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How is Spirit Day? Spiritual Day - folk customs, traditions, signs

On the Monday after Trinity Sunday, the Day of the Holy Spirit is celebrated. Some believers consider this holiday to be as important as the Trinity itself, others believe that it has already become obsolete. What kind of day is this and should it be included in the main list of annual religious holidays?

Spiritual Day in 2014 falls on June 9. We must immediately make a reservation that in the Orthodox folk calendar this day still occupies special meaning and celebrated as a holiday.

Holy Spirit Day

Spirits Day 2014 and its meaning for a believer is directly related to the Trinity. On Trinity Day, the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles in the form of tongues of flame and gave them the ability to speak and understand many languages in order to carry the word of God throughout the earth. Since this holiday is Trinity Day, it lasts for three days. It turns out that Spiritual Day is the same important holiday Trinity as well as Trinity Day itself.

Signs for Spiritual Day

What number of Spirits day in 2014 it was found out - June 9. Among the people there were many signs and legends associated with this holiday, but very few have survived. Previously, on this day the church was decorated with wooden doves - a symbol of the Spirit. Many Christians still believe that the Spirit descends to earth in the evening on three days of the Holy Trinity. Therefore, on holidays you should not run: around the house or on the street. The earth these days is considered a birthday girl, and especially on Spiritual Day.

It is advisable to preserve all those prohibitions that were relevant on the Day of the Holy Trinity. Limit housework, do not dig or plant anything in the garden, and do not engage in work related to the earth at all. It’s good if you can walk on the ground barefoot on this day.

Also on this day you can remember the dead. There is also a date for this, which in 2014 falls on June 7th. But, if in parent's Saturday they remember not only their relatives, but all the people who also ended up in hell, then on Spiritual Day they remember those who are buried in a foreign land.

June 9 is the exact date of Spiritual Day in 2014. On this day, Orthodox Christians learned the weather for the coming season. If Monday came with rain and thunderstorms, then after that it should no longer be freezing until winter sets in. Whatever the weather will be on Spiritual Day, this will be the weather for the next six weeks.

On Holy Trinity, and the holiday described is one of its days, you cannot swim in open water. This is not due to church prohibitions, but to popular beliefs. Because these days the ponds belong to mermaids, they rise above the water and try to lure bathing people to the bottom. To appease mermaids, who are naturally harmful, peasants in Rus' hung pieces of fabric on trees. It was believed that mermaids could make beautiful clothes from this material.

Spiritual life of man

The naming of the day described symbolically speaks of the Spirit. It is not only the Holy Spirit, but the spirit of every person. To acquire the Holy Spirit, you just need to pray, follow fasts, give alms and do other good deeds. A person’s will consists of his own will, God’s will and the Demonic will (destructive enemy force). A person acquires the Spirit on the day of his Baptism, and when he grows up, he strengthens his spirit through his deeds and actions.

Falls on June 9th. Whatever exists folk beliefs associated with this date, it is important to remember that the truth is different for each person. An Orthodox believer must always remember God and pray to him, regardless of what holiday is in the yard and what folk signs and beliefs are associated with it.

The Day of the Holy Spirit or Spirits Day is a holiday dedicated to the third hypostasis of the Triune God, which is celebrated annually on the next day on Monday after the Holy Trinity, reports the correspondent of the Access News Agency.

The Holy Scripture says that on the 50th day after Easter the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples of Christ. The Holy Spirit gave them the ability to speak different languages and heal the sick so that they could preach the Word of God and spread the new faith in different countries.

The Third Person of the Holy Trinity - the Holy Spirit - was revealed to the world in a visible way on the 50th day after Easter: by a noise from heaven, by the wind, by fiery tongues of flame. A holiday was established in honor of this phenomenon.

TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS

Spirits day, like many others Orthodox holidays, has pagan roots. Before the beginning of summer, before the adoption of Christianity, in Rus' they celebrated the birthday of Mother Earth, the breadwinner of the peasants. That's why folk customs and traditions forbade touching the land.

In the old days, it was believed that on this day the Earth was pregnant with the future harvest, and by violating the integrity of the earth's cover, one could cause serious harm to it. Therefore, on the Holy Feast of the Spirits, it was forbidden to dig, plant, or, in a word, perform any actions related to working on the ground, even sticking stakes into it.

On Spiritual Day, women traditionally performed the ritual of feeding the earth. In the evening, in the field, they laid out tablecloths and had a festive dinner: they laid out small pieces of food across the field, sprinkling them with earth. People believed that by “feeding” the earth, they increased fertility.

On this day you also cannot sew, wash, clean, and so on.

On the Day of the Holy Spirit, Orthodox Christians took consecrated birch branches from the church, which they placed at home next to the icons. This custom continues today. Some believe that on this day the souls of the dead fly to earth and sit on birch branches.

SIGNS AND BELIEFS

On Spiritual Day they used to tell fortunes about the future. The girls wove wreaths from branches and grass and threw them into the water: if they float, fortunately, if they drown, it’s the other way around.

According to popular belief, what the weather will be like on Spiritual Day, this will be the case for the next six weeks. In the old days it was believed that summer began on Spiritual Day.

Run on Spiritual Day Bad sign- you can run away from your fate. And if you walk barefoot in the dew in the morning on Spiritual Day, you can bring your meeting with happiness closer.

PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

Holy soul! Fill the entire universe with yourself, and give life to everyone, but move away from bad people, I humbly pray to Thee: do not disdain the uncleanness of my soul, but come and dwell in me and cleanse me from all sinful filth. With Your help, I will live the rest of my life in repentance and doing good deeds, and thus I will glorify You with the Father and the Son forever and ever. Amen.

The material was prepared using information from open sources

The celebration of Spiritual Day in the current year 2017 falls on June 20th. Orthodox calendar, and in the Catholic church calendar it falls on May 24. This difference is due to the fact that this day for Catholic and Orthodox believers carries different semantic significance and is also celebrated in different ways.

The Orthodox holiday invariably falls on the 51st day after the Great Day, and always falls on Monday (after Trinity). But Catholics honor the day of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the 50th day after Easter. Hence another name for the expected holiday - Pentecost, which is always Sunday.

For the solemn service in honor of the Spirit of God on June 20, churches and houses of parishioners are decorated with flowers and green branches, and God’s servants dress in green vestments. Parishioners honor the Holy Spirit, pray for his protection and ask for a good harvest.

Special weather sign Pentecost is considered rain.

The Christian world knows that there is no Trinity without a little (rarely long) rain. And if it rains the next day, it promises a warm and mushroom summer.

The signs of the glorious day are used to judge the upcoming weather in the next month and a half: what the weather is like on the holiday, it will be like that for the entire six weeks. Also, folk signs mention that until this time the weather can be deceiving:

Until the day of the Spirits comes, the people will not have the warmth of faith!
In the yard, what will happen on the stove when the day of the Holy Spirit comes.

Folk names and signs of the holiday

In addition to the common one - “Day of the Holy Spirit” - the Slavs have several other options for the name of the holiday: Klechalny Monday, Rusalnitsa, Name Day of the Earth. Even these names themselves reveal signs for Spiritual Day and convey the wisdom of the people, tested over centuries and millennia.

Be sure to open the entrance doors and all the windows of your home wide from the very morning - “to let the Holy Spirit into the house.”

The main sign of the Spiritual Day tells that at the indicated moment the Earth was created, which is why she is considered the birthday girl.

According to popular beliefs, the Holy Spirit descends from heaven to fertilize the earth with a new harvest.

To coincide with the day of the descent of the Holy Spirit onto the earth, Great Vespers was timed in Orthodox church institutions, during which the prayers “Heavenly King”, “I cry to the Lord” and others were sung. And the superstitious people went to “listen to treasures,” convinced that “the earth reveals its secrets to the righteous,” as folk epics said.

Folk signs and superstitions are rich in references to the fact that on the Spiritual Day holiday, nature spirits are activated: mermaids, goblins, water creatures (hence the name - Mermaid).

The people even introduced the tradition of blessing wells on Pentecost, believing that river and lake mermaids were hiding in them.

The souls of deceased people, according to peasant beliefs, came and sat on birch branches specially stuck into the shutters of houses. Therefore, beyond the outskirts of the village, the residents carried the so-called “Trinity birch tree” - a tree intended for the “development” ritual (when the birch branches blossomed (unbraided)) - then they either threw it into the river or left it in the middle of an open field.

Signs, prohibitions and ways to attract good luck

For the mermaid week (by church calendar- the week of veneration of all saints) prohibitions were extended: on sewing, on spinning, on working in the garden, on painting work (whitening and painting the hut), on swimming in reservoirs.

It was forbidden to touch the pregnant soil, plow it, dig it, harrow it, or drive in stakes. For this, according to legend, the Spirit could terribly punish the violator. Also, you cannot pick up a broom on June 1 - you can bring discord and quarrels into the family.

Here's something else that's significant interesting superstition: Whoever runs on such a day will run away from his fate.

And at dawn bare feet To enter the dew - happiness will soon come to the house. Also, to attract happiness into the house, doves made of wood are hung next to the icons. If someone young has recently died in the manor’s house, a lamp must be lit under the icons and a prayer is read for the deceased.

Since no one was working, public festivities were organized en masse with songs, round dances, and all kinds of fortune-telling. Young girls wove wreaths from flowers and branches that were allowed to float on the water: if the wreath drowns, trouble will follow; if it floats away and disappears from view, the girl will be happy in her marriage.

Witch doctors and healers tried to collect within holiday There are many herbs for making amulets and medicinal potions: for divination - lovage (piper, sweetheart), for successful conception - Bogorodskaya grass (thyme), as a talisman against the evil eye and bad dreams - the color of wormwood.

The upcoming day of honoring the Holy Spirit in 2017 coincides with the first day of summer.

This will be a real welcome to the new summer. The main thing is to comply with all the instructions, believe in the best, lead a righteous lifestyle and be honest, first of all, with yourself.

Whit Monday

This term has other meanings, see Spiritual Day (meanings). Type Otherwise Also Established Celebrated Date In 2016 In 2017 Celebration Traditions

Spiritual Day, Holy Spirit Day
Descent of the Holy Spirit (icon from the Holy Spirit Church of the Novodevichy Convent, 18th century)
Christian/ folk-Christian
Spirit Day, Ivan da Marya
Holy Spirit Monday
in memory of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles on the 50th day after Easter
the majority of the world's Christians, the Slavs
The 51st day after Easter in Orthodoxy and the 50th day after Easter in Catholicism


divine services, festivals, folk festivities, the Trinity birch tree was taken out of the village
work ban
Spiritual Day on Wikimedia Commons

Whit Monday or Holy Spirit Day- Christian and folk holiday in honor of the Holy Spirit.

In Orthodoxy it is celebrated on the 51st day after Easter, that is, the day after Pentecost (always on Monday). IN Orthodox churches the holiday is also called Monday of the Holy Spirit(Greek: Δευτέρα τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος).

In Catholicism, it is celebrated on the 50th day after Easter, simultaneously with Pentecost (always on Sunday). IN Roman Catholic Church the holiday is also called Feast of the Descent of the Holy Spirit.

In many countries, Holy Spirit Day is a day off. In some of these countries the holiday is known as the "second day of Pentecost".

In the eastern Balkans and Eastern Slavs Spirits Day was associated primarily with a complex of memorial rituals, with the “souls” of the dead, etc. (see Zadushnitsy, Rusalia, Trinity Day), while in the west of the Slavic world this day is almost entirely devoted to shepherd holidays. For East Slavic folk tradition Characteristic beliefs were that the earth had a birthday on Spiritual Day.

History of establishment

For more information on this topic, see Trinity Day.

The descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles on the day of Pentecost is described in the New Testament in the book of the Acts of the Holy Apostles: on the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Christ (tenth day after the Ascension) the apostles were in Jerusalem when

Holiday set for the sake of the greatness of the Most Holy and Life-Giving Spirit, for He is one (of) the Holy and Life-Giving Trinity, in opposition to the anti-trinitarian heresy, which rejected the divine nature of the Holy Spirit and His consubstantiality with God the Father and the Son of God.

Divine service

In Orthodoxy

In worship, the holiday in honor of the Holy Spirit begins with Great Vespers. It is a common custom in parishes to serve the ninth hour and Great Vespers immediately after the liturgy on Sunday. Vespers itself begins with the singing of the prayer to the Holy Spirit: “To the Heavenly King.” The prayer “To the Heavenly King” is sung once again as a stichera on “I have cried to the Lord.” The entrance is made with a censer, and then the deacon or priest pronounces the great prokeimenon of the seventh tone: “Who is the great God, like our God? “You are God, you work miracles” (Ps. 76). During Vespers, those praying, led by a priest, genuflect three times - they kneel, and the priest reads seven prayers compiled by Saint Basil the Great (the first and second time of genuflection, the priest reads two prayers each, and the third time - three prayers). These prayers are for the Church, for the salvation of all those who pray and for the repose of the souls of all the departed (including those “held in hell”). This is the first genuflection, according to the Typikon, that worshipers perform after Lent. In the evening, Little Compline is celebrated in churches, at which the canon to the Holy Spirit, written by Theophan, is sung. The line of the canon: “I sing to the Spirit who created all creation.” Matins on Spiritual Day is a repetition of Matins on the Day of the Holy Trinity, the difference is that in in this case polyeleos are not sung and, according to the Rule, the Gospel is not read; the canon is sung on 14 (on Trinity on 16); katavasia are the irmos of only the first canon (for Trinity - both canons); praise stichera for 4 (for Trinity for 6) and another dispensation.

Troparion, kontakion and honor on Spiritual Day. In Greek In Church Slavonic (transliteration) In Russian


Troparion of the holiday, tone 8 (Ἦχος πλ. δ")	Εὐλογητὸς εἶ, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ὁ πανσόφους τοὺς ἁλιεῖς ἀναδείξας, καταπέμψας αὐτοῖς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, καὶ δι" αὐτῶν τὴν οἰκουμένην σαγηνεύσας, φιλάνθρωπε, δόξα σοι.	Blessed art thou, O Christ our God, who are wise fishers of things, having sent down upon them the Holy Spirit, and thereby catch the universe: Lover of mankind, glory to Thee	Blessed are You, Christ our God, who made the fishermen wise, sent down the Holy Spirit to them, and through them captured the universe. Lover of humanity, glory to You!
Kontakion of the holiday, tone 8 (Ἦχος πλ. δ")	Ὅτε καταβὰς τὰς γλώσσας συνέχεε, διεμέριζεν ἔθνη ὁ Ὕψιστος· ὅτε τοῦ πυρὸς τὰς γλώσσας διένειμεν, εἰς ἑνότητα πάντας ἐκάλεσε, καὶ συμφώνως δοξάζομεν τὸ πανάγιον Πνεῦμα.	Whenever the languages of the Most High descended, dividing the tongues, and when the fiery tongues were distributed, we all called into unity, and we glorified the All-Holy Spirit in agreement.	When the Most High came down and confused languages, He divided the nations; when He distributed tongues of fire, He called everyone to unity, and we, in agreement, glorify the All-Holy Spirit.
Honorer of the holiday, voice 4 (Ἦχος δ")	«Χαίροις Ἄνασσα, μητροπάρθενον κλέος. Ἄπαν γὰρ εὐδίνητον εὔλαλον στόμα. Ῥητρεῦον, οὐ σθένει σε μέλπειν ἀξίως. Ἰλιγγιᾷ δὲ νοῦς ἅπας σου τὸν τόκον Νοεῖν ὅθεν σε συμφώνως δοξάζομεν»	Rejoice, Queen, mother-maiden glory, for every kindly, benevolent mouth cannot flow, It is worthy to sing to You, but every mind is amazed to understand Your Christmas. Moreover, we glorify Thee in agreement.	Rejoice, Queen, glory to mothers and virgins! For no moving eloquent lips, speaking, can praise You worthily; Every mind also becomes weak, striving to comprehend the birth of Christ from You; therefore we glorify You accordingly.

In Catholicism

Slavic traditions

Holiday names

In the Slavic tradition - Holy Spirit Day, Spirit Day(all-Russian); Trinity(Voronezh); Name day of the Earth(Vyat.), Earth birthday girl[page not specified 336 days] (tamb., sib.); Clueless Monday Seeing off the mermaids(Ryazan.); Holy Spirit Day, Rosigri(Ukrainian); Rusalnitsa, Ivan da Marya, Brezzyny(Belarus.); Rusaљe, Duhovi, Dukhova, Duva (Serb.); Holy Spirit, Dukhovden (Bulgarian); Duvvete (Bulgarian Banat); Duovden(Maked.); Święta Zesłania Duchu Świętego (pol.); Duhovi(Czech); Dovi (Croatian-Slovonian); Dohove (Croatian); sv. Duh, Binkoštna week(Slovenian).

The Russians

The East Slavic tradition is characterized by the belief that “The Earth is the birthday girl on Spiritual Day,” because “on this day it was created” (also “The Earth is the birthday girl on Simon the Zealot”). In folk tradition, thunderstorms are often associated with Spiritual Day; according to other beliefs, the weather on Spiritual Day determines the weather for the next 6 weeks - for the rest of the summer.

Until the beginning of the 20th century, there was a widespread belief that the evening before the Holy Spirit descends to earth, “spills over the fields,” and appears in houses. It was believed that on Spiritual Day the earth was pregnant with a harvest and therefore should not be touched: plowed, harrowed, dug, sowed, driven in stakes and sticks. According to legends, on the very Spiritual day, before sunrise, Mother Cheese-Earth reveals her secrets: many, having prayed to the Holy Spirit, went to “listen to treasures”, putting their ears to the ground (but it was argued that earthly and underground secrets were revealed only to the true righteous, pious people).

In many places, on Spiritual Day, a religious procession was held around the fields. In the Vyatka province, the custom of feeding the land was recorded - “women's holiday”. Married women (mostly elderly) went to the field, where they laid tablecloths on the ground, laid out food and had a meal, which was interrupted from time to time; At this time, women, singing, carried some of the food they had brought across the fields. The eldest “fed the land”: placing pieces of food on the ground, carefully covering them with a small layer of soil and saying: “Birthday Earth, give us a harvest.”

They believed that on Spiritual Day mermaids come out onto land and run through fields and meadows, giving them moisture; where the mermaids ran, the grass will grow thicker, and the rye and barley will be more spiky.

The peasants believed that on Spiritual Day the souls of dead people fly to earth and sit on birch branches stuck in window frames or placed on a shrine. On this day, in some places, a ritual tree was taken outside the village - the same Trinity birch, which during the previous days was the center of the holiday. The birch tree was “developed” (the previously intertwined branches were unraveled) and left in the field or drowned in the river.

The girls threw wreaths into the water: if it sinks - unfortunately, if it floats - fortunately. In Siberia, on Spiritual Day, the last spring youth festivities took place.

It was believed that “the evil spirits wandering on the earth fear this day like fire,” since “a sacred fire descends from the sky, which incinerates evil spirits.” Knowledgeable women on this day, herbal infusions were made, with the help of which they treated various diseases. In the Kaluga province on Spiritual Day (the day after Trinity festivities and games) it was supposed to go to a consecrated well or spring, throw a coin into the water, pray and wash with holy water to wash away everything sinful and unclean; Funeral food was left at the well, and water was taken home.

Ukrainians

In Ukraine, there was a custom to consecrate wells on the “God-Spirited Day”, since it was believed that it was in them that mermaids who emerged from rivers and lakes were hidden. After the liturgy, the peasants went in procession to the wells to sprinkle them with holy water. First, the priest blessed the rural public well, and then went to the private well. The owners who wanted to “get rid of evil spirits in the house,” they placed a table at the gate, covered it with a tablecloth and laid out bread and salt. After reading the prayer, the priest entered the house, sprinkled the walls, and then all the buildings - “so that the mermaids would not disturb the courtyard.”

Among Croats and Slovenes

Catholics celebrate Spiritual Day on Sunday on the fiftieth day of Easter. In the western regions of Slovenia, in churches a dove with paper wings was lowered from above, or less often - live bird as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. On the eve of Saturday, they tried to return home from the field early: it was believed that at this time the Holy Spirit had already descended to the earth and was “spreading across the field”; if he catches someone at work, he will “turn away from the path” and will not bless the crops. On Saturday, the owners walked around the fields and sprinkled the crops with holy water, “da bi jih sv. Duh rešil toče" [so that the Holy Spirit would protect them from the hail]. All windows and doors in the house were opened on Sunday morning “so that the Holy Spirit could come into the house.” It was believed that there would be no prosperity in the house if the Holy Spirit could not get there. A few days before this day, it was customary for the Croats in Kastavshchina to organize cleaning, wash beds, and whitewash houses outside and inside. If this is not done, then after Spiritual Day, according to legend, there will be a lot of fleas in the house, for “sveti Duh prnese punu vreću buh. Sakemu hmetu po jeny baretu” [The Holy Spirit will bring a bag full of fleas. Each owner has a hat]. Summer began on Spiritual Day, and many insects appeared: “Doša sveti Duv nosi jednu vriću muv drugu vriću buv” [The Holy Spirit came, brought one bag of flies, another bag of fleas].

Sayings and signs

Since Spiritual Day, warmth has been coming not only from the sky, but even from underground.
The Holy Spirit will warm the whole white light.
Do not remove the casing until the Holy Spirit.
Don't trust the warmth until Spiritual Day.
When the Holy Spirit Day comes, it will be like a stove in the yard.
And the siverok is cold until Spiritual Day.

Holy Spirit Day 2017 | Holiday of the Holy Spirit - prayers, conspiracies, omens

Father, Son and Holy Spirit are the Holy Trinity, in which each of the three plays important role. The Day of the Holy Spirit or Spirits Day is celebrated at the border of summer and winter. What kind of holiday is this? What prayers should be said on Spiritual Day? What signs and conspiracies are known?

When is Holy Spirit Day celebrated in 2017?

Spiritual Day is celebrated on Monday, immediately after Trinity, i.e. If Trinity in 2017 will be on June 4, then the Day of the Holy Spirit will be June 5.

What rituals on the day of the Holy Spirit have come down to us?

This day has another name - Green Christmastide, the roots of the celebration of which go back to the times of paganism. On Green Christmastide, the season of summer work in the fields opened, and the main symbol is the birch tree, as a symbol of endless energy.

On Spiritual Day, people dressed up as animals, devils, mermaids, and sang songs about work and love.

On this day, you should definitely bring several birch branches to your home, as well as bouquets of wild flowers, which are dried and stored until next year. Dry bouquets are placed in hay fields, in freshly cut hay.

It is believed that plants collected on these days have a special magical power, and for a rich harvest, a prayer service is held in churches on this day. It has long been a custom to “cry over seedlings” so that the tears will definitely fall to the ground.

After the service, people went to the cemetery, where they also decorated the graves of deceased loved ones and relatives with birch branches and held a funeral service. All food that was left after the funeral meal in the cemetery had to remain there.

At the end of the day, a special ceremony took place when Kostroma was buried, for whose role the most beautiful girl. At first she was dressed in white robes and oak branches were placed in her hands. The Kostroma girl was placed in the center of the round dance. Afterwards, the “dead” was laid on boards and carried to the river bank, where she supposedly came to life. The end of the ceremony is cheerful: everyone goes swimming and has fun.

Prayers for the Day of the Holy Spirit

Here is one of the most popular prayers with which believers turn to the Holy Spirit:

“Oh, Holy Spirit, soul of my soul, I love You, sanctify and guide me,

Make me stronger, teach me what I must do, order me.

I will submit to everything that you demand of me, I want to accept everything that awaits me in life,

Just let me know Your holy will. Amen".

Signs and spells on the Day of the Holy Spirit

The Day of the Holy Spirit has been celebrated since the times when our ancestors were pagans, but when they adopted Christianity, the Day of the Spirits acquired religious significance. It is believed that on this day the Holy Spirit descended from heaven. That is why there are many signs associated with this day, here are just a few of them:

On this day it was impossible to work on the land, so as not to offend it in any way.
Whatever the weather will be on the day of the Holy Spirit, this will be the case all summer.
On the Day of the Holy Spirit, fire (thunderstorm) descends from heaven, driving out evil and evil spirits from the earth.
Where the mermaid set foot on this day, the harvest of wheat and rye will be rich.
The souls of the dead on this day return from paradise, sitting on birch branches.
Wreaths woven by young girls were thrown into the river. If the wreath sank, it meant trouble, but if it floated with the flow, happiness would come to the house and a quick marriage.

Many rituals associated with the earth are dedicated to this day. For example, in order to get a rich harvest in the fall, the earth needs to be well “fed” on Spiritual Day. To do this, you need to dig a small hole at the very edge of your site. Place fried eggs in this hole, saying the words: “Birthday Earth, give us a rich harvest.”

It was believed that the earth gives its healing power. You need to get up early in the morning and walk barefoot for a few minutes, asking the earth to take away all illnesses and suffering.

There is a legend according to which on this day, even before sunrise, the earth opened in the place where the treasure was hidden. At dawn you need to go out into the streets, put your ear to the ground. But it should be very, very quiet around. People said that it was at this moment that you could hear the places where the treasures were hidden.

Spiritual Day is also dangerous time, When otherworldly forces can penetrate our world. You need to draw a line with white chalk in front of front door, which will be a kind of protection from evil spirits.

Spiritual Day - folk customs, traditions, signs.

In some countries of the Spirits, the day is considered a day off, since this holiday always follows Trinity. In Russia, Holy Spirit Day is a holiday for Orthodox Christians and an ordinary working day. In all churches, a service is held with the blessing of birch branches, which are then taken home to decorate the house. In ancient times, for this purpose, they specially went with a priest so that he would sprinkle one tree with holy water, from which all the women would subsequently pick a branch and carry it into the house. It was believed that in this way one could drive away evil spirits from one’s family. Even before the baptism of Rus', this day was also dedicated to spirits, but already to the spirits of the earth. Our ancestors believed that the Earth also possesses a certain spirit, which has a huge influence on the fate of each person and humanity as a whole. Therefore, it was the name day of Mother Earth. This day was also saturated with a huge number of superstitions, for example, they used to believe that various evil spirits woke up on Spirits Day - mermaids, mermen, and so on. Perhaps that is why the coming week was called Rusalya.

Traditions and customs on Spiritual Day

It seems that such a day should begin with a service in the temple or prayer. However, according to ancient belief, on Spiritual Day many tried to listen to the earth. After evening prayer, people went out into the street before sunrise, put their ear to the ground and listened. This ritual was performed in the hope that in this way great secrets would be revealed to them. But at the same time, everyone then sincerely believed that this could only happen to a select few.

On this day, not only did they go into the forest with the priest to sprinkle the birch tree with holy water, this ritual was also performed over the well. Our ancestors sincerely believed that in this way they saved it from drying out, and also this sprinkling of the well helps to keep the water clean and fresh.

If on the feast of the Holy Trinity women did not have time to collect medicinal herbs, then on Spiritual Day they corrected it. After all, according to beliefs, on this holiday all herbs do not lose their special power, and are also capable of healing, like herbs collected on Trinity. We stocked up on herbs and flowers, because... believed that plants collected and dried on this day have healing properties. Because it was believed that fire comes from the sky and destroys all evil spirits. It was from the herbs collected during this period that the healers prepared a special herbal powder to exorcise demons.

Since Spiritual Day is strongly associated with paganism, even after the adoption of Christianity our people tried to appease evil spirits. To do this, women went into the forest, to the river and hung old children's clothes everywhere. At the same time, it was believed that if you meet a mermaid, then there is a huge chance of gaining wealth and prosperity, but there is also a risk of getting misfortune and misfortune on your head. After all, at the same time, there was a belief that mermaids could tickle you to death, or carry you away in a round dance. Girls and children had to be especially wary, so during Rusalya Week they were not allowed into the forest. They believed that people who swim on these holidays die. And if not, many considered them witches, since only they could escape from the mermaids who live in lakes and rivers.

On Spiritual Day it was forbidden to wash your hair or cut your hair. Do repairs, do crafts, sew, etc. it was also impossible.

It was also common practice to feed the earth on this day. Spiritual Day in many villages was considered a women's holiday. It was accepted that married women The villagers, including the oldest representative, gathered on the outskirts. A tablecloth was laid there, right on the ground, and a meal was arranged. The women sang, had fun, and danced in circles. This ritual was meant to show respect and reverence for the land. To do this, women went out into the field, laid out a blanket and had a meal. If this ritual is performed, then, according to our ancestors, there will be a good and rich harvest all year. And some of the food was either distributed around different parts fields, or tried to bury some food, saying: “Birthday Earth, give us a harvest.”

The well, which was consecrated, was constantly visited throughout the day. They washed, left funeral food, threw a coin and prayed. Thus, in ancient times in Rus' they tried to wash away all sins and cleanse themselves.

Blessed birch branches were brought home from church. They were placed in the house as protection from evil forces. When the branches dried out, they were necessarily stored in a secluded corner.

After the temple, many hurried to the cemetery to decorate the graves with birch branches. There was also a meal there. However, they did not take all the remaining food home, but left it in the cemetery.

The holiday ended with the symbolic burial of Kostroma, the role of which was most often taken by a young girl. She was dressed in white clothes, and then they laid her on boards, after which they carried the girl to the river and performed the “awakening” ritual. Then everyone swam together and had a party. This ritual symbolized that Kostroma resurrects after death and bestows fertility and a good harvest.

Signs and beliefs on Spiritual Day

Our ancestors believed that under no circumstances should one look at one’s reflection in the water on this day. This could lead to the girl or guy losing their true love.

If this holiday was rainy, then, according to signs, the next six weeks will also be the same.

On this day, when going to get water, they always said, “I went on water.” If you say “let’s go get water,” you can easily drown.

They also believed that the mermaids and mermaids who can be met on this day are people who died before their time or committed suicide.

On Spiritual Day, all the dead gather near birch trees or sit on their branches. Perhaps for this reason, the birch tree was appointed as the symbol of this holiday.

Since our ancestors believed that the earth had a name day on this day, it was forbidden to work, sew, sow, or dig. It was allowed to cook food.

And in order to protect themselves from evil spirits, in ancient times they wore fragrant plants on this day, such as wormwood, garlic or onions.

Whatever the weather will be on Spiritual Day, the same is expected for the whole summer.

But the thunderstorm and lightning on this day - good sign, because in this way the earth drives away evil spirits, because since ancient times it was believed that it is fire that can get rid of them.

Even though the mermaid is the embodiment evil spirit, which needs to be feared and feared, is still connected with it and good omen. So, in the old days they believed that wherever a mermaid set her foot, there would be a rich harvest of wheat and rye.

They also used to say: “Don’t trust the heat until the Spiritual Day.”

But it was undesirable to run on this day - you could run away from your fate. But in order to bring the meeting with happiness closer, on Spiritual Day it was necessary to walk barefoot in the dew in the morning.

There were different signs for Spiritual Day, some of which have survived to our times. Previously, on the Day of the Holy Spirit, some symbol of the Spirit was hung from the shrines - these were wooden doves. Many Christians still believe in the phenomenon that the Holy Spirit descends to earth on the evening of Trinity Day. And therefore, on such a day you cannot run either around the house or on the ground outside. It is believed that the Earth is the birthday girl.

Spirits Day in Russia and others Orthodox countries always associated with rain and thunderstorms. It is believed that after this day there should be no frost until winter. What the weather will be like on such a day will indicate what it will be like in the next 6 weeks.

Fortune telling on Spiritual Day

Fortune telling with wreaths was also relevant on this day. Therefore, the girls did not miss the opportunity to tell fortunes on the river. To do this, they floated a wreath along the river:

if he drowned, then there will be trouble and the girl will soon become very ill;
if she landed on the shore, then she will get married this year;
if the wreath floated far away, then the girl will soon meet strong and long-lasting love.

The girls also tried to find out through fortune-telling about which side she should wait for her beloved. To do this, they circled on this day, who would fall in which direction, and from there await their fate. Or they scattered the fragments of an old plow - in which direction it fell, she would wait for her beloved.

Also, unmarried young girls curled a birch tree a few days before the holidays, and already on Trinity or Spiritual Day they came to develop it. If during this time the branches have withered, then the girl will soon get sick or be in trouble, but if the branches are fresh, then the girl will have good luck, joy and luck this year.

Whatever popular beliefs exist related to this date, it is important to remember that the truth is different for each person. An Orthodox believer must always remember God and pray to him, regardless of what holiday is in the yard and what folk signs and beliefs are associated with it.

Spiritual Day: customs and signs

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Spirits Day June 1, 2015: customs and signs

Spiritual Day is celebrated in 2015 on June 1st. This holiday follows the Trinity and proclaims the descent of the Holy Spirit to earth. Despite the fact that Spiritual Day is not revered among the people in the same way as Trinity, this particular date is considered the day of the establishment of the Christian church.

Traditions and customs on Spiritual Day People have long believed that in night of the Spiritual Day, the Holy Spirit descends to the ground and comes into the homes of believers, pouring out into the forests and fields. According to popular beliefs, this Spirit has powerful life-giving power. And the life-giving principle has been associated with Mother Earth since pagan times. The Feast of the Holy Spirit was initially associated with the earth and its fertility, and on this day the name day of the Earth was celebrated. It was believed that on Spirits Day the earth was pregnant with a harvest, so it was impossible to plow and sow so as not to provoke the wrath of nature.
On Spiritual Day everything medicinal herbs have special powers. That is why it was customary to collect them on this holiday. On Spiritual Day it was forbidden not only to work on the land, but also to do household chores- sewing, washing, cleaning, etc. Moreover, women were allowed not to attend to their duties for almost the entire week - they were engaged in rites and rituals. The earth on this day was considered healing, life-giving, which is why people did not wear shoes on this holiday and walked barefoot. According to legends, this gave strength from Mother Earth herself and gave health. You can't swim on Spiritual Day. From that day until the next week it was a mermaid week. People believed that at this time mermaids woke up in all bodies of water and could drown swimmers or lure them to the bottom.
Signs for Spiritual Day

If you throw jewelry into the water or leave something beautiful on the shore of a pond, you can appease the mermaids, and thereby attract good luck.
Whatever the weather will be like on Spiritual Day, it will be like that for 6 weeks.
The sign of seeing a mermaid on this day promised untold riches.
If you hang a bouquet of wormwood near the door in your house, it will protect you from evil spirits and bad people. Since ancient times, wormwood has been carried with people during Mermaid Week to protect against mermaids and other evil spirits.
Happy Feast of the Holy Spirit!
Source

Traditions and customs on Spiritual Day

If on the feast of the Holy Trinity women did not have time to collect medicinal herbs, then on Spiritual Day they corrected this. After all, according to beliefs, on this holiday all herbs do not lose their special power, and are also capable of healing, like herbs collected on Trinity. We stocked up on herbs and flowers, because... It was believed that plants collected and dried on this day had healing properties. Because it was believed that fire comes from the sky and destroys all evil spirits. It was from the herbs collected during this period that the healers prepared a special herbal powder to exorcise demons.

On Spiritual Day it was forbidden to wash your hair or cut your hair. Do repairs, do crafts, sew, etc. it was also impossible.

It was also common practice to feed the earth on this day. Spiritual Day in many villages was considered a women's holiday. It was customary for the married women of the village, including the oldest representative, to gather on the outskirts. A tablecloth was laid there, right on the ground, and a meal was arranged. The women sang, had fun, and danced in circles. This ritual was meant to show respect and reverence for the land. To do this, women went out into the field, laid out a blanket and had a meal. If this ritual is performed, then, according to our ancestors, there will be a good and rich harvest all year. And some of the food was either carried to different parts of the field, or they tried to bury some food, saying: “Birthday Earth, give us a harvest.”

Blessed birch branches were brought home from church. They were placed in the house as protection from evil forces. When the branches dried out, they were necessarily stored in a secluded corner.

The holiday ended with the symbolic burial of Kostroma, the role of which was most often taken by a young girl. She was dressed in white clothes, and then laid on boards, after which they carried the girl to the river and performed the “awakening” ritual. Then everyone swam together and had a party. This ritual symbolized that Kostroma resurrects after death and bestows fertility and a good harvest.

Signs and beliefs on Spiritual Day

Our ancestors believed that under no circumstances should you look at your reflection in the water on this day. This could lead to the girl or guy losing their true love.

If this holiday was rainy, then, according to signs, the next six weeks will also be the same.

On this day, when going to get water, they always said, “I went on water.” If you say “let’s go get water,” you can easily drown.

They also believed that the mermaids and mermaids that can be met on this day are people who died before their time or committed suicide.

On Spiritual Day, all the dead gather near birch trees or sit on their branches. Perhaps for this reason, the birch tree was appointed as the symbol of this holiday.

Since our ancestors believed that the earth had a name day on this day, it was forbidden to work, sew, sow, or dig. It was allowed to cook food.

And in order to protect themselves from evil spirits, in ancient times they wore fragrant plants on this day, such as wormwood, garlic or onions.

Whatever the weather will be on Spiritual Day, the same is expected for the whole summer.

But thunderstorms and lightning on this day are a good sign, because in this way the earth drives away evil spirits, because since ancient times it was believed that it is fire that can get rid of them.

Despite the fact that the mermaid is the embodiment of an evil spirit who needs to be feared and feared, there is still a good omen associated with her. So, in the old days they believed that wherever a mermaid set her foot, there would be a rich harvest of wheat and rye.

They also used to say: “Don’t trust the heat until the Spiritual Day.”

Spiritual Day in Russia and other Orthodox countries is always associated with rain and thunderstorms. It is believed that after this day there should be no frost until winter. What the weather will be like on such a day will indicate what it will be like in the next 6 weeks.

Fortune telling on Spiritual Day

Fortune telling with wreaths was also relevant on this day. Therefore, the girls did not miss the opportunity to tell fortunes on the river. To do this, they floated a wreath along the river:

if he drowned, then there will be trouble and the girl will soon become very ill;
if she landed on the shore, then she will get married this year;
if the wreath floated far away, then the girl will soon meet strong and long-lasting love.

Spiritual day is religious holiday, which embodies folk wisdom. This holiday is traditionally celebrated after Trinity and 51 days after Easter. On May 28, 2018, believers will celebrate Spiritual Day. In 2018, rituals and signs remain important, because they are based on folk wisdom and tested for centuries.

Spiritual Day (Holy Spirit Day) is a religious holiday traditionally celebrated 51 days after Easter Sunday. In 2018, Spiritual Day is celebrated on May 28. Traditionally, the religious holiday falls on Monday, because it is celebrated immediately after Trinity. To our time, important traditions and rituals of Spiritual Day have been preserved, which must always be taken into account when celebrating a religious holiday.

history of the holiday

Such an important religious holiday as Spiritual Day has a special history. According to Holy Scripture, on the 50th day after Easter, the disciples-apostles of Jesus Christ descended the Holy Spirit, who was able to heal seriously ill people. After this event, the disciples of Jesus Christ began to bring God's Word to many countries of the world to spread the Christian religion.

On this important day, the appearance of the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, or rather the Holy Spirit, also took place. The phenomenon was loud and obvious: a noise came from the sky, a wind began to blow, and fiery flames erupted. This event contributed to the fact that Spiritual Day was celebrated immediately after Trinity. In addition, the apostles began to actively develop Christianity in many countries of the world, as a result of which people began to acquire faith in Jesus Christ and the Lord God, and noted the filling of their souls with warmth and purposefulness.

The apostles not only spread the new religion, but also showed the gift of prophecy and healing. However, the most important thing was the desire to bring people the truth, which was important for residents of even the most distant corners of the world. It should be noted that 11 apostles were executed. Of the 12 apostles, only John the Theologian died naturally.

Spiritual Day is a holiday that is associated not only with the beginning of the active spread of Christianity, but also with the birth of the church. Now the age of the church is almost 2000 years, because the history began precisely with the Zion Upper Room. Despite the fact that sometimes even entire states disappear and are destroyed, the church and Christianity will continue to exist.

What you can do on Spiritual Day and what you can’t do

Spiritual Day is a special religious holiday. It is for this reason that it is best to go to church for a festive religious service. All believers can pray for their deceased loved ones and remember important events associated with them. After visiting the temple and the festive service, you can go to the cemetery to decorate the graves of your deceased loved ones with birch branches. Only in the evening can you get together with your household for festive table, think about life and pray, appreciate the time spent together. At the same time, important traditions and even certain prohibitions associated with folk beliefs have been preserved to this day.

On Spiritual Day you need to stock up on herbs and flowers. It is believed that plants that have been collected and dried in a special way will acquire beneficial features. This tradition has existed for a long time. In addition, healers used to prepare special powders from herbs collected on Spiritual Day.
Spiritual Day is a women's holiday. It is for this reason that women can get together and celebrate special holidays with rituals in mind.
On Spiritual Day you need to wash away accumulated sins. However, this is prohibited in open waters. Previously, people used well water for bathing. It was believed that a person should throw a coin into the well as a sign of gratitude, after which he should pray and wash. Nowadays, such rituals have changed, but praying while washing is still very important for many believers.
The day of the Spirits cannot be swept. It is believed that attempting to sweep the floor will lead to the family living in misery. Moreover, you cannot carry out housework or work in the garden.
Believers traditionally bring blessed birch branches with them from the temple. It is believed that birch will protect from evil forces and negativity.

Many rituals have changed, but they still retain their significance for believers.

Important signs for Spiritual Day

Important folk signs and superstitions have long been associated with Spiritual Day.

From the Feast of the Spirits onwards, you can count on warm and clear weather. Morozov is not expected in the near future.
On holiday it is forbidden to look at your reflection. Otherwise, a person may lose happiness and love.
To protect against evil spirits and negativity, it is recommended to carry fragrant medicinal plants or even regular garlic.
You can't run on holiday. It is believed that you can escape from fate. However, it is recommended to run barefoot through the dew early in the morning in order to find your true happiness.
Girls can weave a wreath of wildflowers and then float it on water to find out what the future will be like. If the wreath sinks, life will be miserable. If the wreath lands on the shore, you can count on a marriage proposal. A floating wreath will mark a long and happy life.

All signs are based on folk wisdom, so they still remain significant.

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