What is the feast of the holy trinity associated with. The Trinity holiday has an interesting history and is of great importance in the life of Orthodox Christians.

V last years among Russians, interest in Orthodox holidays has noticeably increased. On such days, it is customary to go to church, lay a festive table for your loved ones, and in some cases take part in folk festivals that last until the evening. The Orthodox holiday of the Trinity is especially revered by the people. This day was one of the most important holidays of the year even among our ancestors, who called it "Green Christmas". In the future, the ancient traditions were superimposed on the Orthodox, which even more firmly fixed them in the memory of the people.

The traditions of the Trinity holiday are rooted deep in history, today we will talk about them and everything related to this important day for every Orthodox. Surprisingly, many Russians still have difficulty imagining where this holiday came from, and also what it consists of. main point. Let's figure it out together.

Trinity: what kind of holiday and meaning

All Christians in the world celebrate the Day of the Holy Trinity on a grand scale. It belongs to the list of the most important Orthodox holidays, therefore, in addition to special church services, all kinds of folk festivals are held, during which people should have fun with all their hearts.

Often this day is also called "Pentecost". It is noteworthy that modern church traditions are very closely intertwined with the customs of the Eastern Slavs, who also widely celebrated this day. So what is Trinity? It is difficult to overestimate its significance for every Christian. After all, it was on this day that the Holy Spirit descended to earth and Christians received proof of the trinity of God. From that moment on, they carried the message of Christ around the planet, telling everyone and everyone about the Savior of mankind.

Orthodoxy

The history of the Trinity holiday begins at a time when Christianity was just beginning to emerge. It is believed that on one significant day the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles, descending from heaven in the form of flames and endowing the apostles with incredible power. She gave them the opportunity to carry good news around the world and preach about Christ to anyone who is ready to hear about the Savior.

It is believed that this day is the day of the founding of the Church on earth. In addition, the holiday symbolizes the fact that God is one in three persons. This truth is one of the most difficult to understand in Orthodoxy. Not every believer can realize from the first days that God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit exist in unity and do good on earth, illuminating all living with divine grace.

It is interesting that the apostles themselves laid the foundations of how the Trinity holiday is celebrated. They annually arranged magnificent celebrations on this occasion and bequeathed to all their followers not to miss this day in any case.

Pagan roots of the holiday

We have already mentioned that the history of the Trinity holiday goes back centuries, when Christianity had not yet come to Russia. The first week of summer was considered the period when life-giving natural forces completely defeat darkness and evil. At this time, hot weather was finally established, which marked the arrival best months in the life of the Slavs, when one could forget about the long and cold winter, which takes away many souls with it.

It was this deep meaning that gave rise to a number of customs of the Trinity holiday, which are observed to this day. Of course, most of our compatriots no longer remember why it is required to do one way or another, but still clearly adhere to established customs and rituals. We will also talk about them in the following sections of the article.

Holiday date

Every year, all Orthodox discuss what date the feast of the Trinity will be celebrated this year. Indeed, like many other church holidays, it has a floating date. It directly depends on what day Easter falls on.

The fact is that the Trinity comes on the fiftieth day after this bright and great holiday for all Christians. A prerequisite is the day of the week - it is always Sunday. In order to better navigate the dates of Orthodox holidays, many acquire a church calendar, which lists all the important days for Christians.

On what date is the feast of the Trinity celebrated this year? It fell on the fourth of June, and in 2018 we will celebrate it on the twenty-seventh of May. Each time this day is accompanied by an abundance of events held by the city authorities. After all, every mayor strives to do everything so that his residents truly rest during the festivities. But do not forget about the traditions of the Trinity holiday, which must be observed without fail.

When did the holiday begin to be celebrated in Russia?

It is noteworthy that only three hundred years after the baptism of Russia, the Trinity became a great holiday. For a long time, the traditions of the Trinity holiday were not fixed in any way and did not become familiar and familiar. But thanks to the efforts of Sergius of Radonezh, this day gradually became one of the most significant of the year.

From the fourteenth century, the Trinity was celebrated everywhere, and after some time the people combined pagan and Orthodox traditions, forming a kind of rituals for the Trinity, which are still observed. I would like to talk about them in more detail.

Orthodox traditions

Divine service on the Trinity is considered one of the most solemn. The holiday starts on Sunday and lasts for three days. The most beautiful service is performed on the first day, it consists of a liturgy and vespers, when the descent of the Holy Spirit is glorified in every possible way. It is noteworthy that all church ministers dress in green clothes and read prayers on their knees. Traditional prayers for the Church, the salvation of all Christians and the repose of the souls of the dead are considered mandatory during the service on the Trinity. They are read all three days.

obeying ancient tradition feast of the Trinity, churches throughout the country are decorated with birch branches, and the floors are covered with fresh grass. All this symbolizes the power of the Holy Spirit, which renews and gives life to every Christian.

Rites

The customs of the Trinity holiday were formed in the pagan period. He was especially loved by the girls who celebrated him not for three days, but for five. The first celebrations began two days before Sunday and were accompanied by mass celebrations.

The holiday itself had a deep sacred meaning, the Slavs associated it with the cult of nature and its renewal. All sorts of maiden rituals for the Trinity were also adopted. The holiday could not do without mentioning all the dead, and especially those who died from drowning.

In all the villages and villages of Russia, before the holiday, girls from the age of seven to twelve went in a noisy company to a birch grove. There they broke branches with young leaves and decorated the huts with them. The Thursday before Trinity belonged to children and youth. They were fed from early morning traditional dish, symbolizing sunlight and the arrival of warm days, - scrambled eggs. After a hearty breakfast, the gang of children went to the forest. There they found the most beautiful birch and began to decorate it. The tree was wrapped around with multi-colored ribbons, braids were woven from them, and beads and wreaths of flowers were fixed on top. The children sang songs and danced round dances, the day ended with a joint meal. Usually it consisted of what was taken from home. But every mother tried to give her child something tasty and special, because eating under the ritual tree was a very important part of the holiday.

On Saturday, it was customary to remember deceased relatives, and on Sunday the whole family had to go to the temple, which was decorated in advance with green branches for the holiday. After the end of the service, the young people again went to the forest to remove all decorations from the birch. This action was also accompanied by singing and dancing, after which the children and teenagers again began to eat. At the end of the day, the ritual tree was cut down and shown to the whole village, sometimes it was floated down the river. It was believed that this would contribute to the rapid growth of crops in the fields.

Traditions

The Orthodox holiday of the Trinity has a lot of traditions that have come from ancient times. For example, after leaving the church, the people collected grass that fell under their feet and leaves from the trees in the courtyard of the temple. The grass was often mixed with hay to keep livestock healthy, or brewed as a health drink for family members. But wreaths and figurines were woven from leaves and branches. They were considered amulets for the house and hung in different parts of it.

Birch is traditionally used to decorate their homes and temples. It is often compared to a Christmas tree, without which a holiday cannot be imagined. However, in different parts Russia also adds branches of other trees. This is quite acceptable, the main thing is that they are in sufficient quantities. After all, vegetation symbolizes life given to people through their Creator.

The Trinity has always been considered a great holiday, so the hostesses treated it very seriously and responsibly. They put the house in perfect order, decorated it and made dough for various goodies. It was considered especially successful if a lot of guests gathered in your house.

Youth festivities on the Trinity also had their purpose. Girls specially sewed new outfits for this day and decorated themselves with wreaths of flowers and branches. During walks with girlfriends, they were admired by the guys who sent matchmakers to the beauty they liked. It was believed that those who will be married on this day will definitely live a long and happy life.

Housewives baked roes for their unmarried daughters on Trinity. These products made from dough and eggs were wreath-shaped, and it was imperative to take them with you into the forest. Without them, it was hard to imagine a meal under a birch.

Prohibitions

Modern people have a rather poor idea of the list of prohibitions characteristic of the Trinity holiday. What can and what can not be done on this day, so as not to frighten off luck? We will reveal these secrets to you now:

Among the people there was a ban on work on the most important three days of the Trinity. Any work on the ground was especially forbidden, but cooking was strongly encouraged.
In no case should you make brooms from birch branches on this holiday.
During the week, you can not repair the fences, according to legend, this contributes to the birth of pets with deformities.
The strictest ban existed on swimming in lakes and rivers. It was believed that on the days of the Trinity, mermaids and all kinds of water evil spirits come to land. She lures young people to her and takes them forever. Therefore, they avoided the banks of rivers and lakes, bonfires were lit on them for protection, and wreaths with wormwood sprigs were put on the heads of the guys.

Folk omens

The Slavs came up with a lot of signs that were given to the Trinity great importance. For example, dreams on the night of the holiday were considered prophetic. Therefore, they were a great success for the whole family. Many housewives collected medicinal herbs on the Trinity, on this day they were filled with strength and turned out to be the most useful.

If you want to protect yourself from misfortunes and adversity on this holiday, then pay attention to the poor. Walk and give them change, such an action will be the best protection for you and your loved ones.

Rain on Trinity means a rich harvest of mushrooms, besides, after the holiday, one could no longer wait for a cold snap and enjoy the truly summer warmth.

Holiday in the modern world

How is Trinity celebrated today? Of course, so as to completely immerse yourself in this incredible atmosphere, which is difficult to confuse and compare with something. Naturally, traditions and rituals have not been observed in cities for a long time, but in the villages you can see the holiday in all its glory. Residents of remote corners of Russia carefully keep all the rituals characteristic of the Trinity and pass them on to their children. Therefore, the village holiday is always so different from what is held in the city.

However, here, too, people celebrate the Trinity on a grand scale. Naturally, the morning of every Christian begins with a trip to church. On this day, all Orthodox come here, because the service itself takes place in a surprisingly festive atmosphere.

But after going to the temple, real festivities begin. Some housewives prefer to prepare a delicious table and invite guests to their house. Mandatory dishes are meat pies, pancakes, eggs painted in green color, and wine. Most often it is red, but a white drink is also allowed.

If you do not want to spend the whole day at home, then go to the streets of the city. There will certainly be a lot of interesting and fun. Usually, in honor of the Trinity, festivities are organized with fairs and all kinds of entertainment events. People participate in competitions, buy crafts and delicious pies. Girls and women dress up in the most beautiful outfits, and men compete in strength and dexterity. The holiday lasts until the evening, but the youth does not disperse until dawn. After all, the Trinity is considered a holiday of strength and youth, as well as love. Of course, if you believe folk beliefs and traditions.

Trinity is great Christian holiday, which is a passing (twelfth) holiday among Orthodox believers and is celebrated on the 50th day after Easter, on Sunday.

Its other names are the Day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, the Day of the Holy Trinity, Pentecost.

Your first name Holy holiday received in honor of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, which Jesus Christ promised them before His ascension to heaven.

The descent of the Holy Spirit pointed to the trinity of God and his unity.

After this event, the apostles received blessings from the Lord himself for the construction of a spiritual temple.

What does Trinity mean

The Bible says that the grace given to the apostles by the Holy Spirit descended on them on this very day.

People saw the third person of God - the Holy Spirit, and learned that the unity of God is manifested in three persons - Father, Son and Spirit.

We can say that the meaning of the Trinity is that God is revealed to people in stages, and not immediately.

In modern Christianity, the Trinity means that the Father, who created all living things, sent the Son to people - Jesus Christ, and then the Holy Spirit.

For believers, the meaning Holy Trinity comes down to praising God in all his forms.

This day is recognized as a significant date, which includes the first appearance of the church on Earth.

History of the Trinity

According to the book of the Acts of the Apostles, which is included in New Testament The Holy Spirit descended on the apostles precisely on the 50th day after the Resurrection of Christ. That this would happen, Jesus told his disciples during his lifetime.

After the resurrection, Jesus Christ was with His disciples for another forty days, strengthening them in faith, preparing them for the future ministry. On the fortieth day, Jesus ascended to heaven, promising that he would send the Spirit of God, which would descend on the disciples, giving them strength to preach His doctrine.

Ten days after the ascension, the disciples of Jesus and his mother Mary gathered in Jerusalem in the Upper Room of Zion.

According to legend, on this day the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles took place. The disciples of Jesus then all gathered together. Suddenly there was a noise from the sky, as if from strong wind. At that moment, tongues appeared and descended on each of the disciples. And they began to speak different languages.

Multilingualism was sent down so that they could preach Christian doctrine among different peoples.

The Spirit of God fell on the disciples, and they received special gifts - the gift of speaking in different languages, the gift of healing, the gift of preaching about the works of God.

After the descent of the Holy Spirit, St. the apostle Peter delivered his first sermon, in which he also reported on the glorious event that took place on that day. The conversion of the apostle was short and simple, after which many Jews repented, believed and were baptized.

And in the 4th century, Saint Basil the Great composed kneeling prayers, which are read to this day at the festive vespers.

The feast of the Holy Trinity itself, in commemoration of the great event of the descent of the Holy Spirit, was established by the apostles. After the day of the descent of the Holy Spirit, the disciples of Christ began to celebrate the Day of Pentecost every year and commanded all Christians to remember this event (1 Cor. 16:8; Acts 20:16).

The day after Trinity is Spirits Day, which is dedicated to the glorification of the Holy Spirit.

This day is dedicated to the remembrance and glorification of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Christ. The date of the holiday is rolling, but it always falls on a Monday.

Trinity traditions

On this day in Orthodox churches one of the most solemn and beautiful services of the year is celebrated.

The day before, on Saturday evening (Trinity parent saturday) a festive all-night vigil is served.

At Matins, a polyeleos is served and the Gospel of John, the 65th conception is read; at Matins, two canons of this feast are sung: the first was written by Cosmas of Mayumsky, the second by John of Damascus.

On the feast itself, a festive liturgy is served.

After the liturgy, the ninth hour is served and great vespers, on which stichera are sung, glorifying the descent of the Holy Spirit, during Vespers, praying three times, led by the priest, kneel - kneel, and the priest reads seven prayers for the Church, for the salvation of all those who pray and for the repose of the souls of all the departed (including “Those held in hell”) - this ends the post-Easter period, during which no kneeling or prostration is performed in churches.

By folk calendar Trinity Day can rightfully be called green Christmas time.

According to Russian tradition, the floor of the temple (and the houses of believers) on this day is covered with freshly cut grass, the icons are decorated with birch branches, and the color of the vestments is green, depicting the life-giving and renewing power of the Holy Spirit (in others Orthodox Churches vestments of white and gold colors are also used).

Among the people, before the Trinity, it was customary to clean the dwelling, and after that decorate it with green grass and wildflowers.

The meaning of this custom is that young plants will surely bring well-being, prosperity and a good harvest to the family.

Parishioners stood in churches for mass with bouquets of meadow flowers or tree branches for consecration, houses were decorated with birch trees.

Wild flowers that had been in the church were dried and kept behind icons for various needs: they were placed under fresh hay and in the granary so that mice were not found, in holes in the ridges from shrews and in the attic to put out the fire.

The trees were taken to the village streets in whole carts and decorated with them not only the doors, but also the jambs of the windows, and especially the church, the floor of which was strewn with fresh grass (everyone, leaving the church, tried to grab it from under his feet in order to mix it with hay, boil it with water and drink as curative).

From the leaves of the trees that stood in the church, some wreathed wreaths and put them in pots when growing cabbage seedlings.

Toward evening people gathered for mass festivities with games and songs. Fairs were also organized on this day.

Trinity festivities included the commemoration of the dead. They were held on Trinity Saturday, preceding the day of the Holy Trinity and considered by the Russians to be the main spring memorial day, and on Spirits Day. Remembering the ancestors in the days of the revival of nature, people hoped for their help, protection, they proved that there is no oblivion for the dead.

Slavic customs on the Trinity - birch holiday

Sunday was spent in the forest, where birches grew.

The birch has become a symbol of the holiday, probably because it was one of the first to dress in bright, elegant greenery. It is no coincidence that there was a belief that it was the birch that had a special growth power and that this power should be used.

Birch branches were used to decorate windows, houses, yards, gates, church service stood with birch branches, believing that they have healing powers.

Semik - spring folk holiday celebrated on Thursday in the seventh week after Easter. The week it fell on was called the Semitskaya (Semikov) week and ended with the Trinity.

Semik is considered ancient pagan holiday one of those who played important role in the spring period of people's lives.

In many villages, on the days of the Semitskaya week before the Trinity, purely girlish rites were performed, which symbolized the girls' readiness for marriage.

After all, the flowering of nature in the spring was considered as feminine, and was associated with girls who had reached marriageable age.

Curling a birch (curling a birch) is a rite from ancient times. The girls believed that they would bind their thoughts tightly and firmly with the beloved guy. Or, curling birch branches, they wished their mother a speedy recovery.

Curling a birch is one of the main rituals of Semik, the essence of which was to honor nature reviving after winter.

In the villages of the central and southern part of European Russia, as well as in Siberia, the cult of vegetation took on particularly striking forms. The basis of ritual here was the curling of a birch, First stage which fell on Semik, and the ending - on the Trinity.

The ceremony was performed by girls who, secretly from the male population of the village, went on Thursday of the Semitsky week to the forest, to the river bank or to the rye field to choose a ritual tree.

Do not rejoice, oaks,
Don't rejoice, green ones;
Girls don't come to you
Not to you red;
They don't bring pies to you,
Cakes, scrambled eggs,
Io, io, Semik yes Trinity.
Rejoice, birches,
Rejoice green!
The girls are coming to you...

Having chosen a birch with weeping branches, the girls began to curl them, that is, twist the branches with each other, braid them, bend them to the ground and fix them with pegs, tie several branches with ribbons, etc.

After that, round dances were led around the birch:

birch, birch,
Curly, curly!
The girls came to you
Reds came to you
Pie brought
With scrambled eggs.

Then a feast was arranged under it, the main dishes of which were eggs, scrambled eggs, cakes, pies, beer.

On Trinity, the girls went to the forest to develop a birch. They untwisted the branches, untied the ribbons, and then again arranged a festive meal with scrambled eggs and flat cakes, danced round dances, sang songs.

Kumlenie is one of the rituals of the Semik-Trinity, which was performed by girls of marriageable age. It was held, as a rule, on the day of birch curling.

The most common was the option when the girls, two close friends, approached a wreath curled on a birch from two sides, kissed through it three times, said to each other: “Let's make friends, godfather, let's make friends, so that we don’t scold you, be friends forever.” Then exchanged pectoral crosses and small gifts.

Cumbling could have happened in a slightly different way. The girls who wanted to make a fuss braided two "reels" - braids from birch branches and ribbons, saying: "Cuckoo, cuckoo, save my reel", and then exchanged colored eggs, cakes.

The girls who had fallen in love called each other godfather, godfather, walked together around the village, did not quarrel, trusted secrets, whispered various wishes to each other, gave each other gifts.

The Russian peasants believed that the girls who had made a ploy entered into a kind of spiritual kinship, similar to that which arises between people who baptized one child in the church.

A week later, usually on the Sunday following the Trinity, the girls again went to the place of cumulation. There, to the song “I’ll go to the forest, I’ll develop a wreath, clear up, godfather, sort out, soul,” they developed wreaths, untwisted “skeins”, returned gifts to each other. This meant that the ties that bound the girls who had made a mistake were breaking up.

Birch branches were pouring on those days healing power. An infusion of birch leaves was also considered healing.

Birch branches were also used by our ancestors as a talisman against all kinds of unclean spirits. Until now, peasants stick birch branches into the grooves of the corners of a house in the Vologda Oblast so that purity and a healing spirit are transferred to the walls.

After mass, the girls changed their outfit, put fresh birch wreaths intertwined with flowers on their heads, and in such a dress they went into the forest to develop a birch.

Arriving there, they stood in a circle near a curled birch, and one of them cut it down and placed it in the middle of the circle. All the girls approached the birch and decorated it with ribbons and flowers. Then a triumphal procession opened: the girls walked in pairs, in front of all the most beautiful of them carried a birch. In this way they carried the birch around the whole village.

On one of the streets they stuck a birch tree into the ground and began to dance around it. The guys joined them. By evening, they removed the ribbons from the tree, broke off a twig, and then pulled the tree out of the ground and dragged it to the river to drown. "Sink, Semik, drown angry husbands!" - and the unfortunate birch swam to where the current of water carried it (Vladimir province).

In some areas, on Trinity Sunday, a birch was taken out into a grain field, thereby trying to beg the fertility of the earth from higher powers.

The youth of the Novgorod region performed a ritual adapted specifically to the Trinity, called "shaking gunpowder." During walks in the meadow, among round dances and games of ashes (burners), one of the men tore off the cap from the young spouse, shook it over his head and shouted loudly: “Gunpowder is on the tube, the wife does not love her husband.”

The young woman quickly responded to this cry, stood in front of her husband, bowed to his belt, took off the cap, which was placed on his head at the moment of her appearance, took her husband by the ears, kissed him three times and again bowed to him in all four directions. At the same time, the villagers aloud assessed her qualities and started various jokes about her. The young women were usually shy and said: "When they shake gunpowder, it would be better to fall through the ground."

Dew was collected on Trinity and used as a powerful cure for ailments and for sowing vegetable seeds.

On the holiday itself, it was customary to visit each other to congratulate and give gifts.

The custom also included a ban on swimming in open water because of the mermaids who lived there.

It was believed that they could lure them into the water and tickle them to death.

Trinity divination on wreaths

Fortune telling on Trinity wreaths was one of the most popular among the Slavs.

Wreaths for the Trinity were made, of course, from birch branches, weaving wild flowers into it and decorating with ribbons.

On Trinity Sunday, the girls parted with a wreath woven into Semik.

They threw him into the water and loudly asked if he was destined to get married this year, and then watched.

It was bad if the wreath sank: you won’t get married today, and in general, to trouble. But also worst sign it was believed that the wreath would unravel in the water and stretch out into a chain.

If the wreath is spinning in one place, it means family quarrels and the fact that the wedding is unexpectedly upset.

If the wreath remains in one place, without floating away, the marriage will not be soon.

If the wreath floats quickly, it is a good sign, and if it sailed farthest and almost disappeared from sight, it means great luck.

But most the best sign it is considered if the wreath, having sailed some distance, landed on the shore - this means successful marriage and happiness in marriage.

Proverbs, sayings and signs on the Trinity

God loves trinity.

Without the Trinity, a house is not built.

The trinity of fingers puts a cross.

Trinity is being built for three days.

Trinity Trinity, but three candles are not put on the table.

Trinity is the border between spring and summer.

Rain on Trinity - a lot of mushrooms.

Rain on Trinity - to warm weather.

If it rains on Trinity Day, then there will be a lot during the summer.

From the Trinity to the Assumption, they don’t dance round dances.

Trinity is rich in three holidays - flowers, herbs and ruddy summer.

On the Trinity, each branch is an assistant and a healer.

They don’t swim on the Trinity - mermaids are fierce, they lure you to the bottom.

Swim my wreath to that shore, who, catching my wreath, wakes up the groom.

If a guy kisses a girl on Trinity under a birch, the girl should be his wife.

If they marry the Trinity, and marry the Intercession, then the life of these spouses will be long, happy, in love and harmony.

Pentecost (Trinity) is celebrated seven weeks (on the 50th day) after Easter.

Holy Trinity Day in 2017 Orthodox Christians celebrate - June 4

The holiday got its name because this event took place on the Old Testament feast of Pentecost, which was celebrated after Jewish Passover on the 50th day. And the name is explained by the fact that the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles revealed “the perfective activity of the third Person of the Most Holy Trinity, and the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ about the Triune God and the participation of the Three Persons of the Godhead in the Dispensation of the salvation of the human race reached perfect clarity and completeness.”

Feast of the Holy Trinity established by the apostles. After the day of the descent of the Holy Spirit, they began to celebrate the Day of Pentecost every year and commanded all Christians to remember this event. The Holy Church lifts up a common doxology to the Most Holy Trinity and inspires people to sing “the Father without beginning, and the Son without beginning, and the co-eternal and most holy Spirit” – “the Trinity of consubstantial, equal and without beginning”.

From ancient times, the day of Holy Pentecost was considered the day of the birth of the Church of Christ the Savior, “created not by the vanity of human interpretations and reasoning, but by Divine grace.”

For centuries, this holiday has combined sincere joy, fun, and a deep prayerful mood. God is Love, and Love contains everything. Even during His life on earth, the Lord told His disciples many times that He would never leave people.
He gathered believing people into His big family, which He called His Church, and said: "I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will never prevail against It." We are all members of this Church.

Traditions of the celebration of Pentecost in Russia

Trinity - very beautiful holiday. Houses and temples are decorated with branches, grass, flowers. And it is no coincidence. Greenery, flowers symbolize life. This is how people express their joy and gratitude to God for the fact that He has revived them through baptism into a new life.

Historically, birch branches are used to decorate temples and houses. This tree is considered blessed in Russia. It is not for nothing that many poems and songs are dedicated to him. The Trinity holiday without a birch is the same as Christmas without a Christmas tree. But Russia is a large country, with different climatic conditions, apparently, this can explain the fact that in some areas the festive trees were oak, maple, mountain ash. Noisy and fun is the holiday. In the morning, everyone rushes to the temple for a festive service. And after it they arrange folk fun with round dances, games, songs. Be sure to cook loaves. On the holiday dinner invited guests, made gifts to each other. Fairs were held in some areas.

On the 50th day after the end, the Holy Trinity comes - one of the largest and most revered church holidays in Orthodoxy. Since Jesus ascended to heaven, the tenth day has already come, or otherwise - the fiftieth day since the Resurrection of Christ.

Holy Trinity: the history of the holiday

The Jews at one time widely celebrated a holiday called Pentecost, in honor of the legislation of Sinai. In one room, in a small room located in Jerusalem, the disciples of Jesus Christ, his mother the Virgin Mary and a small number of believers gathered. According to the records that have come down to our times, it tells about the events that occurred at the third hour of the day according to the Jewish account.

A strong noise is described that came from somewhere in the sky, as if from a strong, hurricane wind. This strange noise filled the upper room where the disciples and mother of God. Tongues of flame appeared, which stopped at each of those present, everyone was filled with the Holy Spirit and after that they began to glorify the name of God in numerous languages, which they had not even known before.

Orthodox holiday Trinity: sacred fire

The fiery tongues were none other than the Holy Spirit of our Savior, who, with the help of them, gave good sign the fact that from that moment on, all the apostles had the opportunity to spread the teachings of God throughout the Earth, to preach and talk about the Savior. Also, fire personifies a great force that destroys evil, cleansing the world from sin, as well as illuminating the path and warming in bad weather.

History of the Holy Trinity: the sermons of the Apostles

At the same time, a feast was held in Jerusalem, at which there were many Jews living in different countries peace. All the disciples of Christ - the apostles - chose the Jews to conduct their first sermons, and in their native languages. The audience was so impressed by what they heard that many strongly believed in the Savior and began to ask the Apostles about what they should do next.

The Apostle Peter invited the Jews to repent in the name of our Savior, for the sake of the forgiveness of all sins, and in this case they would receive the same Gift of the Holy Spirit. Those who strongly believed in Jesus Christ were immediately baptized, and thus the number of all who received new faith there were about three hundred people. It was from this time that the Church of Christ or Christianity began to spread on Earth.

Orthodox holiday Trinity: church rites

After the celebration of the Liturgy, Vespers commemorates the coming of the Spirit of the Comforter upon the Holy Apostles. During the church service on the Trinity, kneeling prayers are read for the descent to Earth of the Holy Spirit or the All-Wise Spirit, the Spirit of God's Mind. The prayers of the Church of Christ are aimed at praising the gift of the grace of the Holy Spirit, as well as commemorating our dead fathers, brothers and all those who are related to us by flesh and blood. So that having gone to the kingdom of heaven, their world was arranged.

A holiday is celebrated in remembrance of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Christ. It consists of two days, the first of which is dedicated to the glorification of the Most Holy Trinity and the memory of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, and therefore is called the Trinity Day (Holy Trinity), and the second day is in honor of the All-Holy Life-Giving Spirit and is called the Spiritual Day (day of the Holy Spirit). On Trinity Day, after the Liturgy, Vespers is served, at which prayers are read with kneeling that the Lord send us the grace of the Holy Spirit and remember all our departed fathers and brothers.

The Holy Spirit descended on the apostles as they all gathered together in the Zion Upper Room in Jerusalem. Suddenly there was a loud noise from the sky, as if from a rushing strong wind, and this noise filled the whole house in which they were. Then they all saw, as it were, tongues of fire separating, and one fiery tongue rested on each of the apostles. The Holy Spirit descended from heaven gave the apostles the grace of the priesthood for the organization of the Church on earth, strength and intelligence for preaching the Word of God throughout the world. This day is considered the birthday of the New Testament Church and has been solemnly celebrated since ancient times. It was on this day that God showed man the path he should follow. God revealed to people his plan for man and revealed his commandments.
Pentecost is a holiday of nature, a holiday of a joyful future, and what happened on this day speaks of the peace of God and the revelation of the will of God, of man. Victory of good over evil. The descent of the Holy Spirit on the three disciples of Christ marks the day of the establishment of the Church of Christ.

Day of the Holy Trinity. Pentecost. The holiday is called the Day of the Holy Trinity, because according to Christian doctrine from the moment of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, the third Hypostasis (Person) was opened Triune God and in all its fullness began the participation of the Three Persons of the Godhead - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in the salvation of man. Even in apostolic times, the celebration of the Day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit was established, but the holiday entered the Christian calendar officially only at the end of the fourth century, when the Church adopted the dogma of the Trinity on the Second Ecumenical Council in Constantinople in 381.

The holiday in remembrance of the great event of the descent of the Holy Spirit was established by the apostles. After the day of the descent of the Holy Spirit, they began to celebrate the Day of Pentecost every year and commanded all Christians to remember this event (1 Cor. 16:8; Acts 20:16). In the Apostolic decrees it is commanded to celebrate Pentecost: “Ten days after the Ascension, there is the fiftieth day from the first day of the Lord (Easter); this day shall be a great feast. For at the third hour of this day the Lord sent the gift of the Holy Spirit.” And the feast of Pentecost, called the Day of the Holy Spirit, was solemnly celebrated by the Church from the earliest times. A special triumph was given to it by the custom of the ancient Church to perform the baptism of the catechumens on this day (hence the singing at the liturgy of the feast of the “Elitsy in Christ be baptized"). In the 4th century, Saint Basil the Great composed kneeling prayers, which are read to this day at the festive vespers. In the 8th century, Saints John of Damascus and Cosmas of Maium composed many hymns in honor of the feast, which the Church still uses today. V Christian history the event that took place on the feast of Pentecost was regarded as the birth of the church, which is understood as an assembly chosen by God people called to keep His word, do His will and do His work in the world and in the Kingdom of Heaven.
The feast in honor of the Trinity, legalized by the church in the 4th century, was not widespread in Russia for a long time. ancient Russia. In the 14-16 centuries, the cult of the Trinity becomes extremely popular in the Russian lands, and this is due to the activities of Sergius of Radonezh, the most revered saint among the people. He chose the Trinity as his life service, so that by contemplating it "the fear of the hated strife of this world would be overcome." In honor of the Holy Trinity Reverend Sergius in 1345 he consecrated the monastery, founded by him for the schemnik monks, who usually lived in seclusion. Starting with the monastery of Sergius of Radonezh, the veneration of the Holy Trinity quickly spread throughout Russia. From the middle of the 14th century, the feast of Pentecost was more often called the Trinity Day.

V church calendar the holiday of the Trinity is considered great, it is inextricably linked with the Ecumenical Saturday (Trinity Saturday), celebrated the day before, and with the following Monday - the day of the Holy Spirit. In significance and solemnity, the celebration of the Trinity was second only to.

Trinity was revered by the people for big holiday, they carefully prepared for it: they washed and cleaned houses, prepared dishes for holiday table, harvested greens. Since ancient times, the custom has been preserved on the feast of Pentecost to decorate temples and dwellings with tree branches, plants and flowers. This custom was observed even in the Old Testament Church on the feast of Pentecost (Lev. 23:10-17). Obviously, the Zion Upper Room was also removed in this way, where the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles on the day of Pentecost. From the apostles and Christians decorate their temples and houses with green tree branches and flowers. The decoration of temples and houses with green branches also reminds of the sacred oak forest of Mamre, where Patriarch Abraham was honored to receive the Triune God under the guise of three wanderers. The trees and flowers of the renewing spring on this day of Divine grace indicate the mysterious renewal of our souls by the power of the Holy Spirit and serve as a call to the spiritual renewal of our whole life in Christ the Lord and Savior. The Church believes that the green branch is a symbol of renewed spring and, at the same time, a symbol of the renewal of people by the power of the descending Holy Spirit. In honor of this holiday, priests often dress in green phelonions, and church utensils decorated with light green fabrics and ribbons. On the Trinity, as well as on Christmas, Candlemas, Easter, candles are made and consecrated in the church.

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