Paraskeva Friday: traditions and signs of Friday.

Complete collection and description: Holy Paraskeva Friday, how prayer helps for the spiritual life of a believer.

Paraskeva Pyatnitsa is considered the patroness of the family hearth. She was born into a prosperous family, but after the death of her parents, having given away the existing inheritance, she became a nun. Paraskeva spent her life like saints, helping those in need. Many temples and springs, which have healing powers, were consecrated in her honor. Paraskeva is depicted as a tall and stern woman with a radiant crown on her head.

How does Saint Paraskeva Friday help?

The day of remembrance of this saint is November 10. On this holiday, people did not work and brought gifts to the temple for Paraskeva. By the way, on this day all the rituals of the Intercession were repeated. Paraskeva Pyatnitsa was considered a helper in many matters, so they often turned to her for help in their prayers. This saint was especially revered by women, who called her “The Holy Woman.” In ancient times, people believed that Friday walked the earth and monitored how people followed Christian rules and customs.

What does Paraskeva Pyatnitsa help with:

1. Many consider the saint a healer various ailments, both physical and spiritual. First of all, she helped cope with women's diseases.
2. Single girls who dream of meeting their soul mate offer prayers to her. Today, there are a huge number of messages from those whom Paraskeva Pyatnitsa helped get married. She is also considered a patroness family well-being. Women dreaming of procreation prayed to Paraskeva about this, and she also helps in a safe and easy birth.
3. People consider this saint to be the patroness of households, fields and livestock. People whose activities are related to farming are asking for Paraskeva’s support.

It will be interesting to find out not only what the icon of Paraskeva Friday helps with, but also what signs exist associated with its day. It is believed that this day is never dry. If a person saw a horse’s hoof print filled with water on the ground, it means that real winter will come in a month. By the amount of dirt per day, the Paraskevas judged the spring weather, that is, the more there is, the rainier it will be. Girls in the November 10 position should never wash or comb their hair. People also believed that what more people on Paraskeva's day he laughs, the more he will cry in old age. It is prohibited to engage in activities on this holiday dirty work, that is, clean up, wash, etc. This is explained by the fact that with such actions a person can clog the eyes of a saint.

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Holy Paraskeva Friday, how prayer helps

Paraskeva Pyatnitsa is the guardian of family well-being and happiness, the patroness of trade, housekeeping, and women's concerns.

In Rus', since ancient times, Saint Paraskeva has been considered a healer of mental and physical ailments, the guardian of family well-being and happiness, marriage and childbirth.

Girls of marriageable age prayed to her to marry for love and quickly.

Among Orthodox Christians, Saint Paraskeva (Friday, or Petka) has enjoyed love and veneration since ancient times. Many pious customs and rituals are associated with her memory.

In Rus', this saint was especially revered by women. That’s what they called her – “The Holy Woman.” There was a belief that Friday walks the earth in the form of a young beautiful peasant woman or nun, and notes who lives how, who follows Christian rules and customs.

Russian icon painters depicted Paraskeva as tall, stern, with a radiant crown on her head.

• On the day of her memory - November 10 - Russian people brought fruits to the temple for consecration and did not work, even if that day was not Friday, but another ordinary day.
• The rites of the Intercession were repeated on Paraskeva.

Friday, like Wednesday, was considered a day strict fasting and abstinence. But, for example, on Wednesday you were allowed to do everything, but on Friday you couldn’t spin, you were only allowed to sew. This was explained by the fact that the Savior suffered spitting on that day, and you have to spit on the yarn when you are twisting it.

Friday was associated with both the torment of Christ and the abstinence of Paraskeva.

• Therefore, on Friday it was also forbidden to wash your hair and bathe children.

In the name of the Holy Great Martyr Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, a chapel or cross with an image was placed at a crossroads, at a fork in the road. These forks were called Fridays. There was not a single auction in Rus' where there was not a temple or chapel in honor of Paraskeva-Friday. The saint was especially revered by industrialists, traders and travelers. They met at “Friday” and saw off relatives and friends until “Friday”. Hence, by the way, the saying about those who often see off and meet - “ Seven Fridays a week“.

BC XX century icons of St. The Paraskevs were in almost every Russian home. According to the general ancient Russian belief, St. Paraskeva was recognized as the patroness of fields and livestock, and therefore in the past, in many places on the day of her memory, our ancestors together participated in the divine service and brought it to the church for consecration various kinds fruit; These offerings were then kept in houses as sacred. items until the coming year.

Icons of St. The Paraskevs, who were in churches, were honored by the ancient Russian people in a special way.

• The peasants decorated them with various ribbons, flowers, monistas and fragrant herbs and wore them in this form in religious processions and other important ceremonies.

• In connection with this custom is the very name of St. Paraskeva Linen.

• in particular she was called to help from devilish obsession, in fevers, dental, headache and other diseases.

Those suffering from obsession evil spirits They considered it an indispensable rule to place before the icon of St. Paraskeva Friday candles in the hope of gaining freedom from the unclean spirit.

Flowers, herbs and other pendants to the image of St. Paraskeva Fridays were also revered by the Russian people as one of the most effective medical remedies and therefore were preserved from year to year as a very important healing potion.

• In cases of any illness, the Russians boiled it in water and gave this decoction to those suffering from various diseases.

• “Mother Pyatnitsa-Paraskeva! - the girls prayed in the old days, - cover me as soon as possible,” i.e. went rather a groom, and so on.

The Stoglav says that

• “through the churchyards and villages, lying prophets men, and wives, and girls, and old women, naked and barefoot, with their hair grown and loose, are shaking and killed, and they say that St. Friday and Nastasia and tell them to command Christians to illuminate the canons.”

Friday among the Germanic peoples was called “Frigg’s day.” Frigg – goddess of magic, divination, fertility and marriage; she helped women in labor and determined the fate of newborns.

Historical reference

The holy martyr Paraskeva, named Pyatnitsa, lived in the 3rd century in Iconium in a rich and pious family.

Prayer for Paraskeva Friday

O holy and blessed martyr of Christ Paraskeva, maiden beauty, praise of the martyrs, purity of image, magnanimous mirrors, wonder of the wise, guardian of the Christian faith, idolatry flattery to the accuser, champion of the Divine Gospel, zealot of the Lord’s commandments, vouchsafed to come to the haven of eternal rest and in the devil of your Bridegroom Christ God, brightly rejoicing, adorned with the extreme crown of virginity and martyrdom! We pray to you, holy martyr, to be sorrowful for us to Christ God, and to rejoice at His most blessed sight; pray to the All-Merciful One, who opened the eyes of the blind with a word, that He may deliver us from the illness of our hair, both physical and mental; With your holy prayers, kindle the dark darkness that has come from our sins, ask the Father of Light for the light of grace for our spiritual and physical eyes; Enlighten us, darkened by sins, with the light of God’s grace, so that for the sake of your holy prayers sweet vision will be given to the dishonest. O great servant of God! O most courageous maiden! O strong martyr Saint Paraskeva! With your holy prayers, be a helper to us sinners, intercede and pray for the damned and extremely negligent sinners, hasten to help us, for we are extremely weak. Pray to the Lord, pure maiden, pray to the Merciful, holy martyr, pray to your Bridegroom, immaculate bride of Christ, so that through your prayers, having escaped the darkness of sin, in the light of the true faith and divine deeds, we will enter into the eternal light of the unevening day, into the city of everlasting joy, in where now you shine brightly with glory and endless joy, praising and singing with everyone By Heavenly Forces Trisagion One Deity, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Second prayer

What do they pray to Saint Paraskeva Friday?

At all times, a woman has been the keeper of the family hearth and, perhaps, there has not been a day in the entire history of mankind when a woman’s eyes and thoughts were not turned to heaven for help in finding long-awaited marital happiness.

In the pantheon of Christian saints there are many Great Martyrs who patronize fair half- Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Faith, Hope, Love and Sophia, Xenia of Petersburg, Anna the Prophetess. A special place among them belongs to Saint Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, who has been revered among the Slavs since ancient times.

Life of a saint

The name Paraskeva is of ancient Greek origin, translated as “eve of the Sabbath holiday.” Friday has a special meaning in Christianity; it is the day of the crucifixion of Christ.

According to legend, Paraskeva’s parents could not conceive children for a long time, and every Friday they asked the Almighty to send them a child. And when the baby was born on the fifth day of the week, without hesitation, they named the newborn in her honor.

The saint lived in the third century, in Iconium, Asia Minor, during the reign of Diocletian. These were Hard times for followers of the teachings of Christ, who were not favored by the head of state. And yet, she saw her life’s task as enlightening dissidents and converting them to the Christian faith.

In her youth, the girl decided to lead a righteous lifestyle and took a vow of celibacy. Her parents died before reaching old age and left a good inheritance. Paraskeva began to spend the funds received on charity, buying food and clothing for those in need.

In those days, the emperor sent a military commander to the city, whose task was to destroy all followers of the Christian religion. Residents told him about a girl professing the teachings of Christ, and she was introduced to the commander. He was fascinated by her feminine beauty and tried to persuade Paraskeva to perform the ritual of pagan sacrifice, but to no avail.

As punishment for her unwillingness to renounce her religion, she was chained to a tree, severely tortured, and then imprisoned. There God healed the injuries, but this sign did not stop the executioners, and they soon cut off her head. Residents buried Paraskeva.

After a long time, the saint’s relics were taken to many churches and temples. In our country, grains of her relics are located in the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, in the Moscow Church of the Resurrection of the Lord and in other places.

The Paraskevas did not forget about their righteous deeds. Annually On November 10, Christians pay tribute to her memory. On this holiday, it is customary to illuminate fruits in the church that were carefully stored until next year. Many churches were built in honor of the saint; they were usually located near the water and were called Fridays.

People called Paraskeva Petka, Pyatina. In many regions of Russia there are its holy springs, and in Ybsky Seraphim convent(Komi Republic) an icon with the image of Saint Paraskeva streams myrrh.

What does Paraskeva help with?

She is considered the patroness of the “weak” half of humanity; people also called her the “woman’s saint.” Helps you find good husband, conceive a child, save and increase family happiness.

Prayers for deliverance from all sorts of ailments (especially toothache and headache), strong women's health, healing from infertility has long been referred to her. Girls who wanted to meet their betrothed as soon as possible, mothers worried about the fate of their child, wives who dreamed of taking the “green serpent” away from their husbands - they all turned to Paraskeva.

Some researchers believe that the saint inherited the traits of the pagan goddess Mokoshi, the patroness of marriage and cattle breeding, and Lada, the guardian of the family. The Slavs believed that Mokosh spins the lives of human destinies, which is perhaps why Paraskeva patronizes needlewomen. To pay tribute to the great martyr, women on Friday preferred to put all spinning aside. They even prayed to her with a request to protect livestock from death, especially for cows.

Belief in the healing power of Paraskeva was so strong among the people that people wore them around their necks as amulets. special prayers, protecting health. Decoctions of herbs located near the image of the saint had special healing powers.

Paraskeva also paid attention to travelers, the poor and the suffering. He also protects Mother Nature, looking after fields and ponds.

Prayer helps us realize our desires and aspirations. This is one of the most powerful methods of healing from diseases, a thread that connects us with the Almighty.

Often, the feeling of guilt for their sins before the Creator prevents them from communicating with Him directly, and people begin to look for intermediaries. IN Christian tradition they were the previously living righteous people. Gradually, it became traditional to light candles in front of their icons and find a connection with God through messages addressed to them.

The prayer should be said consciously; it should not be a mechanical repetition of a learned set of words. You need to literally put “a piece of your soul” into it, this is the only way your words can be heard and fulfilled.

Paraskeva Friday has been interceding for us before God for many centuries, possessing a special gift of healing. Below we present the prayers that should be addressed to the holy saint.

Conspiracies for quick marriage

Prayer for the groom:

“Holy Virgin, you are Friday Paraskeva! Send me a man's beard - even a widower, even an old man, even a rich man. I don’t want to be a girl anymore! I humbly bow before you, holy martyr, and ask you one thing: order the male tribe to take me as a wife, and in return I will observe fasting and glorify every Friday. I confirm my request with the call of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Let it be so from now on and forever. Amen".

The following plot is performed early in the morning on Paraskeva Friday. Girls say it three times immediately after waking up, kneeling and turning their faces towards the rising sun. Before reading, exclude any communication, do not wash your face, comb your hair or eat.

“My Friday, I serve you and bow my knees before you! Plant a creeper near my house - climbing grass, twisting grass. Let this loach climb up the perch and break without support. Like that vine, let the servant of God (the name of my beloved guy) twine around me, grab onto my waist, spread out in front of me and never part with me. Let it behave like a loach planted by you, Paraskeva Pyatnitsa. Let him be like him and not do without a perch and support, that is, me. No one will interrupt my whisper, no one will flood me with holy water and no one will overwhelm me with a bath broom. And even the most powerful master will not remove its effect. My words are strong, but my deeds are flexible and molded. Let the servant of God (his name) wither for me, and the servant of God (name of his beloved) dry up without me. Amen".

What do they pray to Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, her life

There are many intercessors of God in Orthodoxy, many intercessors for sinners, but the Great Martyr Paraskeva Friday is especially revered. She is given special respect by the female half of the population. The saint stood in line with the Mother of God and St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, she was so loved, dear and revered. The image of the great martyr was often depicted on back side icons of the Mother of God. In Rus', the face of Paraskeva was in every house in the red corner. The name Praskovya, derived from Paraskeva, was also popular.

It is written in her life that she was born in the 3rd century in Iconium. Then it was the great Roman Empire, and it was ruled by the formidable persecutor of Christians, Diocletian. The future saint appeared in the family of a wealthy senator. Her parents were deeply religious Orthodox Christians and respected all customs and holidays. But they especially revered Friday, the day of the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ.

Paraskeva’s parents observed a special fast on Wednesday and Friday, remembering the betrayal and suffering of the Lord. Also on Fridays they offered a special prayer for the gift of a child. The request was heard. When a girl was born into the family on the fifth day of the week, they decided to name her Paraskeva. Translated from Greek it means “Friday”.

In her youth she was left an orphan. But she still continued the work of her parents and became the bride of Christ. Many suitors approached her, but the maiden was adamant. The righteous girl distributed her rich inheritance to the poor, the disadvantaged and everyone who was in need. Paraskeva continued to pray and preach the faith of Christ among the people. She converted many townspeople to Christianity, but there were also ill-wishers who slandered and slandered her. As a result, the girl was put in prison.

During this period, the emperor ordered his subjects to eradicate Christianity. And Eparch Aetius decided to carry out the order in the region of Lycaonia under his control, where the city of Iconium was located. They rushed to tell him about the preaching Paraskeva. The priests of the cult accused her of magic, sorcery and sorcery.

When the eparch saw beautiful maiden, he was seduced by her beauty and youth. And he offered to become his wife and live in wealth. In exchange, she had to renounce Christ and make a sacrifice to the pagan gods. But the preacher was adamant and I saw only Jesus Christ as my groom. She told the ruler about this.

Aetius became angry and ordered her to be stripped and beaten with raw ox sinews. In moments of torture, the thoughts of the ascetic of Christ were occupied only with the true God Jesus. But the military leader was sorry to disfigure such beauty, and then Aetius stopped the torture and began to seduce the maiden again with earthly joys. If only she would bow to idols. The martyr was silent. Then he began to blaspheme the entire Christian race, the virgin could not stand it and spat in his face. Angry, Aetius ordered Paraskeva to be hung upside down and tormented with iron claws. But she bravely endured and did not moan. To prolong her death throes, the girl was thrown into prison, in the hope of a terrible death.

But through her prayers and for her martyrdom, the Lord sent an angel for comfort and healing. In the morning, the guards discovered a healthy and prettier girl who was singing prayers of praise to the Lord. But the emperor’s subject decided that it was his gods who healed the maiden. Then Paraskeva ordered to show her these gods and she was taken to pagan temple. A lot of people followed them.

Everyone thought that she would renounce her faith and worship idols. But, touching the statue of the idol, she commanded in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to turn it into dust. Then a strong earthquake occurred and the temple was destroyed. Many people, seeing this, believed in Jesus Christ. But the priests were sure that she was a sorceress, and only her magic destroyed the idols.

Aetius agreed with the priests and continued the torment of Paraskeva. He ordered her to be hung up and her sides burned with fire. The girl offered a prayer with special fervor and faith. And the fiery flame spread to the tormentors. Seeing this people began to doubt the power of pagan gods and believed in Jesus.

The ruler decided to death penalty Paraskev, through beheading, fearing an uprising and rebellion among the people. When the execution took place, the air was filled with a fragrance. Thus, the Lord took to Himself the immaculate soul of the saint. Christians buried her in the house church. Soon death overtook the terrible torturer. When the eparch went hunting, the horse reared up and knocked him over.

Patroness of Iconium

The Holy Great Martyr patronized her hometown and after death. During the siege of Iconium by the Gentiles, angels appeared at night at the shrine with the relics and asked Paraskeva to go with them. They warned that the city would be handed over to the Arabs for the sins of the inhabitants. She refused and offered a prayer to the Lord. Then the saint said that if the city is destined to perish, let her perish, but she will not leave the city. At that moment, the city walls began strong storm and burning stones began to fall from the cloud onto the enemy. A voice from heaven commanded the enemy to retreat from the city. This incident destroyed 70 of the emir's regiments.

Then the Arab ruler decided to make peace with the Iconians. In return they gave him a lot of silver. And he told them how an unknown force destroyed almost his entire army at night. Then the bishop spoke about the vision in the temple at the tomb of Saint Paraskeva.

The emir decided to take possession of the saint's relics, but the horses harnessed to the cart were motionless. Almost three dozen horses could not carry the coffin. After this, everyone understood that the saint wanted to stay in her homeland. The bishop began to beg the emir to leave her, then the Arab ruler ordered a ransom for the relics. He ordered to bring as much gold as the saint’s body weighed. Counting on a generous ransom. A precious metal was collected. The saint's coffin was placed on one pan of the scales, and coins began to be poured into the other. The scales balanced only when there were 15 spools left on the pan. Thus, Saint Paraskeva saved the city from invaders.

Other Paraskevs

Pagan beginning in the image of Paraskeva

In Rus', the image of a saint was inextricably associated with Slavic pagan goddess Mokosh (Makosh), patroness of water, fate, spinning, weaving, cattle breeding and crafts. And also the goddess of love and beauty Lada, guardian of the family hearth, fertility and nature. Therefore, the saint is credited with patronage agriculture, handicrafts, weaving and home life.

The Holy Synod forbade mixing the image of the ascetic of Christ with pagan goddesses, but the tradition of consecrating fruits on Paraskeva’s day and storing them until next year was preserved. The holy great martyr was also associated with the cult of the Week (Sunday), which was mixed with the veneration of Saint Anastasia (translated, the name means “Sunday”).

Parallels are drawn with the image of Paraskeva in the mythology of other countries. In Tajik myths there is an image of “Lady Tuesday” (Bibi-Seshanbi). She is the patroness of family happiness, spinning and processing of cotton. There are other mythical creatures that spin fate: the ancient Greek moirai, the Icelandic norns, the German goddess Frigg. She helped women in labor, arranged the fate of newborns, prophesied and cast spells.

In the popular understanding, Friday was represented as a tall, portly woman with large breasts and long hair, which brings her closer to mythical characters such as Death, the mermaid, Doli. In Paraskev's legends, Pyatnitsa spins abandoned work, which also makes her image similar to the brownie, kikimora and Mara (Morena), the Slavic goddess of death and fertility.

What do people address to Saint Paraskeva Friday?

What do those suffering pray for in front of her image:

It is revered by industrialists and tailors.. There was not a single bazaar in Rus' where there was not a holy temple. The auctions themselves were held on Friday, so it is also revered by traders.

The saint is the patroness of water; her image often appeared in the waters. Throughout Russia there are many sources bearing her name, but there is one endowed with a special healing power. In Rus', sculptures and icons carved from wood were erected, and Paraskeva chapels were erected near reservoirs and wells. The temples at the crossroads were called Fridays.

Customs and rituals associated with Paraskeva Friday

On the day of Paraskeva Friday, it is advisable to go to church and bless a piece of flax. Then they will hang it on the icon. There is a ritual in which the icon must be placed near the water so that it will gain healing properties. In the future, take this water for treatment. On Saint's Day, you can tie flowers and herbs to the icon, and then brew a medicinal decoction from them. If you wrap the text of the prayer in linen and apply it to the sore spot, healing will occur. Before giving birth, a woman hung an icon around her neck with a prayer to the saint.

In memory of Paraskev, handicrafts are prohibited on Friday. It was believed that whoever disobeyed her prohibition would clog her eyes, spin her hair and prick her with spindles. The saint could punish, tangle the threads, cause blindness, or throw 40 spindles out the window, which had to be spun in a short time.

Among the Finno-Ugric peoples, the ninth Friday after Easter was considered "cherished day of the sick". On this day, the miraculous image of Holy Friday brought healing.

On the holiday of Paraskeva Friday, wild fun and hard work are not welcome. At this time, you need to fast and you cannot do household chores or agricultural work. It is forbidden to wash, bathe children, comb their hair and gossip. A woman expecting a child should not lend money. It was believed that the fate of the child was being transferred into the wrong hands.

Often on Paraskeva's day they repeated the rites of the Intercession of the Virgin Mary.

Fortune telling. You need to go to bed without undressing and let your hair down. Place a mirror, comb, soap or handkerchief on the pillow. If you dream of a sweetheart and he is gentle and affectionate, then there will be a wedding. The next morning you can’t look out the window so as not to disturb your sleep. If you have a nightmare, you need to wash yourself with water and tell the dream so that it does not come true.

• if a rapid thaw occurs on Paraskeva Friday, then this promises long frosts;
• if a circle has formed around the moon, then a strong wind will rise;
• if Paraskeva is slushy and dirty, then wait for winter in a month.

Temples and churches in honor of Saint Paraskeva

In northern Butovo there is a temple of Paraskeva Friday of the 16th century, which was finally restored in the 20th century. It is shaped like a ship, representing a spiritual flagship for believers.

There is the Pyatnitsko-Tugovsky Church in Yaroslavl, built in the 17th century. And in Suzdal there is the Pyatnitsky Church, which is called Nikolsky. A church is being built in the village of Khvoshchevatka Voronezh region. During the war, the Paraskeva temple was destroyed by bombing. Not far away there is a spring known throughout Russia, “7 streams” (“7 springs”), remarkable for its healing power. In the village of Savino near Yekaterinburg in the 19th century, an icon of the saint appeared in the waters of the Pyshma River. As a result, a temple was built in those places, where the icon found its place. In a women's monastery in the Komi Republic there is a myrrh-streaming icon of the Great Martyr.

There are grains of relics in the Holy Trinity Lavra of Sergius, in the Church of the Ascension of the Lord in Moscow. In the capital, there used to be a Paraskeva Pyatnitsa Church on Okhotny Ryad. Now the State Duma stands there. And Moscow Pyatnitsky Lane was named after the saint’s temple, but now there is a metro in its place. The relic of Paraskeva Friday is also in the Church of the Prophet Elijah in the right aisle, consecrated in honor of Peter and Paul. The relics of Paraskeva are present on Mount Athos in the Russian Panteleimon Monastery.

They remember and pray to the holy great martyr throughout Russia and beyond its borders. And a prayer request that comes with deep faith and from the heart will always be heard through the mediation of Paraskeva. Prayers to Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, her photos and akathists can be found on the Internet.

Paraskeva Friday November 10, 2017 ====================================== In church calendar November 10 is the date of memory of the holy great martyr Paraskeva. This is one of the most significant holidays in Orthodoxy, when you can ask the saint for family happiness and well-being in life. Every year on November 10, the Orthodox Church celebrates a bright holiday - the day of memory of Paraskeva Friday. The people also call the Great Martyr the Woman's Intercessor, the Guardian of the Hearth and the Patroness of Family Happiness. This is no coincidence, because the saint’s help is primarily received by girls who want to get married successfully, women experiencing disagreements in the family, as well as those who dream of having a healthy baby. On this day, all believers offer prayers to Paraskeva, honor her blessed memory, remember the story of her life, and observe all church traditions. Only if the celebration is carried out correctly can one expect the help of the saint. She helps those who remember her, her righteous life and good deeds. The life story of Paraskeva Pyatnitsa In the third century, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletinus, Paraskeva Pyatnitsa was born into a wealthy family at that time. Long years the couple dreamed of a child. They preached Christianity and tirelessly prayed to God for a quick conception and the gift of a child to them. With great persistence they read prayers on Friday, since this day of the week was considered the day of Christ’s suffering and torment. Their prayers were heard: the Lord gave them a daughter, whom they christened Paraskeva. Translated from Greek language this name means "Friday". From an early age, the girl was distinguished by her kind disposition, humility and piety. Living in faith, young Paraskeva did not focus any attention on young people, their courtship and matchmaking, saying that she had already given her heart, soul and body to the Lord. She received a huge inheritance from her parents, which she also refused, distributing everything to the needs of the poor. Paraskeva Friday lived in a very turbulent time when pagans were in power. Her righteous life and obedience to the Lord, and not to the ruler Diocletinus, served as the reason that the saint was subjected to torture and a terrible death. However, after her execution she managed to conquer more great love of people. Until her last breath the martyr read thanksgiving prayers God, showing how the word and prayer can work miracles. IN modern world The icon of the saint is considered a talisman protecting family happiness and well-being, and prayers to it can cure even the most painful illnesses of the soul and body. What to pray for Paraskeva Pyatnitsa The icon of the holy martyr can be found in almost every home. Orthodox Christians are confident that the image of Paraskeva Friday contains strength and power from Above. Her icon is considered one of the most powerful and powerful amulets, protecting home and family from various types of misfortunes. On Memorial Day, November 10, people bring their harvest and flax to the church to bless them. The fruits are left until next year. This is considered a good sign, attracting happiness, prosperity and fertility. Flax is used to cover the icon of Paraskeva, and is also used to create a talisman. First of all, Paraskeva Pyatnitsa is considered an intercessor female happiness. She herself gave her life and heart to the will of the Son of God. Therefore, he wishes only the best for every girl and helps her find a worthy husband. There are a huge number of prayers to Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, which are read by women who dream of marriage and happiness. family life. The clergy say that if you read prayers with faith and an open heart, then Paraskeva will hear your requests and grant everything you ask for. Prayer to Paraskeva Friday on the day of her memory “O Great Martyr Paraskeva, close to Christ, hear our prayers. You are the keeper of the Christian faith, the fulfiller of the Lord's commandments and a zealous prayer book. To You we offer our prayers and ask You, disobedient to the will of the devil, to awaken in us love for Christ. By the power of Your prayers, we ask you to free our thoughts from doubts and fears, and our bodies from illnesses. Settle grace and humility into your heart. All-wise and All-praiseworthy Paraskeva, accept our prayers, do not turn away from them in difficult moments and increase the strength of spirit and remove weakness. Help defeat the devil within. Save our souls and guide them along the path of prosperity, straight to sweet happiness. Pray to the Lord, as we pray to You, O holy intercessor. We will never tire of singing Your praises forever and ever. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen". Traditions on the day of Paraskeva Friday Touching the origins folk history, you can adopt something from your ancestors and continue honoring the saint as it was before. It was believed that the great martyr rewarded those who honor the blessed memory of Paraskeva with her help and intercession, and punished those who consigned her life to oblivion. That is why every believer should know what to do and what not to do on November 10th. What you need to do: visit the temple of God and defend the service there dedicated to Paraskeva Friday; read prayers for Paraskeva Friday; consecrate a piece of flax with which to cover the icon of Paraskeva Friday; place an image of a saint next to the source of holy water so that it can absorb all the healing power; consecrate a bouquet of medicinal herbs in the church so that you can make a decoction at home for the illness that torments the patient; do powerful talisman, saving from any disease. To do this, you need to rewrite the text of the prayer to the saint on a piece of paper and wrap it in linen. This amulet is applied to a sore spot. What not to do: forget about the five-day fast that takes place on the eve of the holiday; do housework and handicrafts; discuss other people's lives, gossip and slander others; cut your hair, comb your hair and wash your hair; bathe children; lend money. This is especially true for pregnant women. In ancient times, it was believed that in this way expectant mothers were putting the fate of their child in the wrong hands.

Using this date as an example, one can clearly see how intricately Christian dogmas are intertwined with traditional folk, and almost pagan, beliefs. And the site will now tell you about this in more detail.

Story

In general, the veneration of Paraskeva Friday dates back almost to the first century after. When old traditions were officially mercilessly destroyed, but in reality they were adapted to the new religion. This happened with many saints and great martyrs, who had some similarities with various pagan characters. And this is exactly what happened with the tradition of venerating Saint Paraskeva, which showed some similarities not only with the pagan goddess Mokosh, but also with the pagan personification of the day of the week Friday.

Initially, November 10 was the day of remembrance of the Great Martyr Paraskeva of Iconium. According to legends, this lady lived in the city of Iconium already in the 3rd century AD during the reign of the Roman emperor Diocletian. She was distinguished by her piety and observed asceticism, despite the fact that she came from a noble family. But during the large-scale persecution of Christians, this is precisely what attracted her to increased attention, which led to torture and spectacular beheadings.

And then someone drew an “absolutely logical parallel” between Greek word“Παρασκευή” and the Slavic word “Friday”. And the saint also had to take on the traditions associated with the veneration of personified Friday as such. Which turned out to be quite similar to the veneration of one of the pagan goddesses. And in the minds of the ordinary Russian peasant, all these three separate images merged into one - Holy Paraskeva Friday.

What not to do on this day

Actually, Paraskeva Pyatnitsa herself is considered the patroness of the hearth, women's labor, yarn and weaving. Accordingly, the prohibitions on this day relate mainly to these aspects of human activity.

• You cannot wash the floors, wash in general and wash your hair in particular. This goes back precisely to the pagan goddess Mokosh, who was a little bit the patroness of the dead, a little bit connected with water.
• It was impossible to spin, although it was possible to sew.
• It was impossible to laugh and rejoice. Nevertheless, the great martyr suffered a rather painful death.
• Pregnant women were not allowed to lend money. It was believed that in this way they, along with the money, also gave away the fate of the baby. Although this was considered not only on major holidays, but also in principle.

What could be done?

Girls could pray to Saint Paraskeva in order to get married faster, since the saint was revered as one of the patronesses of the family and home. It was also possible to demonstrate your success in weaving flax and making yarn. Especially to potential gentlemen, because such a pretty hard work perfectly demonstrated the girl's thriftiness.

The site team and journalist Artyom Kostin remind us that visiting church is recommended in almost any Orthodox holiday. And pray not only to the “thematic saint/saint,” but also. After all, for a deeply religious person, time has no special significance and you can count on grace absolutely any day.

Photo: icon of Paraskeva of Serbia (Akathistnik)

According to biblical legends, Paraskeva of Serbia was born in the 11th century in the town of Epivat. Her parents were diligent Christians: they often went to church, kept all the commandments, and gave alms to the poor. All this sank deeply into the girl’s soul.

After the death of her parents, Paraskeva distributed all their inheritance, and she herself went to Constantinople. There she took monastic vows and went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and then settled as a hermit in the desert in the Jordan Valley. Two years before her death, she returned home, where she died.

As eyewitnesses said, the relics of Paraskeva had miraculous properties - they helped to recover from numerous ailments.

Traditions

According to folk traditions, on Paraskeva you couldn’t wash or spin yarn, but you could sew, crumple and fray flax. In some places the saint was revered as the patroness of women's winter work.

If the holiday fell on the fifth day of the week, it was called Paraskeva Friday. Special attention on this day were given to women in labor and pregnant women. They believed that the saint herself was protecting them. In order not to anger Paraskeva and not to lose her help during childbirth, pregnant women tried not to comb their hair on Fridays. They also said that whoever laughs a lot on Friday will shed a lot of tears in old age.

They made sure to appease the brownie: they brought food out into the yard for him, so that in the future the livestock would live well and not get sick. They believed that it was the domestic animals that were in the care of the brownie.

Photo: Fresco in the Church of the Assumption Mother of God, Montenegro

Signs

In Rus', Paraskeva was given the nickname Gryaznukha because of the wet weather and slush that usually accompanied her memorial day. “It’s never dry on Gryaznukha,” people said.

The amount of dirt was used to predict when winter would come. If it's a lot then the snow that falls next will lead to real winter and it won’t melt for a long time.

Windy and dry weather on Paraskeva suggests that the summer of next year will be dry and barren. And bright the starry sky, on the contrary, promises good harvest.

If the forest is covered with frost, then there will be a rich harvest of oats. Rain means a good wheat harvest.

Crows caw loudly - expect a thaw. Cloudy and snowy weather is a sign that there will be bad weather in May.

10th of November Orthodox Church honors the memory of Saint Paraskeva, whose name began to be combined with the name of the goddess Friday, the patron saint of women. Therefore, the week on which November 10 fell was popularly called Pyatnitskaya.

Paraskeva Pyatnitsa - woman's intercessor

Martyr Paraskeva lived in the 3rd century in Asia Minor. The girl's father was a wealthy senator. Therefore, from childhood she lived in luxury and could not deny herself anything. However, Paraskeva chose to lead an ascetic lifestyle and devote herself to the Lord. She took a vow of celibacy.

Emperor Diocletian organized persecution aimed at supporters of Christian teaching. During them, Paraskeva was also arrested. She was tortured and forced to renounce her faith. Since the girl did not agree to do this, she was beheaded.

Among the Orthodox people, Saint Paraskeva Friday has always enjoyed special love. In ancient times, temples were built in her honor, which were called Fridays. Also, small chapels located near the road received this name in Rus'.

Among the people, icons of Saint Paraskeva were revered and decorated. In the old days they could be found in every home. Our ancestors believed that the saint protected family happiness. They also pray to the martyr for the preservation of the health of pets and for healing from mental and physical ailments.

Paraskeva Friday: prayer for marriage

Girls of marriageable age prayed to the Great Martyr Paraskeva for imminent marriage. If you are still alone and dream of creating strong family, then be sure to ask the saint on November 10 to help you improve your personal life. Rest assured that she will not refuse you.

November 10: traditions and customs of the day

On November 10, the ancient Slavs honored the memory of the goddess Makosh, the patroness of seamstresses and spinners. They believed that she helps people find earthly happiness.

On this day, they prepared houses for winter and cleaned stalls. There was a tradition called “linen shows”, according to which peasants showed off to each other, showing their frayed first linen. The girls, in this way, showed the guys how good housewives they are.

November 10: weather signs

1. If the leaves from the cherry tree have not fallen before this day, then the warmth will last for a long time.
2. If there is frost on the trees, there will be frost.
3. Fog in the morning means thaw.
4. If there is a circle near the moon, there will be a storm.
5. Until all the leaves fall from the cherry tree, winter will not come.
6. Seeing a squirrel on this day means warming.

Paraskeva Friday: what not to do?

There are certain prohibitions for this day:

1. On November 10 you can't spin, but you can sew. Previously, the girls used to get together on the evening of November 10 to do some work and talk. They believed that if you prayed to the great martyr on this day, you would soon get married.
2. Those who laugh a lot on November 10th will cry later. Therefore, we tried not to have too much fun and behave with restraint.
3. You can’t wash the floors, otherwise you’ll have to wallow in slop in the next world.
4. It is forbidden to clean the chimney because disaster may occur.
5. Pregnant women should not lend money to friends on this day. It is believed that along with money you are transferring the fate of the future baby into the wrong hands.
6. You cannot bathe, wash your hair and, if possible, dishes. Try to have less contact with water on this day.

People born on November 10th have a strong and powerful character. They are ambitious and always try to achieve their goals. Their mascot is onyx. This stone inspires you to do new things and helps you get fresh ideas. It protects against dangerous spirits, damage and the evil eye.

Video: life of the Great Martyr Paraskeva Pyatnitsa