About the weeks after Easter. Customs and traditions of Easter week by day

The week following Easter was called “Fomina” (named after the Apostle Thomas, who believed in the Resurrection of Christ after he felt the wounds of the Savior). It is popularly called Wired. According to tradition, it is at this time that the dead are remembered.
First Sunday after Easter in church calendar is called Antipascha or St. Thomas Sunday. People call this day Red Hill. The name Antipascha means “instead of Easter” or “opposite of Easter” - but this is not a opposition, but an appeal to the past holiday, repeating it on the eighth day after Easter.

Since ancient times, the end of Bright Week has been celebrated especially, constituting a kind of replacement for Easter. This day is also called St. Thomas Week, in memory of the miracle of the assurance of the Apostle Thomas.

The death of Christ on the cross made an incredibly depressing impression on the Apostle Thomas: he seemed to be confirmed in the conviction that His loss was irrevocable. To the disciples’ assurances about the resurrection of Christ, he replies: “Unless I see in His hands the marks of the nails and put my hand into His side, I will not believe” (John 20:25).
On the eighth day after the Resurrection, the Lord appeared to the Apostle Thomas and, testifying that he was with the disciples all the time after the Resurrection, did not wait for Thomas’s questions, showing him His wounds, answering his unspoken request. The Gospel does not say whether Thomas really felt the wounds of the Lord, but so faith kindled in him with a bright flame, and he exclaimed: “My Lord and my God!” With these words, Thomas confessed not only faith in the Resurrection of Christ, but also faith in His Divinity.

According to Church Tradition, Saint Thomas the Apostle founded Christian Churches in Palestine, Mesopotamia, Parthia, Ethiopia and India, sealing the preaching of the Gospel martyrdom. For the conversion of the son and wife of the ruler of the Indian city of Meliapora (Melipura) to Christ, he was imprisoned, endured torture and, finally, pierced with five spears, went to the Lord.
Starting from St. Thomas Sunday in the Orthodox Church, after a long Lenten break, the sacrament of weddings is resumed. In Rus', it was on this day, Red Hill, that the most weddings took place, festivities and matchmaking were held.
Also on St. Thomas week, on Tuesday of the second week, on the ninth day after Easter, the Orthodox Church celebrates Radonitsa - the day special commemoration departed, the first after Easter.

Each day of St. Thomas Week has its own name:

On Monday or Tuesday of St. Thomas Week, the church established the commemoration of the dead. They serve memorial services and go to the cemetery.
Monday called "wires". It is believed that in Easter period the dead visit their homes to celebrate their own Easter. For us, who live in this earthly world, it is supposed to meet the dead, receive (treat) them, and then help them return to the next world. Thus, according to traditions, on Monday they begin to see off their ancestors to the next world.
Tuesday- this is the main day of St. Thomas's week, which is called Radunitsa, Radonitsa, Radanitsa, Radovnitsa. In the 19th century, Navy Day and Radonitsa merged into one and began to celebrate in a bright way. According to scientists, “Radonitsa” comes from the word “joy” that the resurrection of Christ brought.
The oldest Slavic custom was the holiday of Radonitsa, which was held in the spring in honor of Rod, the creator of the Universe, the first Slavic god. On Radonitsa they turned to their dead ancestors with requests for patronage of the house and its protection. The young people asked for blessings for love and marriage. On the eve of Radonitsa, they usually heated a bathhouse for the ancestors, prepared a towel and soap, but did not wash themselves.
People also brought gifts and crumbled them onto the graves of loved ones (baked goods, pancakes, funeral kuta, colored eggs, beer, wine, etc.). After which they helped themselves. Funeral bonfires were lit in the graveyard. On this day it was customary to sing songs and dance in circles. Sadness often turned into joy. No wonder there is a well-known saying: people plow on Radonitsa in the morning, cry during the day, and jump in the evening. And all because after Easter spring field work began, on Radonitsa people visited cemeteries, and in the evening they had fun.
From these pre-Christian rituals come spring funeral rites on St. Thomas week. Church charter prescribes visiting cemeteries after Happy week: “Easter for believers is the entrance to a world where death is abolished and where everyone who can be resurrected is already alive in Christ.” On this day, an ecumenical memorial service is celebrated in churches. People go to the cemetery to the graves of their loved ones and symbolically kiss Christ with them. After tasting kutya, they drink vodka or wine without clinking glasses. They remember the deceased with warm words. It is believed that the deceased share meals with the living. The remains of the treats crumble, and the funeral glass of vodka is poured onto the grave. Some of the funeral food (candies, sweets, pastries, colored eggs) is distributed to others and children “for the repose of the soul.”
Thursday is considered the most dangerous day of Fomina's week: on this day the dead come to their homes. To greet them with dignity, treats were left in one of the rooms at night and the windows were opened. It was strictly forbidden to enter the room before dawn. Protecting themselves from the unwanted dead, they simultaneously took certain protective measures: they sprinkled poppy seeds in the corners of the houses and lit passionate candles in front of the icons. If there are drowned people in the family, then the treats were left near the water or thrown into the river.
On St. Thomas Saturday the expulsion of death took place in the villages. Old and young women gathered from all over the village and, armed with brooms, pokers and other household utensils, called out curses to death. It was believed that the longer and more fun you frighten a ghost, the more reliably you can get rid of any disease. In addition, people ran around cemeteries with knives in their hands and exclaimed: “Run, run, evil spirits! In this way they sought to alleviate the afterlife suffering of the dead.
Sunday on St. Thomas Week it is called Red Hill. On this day we tried to free ourselves from all sad thoughts and worries. Mass celebrations were held in high places, funny Games and danced in circles. Also on this day, viewings of future brides took place. The day before, hollers walked through the villages, performing a majestic song under the windows of the newlyweds and inviting all residents to the festivities.

Easter is approaching, so many people are interested in the question of what date is Parents' Day in 2019. Its other name is Radonitsa (consonant with the words “kind” and “joy”). This is the main day of remembrance of all the dead - both Orthodox and people of other views.

In 2019, Parents' Week falls on May 5-11. The name of this week is comparable to the word “joy.” The ancestors believed that this was a period of “joyful wakes”, since it was a joyful time.

Memorial days according to the church calendar

If we talk about when exactly (what date) Parents' Day will take place in 2019, then there will be several answers. It is also important for people to know when Big Parents' Saturday will be this year.

Parents' Saturday - when

Indeed, several times a year we can hear the following words: “Today is parents’ Saturday.” What does this mean, and why is this Saturday called parental Saturday?

There are 7 parental Saturdays a year - these are the days when the deceased are remembered in a special way. They got their name due to the fact that when people addressed the Lord, they first of all mentioned their deceased relatives. From year to year, the dates of parental Saturdays change, as they depend on the dates of other church holidays.

If we talk about what date Radonitsa is in 2019, we can recall other memorial dates that are established by the church calendar.

• March 2 - Ecumenical (meat-free) parent's Saturday. They commemorate all deceased Orthodox Christians - both parents and relatives, acquaintances, and friends.
• March 23, March 30 and April 6 are Parental Saturdays of Lent in 2019.
• May 7 is Parents' Day, also known as Radonitsa (the first date of commemoration allowed by the church after Holy and Bright Weeks).
• May 9 is the Day of Remembrance of fallen soldiers during the Great Patriotic War.
• June 15 is Trinity Parents' Saturday, which also has universal significance.
• October 12 - Intercession Parents' Saturday.
• November 2 - Dmitrievskaya (Dimitrievskaya) parents' Saturday.

And there is also Memorial Day on September 11, when memorial services are held in memory of other soldiers who died for the Tsar and the Fatherland.

Other memorial days after Easter

Along with these seven Saturdays, there are also private parenting days. For example, May 9 is not only a public holiday known as Victory Day, but also the Day of Remembrance of fallen soldiers during the Great Patriotic War.

Memorial Day 9/11 - Day of Remembrance for Fallen Soldiers Orthodox faith. Then memorial services are served in memory of other soldiers who died for the Tsar and the Fatherland. Interestingly, such a tradition has existed for more than two centuries - it was first established by Catherine the Great in 1774.

How the dead are remembered in church

If we talk about what date parent’s day is after Easter in 2019, then the main date is Radonitsa Day on May 7th. The deceased are also intensely venerated before Trinity, during the Ecumenical Trinity Parental Saturday (in 2019 it will be June 15).

In everything parents' Saturdays services begin the night before. On Friday, the Great Requiem Service takes place (the word itself is translated from Greek as “all-night vigil”). And the next day in the morning a funeral service is performed Divine Liturgy, after which a general funeral service takes place.

Believers can come to the temple on any of these days, whenever possible and desired. Traditionally, notes are submitted in which Old Slavonic language write the names of the deceased baptized parents or other close people. It is advisable to submit notes the night before on Friday - usually they are guided by the schedule of the temple itself.

It is also customary to bring a modest Lenten food and church wine (Cahors). It is supposed to leave food in the temple so that anyone in need can take it, as conscience allows.

Such a tradition has existed for several centuries or even millennia and has purely folk roots. It's called "bring food for the eve."

5 tips for having a great parent's day

Along with the question of when Easter and parent's day will be, people often ask how to spend it correctly. special time. It is clear that you need to go to the cemetery and visit there full order– tidy up the area, paint the table and fence, put fresh flowers.

What else, and most importantly, what to do on Radonitsa:

1. According to tradition, one is supposed to take part in the morning service. By the way, it will completely set a person up and help him calm his thoughts before a difficult visit to his deceased ancestors and loved ones.
2. Then, in the cemetery, you can light a candle and place it on the table. Contemplation of fire is very relaxing and pacifies a person - a fact known to everyone.
3. Then, if you wish, you can read any prayer, both out loud and silently. Of course, you can speak or send mental waves in your own words - the main thing is to do it from a sincere desire.
4. You should not imitate the ridiculous traditions associated with drinking alcohol, leaving a glass of vodka and food on the grave. The Church is quite categorical on this issue and says a firm “no”. And it is intuitively clear that alcohol is not a drink for the cemetery.
5. Finally, you can (and should) remember your loved one by giving alms. By the way, it is better to give Easter eggs, eggs and other products (and maybe even modest money) to someone in need. But vodka and other strong drinks should not be given - again, let’s not confuse the holiday with Memorial Day.

WHY IS THE DAY CALLED PARENTS' DAY

On the one hand, it is clear: we, children, remember our departed parents. But this is not always the case. Alas, sometimes parents have to remember their children.And of course, it is not forbidden to pay the last tribute to a dear friend, dear heart and just a very close, warm person.

It is believed that the day is called parental mainly because the soul after death goes to its clan. Similar statements can be found in the Bible (for example, Genesis 26:7-8).

In 2019, Parents' Day will take place on May 7, and it is better to prepare for such an event in advance. But coming to the cemetery on Easter and until Radonitsa (during the first week after the holiday) is undesirable.

Bright days are for celebration, and parent's day is for remembrance. Everything in the year will have its time.

Christians around the world are looking forward to Easter. This holiday is special, because it marks the Resurrection of Christ. Ends Lent, and the celebrations will last exactly 40 days, exactly how long Christ remained among the believers from the day of his resurrection until his ascension. The Easter week, which begins immediately after Easter, is called Bright Week; these days are considered the main days during the entire celebration. At this time, believers exchange colored eggs, greeting each other with the words “Christ is Risen!”

During Bright Easter Week, festive services are held in all churches and the ringing of bells does not stop. People hold mass celebrations, games, meetings with family or friends, accompanied by festive meals.

Easter week

In 2017, Easter falls on May 1, and the celebrations of Bright Week will last until St. Thomas Sunday, that is, until May 8.

Among the names of Easter week you can find the following: Velikaya, Krasnaya, Veliko-Denskaya and Svetlaya. Orthodox people have long believed that after the Resurrection of Christ the sun did not set beyond the horizon for a week, but set only on Red Hill, therefore the entire first Easter week was considered one day on which the people rejoiced and celebrated.

In pre-revolutionary Russia, the entire week was a day off; it was not customary to work during this time. Bright Easter week is a time for doing good deeds, generous gifts and generous deeds.

Traditions of Easter week by day

The Christian holiday is closely intertwined with ancient Slavic customs that mark the beginning of the spring equinox. That is why religious and pagan traditions merged during the celebrations of Bright Week. Days of Easter week:

The names of the days differed in many regions, so among the Eastern Ukrainian peoples and even the Poles Monday was called watered, among the Hutsuls it was called dragging, and among the Serbs it was called water. Belarusians called Wednesday an ice day, and Friday - forgiveness.

Orthodox customs

Among Christian believers, almost all the customs of Bright Week are still alive:

In addition to observing these traditions, during Easter week they also commemorate the dead. This happens twice: on Monday and Thursday. These events are not considered sad at all and do not contradict the festive mood. Believers believe that the souls of the dead returned to the living to enjoy the holiday together these days, hoping for their resurrection. Commemoration of the dead occurs only in the cemetery, where food is left on the graves, subsequently collected by passing beggars.

On such days, it is forbidden to wash and sew, otherwise you can muddy the water in front of the dead or sew up their eyes.

Rituals of Easter week

Easter is a holiday of renewal and rebirth, which is why many rituals with traditions that are associated with marriage, youth celebrations, and bride-to-be parties fall on Bright Week. The rituals themselves differed in different villages:

• In some, girls dressed in their best dresses competed in dexterity, knocking down wooden figures with a long painted pole. The guys from all over the area were looking for the most dexterous and accurate one.
• In other regions, dressed-up girls gathered in the church square to show off, and then rode horseback throughout the village.

Easter week also attracted young people with the opportunity to perform some kind of magical ritual designed to speed up marriage, for example, fortune telling.

Many believe that those born during Easter week the baby will be endowed with great health, good luck and will achieve a lot in life.

Games and fun

Throughout the entire Bright Easter week, people had fun, every day they went to visit, gathered with loved ones for a festive meal, and then sang, danced, danced in circles, had fun in every way, and were simply happy. Among the common Easter fun, unfortunately lost or forgotten today:

By the way, it was believed that while riding on a swing, the wind would blow away sins from a person.

End of Bright Week

The last day of Easter week is called differently. Most often it is called:

• Thomas Sunday is connected with the fact that the Apostle Thomas saw the risen Christ for the first time, but did not believe that he had seen a miracle.
• Antipascha, that is, a day similar to Easter, just as joyful and festive. This Sunday the festive liturgy is celebrated last time, and the altar gates in churches are closed.
• Red Hill, so named because all the festivities took place on thawed hills or beautiful (red) hills. It is this day that notifies everyone that spring has finally arrived.

The peak of Easter week celebrations falls on this Sunday. During the day, many games are held, noisy, cheerful crowds gather everywhere, everyone, young and old, sings and has fun. Among the holidays of Easter week, Krasnaya Gorka is popularly known as a wedding day; young people strive to get married at this time, because popular belief Whoever marries Krasnaya Gorka will never get divorced.

Unmarried youth from all over the area necessarily participated in festivities and games, and refusal could bring misfortune.

The first Easter week is followed by St. Thomas Week, and the holidays themselves are still ongoing, but the traditions and rituals will already differ significantly from Bright Week.

Once upon a time in Rus', spring was finally celebrated at Krasnaya Gorka. That blooming, green and fragrant time of year, which is about to turn into summer. This day always comes on the second Sunday after Easter. However, Krasnaya Gorka is bigger folk holiday than church.

This is a day for joy and fun. You shouldn't go to the cemetery or be sad. Both church and folk customs They agree that on this day you need to have fun and enjoy spring and life.

About the traditions of Krasnaya Gorka

This holiday is considered mostly for youth. Young people go out into the street and get together, have fun celebrations clean air. In Russian villages it was considered bad omen, if an unmarried girl or a single guy in Krasnaya Gorka stayed at home and did not go outside. Girls and women different ways they tried to attract the attention of the guys, so some of them wove colorful bright ribbons into their hair, and some tied painted scarves. Everyone wanted to stand out from large number girls

It was believed that a young man or girl who stayed at home during all the festivities would not find a mate, or he would get the last bride, and she would get a worthless groom, since the best ones would be “taken apart” by others, and what’s even worse, misfortune would happen to the disobedient ones.

In old customs, where round dances and dances took place, young people began to invite spring to themselves on this day. A little later, one of the girls was chosen to personify this period of awakening. The spring girl was decorated and taken around the village, and at that moment she rejoiced and sang songs.
The godfather or girl, Lada, was in charge of this fun. She was the best expert on song lyrics and sayings, led round dances, sang songs, and remembered the rules of games. A little later, the meaning of the yield and fertility of the coming summer was added to this theme.

So, Krasnaya Gorka is the first day after the long 48-day Lent, when weddings can already take place. In short, this is the best day of the year to get married. Russian tsars, by the way, got married only on Krasnaya Gorka and no other day.

The popular name for this second Easter Sunday is very eloquent, but why is the day called that way? Everything is connected with the color red, as well as the usual hill (hill). After all, “red” means “beautiful.” This is how people called spring, and then Easter, “the red holiday.”

Games and fun on this day were usually held on a hill. And all the hills in Rus' were traditionally called “gorka”. The fact is that it is the elevation, regardless of exact date the holiday was still the first to be freed from snow. The first grass appears on it, the first flowers bloom and the gentle spring sun shines best of all. As for “red”, it is not only a color, but also a quality. The day is always pleasant with weather. There is no reason to doubt that Krasnaya Gorka will also please you this time with weather and spring sunshine, which lifts everyone’s spirits.

This day has quite a few names, but the most popular among the people are St. Fomin's Day and Antipascha. This day is called Antipascha for the reason that it is a similarity or replacement to Easter. On this day, it is customary to paint eggs again, which are a symbol of celebration. Antipascha is the first day after a long break consisting of Maslenitsa, Lent, Holy Week and Bright Week, when the church again begins to celebrate marriages and bless the newlyweds for marriage.

The Red Hill holiday has another name - it is also called St. Thomas' Resurrection. The holiday received this name in honor of St. Thomas, who did not believe in the resurrection of Christ. And on the eighth day after his resurrection, Jesus Christ appeared before Thomas the unbeliever. This explains the name of the holiday and why the holiday is celebrated a week after Easter. This is where the popular expression “Doubting Thomas” comes from.

About weddings on Krasnaya Gorka

If you decide to get married on Krasnaya Gorka, that is, to get married, then you won’t find a better time of the year. There are several reasons why it happened this way. Firstly, with the beginning of Lent, young people are not married in the church. This is a period of mourning and obedience, when fun and intimate relationships are prohibited, even between spouses. It turns out that the next weekend after the end of Lent is just the Red Hill holiday.

If you get married on this day, then folk signs promise exceptional prosperity and happiness to the family. And this was not an accident, since the wedding was preceded by an engagement, which took place in the fall. Abstinence during the 40-day fast promoted emotional checking, moral purification, and thoughtful decision making.

Of course, happiness in the family does not depend on the wedding date, but on how much the spouses respect each other and understand each other. But, if you have the opportunity to start your family journey on such a beautiful spring day, then why not take advantage of it?

On this day, grooms poured water over their chosen one. If the guy does not woo after such a dousing, he will disgrace the girl.

On Krasnaya Gorka, after the wedding ceremony, it was customary for the newlyweds to visit cemeteries to pay tribute to their close relatives. Another interesting ritual of the day wedding is rolling eggs uphill. As the eggs move downwards (near or in different sides) was predicted and future life family couple. It was considered a good omen if an egg rolled down a hill and did not break. There was also a belief that it was worth going to Krasnaya Gorka to the registry office and back different roads and the most difficult to confuse evil spirits.

The peasants had another ancient ritual, with which they habitually invited harvest and fertility for their lands every year. All the women of the village could take part in it, but not the men! The ritual is quite simple: all the girls and women of one village harnessed themselves to one plow and drew a furrow around the entire village. If this furrow ultimately resembled a cross, then it was considered good sign and a guarantee for future fertility on the land. As soon as this ritual was carried out, the entire village began to celebrate.

In any year it will be easy to calculate what date Red Hill is celebrated. It is important to know the actual date of Easter for a particular year, and then simply look at the date of the first Sunday that immediately follows Easter. After all Holy holiday Christ's Resurrection does not end in one day. It continues for a week, and the climax comes precisely on Krasnaya Gorka.

The Sunday following Easter is called Antipascha or St. Thomas Sunday. This day has long been considered a holiday and is a kind of second Easter. It was then that the Apostle Thomas, who initially did not believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, became convinced that the Savior had returned to life and believed in the miracle performed by God.

The second begins with Antipascha Easter week, called St. Thomas' week. For Orthodox Christians, in addition to Sunday, special meaning Fomin Tuesday also has. It falls on Radonitsa - a day of special remembrance of the dead, when the joy of their transition to the Kingdom of God should be stronger than the sadness due to separation from those whose earthly journey is already over.

Answering the question, what Orthodox holiday After Easter is celebrated by Christians, we immediately remember Antipascha. It is also called the Resurrection of Thomas. This church holiday received its second name in honor of Thomas, one of the disciples of Jesus Christ.

Probably everyone has heard the expression about the unbelieving Apostle Thomas. But it is very important to correctly understand its meaning. Thomas sincerely revered God, spent a lot of time in prayer, and his faith in the Almighty was unshakable. After the execution of Jesus Christ, he was in terrible grief. Thomas was not present among the apostles at the moment of the first appearance of the risen Savior to them and refused to take the word of the apostles who told him about the miracle that had happened.

According to the Gospel, Thomas wanted to personally verify that everything told by Christ’s disciples was true, and told them that he would not believe in the resurrection of the Son of God until he saw him with his own eyes and touched the wounds from the nails on his hands and to his ribs. From point of view Orthodox Church this testified not so much to his distrust, but to Thomas’s enormous all-consuming desire to personally experience the meeting with the Son of God who had returned to life, and not from other people’s words, but with his own heart to feel the joy of this bright event.

Jesus Christ heeded the wishes of his disciple and appeared to him a week after his resurrection. In the Gospel on this occasion it is written that the Savior came into a room whose doors were locked. He stood among the apostles and turned to Thomas with the words “Put your finger here and look at my hands; give me your hand and place it in my ribs; and do not be an unbeliever, but a believer.” To which his disciple replied: “My Lord and my God!” After which Jesus again turned to the apostle: “You believed because you saw me; Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” After the miracle, the Apostle Thomas unconditionally believed in the Resurrection of the Savior and began to preach Christianity, wandering around the world. In memory of these events in the church calendar, also called St. Thomas Sunday, which is a kind of appeal to the past, its repetition.

Orthodox Christians celebrate the second appearance of the Savior to the apostles, which confirmed faith in the truth of his Resurrection.

Antipascha and Radonitsa

In all Orthodox churches the holidays after Easter continue for another 39 days, until the day of the Ascension of Christ.

The name of the holiday comes from the words “birth” and “joy”, and it is a day of special remembrance of the dead. On Radonitsa we cannot be sad and yearn for people who are not with us. On this day, Orthodox Christians, on the contrary, are instructed to rejoice for their relatives who have already “gone” to the Kingdom of God.

On Radonitsa it is also customary:

• pray for the repose of the souls of deceased relatives;
• visit temple;
• cleaning up the cemetery after winter;
• hold funeral meals with traditional Easter treats to share the joy of the Resurrection of Christ with the deceased.

At the same time, the Church instructs believers to hold funeral meals at home, and not in cemeteries. And do not leave a glass of vodka with bread, as well as colored eggs and Easter cakes on the graves of deceased relatives, since this is a pagan, not a Christian custom.

It is best to give the treat to people in need, or simply give alms to the poor.

Krasnaya Gorka - time for weddings and matchmaking

Fomino Sunday, as well as the entire Fomino Week, which is also called Red Hill, has long been considered in Rus' as a time for matchmaking and weddings. During this period, for the first time since the beginning of Lent, the church resumed wedding ceremonies. Therefore, on St. Thomas' week, people celebrated not only church holidays, but also numerous weddings.

Fomina week began to be called Red Hill due to the fact that, according to ancient Russian rituals, spring bride viewings were held in the villages at that time. During Fomina week everyone is young unmarried girls, or red maidens, as they were called then, gathered on the hills in the middle of the villages and sang special holiday songs in chorus, and during such festivities the grooms came to the hill and looked at which brides were now marriageable. So it has been since then that in honor of the songs and round dances organized on the hills by the red maidens, this holiday was popularly nicknamed Red Hill.

At the same time, they celebrated great amount weddings Our ancestors have long believed that marriages concluded on Krasnaya Gorka would be very happy, and young people married on these days would spend their entire lives in love and harmony.

This custom has survived to this day, and many Christians prefer to get married on St. Thomas Week.