symbol of life.

Trying to get everything done in one day, remember the rules of safe washing. Do not overload the washing machine: you should load the laundry taking into account its maximum capabilities (remember that this indicator is indicated for cotton fabrics; you can fill the tank halfway with synthetics, and only a third with woolen fabrics). Not only an iron, but also a steam generator or steamer can help iron linen and clothes: about gadgets that simplify the care of clothes.

Wednesday

On Wednesday, the last of the trash and unnecessary things are taken out of the house and preparations for the Easter table begin. On this day it is worth purchasing all the necessary products, including eggs, flour, dried fruits. Choose a method for coloring Easter eggs: those made using traditionally are considered the most beautiful. Before painting, eggs should be washed well and the boiling water should be salted thoroughly. Onion peels give a rich color from yellow to red-brown, beets or blueberries give a beautiful light red color. Turmeric (a seasoning) will turn it bright gold, spinach or nettle will turn it bright green, and red cabbage will turn it a rich blue. After coloring, be sure to spread the egg with vegetable oil: this will make the color bright and the surface glossy.

Thursday

Thursday is called clean - it is believed that water on this day has healing properties, so you must wash yourself and clean up the house again. On this day they begin to prepare Easter cakes and paint eggs. Easter cake dough loves warmth and the absence of drafts; it is better to use live yeast for dough; with it, heavy dough (a large amount of butter and eggs will make it like this) will rise faster. To make the cakes a beautiful golden hue, use fresh country eggs with an orange yolk and add a little turmeric to the dough.

Friday

Good Friday is the most mournful day of Holy Week. On this day it is not customary to do housework and cook - all a person’s energies should be directed to prayer and spiritual work. This is also the strictest day of Lent - ideally, it should be spent without food, on water alone.

Saturday

At the end of the service in the church, the dishes of the Easter table are blessed: Easter cakes, eggs, Easter. The latter is also prepared on Thursday: dry, plastic Easter does not spoil for more than a week. On this day, they decorate the house and prepare for the celebration: lay eggs on “Easter slides” made of sprouted oats or wheat (we recently learned how to grow decorative greenery for the Easter table), arrange Easter decorations: wreaths, bouquets, prepare tablecloths, decorate cutlery and dishes , put up fresh flowers (about decorating the house for Easter).

Sunday

You can start the meal after returning from church: first they eat an egg and a piece of Easter, then they start with the rest of the food. The Easter table is rich in a variety of meat dishes, so desired after Lent. Previously, in wealthy families, more than forty dishes were served on the table, according to the number of days of Lent. Meat dishes must be prepared “without blood,” that is, well-fried or boiled, since dishes prepared “with blood” quickly spoil and cannot be prepared in advance. Easter is a holiday of great joy, goodness, light; after the meal it is customary to visit, congratulate friends and neighbors, and exchange colored eggs, the main symbol of the holiday.

The week following Holy Week is called Easter: for seven days it is customary to congratulate each other, treat guests to Easter cake and Easter.
Easter week is dedicated to fun and joy: on Krasnaya Gorka - the day following Easter Sunday - it was customary to celebrate a wedding; it was believed that this would bring happiness to the newlyweds. After Easter, spring is considered to have fully come into its own.

Holy Week

The last week before Easter is considered Holy. This week is also called Holy Week.

However, it is worth remembering that Holy Week at different times had many other names - Red, Red, Great, Holy Week.

It is Holy Week that is considered the time preceding the crucifixion of Christ. This is a week of active preparation for the holiday of Holy Easter. Housewives begin to decorate their homes with original decor, get the most interesting recipes for dishes and, of course, actively bake Easter cakes.

Each of the seven days of the week before Easter is of particular importance for believers. On each of these days, certain traditions were observed in Rus'.

First of all, it is worth noting that you must continue to fast throughout Holy Week. This means not eating meat, fish or dairy products. Eggs and butter are also included in the food ban.

In addition, any kind of recreational activity is prohibited during Holy Week. This week you should not sing, dance, it is best to attend church services. This way you cleanse your soul as much as possible before the onset of Easter.

Remember that the last week before the holiday is the most important period.

To celebrate Easter with dignity, you need to avoid committing bad deeds and prevent the emergence of negative thoughts and desires. Try to control yourself so as not to even think about something bad. Envy, indifference, anger and vanity - all these feelings can corrode our soul, thereby bringing us great harm.

As mentioned above, it is advisable to avoid noisy entertainment events. Avoid parties and holidays, as well as laughing too loudly. It should be remembered that Holy Week is a period of great tribulation.

Easter cards

tobemum.ru

Cut the blank in the shape of an egg and decorate it with ribbons, colored paper, and beads. An egg may well turn into a rabbit or chicken, you just need to add some details.

Volumetric cards look unusual and creative. To create a 3D effect, some elements can be attached using double-sided foam tape.

What not to do and what to do during Holy Week

Try to help those who need your help. Take care of the sick, the poor and the needy. Holy Week is a period of repentance, as well as doing good deeds.

Believers simultaneously cleanse their souls and also pay attention to transforming their home: they try to put it in order, paint something here and there, whitewash it, update it, and add new decorations.

In addition, the products that will be present on the festive table are prepared in advance. First of all, these are Easter cakes and colored eggs.

Holy Monday

The first day of Holy Week is Maundy Monday.

In Rus', on this day it was customary to restore order and do general cleaning. As a rule, housewives took up the cleaning, swept out all the garbage, and cleaned the inside of the room. The men were repairing the outside of the house.

It is on Holy Monday that it is recommended to rid your home of unnecessary things. The house is cleared of old things that will no longer be used by the owner, and the women also do a lot of laundry.

On this day, it is recommended to eat fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as bread, honey and nuts.

Holy Tuesday

On Maundy Tuesday, all believers remember how Christ exposed the Pharisees and scribes.

On this day it is also customary to pay tribute to the memory of Patriarch Thomas of Constantinople. In the old days in Rus', on Holy Tuesday it was customary to prepare potions for various diseases. It was believed that it was Saint Thomas who drove away fevers and other diseases.

Nowadays, modern housewives on this day buy the products necessary to celebrate Easter.

Those who believe in the power of healing infusions today, just like their ancestors, prepare various healing potions.

As on Good Monday, it is allowed to eat raw vegetables, fruits, as well as honey and nuts. Do not forget that Lent continues. In addition, it is recommended to eat only in the evening.

Holy Wednesday

Cleaning of the premises continues on Wednesday. On this day, housewives clean the rooms, wash the floors until they shine, beat out rugs and rugs. It is recommended to complete the cleaning that has started.

On Holy Wednesday in Rus', a special ritual was performed to ward off all kinds of ailments and illnesses.

Believers scooped up a jug of water from a well, some took it from a river or barrels stored in cellars. Then, according to the Orthodox tradition, they were baptized three times, after which they covered the container with water with a clean or new towel.

At exactly 2 o'clock in the morning, the believers were baptized again three times, then poured this water over themselves, leaving some water at the bottom. Then clean clothes were put on the wet body (it was not dried with a towel), and the remaining water had to be watered with house plants or bushes in the garden until 3 a.m.

It was believed that a body washed in this way was renewed, and after such a ritual a person felt as if reborn.

Holy Wednesday is associated with the repentance of the sinner. Surely, every believer knows the story of when a sinner washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and then anointed them with precious ointment.

In Rus' they sincerely believed that it was in this environment that evil spirits were especially rampant. Therefore, women tried to ensure that their behavior was particularly strict and decency. On Holy Wednesday it was forbidden to do handicrafts.

In addition, dry eating continues on this day. It is also recommended to eat vegetables, fruits, bread and nuts. Don't forget that you can't eat oil this week.

Maundy Thursday

Well, and, of course, Thursday was considered a special day this week, which was popularly called Maundy Thursday.

Maundy Thursday is, first of all, associated with the Last Supper, which Christ attended and where he established the sacrament of the Eucharist. We are talking about Holy Communion. Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, thereby showing an example of the greatest humility and great love for them.

People also remember the story of the betrayal of the son of God by the apostle Judas Iscariot. He committed his famous betrayal for only 30 pieces of silver.

For modern people, Maundy Thursday is, first of all, a day of purity. On this day, it is customary to wake up before sunrise, wash your face, take a bath, finish cleaning your home, and also start preparing Easter treats. Housewives begin to paint eggs, bake Easter cakes, and prepare other traditional dishes.

However, we should not forget that, despite the fact that dishes for the festive table are beginning to be prepared, Lent is still ongoing. Therefore, believers can eat the same raw vegetables and fruits, bread, and also drink water.

As already mentioned, the morning should begin with water procedures: it is recommended to take a shower or bath in the morning, since it is at this time of day that water is endowed with special healing powers. It will get rid of diseases, bring health and good luck to the person who decides to undergo morning procedures.

After taking a bath on Maundy Thursday, you must wear new or clean clothes.

It's also important to remember that this Thursday is the last day of your big home cleaning. After Maundy Thursday, it is no longer recommended to clean until next week.

And another very important point that also needs to be taken into account: starting from Thursday, nothing can be taken out of the house. It is not recommended to give anything away, from minor things to borrowed money.

Good Friday

Good Friday is another special day. This is a day of mourning for the Son of God. According to biblical tradition, it was on this day that Christ was betrayed and crucified on Golgotha.

Through martyrdom, the Savior of all mankind atoned for our sins. On this day you need to give up work; it is recommended to spend it in prayer and reading biblical stories.

There is a belief that if any illness happens on this day, it will go away very quickly and the person will definitely be cured. And even the most serious problem will soon be easily solved. After all, this day is special.

According to believers, on this day people are “helped by angels.” On Friday in Rus' it was believed that ash taken on the Friday before Easter had magical powers and could cure many serious diseases, such as alcoholism, epilepsy, the effect of the evil eye, as well as depression.

As for food, on Good Friday it is recommended to abstain from any food at all. However, those who find it difficult to completely give up food can eat some bread with water. This is allowed, since not everyone can withstand one day without food.

From time immemorial, it was strictly forbidden to work on Good Friday. There was a popular phrase among people: “a bird does not build a nest.”

Holy Saturday

Holy Saturday is the eve of Holy Easter. On this day, believers remember the time when the body of Christ was in the tomb.

On Saturday you are allowed to finish all the tasks that you did not manage to finish during the week. This is the day when you can still paint eggs, as well as cook other dishes that will later end up on the festive table.

On this day, believers bring colored eggs to church to be blessed, as well as ready-made Easter cakes and Easter cakes. Of course, any kind of work must be completed by the onset of Sunday.

Temples and churches hold services where Easter cakes and eggs are blessed. And in the homeland of Christ in Jerusalem, thousands of believers watch the ceremony of the descent of the Holy Fire.

Fasting and food

Before Easter, Christians face the last week of Lent, which lasts from February 27 to April 15. Refusal from meat, dairy foods and eggs is expected; concessions are provided for children, sick people, and pregnant women.

During Holy Week, it is customary to strictly observe food restrictions. On Good Friday (April 14) no food is eaten until the shroud is taken out; this is the most mournful day when believers remember the crucifixion and suffering of Christ. Restrictions on fasting are designed to direct a person’s attention to the inner, spiritual world.

At the same time, without communion, fasting has no meaning. Many people pay great attention to the blessing of eggs, cottage cheese Easter cakes and Easter cakes. As Father Pavel noted, it is not enough to simply come to church to bless eggs, Easter cakes and Easter cakes, and leave it without receiving communion. The Easter meal itself is designed to remind us of Christ and the Resurrection.

What to do on Easter

How to spend this day with dignity? After all, Holy Easter is a special day not only for believers, but also for those who are quite far from religion.

All we can do on this day is to rejoice, treat our family and friends, invite them to visit us, and also pay visits to those who are much worse off than you these days in order to try to help them.

On Easter you can eat any food and drink wine. However, this should be done in moderation. Moderation is the main rule of any feast, and not just Easter.

If you have a normal relationship with alcohol, then you can afford to drink it in small quantities. However, if you know you won't be able to stop, it's better to give it up completely. After all, on the holiday of Holy Easter, being drunk is a great sin.

Remember that fun should be more spiritual than physical.

Signs

Easter, like any other major holiday, is rich in customs and signs:

Cool weather, but without frost, means a dry summer, and cold weather means a good harvest.
If there is thunder and a thunderstorm on Easter, autumn will be dry and late.
If it is cloudy on a holiday Sunday, it means cold summer.
A sunny day means a warm and fruitful summer.
You should not throw away garbage after sunset before Easter - you may lose your luck along with it.
If crumbs of blessed Easter cake or Easter are fed to the birds, then there will be money all year long.
If on a festive Sunday a girl’s eyebrows itch, she will soon meet her chosen one and get married.
If on Easter, after the consecration, you distribute some of the attributes to the poor, your well-being will certainly improve.
If a woman dreams of having a child, she needs to place an additional plate with Easter cake and a colored egg on the Easter table.
If a baby is born on Easter, he will be happy, healthy and famous.
In order to have financial well-being, it is necessary for all family members to go to church for a service, and then immediately return home for the morning holiday meal.
If you watch the sunrise on Easter, troubles will bypass your home for the whole year.
In order for the cake to turn out fluffy and tasty when baking, the house should be quiet and calm.
Broken dishes at Easter mean illness and troubles in the family.

This is only a small part of the signs that have survived and survived to this day.

What not to do on Easter

There are a number of things that are not recommended to do on Easter. Many plans can and should be postponed to other days. Not recommended for Easter:

work on the land (dacha, garden);
cut hair;
go to the bathhouse;
clean the home;
remember the dead;
go to the cemetery;
have sex;
sew, wash;
to be sad, to quarrel;
swear, gossip;
hunt for fun;
get married in a church.

There is no strict prohibition on cleaning the house, but if possible, it is better to refuse all work on this day and devote it to celebrating Easter.

What is possible

Easter is a great holiday and therefore most of the restrictions of fasting lose their force. Those who observed fasting break their fast on this day immediately after the end of the festive service.

The priests recommend doing what brings joy and satisfaction. It is necessary to communicate with loved ones and friends, to share with them the joy of the Risen Christ.

What not to do on Easter

So, what should you not do on Easter? On this day you should not be sad, indulge in sad and sad thoughts. You cannot walk around angry, gloomy, or quarrel with others. It's especially bad to swear.

But these prohibitions do not apply exclusively to Sunday. All these rules should be followed throughout Holy Week.

This week should become an example of how a person should always behave. Regardless of whether it is a holiday or not, a person must behave decently, honestly and decently. We should always help those who need it, be kinder, use less foul language, and drive away bad thoughts.

What else can't you do on Easter?

The first thing that comes to mind when it comes to restrictions for Easter is the ban on work. If you have Easter Sunday off, you're lucky. But, unfortunately, the question of whether to work or not on Easter does not always depend on us. If the boss confronts us with the fact that we need to go to work, we unquestioningly follow the order and go to work.

Don't worry if your schedule means you have to work on Easter. There is nothing criminal or sinful if you work against your will.

After all, we are also talking about obedience here. You are simply required to conscientiously perform your normal work. It is believed that if you fulfill your duties honestly and truthfully, the Lord will definitely understand and forgive you.

As for prohibitions on doing homework, you should understand that this is not some kind of strict prohibition, the violation of which will be punished from above. The point is that on this day you should give up work in order to devote time to your family and friends.

Devote yourself to pious thoughts about God, celebrate, be with your loved ones.

The ban on working on Easter days is not canonical; it is most likely just a pious custom.

We all know that household chores and daily chores are integral parts of every person’s life. And giving up these troubles is not always easy. If you don’t have the opportunity to completely abandon these chores, you can devote some time to them on holidays.

However, try to do this wisely. So as not to spend a holiday bogged down in washing floors or dishes. And even more so, you shouldn’t start general cleaning or painting window frames on Easter. Well, you see, these matters can be postponed until later.

The Resurrection of Christ is the triumph of life

prot. Vsevolod

The head of the secretariat for relations between the Church and society of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Archpriest Vsevolod, answers the questions:

— Why is Easter the main holiday for an Orthodox person, because Easter is called “the holiday of the holidays and the triumph of celebrations”?

— Naturally, this is the main holiday, it is “a holiday of holidays and a triumph of celebrations,” because the Orthodox Church is the Church of the Risen Christ. The Apostle says that if Christ has not been resurrected, then our preaching is in vain, and the faith of Christians is also in vain, since the resurrection of Christ is the triumph of life, this is the basis of our hope for eternal life, for the fact that the Lord saves us if we accept His sacrifice on the cross , if we live with Christ and are spiritually renewed under the influence of His grace given in the Church. The entire life of the Orthodox Church, the entire structure of its life is filled with Easter joy, we rejoice, knowing that the risen Christ raises us, Orthodox Christians, to resurrection, and spirituality, leads us to eternal life, and this holiday has the most direct relation to each of us. Because the Resurrection of Christ, His redemption of the fallen world, is the greatest joy a person can experience. No matter how difficult our life is, no matter how we are overwhelmed by everyday hardships, the horrors that we experience from people, from the imperfections of the world around us - all this is nothing compared to that spiritual joy, with that hope for eternal salvation that is given by the Resurrection Christ's.

— How should and how to properly prepare spiritually for the holiday of St. Easter?

— The entire liturgical year lasts from Easter to Easter. It is from Easter to Easter that the circle of liturgical readings and hymns of the Octoechos is built, and it is no coincidence that Easter is preceded by Great Lent, Holy Week, a time of repentance and a time of especially in-depth reflection on our sins, on how we can begin to communicate with God. The Lenten service has a special depth; it differs from the other services of the annual circle through very in-depth spiritual reflection, through intense prayer, through abstinence from fast food, from entertainment, the Christian prepares for the spiritual celebration of Easter.

Naturally, the time of Holy Week is distinguished by a special prayerful mood, and Holy Saturday is a time of sacred silence, this is the time when the song “Let all flesh be silent…” is raised during the service. Holy Saturday is the time when the Church remembers how Christ was in the tomb, this is the time when a Christian should wait in sacred silence for the royal doors to open, symbolizing the moment when the tomb of Christ was opened, and the most pure, transfigured Body of Christ shone from it . That is why, before the start of the Easter service, Easter Matins, preparation for the holiday in the sense in which we often understand it in everyday life is inappropriate, i.e. a premature celebration of Easter, which, unfortunately, is becoming quite popular among us. It is quite strange to see people who come to the temple even before the start of the service, having already “celebrated” the holiday in one way or another, this is wrong, this is a rather strange tradition. I think that this tradition was born of seventy years of godlessness. Naturally, people are preparing for the Easter meal, naturally, people are preparing to come to church dressed up, but this should not have anything to do with the premature celebration of the holiday.

— Father Vsevolod, do you remember your first consciously and churchly celebrated Easter? When and how did it happen?

— I came to the Church when I was 13 years old, and celebrated my first Easter, being a catechumen. The late Father Vyacheslav Marchenkov, being a cleric of the Epiphany Patriarchal Cathedral, read prayers of announcement over me in 1981, and after Easter I was baptized. Then I had the opportunity to attend the Easter service, to pray during the Easter service, which was performed in the Epiphany Cathedral by the late Patriarch Pimen.

Of course, this service had a very deep impact on me, and then such youthful impressions were largely due to the fact that it was impressive to see the genuine joy of people, to see that people, late at night, during a fairly long service, do not get tired, do not complain about aching feet, and their hearts and their souls are full of joy, they communicate with each other in a special way during and after the Easter service, human disagreements, resentments, quarrels, and the alienation of people from each other recede away. This spirit of Easter, which I first felt while still a catechumen, I subsequently experienced every Easter, no matter where I was, whether in Russia or somewhere else, in Moscow or in another city. And it is precisely this spirit of special communication, a special openness of hearts that characterizes the Orthodox celebration of Easter, and I think that this spirit does not disappear, but is only strengthened in our Church today.

— Many people who do not go to church and do not consider themselves believers come to church on Easter night. Something draws them there. How can they – non-church people – explain the meaning of Easter?

“Unfortunately, we really have to see how people come on Easter night just to watch the religious procession. Many, unfortunately, perceive this as some kind of external action for themselves, they are more aimed at turning this holiday into some kind of secular celebration, some already come to the procession drunk, sing songs, scatter food near the temple, and whatnot something like that. Of course, all this offends the clergy and offends believers. Of course, we need to explain more, both through the media and in churches, the purpose of Easter.

For people who still wanted to more deeply understand the meaning of this holiday, I would like to advise two things. The first thing is to come to the temple not only for the religious procession, but to start going to the temple at least on Maundy Thursday, on Good Friday, on the morning of Holy Saturday, in order to prepare for the celebration of Easter with at least such minimal participation in the Lenten feat. And most importantly, I would like to advise you to see and understand, by opening your spiritual eyes, that this holiday is not something external, this holiday concerns each of us, for each of us is touched by the atoning sacrifice of Christ. Christ died on the cross for us and by His resurrection brings us to eternal life. If you see and understand that what happens in the church on Easter and before Easter relates to our spiritual life and our destiny here and in eternity in the most direct way, then, nevertheless, the attitude towards the Easter service will probably change and become more serious .

Of course, the Church does not reject anyone, if people come to church on Easter night, even without a special spiritual mood, this may somehow change them, and God grant that this happens, but you still need to remember that Easter is not just a reason to celebrate something with friends, it is not just a beautiful action, it is a mysterious reality that concerns each of us. Although, indeed, it often happens that the Lord can lead a person who seems to have no serious spiritual intentions to know himself. I remember an incident: last year I celebrated Easter in a rural church, a man came towards the end of the Easter liturgy at night, heavily drunk, stood near the royal doors, under the pulpit below, crossed himself with a flourish, naturally, they began to take him out of the church and took him out, but after a while time he came in a completely different state, I confessed him, and it turned out that the man came to the temple almost by accident, he was walking past, but nevertheless he felt some kind of internal change in his soul, and then he began to go to the temple regularly. So there is no need to drive away even those who behave not very dignified and not very seriously.

— What would you wish to readers – church and non-church – on the days of Holy Easter?

- Peace in the whole world, peace in the country, peace in our families, peace where we work, and most importantly - peace within, because each of us and our country today needs a peaceful spirit so that we can amid the raging waves of the sea of \u200b\u200blife keep your spiritual eyes unclouded, in order to distinguish between good and evil, in order to distinguish between truth and falsehood, so as not to lose, but to increase the spiritual wealth that the Church gives us, which the grace of God gives us.

What should be in an Easter basket?

So, the bright holiday of Great Easter is coming. Many of us follow the pleasant tradition of gathering on Easter night with our closest and dearest people, usually members of our family.

We fill our baskets with food that we have prepared in advance and go to church service.

But what can you not find in an Easter basket: Easter cakes, eggs, meat products, fish dishes, salt, horseradish, water, wine. Each family has its own list of products that they consider necessary to place in the basket.

However, many of us fill it incorrectly. So, what should you put in your Easter basket, and what should you leave out?

You need to remember the basic rule that the basket should contain only 4 main elements; you should not overload it with everything.

Kulich

Kulich is the main attribute of Holy Easter. It symbolizes the body of Christ and is also a symbol of the kingdom of heaven.

Most of us are accustomed to pyramid-shaped paskhas; it is this shape that resembles Golgotha, the place where Christ was crucified.

Eggs

Easter eggs are a symbol of new life.

The custom of painting eggs goes back to ancient times. Tradition says that Mary Magdalene turned to the ruler Tiberius. As a gift, she brought an ordinary chicken egg, and also told him the news of the resurrection of Christ.

However, Tiberius did not believe what the woman said. Moreover, according to him, “people cannot rise from the dead, just as a white egg cannot suddenly turn red.” Legend has it that it was after this phrase that the egg suddenly turned bright red.

Dairy

White color is a symbol of purity and pure love. Dairy products symbolize God's love for people.

Easter traditions

The symbol of Easter is the Holy Fire, which is associated with the light of God, enlightening all nations. The descent of the Holy Fire takes place on the eve of Easter, on Saturday, in the Jerusalem Church of the Resurrection. Then a particle of the Holy Fire is delivered by plane to Moscow, and from there to other cities in Russia.

On Bright Sunday, Christian churches hold festive services with liturgy. The service begins before midnight and continues throughout the night. Parishioners put Easter cakes, Easter cottage cheese, and painted eggs in wicker baskets, cover them with a beautiful towel and take them to churches to bless them.

At Easter, people greet each other with the phrase: “Christ is risen!” The answer to it is: “Truly he is risen!” It is also customary to kiss three times.

On the day of Easter, it is customary to visit relatives, spend time with the family, go for walks and have fun. Housewives set the festive table, in the center of which they place the largest Easter cake, surrounded by colored eggs. All other dishes are placed around the Easter cake.

One of the attributes of the holiday are flowers. People take them to church, consecrate them, and then decorate icons and festive tables with them.

history of the holiday

The main Orthodox festival is older than other events of this kind (Christmas, for example). The name “Easter” comes from the Hebrew “ passover ” (passed, passed by), meaning the Jewish Passover (it remains an important event in the life of the Jews) - the prototype of the Christian Passover.

Such a holiday, and “passed by”? The name, illogical at first glance, is given in honor of the liberation of Jews from Egyptian slavery, seeking to return to their homeland from the country where their ancestors fled from famine. The Egyptian pharaoh did not like this idea, despite the assurances of the prophet Moses about the need to let the Jews go home.

Disasters rained down on Egypt, the worst of which was the killing of all first-born males. The Angel of Death did not touch the Jewish children - he passed by, because their homes were marked with the blood of lambs.

The Jews were allowed to return to their homeland, and the Jewish Passover to this day symbolizes deliverance from slavery for this people.

For Christians, Easter has acquired a different interpretation - the transition from death to life, victory over death . This holiday overcomes despondency and reminds us of the eternal life given to people.

Celebrating this event annually, believers remember the Resurrection of Christ on the 3rd day after death. There were no witnesses to this; there is no description even in the Gospel. On Friday evening the deposition from the cross and burial took place. Saturday is a time of rest for the Jews, so only 2 days later the women who had previously accompanied Jesus came to the Holy Sepulcher. They did not find the body, but an Angel descended from heaven announced the resurrection.

From this event came the name of the day of the week - Sunday , it is also called “little Easter”.

Is it possible to guess: Easter rituals

There are conflicting opinions about fortune telling for Easter.

On the one hand, this is the main religious holiday, and divination is prohibited and condemned by Christianity.

On the other hand, magicians attend church and actively use the power of prayers, and during the Easter service they strengthen their magical abilities.

When Easter was still a pagan holiday, various magical rituals and fortune telling were always performed on this day, which were an integral component.

In Rus', in villages, cottage cheese cakes (Easter) were used to appease brownies, and spells for love and good luck were read using colored eggs.

There are also rituals on this day for any occasion: from betrayal, drunkenness, to attract good luck and money, from the evil eye and damage, from illness.