A child born on the day of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary: signs and interesting facts about this divine holiday of the Orthodox calendar

When asked what date to celebrate the Nativity of the Virgin Mary 2017 church calendar gives a clear answer - September 8 for adherents of Catholicism and September 21 for adherents of Orthodoxy. The history of the holiday goes back centuries and describes one of the most important religious events - the birth Holy Virgin Mary, future mother of Jesus. There are many signs, customs and rituals associated with the celebration that help you get married quickly and keep family happiness and find well-being. One of the most widespread is the tradition of congratulating relatives and friends on the eve of the celebration. in beautiful words in prose, joyful poetry and bright, themed cards containing good wishes. This creates a pleasant, joyful atmosphere around and fills hearts with God's grace

The history of the church holiday of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and what date it is celebrated in 2017

Christmas Holy Mother of God refers to the most significant Christian events. In Orthodoxy it is considered the twelfth celebration, and among Catholics it has the status of a holiday. There is no need to calculate what date to celebrate in 2017. The day has a clear date - September 8 according to the Gregorian calendar and September 21 according to the Julian calendar.

How did the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary originate?

The holiday was established in honor of a significant religious event - the birth of the future mother of the Savior of mankind - Jesus Christ. The Virgin Mary was born into the family of the righteous Joachim and Anna. They could not conceive a child for a long time. The husband even went to the temple, wanting to make a sacrifice to the gods, but the high priest refused him this mercy. The upset man withdrew into the desert and prayed earnestly there. His wife did the same at home and in the end the Lord heeded their requests. Appeared to husband and wife at the same time sky Angel and said that soon a child would appear in their family, and then their offspring would be talked about all over the world. After receiving the good news, Joachim returned home and Anna soon conceived. After 9 months, the couple gave birth to a healthy girl, who in the future became known as the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The official establishment of the holiday is attributed to the Byzantine emperor Mauritius, who reigned at the end of the 6th and beginning of the 7th century. In Europe, the tradition of celebrating the celebration was established at the Council of Lyon by Pope Innocent IV. Pope Gregory XI went even further and ordered festive vigils and a special liturgy to be served on this day. In this version, the tradition has survived to this day.

Signs and rituals for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary for the whole family for well-being, health and happiness

As with any other significant religious holiday, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is associated with many signs, customs and rituals. Some of them have been forgotten over time, but some are still known and revered. Almost all of them are aimed at honoring the fertile land, protecting the hearth from evil forces and attracting wealth, peace and prosperity to the house.

The most popular family signs, rites and rituals

• Getting your hands dirty in something black is considered great luck, indicating that a person will soon receive a lucrative cash offer. To consolidate the moment of luck, take a house broom and stand on it for 2-3 minutes.
• Friends and close relatives come to visit newly married couples. The young wife prepares different things for this delicious dishes, thereby showing what a wonderful housewife she is. If the guests like everything, they present the woman with a red scarf. When the treat turns out to be not very tasty or burnt, the newly-made husband is given a whip so that he can use it to teach his wife how to cook deliciously.
• In honor of the holiday, homemade bread is baked from flour from the new harvest, and then taken to church for blessing. Some of the baked goods are given to relatives and friends, and several buns are laid out under the icons. It is believed that baked goods sprinkled with holy water have healing power and helps get rid of illnesses and diseases.
• To protect the home and family members from the evil eye and damage on a holiday, they go to the rowan tree, ask the tree for forgiveness and pick a few branches. At home, they are laid out, one at a time, near each window, and a small bouquet is brought under the front door. As long as all the branches are in their places, no evil or unclean spirits will be able to penetrate inside.
• A special amulet is prepared for the family home. To do this, collect the remaining spikelets after harvesting, supplement them with a sprig of spruce or pine, rowan, viburnum and tie a red thread around a thin church candle according to the type of bouquet. Sprinkled with holy water and hung near front door. The composition creates an invisible barrier and prevents penetration dark forces, troubles and misfortunes.
• In order to maintain health and gain stamina, strength and vitality, on this holiday they mercilessly burn all old clothes and shoes that have not been worn for a long time. Children are doused on the doorstep cold water, in this way washing away bad, negative energy from them.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary - signs for girls and women for marriage, family happiness and beauty

For girls and women, there are special signs, rites and rituals that contribute to the speedy and happy marriage, easy birth child and preservation external beauty. Many people still believe in them and always try to perform them on the eve of the holiday. This helps to secure God's blessing and the protection of the Most Holy Theotokos.

Women's signs and customs for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

• To get married as quickly as possible, girls take several hazel twigs, put them in a round wreath, tie them with red thread, and place them in the center of a clean white dish and set it on fire. While the fire is burning, the following words are read: “As quickly as the fire goes around in a circle, so quickly will I walk down the aisle.” The remaining ashes are carefully collected in a cloth bag, and then scattered outside in the wind. A correctly performed ritual promises a happy marriage within the next year.
• To attract a man and find a real devoted love pluck 1 shoot from three different willows, 1 twig from three different apple trees and 1 walnut twig. Gather together and tie with green satin ribbon so that the branches are half covered. Looking carefully at the bouquet, they make a wish or name the man they want to fall in love with. The branches are dipped in spring water and buried under the apple tree in the most secluded corner of the garden. Folk omens say that after such a ritual, the groom will appear on the girl’s doorstep in the very near future.
• Find out how it turns out family life using the simplest sewing supplies. A scarlet thread is threaded through the eye of the needle, but the knot is not tied at the end. They take a piece of fabric and, carefully concentrating on the image of their loved one, make a few stitches and sharply pull the thread up. A thread that comes out easily means that the groom has the most serious intentions and life with him will be comfortable, calm and pleasant. If you have to make an effort to remove the thread, the chosen one may turn out to be unfaithful and the marriage with him will be difficult and problematic. A thread that breaks during the ritual indicates that you will soon have to part with your loved one forever or for a very long period of time.
• On the day of the holiday, very early in the morning before sunrise, girls and women go to the river or lake and wash their faces with cold water. According to ancient legends, this action guarantees the preservation of external beauty until old age. If in the river before the first sunbeam An unmarried young lady is bathing, she will certainly be wooed this year.
• During the morning service in the church, under the icon of the Virgin Mary, women light candles wrapped in bright paper flowers. A note is placed under them asking them to send good husband, ensure mutual understanding in the family or help conceive a child. A piece of paper with a request that has burned to ashes means that the Mother of God has heard the calls of the one praying and will definitely fulfill all her wishes.
• In order for the family to have prosperity and healthy heirs, women prepare dishes with mushrooms and fish on the holiday, and then generously distribute them to everyone who crosses the threshold of the house. If the hostess does not want to share the food, there is a great risk that the Most Holy Theotokos will be angry and leave the Christian barren.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary - what not to do on this significant day

There is a whole list of things that absolutely cannot be done on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. If these rules are ignored, the saint will be offended and deprive the person of her divine protection. Old people are still very attentive to these prohibitions and try to teach the younger generation to respect the ancients religious traditions and comply folk customs ancestors

What not to do on the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

• Hard physical labor dirty job And spring-cleaning in an apartment or house are strictly prohibited. They are put off for any other day convenient for you.
• On festive table There should be no meat dishes and alcohol, both strong and weak.
• You cannot slander, discuss relatives, friends and acquaintances, cultivate sad and sinful thoughts in yourself, give in to evil and think about plans for revenge.
• Crumbs from the dining table should not be thrown onto the floor. If too many have accumulated, they are collected in the palm of the hand and given to pets.
• It is forbidden to quarrel, sort things out and say rude, offensive words to others. All thoughts must be bright, sincere, pure and sublime.

Beautiful and touching congratulations for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary 2017 in prose

The most sublime and touching congratulations in prose for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary 2017 should be dedicated to elderly family members, older friends and acquaintances. They will be very pleased and flattered to hear beautiful, reverent words on the day of a wonderful holiday and understand that the younger generation respects the religious views of loved ones and tries not to forget ancient folk customs.

The best examples of texts in prose for congratulations on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Congratulations on the Great Holiday, Merry Christmas to the Blessed Virgin Mary! I wish you to always remember about faith, about God, about the moral values ​​that define human essence and support a person. May life be prosperous and life be in peace. And may the Lord help us all, and may our souls be transformed!

Today, the Most Holy Mother of God, the protector of all people, managed to come into our world. Our Lady passed through an amazing and serious life path, who managed to strengthen character and elevate the soul above ordinary problems. How I would like to wish you happiness and success in life, hope for the best. Let your home certainly feel true joy, which can always be truly appreciated, regardless of what fate has in store. I wish you spiritual harmony and amazing opportunities, achieving your goals and successful development. Please believe that everything will definitely work out just the best way. Dear little man, you deserve only the best in life. Let every day become the path to much-desired happiness and the opportunity to make your cherished dreams come true. Congratulations!

Merry Christmas to the Blessed Virgin Mary. May the thoughts of your soul be pure and immaculate, may your actions be kind and noble, may your path be bright and happy, may the love of your heart be great and most sincere.

Today we celebrate great holiday, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He, without a doubt, deserves only the warmest words and positive emotions. Please accept my sincere congratulations on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, on a unique holiday. I wish you spiritual harmony and faith in a wonderful future, mental happiness and real joy. Let everything in life work out only in the best way. My dear little man, I really want to know that you can achieve your goals and prove to yourself and other people that everything can be wonderful, and trials and bad weather, sad moments are just a test in order to deserve amazing joy. I wish you strong family, because only the presence of loved ones nearby can truly warm you up. Always be happy, no matter what happens. Appreciate life!

Short, funny and optimistic congratulations in verse for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary 2017

In verses, Merry Christmas to the Blessed Virgin Mary 2017, it is appropriate to congratulate friends, work colleagues, neighbors, clients, business partners and just acquaintances. Short rhyming works can be read aloud or sent as an SMS message to loved ones. Such a non-burdensome sign of attention will produce good impression and will make relationships more friendly, warm and trusting.

Interesting options for congratulations in verses for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary 2017

Merry Christmas to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Congratulations today.
May there be health and strength,
May the family be happy.

May the Queen of Heaven protect you
From troubles and despondency, from quarrels.
Let it only be filled with light
Your beautiful, worthy home.

On the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
All sorrows and sorrows will go away.
May your soul be filled with happiness,
And the prayers will reach the sky.

May our heavenly Intercessor,
It will help you in your endeavors.
Life will become like a charming fairy tale,
It was as if heaven had arrived on earth.

Merry Christmas to the Blessed Virgin Mary!
Let your soul be filled with bright faith.
To you - love, kindness and patience,
So that all doubts go away.

So that beautiful happiness shines on you,
It would not be a bad time.
And so that all your loved ones are healthy,
The radiant sun would warm us!

Blessed be the heavens
And they give people miracles!
After all, the news spread across the earth -
Mary the Virgin is born!

I wish to open my hearts to you,
Let happiness into them as soon as possible,
And let miracles come to life,
And they will bring you good luck!

Postcards and pictures with congratulations for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary 2017

Colorful and bright themed cards or pictures are an excellent option for congratulations in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary 2017. They can be sent by mail to other cities and countries so that friends and acquaintances located at a great distance clearly understand that they are not forgotten and wish them all the best. Among young people, it is appropriate to place congratulations in pictures on personal pages social networks or send it to your phone in the form of an mms message. This will help to introduce the younger generation to Christian traditions, will set you up for joy and create an optimistic, positive mood in your soul.

Themed cards and holiday pictures with congratulations in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary 2017

The Church celebrates the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a day of universal joy. On this day, solemn services are held in churches and all believers glorify the wonderful day when the Lord gave people hope for the coming of the Savior into the world.

IN Orthodox Church With the Nativity of the Mother of God, the annual circle of 12 great - twelfth holidays dedicated to the Savior begins.

Story

According to church tradition, the Virgin Mary was born in the Galilean city of Nazareth. Her parents were the righteous Joachim from the family of King David and Anna from the family of the high priest Aaron. They led righteous life and dreamed of children, but, by the special providence of God, Saint Anna was barren for a long time, and this greatly upset them.

The spouses had to endure contempt and ridicule, since at that time childlessness was considered a shame. Over the course of 50 years of their marriage, they fervently prayed to God to grant them offspring, humbly trusting in his will.

On one of the holidays, when the Israelites brought gifts to God to the Jerusalem Temple, the high priest, believing that the childless Joachim did not have God’s blessing, refused to accept them from him.

This made the old man very sad. Without returning home, Saint Joachim went into the desert and spent forty days there. strict fasting and prayer, begging the Lord for mercy. His righteous wife, having learned about her husband’s act, also began, through fasting and prayer, to mournfully ask God to give her a child, promising to bring the born child as a gift to God.

And the prayer of the holy spouses was heard - an angel appeared to both of them and announced that a daughter would be born to them, who would be blessed by the entire human race.

And indeed they had a daughter, who was named Maria. They protected her in every possible way and raised her in love for the Lord. She responded to her parents in full reciprocity, bestowing them with her grace.

When the baby reached the age of three, Anna and Joachim took her to the temple of God in order to fulfill the promise they had once given to the Lord to dedicate the child given to them to serve the Creator.

The Holy Church rightly calls Joachim and Anna Fathers of God, because Jesus Christ was born from their daughter the Virgin Mary.

Holiday

The first mentions of the celebration of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary are found in the East in the 5th century - in the words of Proclus, Archbishop of Constantinople (439-446), and in the West - in the sacramentary (breviary) of Pope Gelasius (492-496).

At the same time, Palestinian legend tells that the temple in honor of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary was built in Jerusalem by Saint Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great.
The official approval of the holiday in Byzantium, according to the most common version, occurred during the reign of the Emperor Mauritius - at the turn of the 6th and 7th centuries.

Despite these early mentions, in the West the holiday began to be widely celebrated only in the 12th-13th centuries. Only at the Council of Lyon in 1245 did Pope Innocent IV make the octave of the holiday mandatory for the entire Western Church, and Pope Gregory XI (1370-1378) established a vigil with fasting and a special liturgy for the holiday.

Traditions and rituals

Church traditions and customs of celebrating the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary are closely intertwined with folk ones.

Christmas in Rus' Mother of God They called Asposov the day on which they met “Mother Autumn,” that is, autumn. It was the end of summer field work and the beginning of autumn preparations. The farmers thanked the Mother of God for harvested and asked for her help for the next year.

Onion week began on this day - housewives harvested this vegetable from the beds. In addition, by the Nativity of the Mother of God they tried to collect the entire harvest, and the beekeepers began to prepare the bees for wintering - cleaning the hives.

According to tradition, people visited each other on the holiday. There is no fasting on the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, that is, believers can eat any food, so on this day they tried to set the table richer. It was believed that the more dishes were on the table, the richer the next harvest would be.

On the same day, it was considered obligatory to visit the newlyweds who had recently celebrated their wedding. It was believed that on this day parents were supposed to teach the young, instruct them in the right way, teach them to avoid mistakes.

The young people, in turn, had to talk about their lives. The young wife personally prepared the pie, which she treated to the guests. The husband had to show the guests the farm. If the economy was strong, the house was clean, life was organized, gifts were presented to the young family.

© photo: Sputnik / Vladimir Vdovin

Reproduction of the icon "Our Lady"

We also didn’t forget to try the pie prepared by the young wife. If the pie was successful, they gave it to the wife beautiful scarf. If the pie was raw or burnt, the husband was given a whip with which he had to teach his wife, but he had to eat the pie alone.

Signs

There was a lot associated with this day folk signs. At Christmas, the Mother of God determined what kind of autumn it would be and what kind of winter it would be. If the weather is sunny on this day, then the autumn will be warm and clear, without heavy rains. If the sky is cloudy, then the autumn cold will come with rain.

If in the morning on this day it's raining, it could last another 40 days, and the winter will be early and very cold. If there is dew on the grass on the morning of September 21, exactly a month later there will be frost on the ground. If the sun quickly dries the dew, the winter will have little snow, and if the dew dries before lunch, you can expect a lot of snow in the winter.

People said that if birds fly into the sky on the Mother of God, then autumn is still far away, and if they huddle close to the ground and look for food, then the winter will be cold and hungry.

In the morning we looked at the stars. If the stars are large and bright, then you should soon expect cold mornings; if the stars, on the contrary, are dim, the warmth will last for a long time.

If it is windy on this day, the winter will have little snow, with severe winds. If it is warm in the morning, and it becomes colder in the afternoon, frosts will strike very early, and in winter there will be very severe frosts. The most severe frosts in winter fell on Epiphany.

In ancient times, women tried to go to the river early in the morning and celebrate the day by the water. It was believed that if a woman washed her face with water before sunrise on this day, she would be beautiful until old age. And if a girl washed her face before sunrise, she would be matched this year.

To ensure that everything was safe in the house, women went to church in the morning and lit candles for the Blessed Virgin Mary, which were wrapped in paper flowers. At the bottom of the candle they put paper on which requests to the Blessed Virgin were written. They looked at which side the paper would burn, because it was this request that would be fulfilled. If the paper burned completely, it means that all requests were heard.

On this day, special bread was baked, on which the letters “P” and “B” were squeezed out, which meant “Nativity of the Virgin Mary.” Such bread was always distributed to everyone in the household so that they could join in the great holiday.

These loaves of bread were placed under icons and kept until the Nativity of Jesus Christ. If someone in the house fell ill, they took a piece of such bread, pounded it and added it to the water that the sick person was given to drink. Sometimes the bread was simply given to eat, and the patient had to wash it down with holy water. Water was also blessed at the Nativity of the Virgin Mary.
The material was prepared on the basis of open sources.

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the full name of the holiday that the Orthodox Church celebrates on September 21.

As you know, this holiday is one of the twelve (twelve most important holidays after Easter).

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary means the triumph of faith over illnesses and failures, the appearance to the world of the mother of Jesus, the son of the Lord, the birth of the greatest woman in all history, for her appearance was a miracle, as was the appearance of her son, Christ.

This day is counted a joyful event, families go to church services together and do not take part in hard work. We invite you to find out what you can do on this day and what you should abstain from.

History of the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Nativity of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary is the most important church holiday, which in Orthodoxy is one of the twelve. The holiday was established by the Church in the 4th century. Let us recall what the legends say about the divine holiday of September 21.

In the Galilean city of Nazareth lived an elderly couple - Joachim and Anna. They were very pious and righteous, but for many years they could not have children. One day, on a great holiday, Joachim brought gifts to the Lord God to the Jerusalem Temple. But the priest did not want to accept the gifts because he was childless, and children were considered a blessing from God. Upon learning of this, Anna began to cry. Seeing a nest in the garden in which little chicks were squeaking, she thought: “Even birds have children, but we do not have such consolation in old age.” Then an angel appeared to her and said: “You will conceive and give birth to a Daughter, blessed above all. Through Her, all earthly peoples will receive God's blessing. Through Her, Salvation will be given to all people. Her name will be Mary." With the same news, an angel appeared to Joachim. Nine months later, Anna had a daughter. The birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary motivated Joachim to offer great gifts and sacrifices to God. He received the blessing of the high priest, the priests and all the people because he was worthy of God's blessing. The Church calls Joachim and Anna Fathers of God, because Jesus Christ was born from their Most Holy Daughter, the Virgin Mary.

Since then, the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary on September 21 has always been celebrated by believers with great trepidation.

Customs of the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary - what can and should be done on this day

Christians have long turned to the Mother of God, who became the unifying principle between God and the human race, and asked her for protection and blessings.

The feasts of the Mother of God are celebrated magnificently in places where churches were consecrated in her honor. Temple (throne) holidays usually take place with a divine service and a meal following it. Dinners are always held where all relatives gather around a round table.

1. This holiday is also traditionally considered a women's holiday, when a woman is honored as a continuator of the family. He obviously inherits the ancient Aryan holiday of Mothers in Birth, when our ancestors expressed gratitude to the guardians of the fields and the harvest, the grandfathers.
2. Women who have no children throw a dinner and invite the poor - “so that the Virgin Mary may pray for their children.” Women also order services in the church, and after the service they invite people to their place for lunch. They say that prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary of expectant mothers for the health and happiness of the children they are expecting have special power on this day.
3. The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated as a holiday of true joy. Therefore, on these days they did not work, did not fast, and after prayer in the temple, they gathered cheerful feasts.
4. Also, the holiday has long been the deadline for preparing a “magic” potion. It was believed that love herbs collected between the First (Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - August 28) and the Second Most Holy Feasts had the special property of attracting a guy to a girl (a man to a woman) and vice versa.
5. From the day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, it was possible to send matchmakers to girls. Also on this day it is good to have a wedding and visit families for a feast.
6. Since ancient times, also on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, women tried to go to the pond early in the morning. It was believed that if a woman washed her face with water before sunrise on this day, her beauty would remain until old age. And for good health, children were doused with water on the doorstep.
7. Also on this day, onion week began - housewives removed this vegetable from the beds. And by the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the owners tried to collect the entire harvest; at this time, beekeepers began to prepare the bees for wintering - cleaning the hives.
8. It usually gets colder at this time, so before the Second Most Pure Day the potatoes should have been completely dug up and the ground sown with rye.

What not to do on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Do not engage in heavy physical labor: leave housework, gardening and gardening for later;

When you sit down with the whole family at the table, you cannot sweep crumbs onto the floor. If there was bread left after a meal, it was given to domestic animals.

You should also not quarrel with loved ones or conflict with others (if the situation is close to critical, try to resolve any controversial issues peacefully);

On the day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, you should have pure thoughts. Don't raise your voice to people close to you - it's a sin. You also cannot wish harm on others or think badly about someone.

On this day, fasting is observed: meat and alcohol are not allowed.

Signs and proverbs of the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary:

The First Most Pure One came - she put a necklace on nature, the Second Most Pure One came - she took the unclean mosquito, the Third Most Pure One came - the oak grove became leafless.

The Most Pure One came - the tree was clean, but the Intercession came - the tree was bare.

Preclean - clean potatoes.

The Most Pure One came and the unclean One brought matchmakers.

The Dormition sows the rye, and the second one waters it with rain.

If the weather is sunny on the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, then the autumn will be warm and clear, without heavy rains. If the sky is gloomy on this day, then the autumn cold will come with rain.

If a girl washes herself towards the east of the sun, then she will definitely be wooed this year.

To avoid “evil eyes”, slander and illness, burn old clothes and shoes on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

How to celebrate the Nativity of the Virgin Mary

Starting from the sixth century, the Nativity of the Virgin Mary began to be celebrated as a great holiday. On this day, believers in festive clothes come to churches, where solemn services are performed. All believers glorify the wonderful day when the Lord gave people hope of the Savior coming into the world. Also for the holiday, special bread was baked with the letters “P” and “B”, which meant “Nativity of the Virgin Mary”. Festive bread was distributed to all family members, placed under icons, where they were kept until the Nativity of Jesus Christ. It was believed that the bread could help a sick person, so they were given to everyone who was sick.

On this bright holiday Orthodox people They rush to churches to pray to the Mother of God. Therefore, the main thing that should definitely be done is to go to church on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Also, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on September 21, 2017 is a great chance to ask for forgiveness from your parents. You definitely need to pray for their health on this holiday.

In every family, it is customary to set a large table in honor of this holiday. Our ancestors believed that the richer the housewife prepared for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the more generous the harvest would be. next year. Therefore, do not forget to pay tribute to nature by placing a basket of apples, pears, plums and grapes on the table. If the harvest was large, this holiday used to be celebrated for two whole weeks.

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, like the Nativity of Christ, is one of the important Orthodox holidays. This celebration is associated with important traditions that every Orthodox believer must observe.

On September 21, many churches in our country will host solemn services in honor of the Birth of the Great Mother of God. It was on this day that the Virgin Mary was born, who later gave the world the Savior - Jesus Christ.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, like others church holidays, has its own traditions. From time immemorial people have respected and observed them. For believers, this day had special spiritual power.

On September 21, women and girls went to the river early in the morning. It was believed that if a woman washed her face before sunrise, her beauty would remain until old age. If unmarried girl washes herself before sunrise, then she will be matched this year.

The newlyweds invited their parents to visit. It was believed that on this day parents should give advice on housekeeping to the bride and groom. The young wife was preparing a festive cake and treating the guests. If the pie was burnt, her husband was given a whip to punish his wife for ruining the dish. In turn, the groom showed how he runs the house in the yard. If at the end of the holiday the guests were satisfied, they presented gifts to the newlyweds and thanked them for their hospitality.

On this holiday, it was a mandatory tradition for women to attend church to light a candle to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The candle was wrapped with a piece of paper on which they wrote their requests in advance. Whatever desires burn, those will be fulfilled. If all desires burned, it means that all requests will be fulfilled.

Signs for the Nativity of the Virgin Mary

In addition to the traditions that had to be observed, many folk signs were associated with this holiday, most of which relate to the weather.

To find out how cold the winter would be, they watched birds on this day. If they fly low and huddle together, they expect a cold winter; if they fly high in the sky, they expect a warm winter.

If Christmas morning is foggy, then the weather will be rainy in the fall, and if the sky is cloudless in the morning, then you should expect dry and cold weather.

It was believed that on the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, the Sun and the Moon play hide and seek. From this time on, the autumnal equinox arrived, when the length of the day turned out to be equal to length nights. Afterwards the day will become shorter.

Women who do not give to those who ask on Christmas may not hope to give birth to children in the coming year. This is due to the special symbolism of the holiday and the significance of the Virgin Mary in Orthodox culture, who has always been considered the patroness of mothers and motherhood.

Not only did our ancestors pay attention to important church events, but even today people respect Orthodox holidays. On this day, in churches and temples you can see many believers who came to pray, ask the Holy Virgin for forgiveness, blessings and, of course, health. Take care of yourself and your loved ones and don't forget to press the buttons and

19.09.2017 04:23

The Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the only holiday in honor of the blessed and pious Virgin Mary. Exactly at...

Each sacred holiday has its own background, customs and signs, including the feast of the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which happened on September 21. This day has a long and interesting story. Thousands of believers eagerly and reverently await this holiday, honoring the memory of the Mother of God and offering prayers to her.

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated by Orthodox Christians around the world

Background of the holiday

To this day it is not known exactly where Blessed Mary was born, but there are two versions:

• birth took place in Jerusalem;
• she was born in Nazareth.

The version of the birth in Nazareth is characteristic of the views of the Russian church, starting from the activities of St. Demetrius of Rostov. Nazareth itself was located in the north of Jerusalem, in a separate mountainous area. This area did not previously have any distinctive events. The family of Joachim and Anna became Mary's parents. According to legend, they were chosen as the parents of Mary, the future mother of Jesus, due to their lifestyle.

The family of Saint Mary's future parents was wealthy; they had livestock and housing. They were not poor, but they were religious and lived in peace and love. Despite the religiosity and humanity characteristic of this family, they for a long time could not give birth to a child. No matter how hard they tried, there were still no children. Long years the family prayed to God for children, they brought gifts and read prayers, but everything was in vain.

It got to the point that people around them reproached them for being childless. At that time, such a phenomenon negatively characterized the family and caused disgust among the public.

Distressed by his fate, Mary's future father went into the desert to read prayers and bow to God. Anna, looking at the torment of her husband, became even more upset and more earnestly prayed to the Lord for help.

On the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, it was customary to extinguish the old candle in the house and light a new one

After much suffering and torment of these two people, their prayers were heard and their daughter Mary was sent to them. Bequeathing what to name her and explaining what awaits their child in the future and what is her ultimate mission on this planet.

The same voice appeared to Mary’s father, notifying him that their prayers had been heard. The Angel also told him to go to Jerusalem, where the latter would meet his wife. The happy parents who found each other discussed their impressions and brought gifts to God and the priests. Nine months later, their daughter Maria was born, who was named Angel according to the will.

Signs associated with the holiday

After twelve months had passed since Mary’s birth on September 21, the father organized a celebration for which he called the clergy and asked to bless his child by introducing everyone to the baby. Nowadays they celebrate the birth of Anna’s fetus, which occurred on December 9th. Because this event is a sacred event.

The only disagreement of church ministers is that this conception cannot be virgin, but occurred naturally. Ministers think so catholic church, disagreeing. Servants of the Orthodox Church attribute only Christ to the Immaculate Conception. Complete holiness is characteristic only of Christ, who was born in an immaculate way and himself remained chaste.

Until now, September 21, like the conception of Mary, has many divergent opinions. Differences in views on the sanctity of Anna's conception still exist. Associated with the birth of Mary various signs and rituals.

• Rituals associated with September 21 are associated with prayers. It is a common belief that every prayer on September 21 will be answered.
• The Virgin Mary always hears the prayers of those asking, regardless of the day or time of day.
• The holiday lasts from three to fourteen days, and the celebration is closely related to the year's harvest. The more abundant the harvest, the longer and brighter the celebration on September 21st.
• The table is set luxuriously and richly, since the state of the table is associated with the future harvest.
• On this day, September 21, life begins anew. On this day, candles are lit in all houses. At the onset of September 21, the candle was extinguished and the fire was renewed.
• By changing the fire, a person saved himself and his family from adversity and illness.

Associated with the celebration of the birth of the Virgin Mary climatic features next year. Looking at the state of the weather on this day, people judged the upcoming climatic conditions environment. If the weather is good, it will be warm until the end of October. This holiday falls on Indian summer. If there are no clouds in the sky, and it is too clear and transparent, then there will be early cold weather.

Foggy weather indicates upcoming rains. The soon-to-disappear fog promises unknown weather that cannot be predicted.

Morning rain is an indicator cold winter, and the duration of the rains will be more than a month. Drops of moisture that disappear early promise a winter without snow. In addition to the celebration of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, there are many prohibitions.

Upon the arrival of the holiday, field work was completed

Holiday restrictions

When the holiday arrived, field work was completed. During this period, people relax after long hours of work. Restrictions for this day:

• It is prohibited to drink alcohol and eat meat.
• You cannot work on September 21; the celebration is entirely dedicated to prayers.
• You should control your speech, as foul language and swearing are unacceptable.

The girls celebrated this day near the water. There was a superstition that women who washed themselves with water before sunrise would retain youth and beauty for a long time. Another tradition is to visit newlyweds; their parents must teach the newlyweds married life, and the bride baked a pie for the guests. The husband showed the guests the state of their household; if everything was good and organized, then the newlyweds were given gifts.

The young people themselves visited all family members on this day, going around them with a baked pie. In the morning in church it is customary to light candles wrapped in flowers in order to preserve the well-being and condition of the house. A leaf with a prayer was attached to the bottom of the candle. Whichever side was burned on the leaf, that prayer was answered.

Many customs are associated with the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Religious people Those who regularly celebrate this day treat the birth of Mary with special warmth. In addition to celebrating this day, a lot is expected, people offer prayers with anticipation, and ask for the most secret and problematic things.