What an Orthodox holiday on August 14th. When is the Dormition Fast

Today is January 14 (January 1, old style) - Church, Orthodox holiday today:

*** Circumcision of the Lord. Saint Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea of ​​Cappadocia (379).
Martyr Basil of Ankir (c. 362). Saint Gregory Nazianzus, father of St. Gregory the Theologian (374). Saint Emilia, mother of Saint Basil the Great (IV). Martyr Theodotus. The Monk Theodosius, Abbot of Triglia (VIII). Martyr Peter of Peloponnesus (1776). The Monk Martyr Jeremiah (1918); Hieromartyrs Plato, Bishop of Revel, and with him Michael (Bleive) and Nikolai (Bezhanitsky) presbyters, Yuryevsky (1919); Hieromartyrs Alexander, Archbishop of Samara, and with him John (Smirnov), John (Suldin), Alexander (Ivanov), Alexander (Organov), Trofim (Myachin), Vasily (Vitevsky), Vyacheslav (Infantov) and Jacob (Alferov) presbyters, Samara (1938).

New Year... The New Year's holiday passed into the Christian Church from the Old Testament. It, along with other holidays, was established by Moses at the command of God Himself. There were two New Years celebrations in the Old Testament Church. One of them began the civil New Year, the other - the church one. The civil one was celebrated in the fall, in the month of Tisri (September) - in the month of gathering fruits, and the church - in the spring, in the month of Aviv or Nisan (March) - in the month of the liberation of the Jews from Egyptian slavery. On the New Year's holiday, the Jews had sacred meetings, sacrifices were made in large numbers, in the temple and synagogues they listened to the reading of the Holy. The Scriptures also remembered the good deeds of God to His people. Also in our Orthodox Christian Church there is a civil New Year, January 1 (previously it was March 1), and a church New Year - September 1. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself consecrated the New Year of September, when one day on this holiday entered the synagogue and read the words of the prophet. Isaiah about a new auspicious summer with His coming to earth (Luke 4: 17-19). The month of March is significant for Christians with the event of the incarnation of Christ the Savior from the Blessed Virgin on the 25th day of this month. In our Fatherland, January was adopted as the beginning of the civil year from January 1, 1700, under Emperor Peter the Great. Church service for the New Year is celebrated with us on September 1, and in January only a prayer service is performed on the occasion of the New Year.

Circumcision of the Lord

Church Tradition testifies to us that on the eighth day after His Nativity, Jesus Christ, according to the Old Testament law, accepted the circumcision established for all male infants as a sign of the Covenant of God with the forefather Abraham and his descendants. During this ceremony, the Divine Child was given the Name Jesus (Savior), announced by the Archangel Gabriel on the day of the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary. According to the interpretation of the Fathers of the Church, the Lord, the Creator of the law, accepted circumcision, showing an example of how people should rigorously fulfill Divine ordinances. The Lord accepted circumcision so that no one could later doubt that He was a true Man, and not a bearer of ghostly flesh, as some heretics (docet) taught. In the New Testament, the rite of circumcision gave way to the sacrament of Baptism, of which it was a prototype. Bishop Theophan the Recluse compared the feast of circumcision with “circumcision of the heart”, when passions and lustful dispositions are cut off: “Let's give up our old addictions, all the joys and everything in which we previously found pleasure, we will begin from this moment to live solely for God for our salvation”.

Saint Basil the Great Day

Saint Basil the Great was born about 330 in the city of Caesarea in Cappadocia (Asia Minor), into the pious Christian family of Basil and Emilia. The saint's father was a lawyer and teacher of rhetoric. The family had ten children, of whom five, including the mother of the saint, the righteous Emilia, were canonized by the Church.
Saint Basil received his primary education under the guidance of his parents and grandmother Macrina, a highly educated Christian woman. After the death of his father and grandmother, Saint Basil went to Constantinople for further education, and then to Athens, where he perfectly studied various sciences - rhetoric and philosophy, astronomy and mathematics, physics and medicine. About 357 Saint Basil returned to Caesarea, where for some time he taught rhetoric. In Antioch, in 362 he was ordained a deacon by Bishop Meletios, and in 364 he was ordained a presbyter by Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea.
Fulfilling his ministry, Saint Basil zealously preached and tirelessly took care of the needs of his flock, thanks to which he won high respect and love. Bishop Eusebius, out of human weakness, was imbued with envy of him and began to show his dislike. To avoid confusion, Saint Basil withdrew to the Pontic desert (the southern coast of the Black Sea), where he settled not far from a monastery founded by his mother and elder sister. Here Saint Basil asceticised in ascetic deeds together with his friend Saint Gregory the Theologian. Guided by Holy Scripture, they wrote the statutes of monastic life, which were subsequently adopted by Christian monasteries.
After the death of Emperor Constantine the Great, during the reign of his son Constance (337-361), the Arian false doctrine, condemned at the 1st Ecumenical Council in 325, began to spread again and especially intensified under the Emperor Valens (364-378), a supporter of the Arians. For Saints Basil the Great and Gregory the Theologian, the hour has come when the Lord called them from prayer solitude into the world to fight heresy. Saint Gregory returned to Nazianzen, and Saint Basil - to Caesarea, having heeded the written request of Bishop Eusebius, who was reconciled with him. Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea (author of the famous "Church History") died in the arms of Saint Basil the Great, blessing him to be his successor.
Soon Saint Basil was elected by the Council of Bishops to the See of Caesarea (370). In a difficult time for the Church, he showed himself as an ardent defender of the Orthodox faith, protecting it from heresies with his words and messages. Especially noteworthy are his three books against the Arian false teacher Eunomius, in which St. Basil the Great taught about the Divinity of the Holy Spirit and the unity of His nature with the Father and the Son. During his short life (+ 379) Saint Basil left us many theological works: nine talks on the Sixth Day, 16 talks on various psalms, five books in defense of the Orthodox teaching about the Holy Trinity; 24 talks on various theological topics; seven ascetic treatises; monastic rules; an ascetic charter; two books on Baptism; a book about the Holy Spirit; several sermons and 366 letters to different people.
In his unceasing deeds of fasting and prayer, Saint Basil acquired from the Lord the gift of clairvoyance and miracles. There are many known cases of miraculous healings performed by St. Basil the Great. The power of Saint Basil's prayers was so great that he could boldly ask the Lord for forgiveness for a sinner who had denied Christ, leading him to sincere repentance. Through the prayers of the saint, many great sinners desperate for salvation received forgiveness and were released from their sins. Interesting fact. While on his deathbed, the saint converted his physician, the Jew Joseph, to Christ. The latter was sure that the saint would not be able to live until morning, and said that otherwise he would believe in Christ and receive Baptism. The saint asked the Lord for a postponement of his death. The night passed and, to Joseph's amazement, Saint Basil not only did not die, but, getting up from his bed, came to the church, he himself performed the sacrament of Baptism over Joseph, served the Divine Liturgy, gave Joseph communion, taught him a lesson, and then, taking leave of everyone, with prayer he departed to the Lord, without leaving the temple.
Saint Basil the Great, along with Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, from ancient times enjoyed special veneration among the Russian believing people. A particle of the relics of St. Basil still resides in the Pochaev Lavra. The honest head of St. Basil is reverently kept in the Lavra of St. Athanasius on Mount Athos, and his right hand is in the altar of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Jerusalem.

* The seven martyrs of the Maccabean brothers: Abim, Antonin, Guria, Eleazar, Eusebone, Alim and Markelles, their mother Solomonia and their teacher Eleazar (166 BC). ** The origin (wear) of the trees of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord. * Celebration of the All-Merciful Savior and the Most Holy Theotokos (1164).
Martyrs in Perga Pamphilia victims Leontius, Attius, Alexander, Kindeus, Minsitheus, Kirpak, Mineon, Katun and Eucleus (c. 284-305); The New Pope; Eleazar; Kirika; Theodora; Polievkta. Venerable Martyr Yelesa on the island of Kifirstem (375). Saint Timothy, Bishop Proconnes (VI). Remembrance of the Baptism of Rus (988). Hieromartyr Demetrius (Pavsky) Archpriest (1937). Saint Alexander (Urodov), Archimandrite, Confessor (1961).

Assumption Fast

The Dormition Fast was established in honor of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. The Mother of God herself, preparing to depart into eternal life, constantly fasted and prayed. But we, spiritually weak and weak, should all the more often resort to fasting, turning to the Most Holy Virgin for help in every need and sorrow. This fast lasts only two weeks, but according to its severity it is in keeping with the Great. Fish is allowed only on the day of the Transfiguration of the Lord (August 19), and if the end of the fast (Assumption) falls on Wednesday or Friday, then this day is also fishy. Monday, Wednesday, Friday - cold food without oil, Tuesday and Thursday - hot food without oil, Saturday and Sunday - food with vegetable oil. Wine is prohibited on all days. If the memory of the great saint happens, then on Tuesday and Thursday - hot food with butter, Monday, Wednesday, Friday - hot food without butter.
The food regulations on Wednesdays and Fridays in the period from the end of the Dormition fast to the beginning of Christmas (autumn meat-eater) is the same as in the summer meat-eater, that is, on Wednesdays and Fridays, fish is allowed only on the twelve and temple holidays. Food with vegetable oil on Wednesday and Friday is allowed only if these days are the feast days of the memory of the great saint with an all-night vigil or with a polyeleos service the day before.

Feast of the origin of the honest trees of the Life-giving Cross

The feast of the origin of the venerable trees of the Life-giving Cross is established as follows. In 1164, the Greek tsar Manuel and the Russian prince Andrei Bogolyubsky on the same day to fight: the first against the Saracens, the second against the Kama Bulgarians. Andrei Bogolyubsky, setting out on a campaign, took with him the holy cross and the icon of the Virgin, and they were carried by the priests in front of his troops, performing prayers and sprinkling holy water on the army. The Lord helped Andrew to defeat the enemies, and when he returned with victory, he saw a miraculous phenomenon: from his princely banner with the image of the Savior's icon, a ray of light was shed, as it were, on the entire army. The prince wrote about this phenomenon to the Greek emperor Manuel, and he, having also won a victory over his enemies, realized that it was thanks to the help of God, and in grateful memory of this help to himself and the Russian prince, he established a holiday. The holiday is called the origin, i.e. the passage, or the carrying of the Honorable Cross of the Lord, because it recalls the wearing of the cross in front of the ranks of the Russian army, and because on this holiday the carrying of the cross is supposed to be carried out for worship at the all-night vigil and for the blessing of water at the liturgy. The feast of August 1/14 is called in common parlance the "first Savior", that is, the first feast of the Savior in this month, since during it there are still two feasts of the Savior: - the second Savior, and - the third Savior.

Honey saved

August 14 Since ancient times, the first of three holidays dedicated to our Savior Jesus Christ was celebrated, established on the occasion of signs from the icons of the Savior, the Most Holy Theotokos and the Holy Cross during the battles of the holy noble Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky with the Volga Bulgars. In addition, the day of August 14 was dedicated to the memory of the seven holy martyrs of the Maccabees - Abim, Antonin, Guria, Eleazar, Eusenon, Adim and Markellus, as well as their mother Solomon and their teacher Eleazar. On the Honey Savior it was customary to consecrate honey in the church; after the consecration, the bees broke their fast with fresh honey, and also baked pies with millet porridge and honey. In general, strict guardians of folk customs and fasting people began to eat honey only from that day. The First Spas is the beginning of the Dormition Lent, about which the people said: "Spasovka is a gourmet, and Petrovka () is a hunger strike." In addition to onions, the peasants usually did not have other greens, and many vegetables and fruits already appeared by the Dormition Fast. On the first Savior, wells were sanctified, and religious processions to the water were organized everywhere.

The Martyrs of the Maccabees: Abim, Antonin, Guri, Eleazar, Eusevon, Alim, Markelle, their mother Solomonia and their teacher Eleazar.

The martyrs of the Maccabees: Abim, Antonin, Guri, Eleazar, Eusebun, Alim, Markelle, their mother Solomonia and their teacher Eleazar suffered in the Old Testament times. Shortly before the birth of Christ, the Jews fell under the rule of the Syrian kings, and one of them, Antiochus Epiphanes, began to force the Jews to abandon the Jewish law and adopt the Greek - pagan. Then many of the Jews stood firm for their faith and law and suffered for it. Such were the Maccabees. Eleazar was a 90-year-old elder, respected by all for his learning and virtuous life. When the Syrian governor in Jerusalem demanded that he eat pork meat sacrificed to idols as a sign of renouncing the Mosaic law, Eliazar replied that he would rather die than forsake the God of his fathers. They promised him mercy if he even pretended to eat meat offered to idols; but the pious elder said: “I will not put my gray hair to shame with such hypocrisy, and I will not give the young men a seductive example. If I get rid of torment from the hand of men, will I get rid of the hand of the Almighty? No, I am going to my death and will show young people how to die for the holy law. " And with courage he gave up his ghost under the blows of the executioners. Among the many Jews who were firm in their faith, a woman named Solomonia with seven sons was also presented to Antiochus Epiphanes. To force them to accept paganism, Antiochus ordered them to be flogged with whips and ox veins. But despite the brutal blows of the whips, the eldest of the sons of Solomon said firmly to the king: "We would rather die than transgress the fatherly laws." Antiochus was inflamed with anger and ordered to cut off his tongue, chop off his fingers and toes, peel off the skin from his head, then fry him still alive in a frying pan. The other brothers and mother had to watch his torment. After him, the other five brothers were tortured in the same way. They all died with the firm hope of a resurrection to eternal life. The seventh, the youngest brother remained. The king, by persuasion and promises, tried to persuade him to renounce the faith, but in vain. Then he ordered his mother to persuade the boy and thus keep for himself at least one of the seven sons. The mother approached her son and said: “My child! I brought you up with such difficulty and need, without renouncing the God whom we worship; die just like your brothers, so that I may meet you with them in a blissful life. " After listening to his mother, the boy turned to the torturers and said: “What do you expect? Do not think that I will obey you and break the laws given to us through Moses. This will not happen! And you, the king, who caused so much harm to the Jews, will not escape the judgment of God. In the midst of the cruellest torments, you finally admit that the God of Israel is the only God. " The irritated Epiphanes subjected the young confessor to the most cruel tortures. After him, the valiant Solomonia was also burned. The saints Maccabees suffered in 166 B.C.

Nine Martyrs Leontius, Attius, Alexander, Kindey, Minsitheus, Cyriacus, Mineon (Menaion), Katun and Eucleus came from Pamphilian Perga and suffered during the persecution from Diocletian. Mineon was a carpenter, and everyone else was farmers. At night they destroyed the temple of the goddess Artemis. For this they were cruelly tortured, at last, they were thrown to be torn apart by beasts, but the beasts did not touch them. Then their heads were cut off.

Today is an Orthodox church holiday:

Tomorrow is a holiday:

Holidays Expected:
16.03.2019 -
17.03.2019 -
18.03.2019 -

3 Orthodox church holidays are celebrated on September 25. The list of events informs about church holidays, fasts, days of veneration of the memory of saints. The list will help you find out the date of a significant religious event for Orthodox Christians.

Orthodox Church Holidays September 25

Leaving the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The last day of the multi-day celebration of the birth of the Virgin Mary. Services are held in churches, prayers and chants are read.

The last day of the afterfeast of the twelve and the great feasts lasting many days is called the bestowal (the great non-twelve feasts have no afterfeast and no giving). In Orthodox liturgy, it is accompanied by no less celebrations than the day of the holiday itself. What sacred meaning does this church act carry, another name for which - apodosis - is translated from Greek as return?

Giving is nothing more than the return of the believing heart to rethinking the holiday after a certain time. In early Christian times, this was strictly practiced on the 8th day. The custom of dedicating the 8th day of the afterfeast to the “bygone” great event has been preserved in the liturgy and non-Orthodox churches for many centuries - the 8-day period, which begins on the day of the holiday itself and ends with giving, is today referred to in them as an octave.

It is difficult to say whether the celebration of giving was widespread in local non-Jewish Christian communities from the earliest apostolic times. But history brings to us the correct information that already under Emperor Constantine I, 8-day celebrations were held in honor of the consecration of the basilicas temples of the cities of Jerusalem and Tire. Later, such a tradition spread to the twelve annual holidays, and in the IV century, the celebration of Easter and Pentecost began to be widely served, and in the East - also the Epiphany, and later the Nativity of Christ. Around the 17th century, a tradition appears to celebrate the commemoration of the saints of God - in particular, the holy supreme apostles Peter and Paul, St. Lawrence, the Roman martyr-archdeacon, the holy Martyr Agnes.

During the divine service, timed to coincide with the celebration of the holiday, according to the liturgical tradition, all the chants and prayers of that day are sung and recited. When the twelve feasts are celebrated, Matins is celebrated with great doxology, and during the liturgy the Apostle and the Gospel of the day are read. Fomino Sunday, or the Week of Anti-Easter, is endowed with a special time of afterfeast. During this week and the very day of giving up the holiday, the story of the assurance of Thomas the unbeliever is remembered, it is customary to read the kontakion, and the prokeimenon of Antipaschus and the holy apostle are also involved.

In the Orthodox Church, there are holidays, the giving of which, for various historical reasons, is not served. These today include, for example, the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, Christmas and the Beheading of the honest head of the Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John, Circumcision of the Lord and the day of remembrance of the holy chief apostles Peter and Paul. The traditions of Christian worship, as we see, are changing (and this is natural, since the Church is a living divine-human organism, it cannot exist without changes), but the essence remains the same.

Speaking about giving up a church holiday, Metropolitan Benjamin (Fedchenkov) writes that the Lord sometimes gives Grace associated with this or that event, on this last day of the afterfeast. Why? Probably for the same reason why Christ, who at first hid from the eyes of Luke and Cleopa, who recognized him, then appears again to his disciples. A person cannot fully realize the value of something that does not move away from him at least for a while. In order to assimilate the sacred concept both with the mind and soul, you need to imbue it for several days, and then let it go during the giving, impatiently awaiting its return. The Sabbath, that is, the celebration of the Old and New Testaments, can hardly be firmly tied to any calendar day - rather, it is a special state.

Artamon Serpentine

PriestMartyr of the Autonomous Republic of Italy, Bishop

The church honors the memory of Saint Autonomus. He was originally a bishop in Italy. During the persecution of Christians during the reign of the emperor Diocletian, he moved to Bithynia. Was killed by the pagans.

The Hieromartyr Autonomus was a bishop in Italy. During the time of the persecution of Christians by the emperor Diocletian (284-305), Saint Autonomus left his country for the benefit of the Church and settled in Bithynia, in the town of Sorea with the strange lover Cornelius. Saint Autonomus zealously performed his apostolic service and converted so many pagans to Christ that a large Church was formed, for which he consecrated a temple in the name of the Archangel Michael. To this Church the saint ordained Cornelius, first to the rank of deacon, and then to the presbyter. With a sermon about Christ, Saint Autonomus also visited Lycaonia and Isauria. The emperor Diocletian gave orders to seize Saint Autonomus, but he withdrew to Claudiopolis on the Black Sea. Returning to Sorea, Saint Autonomus consecrated Presbyter Cornelius as bishop. He himself went to Asia, and when he returned from there, he began to preach in the town of Limna, near Sorea.

Once the converts destroyed the idol's temple. The pagans decided to take revenge on the Christians. Choosing the moment when Saint Autonomus served the Divine Liturgy, the pagans attacked the temple of the Archangel Michael and, after torture, killed Saint Autonomus, staining the altar of the church with his martyr's blood. Deaconess Mary removed the body of the holy martyr from under the heap of stones and gave it over to burial.

During the reign of Saint Constantine the Great, a church was erected on the site of the saint's burial. Around 430 the dilapidated church was dismantled by a priest. And, not knowing that the body of the martyr was buried under the temple, he built a church in a new place. After 60 years, the relics of the saint were found incorrupt and a temple was created in the name of the holy martyr Autonomus.

Transfer of the relics of righteous Simeon of Verkhotursky (Merkushinsky)

Feast in honor of the transfer of the relics of St. Simeon from the church in honor of the Archangel Michael to the Verkhotursky monastery in the name of St. Nicholas. This event took place in 1704, with the blessing of Metropolitan Philotheus of Tobolsk.

Righteous Simeon Verkhotursky was born at the beginning of the 17th century in the European part of Russia into a family of pious nobles. Obeying Divine guidance, he left honors and earthly wealth and retired beyond the Urals. In Siberia, righteous Simeon lived as a simple wanderer, hiding his origin. Most often he visited the village of Merkushinskoye, located near the city of Verkhoturye, where he prayed in a wooden church.

With the gospel of the Triune God, of eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven, righteous Simeon walked through the surrounding villages. He was not averse to the Voguls of other faiths, the indigenous inhabitants of this region, who fell in love with the saint for his pure life. With the help of the grace of God, the righteous Simeon awakened in the hearts of the Voguls the desire for a virtuous life. In the virgin Siberian taiga, he indulged in the Thought of God, in every living being, seeing the ineffable Wisdom of "Who created everything."

The ascetic never remained idle. He was good at sewing fur coats and, bypassing the villages, worked in the houses of the peasants, not accepting any reward for his labor. To avoid praise for his work, righteous Simeon left it unfinished and left the customers. For this he had to endure insults and even beatings, but he accepted them with humility and prayed for his offenders. In this way he attained perfect humility and non-covetousness.

Saint Simeon prayed a lot for the strengthening of the newly enlightened inhabitants of Siberia in the faith. The ascetic combined his prayer with the feat of kneeling on a stone in the dense taiga. Ten versts from Merkushin, on the banks of the Tura River, the ascetic had a secluded place where he would fish. But here, too, he showed abstinence: he caught just as much fish as he needed for his daily food.

The blessed death of the holy man followed among the great deeds of fasting and prayer. He died in 1642 and was buried at the Merkushinsky churchyard, near the temple of the Archangel Michael.

The Lord glorified His saint, who left everything earthly for the sake of serving Him alone. In 1692, 50 years after the death of the saint, the inhabitants of the village of Merkushinsky miraculously found the revealed incorruptible body of a righteous man whose name they had forgotten. Soon, numerous healings began to occur from the relics that appeared. A paralyzed man was healed, and other healings followed.

Metropolitan Ignatius of Siberia (Rimsky-Korsakov, 1692-1700) sent people to examine the facts. One of them, Hierodeacon Nikifor Amvrosiev, prayed to God on the way and imperceptibly sank into a light slumber. Suddenly he saw in front of him a man in white clothes, middle-aged, his hair was light brown. With a kind glance, he looked at Nicephorus and at the latter's question:

"Who are you?" - the one who appeared answered: "I am Simeon Merkushinsky" - and became invisible.

“Holy and righteous Simeon of Merkushinsky and Verkhotursky, like a new miracle worker in Siberia; the likeness of Rus, Brada and Vlasa on the head of aka Kozma Bezsrebrennik; the vestments on it are simple, Russian. "

Metropolitan Ignatius, convinced of the incorruption of the relics of Saint Simeon, exclaimed:

“I also testify that these are truly the relics of a righteous and virtuous person: in everything they are similar to the relics of ancient saints. This righteous man is like Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow, or Sergius of Radonezh, for he was honored by God to be incorruptible, like these lamps of the Orthodox faith. "

And now, through the prayers of Saint Simeon of Verkhoturye, the Lord shows grace-filled help, consolation, strengthening, admonition, healing of souls and bodies and deliverance from evil and unclean spirits. Troubled travelers through the prayers of the saint receive deliverance from death. Especially often Siberians turn with prayers to the Verkhotursky miracle worker for eye diseases and all kinds of paralysis.

On September 12, 1704, with the blessing of Metropolitan Philotheus of Tobolsk, the relics of righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye were transferred from the church in honor of the Archangel Michael to the Verkhoturye monastery in the name of St. Nicholas. On this day, the Church celebrates the second memory of the holy righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye (the first - December 18).

The end of summer and the beginning of autumn are a time rich in holidays dedicated to the Savior. The Three Spas are dedicated to various events in Christian and pre-Christian life. They all fall on the first day of the Dormition Lent, which is dedicated to the memory of the Dormition of the Theotokos.

August 14 - the day of the origin of the Tree of the Honorable and Life-giving Cross of the Lord

Honey Savior is a day on which three Christian events are celebrated at once:

• feast of the Honorable Life-Giving Cross;
• Baptism of Russia;
• honoring the memory of the Maccabean brothers who lived in the pre-Christian period.

This holiday can be called Thanksgiving Day. It was as a token of gratitude for the victory over the pagans and Saracens that they began to celebrate August 14 as the day of the Tree of the Life-giving Cross.

The Day of Commemoration of the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord is one of the twelve feasts

This happened in 1164, when the Russian prince Andrei Bogolyubsky against the Bulgarians (pagans) and the Greek emperor Manuel against the Saracens simultaneously set out on a campaign.

Being a zealous Christian, the prince never went to battle without the blessing and cover of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God. Two Priests carried the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God and the Cross of Christ in front of the troops. Before the battle, the entire army participated in the Sacraments of Confession and Communion, after which a prayer sounded from the lips of the prince himself.

Andrei Bogolyubsky argued that everyone who trusts in the protection of the Mother of God will not perish, all sinners rely on her, seeing the protection of the Mother of God. After the prayer, all the army, from the generals to the lowest rank, kissed the Holy Face and the Life-Giving Cross. The Russian prince defeated the Bulgarians and freed the Volga lands from their yoke.

At the same time, the Greek emperor asked for the protection of the Almighty Savior, the Greeks easily won the victory.

These events were simultaneously in different places marked by fiery rays emanating from the icons. The bright light covering the troops was seen by both the Russians and the Greeks.

Important! Illuminated by God's glory, the victory became an event in memory of which Orthodox Christians celebrate on August 14 the day of the Almighty Savior, the Most Holy Mother of God and the Life-Giving Cross.

There is another version of the holiday of the End of the Treasures of the Honorable Cross. At the end of the summer in Byzantium there was a strong heat, the country was covered by pestilences, epidemics happened, death mowed people down, because the level of medicine even among the Greeks of that time was at a low level.

In the 10th century, the Churches of the Greek rite established the custom of performing prayers and carrying the Honorable Cross, on which Jesus was crucified, to the streets of the city. In Constantinople, a magnificent procession was accompanied by a large number of people. After prayers, in recognition of his weakness and petitions of God for protection, death retreated from the country.

Since that time in Greece on August 14, a procession has been performed, this is a holiday of thanksgiving and petitions for further protection and the bestowal of grace.

On this day, the Cross in all Orthodox churches is carried out in the middle of the temple for kissing, after which He is carried to the sources of water for its consecration, while a prayer is performed.

We celebrate, brethren, giving praise and thanks to the almighty God and Savior Jesus Christ and His Most Pure Mother, the Lady of the Theotokos, reverently venerating the Honest Cross of Christ; but we celebrate with reverence, delighting God, staying among ourselves in peace and love, doing deeds of goodness and moving away, remembering the fear of God, from sins: so that, pleasing our Creator and Master, we may be rewarded with eternal celebration with all the saints after the day when the sign appears The Son of Man to heaven is the Honorable Cross of Christ, the previous coming of the Judge of the living and the dead, coming with power and great glory, and will shine on all the righteous with bright and joyful rays. Upon the completion of the judgment, he will present it to all the saints, leading them into the Kingdom of Heaven, and all the saints will rejoice, rejoicing for endless ages; to them, through the prayers of the Most Pure Lady of our Theotokos, may our all-merciful Savior Christ count us as sinners. Amen.

Hence, this holiday received the popular name Wet Savior or Savior on the Water.

Baptism of Prince Vladimir the Great

It is August 14 (or August 1 according to the old style) that is considered the day of the baptism of Russia. Although on this day the great pagan, fornicator and worshiper of deities, the Russian prince Vladimir, who lived up to 25 years without knowing God, received Christian baptism.

Prince Vladimir received Christian baptism

The Prince of All Russia arrived in Chersonesos to marry the beautiful Greek woman Anna, although he already had several wives.

Before the campaign, the Russian ruler led a stormy life, cruelly dealt with Christians, at the same time he heard a lot about the flourishing of countries that had adopted Christianity. Everyone in the world spoke of the power of grace that went to the faithful worshipers of Christ.

The prince was denied marriage, and he took Chersonesos under siege. According to legend, Vladimir received a note, in which an unknown person wrote about a source, the overlap of which would leave the city without water, and he would surrender. The prince cried out: "If it be so, I will be baptized." The city fell, Anna agreed to become the wife of a Russian prince at the request of the brothers, who hoped that in this way Christianity would come to Russia.

Before the wedding of Prince Vladimir and Anna, a new test awaited, the ruler of Russia went blind.

Interesting! The miracle of healing happened at the moment of the baptism of Vladimir, immediately after that the prince cried out that he had come to know the true Jesus. In an instant, the inveterate pagan was cleansed and became a faithful worshiper of Jesus.

After the wedding, the couple returned to Kiev.

Upon returning home, Prince Vladimir released all his wives, giving them freedom, and baptized first his sons, and then all the people.

Memory of the feat of the Maccabean brothers

Seven brothers who lived in the Old Testament period became an example of faithfulness to God. This happened in 166 BC. The Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes was a Greek pagan, Hellenic and worshiped the god Zeus, whose statue was desecrated in the Jerusalem temple.

The Greek king obliged every Jew to worship Zeus, renounce God and live according to the laws of paganism. Elizar, the teacher of the Law, was the first to refuse to betray God. He was taken to trial, tortured and put to death.

The death of the teacher did not frighten the Maccabean brothers and their mother Solomonia. They publicly declared themselves followers of the One God, Creator and Creator of the universe, and fearlessly refused to worship the pagan gods.

Holy Martyrs Maccabees

One by one, the brothers died, the skin was ripped off the living, the entrails were ripped out with hooks and crucified on a wheel. None of them gave up on God, accepting torment. When the last, the youngest son was left, Antiochus "took mercy" and offered the mother to persuade the baby to give up the faith.

A loving mother, turned gray with grief, seeing the suffering of her eldest sons, knelt down, hugged her son and whispered: “Be patient, God and brothers are waiting for you there. See you"

Feast of the Orthodox Church - Honey Savior

The celebration falls on the first day of the Dormition Lent and celebrates the extraordinary miraculous power of the cross, which appeared on Earth together with Jesus Christ. Historically, the holiday began to be celebrated in Constantinople. In churches, a cross is brought up and people worship it. There are many cures. At the same time, water and honey are blessed. By the power of the Cross, the Lord protects believers from enemies on the path of life. On the same laziness, the feast of the Most Holy Theotokos is also celebrated, in honor of the sign from the icon and the Holy Cross during the battles with the Volga Bulgars.

Bullfighting Day in Portugal

Abiul celebrates the main event in Portugal - bullfighting in national traditions, a peculiar and amazing combination of art and sports, a spectacular show, in which desperate daredevils perform sacred ceremonies on the field alone with a bull. Participants in the bullfight can be on foot (furcadus) or on horseback (caballero). First, a fighter rides on a horse, and when the bull is already wounded by a lance, foot soldiers enter the battle.

In the old days, equestrian warriors were always from aristocrats, and footmen were ordinary commoners. This was reflected in the splendor of the costumes. Participants in the bullfight are divided into several groups. The youngest may include boys from 10 to 14 years old who fight with small bulls. Basically, men from 18 to 35 years old enter the arena, sometimes the upper limit rises to 40-45 years old. As for the bulls, they are 3-4 years old, weighing 500-600 kg.

Day of Remembrance of the Defenders of the Fatherland in Abkhazia

In 1992-93, during the Patriotic War with Georgia, there were many victims in the country (2,700 people). Flowers and wreaths are laid at the monuments and graves. The introduction of Georgian troops ended in an armed confrontation that lasted 413 days. Georgian troops were defeated.

Assumption Fast

Fasting lasts two weeks. This is not the toughest fast - two days a week are allowed to consume vegetable oil, one day a week - fish (on Wednesday or Friday). The rest of the days - hot food without oil, dry food on Wednesdays and Fridays. The fast was established in memory of the mother of God, who, being a saint, continued to fast and pray until her death, as well as in honor of the Transfiguration and Dormition.

August 14 in the folk calendar

Honey Spas, Poppy Spas

This holiday has several other names - for example, Savior on the Water, or the First Savior. It was established in the 9th century and is carried out along with the ancient custom of carrying the Holy Cross to the streets of the city, to protect against any disease. In Russia, the holiday began to be celebrated in the 15th century. It is not recommended to taste apples and grapes before the apple Savior. Sometimes the first Savior is also called wet - lakes and rivers were consecrated by clergymen and parishioners of the church bathed in the consecrated waters. At this time, the combs are cut or broken and new honey is sold. This procedure is mandatory for bees, otherwise the honey can drag neighboring bees. Honey was consecrated in the church, and with it the first seeds of the fruit.

The southern regions were also distinguished by the consecration of poppy heads (Poppy Savior). Poppies and other dishes were prepared using honey and poppy seeds. Poppy in Russia was endowed with the ability to protect the house from witches and sorcerers - the house was sprinkled with wild poppy seeds. From that day on, the peasants began to plow the fields for winter crops, to clear the threshing floor. Traditionally, the first grain in the field was thrown by the oldest grandfather from the village, who was specially pulled from the oven and carried to the field. We watched the raspberries - large berries at the beginning of ripening said that it was time to sow rye earlier, small ones - you need to wait. Raspberries were harvested mainly by women - and men were more busy with field work. Cherry berries were also collected and dried for the winter - it was used as a remedy.

Historical events on August 14

European book printer Johannes Gutenberg opened a printing house in his hometown of Mainz, and became an associate with a money lender. Funds were very limited, but Gutenderg was able to succeed by publishing two editions of the Bible, Latin grammar. Disagreements arose between the partners over the division of profits, which were considered for a long time in court. The usurer succeeded in transferring the printing house to him, and Gutenberg again started his business from scratch. In August 1457, he printed the first edition of the Psalter in Europe.

Empress Catherine II liquidated the Zaporozhye Sich by her decree, no longer wishing to endure the free behavior of the Cossacks and harboring fugitives and criminals. The previously autonomous organization of the Cossacks became part of Russia, together with the previously annexed Crimea. The empress got such an opportunity after the victory of the Russians in the war with the Turks in 1768-1774. In addition, the reason for the dissolution of the Sich was some support from the Cossacks towards Yemelyan Pugachev, who raised his revolt in 1773-1775.

"Pugachevshchina" was liquidated, the same fate befell the Zaporozhye Sich. Cossack lands were received by Russian and Ukrainian landowners, the local population became state settlers. Part of the Cossacks crossed the Danube, and founded the Transdanubian Cossacks, while being listed in the Sultan's service. Later, after defeating Turkey, the Cossacks also moved to the North Caucasus (Kuban).

Negotiations between US President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill ended with the development of an agreed position of the two countries against Nazi Germany and its allies. The "Atlantic Charter" consisted of 8 points, in which the support of the countries that suffered from the Nazi regime was clearly felt. War against Germany was declared after December 7, following the attack on the American military base at Pearl Harbor. On September 24, the USSR also joined the charter, stressing that it was ready to consider the needs of both countries. At the beginning of 1942, a document was signed in Washington: "The Declaration of 26 States."

August 14, 1986- the signing of a document on the termination of the transfer of northern rivers to the southern regions.

Even at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the idea of ​​"Turning the rivers back" excited the minds of scientists. The Imperial Academy of Sciences declared its negative attitude, but under Soviet rule, the project was revived. They decided to adapt the Siberian Ob to the needs of the southern regions by installing several pumping stations that pump water upward. Environmentalists have expressed many complaints, fearing that the cold zone will shift to the south by 50 kilometers.

Environmental troubles could also affect the movement of animals. Strong evaporation of river waters could lead to salinization of the regions of Central Asia. After a thorough review of the project, it turned out that the benefits of obtaining water are much less than originally anticipated, and the order to start work was suspended.

Born on August 14

Daniela Steele(1947) - American writer of women's novels

The writer has a rich life experience gained in several marriages. Her novels have been released in more than 125 million copies, many of them have been filmed. In memory of her deceased son, she wrote the book "His Bright Light", the novels "The Promise of Passion" and "Remembrance" are dedicated to the third unsuccessful marriage. In the fourth marriage, the couple raised 5 common children together, but he also broke up. Daniela Steele continues her creative activity.

Emmanuelle Bear(1963) - French actress

Emmanuelle is not only an actress, but also a UNICEF ambassador, an activist of a social movement.
the first role she played in the television series "Raison perdue". She later gained fame for her role as a shepherdess dancing naked. Emmanuelle won the Cesar Festival Award for Best Supporting Actress. In total, the actress has about 20 acting jobs in the cinema, was the face of the famous company "Christian Dior".

Holly Barry(1968) - American actress

Black actress Halle Maria Berry did not achieve popularity right away. For a long time she worked as just a model, she was not even stopped by the diagnosis - diabetes mellitus. Starting as a comedian in TV series, Halle Berry was able to get roles in blockbusters (Die Another Day, Bond Girl, Meet Dorothy Dandridge, etc.). For the best female roles she received several Oscars and a star on the Walk of Fame.

Name days august 14

Name days are celebrated on this day: Alexander, Timofey, Fedor, Dmitry, Leonty, Sophia.