The erection of the honorable cross is a holiday of the Lord. History of the crucifixion

From this article you will learn:

The entire Orthodox world sacredly honors the relics of the Christian world, which have not lost their significance to this day, continuing to heal people and perform real miracles. The Shroud of Turin, the Crown of Thorns, the Robe of the Lord, the Manger of Christ... There are not many of them, and the more significant they are for all Orthodox Christians. This list is completed by the Cross of the Lord on which Christ was crucified. A solemn and majestic Orthodox holiday- The Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 27: a constant date that does not change over the years.

Exaltation of September 27: history of the holiday

This holiday is based on events that are very significant for the entire Christian world. Where did this tradition come from - to celebrate the Exaltation of the Holy Cross: the history of the holiday goes back deep into the 4th century.

Finding the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord

Constantine's mother Queen Helen, in 326 together with Bishop Macarius arrived in Palestine with the goal of finding the burial place of Christ. Excavations were organized, as a result of which the cave itself, in which the Holy Sepulcher was located, and three crosses were found. It was necessary to somehow determine which of them was exactly the one on which Christ was crucified. There are two legends about how this was done. According to the first, each of the three crosses found was applied to a sick woman. After one of these touches, she was successfully healed - and the Cross was identified as Life-giving. According to the second legend, it was from touching this cross that the deceased was resurrected.

Exaltation of the Holy Cross

From Palestine, Queen Helena brought pieces of the Cross and nails to Constantinople. After that Emperor Constantine began large-scale construction of one of the most majestic Orthodox churches, which included both Golgotha and the Holy Sepulcher. Construction lasted almost 10 years, and Queen Helen did not live to see its completion. The temple was finally completed and consecrated in 335, September 13. And on September 14 (old style), the next day, it was decided to celebrate the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

Return of the Life-Giving Cross

Another historical event All Orthodox Christians remember this day. IN 629 Persian king Khozroi II plundered Jerusalem, defeating the Greek army, and took the Life-Giving Cross to Persia. He stayed there for almost 14 years until Khozroe defeated Emperor Heraclius. He returned their shrine to the Christians. When Heraclius solemnly carried the Cross of the Lord to the Temple, once erected by Emperor Constantine, he suddenly stopped and could not budge. Then they told him that even Christ, lifting the Cross to Golgotha, was in a humiliated and insulted state. The emperor took off his crown and purple, put on simple clothes, and only then was he able to continue his journey.

This is the story of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, celebrated annually by the entire Orthodox world on September 27.

The meaning of the Exaltation of the Life-Giving Cross

What is the significance of the Exaltation, this Orthodox holiday, so revered everywhere?

The cross is one of the most important Orthodox symbols, which protects us all from wickedness and filth;
the strength and power of this symbol lies in the great sacrifice that Christ once made to humanity with his suffering on the cross;
Everyone is crowned with a cross Orthodox churches, All Orthodox people wear the Cross on their chests, All undertakings are blessed by the Cross;
The cross accompanies all the sacraments of the Orthodox Church.

It is difficult to overestimate not only the significance of the Orthodox Cross, but also the holiday of the Exaltation of the Cross itself. Do you wear this symbol of Christian virtue on your chest?

Traditions and customs for the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Like any Orthodox holiday, the Exaltation of the Holy Cross has its own traditions and customs, which are sacredly performed and Orthodox people, and even ordinary people, who sometimes consider themselves far from the church. How to spend this day? What is supposed to be done during the Exaltation, and what is not allowed?

Divine service for the Exaltation of the Cross

The very solemn Divine Service for the Exaltation will not leave you indifferent. Be sure to venerate the Cross and ask the Lord for forgiveness for everything you have done in this life. Imagine how bad, difficult and painful it was for Christ, who was crucified, humiliated and insulted. There is a prayer to the Honest Life-Giving Cross, which works real miracles:

“May God rise again, and may His enemies be scattered, and may those who hate Him flee from His presence. As smoke disappears, let them disappear; just as wax melts in the face of fire, so let demons perish from the face of those who love God and signify themselves with the sign of the cross, and who say in joy: Rejoice, Most Honorable and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, drive away the demons by force on you of our Lord Jesus Christ, who descended into hell and straightened the power the devil, and who gave us His Honest Cross to drive away every adversary. O Most Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord! Help me with the Holy Virgin Mary and with all the saints forever. Amen."

On this day, priests wear ceremonial purple robes. So an outfit for visiting the temple for the Exaltation in these colors will be very useful.

Exaltation: traditional dishes

If you are wondering what to cook for the Exaltation, keep in mind that this day is a fast day. Moreover, it was believed that those who did not eat eggs, meat, or milk on this day were forgiven seven sins at once. Since cabbage harvesting was timed to coincide with this day, it was customary to treat everyone to cabbage dishes in the evening.

What to do on Exaltation?

During the Exaltation, it was customary to harvest and prepare cabbage for the winter. Cabbage parties were held with songs, games and gatherings.

What not to do on Exaltation?

By folk beliefs, on this day you should not start any serious, responsible affairs, since they will not receive a successful completion. You cannot go into the forest on Exaltation, since bears and snakes were considered especially dangerous on this day.

This is the holiday that all Orthodox Christians celebrate on September 27 - the Exaltation of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, the twelfth eternal holiday, always celebrated on the same day.

Exaltation of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord- belongs to the twelve holidays. Installed in memory of the finding of the Lord's Cross, which occurred, according to church tradition, in 326 in Jerusalem near Golgotha - the site of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

The exaltation of the Cross of the Lord is the glorification of the Cross of Christ. This is the only twelfth holiday, which is based not only on the events of New Testament times, but also on later ones, from the field of church history. The Nativity of the Mother of God, celebrated six days earlier, is the threshold of the mystery of the incarnation of God on earth, and the Cross announces His future sacrifice. Therefore, the Feast of the Cross also occurs at the beginning of the church year.

The story of finding the Cross

Christianity did not immediately become a world religion. In the first centuries of our era, both the Jewish clergy and, especially, the authorities of the Roman Empire tried to fight it - and Palestine was its integral part. The pagan Roman emperors tried to completely destroy in humanity the memories of the sacred places where our Lord Jesus Christ suffered for people and rose again. Emperor Hadrian (117 - 138) ordered to fill up Calvary and the Holy Sepulcher with earth and erect a temple of the pagan goddess Venus and a statue of Jupiter on an artificial hill. Pagans gathered at this place and performed idol sacrifices. However, after 300 years, by the Providence of God, the great Christian shrines - the Holy Sepulcher and the Life-Giving Cross were rediscovered by Christians and opened for worship.

Constantine the Great - the first Christian emperor

This happened during the reign of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine the Great (306 - 337), who, after the victory in 312 over Maxentius, the ruler of the Western part of the Roman Empire, and over Licinius, the ruler of its Eastern part, in 323 became the sole ruler of the vast Roman Empire. In 313 he published the so-called Edict of Milan, according to which it was legalized christian religion and the persecution of Christians in the Western half of the empire ceased.

The Cross of Constantine is a monogram known as “Chi-Rho” (“chi” and “rho” are the first two letters of the name of Christ in Greek). Legend has it that Emperor Constantine saw this cross in the sky on his way to Rome, and along with the cross he saw the inscription “By this victory.” According to another legend, he saw a cross in a dream the night before the battle and heard a voice: “With this sign you will win”). They say that it was this prediction that converted Constantine to Christianity. And the monogram became the first generally accepted symbol of Christianity - as a sign of victory and salvation.

The Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine, who with the help of God won victory over his enemies in three wars, saw God’s sign in the sky - the Cross with the inscription “By this victory” (τούτῳ νίκα).

Ardently desiring to find the Cross on which our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, Equal to the Apostles Constantine sent his mother, the pious Queen Helen (May 21), to Jerusalem, providing her with a letter to Patriarch Macarius of Jerusalem.

Holy Queen Helen

Helena started archaeological excavations in Jerusalem, which were necessary because in the 4th century there was practically no one to show either the place of Christ’s crucifixion or the place of His burial. Most of the first Christians - those who could pass on information from generation to generation about places associated with earthly life Christ, were Jews. And the Roman authorities, dissatisfied with the constant uprisings of Jews for independence, expelled them from Palestine in the 2nd century AD. ( This, by the way, became main reason the fact that Jews are now settled all over the world).

Queen Helena had at her disposal written gospel sources, with an accurate description of not only the events in the life of Christ, but also the places in which they took place. For example, Mount Golgotha, on which Christ was crucified, was known to any resident of Jerusalem. Another question is that the city was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt. At the time of the Passion of Christ, Golgotha was located outside the city walls of Jerusalem, and by the time of the excavations of Helen it was inside them.

The queen ordered to destroy the pagan temples and idolatrous statues that filled Jerusalem. Looking for the Life-Giving Cross, she questioned Christians and Jews, but for a long time her search remained unsuccessful. Finally, she was pointed to an old Jew named Judas, who said that the Cross was buried where the temple of Venus stood. They destroyed the temple and, after praying, began to dig the ground. Golgotha was excavated almost to the ground, as a result of which the Cave of the Holy Sepulcher was discovered - the place where Christ was buried, as well as several crosses.

Grave cave on Golgotha, on the territory of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher

Place where the Holy Cross was found

In those days, the cross was just an instrument of execution, and Mount Golgotha was the usual place for carrying out death sentences. And how difficult it was for Queen Helena to understand which of the crosses found in the ground was Christ’s.

The Cross of the Lord was identified, firstly, by a sign with the inscription “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews,” and secondly, by its placement on a sick woman, who was instantly healed. In addition, there is a legend that a dead person was resurrected from contact with this Cross - he was carried past for burial. Hence the name - the Life-Giving Cross.

Elder Judas and other Jews believed in Christ and accepted holy baptism. Judas received the name Cyriacus and was subsequently ordained Bishop of Jerusalem. During the reign of Julian the Apostate (361 - 363) he accepted martyrdom for Christ.

When the Cross was found (and then every year on this day), the primate of the Jerusalem Church raised it, that is, erected it (hence - Exaltation), turning to all directions of the world in turn, so that all believers could, if not touch the shrine, then at least see it.

In places associated with the earthly life of the Savior, Queen Helena built more than 80 temples.

Church of the Holy Sepulcher

By special decree of Emperor Constantine, a huge, even by today’s standards, was erected in Jerusalem, and majestic Temple The Resurrection of Christ, which is more often called Church of the Holy Sepulcher. It included both the cave where Christ was buried and Golgotha. The temple took about 10 years to build - a record time even for our time - and was consecrated on September 13, 335, along with the large Martyrium Basilica and other buildings on the site of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of the Savior. Renewal Day(i.e. consecration, the Greek term enkainia (renewal) usually denotes the consecration of the temple) began to be celebrated annually with great solemnity, and the remembrance of the finding of St. The cross was included in the festive celebration in honor of the Renewal, and was initially of secondary importance.

Establishment of a holiday

At the end of the 4th century. Holiday Renewal was one of the 3 main holidays in the Jerusalem Church, along with Easter and Epiphany. According to a number of researchers, the Feast of Renewal has become a Christian analogue Old Testament Feast of Tabernacles, one of the 3 main holidays of Old Testament worship, especially since the consecration of Solomon’s Temple also occurred during Tabernacles. It lasted 8 days, during which “even the sacrament of Baptism was taught”; was done every day Divine Liturgy; churches were decorated in the same way as on Epiphany and Easter; Many people came to Jerusalem for the holiday, including from distant regions - Mesopotamia, Egypt, Syria. On the 2nd day of the Feast of the Renewal of St. The cross was shown to all the people. Thus, the Exaltation was initially established as an additional holiday accompanying the main celebration in honor of the Renewal - similar to the holidays in honor of Mother of God the day after the Nativity of Christ or St. John the Baptist the day after the Epiphany.

Starting from the 6th century. The Exaltation gradually became a more significant holiday than the Feast of Renewal. For example, in the Life of St. Mary of Egypt (VII century), it is said that St. Mary headed to Jerusalem for the celebration of the Exaltation.

Return of the Cross

Battle of Emperor Heraclius with the Persians. Execution of the Persian king Khosroes

Subsequently, it was the Exaltation that became the main holiday and became widespread in the East, especially after the victory of Emperor Heraclius over the Persians and the solemn return of St. Cross from captivity in March 631. The Christian shrine, having defeated the Greek army, was captured by the Persian king Khosroes II. It was only recaptured 14 years later, when the Greeks defeated the Persians. The Life-Giving Cross was brought to Jerusalem with great triumph and reverence. He was accompanied by Patriarch Zacharias, who had been a captive of the Persians all these years and was constantly close to the Cross of the Lord. Emperor Heraclius himself wished to carry the great shrine. According to legend, at the gate through which it was necessary to go to Golgotha, the emperor suddenly stopped and, no matter how hard he tried, he could not take a single step. The Holy Patriarch explained to the king that an angel was blocking his path, because the One who carried the Cross to Golgotha to redeem the world from sins completed his Way of the Cross, being humiliated and persecuted. Then Heraclius took off his crown and his royal outfit, dressed in simple clothes and... entered the gate without hindrance.

This event is also associated with the establishment of calendar commemorations of the Cross on March 6 and on the Cross Worship Week of Lent. The holiday of the Renewal of the Jerusalem Church of the Resurrection, although preserved in liturgical books until the present time, became a pre-holiday day before the Exaltation. This holiday is also popularly called “Resurrection” since it can fall on any day of the week, but is called (reputed) “resurrection”. There is even a tradition of serving the Easter rite on this day in those churches where this is the patronal holiday.

There are different opinions about the future fate of the Holy Cross. According to some sources, the Life-Giving Cross remained until 1245, i.e. before the seventh crusade, in the form in which it was found under St. Elena. And according to legend, the Cross of the Lord was broken into small parts and carried throughout the world. Of course, most of It is kept to this day in Jerusalem, in a special ark in the altar of the Church of the Resurrection, and belongs to the Greeks.

The rite of raising the Cross

In memory of the sufferings of Jesus Christ on the cross, the holiday was established strict fast . One of the features of the holiday is rite of raising the Cross. During the festive service, the cross is placed on the throne and then taken to the middle of the temple for worship.

The meaning of the holiday

The Feast of the Exaltation also has the deepest significance in the destinies of the whole world. The cross is directly related to the second coming of the Savior, for according to the true word of Christ, the Last Judgment will be preceded by the appearance of the sign of the Cross of the Lord, which will appear, as it were, as a “second” Exaltation: “ Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven; and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory"(Matt. 24:30).

Therefore, we, Orthodox Christians, resort to the protection of the Cross of Christ and pray: “ Invincible and incomprehensible and the Divine power of the Honest and Life-giving Cross, do not forsake us sinners!»

God's Law. Saint Helena. Exaltation of the Holy Cross

“To Thy Cross...” Orthodox soldiers’ choir at the St. Smolensk Zosima Hermitage

http://www.pravmir.ru/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Krestu_Tvoemu3.mp3

Troparion to the Exaltation of the Cross. Male choir of Minsk Theological Seminary

http://www.pravmir.ru/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Tropar.mp3

Troparion, tone 1
Save, O Lord, Thy people, / and bless Thy inheritance, / granting victories [to the blessed king]* against the resistance, / and preserving Thy residence through Thy Cross.

The words “to the blessed king” are contained in the original text of the troparion, compiled by the Monk Cosmas of Maium in the 8th century. This short chant expresses not only faith in the all-conquering power of the Cross, but also an indication of its sign in the sky, which was seen by King Constantine the Great and his soldiers. IN ancient Rus', as in the original text, the general “king” was sung without a name, but in Russian Empire began to sing “to our pious emperor (name).” This example was then followed by several others Slavic states. In connection with the cessation of Christian statehood, different approaches to the meaning of the troparion, which caused various changes.

Kontakion, tone 4
Having ascended to the Cross by will, / grant to your namesake new residence / your bounty, O Christ God, / your faithful people rejoiced in your power, / giving us victories as counterparts, / assistance to those who have your weapon of peace, / an invincible victory.

Greatness
We magnify You, Life-Giving Christ, and honor Your Holy Cross, with which You saved us from the work of the enemy.

Exaltation of the Holy Cross associated with the end of the persecution of Christians when the Roman Emperor Constantine appeared. On the eve of a very important battle, Constantine saw in the sky the sign of the cross with the inscription “Hereby conquer” (in Greek: NIKA). At night, Jesus Christ himself appeared to him with the Cross in his hand and said that with the cross he could defeat the enemy. Christ advised making a banner with the image of the Holy Cross.

Constantine did as he was asked and managed to defeat the enemy. After this, he declared the faith of Christ to be the main one. He instructed his mother, Queen Helen, to find the place where Jesus was crucified and the Cross was buried. They wanted to build a Temple on this site. Queen Helena put a lot of effort into finding the right place. When she succeeded, after lengthy excavations, three crosses appeared at once. On the advice of the bishop, they began to bring each cross to a seriously ill woman. Nothing has changed from the two crosses. When they brought the third cross, the woman was instantly healed. In this way they recognized the Cross of the Lord.

I congratulate you on the Exaltation,
May the Lord illuminate your path.
May the Cross always save Him from troubles,
And it doesn’t let you take a wrong turn somewhere.

Let Hope always burn in your soul,
May Faith protect and inspire you.
And let life be forever serene,
The love of family and friends adds strength to you.

Happy Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord!
May there be God's grace
Always - both tomorrow and today
To accompany you everywhere!

And may the Lord protect
Fate from sorrows and troubles,
And it will shine brighter than the sun
Love, hope, faith light!

Congratulations on the great holiday of light and joy of the soul - on the Exaltation of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. May this day give grace and health to the family, mercy of the soul and kindness of the heart, light and joy, happiness and peace.

Life-giving Cross of the Lord
Holy Exaltation today.
God's Cross always helps us in life,
Saves us from troubles and diseases!

I congratulate you on your Exaltation,
I wish you salvation with all my heart.
Live on earth with love for God,
Do not sow evil, but only do good!

Exaltation of the Holy Cross
We celebrate together today!
May the Almighty protect you
From troubles, worries, unnecessary anxiety!

Let faith sparkle in your heart
It always burns - both day and night,
Love and appreciate your neighbors.
And live virtuously!

Life-giving Cross of the Lord
He brings us blessings.
He who believes is free,
The Lord will always save him.

I wish you strength of spirit
Today, on a holiday, on any day,
And faith is not for show,
May God always be with you!

I cordially congratulate you today,
After all, Orthodox people celebrate
Exaltation of the Holy Cross,
The bell is ringing and the angels are singing.

May it forever be in your heart
Peace, hope and love reign.
May faith be endless
And joy blooms again and again.

Exaltation of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord
We are celebrating Orthodox family Today!
We wish you health, joy and strength,
May every day bring smiles.

We wish God's miraculous salvation,
We want to make only the right decisions.
We certainly wish not to sin,
Only live in love and happiness.

Congratulations on the erection of the Cross,
I wish you a lot of happiness and health,
Let your soul be pure like dew,
Let your heart be filled with love!

May the Lord send blessings,
May he protect you from all sorrows!
May luck accompany you,
But in life only peace always reigns!

Today is the holiday, the Exaltation of the Cross,
May he fill life with goodness and blessings,
Your lips will offer a prayer to heaven,
Relatives will always be there.

Jesus endured all the troubles for us
And I was not afraid to give my life,
So may Christ protect you all your life,
Just pray, love and repent!

Congratulations on your Exaltation
I want it from the bottom of my heart now.
May the Lord always help,
Let everything be within your reach.

Don't lose faith in your heart
After all, she will always save.
May my sincere prayer
It will bring relief.

Ask on a glorious holiday
Deliverance from troubles
And hear with your soul
You are the answer to your question.

Congratulations: 24 in verse, 7 in prose.

Exaltation of the Holy Cross- the great twelfth holiday, celebrated.

After it's done greatest events in the history of mankind - the Crucifixion, Burial, Resurrection and Ascension of Christ, St. The cross, which served as the instrument of execution of the Savior, was lost. Exact date finding St. The cross is unknown.

Three different versions of the legend about the finding of St. Cross. According to the most ancient (it is given by the 5th century church historians Rufinus of Aquileia, Socrates, Sozomen, etc. and probably goes back to the lost “Church History” of Gelasius of Caesarea (IV century)), St. The cross was located under the pagan sanctuary of Venus. When the sanctuary was destroyed, 3 crosses were discovered, as well as a tablet from the Cross of the Savior and the nails with which He was nailed. In order to find out which of the crosses is the one on which the Lord was crucified, Bishop of Jerusalem. Macarius (+ 333) suggested applying each of the crosses in turn to a seriously ill woman. When she was healed after touching one of the crosses, all those gathered glorified God, who pointed to the greatest shrine of the True Tree of the Cross of the Lord, and St. The cross was raised by Bishop. Macarius for public viewing.
Another version of the legend about the finding of St. Cross, which arose in Syria in the 1st half. V century, refers this event not to the IV, but to the III century and says that the Cross was found by Protonika, the wife of the emperor. Claudius II (269–270).
The 3rd version, also apparently originating in the 5th century in Syria, reports that St. Elena tried to find out the location of the Cross from the Jerusalem Jews, and in the end one elderly Jew named Judas, who at first did not want to talk, after torture indicated the place - the Temple of Venus. St. Helena ordered to destroy the temple and excavate this place. 3 crosses were found there; A miracle helped to reveal the Cross of Christ - the resurrection through touching the True Tree of a dead man who was being carried past. It is reported about Judas that he subsequently converted to Christianity with the name Cyriacus and became the bishop of Jerusalem; however, church historians do not mention a single bishop of Jerusalem with that name in the 4th century.
Despite the antiquity of the 1st version of the legend about the finding of St. Cross, the 3rd version became the most common; in particular, the prologue legend intended for reading on the Feast of the Exaltation according to modern liturgical books of the Orthodox Church is based on it.

The establishment of the Feast of the Exaltation is associated with the holidays in honor of the consecration of the Martyrium and the Rotunda of the Resurrection, in relation to which the Exaltation was initially of secondary importance. According to the “Easter Chronicle” of the 7th century, the sacred act of the Exaltation (called here staurofaneia (Greek) - the appearance of the Cross [to the people]) was first performed during the festivities during the consecration of Jerusalem churches.
Already at the end. In the 4th century, the feast of the Renewal of the Basilica of Martyrium and the Rotunda of the Resurrection was one of the 3 main holidays in the Jerusalem Church, along with Easter and Epiphany. According to the testimony of a pilgrim at the end of the 4th century Egeria, the Renewal was celebrated for 8 days; Divine Liturgy was celebrated every day; churches were decorated in the same way as on Epiphany and Easter; Many people came to Jerusalem for the holiday.
In the 5th century, according to the testimony of the church historian Sozomen, the Feast of Renewal was celebrated in the Jerusalem Church as before very solemnly, for 8 days, during which “even the sacrament of Baptism was taught.”
Initially, the Exaltation was established as an additional holiday accompanying the main celebration in honor of the Renewal - similar to the holidays in honor of the Mother of God on the day after the Nativity of Christ or St. John the Baptist the day after the Epiphany. Starting from the 6th century, the Exaltation gradually became a more significant holiday than the Feast of Renewal. Alexander the Monk wrote that this is the date of the Feast of the Exaltation and Renewal, established by the fathers by order of the emperor.
By the 7th century, the close connection between the holidays of Renewal and Exaltation was no longer felt. Subsequently, it was the Exaltation that became the main holiday and became widespread in the East, especially after the victory of Emperor Heraclius over the Persians and the solemn return of St. The Cross from captivity in March 631 (this event is also associated with the establishment of calendar commemorations of the Cross on March 6 and on the Cross Worship Week of Lent). The holiday of the Renewal of the Jerusalem Church of the Resurrection, although preserved in liturgical books until the present day, became a pre-holiday day before the Exaltation.
In the Jerusalem Charter, which became widespread in Greek Orthodox Churches in the XII–XIII centuries, among the southern Slavs - from the end. XIII-XIV centuries, in the Russian Church from the end. XIV-XV centuries, in the Georgian Church - in the XIII-XV centuries, starting from its earliest surviving editions and up to the Typikon, now used in the Russian Church, the charter of the Feast of the Exaltation and the days surrounding it are generally the same.
The festive cycle consists of a pre-celebration on September 13, a holiday and 7 days of a post-celebration, including a celebration on September 21. In memory of the sufferings of Jesus Christ on the cross, a strict fast was established on the day of the holiday.

Exaltation (Shift, Movement, Exaltation Day, Stavrov Day, Cabbage / Cabbage /) is the popular name for this holiday. In popular belief, the Exaltation is associated with the consonant word “movement”, with the help of which many peasants explained the meaning of the holiday. This is the basis of the signs and sayings dedicated to this day. They talked about the end of the harvest: “On Vozdvizhene the last haystack from the field is moving, the last cart is in a hurry to the threshing floor”; "Movement - the grain from the field has moved."
By the time of the Exaltation, Indian summer was ending, the third meeting of autumn was taking place: “Summer closes the Exaltation, the blue tick takes the keys with it overseas” (Smolensk). The approach of winter was noted: “The rise of autumn is moving towards winter”; “It’s not a problem for the peasant on the Exaltation of the Winter”; “On Vozdvizhenie, winter takes off its nest and goes to visit a Russian peasant, - this (he says) I, winter-winter, will stay in Holy Rus', visit the gray peasant.” To the offensive winter cold they prepared in advance, so they said: “The Elevation will remove the caftan from the reach, put on the sheepskin coat”; “Exaltation will push back the zipun, move the fur coat.”
For a long time, the Vozdvizhenie celebrations were performed. religious processions around villages to protect them from harm for a year. Molebens were served, icons were raised, and fields were walked around with prayer for the future harvest. They also prayed for the sick: “Pray with faith on the Day of Exaltation, so Life-giving cross and will rise from his deathbed." It was customary to raise crosses on churches under construction; install roadside crosses; build votive chapels (ordinaries) and small churches - according to promise, in honor of the holiday.
By the time of the Exaltation, the harvesting of vegetables, flax, and hemp was completed. They started chopping cabbage and storing it for the winter, so the Exaltation was called the cabbage holiday: “The Exaltation is someone’s holiday, but cabbage has more than everyone else!”; "On Vozdvizhenie the first lady is cabbage"; “Be smart, woman, about cabbage: The Exaltation has come!” The cutting of cabbage was accompanied by songs and food in the evenings. “A good man has cabbage pie on Vozdvizhen’s Day”; “On Vozdvizhenya Day, a good fellow has cabbage on the porch,” “A good man on Vozdvizhenya Day has cabbage pie,” says the Russian proverb.
On the Exaltation, no important work was started, since there was a belief that everything started on this day would be unsuccessful and useless.

Today is an Orthodox church holiday:

Tomorrow is a holiday:

Holidays expected:
07.03.2019 -
08.03.2019 -
09.03.2019 -