Every time before Palm Sunday, Orthodox Christians have a question: what to do with last year’s willow, which they kept all year? And when should you get rid of it? On the eve of the holiday or on the very Palm Sunday?

A few words about the holiday itself

Palm Sunday is a holiday commemorating the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. This is one of the last events during the life of Christ. And it happened a week before Easter - Bright Resurrection. Why Palm Sunday? As Jesus entered the Holy City, people covered his path with freshly cut palm branches. This tradition was adopted in the East during meetings of important persons. In Russia, in the absence of palm trees, willow is used.

But on this day, not only willow and palm trees are blessed in the church, but also olive, boxwood, and laurel branches.

There is a tradition of decorating large branches with sweets and fruits, as well as colored ribbons. Lighted branches were installed at the head of the house, near crucifixes, near fireplaces and stove hearths, as well as in animal stalls and other places. They can be installed simply in dry places or placed in a vase with water. Branches protect the house from the elements, diseases, and quarrels.
So, a year has passed, tomorrow is Palm Sunday again, fresh willows need to be blessed. What should we do with the old ones from last year? And when should you get rid of them? The consecrated willow is no longer just tree branches, but a real shrine. You can't just throw it in the trash. It is believed that the willow retains its magical properties until next spring.

You can perform a small ritual on Palm Sunday itself, before it, or immediately after Palm Sunday. There are several options for getting rid of willow.

Throw old willows along flowing water into any body of water.

Burn dried willow branches. In this case, the ashes need to be poured out in a place where they will not trample on them. You can pour the ashes into the river.

If willows sprouted in water, it is best to plant them in a forest or near a river.

Willows can be stored for several years. But at the same time, celebrate the holiday with fresh branches every year.

If someone dies in the coming days, then the willow is placed in the coffin.

Some older people collect willows to take to their graves.

With a lit willow branch you can cleanse the house and sanctify it by walking around the house with this branch and prayer.

Take them to the Church, where they are burned with prayer.

Take it to the forest and leave it there between the willow bushes.

If you have a stove in the house, you can use last year’s dried willow to light it for baking Easter cakes.

They symbolically sweep the corners of the house with old willow and then burn it, thanking them for their service.

Miraculous properties of the consecrated willow:

Coming home from church, consecrated willow They lightly beat all household members so that they are healthy. They don’t forget about all the cattle. All living things absorb the power of spring and renewal.

Willow protects the house from evil forces and spirits.

Willow is planted in the garden if there is a bride of marriageable age or a young guy in the house. As soon as the willow takes root, there will be a wedding.

On St. George's Day, willow is used to drive livestock out to the fields. Then he will be healthy and fruitful.

It is believed that willow can be used to ward off thunder, hail and clouds by tilting it towards the clouds.

Willow reduced the destructive power of fire by throwing it into the fire.

Willow buds were swallowed to get rid of fever, sore throat, and infertility.

Willows were used to line wells to prevent evil forces from getting into the water.

Folk traditions associated with Palm Sunday

To this day, there are many signs and traditions associated with Palm Sunday. They are passed down from older to younger family members.

On the night of Palm Sunday, you can make spells for headaches. To do this, the hair from the comb was dipped into water and the willow was watered with this water. The water will go into the ground along with the headache.

On Palm Sunday, girls cast a love spell on a willow tree. When casting a spell, the willow was placed behind the icons. You cannot throw away charmed branches.

You can only “hit” with a willow on the back, wishing for health. If you are hit on the butt, this person wishes you illness and evil, and it may come true.

Willow branches could only be cut from young trees. It is important that the trunks are free of damage and mossy bark.

You cannot pluck branches from a willow tree if there is a hollow in it. You also cannot tear branches from a cemetery willow.

You cannot tear branches bending over the river. It is believed that mermaids sit on them at night.

Signs

If it was frosty enough on Palm Sunday, then a fairly good harvest of spring grain was expected.

If there were frosts on the night of Verbnoye, there will be a good harvest of cabbage and cucumbers.

If there is a strong wind on Verbnoye, then the whole summer will be quite windy, there will be hurricanes and storms. And if the day is warm and quiet, it will be summer.

Whatever the wind is in Verbnoye, it will be like that all summer.

If the sun shines in Verbnoye, there will be a rich harvest of cereals and fruits.

Tap the willow on your body on Palm Sunday and you will be healthy all year.

Willow is the most tenacious tree. Stick a branch into the ground and a tree will grow. The tree gives the same vitality to humans.

If you eat a bud of a consecrated willow, any matter will be easily solved. Of course, you can use the “magical” properties of willow only in extreme cases.

Think about your loved one on Verbnoye, he will come to you.

If you plant a houseplant on Palm Sunday, you will be rich. But if the flower withers, you will live in poverty all your life.

The energy of Palm Sunday helps make all your desires come true.

What to do with willow?

How to collect willow? Tear several branches from small young trees. Don't cut off all the branches from one bush. But you need enough branches to put several in each room, and in the livestock quarters too. Take the branches to the church for blessing. If you can’t go to church, you can sprinkle the willows with holy water at home.

Arrange the branches among the vases. They do not need to be removed for two weeks. IN Maundy Thursday The branches were used as sprinklers: they were moistened with holy water and sprinkled on all corners of the house. And then the branches can be used in different ways: left until next Palm Sunday, or immediately floated down the river.

“Many people celebrate holidays and
know their names, but do not know the reasons,
why were they established” (St. John Chrysostom)

True virtue is always expressed in good deeds, internal good motives are expressed in external signs. One example is the Palm Sunday tradition of coming to services with willow branches. A twig in the hands is a sign that the Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem to suffer freely is as important and touching for us as it was for those who two thousand years ago greeted him with palm branches and shouted “Hosanna!” “And we, like youths, bearing signs of victory, cry out to You, the conqueror of death: Hosanna in the highest, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,” is sung in the troparion of the holiday, - that is, “And we, like those children who greeted You with palm branches - symbol of victory - to You, Lord, as the Conqueror of death, we cry “Hosanna”.

The Church is generally timeless. During services it is almost impossible to hear anything about sacred events in the past tense, for example, that the Lord entered Jerusalem. You can less often hear that He “ascended into Jerusalem,” but more often than not, He “enters,” and moreover, “today,” now. In the souls of people, the events of the Gospel are experienced in a new way every time. That’s why they bring willows to the temple and stand with them during worship, to show that we also greet the Lord as our King and Messiah.

Unfortunately, this wonderful tradition was over time rethought in terms of external rituals. If the liturgical texts placed the entire emphasis on “He who comes in the name of the Lord” - Christ and the people who met Him, then folk tradition The whole meaning of the holiday was reduced to the consecration of the willow. Bringing willow to the temple (or rather, taking it out of the temple), it turns out, is no longer necessary in order to testify to the Lord one’s love, but in order to stock up good amulet. From year to year the same story is repeated: throughout the day, when the festive Liturgy has long ended, many people come into the church with the question: “Where is the willow distributed here?” I don’t feel sorry for the willow, but for some reason it always makes me sad.

In books and oral conversations you can find a lot of advice on what to do with willow, where to put it, how many years to store it, even in what cases it is advisable to eat a willow bud. People hope to receive help from the willow, because the willow is consecrated. But if you parse the text of the prayer, it turns out that there is not a single word in it that the willow is sanctified; its meaning comes down to the phrase: “... and us, in imitation of them (i.e., us, in imitation of the people who met the Lord branches), on this pre-festive day, observe and preserve the branches and branches of trees in the hands of those who carry them.” It turns out that, first of all, the Church did not see the willow as the object of sanctification, but the person himself. In the Trebnik - a collection of priestly prayers containing the sequence of Sacraments and rituals - there is not even an instruction to sprinkle the willow with holy water. This instruction is in the Service Book - a book containing the sequences of the Liturgy, Vespers, Matins, but it appeared there later, as a reflection of established practice.

Nowadays, few people dare to break the tradition of consecrating the willow, but we have no right to forget the inner meaning of this rite. You cannot focus all your attention only on the external, forgetting about the main thing: where the Lord is going and for what. The willow can (and should) bring blessings, but it is important not so much to expect a miracle from it, but to think about what the Lord expects from us. Let these thoughts come to us more often when our gaze falls on a branch of a dried willow.

The prayer for the blessing of willow trees in the church is called the prayer for the blessing of fronds (palm branches)

Text of the prayer in Church Slavonic:
“Lord our God, who sits on the Cherubim, who raised up power and sent Your only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, may He save the world by His Cross and burial and Resurrection, Who has now come to Jerusalem in free passion, the people who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, having received the sign of victory - tree branches and fronds, dates, foretelling the Resurrection. Himself, Master, in imitation of Him on this day before the festivities, preserve the tree branches in the hands of those who carry them, and like the people and children who offer hosanna to You, preserve them, like us in songs and singing. spiritual ones, let us be worthy to achieve the life-giving and three-day Resurrection, in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom art thou blessed, with Thy Most Holy and Good and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. »

Text of the prayer in modern Russian:
“O Lord our God, who sits on the cherubim! You raised up the Power - Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, so that He would save the world by His cross, burial and resurrection. And when He, having appeared for this purpose, went to Jerusalem for voluntary suffering, the people, who were in darkness and mortal darkness, took up palm and other tree branches, as symbols of life, and with them proclaimed the resurrection. Oh, Master, You Yourself save and protect us, who, like them, carry palm and other tree branches in their hands on this pre-holiday day; and, preserving us, deign that we, with the singing of spiritual songs and hymns, like those peoples and children singing “Hosanna” to You, will meet the Three-day Life-giving Resurrection in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom You are blessed together with the Most Holy, All-Good and By Your life-giving Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen".

Feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem Christian church introduced in the 4th century, and in Rus' it appeared in the 10th century and began to be called Palm Sunday, since the willow had the same meaning as palm branches.

According to the traditions of the holiday on the eve of Palm Sunday, in ancient times, Russian people went to the banks of the river to break willow, and this was a real rite. The willow was always blessed in the church with holy water, however, this tradition has survived to this day.

In warm countries, this day is celebrated with palm branches, but in our country at this time of year the leaves on the trees have not yet bloomed. Branches of evergreen conifers have traditionally been used in burial ceremonies, so they cannot be used.

According to signs and beliefs, it was believed that the blessed willow had healing properties, so they touched people with branches, wishing them health, placed them at the head of the sick, applied them to sore spots, and whipped children so that they would not get sick during the year and grow up healthy. Crushed dried willow buds were added to various medicinal decoctions, which were used to treat wounds and skin diseases. Sometimes the buds were added to bread and other baked goods, and some baked bread in the shape of a willow twig. Palm porridge was made from the opening buds. But willow not only heals, it gives physical strength, courage and courage, so many young men made themselves amulets and talismans from willow buds.

It was believed that if you eat a few willow buds before a long journey or some serious undertaking, then only success will await a person on his path and in his business. Icons were decorated with branches and hung in the corners of rooms, which many still do to this day. Also, amulets made from willow buds were worn by women who did not have children. According to legend, you had to eat ten kidneys five days after the end of your period, this was supposed to help in conceiving a child. To ensure that the offspring were healthy, a willow twig was placed under the feather bed, and the newlyweds were showered with buds.

Our ancestors believed that willow could impart sexual power not only to humans, but also to livestock. That is why domestic animals were lashed with a blessed willow branch, branches were hung in barns, and before the first pasture in the field, these branches were fed to the animals so that they would not be poisoned by poisonous herbs, or become victims of diseases, thieves and predatory animals. Not a single day goes by without weather-related signs. And Palm Sunday is no exception.

If it rains on Palm Sunday, expect a good harvest. This sign is based on many years of observations of our ancestors. They noticed that if it rains on a given day, the harvest will be simply wonderful. If, on the contrary, the weather is dry, then you may not expect a harvest. And, if the sky is cloudy, cloudy, but there is no rain, then the harvest will be quite good, but not as much as we would like. It was also believed that the willow could protect the house from natural elements. A house in which there is a consecrated willow branch will not be struck by lightning. If during a fire you throw a willow into the fire, it will go out faster and the flame will not spread to another building. And twigs thrown into the water during ice drift will help avoid large floods.

If to next holiday On Palm Sunday, there were unused branches left in the house; under no circumstances should they be thrown away. They must be burned and thrown into a stream or river, and the water should not be stagnant. When choosing new branches, they gave preference to young trees growing near rivers. It was forbidden to take branches from trees growing near the cemetery, or on which there were nests and hollows.

Many people, believers and not, even today, on the eve of Palm Sunday, decorate their home with willow branches, because this plant gives joy and awakens spring in the heart.

Signs for Palm Sunday

Tap your body with a willow twig- there will be health whole year. Perhaps this is the only sign that people know about today. First, a willow twig is blessed on this day in the church, and after that the twig is tapped on the body and the sentence is said: “Be as strong as the willow, as healthy as its roots and as rich as the earth.” This preference is given to the willow because it is, perhaps, the most tenacious tree that exists in nature. It is believed that even if a willow stick is stuck into the ground upside down, it will still take root and grow. It is for this reason that willow can give health to a person, because it itself is very strong.

Eat a willow bud- an important matter will be decided. It was customary to keep consecrated willow branches for a whole year near the icon. If you have to go to important negotiations, or you are about to start a very important business for you, and you are not sure of the result, then willow will help you here too. But only the willow that was consecrated in the church on Palm Sunday will help. When going on an important task, you need to tear off three buds from a branch and eat them, washing them down with holy water, while thinking about your business. True, this property of a twig can only be used as a last resort. Constantly, don’t, it’s better not to disturb the willow, it can go sideways.

On Palm Sunday, think about your loved one., he will come. Superstition? More likely. But before, a young girl, if she liked some guy and he didn’t pay any attention to her, would wait for this very day. Starting in the morning, she began to think about who was dear to her heart. Her thoughts were somehow incomprehensibly transmitted to this guy. And in the evening he came to her to invite her for a walk. In principle, it has long been proven that human thought is material. Everything we think about inevitably happens sooner or later. real life. Perhaps Palm Sunday has such an energy that allows us to bring our thoughts to life much faster than on any other day.

Plant a houseplant for Palm Sunday- you will be rich. It used to be believed that if you plant on this day indoor flower, then he will attract money into your life. In the cities, of course, they kept houseplants, but in the villages there was no time for that. But those who knew about this sign and planted indoor plants quickly got back on their feet. But this sign has several features that few people know about. Firstly, if the flower withers within a month, then you will have to live your whole life in poverty. And secondly, you only need to plant plants with large and fleshy leaves. By the way, one of these plants is now called the money tree. In order for it not to wither and grow well, you need to know the special rules for planting and caring for it. By the way, it was noticed that in the house where Money Tree It grows well, there is always prosperity and there is no shortage of money.

Poultry is not allowed outside- the witch will ruin it. Perhaps earlier they were confident in this sign, but not now. It was believed that a week before Great Easter the witches began to go on a rampage. After all, starting from Easter and all the holidays, their power temporarily decreased. So they tried to cause mischief, so to speak, for the future. It was believed that it was on poultry that witches took revenge. But it’s not known whether to believe this sign or not. But in villages to this day, those who keep the bird try not to let it out into the street on Palm Sunday.

There are holidays that we have heard about and know about, but we do not know about the signs associated with this day. We don't worry too much because we don't know what customs to follow. But when troubles happen in our lives, problems appear, then we begin to think where all this comes from, and why all this is on our heads.

Beliefs on Palm Sunday

Headaches are spoken of on Palm Sunday.
To do this, after combing your hair, remove the hairs from the comb and put them in water.
Pour this water over the willow tree on Palm Sunday and say:
“Water, go to the ground along with your headache.”

On Palm Sunday they cast a love spell on a willow tree.
To do this, break a twig and say:
“As long as the willow lies behind the icon,
Until then, my husband will not stop loving me, he will not forget me. Amen".
Place the willow behind the icon.
Just don’t throw away the enchanted twig under any circumstances!

Remember that the branches from Palm Sunday must be preserved.
They help in the treatment of many diseases!

It is believed that on Palm Sunday it is customary to hit the back of the person you wish good health with a willow.
But know that the one who slapped you on the backside wishes you harm.
Since, having lashed with willow on this great holiday, they may wish you harm, and it will come true.

They consecrate the willow. And then they keep it in the house all year in a vase or behind icons.
With old willow that has stood for a year, they sweep all the corners, windows, thresholds,
they thank her for her service and burn her.
It is necessary to lash all domestic animals and animals on the back with the new holy willow,
Saying out loud: “Whip willow, beat me to tears,” this adds health.

Buds, fluffy leaves from holy willow
help with female infertility and enuresis.

Today you can bake holy willow fluffs into bread
and give to sick pets - they will be healed.

To everyone who helps their loved ones with castings
or another method to remove damage or treat,
this amulet against interception will come in handy: today you need to eat on an empty stomach
3 willow buds and wash down with holy water.
Then say:
“St. Paul waved the willow and drove away other people’s illnesses from me.
Just as it is true that Palm Sunday is celebrated, so it is true that
that other people’s illnesses don’t bother me. Amen".
If you Orthodox man, then before that you need to take communion.

Rituals. Willow and its strength

Willow is still a significant plant in the folk Orthodox culture of Russians. It gave the name “Palm Sunday” to the church’s twelfth feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, celebrated on the last Sunday before Easter. According to the Gospel, Jesus Christ went with his disciples from Bethany, where he raised Lazarus, to Jerusalem to celebrate Easter there. On the way to the city, Christ saw a donkey tied to a tree, on which he rode into the city. The inhabitants of Jerusalem, having learned about the miracle of the resurrection of Lazarus, enthusiastically greeted the Savior with palm branches called “vaii” and a song of praise. On the road along which Jesus was traveling, people threw palm branches and spread out their clothes. In memory of this event in Christian churches On the day of the holiday, it is customary to consecrate decorated tree branches. Among the Russians, the place of the palm branch was taken by the willow, and the week before the holiday began to be called “Verbna”, “Verbnitsa”.

Ideas about the unusual properties of willow, however, go back to pre-Christian, pagan times. This plant, like birch, in folk culture associated with the idea of ​​rapid growth, health, vitality, fertility. These ideas are based on the fact that willow blooms its buds earlier than other plants. A blossoming tree symbolized the coming spring and, according to mythological consciousness, could convey health, strength and beauty to humans and domestic animals.

Willow was quite widely used in calendar rituals of Russian peasants. Despite the fact that Palm Sunday was church holiday On this day, numerous rituals with willow were performed, based on archaic beliefs. It was customary to go to the forest to pick willows before sunrise on Lazarus Saturday, on the eve of Palm Sunday. The brought branches were often immediately decorated with paper flowers and ribbons, but sometimes this was done only after their consecration or on the eve of Easter. They went to church to bless the willow on the same day for the evening service or on Sunday morning. The consecrated branches were placed in the front corner of the shrine or placed behind the icons, where they were kept until St. Yegoryev's day or all year. In Siberia, a “teremok” was made of straw for the willow tree, decorated with rags, ribbons and hung in front of the icon.

Upon arrival home after the consecration of the willow, and sometimes right next to the church, each member of the household, and most often children, was hit with it, as it was believed, “for health.” At the same time they said: “The willow is red, hit until you cry, be healthy!”, or: “I don’t hit - the willow hits, the willow hits until you cry.” In many areas, for the same purpose, cattle were whipped with willow or given a twig or buds of the plant to eat.

In the Central Russian zone, in order for sheep to be “fed”, they were fed with a special loaf or bread in which willow buds were baked. In some places, the shape of kidneys was given to ritual cookies, which on Lazarus Saturday were brought to church for blessing along with willow cookies. In the Kostroma province it was called “lamb”, in Moscow - “lamb”, “granny” or “akatushki”, in Ryazan - “nuts”, “kytka”. Cookies were baked according to the number of livestock and poultry, and in some local traditions - for all household members. In the Ryazan region, when feeding sheep with cookies on Palm Sunday, it was believed that they would each bring a pair of lambs, and the holiday itself was called “lamb holiday.”

The Russians everywhere placed and still place blessed branches in the red corner next to the icons. Previously, willow was stored until St. Yegoriev's day or all year. Throwing it away after whipping cattle was considered a sin. Usually these branches were stuck in the barn under the roof, “so that the cattle would not wander,” or thrown into the river, “let them float on the water”; sometimes they burned it in a furnace. Belarusians kept willow all year behind icons until the new Holy Monday. On the same day they burned it and placed a new consecrated willow near the images. When going to new house Some of the willow branches were left in the old house, and half were transferred to the new one.

On Yegoryev Day, in many localities, each cattle was hit with a willow during the ritual of the first pasture for grazing, and after pasture they fed it, believing that these actions would ensure a good offspring and protect them from wild animals throughout the grazing season. They did the same on the day of St. Nicholas the Great: on this day, and especially when driving the horses out at night, the first of the season, they were lashed with willow branches.
On Ivan Kupala in Volyn and Podolia, a willow tree or branch was used as a festive attribute: girls decorated the plant with flowers and danced around it, and after a while the boys burst into the girls’ circle, grabbed the willow and tore it apart. This ritual is close in meaning to numerous agricultural rituals of the East Slavic tradition using stuffed animals made of plant material, and its purpose is to influence the forces of nature so that the harvest is successful.

As can be understood from the examples given, willow in popular consciousness magical functions were attributed. Willow branches blessed on Palm Sunday were endowed with special powers. The productive properties of the plant are obvious from the magically significant sentences that were pronounced when children were whipped with willow: “Grow like a willow!”, “As the willow grows, so do you grow!” In some areas, barren women ate the buds of the blessed willow in the hope that it would help them give birth to a child. The beekeepers stuck willow branches around the apiary so that the bees would swarm well and more would be born bee families, and they would bring the owner honey and wax in abundance.

In the Penza province there was a ritual of calling out to young women, in which it is obvious that the willow positive value. At midnight on the eve of Palm Sunday, young people went around the houses where the newlyweds lived and shouted near the gate:
“Open it, open it, young one, hit it with a camel, give it more health than before.” The young woman unlocked the gate, and the crowd entered singing: “If only there would be a harvest of grain, multiplying livestock.” Everyone sleeping in the hut was lightly hit with a willow, saying: “We hit to be healthy,” and also: “Get up early, hit the ram.” The last to be whipped was the young one as she bowed, escorting the singing youth out of the gate.

The productive power of the willow was also used directly in agricultural rituals. So, after the first pasture of livestock, the twigs could be broken and scattered across the field, and the buds could be crushed into grain intended for sowing. In the Smolensk region, part of the willow brought after cattle pasture was stuck into the ground in a grain field - “so that the earth would come to life faster”, “so that the rye would grow well and grow fluffy, like a willow”; the other part was hidden behind the icon - “so that the cattle would return home.” Here the housewife threw the rod, which she used to drive out the cattle, into the manure in the barn; at the same time, she jumped as high as possible “so that flax would be born.” In some places, willow branches were stuck in the four corners of the field to protect the crops. In the Tambov province, willow was generally planted in the field for this purpose. In Belarus, with the consecrated willow they went out for the first plowing of the spring field and to plow up the virgin lands.
In addition to producing, willow was endowed with healing properties, which were used both for preventive purposes and directly in folk medical practice. In the Yenisei province, consecrated willow was fed to cows and sheep in Maundy Thursday- Thursday on Holy Week, and they said: “It’s not I who give, but the waistcoat. Just as the talnik does not dry, so you, my God-given cattle, do not dry.” Willow, even unconsecrated, was also widely used to treat people.

In Kuban, willow was used in the treatment of childhood diseases. To do this, early in the morning, before sunrise, they went to the river and there they cut the willow three times, nine branches each. At the same time, they counted from nine to one three times. Arriving home, they dipped one bunch of nine branches into hot water and bathed the child near the window from which the sunrise could be seen. At noon, they put a second bunch of willow in hot water and bathed the child near the window, opposite which the sun stood at that moment. In the evening, when the sun was setting, the same actions were performed with the last bunch of branches in front of the window looking west. At the end, all the willow branches with water were taken to the river and poured out with prayer so that they would float on the water. It was believed that the disease would recede. In the Vitebsk region, sick cattle were fumigated with willow, they ground it into powder and covered wounds with it, they made a decoction from it and drank it for various diseases, and also used it as a lotion for tumors and bruises.

Willow in folk culture was attributed protective qualities. Everyone has Eastern Slavs There were widespread ideas that a consecrated branch could protect from thunderstorms, storms, and other natural Disasters, from evil spirits and diseases. The Russians in the Tambov province believed that a willow thrown against the wind could drive away a storm, and thrown into a fire could pacify it. People everywhere believed that the willow stored in the red corner would protect the house and the entire household from thunder and lightning. During hail, Belarusians placed a bunch of consecrated willow on the windowsill to pacify the elements and avoid hail in the grain fields.

Along with the fact that willow is widely used in the ritual sphere and is an attribute of one of the largest Christian holidays, in folk beliefs it belongs to the trees cursed by God. According to legend, Christ’s tormentors made pins from it to hold the cross together. For this, willow, according to popular belief, is subject to turning by worms, and devils sit in dry willow. In this regard, the famous Ukrainian proverb is indicative: “I fell in love like the devil with a dry willow.” According to the beliefs of Belarusians, the devil sits on a willow, especially an old one - dry and hollow, from Epiphany to Palm Sunday. In the spring, the devils warm themselves on the willow tree, and after it is blessed on the holiday, they fall into the water, and therefore from Palm Sunday until Easter you cannot drink water drawn under the willow tree.

IN Lately I began to notice that cars that have icons pasted on the dashboard, or horseshoes and other amulets hanging/dangling, always have scratched sides, cracked windows, etc. Why doesn’t it pop into your head?!)))

To talk about icons (from 01/18/03). As far as I know, people involved in embroidery and gold embroidery first study the laws of icon painting. And NOBODY undertakes the creation of an icon without a blessing. I think that you need to be a very religious person in order not only to embroider, but also to develop patterns...

Discussion

When I started embroidering the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, I asked our priest if it could be illuminated and hung in the house like a real icon. Can! I am Orthodox, this is our saint, this icon was embroidered with thoughts of God. This is quite enough. Now I'm waiting for Easter to illuminate.

Developing is possible. But non-believers can embroider out of love for art, and these icons are also blessed in the church. This is not painting an icon, but copying a finished image. Moreover, in the case of cross stitch - well, the most accurate copy will be obtained. That's why good design is important.
An analogy can be drawn with the “stamping” of icons that are sold in churches - this is production, it depends on whether believers print them or not. Embroidery, of course, is much more of an “art”, but its meaning is still a reproduction of the original.

Happy holiday to everyone who celebrates it! Boom-boom you with this: [link-1] (can’t paste) Russian traditional greeting I don’t remember, but in our area it’s customary on this day to lightly hit friends and loved ones with a sprig of consecrated willow with the following words: It’s not me, it’s the willow. For this great day, the Red Egg is not far away. Be (and remain) strong like a willow, healthy like water, rich like the earth, and beautiful like spring!

The rooster looks at Bella as she flies away, as if following her with his gaze, and is about to start galloping further in the opposite direction again. This is quite symbolic. You need to continue your path, draw, suffer and search. This picture looks like night. Something flew out of my hands and that’s it... This won’t happen again. In the background of the canvas is the moon, sanctifying the corner of the house and giving a feeling of the eternal. And at the same time, this eternity seems like a moment. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, he realized that life had almost passed. You can feel the “Gogolian breath” in this picture. It's like a fairy tale with an unknown ending. I could write about Chagall for a long time, but I want to finish now. Chagall worked a lot, but never returned to Russia. He worked in stained glass, ceramics,...

Discussion

Informative. Written with great warmth and love - THANK YOU)))!!!

Thanks to everyone who liked it and who didn’t..) Thank you for reading this “dry summary”...) And I wrote it at the institute of psychology in creativity. The topics of this subject are immense; any creativity can be promoted for a very long time and in different directions, on the one hand and on the other.
And I wanted to show Chagall from the positive side, and that he is not an unfortunate character of Russian art, as described in many books, but a world-famous artist and, in my opinion, a well-realized artist. And the burning of his paintings by Goebbels, in a modern way, I would call an excellent PR move..)

The flame of a candle, swayed by the fading breath of the audience; in the uneven shadow, simple dolls come to life - and a miracle happens! No one will say that this is a fairy tale. That’s how it was, that’s exactly how it was! This wonderful action has been living in Russia for more than two hundred years. It was played on Christmastide from Christmas to Epiphany throughout the Christian world. They played the nativity scene for themselves and their neighbors, moving from house to house, repeating the game with songs and carols. In the old days, nativity boxes were made very large: two, even three floors, with complex decorations - and then kept as relics for many years. In them, the dolls were controlled from below, through special slots in the bottom of the box. Later, one-story nativity scenes appeared, made more simply, from scrap materials - perhaps they were not intended for long-term...
...But how dear is the awe and reverence with which our ancestors treated the Christmas story! It never occurred to anyone to put the text into their mouths Holy Mother of God or the Christ child. Nativity scene - painting, icon, sign. She sanctifies the whole action. We know painted scenes with the Holy Family, we know those made in dolls - people created them as best they could, according to the strength of their love. If you decide to make a two-story nativity scene, then the Holy Family should be placed at the top, in a one-story nativity scene - to the right of the stage (left for the audience). nativity scene is simple and strict: above (right) - heaven, below (left) - hell. Those who never live in paradise - the Holy Family, angels, shepherds, wise men - do not...

Easter is approaching - the main event in the spiritual life of Orthodox Christians. On this day, or rather, with the first star that lit up in the sky the day before - Saturday, the strictest and longest fast - Lent - ends. The table is covered with a white tablecloth - you can start eating.
...Coarse rock salt was pounded in a mortar, dissolved in thick leaven grounds, and then evaporated in a frying pan over low heat. The salt turned out light coffee color, with a special pleasant taste. Easter cake The main dish of the Orthodox Easter lunch is Easter cake, which is made from butter yeast dough. As a rule, the dough is kneaded on the night from Thursday to Friday, baked all day on Friday, and consecrated on Saturday. Easter cakes are eaten throughout Easter week. Raisins, candied fruits, and nuts must be placed in the Easter cake; add various spices: cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla. And if you season the dough with saffron, it will also serve as a yellow dye. True, the aroma of one spice should predominate, and it must be used wisely so as not to drown out...

Discussion

Oh, rubbing the cottage cheese through a sieve! I wonder if those who advise this have tried to do this at least once? Nothing more difficult can be imagined! There is no need to do this; modern cottage cheese in packs usually does not need this. Holding it under pressure is yes, but wiping it... I tried it once, and since then I haven’t bothered. And my Easter eggs are delicious!

Very often, when I walk along the streets of my city, or even any other, I see young mothers walking with their babies, irritably tugging at them, pulling them and reprimanding them, trying to raise them strictly, “so that they don’t sit on neck"...
...Here it is, the truth, and such a bitter mistake. Our second child is growing. Daughter. She is already one year and four months old. Of course, she can do anything!!! Be it a crash or a flood. The main thing is that nothing threatens life. The main thing is that she is happy! The main thing is that she would never think that her parents would not love her for something she had done. Our endless love sanctifies her path, and I will never say in my hearts, no matter how tired I am: “Lord, when will this end?!” Parents, love your children, they grow up so quickly, the world is so complex and often scary, why do they also need storms in their own family? Don’t be annoyed with them, they came into this world so that you would take care of them and pamper them, it’s not our society that will do this for you. Carry your baby in your arms when you want and when he wants. Give him a million...

Discussion

Stories like these awaken something in us... something important. We look at the lives of other people through the prism of our own, but we do not understand the main thing - much is simply unknown to us, therefore, “judge not, lest ye be judged.”
Author, thank you for this story. I’m still in tears, I can hardly see the monitor... after all, the Lord gives to some, and does not give to others the happiness of motherhood... but remember! This is not a punishment for your severity, this is your path, do not reproach yourself for what could have happened or what you think could have happened, you will act a little differently.
Patience to you, strength to survive the grief. I think your son up there loves you very much. Do not Cry...

Yes, yes, I also notice such mothers and always wonder, is it really impossible to raise a child with tenderness?

A little later, the estate was acquired by Catherine II, who decided to build a country residence here. The palace with numerous services was built according to the design of the architect V.I. Bazhenova. The Tsaritsyno ensemble is very picturesque due to the bright combination of red brick walls and white stone details. Bazhenov worked on the project for ten years. A palace, an Opera House, cavalry corps, bridges and gates were built. However, Catherine was dissatisfied with the palace, and it was dismantled. In its place a new palace was erected according to the design of the architect M.F. Kazakova. But the palace was never completed, since the treasury was greatly emptied due to the war with the Turks. Today the palace has been partially restored. In the center of the Tsaritsyno composition are two palaces connected by a gallery with...
...The landscape is very beautiful; in spring and summer, a walk through these places is a sincere pleasure. There is a place to sit for a family picnic; people actively swim and fish in the reservoir at the same time. There is no need to bring products from Moscow; they can be purchased right here in a rural store. Water is collected from a local consecrated spring. I would like to share several useful links to Internet resources on the topic of the article. We advise you to look at the website about Moscow estate museums, and also read the Internet magazine about children's leisure "Vacations". We recommend. Good luck to everyone and good mood! Leskova Natasha, [email protected]....

Discussion

Yeah. Venerate the relics of the saint and eat at McDonald's. The author does not even understand what she wrote looks like.

The Trinity-Sergius Lavra is indeed a very peaceful place, but not for 2-3 year olds - they don’t care yet. Without a guide, it is impossible to understand what events took place here; the history of the spring must also be told in order to feel the mystery of this place. Apart from the territory of the Lavra (which means temples, museums and long distances on foot), there is nothing to do in Sergiev Posad. And if you go on a weekend, there will also be crowds of people hanging around.
In a word, this is in no way suitable for a holiday with small (less than 8 years old) children, in my opinion.

Wonderful ideas!! Interesting. Healthy. Great.

She replaces with festive table the Old Testament Passover lamb and reminds us that the time of bloody sacrifices has passed. Previously, in Rus', a piece was cut off from Easter and stored as. There was a belief that those demolished in Holy Thursday Eggs eaten at Easter protected against illness. To the blessed egg magical properties were attributed. It was believed that it could put out a fire, so such eggs were kept behind the icon in case of fire. True, before throwing the egg into the flame, you had to run around the house with it three times. WITH easter egg They were looking for missing or lost cows and sheep in the forest. A favorite Easter pastime, especially among Russians, was rolling eggs from a hillock or on a special tray. When a rolling egg hits an egg on the ground, the player takes it...

My birth, had it taken place in a maternity hospital, would not have happened without medical intervention, that’s for sure. Perhaps it would have ended with a Caesarean. I believe that no matter where we give birth, we alone are responsible for our children. Doctors and midwives can only help. The choice is ours! Our daughter Sofa was born at home, on April 26, 2004, weight 3500, height 55 cm. 5/9 according to Apgar Tatyana, Stanislav and Sofia Manerov....

Discussion

Well done, you have made the best decision for you - to give birth at home. We also gave birth to our second child at home. The first is in the maternity hospital. There is something to compare with, not in favor of the maternity hospital. Our second child was larger (almost 4 kg and 53 cm) compared to the first (3,500 kg and 50 cm). They did everything they could to interfere with the natural course of childbirth. They started by puncturing the bladder without even telling me what they were going to do. When I walked through the corridors of the maternity hospital for only 4 hours with quite tolerable contractions, the doctor decided to inject oxytocin to speed up labor, which in turn led to an epidural (this was already at my request, because the dose of oxytocin was a horse). As a result, when it was time to push, I only made a few attempts before the doctor, again without warning, stabbed me with a knife. Here you have an unnecessary episiotomy with subsequent leaks. The placenta was pulled out by the umbilical cord, and thank God that everything healed well (two of my friends had serious complications after such a procedure). When giving birth at home, I managed to avoid this whole bunch of unnecessary actions. I gave birth without even the slightest crack, despite the fact that the child was larger. It is quite possible that if another doctor had attended the birth, much would have been different. But “thanks” to our first sad experience, we began to look for an alternative to giving birth in a maternity hospital. Giving birth at home is natural. The presence of a qualified midwife was important to us. Besides her, there were 2 more of her assistants, and besides this, there was an agreement with the doctor if the birth was delayed or something went wrong.

Six months have passed. Our child died during birth at home. The birth lasted more than three days. I still gave birth to him myself, already dead. According to the forensic examination, the child died two days before birth, which means one day after the onset of labor. Midwife Irina Dmitrieva spent these three days with us lying on the sofa, believing that there was no reason to worry. We completely trusted her, because she was recommended to us by the couples who gave birth to her, because she delivered “500 births, and then stopped counting,” because she herself has six children, she gave birth to five herself at home, including twins." This is our first child , my husband and I were preparing for pregnancy, went to courses, separately listened to lectures by this midwife; I scoured the entire Internet, I have a lot of literature on the topic of pregnancy and childbirth. But our child died during childbirth. I wanted to write to everyone thinking about giving birth at home right away, then I re-read everything on the site again - well, what to write about - everything has already been written. Six months have passed - there is no child... it was a girl... I am writing, but my hands are shaking - but I thought that everything was already in the past. In general, not I will describe how the birth proceeded, this is not what will help readers, but the conclusions: 1. before giving birth, imagine possible consequences, if something goes wrong, no one knows how it will go; 2. needed under the window ambulance with equipment for resuscitation of a child - it will not be useful, thank God; 3. don’t turn off your consciousness by talking “you need to think about the good and nothing bad will happen” - I tried very hard to think about the good for three days, and if I had gone to the hospital 12 hours after I started, now I would be sitting with a child in my arms; 4 think carefully about why you are running away, refusing the maternity hospital - and then in Moscow you will definitely find a maternity hospital in which everything will be as close as possible to what you want - you can be with your husband, you can have a baby at your breast, and you can not be separated from him, I don’t know what is not allowed in our time! 5. Doctors simply play it safe when they inject stimulants, when they puncture a bladder, when they perform a caesarean section - but you want them not to play it safe? Probably our midwife has her own explanations about what happened; I don’t have the strength to communicate with her. But no matter what her explanations are, this does not change the matter - there is no child. It turns out that this is not the first or second case for Irina Dmitrieva. When we, sitting in shock, asked her what we should do now, she said “well, one of my dads went and buried a child in the forest,” well, what can you say... I want to warn expectant mothers from what happened to us. From such home births... Or at least from childbirth with Irina Dmitrieva.

Saint Valentine, the shepherd and confessor of warriors, secretly blessed loving hearts and, despite the ban, sanctified the relationship with a church rite. The disobedient priest was extradited. He was executed on February 14. Since then, this day has been celebrated as Valentine's Day. An indispensable attribute of Valentine's Day celebrations is a valentine - a message sent to a loved one. One of the first Valentine cards was a card sent in 1415 by Charles, Duke...
...Where is the end of the world? (Where the shadow begins). When a new house is built, what is the first nail driven into? (In a hat). What is under a person's feet when he walks across a bridge? (Shoe sole). What can you easily pick up from the ground, but cannot throw far? (Pooh). How many peas can fit into one glass? (Not a single one - everything must be put down). What can you cook but can't eat? (Lessons). How can you put two liters of milk in a liter jar? (I need to cook it with milk...

Thank you for raising the question, although I will also be enlightened on this matter! Snusmumrik I can only answer about the dress - after the font. mammik Look at Orthodox websites - the whole sacrament is described there in great detail and you can even ask a priest a question. It also describes how to behave godparents. They put on a new white shirt or dress after dipping into the font three times, after which they put on a cross; if you buy a cross not in a church, then you need to consecrate it in advance. You also need a white towel when you receive your baby after the bath. They also tell godparents that it is advisable to fast for at least three days before the sacrament. Don’t forget that mothers are not allowed to attend the sacrament, only at the very end, but you can take a video in many churches, they are allowed for a small surcharge, and even after the sacrament they issue a certificate...
...Our baptism lasted 2 hours because 3 children were baptized at once. Ours was 5 months old, the others were 1.5 months old. The girls were sleeping, and Sashka was screaming..... Then he was apparently under terrible stress, he didn’t eat or drink anything and slept for 5 hours, and then he hung around all night. But you are already big, so it should be easier to pass. Flamingo We actually got baptized at home. Everything lasted about an hour. First the godfather held the daughter, and then the godmother. And before that, some kind of prayer was read over me. I was in the room where they were baptized. Coccinella (SLok) Have you already chosen a specific church? You need to go on a weekday, arrange a time (so that you are alone), talk to the priest. The times vary in different churches. If children...

On the eve of adoption, I repented, I asked God for advice. The husband repented immediately after blessing his son. At that time (five months from birth), the child, still very nervous, loud, and afraid of people, behaved quietly during the blessing (the believers asked the Lord to bless the baby), and calmly accepted congratulations. No conveyor belt. In general, in the prayer house of the Evangelists the atmosphere is peaceful, a bright spacious room without icons, beautiful chants, prayers in simple accessible language, the children do not behave under pressure during the service - they walk around the hall, sit down, sing, and no one shushes them or “pressures”. I am not ready for my baptism. There is a temptation to baptize your adopted son, becoming his godmother (they say “the godmother’s prayer will atone for all sins and raise him from the bottom of the sea”), for example...

Discussion

I completely agree with you, Natalya, and I admire your action. That's how it should be! Although it is very difficult, and most of us go completely into the depths of our grief, there is really only one way out of it - to try to help the other person. Not being religious, I am sure that God wants exactly this from us - so that we never give up, do not become embittered and return to happiness through love, and not through leaving the world for a monastery, etc. Otherwise, why did he give us this world? ?
But I still can’t come to church. I don't understand many things:
According to Christians, some people atone for the sins of other people with their suffering (starting with Jesus). Once at a children’s hospital I read an article by a priest on a stand about how this is the meaning of serious illnesses in children. So, maybe they don’t need to be treated? Some kind of pagan attitude - make a sacrifice, and everything will be decided (and the sacrifice is not a lamb, but a child!). You can gain wisdom and understanding yourself through suffering. How can someone else do this for you?
After reading the Gospel, I asked myself another question: why does the Christian church even exist? Jesus commanded:
- do not build temples on earth, but only in the human soul;
- do not fast, do not pray, but it is better to go and make peace with your neighbor;
- and if you want to pray, enter quietly into your house and pray there so that no one sees you.
Is not it?
That’s why I would like everyone, like Natalya, to go to God (= to understanding life and their place in it) through love for people, for children, for their child, and not on the advice of priests. Even if they good people, pure at heart etc. - Well, who can wisely manage your life, your thoughts, your feelings for you? What if the priest bad person or just indifferent? There are a lot of them.

“Do not allow the patient to view life’s affairs as material for obedience to the Enemy. If you have made peace the goal and faith the means, the person is almost in your hands and it makes absolutely no difference what goal he pursues. If only rallies, brochures,
political campaigns, movements and causes mean more to him than prayer,
mystery and mercy - he is ours."
This is a quote from “Letters of a Screwtape” by K.S. Lewis (C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters). At one time, this book pushed me to finally get baptized, and I highly recommend reading it to anyone who sincerely wants to find answers, and is not just “hanging out.” (If anyone doesn’t understand, this is advice from an old, experienced demon to a young and beginner).
Concerning last statement- “if you believe in Christ and go to Christ, then only not through Orthodoxy” - then I very often hear this. Indeed, in modern satanic society it is permissible to be anyone - a Catholic, a Sandeist, a fire worshiper, or even a pagan - but not Orthodox! Well, for me this is another proof that exactly Orthodox Christianity- this is true faith.

How to behave correctly when visiting houses of worship of various religious denominations? General etiquette standards and main differences.
...Men must take off their hats when entering the temple. Headscarves are not required for women. There are also no special standards in clothing or use of cosmetics. Appearing at the temple in shorts or too much open clothes is not welcome, and in some churches, including St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, it is prohibited. At the entrance to the temple there is a vessel with blessed water, or crypt into which the fingers are dipped right hand and then are baptized. Immediately upon entering the temple, kneeling (right knee) is performed before the tabernacle. And subsequently, passing by the tabernacle, they kneel or at least bow their heads. Catholics are baptized in a different way Orthodox order- first the left shoulder, then the right. Special moments outside the liturgy, when perfection is required...

Please tell me whether embroidered icons are blessed, is it even possible to do this? In the near future I plan to finish Stoyankin’s small model of the Madonna and Child, and I’m wondering if it’s possible to try to consecrate it?

I finally embroidered the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Now I don’t know - how to arrange it? Just in a frame? Or maybe someone designs icons differently? And then they would take it to church and consecrate it for Easter. Did someone go and illuminate their embroidery? How does the Priest react to this? When I'm done, I promise to show it here and start new project- mother with baby.

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. Others elderly people They 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 question. 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.

And here is 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.