What does the Feast of the Annunciation mean? Willingness to fulfill the will of the Creator

Hello. Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary - great holiday all believers. In the bustle of days, many have forgotten about the traditions of celebrating the Annunciation. Let's try to remember them so that we never forget and pass them on to our children.

What date is the Annunciation celebrated?

The Annunciation is the day of remembrance of how the Mother of God learned that she would give birth to Christ, and that this would happen in a miraculous way - through the descent of the Holy Spirit on Her.

In 2018, the Annunciation fell on Holy Saturday. Holy Saturday is a day of remembrance of that terrible moment when the Body of Christ was in the Tomb. This day is also called the day of silence. Everything is already behind us - betrayal, crucifixion, Death on the Cross.

Look for mystical meaning in the fact that the Annunciation fell on Holy Saturday, not worth it. Light Christ's Resurrection can fall on any day of the year between April 4 and May 8.

With early Easter, the Annunciation can fall on both Holy and Bright Week, and this only means that the service on this day will have its own characteristics associated with the double meaning of this day.

What can you eat if the Annunciation falls on Holy Saturday?

If the Annunciation falls on Holy Saturday, then you can eat vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, cereals, bread, but you cannot eat fish. The monastic charter presupposes abstinence from food on this day. vegetable oil, but a modern person is not required to strictly follow the rules of fasting established for monks in past centuries. On Holy Saturday, Orthodox Christians usually adhere to their usual Lenten diet.

Annunciation is one of two days of Lent when fish is allowed at meals. But if it coincides with the days of Holy Week, the meal on this day is not festive and they do not eat fish.

According to the charter in Holy Saturday the monks were allowed to drink a little wine. But such a relaxation was given not for fun and entertainment, but to strengthen strength after a long prayer: the service of Holy Saturday is long, it is preceded by very eventful days of liturgical events Holy Week, and ahead is the night Easter Matins.

The meaning and essence of the Annunciation holiday

The essence of the holiday is contained in the name itself. “Annunciation” means that good news is coming. If you look more closely, you will notice that the whole point of Christian holidays is that a person is given two paths:

• the path of salvation is the righteous path,
• the path of evil, envy and darkness.

Even the young Virgin Mary was asked by an Angel if she agreed that the Son of God, the Savior of the whole world, would be incarnated from her womb. Mary responded, “Let it be done to me according to your word,” meekly accepting God’s word.

The icon dedicated to the Annunciation can be recognized by the Archangel Gabriel holding a flower. What does the flower mean? The flower is a symbol of good news. It was Gabriel who God gave to bring the Good News to people.

But he brought the most joyful news in the world 2000 years ago to the Virgin Mary, who took a vow of virginity and gave her life to serving God. From this day the history of the holiday begins.

In ancient Judea, people who reached the age of 14 were considered adults. So the 14-year-old Virgin Mary, who until that time had been raised in the temple, had to return to native home, or get married. But the vow of eternal virginity closed the way for Her to create an ordinary family. Then the priests of the temple found very correct solution. They betrothed the Virgin Mary to the 80-year-old elder Joseph. Thus, Mary did not break the vow she made to the Lord.

So Saint Joseph became the guardian of the virgin purity of the future Mother of God. The Blessed Virgin lived for four months in Joseph's house, devoting all of Her time to reading. Holy books and tireless prayers.

An angel caught her in this godly activity, saying to her: “Rejoice, full of grace!” Archangel Gabriel announced to Her about that greatest grace: to become the Matter of the Messiah.

The holiday really began to be celebrated in the 6th century during the reign of Justinian. He issued a decree setting the date for the celebration of the Annunciation - March 25 for Catholics, and April 7 for Orthodox Christians according to the Julian calendar.

The Annunciation is the arrival of spring!

How is this holiday celebrated? On this day, one of the most merciful traditions has existed since ancient times: releasing birds from cages.

Today this is done by church ministers, and before the 1917 revolution, many believers, observing traditions, brought cages with birds to worship, which were released into the wild after the service.

This action symbolized the human soul, languishing in the shackles of sin, but through the birth of the Savior, who took the sins of people upon himself, receives hope for freedom. The service in the temple even today ends with the release of white doves into the sky so that they convey the news to the angels about all the good deeds.

Signs for the Annunciation

With the arrival of spring, people pinned their aspirations for a good harvest. Therefore, there are many signs for April 7:

• If it is cold on Annunciation, there is fog or the day is marked by frost, then the year will be fruitful.
• If the swallows have not yet arrived, then spring will be late and cold.
• A clear day in Annunciation means fires.
• If April 7th is a rainy day, then expect a dry summer.
• The same day (weather) for the Annunciation, the same for Easter.

Other signs for the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

• On Annunciation, you cannot give or borrow anything, so as not to give away your health and luck.
• On Annunciation, you cannot work, get a haircut, or even comb your hair, so as not to “confuse” your destiny.
• What day of the week does April 7 fall on, on that day you should not start new business for a whole year.
• On this holiday, you need to bless salt, water, and bring prosphora from the church. This will all help in case of illness.
• You can't wear new clothes.
• So that the husband does not go anywhere, on this day he must be called “beloved” 40 times.

Many rituals attract money to the house, for example, you need to give alms early in the morning, before that you don’t need to wash or have breakfast.

You need to collect grass from the church and store it behind the icons for good luck and health.

They say conspiracies work well. On April 8th, Archangel Gabriel fulfills your deepest desires. Early in the morning, make a wish, put on a cross, go outside, turn your face to the east, cross yourself three times, say the spell:

“Archangel Gabriel, servant of our Lord, hear the prayer of God’s servant (name) and fulfill my request (say your desire). In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen"

Icons of the Annunciation

The Annunciation depicts the meeting of the Virgin Mary and the Archangel Gabriel. The most common iconographic canon of the Holiday: the Annunciator stands on the left and extends his hand to the Most Pure One, who is on the right, blessing Her.

The Mother of God is often depicted either reading the Holy Scriptures or holding a spindle and red thread in her hands. The Gospel does not say what the Mother of God was doing when the Archangel appeared to her, but according to apocryphal sources, She was spinning the curtain for the Jerusalem Temple, which was torn in two at the moment of Christ’s death on the Cross.

Archangel Gabriel in the icons of the Annunciation is depicted with his hand extended towards the Mother of God with his fingers folded in a certain way. This is an ancient oratorical gesture meaning direct speech. In the same way, the reciprocal gesture of the Mother of God in this context is interpreted as Her acceptance of the gospel:

Another detail often present on icons of the Annunciation is a ray descending from Heaven onto the Virgin Mary. Otherwise, the descent of the Holy Spirit on Her is depicted on the icon in the form of a dove. On many icons, the Heavenly Ray and the Dove are combined.

On the icon of the Annunciation there may be the Infant God in the womb of the Mother.

On April 7, Russia celebrates the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary- one of the oldest Twelve Mother of God holidays.

Annunciation in history:

Evangelist Luke spoke in detail and reliably about the events that took place in the city of Nazareth. God's messenger, the Archangel Gabriel, unexpectedly appeared to the Most Pure Virgin Mary, engaged to an elderly carpenter named Joseph. “Rejoice, full of grace! The Lord is with you; blessed are you among women,” he said and told the distraught Virgin: “You have found grace from God; and behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a Son, and you will call His name Jesus.” The Pious Virgin was at first confused. But a moment later she answered with words that express Her love for God and boundless readiness to fulfill His plans: “I am the servant of the Lord, and let it be done to Me according to Your word.”

So it began new era among a significant part of humanity, which very soon began to be called Christian.

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary:

The Annunciation of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary - this is how the Christian Church calls the great twelfth holiday, dedicated to the memory of Archangel Gabriel’s announcement to the Virgin Mary of the mystery of the incarnation of God the Word from Her. (Luke 1:26-38). This sacred event took place, according to church tradition, on March 25/April 7 in the sixth month after the conception of the holy prophet John the Baptist by the holy righteous Elizabeth.

“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, from the house of David; and the name of the virgin was Mary.” (Luke 1:26-27)

This is how the gospel story begins about an event called “annunciation,” which means “good, joyful news.”

The twelfth holiday - the Feast of the Annunciation - is dedicated to this event. belonging to ancient holidays in honor of the Virgin Mary, indications of which come from the 4th century. Saint John Chrysostom calls the Annunciation “the first feast” and “the root of the feasts.” Also, the Sixth Ecumenical Council, in its 52nd canon, decided to celebrate the Liturgy of John Chrysostom on the day of the Annunciation, and not the Presanctified Gifts, celebrated during Lenten times. And among the people this holiday is considered the greatest, bringing with it peace and joy.

Why is this event so revered and Universal Church and even by people often very far from the Church of Christ? What did the Angel announce to the Virgin Mary? “The angel came to her and said: Rejoice, full of grace! The Lord is with you; blessed are you among women” (Luke 1:28), the Gospel of Luke further narrates.

What a strange greeting! Gabriel, standing before God, comes to earth and utters words that have never been addressed to any mortal in the entire history of mankind: neither to wives, nor to great men.

“When she saw him, she was troubled by his words and wondered what kind of greeting this would be” (Luke 1:29).

Church tradition tells us that until the age of 15, the Blessed Virgin was raised in church. The angels of God brought Her comfort and instructed Her. That is why, when the Angel appeared to Her this time, Mary was not afraid of the very appearance of the heavenly messenger, but was only embarrassed, because she understood that such words had never been addressed to any other person. “And the Angel said to Her: Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God; and behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a Son, and you will call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him a throne David His father; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end" (Luke 1:30-33).

Thus, Archangel Gabriel announced to the Blessed Virgin the ancient prophecy of the Book of Psalms: “Hear, daughter, and see, and incline your ear, and forget your people and your father’s house. And the King will desire your beauty; for He is your Lord, and you shall worship Him. "(Ps. 44, 11-12), which reveals the human birth of Christ from the Virgin. It is from Her that the long-awaited Savior of the world, the Messiah, the Anointed One, who will reign forever and there will be no end to His Kingdom, must be born - that is who must be born from Her.

Tradition says that Mary took a vow of virginity, and her husband Joseph was the guardian of virginity. True to the word given to God, a vow that Mary could not even imagine breaking, causes amazement in Her: “How will this be when I don’t know my husband?” (Luke 1:34). In these words we discover the true wisdom of the Blessed Virgin. For She did not act as Eve acted before Her, who listened to the sweet words of the serpent in the Garden of Eden. The saint did not accept what was said recklessly, but in fact repeated the vow she had made.

And then the Angel confirms his Heavenly messenger and resolves Her doubt: “The Holy Spirit will come upon You, and the power of the Most High will overshadow You; therefore, the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35). Gabriel thus reveals the conception that this conception will be not by human nature, but by a supernatural order, that the vow of virginity will not be broken and Mary will always be called the Ever-Virgin.

And in order to finally dispel all doubts regarding the possibility of such a thing, he emphasizes the omnipotence of God: “Behold, Elizabeth, your relative, who is called barren, and she conceived in her old age, and she is already in her sixth month, for with God no word will fail (Lk. 1, 36-37).

But let's see what Mary says to this? Does Her doubt continue, does She resist this blessing? The Evangelist writes: “Then Mary said: Behold, the Servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). Saint Athanasius the Great commented on these words as follows: “The All-Holy Virgin, having said: “Behold, the Servant of the Lord, let it be done to Me according to your word,” thereby expressed the following: I am the tablet on which the Scribe writes everything that pleases Him. The Lord of all yes writes and creates what he wants."

“And at that very moment,” writes Demetrius of Rostov, “by the action of the Holy Spirit, an indescribable conception took place in Her holy womb, without carnal pleasure, but not without spiritual delight. In this delight of Her spirit the Son of God was conceived, “And the Word became flesh , and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). This is why the Church of Christ calls us to rejoice.

This is why the earth glorifies the glory of God: a great event has happened in the life of all humanity - Archangel Gabriel, in the holy gospel, brought us the joyful news that deliverance has come, that Christ, the promised Mission, will be born of the Virgin Mary.

By celebrating the Annunciation, we celebrate the beginning of the New Testament day. The time has come for the fulfillment of the Lord's holy promise about “the Seed of the woman, which will erase the head of the serpent” (Gen. 3:15).

This day- the beginning of our salvation, about which the Holy Church immutably testifies: “The day of our salvation is the main thing, and from the ages of the sacrament the manifestation: the Son of God, the Son of the Virgin comes and Gabriel preaches grace. In the same way, we cry out to the Mother of God with him: Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you.” By you."

Traditions, rituals and customs at the Annunciation:

Since ancient times, people have believed that on the Annunciation, which marked the beginning of spring and the new agricultural year, the Lord himself blesses the earth and opens it for fertility and sowing.

There was a ritual of “illuminating” the sowing grain: the peasant placed the Annunciation icon in a tub of grain and said: “Mother of God, Gabriel the Archangel, bless us with the harvest.”

On the eve of the Annunciation, peasants went to cellars or cellars, where they took cabbage cabbage (unnoticed by strangers) - the first one removed from the garden in the fall - and laid it on the ground.

There was a belief that if the next day, walking from the Annunciation mass, you take this pumpkin, then you can find seeds on it. If you plant seedlings along with these seeds, then the cabbage that grows from them will not be afraid of any frosts - neither spring nor autumn.

Among the Annunciation customs, there were also ancient pagan rituals that expressed faith in the cleansing power of fire: old bedding, shoes, and clothes were burned; the premises of the home and outbuildings were fumigated to protect themselves and livestock from diseases.

The Annunciation was perceived by the people as a holiday of spring, as a symbol of the beginning of universal prosperity - in nature and in people's lives. Probably connected with this is the good custom of releasing birds from cages, snares and nets into the wild on this day.

Traditions and customs for the Annunciation.

According to legend, one of the strictest prohibitions on this day was knitting, sewing and weaving. This tradition is due to the fact that our ancestors believed that threads are the destinies of people that can be confused and bring partings, quarrels and strife into the house.

At the Annunciation, birds were given special significance. The ritual of releasing birds, often pigeons, was associated with them. For this purpose, there were special catchers, who then sold the birds for the ritual. There was a belief that pigeons would convey the news of a person’s good deeds to the angels, who would subsequently reward him for it.

On the night of April 6-7, it used to be customary to “warm up the spring,” so at that time a holiday was held with bonfires, where garbage, old shoes, straw and rags were burned. For the last time they invited spring, danced in circles and sang songs.

As already mentioned, you cannot work on this day, but you could consecrate seeds and seedlings for the harvest. After all, according to legend, God himself opens the sky to bless the earth for a good harvest.

One of the most interesting traditions on this day is the preparation of Annunciation salt. This was done in order to take advantage of it in case of any illness. All family members took a pinch of salt and placed it in a bag, which the hostess subsequently calcined over the fire. If this salt was not needed throughout the year, then on the Annunciation it was burned, believing that with it all troubles and misfortunes would disappear. They did the same with blessed water and prosphora, which the hostess kept for the whole year.

Separately, it is worth noting that many Orthodox Christians after the service tried to purchase as much prosphora as possible, but if they did not succeed, they baked it themselves. Then he settled down festive dinner, where the housewives crushed this blessed bread and gave it to all family members, some of the women saved some of it in order to add crumbs to livestock feed.

Also, many believed that if you make a lot of noise on this day, rattle basins, ring bells, this will scare away predatory animals and save livestock.

In Rus', the Orthodox people had their own traditions and beliefs on this holiday:

*A long time ago, according to legend, people took salt burned in the stove on this day, then added it to the dough, baked buns and then ate them, sharing them even with their livestock, thereby curing themselves from various diseases.

*The Annunciation spoke of the arrival of spring, nature wakes up on this day. If you work or do anything on this holiday, it will be considered a great sin. In ancient times, even any creature felt great triumph and spent the day motionless.

*At night, leave the night light burning all night for the happiness and wealth of the whole family.

*On Annunciation, between matins and mass (at about 12 o'clock) you need to drive the chickens off the pole with a broom. They will lay good eggs.

*The Annunciation prosphyra is sometimes kept for a whole year, in case someone in the family gets sick, so that they can later be treated with it.

*They burn salt in the oven and store the ash to sprinkle the garden, from harm and hail. Ash taken from the ash pit at the Annunciation has the power to treat damage.

*Do not borrow. The one who gave away from home at the Annunciation gave peace and health.

*It is better not to spend time on Annunciation special attention hairstyle, hair will fall out. It is said: a bird does not build a nest, a maiden does not braid her hair.

*Whoever calls her husband “dear” forty times from morning to midnight on Annunciation Day will have her husband’s beloved all year long.

*If you give alms on the Annunciation before washing, then there will be prosperity in the house for a whole year.

The Russian people have composed many sayings about this holiday:

*There are many useful signs and proverbs that should be followed. The following can be distinguished:

“If there is fog or wind on this holiday, there will be a fruitful year,” “Rain, there will be rye,” “Thunderstorm, expect a warm summer,” “The cuckoo will be without a nest, since it made it for the Annunciation.”

*On the Annunciation, people bake prosphora and light it in the church at night, then place them next to the icons.
Even in the old days, people mixed grain with prosphora crumbs to protect the crop from pests and bad weather (they sprinkled it on the garden).

*At the Annunciation, spring overcame winter.

*On Annunciation and Easter, sinners are not tormented in hell.

*A gypsy sells a fur coat at Annunciation.

*On Annunciation rain - rye will be born.

Signs for the Annunciation:

Everyone knows the saying - “A bird does not build a nest, and a maiden does not braid her hair” - this is the main meaning of the holiday, no work, no work - a day of Joy and Holiday for the soul. Liberation from earthly worries and thoughts about the eternal.

On this day there are blessings for every good deed - on the day when even sinners in hell cease to be tormented and are given rest and freedom.

The greatest sin The smallest work is considered, even leaving or going on the road to earn money.

Not idle fun with the seasoning of festive revelry, namely concentrated, silent meditation befits this holiday of complete peace, freedom from business, based on the immutable belief and universal conviction that “on Annunciation Day, a bird does not curl its nest, a maiden does not braid its braids.”

What if you have to go to work?

Of course, no one will judge or punish for this, the meaning here is different:

No house cleaning, no laundry or urgent repairs, even food needs to be prepared in advance so that you can do nothing at Annunciation but just relax! Put off everything possible for another day!

Otherwise, as the legend says, luck will turn away from you for a whole year!

As it turns out, it’s not easy to relax... and for some reason, it’s on days like these that you really want to do something, work! :)

Signs for the Annunciation

Many peasants carefully monitored the weather that day. If there was rain on the Annunciation, then they prepared for a good harvest of rye, but if there was a thunderstorm, then they believed that nuts would be born this year.

The fishermen hoped that the weather would be rainy that day, as they believed that there would be a good catch all year.

On this day, many families tried not to quarrel and live in peace and tranquility, because they believed that the year would pass the same way as the Annunciation.

The peasants expected wind, frost and fog, because according to popular belief, this promises a good harvest for the whole year.

Thieves had their own belief. If you manage to steal something on this day, then the next year will be successful and prosperous.

If swallows did not appear on Annunciation, then everyone was preparing for a cold winter.

If you bought new clothes the day before and on the day of the holiday, then under no circumstances should they be tried on on that day, otherwise, according to the superstition, the item would quickly deteriorate and tear.

What else you can’t do at Annunciation:

Not only can’t you comb your hair, otherwise it will fall out, but you also can’t cut it or dye it - otherwise the hair will not grow.

The stoves are not heated, the fire is not lit - i.e. You cannot cook or heat food on gas or fire - Otherwise, you will suffer with your stomach all year or you will have to starve.

In which day of the week Annunciation, on that day throughout the year, There is no point in starting any new business - everything will go to waste!

Under no circumstances should you sew or cut with scissors! Otherwise, you will either get stuck in business or cut your happiness into pieces.....

You can't sow or plant anything- Any seedlings planted on this day will not please you; they will be frail and painful.

After the Annunciation, this year on Thursday, throughout the year - on Thursdays, also do not plant or sow anything...

There is even a belief that on which day this holiday occurs, it is considered unlucky for sowing and plowing, and the next one after him is the most successful and happiest...

And if you mix crumbled prosphora with seeds, the harvest will greatly surprise and delight you! The harvest will be very good!

You can’t wear new clothes on Annunciation Day! Otherwise, it will definitely quickly tear or deteriorate. And there won’t be many new things all year... so this must be taken into account!

Beautiful signs and rituals for the Annunciation:

Since ancient times in Rus' it has been customary to on this day to release birds to freedom. In Moscow, this ritual was performed against Okhotny Ryad. People came here in the morning, bought birds and with their own hands released them from the cage into the wild.

The prosphora for the Annunciation has healing power . Prosphora crumbs are added to the food of seriously ill people and they recover.

On the eve of the Annunciation, women burn salt in the oven on this day. This Annunciation salt works wonders in various diseases..

Another sign associated with Annunciation salt - he will be lucky who will guess on this day to burn a few pinches of salt in the oven

If the hostess, on the Annunciation, before noon, take the broom and drive the chickens off the roost, then they will try to rush to the Bright Holiday to prepare fresh eggs for the celebration of Christ.

“As you spend the Annunciation, so will the whole year” - that's why thieves steal on this day - for happiness.

On what day of the week is the Annunciation, do not start anything for the whole year, and the next one after him is the most successful and happiest.

Before the Annunciation, in the evening, big fires were lit, burned their straw beds, and jumped through the purifying fire.

Weather signs for Annunciation:

On Annunciation, frost means the spring harvest.

On Annunciation there is frost - the harvest for cucumbers.

On Annunciation rain - rye will be born.

Thunderstorm on Annunciation - for a warm summer and a nut harvest.

They take the bees out of the omshenik.

Annunciation without swallows - cold spring.

On the eve of the Annunciation, peas are sown

If there is a red day on Annunciation - ... this year will be a fire year.

If it rains, ... it will be a mushroom year, and fishermen hope for successful fishing.

On the Annunciation, on a sunny day, wheat will be born; if there are few stars in the sky, then there will be few eggs.

Signs:

Don’t give anything to anyone on Annunciation - otherwise poverty will come to the house.
It was believed that the one who gave from home on the Annunciation spent family peace and peace on strangers.

If on the Annunciation from morning to midnight you call your husband “dear” forty times, your husband will love and cherish you all year long.

On Annunciation, you should not go to the hairdresser, and it is also not recommended to do anything with your hair and even comb your hair. A bird does not build a nest, a girl does not braid her hair."

You cannot wear new clothes for the Annunciation, otherwise you will tear or ruin them

What day of the week does the Annunciation fall on? all year round do not start any new business.

For example, if the Annunciation fell on Friday, then work does not begin on Friday throughout the entire year. From the Annunciation, no one will ever sow, so as not to bring about a failed harvest.

There is even a belief that on which day this holiday occurs, it is considered unlucky for sowing and plowing, and the next one after it is the most successful and happiest.

As the Gospel describes the plot of the Annunciation:

The events of the Annunciation are described by the only evangelist - the Apostle Luke. In his Gospel, he reports that in the sixth month after the conception of Saint John the Baptist by righteous Elizabeth, Gabriel was sent by God to Nazareth to the Virgin Mary with the news of the impending birth from her of the Savior of the world:

The angel came to Her and said:

- Rejoice, O Blessed One! The Lord is with You; Blessed are You among women.

She, seeing him, was embarrassed by his words and wondered what kind of greeting this would be.

And the Angel said to Her:

Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God; and behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a Son, and you will call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.

(Luke 1:28-33)

Sandro Botticelli. 1489-1490. Uffizi, Florence

According to a number of theologians, the words of the Archangel Gabriel are “ Rejoice, Blessed One" - became the first “good” news for humanity after its fall.

Doubting (according to Gregory of Neocaesarea, fearing violation of her virginity), Mary asked the angel a question:

« How will this happen when I don’t know my husband? ».

What did the angel promise? seedless, mysterious conception -

« The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you" and then in confirmation, " that with God no word will remain powerless", gave the example of her relative Elizabeth.

Mary, seeing the will of God in the words of the angel, says very meaningful words:

« Behold, the Servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word».

It is believed that at the moment the Virgin Mary uttered these words, the immaculate conception of Jesus Christ took place.

Nikolai Kavasila comments on these words:

The Incarnation was not only the work of the Father, His Power and His Spirit, but also the work of the will and faith of the Blessed Virgin.

Without the consent of the Immaculate One, without the assistance of Her faith, this plan would have remained unfulfilled, just as without the action of the three Persons of the Divine Trinity Themselves.

Only after God has instructed and convinced the Holy Virgin does He accept Her as a Mother and borrow from Her flesh, which She joyfully provides to Him.

Just as He became incarnate voluntarily, so He also wanted His Mother to give birth to Him freely and of Her own free will.

With her submission and consent, according to Athanasius the Great, Mary expressed her confession of faith. He compares it to a tablet, " on which the Scribe writes whatever pleases Him. May the Lord of all write and do whatever he wants».

What preceded the Annunciation of Mary?

The episode of the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary by the Archangel Gabriel, according to the Gospel of Luke, was preceded by Gabriel’s visit to the barren Zechariah, married to Mary’s relative Elizabeth, during which the messenger promised the elderly couple the birth of the future John the Baptist.

And after the Annunciation, the Mother of God went to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who was preparing to leave household chores due to her pregnancy. There was a meeting between Mary and Elizabeth, during which Elizabeth became the second, after the angel, and the first of the people, to tell Mary about the future fate of her baby and uttered the words that became part of many prayers:

« Blessed are You among women, and blessed is the fruit of Your womb!»

Joseph the Betrothed:

According to the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 1:19-24), the Archangel Gabriel appeared in a dream to Joseph the Betrothed, the husband of the Virgin Mary, who learned that before their betrothal she became pregnant and wished “ secretly let her go».

Gabriel reassured Joseph by saying:

« Do not be afraid to accept Mary your wife, for what is born in Her is from the Holy Spirit; She will give birth to a Son, and you will call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins».

After this, as the evangelist narrates, “ Joseph took his wife and did not know her».

On this day, the ritual “Return of Happiness” is performed.

Ritual "Return of Happiness".

(This ritual is performed only on April 7; it cannot be done on other days!)

Buy a bird in advance - titmouse, sparrow, pigeon, etc.

Prepare her food and water, over which you first tell her about everything that worries or saddens you, you can cry and lament.

Then read the Lord's Prayer over them.

and “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice”

After this, give the bird food and water, and when it has eaten and drunk, release it.

Annunciation salt.

On the same day you can prepare Annunciation salt (used in the same cases as Thursday salt).

To do this, pour the salt into a cotton bag and before sunrise, at dawn, bake it in the oven for ten minutes. This salt can then be used throughout the year: salt food with it, clean your apartment with it, remove the evil eye and damage, etc.

Buns are baked with Annunciation salt to help cure a child from the evil eye.
The child should be given such buns on an empty stomach at dawn for three, seven or fourteen days - depending on the strength of the evil eye.

It is believed that on this day Heaven opens, grace descends on people and they get the opportunity to be cleansed of sins. The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary has long been considered a difficult day.

Quarrels, scandals, all kinds of misunderstandings are not uncommon on this day, so you need to try at all costs to control yourself and not give in to emotions.
Otherwise, troubles will stick with you for a long time.

On this day you should not do any housework, put on new clothes, or cook food (it is better to do everything the day before).

Amulet for the Annunciation.

A talisman that saves in grief and preserves in need.

Read on the candle for the Annunciation:

,In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Without a wrist, but with a cross under a crystal bridge.

He sleeps, sits, but hears and sees everything. An old saint with a gray beard, barefoot.

He sees and anticipates, He helps me in all sad cases:

From hunger and cold, from sword and fire,

From an irreconcilable sorcerer,

From old age and premature old age,

From all people of the volost, honest and dishonest,

From a vain trial, a terrible punishment.

The gray-haired saint sits under the crystal bridge,

He is sleeping, but he hears and sees everything. Whoever touches me will drop his staff.

Whoever inadvertently wakes him up will ruin himself.

Keys, padlocks, My words are secret and witchcraft.

Close yourself more than once or twice, my words,

Nine locks, nine keys.

Key, lock, tongue. Amen. Amen. Amen."

The day after the bright feast of the Annunciation, Orthodox people glorify the Archangel Gabriel.

People say that on April 8, the archangel descends from heaven to earth and fulfills all the desires of people.
In order for your plans to come true, you need to get up earlier and go outside.

Be sure to wear a cross since it is precisely by this that the archangel notices those asking.
Stand facing East, cross yourself three times and say out loud (but not loudly) 3 times the plot:

“Archangel Gabriel, servant of our Lord, hear the prayer of God’s servant (s) (your name) and fulfill my request (say your desire in your own words). In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen."

The Archangel was also called Gabriel the Blagovest.
According to the sign, if on April 8 you receive a letter or telegram (now both SMS and emails), then you will soon learn good news.

For profit:

This method is ancient, but, like many centuries ago, it is still in demand and relevant. It is especially necessary for those who conduct private trade. On Annunciation, sprinkle your store with enchanted water before the first customer enters.

CONSPIRACY:

The Good News announced a miracle. The good news leads people to churches, and my conspiracy will attract people to my shop. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen."

Call for luck:

This is how you can bring luck. Buy honey for the Annunciation, smear it on your right palm and close it with your left. Immediately open your palms and seeing how difficult it is to do this (since your hands will stick together from the honey), say:

Like honey melts, hand sticks to hand, so that good luck comes to me, God's servant(name), sticky. Key, lock, tongue. Amen. Amen. Amen."

Fortune telling for the Annunciation

One of the main entertainments for young girls on any holiday was fortune telling. So on the Annunciation, the girls tried to monitor the weather, birds, and perform rituals in order to find out the future.

Fortune telling on a branch:

In order for any dream to come true, the girls looked for an elastic twig on the street that day and put it under the pillow before going to bed, having previously made a wish. The next morning, they took it out and looked at it; if it broke, then everything would definitely come true this year, but if the branch remained intact, then the dream would not come true.

Bird fortune telling:

When going outside, the girls carefully monitored which birds they came across most often on their way. If, for example, there are pigeons, then the whole spring will pass happily and joyfully, but if there are crows, then, on the contrary, it will be sad and boring. Sparrows and swallows promised calm and stability, but wagtails and dead birds- vanity, financial problems, instability.

Also, when the girls woke up on the Annunciation, they immediately ran to the window to see what kind of bird would be on the window. If it is a tit or a dove, then you can expect pleasant changes and good luck in love. If it is a sparrow, then in the near future there will be failures and financial difficulties.

Fortune telling on the prosphora:

In ancient times, the following fortune telling could sometimes be found in many families. In advance, women bought prosphora in the church, and put a penny into one of them. Then they gathered all the household members together so that each of them could choose a consecrated prosphora for themselves. Whoever gets a penny will be happy all year, everything he doesn’t plan will definitely work out, and good luck and success will accompany him all year.

Fortune telling for the harvest:

In order to find out what the harvest would be like, housewives hung a wet rag outside at night. If it dries completely overnight, then expect a bountiful harvest and a warm summer. However, when the rag was frozen in the morning, then, according to legend, good harvest it won’t, and the summer will be very cold.

Prayers to the Most Holy Theotokos on the Feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos:

First prayer.

Accept, O All-merciful, Most Pure Lady Theotokos, these honorable gifts, bestowed upon You alone by us, Thy unworthy servants, chosen from all generations, who appear above all creatures of heaven and earth. Because for Your sake the Lord of hosts was with us, and through You we knew the Son of God, and became worthy of His Holy Body and His Most Pure Blood. Blessed are you, too, in the birth of births, God-blessed One, the brightest of the Cherubim and the most honest of the Seraphim. And now, All-Singing Most Holy Theotokos, do not cease praying for us, Thy unworthy servants, that we may be delivered from every evil advice and from every situation: and that we may be preserved unharmed from every poisonous pretext of the devil. But even to the end, through Your prayers, keep us uncondemned: for through Your intercession and help we are saved, we send glory, praise, thanksgiving and worship for everything in the Trinity to the One God and the Creator of all, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen."

Second prayer.

To You, Most Pure One Mother of God, I, the accursed one, fall down and pray: see, O Queen, how I continually sin and anger Thy Son and my God. And many times when I repent, I find myself lying before God, and I repent, trembling, lest the Lord strike me, and little by little I do the same thing. Know this, my Lady, the Most Holy Theotokos, why don’t you have mercy, why don’t you strengthen me, and why don’t you always grant me to do good? Weigh, O Lady, for the imam is by no means in hatred of my evil deeds and with all my thoughts I love the law of my God. But we don’t know, Most Pure Lady, where I come from, even when I hate, I create, and I transgress. But do not, Most Holy One, allow my will to be fulfilled, it is unlike it is, but may the will of Your Son and my God be done in me, may He save me, and enlighten me, and give me the grace of the Holy Spirit, so that from now on I will cease to act filthyly, and the rest will live in the commandments of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to Him is due all glory, honor, worship and splendor, with His Beginning Father and with His Most Holy and Good and Life-Giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen."

Prayer three.

Oh, Most Holy, God's Chosen Virgin, the Holy Comforter of the Spirit, the All-Immaculate Bride, the Most Precious Daughter of the Divine Father in Heaven, found in the midst of the thorns of this world, like a shrine shining with the kindness of virginity, so that the Son of God will be the Pure Mother, Unartificed! What shall we reward You on this bright day of this Annunciation, who surprised You with the beauty of Your immeasurable virginity and received indescribable joy from this? What shall we bring to You for all Your consolation, in whose image You have rejoiced on this day the whole world, visible and invisible, especially the human race that fell in ancient times? The day of our salvation began and the sacrament has been revealed since the ages: now the Word of God quietly descended from heaven, like a drop dripping onto the earth, and dwelt in Your God-gracious Virgin womb and became the Flesh for our salvation. For this reason, today the Angels rejoice in heaven and all creation rejoices and rejoices, celebrating the beginning of its liberation from the work of corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. Now the female nature rejoices, for the sake of Eve it fell, for having obeyed the serpent, it gave birth to sadness to women and uncontrollably introduced death. But you, Virgo, have freed the entire human race from bitter work, and with the freedom of Christ you have honored the female nature; before pure virginity, you have introduced true life, and for this reason, for the sake of your wife, holding virginity, you are beginning to defeat the enemy. Now Adam rejoices, having seen that on this bright day the first gospel of heaven has been fulfilled on You, that the seed of the Woman will erase the head of the serpent. With him the whole human race now rejoices, because through You, Most Pure One, God’s ancient aversion to man has now been abolished, for you have again brought God to us. For this reason, we see You now, like Jacob of old, like the High Ladder, Who God brought down to earth and like the Most Wonderful Bridge, by whom He raised up those who are from the earth again to heaven. What shall we render to You, Queen of heaven and earth, for all this, in which You have given unspeakable joy to Your fallen and lost people? All our sacrifices and offerings are nothing before the majesty of Your blessings. There is only one thing that pleases You: “a contrite and humble heart,” which Your Son and Our Lord “will not despise.” For this reason, we pray to Thee: fill us with the surpassing heights of Your humility, so that we can contain Your tree, so that we may bring Thee on the all-holy day of Thy Annunciation of Thy from Thy, in which we cannot think high in every matter, but will endure in the humility of the spirit. Decorated with this first virtue, on the bright day of this holiday of Yours, in meekness and purity of heart, with the Archangel Gabriel we cry out to you: Rejoice, Most Gracious, Rejoice, Delighted, Rejoice, Most Blessed, the Lord is with You and You with us forever and ever. Amen."

Troparion to the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

voice 4.

The main thing on the day of our salvation, and the revelation of the sacrament from the ages: the Son God's Son There are virgins, and Gabriel preaches grace. In the same way, we cry out to the Mother of God: Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you."

Kontakion, tone 8.

To the chosen governor, victorious, as if we had got rid of the evil ones, let us sing thanks to You, Thy servants, to the Mother of God; but as if you have an invincible power, free us from all troubles, let us call to You: Rejoice, Unmarried Bride.”

Greatness.

"The Archangel's voice cries out to You, Pure One: Rejoice, O Gracious One, the Lord is with You."

Zadostoynik, voice 4.

Bring the good news to the earth, great joy; praise, Heaven, the glory of God. Like the animated Icon of God, let no hand touch the lips of the faithful to the Mother of God without silence, the voice of an Angel chanting, let them cry out with joy: Rejoice, O Gracious One, the Lord is with Thee."

What to give for the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The topic of gifts always remains relevant, because just before the holiday, for some reason, all ideas, like fog, disappear from your head. On the eve of such a good and bright holiday as the Annunciation, I want the gift to be sincere and chosen with all my heart.

Let's look at the brightest and most heartfelt gifts.

Suitable gifts for mom, dad, grandma, grandpa:

The most important thing in giving them a gift is attention and warmth.

Such a gift as a commemorative coin “Annunciation” will not go unnoticed by them. Surely they will hang it in the most prominent place, and every day they will admire such a sincere gift.

This category also includes beautiful icons, church calendars or, for example, a painting of the Blessed Virgin. If they don’t know, then warn them that icons cannot be hung in the bedroom, so let them find a place for it in the hall or living room.

From the very morning, all relatives, friends and loved ones will be very pleased to receive congratulations on the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Gifts for friends:

What can you give to your friends on such a big holiday?

Certainly, best gift- this is a book. Surely every person will be interested in learning the history and myths about different holidays, so a book about this is perfect.

You can give them themed souvenirs, such as a small wooden church or a figurine of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

If your friend is a motorist, you can give him car icons that will protect him on the road, most importantly, do not forget to consecrate them.

Did you like our site? Join us or subscribe (you will receive notifications about new topics by email) to our channel in MirTesen!

Shows: 1 Coverage: 0 Reads: 0

In ancient times, the feast of the Annunciation was given different names: the Conception of Christ, the Annunciation of Christ, the Beginning of Redemption, the Annunciation of the Angel to Mary. Nothing is known about where and how the Feast of the Annunciation first appeared. It is only known that in 560 Emperor Justinian indicated the date for the celebration of the Annunciation - March 25 (April 7, new style).

The name of the holiday - Annunciation - conveys main meaning a related event: the announcement to the Virgin Mary of the good news of the conception and birth of the Divine Infant Christ by Her. This holiday belongs to the twelve permanent holidays and is celebrated every year on the same April day.
The main icon of the holiday can be considered the masterpiece of Andrei Rublev: an angel descends to the Virgin to announce the “Good News” to her. Archangel Gabriel brought the greatest news to the Virgin Mary - the Son of God becomes the Son of Man. The prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, the Mother of God responds with consent to the angel’s message: “Let it be done to me according to your word.” Without this voluntary consent, God could not have become a man. He could not be incarnate, since God does not act by force, does not force us to do anything. Man is given absolute freedom respond to God with consent and love.

Church Tradition says that at the moment when the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary, she was reading the book of the prophet Isaiah, precisely those words about the birth of the Messiah. “I am ready to become the last maidservant of the one who will be honored to give birth to the Messiah,” she thought.

Some ancient customs are associated with the Annunciation among the people. They say that on the Annunciation “a bird does not build a nest, a maiden does not braid her hair,” that is, any work is considered a sin.

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Annunciation is one of the twelve religious holidays, associated with the Christian legend about the Archangel Gabriel, who announced the future birth of Jesus Christ by the Virgin Mary. Celebrated by believers on March 25 according to the new style (April 7).
The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary became an independent holiday in the middle of the 7th century, and served as a constant subject for religious painting.
The Annunciation is always a holiday in the singular, that is, it is established according to the Orthodox calendar on a strictly defined day. On this day, Archangel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary the immaculate conception and the birth of her son Jesus Christ - the Son of God and the Savior of the world.
Until the age of 14, the Blessed Virgin was raised in the temple, and then, according to the law, she had to leave the temple as having reached adulthood and either return to her parents or get married. The priests wanted to marry Her off, but Mary announced to them her promise to God - to remain a Virgin forever. Then the priests betrothed her distant relative, to the eighty-year-old elder Joseph, so that he would take care of Her and protect Her virginity. Living in the Galilean city of Nazareth, in the house of Joseph, the Blessed Virgin Mary led the same modest and solitary life as at the temple.
When the time came for the Son of God to become a man, in the whole world there was no one more holy and worthy than the Virgin Mary. Shortly before the Annunciation, according to legend, about four months, Mary was betrothed to Joseph and lived in Nazareth in his house. Archangel Gabriel was sent to this house; he told her the secret of God’s incarnation from her. Gabriel told her the words that the Church repeats daily in prayer:
“Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you! Blessed are You among wives! - said St. The Archangel appeared to the Virgin in Nazareth, in the house of Joseph, to whom she was betrothed to guard her virginity. -You have found grace from God. And you will conceive and give birth to a Son and call His name Jesus (Savior). He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.” Mary, remembering Her vow not to marry, said to the archangel: “How will this be when I am not married?” The Archangel answered: “The Holy Spirit will come upon You, and the power of the Most High will overshadow You; Therefore, the one born of You will be holy and will be called the Son of God.” “I am the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word!” - Mary answered the archangel then. And the archangel left her.
Having learned that Mary was expecting a child, Joseph wanted to let her go, but the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said: “Joseph, son of David! Do not be afraid to accept Mary your wife; for that which is born in Her is of the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a Son, and you will call His name Jesus; for He will save His people from their sins.”
No word of the Lord remains powerless, and Mary soon gave birth to the Baby Jesus. Gospel Luke 1:26-35

It was a day like a day, completely ordinary:
There was bustle all around,
But with an inaudible gait
An angel entered Mary's house.
He exclaimed: “Hail Mary!
The Lord has blessed you! —
And about the birth of the Messiah
The Messenger of God announced:
“He will be called the Son of God
And he will reign forever.
He who believes will be saved.
May man be happy!”

The Annunciation is the conception of Jesus Christ. Through the action of God's grace a new beginning began in the womb of Mary. human life. Christians know the laws of biology, that’s why they talk about Miracles. The miracle consists not so much in the fact that the Virgin, who did not know her husband, began to bear a child, but that God Himself identified Himself with this child and with everything that would happen in His life. God doesn't just inhabit the Virgin. Through the Archangel Gabriel, the Almighty, the Master and the Lord asks for Mary’s consent. And only after her consent, the Word becomes flesh.
At the Annunciation, the Most Pure Virgin Mary is glorified, thanks are said to the Lord God and veneration is paid to his messenger Archangel Gabriel, who served the sacrament of salvation.
The Feast of the Annunciation glorifies the inseparable and unmerged union of two natures in Jesus Christ - Divinity with humanity.
King Solomon, who received from God all the light of wisdom to explore the secrets of nature, after surveying everything that is in heaven and on earth - past, present and future - decided that there is nothing new in the world under the sun. But at Annunciation blessed Virgin For Mary, God created a completely new thing, such as had never happened in past centuries and will never happen in future centuries.
Humanity has been waiting for this day for more than five thousand years. The divine and prophetic books spoke about the coming of the Savior to the world. And the long-awaited hour has come. This happened in March, at the same time when the creation of the world took place. By the will of heaven, the good news of the birth of the Son of God came not to the learned nobility, but to the modest town of Nazareth, to the poor house of the carpenter Joseph. The priests entrusted this worthy man with the fatherly protection of the Virgin Mary, who had been brought up in the temple, and who had vowed to preserve her virginity. Both of them belonged to an impoverished royal family.
According to legend, Mary once thought about the prediction of the ancient prophet Isaiah that the Savior should be miraculously born from an Immaculate Virgin who did not know a husband. As if in response to the thoughts of the Blessed Virgin, Archangel Gabriel quietly appeared before her and said: “Rejoice, full of grace!

IMPORTANCE AND MEANING OF THE HOLIDAY

“Annunciation” means good, joyful, good news. In essence, this is the same as “Gospel,” because this word is translated from Greek as “good news.”

The Feast of the Annunciation is dedicated to the remembrance of the day when, as the Bible says, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary and announced the coming birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who would take upon himself the sins of the whole world.
From April 7 (March 25, old style) to January 7 (December 25, old style), i.e. before the birth of Christ - exactly nine months.
The event about which we're talking about, happened, according to Scripture, four months after Mary’s betrothal to a distant relative, the eighty-year-old elder Joseph (Mary, who announced her desire to remain a Virgin and devote herself to God, was entrusted to his care).
Mary lived in Joseph's house in the city of Nazareth, leading a modest and pious life there, just as at the temple where she had been raised before. And then one day, when the Virgin was reading the Holy Scriptures, an angel appeared to her and addressed her with the following words: “Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you; Blessed are You among women." Archangel Gabriel announced to her that she had found the greatest grace - to become the mother of the Son of God. Maria was embarrassed by these words and asked how a son could be born to someone who did not know her husband. Gabriel answered: “The Holy Spirit will come upon You, and the power of the Most High will overshadow You; therefore the Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.”

It is noteworthy that, having learned the will of God, the Virgin Mary showed deep faith and humility, answering: “Behold, the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:28-38).
The Church believes that on this day the Gospel story begins: along with the good news, the beginning of the salvation of the human race was laid.
The Church began to celebrate the Annunciation no later than the 4th century. Initially, the holiday had different names (“Conception of Christ”, “Beginning of Redemption”, “Annunciation of the Angel to Mary”), in the 7th century it was given the name “Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary”.

Why are white doves released at the Annunciation?

Since ancient times, the white dove has symbolized peace and good news. In addition, the dove is a symbol of the gracious action of the Holy Spirit, and snow-white wings are at the same time a symbol of the purity of the Virgin Mary herself. According to tradition, the Church brings defenseless birds “as a gift” to the Mother of God.
In the post-Soviet history of the Russian Orthodox Church, this custom was revived in 1995, and today in many churches white doves are released into the sky after the Liturgy.
It is interesting that before the 1917 revolution, the birds that the Patriarch released into the sky above the Annunciation Cathedral of the Kremlin were bought on Okhotny Ryad. Today, the pigeons that the Patriarch launches are raised by the Federation of Sports Pigeon Breeding. After these pigeons soar into the sky, after some time they gather in groups and then return to their nurseries in the capital and Moscow region.

Lenten indulgences

Please note that the church charter allows those fasting on the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to eat fish.

Materials from the sites Patriarchia.ru, Pravmir.ru were used.

For Orthodox Christians, April 7th is the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Bake figurines of larks

Annunciation - a good day when the Archangel Gabriel brought the Virgin Mary good news about the coming birth of the Son God's Jesus Christ and that She was chosen to become the mother of the Son of God.

The Most Holy Virgin Mary was given to her elderly parents, the righteous Joachim and Anna (September 9) for their unceasing and tearful prayers. Upon reaching the age of 14, when, according to Jewish law, Her stay in the temple should have ended, the Most Holy Mary was betrothed to the righteous eighty-year-old elder Joseph, a poor carpenter from the family of David, who was entrusted with guarding Her virginity.

Archangel Gabriel, sent by God, appeared to her and greeted her with the words: “Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you; Blessed are You among women." (Luke 1:28)

And the Angel said to Her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for You have found favor with God; and behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a Son, and you will call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High...and His Kingdom will have no end. - Mary told the Angel; How will this happen when I don’t know my husband? The Angel answered Her: The Holy Spirit will come upon You, and the Power of the Most High will overshadow You; therefore the Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God... Then Mary said: Behold, the Servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word. And the Angel departed from Her” (Luke 1:28-38).

Thus, in the bowels of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Blessed Fruit arose - the God-Man Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who took upon Himself the sins of the whole world.
If we talk about folk traditions, then on the feast of the Annunciation it was customary to release birds from cages into the wild. In this regard, the bird markets were crowded before the holiday. Parents went there with their children to buy birds and release them on the holiday, after the Divine Liturgy.

For this day, figurines of larks were baked from Lenten dough, paper figurines of angels were cut out and glued in honor of the Archangel Gabriel.

Let us recall that on April 28, Orthodox Christians popularly call the entry of the Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem “ Palm Sunday", Great Easter is celebrated on May 5 this year.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE HOLY VIRGIN

(Material from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia)

"The Annunciation", Fra Beato Angelico, 1430-1432, Prado. In the background, Archangel Michael expels Adam and Eve from paradise after the Fall (from the consequences of which Jesus, who was conceived at that moment, will save humanity). Mary is interpreted as the "new Eve"

Annunciation (Church Slav. Annunciation; tracing Greek. Εὐαγγελισμός [τῆς Θεοτόκου]; lat. Annuntiatio - proclamation) - an evangelical event and a Christian holiday dedicated to it; Archangel Gabriel's announcement to the Virgin Mary of the future birth according to the flesh of Jesus Christ from her.
Celebrated on March 25th. The Russian Orthodox Church and other churches using the Julian calendar celebrate the Annunciation on April 7 according to the Gregorian calendar (in the 20th-21st centuries). In Orthodoxy it is one of the twelve holidays.

ACCORDING TO THE CANONICAL GOSELIES

The events of the Annunciation are described by the only evangelist - the Apostle Luke. In his Gospel, he reports that in the sixth month after the conception of Saint John the Baptist by righteous Elizabeth, Gabriel was sent by God to Nazareth to the Virgin Mary with the news of the impending birth from her of the Savior of the world:
The angel, coming to Her, said: Rejoice, full of grace! The Lord is with You; Blessed are You among women. She, seeing him, was embarrassed by his words and wondered what kind of greeting this would be. And the Angel said to Her: Do not be afraid, Mary, for You have found favor with God; and behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a Son, and you will call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.
(Luke 1:28-33)

According to a number of theologians, the words of the Archangel Gabriel - “Rejoice, full of grace” - became the first “good” news for humanity after its fall. Theophylact of Bulgaria, in his interpretation of the Gospel of Luke, writes: “Since the Lord said to Eve: “In illness you will give birth to children” (Gen. 3:16), now this illness is resolved by the joy that the Angel brings to the Virgin, saying: Rejoice, full of grace! Because Eve was cursed, Mary now hears: Blessed are you.”
Doubting (according to Gregory of Neocaesarea, fearing a violation of her virginity), Mary asked the angel the question: “How will this be when I don’t know my husband?” To which the angel promised a seedless, mysterious conception - “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you,” and then, in confirmation, “that no word of God will remain powerless,” he gave the example of her relative Elizabeth.
Mary, seeing the will of God in the angel’s words, utters very significant words: “Behold, the Servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” It is believed that at the moment the Virgin Mary uttered these words, her immaculate conception of Jesus Christ occurred. Nikolai Kavasila comments on these words:
The Incarnation was not only the work of the Father, His Power and His Spirit, but also the work of the will and faith of the Blessed Virgin. Without the consent of the Immaculate One, without the assistance of Her faith, this plan would have remained unfulfilled, just as without the action of the three Persons of the Divine Trinity Themselves. Only after God has instructed and convinced the Holy Virgin does He accept Her as a Mother and borrow from Her flesh, which She joyfully provides to Him. Just as He became incarnate voluntarily, so He also wanted His Mother to give birth to Him freely and of Her own free will.
With her submission and consent, according to Athanasius the Great, Mary expressed her confession of faith. He compares it to a tablet, “on which the Scribe writes whatever pleases Him. Let the Lord of all write and do what He will.”

According to apocryphal sources

The story of the Annunciation is also reflected in apocryphal texts. It is described in the following apocrypha of the 2nd century: “The Proto-Gospel of James” and “The Book of the Nativity of the Blessed Mary and the Childhood of the Savior” (also known as the “Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew”). Apocryphal texts do not change general history about the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel to Mary with the news of the birth of the Savior from her, but they add to this story a number of details that formed the iconography of this holiday.
According to the apocrypha, it fell to Mary by lot to weave a new curtain of purple for the Temple of Jerusalem. Having gone to fetch water, she heard a voice at the well saying to her: “Rejoice, full of grace! The Lord is with You; Blessed are You among women." Not seeing anyone nearby, she was frightened and returned home (this plot is sometimes also called the “pre-annunciation” - that is, the preparatory stage for the Annunciation itself.) Sitting down at the spinning wheel, Mary saw an angel who put her to rest with the words: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace with God and you will conceive for His glory.” (The prototype of the scene at the well is considered to be the story of the Old Testament Rebekah, who gave Eliezer a drink, sent by her future groom Isaac).
The apocrypha also emphasizes the mysterious form of conception, and to Mary’s question “Shall I conceive from the living God and give birth as any woman gives birth?” The angel replies: “Not so, Mary, but the power of the Most High will overshadow You.” After the angel left, Mary finished spinning the wool and took it to the high priest, who blessed her, saying: “God has magnified your name, and You will be blessed among all nations on earth."
Also, church tradition says that the Virgin Mary, at the moment of the appearance of an angel to her, read an excerpt from the book of the prophet Isaiah with his prophetic words: “Behold, the Virgin will be with child and give birth to a Son.” For this reason, in the Annunciation scene, the Virgin Mary is sometimes depicted with an open book.
The Annunciation is also mentioned in the Koran (3:45-51, 19:16-26), where this plot does not have such significance, since in Islam Jesus is not God, but a prophet.
[edit] Related stories

Meeting of Mary and Elizabeth

The episode of the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary by the Archangel Gabriel, according to the Gospel of Luke, was preceded by Gabriel's visit to the barren Zechariah, married to Mary's relative Elizabeth, during which the messenger promised the elderly couple the birth of the future John the Baptist. And after the Annunciation, the Mother of God went to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who was preparing to leave household chores due to her pregnancy. There was a meeting between Mary and Elizabeth, during which Elizabeth became the second, after the angel, and the first of the people, to tell Mary about the future share of her baby and uttered the words that became part of many prayers: “Blessed are You among women, and blessed is the fruit of Your womb! » (see Ave Maria, Song of the Blessed Virgin Mary).

Joseph the Betrothed:

According to the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 1:19-24), the Archangel Gabriel appeared in a dream to Joseph the Betrothed, the husband of the Virgin Mary, who learned that before their betrothal she became pregnant and wanted to “secretly let Her go.” Gabriel reassured Joseph, saying: “Do not be afraid to accept Mary your wife, for what is born in Her is from the Holy Spirit; She will give birth to a Son, and you will call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” After this, as the evangelist narrates, “Joseph took his wife, and did not know her.”

Symbolic meaning

Since at least the 2nd century, the Annunciation has been seen as the first act in Christian history of redemption in which the obedience of the Virgin Mary balances the disobedience of Eve (interpretation of Irenaeus of Lyons). Mary becomes the "new Eve". The text of the famous hymn Ave maris stella (9th century) says that the name Eva is an anagram of the word Ave, with which Gabriel addressed the “new Eve”. In other words, to mention Eve was to also mention Mary. Jerome derived a concise formula: “death through Eve, life through Mary.” Augustine wrote: “through a woman there is death, and through a woman there is life.”
It is believed that God sent the archangel with the good news on the same day, March 25, on which the Creation of the world took place (see more about the date below) - thus, humanity was given a second chance.
The mysterious conception of the Virgin Mary, according to the teachings of the Orthodox Church, refers to great secret piety: in it, humanity brought as a gift to God his purest creation - the Virgin, capable of becoming the mother of the Son of God, and God, having accepted the gift, responded to it with the gift of the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Feast of the Annunciation

The modern name of the holiday - Εὐαγγελισμός ("Annunciation") - began to be used no earlier than the 7th century. The ancient church called it differently:
in Greek: ἡμέρα ἀσπασμοῦ (day of greeting), ἀγγελισμός (announcement), ἡμέρα / ἑορτή τοῦ εὐαγγελισμο ῦ (day/feast of the Annunciation), χαιρετισμός (from the beginning of the angelic greeting χαῖρε, κέχαριτωμένη - “Hail, full of grace” (Luke 1:28) );
in Latin: annuntiatio angeli ad beatam Mariam Virginem (Annunciation of the Angel to the Blessed Virgin Mary), Mariae salutatio (Greeting to Mary), annuntiatio sanctae Mariae de conceptione (Annunciation of the Conception of St. Mary), annuntiatio Christi (Annunciation of Christ), conceptio Christi ( Conception of Christ), initium redemptionis (Beginning of redemption), festum incarnationis (feast of the Incarnation).
The full name of the Feast of the Annunciation in the Russian Orthodox Church is defined in the Menaion: “Annunciation of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos, and Ever-Virgin Mary.” It should be noted that in Greek and Church Slavonic the word “Annunciation” requires the genitive case after itself, but when translated into Russian, both the genitive and dative cases are possible, that is, “The Annunciation to our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary.” Usually in modern publications the first version is used, obviously not without the influence of the Church Slavonic language, but the use of the second is also known.
Modern official name this holiday in Roman Catholic Church- Annuntiatio Domini Iesu Christi (“Annunciation of the Lord Jesus Christ”) - was adopted after the Second Vatican Council. Before this, the variant was used: Annuntiatio beatae Mariae Virginis (“Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary”

Determination of the date and history of the establishment of the holiday

For the first time, the date March 25 appears in the writings of Western authors of the 3rd century - Tertullian and the martyr Hippolytus of Rome as the day of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ according to the Roman calendar. This circumstance formed the basis of the Alexandrian and later Byzantine chronological systems, identifying the dates of the Annunciation and Easter.
There are two approaches to determining the date of the Annunciation:
Connection with the date of the Nativity of Christ: March 25 is exactly 9 months away from December 25, which no later than the 4th century was universally accepted as the date of the Nativity of Christ.
Connection with the date of the creation of man: a number of church authors (Athanasius the Great, Anastasius of Antioch) believe that the Annunciation and the conception of Jesus Christ occurred on March 25, since on this day, according to one group of legends, God created man, and man, burdened with original sin, must be recreated at the time in which he was created (that is, redemption began).

The establishment of this holiday in Constantinople dates back to approximately the middle of the 6th century as a consequence of the process of “historicization” of evangelical celebrations in the liturgical calendar, but there is no certainty on this issue. Thus, Gregory of Neocaesarea (III century) has a “Conversation on the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos” and John Chrysostom in his writings calls the Annunciation the “first holiday” and the “root of the holidays”; it can be assumed that the Church was already celebrating the Annunciation at this time. The celebration of the Annunciation is evidenced by the construction of the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, on the site where the Annunciation is believed to have happened, by Empress Helen Equal to the Apostles at the beginning of the 4th century. At the same time, at the beginning of the 8th century, the Armenian author Grigor Arsharuni wrote that the holiday was established by St. Cyril I, Bishop of Jerusalem in the middle of the 4th century. However, Bishop Abraham of Ephesus (between 530 and 553) testifies that not a single sermon dedicated to the Annunciation had been written before him. In the 7th century, the Annunciation began to be celebrated in Rome and Spain; Gaul adopted it only in the 8th century.
In the 6th century, Roman the Sweet Singer wrote a kontakion (in the early understanding of the term) of the Annunciation. The hymnography of the holiday was supplemented in the 8th century by the works of John of Damascus and Theophan, Metropolitan of Nicea, who compiled the canon of the holiday in the form of a dialogue between the Virgin Mary and the Archangel Gabriel.

Other dates for celebrating the Annunciation

The celebration of the Annunciation on March 25 is common, but not generally accepted. There are several liturgical rituals in which this holiday, which in its meaning precedes the Nativity of Christ, refers to the pre-Christmas period:
In the Ambrosian rite, the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary is celebrated on the last (sixth) Sunday of Advent, that is, on the Sunday between December 18 and 24.
In the Spanish-Mozarabic rite, according to some sources, the Annunciation is prescribed to be celebrated twice - in addition to March 25, a holiday with the same name (Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary) is also indicated for December 18, that is, exactly a week before the Nativity of Christ. This date is the main one; the celebration on this day was officially confirmed in 656 by the Tenth Council of Toledo, since the traditional date for the Christian world, March 25, fell during Lent or the Easter period. The celebration of the Annunciation on March 25 is not indicated in any of the known handwritten Mozarabic sources, however, in the Liber Ordinum Episcopal de Santo Domingo de Silos (XI century) it is prescribed to commemorate the Conception of the Lord on this day. In the first printed missal of Cardinal Jimenez (1500), the celebration of the “Annunciation of Blessed Mary” is indicated for both December 18 and March 25, which was probably influenced by the Roman rite. In the new (reformed) Spanish missal, the date March 25 is not commemorated, and December 18 is set for the celebration of “St. Mary.” In its content, this holiday is a kind of pre-celebration of the Nativity of Christ, the theme of the annunciation of the angel of St. Virgo is not developed, and the main theme of prayers and hymns on this day is the Incarnation.
In the East Syrian rite there is an entire six-week period of the Annunciation, including four Sundays before and two after the Nativity of Christ. The second of the pre-Christmas Sundays is dedicated to the Annunciation itself.

Celebration

In the Orthodox Church

Church in the East different time considered the Annunciation both the Mother of God and the Lord's holiday. Currently, it is one of the twelve great holidays and usually refers to the feasts of the Mother of God, which is why blue liturgical vestments are assigned to it.
In the Jerusalem Rule, currently adopted in the Greek and Russian Churches, the Annunciation has one day of forefeast and one day of afterfeast, on which the Council of the Archangel Gabriel is celebrated. Forefeast and afterfeast are postponed if the Annunciation occurs on Passion or Bright Week.
The date of the holiday falls between Thursday of the 3rd week of Great Lent and Wednesday of Bright Week inclusive, that is, during the period of singing the Lenten or Colored Triodion.
A number of liturgical features for the period of singing the Lenten Triodion bring it closer to the holiday of the Nativity of Christ and the Epiphany of the Lord. So, if the Feast of the Annunciation occurs on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday of any week of Pentecost (part of Lent until Friday of the sixth week, the eve of Lazarus Saturday), as well as on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday of Holy Week, then the all-night vigil begins Great Compline, and not Vespers, as usual; if the holiday falls on Week (Sunday) or Monday of Pentecost or any day of Bright Week, then the all-night vigil is performed in the usual manner, that is, Great Vespers begins; The all-night vigil begins with Matins, if the Annunciation is on Great Friday (Friday of Holy Week) or Great Saturday. At Matins, the Great Doxology is sung when the holiday falls on Saturday or the Week of Fasting; on other days it is read; on Bright Week it is not relied upon at all.
When the Annunciation occurs on Easter, there is no polyeleos, but the canon of the Annunciation is combined with the Paschal canon and after the sixth song of the canon the Gospel readings of the Annunciation are read (at Matins Luke 1:39-49, at Liturgy Luke 1:24-38).
The special significance of the Feast of the Annunciation is emphasized by the fact that the 52nd rule of the Sixth Ecumenical Council established that on the day of the Annunciation, despite Lent, a full liturgy should be celebrated. According to the Typikon, according to general rule they serve the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, and if the holiday falls on Lenten Sunday (Sunday), as well as Thursday or Saturday of Holy Week, then the Liturgy of Basil the Great. If the Annunciation occurs on Good Friday, then - as the only exception for this day - the liturgy must be celebrated (according to the Typikon, the liturgy of John Chrysostom is served).
On the Annunciation (if it does not fall during Holy Week), along with the Feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, the charter allows the consumption of fish, wine and oil. According to the Greek typikon, the celebration of the Annunciation, if it falls on Good Friday or Saturday, is transferred to the first day of Easter.
Liturgical texts, in addition to describing the very event of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, also speak of the incomprehensibility of the Nativity of the Savior from the Mother of God, and Mary herself is compared to the “bush” and “ladder” from the vision of Jacob. Through festive chants, the church conveys to believers the following dogmatic provisions: thanks to the birth of the Savior from the Mother of God, heaven is again united with earth, Adam is renewed, Eve is freed, and all people become involved in the Divine. The canon of the holiday glorifies the greatness of the Most Holy Theotokos, who received God into herself, and also contains indications of the Old Testament prophecies about the incarnation of the Son of God.

Hymnography

Annunciation, 18th century, Patmos. Gabriel hands the Virgin Mary a scroll with words of greeting; God the Father and the Holy Spirit emanating from him in the form of a dove are visible above
The modern hymnographic formula for the services of the Feast of the Annunciation largely goes back to the Studite Charter and has in common with the service of Akathist Saturday (Saturday of the 5th week of Great Lent).
Greek original Modern Church Slavonic translation
Troparion of the holiday ? Γαβριὴλ τὴν χάριν εὐαγγελίζεται. Διὸ καὶ ἡμεῖς σὺν αὐτῷ, τῇ Θεοτόκῳ βοήσωμεν。 Κύριος μετὰ σοῦ. Today is the day of our salvation, and from the beginning of time the mystery has been revealed; The Son of God appears, the Son of the Virgin, and Gabriel preaches the good news. At the same time, we will cry out to the Mother of God: Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you!
Kontakion of the holiday ὐχαριστήρια, ἀναγράφω σοι ἡ Πόλις σου, Θεοτόκε. Ἀλλ’ ὡς ἔχουσα τὸ κράτος ἀπροσμάχητον ἐκ παντοίων με κινδύνων ἐλ ευθέρωσον, ἵνα κράζω σοι· Χαῖρε, Νύμφη ἀνύμφευτε. To the chosen Voivode, victorious, as having got rid of the evil ones, let us sing thanksgiving to Thy servants, O Mother of God, but as having an invincible power, free us from all troubles, let us call Thee: Radu Hey, Bride Unbride!
The kontakion of the holiday is often attributed to Roman the Sweet Singer, but in reality the modern text is later (although it retains the original ending Χαῖρε, Νύμφη ἀνύμφευτε) and is the proimium (first kontakion) of the Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos. According to the ancient custom of the Russian Church, in churches of the Russian liturgical tradition it is also customary to sing it at the First Hour with the prayer “Christ, the True Light,” although it is not in the statutory sequence.
The Gospel words of the Archangel Gabriel and the righteous Elizabeth formed a well-known prayer - the Song of the Most Holy Theotokos: “Virgin Mother of God, Rejoice, Most Gracious Mary, the Lord is with Thee; Blessed are You among women and blessed is the fruit of Your womb, for You have given birth to the Savior of our souls.” This prayer is part of the cell (home) prayers of believers, and is also a troparion for Sunday Vespers.

The Annunciation of the Virgin Mary is one of the most significant Christian national holidays. On this “bright” day, Archangel Gabriel brought good news from the Lord to Mary, telling her that she would become the Mother of the Son of God. “Rejoice, Blessed One!” - Archangel Gabriel said, and told Mary that God’s mercy had fallen on her and she had been chosen to give birth to the Son of the Most High.

Interpreters of the Word of God declare that the good news brought to Mary by the angel is the first for a long time favorable news for the human race, after the disfavor of the Almighty for the many sins committed by people. After the appearance of Gabriel to the Most Pure Virgin Mary, all Orthodox people began to hope for another bright era under the protection of the Lord.

History of the Annunciation

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

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

When the Archangel Gabriel appeared with good news to the Virgin Mary, the old prophecy of Isaiah was also fulfilled, which says that the day will come when a simple woman will become the mother of a son, who will be named Emmanuel, which means “the Lord is in our dreams.”

Having settled in the womb of Mary, the Holy Spirit conceived a baby, whose purpose was to rid the world of devilish evil through the atonement of sin.

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

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

What date is the Annunciation celebrated?

The Catholic and Orthodox churches have different dates for celebrating the Annunciation. Catholics and Protestants celebrate this bright holiday on March 25th. The occurrence of this particular date can be interpreted in different ways:

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

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

There is also an opinion that the day of the equinox can also be considered the date of the creation of the world and, therefore, the atonement for the sins of mankind should begin on the day of the spring equinox.

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

Celebration of the Annunciation

Often this holiday falls on the bright week of Easter or during Lent. This determines the type of liturgy. On the Annunciation holiday, which falls during Lent, there is a slight relaxation for believers; on this day you can treat yourself to fish dishes.

But if the holiday falls on one of the days of Holy Week, then the strictness of fasting cannot be violated. It is possible that the Annunciation coincides with the day of Easter (this rare coincidence is called “Kyriopascha”), in which case the Annunciation is also sung along with Easter chants.

On Annunciation Day there are many folk rituals, maybe even a little pagan. This includes lighting fires in which people burn various garbage, rags, old straw and even manure, thereby symbolizing the end of winter and the coming of spring.

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

Related articles:

• 

On April 7 the Church celebrates the day Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary- one of the 12 main (twelfth) holidays in the Orthodox calendar.

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

Until the age of 14, the Blessed Virgin was raised in the temple, and then, according to the law, she had to leave the temple as having reached adulthood and either return to her parents or get married. The priests wanted to marry Her off, but Mary announced to them her promise to God - to remain a Virgin forever. Then the priests betrothed Her to a distant relative, the eighty-year-old elder Joseph, so that he would take care of Her and protect Her virginity. Living in the Galilean city of Nazareth, in the house of Joseph, the Blessed Virgin Mary led the same modest and solitary life as at the temple.

Four months after the betrothal, an Angel appeared to Mary while She was reading the Holy Scriptures and, entering Her, said: “Rejoice, full of grace! (that is, filled with the grace of God - the gifts of the Holy Spirit). The Lord is with you! Blessed are You among women." Archangel Gabriel announced to Her that She had acquired the greatest grace from God - to be the Matter of the Son of God.

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

“The event called the Annunciation means the conception of Jesus Christ,” reminds theology professor Deacon Andrei Kuraev. – Through the action of God’s grace, the development of a new human life began in the womb of Mary. Mary did not conceive from God the Father, not from the Archangel Gabriel, and not from her betrothed husband Joseph. It is better to keep cynical “physiological” arguments to yourself - Christians know the laws of biology no worse than skeptics, and that is why they talk about the Miracle. And the miracle is not so much that the Virgin, who did not know her husband, began to bear a child, but that God himself identified Himself with this child and with everything that would happen in His life. God doesn't just inhabit the Virgin. Through the Archangel Gabriel, He (the Almighty, the Master and the Lord) humbly asks for the consent of the young woman. And only when He hears human consent. Let it be done to me according to Your word,” - only then does the Word become flesh.

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

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

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

And here we grasp the difference between the wavering - albeit deep - faith of Zechariah, the father of the Forerunner, and the faith of the Mother of God. Zechariah is also told that his wife will give birth to a son - naturally, despite her old age; and his answer to this message of God: How can this be? This can't happen! How can you prove this? What assurance can you give me?.. The Mother of God poses the question only this way: How can this happen to me - I’m a virgin?.. And to the angel’s answer that this will happen, She responds only with words of complete surrender of Herself into the hands of God; Her words: Behold, the Servant of the Lord; wake me according to your word...

The word “slave” in our current usage speaks of enslavement; In the Slavic language, a person who gave his life and his will to another called himself a slave. And She really gave Her life, Her will, Her destiny to God, accepting with faith - that is, with incomprehensible trust - the news that She would be the Mother of the incarnate Son of God. Righteous Elizabeth says about Her: Blessed is she who believed, for that which was spoken to Her by the Lord shall be done...

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

From this holiday, “the main thing of our salvation,” that spring of “living water” begins, which later turns into wide river and, finally, into the boundless sea of ​​New Testament miracles, sacraments and the Grace of the Holy Spirit, with which the Lord, “who gives the Spirit without measure,” so generously fed those who thirst for truth! The Annunciation is the holiday of the Marriage of Heaven and Earth, when the blue sky descends to earth and combines with it. Annunciation is a “blue” holiday! In the eyes of a believer, on this day everything turns blue, everything becomes cleaner and more transparent. The sky becomes even bluer, deeper. The air and waters turn blue, reflecting the cloudless sky; the first flowers turn blue - snowdrops and violets; at night the stars turn blue. Turn blue and human souls, becoming capable of perceiving the heavenly music of this wondrous holiday.

The proverb, which states that even a bird does not make a nest on the Annunciation, allegorically calls us on this day to put aside everyday vanity and direct our thoughts to Heaven, to joyful communication with God.

According to a long-standing tradition, on the Annunciation in many churches, announcing one of the greatest Christian holidays - the Annunciation, after the Liturgy, from the steps Orthodox churches flocks of doves will fly into the sky, reminiscent of the mysterious, gracious action of the Holy Spirit. Snow-white wings are at the same time a symbol of the purity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. That is why the earth “brings Her a gift” of gentle, defenseless birds, which since ancient times have personified peace and good news. It has been noticed that Annunciation pigeons are reluctant to leave the church fence and circle over the holy place for a long time.

Nazareth: City of Good News

Nazareth is located among the low (up to 500 m) mountains of Galilee. It is located in a hollow between two mountain ranges, below the level Mediterranean Sea, so the climate there is warm. Its population is mainly Arab. Jews have their own quarter on one of the mountain peaks (the so-called Upper Nazareth)... more

History of the holiday

The bright feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary has been celebrated by the church, presumably since the 4th century. It may have originally originated in Asia Minor or Constantinople and then spread throughout the Christian world. The establishment of the holiday was facilitated by the discovery by Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Helen of the holy places of the Savior’s earthly life at the beginning of the 4th century and the construction of churches in these places, including the basilica in Nazareth, on the site of the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin. Determining the time of celebration depended on the day of the Savior's Nativity - between March 25 and December 25, exactly nine months pass, the allotted period for bearing a baby in the womb.

The source near which the Annunciation took place

Among ancient Christians, this holiday had different names: the Conception of Christ, the Annunciation of Christ, the Beginning of Redemption, the Annunciation of the Angel to Mary, and only in the 7th century in the East and West was it given the name ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE HOLY MOTHER OFK.

This holiday was established in ancient times. Its celebration was known already in the 3rd century (see the words of St. Gregory the Wonderworker on this day). In his conversations, St. John Chrysostom and Blessed. Augustine mentions this holiday as an ancient and common church celebration. During the V-VIII centuries, as a result of heresies that humiliated the Face of the Mother of God, the holiday was especially exalted in the Church. In the 8th century St. John of Damascus and Theophan, Metropolitan of Nicaea, compiled festive canons, which are still sung by the Church.

Video story by Ivan Dyachenko:

The meaning of the holiday

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

And the good news was truly terrible: the appearance of an Angel, this greeting: Blessed are You among women, and blessed is the fruit of Your womb, could not but cause not only amazement, not only trepidation, but also fear in the soul of a virgin who did not know a husband - how is this could be?..

And here we grasp the difference between the wavering - albeit deep - faith of Zechariah, the father of the Forerunner, and the faith of the Mother of God. Zechariah is also told that his wife will have a son - naturally, despite her old age; and his answer to this message of God: How can this be? This can't happen! How can you prove this? What assurance can you give me?.. The Mother of God poses the question only this way: How can this happen to me - I’m a virgin?.. And to the Angel’s answer that this will happen, She responds only with words of complete surrender of Herself into the hands of God; Her words: Behold, the Servant of the Lord; wake me according to your word...

The word “slave” in our current usage speaks of enslavement; In the Slavic language, a person who gave his life and his will to another called himself a slave. And She really gave Her life, Her will, Her destiny to God, accepting with faith - that is, with incomprehensible trust - the news that She would be the Mother of the incarnate Son of God. Righteous Elizabeth says about Her: Blessed is she who believed, for that which was spoken to Her by the Lord shall be done...

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

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

Prayer to the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Troparion for the Forefeast
On this day of universal joy, the first fruits of the pre-feast command to be sung: behold, Gabriel comes, bringing good news to the Virgin, and cries out to Her: Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you.

Today, the beginning of worldwide joy, they are ordered to sing hymns before the holiday, for behold, Gabriel brings the good news to the Virgin, and exclaims: Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you!

Troparion, tone 4
The day of our salvation is the main thing, and since the beginning of time the mystery has been revealed, the Son of God, the Son of the Virgin, is born, and Gabriel preaches the good news, and we also cry out to the Mother of God with him: Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you.

Now is the beginning of our salvation and the discovery of the mystery that was presented before all ages: the Son of God is the Son of the Virgin, and Gabriel preaches grace. Therefore, we too will exclaim to the Mother of God: Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you!”

Kontakion, tone 8
To the chosen victorious governor, as if we were delivered from the evil ones, let us write thanks to Thy servants, the Mother of God, but as having an invincible power, free us from all troubles, let us call Thee: Rejoice, Unmarried Bride.

Having been delivered from troubles, we, Your unworthy servants, Mother of God, sing a victorious and grateful song to You, the Supreme Military Leader. You, as having invincible power, free us from all troubles, so that we cry to You: Rejoice, Bride, who has not entered into marriage!

Greatness
The Archangel's voice cries out to You, Pure One: Rejoice, O Gracious One, the Lord is with You.

In the words of the Archangel we cry to You, O Pure One: “Rejoice, O Gracious One, the Lord is with You

Choruses
Bring, O earth, great joy; praise, O heavens, God's glory.

Earth, proclaim great joy, heavens, praise the glory of God!

Irmos of the 9th song
Like the animate ark of God, / let the hand of the wicked never touch it. / The mouth of the faithful, O Mother of God, is silent, / the voice of the Angel is chanting, / let them cry out with joy: / Rejoice, O full of grace, / The Lord is with Thee.

Let the animate Ark of God / not be touched by the hand of the uninitiated, / but the lips of the faithful without stopping, / chanting the cry of the Angel, / let the Mother of God cry out in joy: / “Rejoice, full of grace, / the Lord is with you!”

Holy Fathers on the Annunciation

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

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

In the same way, what an extraordinary combination of girlish purity and maternal pregnancy, which were strangely combined in one Wife! Virginity gave the Mother the purity that the Mother of God should have had, all pure, all immaculate, beautiful as the sun, chosen as the moon, as the Holy Spirit calls Her (see: Cantos 6, 9). Wombbearing gave virginity the blessing that the Virgin should have had in accordance with how the archangel greeted Her: Blessed are You among women(Luke 1:28).

There this wonderful union was born - the God-man; here another connection takes place, equally wonderful, the Virgin Mother. “Strange and wonderful and in many ways deviating from ordinary nature: one and the same Virgin and Mother, abiding in the sanctification of virginity and inheriting the blessing of childbearing,” proclaims the unappearing Basil. Such a Son, I repeat, must have such a Mother; the Son, who was born a man and did not cease to be God, has a Mother who gave birth to the Son and did not cease to be a Virgin.”

Saint Nicholas (Velimirović):

“Never has any spring water been such a pure mirror of the sun as the Most Pure Virgin Mary was a mirror of purity. (“O purity, creating joy in the heart and transforming the soul into heaven! O purity, good acquisition, not defiled by beasts! O purity, abiding in the souls of the meek and humble and creating these people of God! O purity, in the midst of the soul and body, like a flower that flourishes and filling the entire temple with incense!” St. Ephraim the Syrian. About cleanliness.)

And the morning dawn, giving birth to the sun, would be ashamed before the purity of the Virgin Mary, who gave birth to the Immortal Sun, Christ our Savior. No knee will bow before Her, no mouth will cry out: “Rejoice, full of grace! Rejoice, Dawn of human salvation! Rejoice, Most Honest Cherub and Most Glorious Seraphim! Glory to Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, with the Father and the Holy Spirit - the Trinity, Consubstantial and Indivisible, now and ever, at all times and unto ages of ages. Amen ».

Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt. "The Beginning of Salvation." (Word on the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary):

“The sacrament that took place on this day amazes not only human, but also all angelic, high minds. They are also perplexed, how God, without beginning, immense, unapproachable, descended to the form of a slave and became a man, without ceasing to be God and without in the least diminishing the glory of the Divine? How could the Virgin contain the unbearable fire of the Divine in her most pure womb, and remain undamaged, and remain forever the Mother of God incarnate? So great, wonderful, such Divine wisdom is filled with this sacrament of the Annunciation by the Archangel to the Most Holy Virgin of the incarnation of the Son of God from Her! Rejoice, earthly beings, rejoice, especially faithful Christian souls, but rejoice with awe before the greatness of the sacrament, as if surrounded by the filth of sin; rejoice, but immediately with sincere and living, deep repentance, cleanse yourself with the grace of God from the filth of sin.

Magnify with pure hearts and lips the Mother of God, exalted and exalted above all creatures, Angels and men, exalted by God Himself, the Creator of every creature, and remember that the mystery of the incarnation and incarnation of the Son of God took place for our salvation from sin, the curse righteously pronounced upon us in the beginning from God for sins, and from death, temporal and eternal. With fear and joy accept the Lord, who is coming to us to establish on earth, in our hearts and souls the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of truth, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, and hate God-hating sin, malice, impurity, intemperance, pride, hard-heartedness, unmercifulness, selfishness , carnal knowledge, all untruths. Christ came to earth for this purpose, in order to raise us to heaven.”