How to light willow at home. The tradition of blessing the willow

Eat Orthodox holidays, especially loved by the people. This is the day of Jesus Christ's entry into Jerusalem. People threw palm branches at his feet. This is how the most important people were greeted in the East. In our area they usually use willow.

But every time a problem arises: where to put these fluffy branches after the holiday? You can't just throw them in the trash. They are consecrated in the church. There are houses behind icons, near crucifixes, near fireplaces and stoves. In pet stalls. Or in vessels with water. Willow protects your entire home from various misfortunes, illnesses, and quarrels. And so on for a whole year.

The main thing is not to sin

However, not everyone knows what to do with willow after Palm Sunday. It is generally accepted that it does not lose its wonderful medicinal properties until the spring of next year.

What is the right thing to do? Get rid of last year's branches on the holiday or on the eve of it? And when should the newly cut ones be brought to the consecration? These are not formal questions. People want to do things by the rules. According to the laws of the church. So as not to sin again.

So, what to do with willow branches after Palm Sunday? You can collect them all together and put them into a river, lake, stream, or pond. Let them sail in peace.

Also, some people prefer to simply burn willow branches that have dried out over the course of a year. However, attention! The ashes must be scattered where they will not be trampled by passing people or animals. It is also not forbidden to pour the ashes into the river.

Plant a new tree

Are you still concerned about the problem of where to put the willow after Palm Sunday? What do you think of this proposal? The willows were in your vase. Have you changed the water from time to time? And the branches gave roots. The best (and most beautiful!) is to plant it in a clearing in the forest or somewhere near a river. Let it grow, reach for the sun. Makes people happy. And maybe this willow will again be consecrated by people in the church.

In general, willows can be stored for several years in a row. However, every spring it is better to celebrate the holiday with fresh twigs.

In memory of the departed

In our area there is a tradition that has lived for centuries. If you follow it, then you will never have to wonder what to do with the willow after Palm Sunday.

Such a ritual is known. Neighbors and relatives usually know that some person is living last days. And on the day of the funeral, last year’s consecrated willow is placed in his coffin. Some elderly people themselves accumulate old twigs so that they can be placed in their grave at the funeral.

We also recommend this method if you are wondering where to put the willow after Palm Sunday: you need to set its branches on fire and walk around the house with them. At the same time, read a prayer. This is how they cleanse the apartment, the house of everything bad.

It’s not a bad idea to bring the spent twigs to the priest at church. There they will slowly burn them, while reading prayers.

In the forest, next to others

But here is also a good kind of solution to the question of what to do with willow branches after Palm Sunday. For those who find it difficult to answer and don’t know what to do, we can offer this option - take the branches into the forest. Place between the bushes of growing, new, fresh willow.

If you have a stove in your house, then it is very good to light it with an old and well-dried branch. And then bake the cakes. Many people sweep corners with last year's old willow. And then they throw the twigs into the fire and burn them, first thanking them for their service.

By the way, wells were lined with old willow. For what? So that no evil spirits penetrate into the water.

It is interesting that it was from Belarus that the tradition came when parents often beat their own children with willow so that they would grow well and be healthy. For the same purpose, both cattle and adults were whipped everywhere. The bee hives were beaten three times. And then they went to their gardens or fields. There they beat the ground three times with branches. They also stuck branches into the ground. Finally, they went to beat and whip the graves of their loved ones.

Wonderful properties

What kind of service did these modest forest beauties perform after they were blessed by the priest?

Traditionally, the first ritual after returning from church is this: all relatives and household members are lightly beaten (or patted) with a blessed willow, for their own health.

The same is done with domestic animals. After all, what to do with the willow after Palm Sunday is a settled issue. Nothing. Let him be in the house. Everyone must absorb this wonderful power of renewal. The juices of spring and the rebirth of nature.

Another property is that the willow perfectly protects the house from evil, negative spirits, and any evil spirits.

The bride or groom has grown up in the house. What are they doing with our willow? She is urgently planted in the garden. As soon as the sprout takes root, it means there will be a wedding soon.

Willow is also used to drive animals to the fields on St. George's Day. It was believed that with such “treatment” she would be healthy and begin to gain weight well and reproduce.

Here’s another option for what to do with willow after Palm Sunday. Childless girls and women were advised to flavor their food with willow buds, which were blessed in the church. It helps. They also said to use them as a preventive measure against various diseases.

When they bathe sick children, they must also throw the willow into the water. Her kidneys were put in bread for the cattle and in porridge for the whole large rural family.

Against thunder, thunderstorms

People strongly believed that a consecrated willow would stop a thunderstorm and deliver from hail and thunder. You just need to wave a twig towards the clouds.

During fires, willow was thrown into the fire. For what? To reduce its destructive power.

Any coward who dreams of becoming one had to, coming home from church on Palm Sunday, drive a small stake into the wall - from a consecrated willow tree. Of course, this did not instantly turn an over-cautious person into a hero. But in any case, this removes his natural timidity from his soul.

Not only did people attribute powerful healing powers to the leaves and the entire branch, but also to its earrings. They were eaten at once, nine at a time. For fever - the surest panacea. And those who caught a cold or fell ill with some kind of illness swallowed willow buds. And this saved them from bad fever, severe sore throat, and chronic infertility. The consecrated willow served people so faithfully.

Now about the timing. When exactly to free yourself from the old willow tree? Here choose what suits you best. You can take, say, willow branches into the forest directly on the holiday itself. This is also allowed on Palm Sunday. Or right after that big day. Fortunately, we offered many options for this.

We hope that next Palm Sunday you will already know very well what to do with willow.

There are various traditions in the Church that have become widespread among the Russian people. One of these is the consecration of willows on the feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem in Orthodox churches.

It is worth noting that the very celebration of the Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem does not come down solely to the practical side of the consecration of the branches of the tree that is the first to bloom in the spring (willow and willow). The main essence of the celebration is the remembrance of the Savior’s procession to free suffering and death for the sake of saving man and reconciling him with God. Therefore, visiting temples solely to consecrate willows is not correct from the point of view Orthodox faith. The consecration of the willow cannot be given special mystical meaning, this action should not be an end in itself for Orthodox Christian.

During the Savior’s entry into Jerusalem, palm branches were laid under the Lord’s feet. In Russia, willows replaced palm trees. This tree has become a symbol of spiritual joy and awakening, just as nature awakens through the blossoming of willow and willow buds.

Consecrated is a shrine for Orthodox man, evidence of the grace of God sent down during the consecration. Believers keep these shrines for a year, after which the branches are burned or inserted into the ground. garden plots to a place that cannot be trampled under foot.

When and how is the willow blessed?

Many people mistakenly believe that the consecration of the willow takes place on the holiday itself on Sunday. However, the church charter does not provide for such an order at or after the liturgy on the day of the Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem. The consecration of the willow takes place the evening before the Shabbat service. all-night vigil.

In church tradition, services begin on the evening before the celebrated event. The all-night vigil on Saturday before Palm Sunday already refers to the festive service of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. Therefore, it is not surprising that willows are consecrated in churches during this service, and not during the service of the liturgy on Sunday.

The consecration of willows occurs at Matins after the reading of the Gospel texts. After reading Holy Scripture The fiftieth psalm is read, during which the prepared willow and willow branches are censed. The priest reads a prayer for the blessing of the willow and sprinkles the branches with holy water. After this, the service continues with its festive rite.

Find out when the willow blooms, when to collect and consecrate it, what to do with the willow at home after the consecration.

A week before Easter, Orthodox Christians celebrate the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. On this day, willow branches are blessed in churches. Not only church ones are associated with the holiday, but also about church traditions, which you can’t read about in the Bible. You should know how to properly collect and consecrate willow, and also store it at home afterwards.

When does the willow bloom, when does it bloom?

IMPORTANT: Jesus Christ rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, knowing that his fate was predestined. The city, having heard about the deeds of the Lord, greeted him joyfully, spreading palm leaves along the road before his feet. Therefore, if something was to become a symbol of the feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, a symbol of readiness to meet Christ at any moment in one’s life, it was this plant.

Most Orthodox Christians are Slavs living in temperate climates where palm trees do not grow. This holiday falls at the beginning - mid-spring, when the snow has just melted, most plants have not yet recovered from winter. But not the willow; it is one of the first to bloom.

The willow begins to bloom in March.

Willow, or willow, is a shrub and tree that is part of the large Willow family. These plants are pollinated by wind, which must be strong enough to disperse the pollen.

IMPORTANT: Willow blooms in early or mid-spring, from March to April. Flower buds appear on shoots with a characteristic red color (krasnotalah), which bloom very soon.

Willow flowers differ between male and female trees.

1. Male ones are called “seals” - they are collected in round “lumps”, colored grayish - white, soft to the touch.
2. Female ones are grayish-green, oblong, not so fluffy.

It was the willow that Orthodox Christians chose as a symbol of the holiday of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. Moreover, it received another name - Palm Sunday. People wear the color of willow from both male and female trees to church for consecration.

When should you pick willow on Palm Sunday? How to preserve willow until Palm Sunday?

According to tradition, willow twigs are torn on the eve of the holiday, on Lazarus Saturday, or a couple of days before it.

IMPORTANT: We must remember that willow is not just a talisman, a home decoration, but a plant, a living creature. On the eve of Palm Sunday, willow bushes growing in cities and villages are subject to a real attack - they are broken off almost to the last branch. It is unlikely that such harm to nature is a godly deed. No need to bring a whole broom to church! A small unpaired number of twigs is enough.

It is necessary to store the willow until Palm Sunday in a vase with water, then the branches will remain fresh.

When is the willow blessed in church: on Saturday or Sunday?

It is correct to illuminate the willow on Saturday.

1. On the eve of Palm Sunday, on Saturday evening, a festive service is held in churches - the All-Night Vigil.
2. Parishioners attend with candles and willow branches.
3. After reading the Gospel, the priest says a special prayer, walks around the people holding willows with a censer and sprinkles them with holy water. The Church places emphasis on the fact that it is the parishioners themselves who are sanctified and receive grace, and not the branches of the plant.
4. The willow is consecrated with the words:

Repeated sprinkling occurs on Sunday morning, after the liturgy. Usually, it is in the morning that the most big flow those who want to receive grace. They not only fill the temple, but also line up around it. But prayer no longer precedes this sprinkling.

IMPORTANT: Priests complain that Palm Sunday has today turned from a holiday dedicated to the Lord into the day of the consecration of the willow. People flock to church not to praise Christ, to remember his wonderful deeds, but simply to sprinkle holy water on the willow twigs in their hands. Will it bring any benefit to the soul and body? Church officials have their doubts. For true grace, they advise coming to the All-Night Vigil service.

VIDEO: Palm Sunday

How to decorate a willow tree with your own hands for a church?

A willow tree for consecration in a church does not require special decoration. Usually, several branches are simply collected into a bouquet and tied with thread or colored ribbon.

You can also collect a beautiful bouquet of willow twigs with male and female flowers, add to them branches of willow-like plants, for example, willow.

It is worth repeating that church ministers do not give willow such great value. Therefore, they do not have any requirements for her appearance during the consecration.

What to do with the consecrated willow after the holiday? How many willow branches should you put at home? How long should a willow tree stand after Palm Sunday?

After the consecration, the willow twigs should be brought home and stored in the red corner:

• laid out behind the icons, then the willow will dry out
• placing it in a vase with water, then the plant will remain fresh for a long time and, possibly, take root

Everything else that is connected with the willow after its consecration in the church is already a parachurch tradition born from our ancestors. Here are some of them:

1. At home you need to place the number of willow branches equal to the number of family members, or any odd number.
2. You cannot distribute your willow to anyone, either in church or after it. If someone who good reason He couldn’t come to the temple himself, he asks for a favor; a separate bouquet needs to be made for him.
3. Upon arriving home from church, it is customary to symbolically whip all household members, especially children, with willow. It is believed that then the plant gives them strength and health, and they say: “I don’t hit, the willow hits” or

A person who has any ailment can be cured by rubbing the willow over the part of the body that hurts and bothers him and saying:

It is believed that willow buds can be eaten after consecration in order to:

• protect yourself from diseases and troubles
• get pregnant
• successfully complete some important task

They also stuff the deceased’s pillow with willow and place it in the coffin so that his soul goes to Heaven.

IMPORTANT: Many of these folk traditions priests consider it absurd. They categorically do not recommend eating willow, putting it in a coffin, and also thinking that it alone will protect the house from fires, robberies and various natural disasters.

The blessed willow branches remain in the house until the next Palm Sunday, that is, for a whole year.
If desired, you can use it to make interesting interior decorations, such as bouquets and wreaths.

Is it possible to throw away willow after Palm Sunday? Where to put the old consecrated willow from last year? Is it possible to plant consecrated willow on the site?

Willow branches consecrated in the church acquire the character of a shrine. Therefore, after they become unusable (for example, they fade or dry out), or next year, you can’t just throw them in the trash.
According to the church, willow should not be in a dirty, trampled place, mixed with garbage and waste.
Priests advise doing this with last year’s blessed branches:

1. Bury them where people don’t walk and where animals don’t relieve themselves. For example, under a tree in the garden or at a summer cottage.
2. Let your eyelids flow along the river.
3. Set the willow on fire - burn it in an oven or on a fire.
4. Feed to animals.
5. Take it to the church, where the burning ritual will take place.

If the willow twigs have roots, they can be planted in a warm place and provided with abundant watering. Plant a tree in an area near a body of water - a river or pond.

How to consecrate willow at home?

Having blessed the water for Epiphany, many think that now with its help they themselves will be able to consecrate anything, even Easter cakes, dye and willow. “Informed” women know the descriptions of the rituals, and they are also available on the Internet.

1. In theory, the willow at home can be consecrated by the person who, for good reason, is not present in the temple.
2. A woman cannot perform the ceremony during menstruation.
3. To carry out the consecration, in addition to the willow itself, you will need holy water. They sprinkle it on the willow, saying the same words as the priest in the church.

Priests believe that there is nothing wrong with sprinkling willow at home with holy water. But this rite has nothing to do with real consecration.

VIDEO: Willow. To light or not to light. Where to put the old willow. Palm Sunday

The holiday of Palm Sunday, which we will celebrate this year on April 1, 2018, is as well known as Easter, celebrated exactly a week later.

Of course, the main symbol of this event is the willow. But how to properly consecrate a willow on Palm Sunday, where and how many willow branches should be taken and where to place them in the house - not everyone can answer these questions. And why are willows needed on Palm Sunday anyway? Let's talk about everything in order.

• Where to put willow in the house
• Signs associated with willow

Why willows: the history of the holiday

We can start with where the holiday came from, and why is it called that way? Almost 2000 years ago, the Savior triumphantly entered Jerusalem. He came in peace, and the symbol of this was the donkey on which Christ sat (after all, the conquerors of the city always entered on horseback). A huge number of people, imbued with the belief that he was the Son of God, enthusiastically rejoiced and rejoiced as never before in their lives.

They brought huge amount palm branches and placed them all along the path of Christ. The result was a whole path covered with branches. Of course, it was a special, solemn moment. Although exactly a week later the Savior will be executed, he will also be resurrected, which will finally prove his divine nature. That's why we celebrate Palm Sunday first, and exactly a week later, Easter.

Of course, there are no palm branches in our area yet, so we buy willows and decorate the house with them. They begin to swell in March. That is why, no matter what the date of celebration is in a given year, the willows always ripen.

This tradition appeared in Rus' a long time ago - so long ago that it is impossible to name even the approximate year when it began. After all, for a long time our ancestors, whole families, went to willow groves, to the shores of reservoirs, to forests and tore these branches. Of course, they still pick them today, but most of us tend to simply buy willow branches, bring them home and put them in water so that they herald the coming of spring to the whole family.

How to properly consecrate a willow and how many branches you need

You've probably noticed that the willow buds are not the same in color and shape:

1. There are whitish ones, with gray shades. They are like lumps, quite soft to the touch. These are male kidneys, which are also called “seals”.
2. And there are also female ones - they are elongated in length, less fluffy, and closer in color to gray-green.

Of course, you can take both, because the essence of the holiday is not what kind of willows you bring. But the number of branches matters. As with flowers, it is best to take an unpaired number of branches. At the same time, the total quantity is not so important - but you shouldn’t be greedy either. Try to take exactly as much as you need: for yourself, family, friends, neighbors.

PLEASE NOTE

On the eve of Palm Sunday, willow groves are subject to a real invasion - because people strive to collect as many branches as possible. Sometimes they leave the tree bare, and of course this is harmful to nature. Therefore, you should take this ritual more calmly: try to take a small amount of willow branches and not be excessively greedy.

But as for how to properly consecrate a willow, the answer is clear: you should definitely bring the branches to church. Many people do this on Sunday morning, directly on the day of the holiday (by the way, you can buy pussy willow branches then). And it would be more correct to come to church on Saturday evening, when the All-Night Vigil begins. According to tradition, the consecration of the willow occurs on this day. But of course, if you didn’t make it on Saturday, this is not a reason to give up the tradition. Then the willow is blessed on Sunday and brought into the house.

Where to put willow in the house

So, the branches are already at home, and of course we strive to put them in the water in the most visible place. How to decorate a bouquet correctly? And where is it placed according to tradition? No special decorations are required - after all, this is not a bouquet of flowers, but a symbol of the holiday. Therefore, several willow branches are tied into a simple bundle and placed in a vase on the table.

If there is a kind of red corner in the house - a quiet place where you are used to relaxing, being alone with your thoughts or praying, you can put the willow there. Usually believers place an icon on a small shelf, put church candles. You can also place a small vase with an odd number of branches there. By the way, believers keep them throughout the year - exactly until next spring.

PLEASE NOTE

In any case, it is important to understand that the willow is simply a symbol of the holiday, just as colored eggs and Easter cake symbolize Easter. You may have only one branch in the house, or it may turn out that there is none. But the main thing is a person’s sincere faith and benevolent, festive mood. After all, faith is not for a symbol, but a symbol for faith.

Signs associated with willow

Of course, first the branches are blessed in the church - after all, what are the branches for? That's right, it's a symbol of the holiday, uplifting and allowing you to feel and get in touch with ancient tradition. Here are a few interesting beliefs that came to us from time immemorial:

1. With the help of willow, treatment and general improvement of the body were carried out. They took several kidneys and filled them with water. And then they drank the whole glass. You can just eat the kidneys.
2. Lightly hit with a twig loved one– it is believed that this gives health and strength for the whole year.
3. After the holiday, they took some of the twigs, boiled them, and then bathed the children in this water, and the adults themselves were not forbidden to add a little palm decoction to the bath.
4. And if someone in the house is sick, you can put lighted branches at the head of the bed - the person will feel better.

And in general, willow branches protect the house itself from troubles, invasions of unnecessary people and other unforeseen events.

First-hand: Archpriest Alexander Ilyashenko answers

So, with the purpose of the willow for Palm Sunday, the position of the church is clear. This is a good symbol of the holiday, which reminds us of the Savior and his feat. And sometimes believers wonder not only why willows are needed on Palm Sunday or how to consecrate them. People often wonder: if a willow branch has taken root, can it be planted on their property?

This is what Archpriest Alexander Ilyashenko thinks:

Thus, of course, it is better for us to consecrate the willow and choose the right place in the house where to put it. But the most important thing is a person’s faith, his sincere mood for the holiday. After all, any material object is a symbol that allows you to come into contact with a good tradition. And of course, the symbol exists for faith, but not vice versa.

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The Palm Sunday holiday, where the symbol is a bunch of willow flowers, always falls on the last Sunday of Lent. But the rite of consecration of palm branches is performed at the night service, which takes place from Lazarus Saturday to Palm Sunday. Then the ritual is repeated in the morning of the holiday itself.

The end of Lent is approaching, but there are still two big holidays ahead - Lazarus Saturday (April 20) and Palm Sunday (April 21), as well as Holy Week(April 22-27). In this article we will talk about when the willow is consecrated on a major holiday - after all, this is done on Saturday or Sunday.

The Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem is an important big holiday christian church. It always falls on Lent, his last Sunday. But this is a holiday, as evidenced by the diet, which only on this day expands to fish and fish products. An important tradition of Palm Sunday is the blessing of the willow tree in the church. But not everyone knows that the right day when this can already be done is Lazarus Saturday. If you are one of the people who did not know this fact, then we suggest you sort it out in order.

Also read related materials:

Important! When the willow is blessed, you can take bouquets with you on Saturday evening service. After this, the first consecration of the willow takes place. But, if you couldn’t do this or didn’t have time, then go to morning service on Sunday, where the rededication ceremony will also take place.

Church traditions are different, but they are all beautiful and symbolic, and most importantly, they are already deeply rooted in the consciousness modern man. The consecration of the willow on Palm Sunday is one of these rites. This is how we, Orthodox believers, celebrate the entry of the Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem more than two thousand years ago.

Of course, the clergy at sermons these days holidays constantly emphasize the fact that the celebration of the day of the Lord's Entry into Jerusalem is not limited only to the consecration of the willow tree. The main point This celebration is to remember the events that happened so long ago. Jesus Christ knew, despite how warmly and sincerely the people of the holy city greeted him, that it was here that his disciple would betray him, he would be tortured in prison, and then, on an unjust accusation, crucified on a cross, emphatically without any respect.

When Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem, the people there were waiting for him as the messiah. Many had already heard about the Savior’s miracles, and the day before, on Lazarus Saturday, he raised Lazarus from the dead, who had died four days ago. In those days, it was customary to greet noble and respectable people in Jerusalem by throwing palm leaves at their feet. You don’t need to look around to understand that there are no palm trees in Rus' now and never have been. Therefore, palm trees were replaced by the first tree that blooms already in March and early April - this is the willow. And willow branches and soft buds in bloom have become a symbol of this holiday in our territories.

Once again about when and how

Many believers think that the willow should be blessed on the holiday itself. But in fact, if we are guided exclusively and strictly church charter, then this is done at the liturgy the night before, immediately after the all-night vigil. Those who go to church on holidays know this for sure.

However, in morning hours on Sunday they also consecrate the willow - do not deprive believers of this big holiday. Therefore, on the morning of Palm Sunday, you can fall under this tradition in the morning after the priest reads the corresponding texts from the Gospel. When reading the prayer, the priest sprinkles the bouquets that the parishioners are holding in their hands with holy water, and then the festive service continues.

Important! The priests emphasize that not just for show, but for true grace in the process of consecrating the willow, one must come to the All-Night Vigil service, which takes place exactly on the night from Lazarus Saturday to Palm Sunday.

What do we do with consecrated willow?

After the temple, the bouquet must be brought home. It needs to be stored for a year, the ideal place is where the icons are in your home. If you want the twigs to remain fresh for a long time, you can put them in water.

Important traditions and features of willow bouquets:

• People believed that the number of branches in the bouquet needed to bring home was equal to the number of family members, or the number of branches in the bouquet was unclear.
• You cannot give your willow to anyone. If you were asked to bless a bouquet for friends who could not go to the temple, you need to collect a separate copy for them.
• Lightly and symbolically beat your family with a blessed bouquet to improve health and give strength.
• If you eat a couple of willow buds, you can conceive a child (for those who have been unable to do so for a long time), and be cured of an illness.
• In order for the deceased to go to heaven, several seals from a consecrated willow were placed in his coffin.