The celebration of the Annunciation is celebrated by the Orthodox Church on April 7, 9 months before Christmas, but in 2018 the holiday immediately precedes Easter. This date, unlike Easter and Trinity, is celebrated every year at the same time. The event is one of the twelve most the most important holidays Christian.
Many rules and beliefs are associated with this day in church traditions and popular beliefs.
Traditions and customs
The Annunciation was considered a day of complete peace and freedom. Concentrated, silent meditation, and not a riotous feast, befits the holiday.
The main tradition is to release birds into the wild. It was believed that in this way you can get rid of troubles and failures and find prosperity. To do this, it was required to purchase a bird the day before or in the morning and tell it about their problems and requests, which were addressed to God. Then during the service they were released. It was believed that the bird would fly straight to the Lord, since in such great holiday heaven opens.
In many villages, on the eve of the holiday, they called for spring: they made fires, danced around them and sang spring flowers, baked figurines of birds (larks, waders) from dough; girls and children climbed with them on roofs or trees and shouted calls to the birds.
There is a belief that on this day all work is so forbidden that even sinners in hell cease to be tormented and are given rest and freedom. It is even considered a sin to leave or go on the road to earn money. They said: "On the Annunciation, the bird does not build a nest, the maiden does not weave braids."
From the day of the Annunciation, healthy peasants moved to the cold part of the hut - the beginning of summer. It was also considered a sin to continue working in the evenings with a candle. Those who did not adhere to the rules, allegedly, were threatened with crop failure and other misfortunes.
Visit the church, be sure to wait for the festive ringing. When the bells began to ring, it was required to pick up a wallet and say certain words about the multiplication of money in it. Give generous alms to the beggars standing near the entrance to the temple.
Signs
Many signs have survived and have survived to our time. Which signs to believe and which not, each person decides for himself.
The most important of them is that you can not do anything around the house, all land work is prohibited, even "a bird does not build a nest," as they say. However, if you need to go to work, there is nothing you can do about it, and such work is not considered a sin.
However, voluntary housework can be troublesome. All planted seedlings will not be accepted, and the sown seed will not sprout. And the day of the week on which the Annunciation fell this year is considered unfavorable for sowing and planting, as well as the beginning of new business. But the day following it, on the contrary, is considered very successful and auspicious.
It is customary for the Annunciation not to put on new clothes for the first time, otherwise it will quickly wear down.
On the eve of the Annunciation, it was customary for the peasants to sow peas.
The ancestors had a large number of signs associated with the Annunciation. We have received many of them, for example, about the weather.
What it will be on April 7, so it will be on Easter. In addition, if on this day: there is snow, then it will be possible to see it in the field and on Yegoriy (May 6);
Frost or fog will fall in the morning - by a favorable summer for the harvest, a strong wind was also considered a good sign in this respect;
Sunny calm weather - to frequent thunderstorms; no flying swallows are seen on the streets - the spring will be cold and lingering;
If the night during the all-night vigil is warm, then spring will come together, without serious frosts.
What cannot be done on the Annunciation?
Borrow something or, conversely, give money and things to strangers. Otherwise, you may lose your well-being, health, peace and quiet in your family. This requirement should be strictly observed, even if the person asking you for something is well known and you are not comfortable refusing him. It is important to ensure that nothing is taken away from your home. Therefore, on April 7, it is undesirable to invite guests. The holiday is usually celebrated with a family.
Sew, weave, knit. Many peoples of the world associate a thread with life, so anyone who takes it in their hands for work can confuse their fate, bring problems and troubles.
Take care of your hair. You can't not only cut your hair, wash your hair, but even comb your hair because of the danger of ruining your fate. Hair can also fall out as a punishment.
Dress up new clothes. New things will quickly break or irreparably deteriorate, and within a year there will be no opportunity to acquire others. Girls who violate the ban will not marry until the next Annunciation.
Don't start something new. Otherwise, there will be no success in business.
This day should be spent as we would like. According to legend, it is believed that what this holiday will be for you, so will be the whole year. Therefore, you should not take offense at the Annunciation, swear with the people around you. On the contrary, you need to spend a day in a good, bright mood. Don't be alone. Even if you do not have your own family, take the opportunity and visit your relatives, meet friends. It is advisable for people who have pets to feed them well. Crumbs of consecrated prosphora should be added to the food. Thus, the owner protects not only himself, but also his pets from diseases for the future period.
In 2018, the Annunciation is preceded by Orthodox Easter which will come the next day, April 8th. Therefore, all the hostesses will be carried away by the pre-holiday chores, the preparation of Easter cakes and dyes.
The Annunciation in 2015 is celebrated on April 7th. For Christians, this holiday is considered one of the most revered. On this day, it became known about the imminent birth of God's Son Jesus Christ.
Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos: the history of the holiday
"Annunciation" means good, good news. Mary, the future mother of Christ, took a vow of celibacy and promised to give her life to the service of God. After living for the first 14 years in the temple, she made a promise to remain a virgin until the end of her days. The priests decided to betrothed her to Joseph, her distant relative, so that he would honor and protect her innocence and integrity. With Joseph, Mary moved to Nazareth, where she continued to lead a secluded life. After 4 months after the betrothal to Joseph, the archangel Gabriel descended to earth and announced to Mary that she would become the mother of Christ, the Messiah and the Savior.
Traditions and customs for the Annunciation of the Virgin on April 7
The feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is accompanied by many folk customs that were observed by our ancestors to attract well-being and happiness.
- It was forbidden to work at the Annunciation. On this day, it was customary to rest and celebrate the arrival of spring. Any work that day did not go well.
- In the Annunciation, the girls did not braid their braids, otherwise you can confuse your fate.
- In the Annunciation, you can not lend money and give something from your home. If you neglect this custom, you can attract poverty.
- The most beautiful custom for this holiday is to release birds into the sky. This rite helped to attract happiness and wealth. It is believed that the birds released during the Annunciation flew to the Guardian Angel to tell about a person's good deed. And the Guardian Angel then gives him all the blessings for his good deeds.
- In the Annunciation, it is customary to consecrate the prosphora. It is believed that the consecrated prosphora, kept at home, is able to protect against diseases and troubles.
- On a holiday, it is customary to light bonfires on the street. The Annunciation bonfire was considered better protection from the evil eye, damage and trouble. And in the house, on the contrary, fire was not welcomed. According to the sign, if you light a torch, lamp or candle in a house, then the Guardian Angel, who visits all houses on that day, will see all your sins and bad deeds.
Signs for the Annunciation
A large number of signs and superstitions have been added about the Annunciation, which help to find out what the harvest will be, what the weather will be in the coming days, and also help to attract good luck and happiness.
- On the Annunciation on April 7, you need to steal something, then you will become happy. Usually they stole some small change from another person. In this way, someone else's luck was stolen. Professional thieves on this day tested their fate: if you steal on the Annunciation and do not get caught, then you will attract unprecedented luck.
- You cannot sew, knit, embroider for the Annunciation - you can confuse your life and the life of your relatives.
- Roasted salt of the Annunciation, according to popular beliefs, is capable of protecting a house from evil and curing diseases.
- It was not customary to wear on the Annunciation new clothes... It was believed that on this day everything is torn, so in order not to spoil new outfits, our ancestors celebrated the holiday in everything old.
- If a wife calls her husband “beloved” 40 times throughout the day, this will keep her love for many years.
- If the swallows did not fly to the Annunciation, the spring will be late and cold.
- If there is frost on the Annunciation on April 7, then this is a rich harvest.
- If the Annunciation is clear, then in the summer there will be many fires.
- If it rains on this day, the summer will be hot and dry.
- What the weather is for the Annunciation, the same weather will be set for Easter.
On the Annunciation, it was forbidden to be sad and sad, since this is a joyful and bright holiday, which means that you need to say goodbye to everything bad and ask the Lord for strength, faith and happiness! Good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and
According to the signs for April 7, they judged the summer and the harvest. The Feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos is established in memory of the miraculous appearance of the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary. It belongs to the twelve and is celebrated annually on April 7th.
The events of the Annunciation are described by the Apostle Luke, who reports that the Lord sent the archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary to Nazareth with the news of the birth of the Savior of the world from her. The words of the archangel: “Rejoice, Graceful One” is the first good news for mankind after its fall.
The Virgin Mary was the daughter of the righteous Anna and Jacob, who long time could not have children. When they practically despaired, an angel appeared to Anna and said that soon her daughter would be born. Upon learning of this, the woman promised that she would dedicate her unborn child to the Lord. When Mary was three years old, her parents kept their promise and took her to the temple in Jerusalem, where she lived until she was fifteen years old.
When the time came for Mary to leave the temple, She, with the permission of the priest, became engaged to her distant relative, the righteous Joseph. After the betrothal, Mary settled in his home in Nazareth. It was here, 9 months before the birth of Christ, that the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel took place, bringing her the good news (hence the Annunciation).
In every Orthodox Church there is necessarily an icon "Annunciation", which is included in the festive rite of the iconostasis, consisting of icons depicting all the twelve holidays of the church calendar.
Annunciation churches have been built all over the world. One of the first churches in Russia was built under Yaroslav the Wise over the golden gate in Kiev (XI century).
April 7: traditions and customs of the day
The Annunciation is an important Christian holiday of the annual cycle. Along with the Nativity of John the Baptist () and) the Annunciation falls on one of four key points in the year, which corresponds to vernal equinox... In the popular understanding, the Annunciation is the beginning of the spring-summer half of the year. The very name of the holiday is interpreted more broadly. It is associated not only with the announcement of the Virgin Mary about the birth of the Son of God, but also with the good news about the awakening of the earth from sleep and the coming of spring. This holiday was always celebrated solemnly and in concentrated meditation.
Our ancestors interpreted the Christian theme of the Annunciation in an economic, everyday way. The end of one period and the beginning of another form the basis of the calendar of the Annunciation folklore, economic and labor activities and rituals timed to this day.
Among the people, the Annunciation was often compared with Easter, and sometimes this holiday was considered more significant than the Bright Resurrection. Many people said that the Annunciation is God's biggest holiday. Any work was prohibited on this day. The ban was adhered to not only by people, but also by birds and even devils in the underworld:
On the Annunciation, the bird does not nest.
On Easter and on the Annunciation, sinners in hell are not tortured.
First of all, this holiday was associated with the arrival of spring:
The veil is not summer, the Annunciation is not winter.
On the Annunciation, spring overcame winter.
The winter path deteriorates a week before the Annunciation or a week after.
If the Annunciation is spring, then there are still many frosts ahead.
To speed up the arrival of spring, people performed various magical actions. For example, bonfires were burned around which they danced, sang songs and jumped over the fire. In some places, they burned winter beds (straw) and went to sleep in a crate. The hostesses laid out pies on new canvases, which they carried outside and left overnight with the words: “ Here's spring for you, mother. "
On this holiday, the sun "plays" in the east. People came out to greet the sun, admired its Annunciation game. They believed that the earth was awakening from a winter sleep, therefore, until this date, one should not dig the earth, drive stakes and pillars into it.
According to legend, on this day migratory birds return to their native land. Our ancestors met storks and cuckoos, there was still a rite of releasing birds so that they sang to the glory of God, and they brought happiness to the one who freed them. This custom was especially widespread and colorful in Moscow. Here, in the morning, the townspeople hurried to the bird market, where they bought birds from the catchers and immediately released them. The birds were asked to bring the spring as soon as possible.
Some birds are just arriving for this day, and the magpie, according to popular belief, has already put forty sticks in its nest.
The Annunciation is not only the time for the arrival of birds. By this day, flies and bees wake up, a bear wakes up in a den, raccoons and badgers come out of holes, forest ants come out of their heaps, and hedgehogs come out of rotten stumps. The Annunciation is the third meeting of spring. At this time, snakes, lizards, frogs and mice emerge from the shelters, bee hives were taken out to the apiary and opened the season of field work. They said that on April 7 the Lord blesses all plants.
On the Annunciation, the weather was predicted both for the coming days and for the entire spring cycle, they made plans for the harvest, predicted happiness and trouble.
The preparations for the holiday were serious. On the eve of the day:
- cleaned up houses;
- the shops were rubbed with juniper to protect the house from evil spirits;
- cowardly the bed, replaced the straw in the mattresses, and burned the old one;
- they fumigated winter clothes with smoke to drive away evil spirits;
- burned garbage to ward off snakes.
April 7: signs and beliefs
- As you spend the Annunciation, so you will live the whole year.
- What the Annunciation is, so is Easter.
- If the night is warm on the Annunciation, then the spring will be friendly.
- If there is still snow on the roofs, then it will lie in the field and on).
- If the swallows have not yet arrived on this day, the spring will be cold.
- Morning fog - to a large flood of rivers and streams.
- A cloudless sky and a bright sun - for a formidable summer.
- If there is wind, fog and frost on April 7, then the year will be fruitful.
- On the Annunciation rain - rye will be born and there will be a mushroom summer.
- A sunny day - for a good harvest of spring crops.
- On the Annunciation frost - oats under a bush. Another frosty day promises a harvest for milk mushrooms.
- Thunderstorm on April 7 - a warm summer and a harvest of nuts.
- There is a good catch of fish on the Annunciation.
- Sunny day - wheat will be born.
- If there are few stars in the sky, then there will be few eggs.
- Bucket - to fires.
- If the day is red, then this year there will be many troubles and fires.
- Whoever successfully played the coin toss on the Annunciation will win money in this game throughout the year.
- At the Annunciation, thieves begin to steal, so that they are lucky all year.
- A person who works for the Annunciation will suffer misfortune.
- If you drop crumbs or spill drops on this day during a meal, there will be many flies and fleas in the house.
- On April 7, they don't wear new clothes because something might happen to her.
- If on the Annunciation a person is healthy, well fed, dressed and with money, then everything will be fine for him during the year.
- Dreams from April 6 to 7 predict the future, but they will not come true soon. The dream seen on the afternoon of April 7 will come true in 6 months.
Video: April 7 - traditions, customs and signs
Third meeting of spring. One of the biggest spring holidays, which you can't work on. “They don’t look at the harsh yarn at the Annunciation”, “Even a bird doesn’t nest at the Annunciation, but it will howl, this is how it is done for the whole summer on foot”, “A cuckoo without a nest for curling it to the Annunciation”, “What day is the Annunciation, that, in the whole year, do not start any business again ”. According to popular belief, on this day, the young spring fights the angry winter. "Spring overcame winter." Many spring field works begin from this day. Usually, before this day, the winter path collapses either a week or a week later. "Wait for the first thunder from the Annunciation." “As the Annunciation is, such is the bright week” (before Easter). "What is the Annunciation you spend, so is the whole year."
From time immemorial in Russia it has been established to release birds to the wild on this day. "Annunciation - release the birds to the wild." In Moscow, this ceremony was performed against Okhotny Ryad. People came here in the morning, bought birds and set them free with their own hands. This continued until late in the evening. There was a belief that if on that day a chicken or a goose lays an egg, a freak or cripple hatches out of the latter.
On the evening of the Annunciation, peasants came to the basement with a head of cabbage and laid it on the ground, hidden from everyone. This head of cabbage should be the first one plucked from the ridge in the fall. The next day, returning from mass, they examine the head of cabbage. They say that the lucky ones find seeds in it, from which no frost kills the grown cabbage. "The frost does not hit the Annunciation cabbage." Peas are sown on the eve of the Annunciation.
On this day, elderly women burn salt in the oven. This salt, according to legend, has miracles in various diseases, especially skin diseases. Ash from the stove is stored on this day for cabbage and other garden plants: when they deteriorate, they are sprinkled with this ash. They baked with this salt from bread dough plaques- small rolls designed to heal livestock.
Under the Annunciation, the lights in the houses were not extinguished all night - it would be better to give birth to flax, otherwise lightning would burn everything out.
On the night of the Annunciation, they put a spoon with water: if the water in the spoon freezes, then the spring will be born good. If water freezes in a spoon on the Annunciation, then there will be forty matinees (i.e. morning frosts), if it does not freeze, soon the root spring will be or the whole spring will be warm. "If on the Annunciation the sky is cloudless and the Sun is bright, there will be a stormy summer." "Spring before the Annunciation - a lot of frost ahead", "Annunciation without swallows - cold spring", "If it rains or cloudy on the Annunciation, the summer will be rainy." The established early spring before the Annunciation will respond with cold weather for the whole month. "If there is a cold wind on this day, the summer will be cold, and if the wind is warm, from the south, then the summer will also be warm." If the holiday came with warmth, they waited for a frosty autumn, and vice versa, the snow, which had been stale until that time, promised warm autumn... The people believed that the same weather as on the Annunciation should be repeated on Easter.
On this day, they tried to determine the harvest. If the snow melts on the Annunciation, there will be no oats. If it rains on the Annunciation, you will collect a lot of bread and rye will be born, there will be many mushrooms; if it is dry, then drought is possible in summer. Moderate weather - summer and harvest will be moderate. If on this day there is wind, frost and fog - by a fruitful year. If there is frost on this day, the harvest for oats and milk mushrooms. Red circles around the Sun on this day - for the harvest. But a thunderstorm on this day portends a warm summer and a harvest of nuts. The red day on the Annunciation predetermines the harvest of spring crops, mushrooms and other mushrooms, obviously hinting at the rainy season in early summer. If there are few stars in the sky, then there will be few eggs. After that day, it was allowed to cultivate the land for new crops (until that time, the land sleeps and cannot be touched).
If the night is warm, then the spring will be friendly. Bucket on this day - to summer fires. If there is snow on the roofs for the Annunciation, then on Yegoriy (May 6) it will still be in the fields, and the summer promises to be lean. Misty morning foreshadows large river floods. A light rain on this day promises good catches for fishermen.
In many settlements, before the Annunciation, various ceremonies with fire were performed. The villagers on the night before that day burned their straw beds, jumped over bonfires and fumigated their dresses. “They burn the bed in order to exterminate diseases; jumping through the fire in order to rid themselves of the ghost; fumigate dresses in order to warn themselves against charm. " From this evening on, the young villagers are moving with new beds to the cold cages; the old people, the sick and the children remain in the huts.
Doves are released for the Annunciation Monday, April 6, Orthodox Christians began Holy Week - the last week of Great Lent before Happy Easter Christ's... Holy Week 2015 will run from 6 April to the evening of 11 April to end with Easter itself.
Annunciation - the history of the holiday
This year, Holy Week is one of the most important Christian holidays – Annunciation to the Most Holy Theotokos... Unlike Easter, which is "walking" on the calendar, Orthodox Christians celebrate the Annunciation on the same day - April 7th. The Annunciation is celebrated in honor of the gospel event - the announcement by the archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary of the future birth of Jesus Christ to her. In the Gospel of Luke it is written that in the sixth month after the conception of St. In Christianity, the Annunciation is seen as the beginning of the atonement for the original sin committed by Eve, who, against the will of God, ate the forbidden fruit. According to the interpretations of Christian thinkers, Mary redeems Eve's disobedience by her obedience to the will of the Lord. The symbol of the Annunciation is the white lily, which symbolizes the purity and purity of the Mother of God. White lilies were often depicted on icons of the Annunciation and in paintings dedicated to this gospel event.
Annunciation: traditions, signs and beliefs
Since this year the Annunciation coincides with Holy Week, it is believed that the signs and beliefs associated with this holiday are usually fulfilled. Signs about the weather
- If there is snow and frost on the Annunciation, then the cold will last until May, and the spring will be late and unfriendly.
- Annunciation without swallows - spring will be cold.
- If it rains on the Annunciation, expect a drought in summer.
- If there is a warm night on the Annunciation, the spring will be early and friendly.
- Bright sunshine in the morning on the Annunciation brings happiness.
It's not all that simple. The fact is that on Holy Week it is customary to put things in order not only in the soul (prayer, observance of fasting are good for this, and most importantly, good deeds and refusal of evil thoughts), but also in the house - for this there are even special names for some days - for example, Maundy Thursday. But it is not customary to work around the house on the Annunciation, since ancient times there is a saying for those who like to be lazy: “On the Annunciation, a bird does not nest a nest, a girl does not weave braids”. So this year, on Great Tuesday, you can refuse to do housework, with the exception of baking prosphora (unleavened bread) - unleavened church bread. V folk tradition consecrated prosphora are believed to bring health and well-being. Also, on the Annunciation, it is not customary to light a fire in the house, it is believed that this is fraught with fire. But on this day, in connection with the holiday, there is a relaxation of the fast - you can eat fish. You should behave in accordance with the traditions of Great Lent - that is, no fun and revelry. An old recipe for prosphora
- 215 g of premium wheat flour, pour 320 ml of boiling water and grind. Gradually pour in another 670 ml of boiling water, stirring constantly.
- Divide the resulting choux pastry into two equal parts. While the dough is cooling, pour over boiled water(50 ml) room temperature 10 g of pressed or 1 teaspoon of dry yeast, mix well and put in a warm place.
- After an hour, add one of the dough halves to the yeast and leave this mixture warm for another hour and a half. Then add 150 g of flour and 170 ml of water at room temperature, stir thoroughly and leave in a warm place for another two hours.
- Prepare an aqueous solution of salt: 40 g of salt in 170 ml of water at room temperature.
- Combine matching dough with unused half and aqueous salt solution and bake on a baking sheet for about 15 minutes.
Even on this day, there is a custom to harvest special Annunciation salt. Each family member takes a pinch of salt and pours it into a bag. Then the hostess of the house ignites the salt on the fire to use it as a healing potion. It is believed that the Annunciation salt helps against all diseases, which is very useful in the face of rising prices for medicines. You can also "heal" with a consecrated malt, but you should not forget about "secular" medicine. The custom of releasing birds Since ancient times, it was customary to release birds at the Annunciation, but animal rights activists strongly recommend abandoning this tradition, leaving it to be performed by the clergy, whose representatives ritually release tame pigeons. The fact is that wild birds caught specially before the holiday, after being released, die en masse from stress and the consequences of poor keeping in captivity. In Moscow, this tradition, which animal activists consider barbaric, has become a thing of the past - only pigeons are released here. But in the provinces, the tradition is still alive, which is what the "black catchers" use, profiting from the suffering and death of birds.
Lent 2015: Seventh Week - Holy Week
Let us recall the food calendar for those who observe Great Lent. The seventh week of fasting - Passion Week - is the most severe. April 6 (Monday) - dry eating (bread, raw vegetables and fruits, dried fruits, honey, nuts). April 7 (Tuesday) - Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos - you can eat fish. April 8 (Wednesday) - dry food. April 9 (Thursday) - dry eating. April 10 (Friday) - Good Friday - Complete abstinence from food is recommended. April 11 (Saturday) - dry eating. April 12 (Sunday) - Easter (Light Christ Sunday) - starting at midnight, fasting begins, after which you can eat everything, including meat and dairy. On the tables are traditionally colored eggs, butter cakes and cottage cheese Easter. Read about ritual Easter dishes in other materials Federal News Agency... Please note that fasting is not an end in itself; it is an addition to the important mental work of preparing oneself for the meeting with Christ. Also, one should not think that breaking the fast on Easter should turn into gluttony and unrestrained drunkenness: both the church condemns this, and doctors do not welcome it.
