The Exaltation of the Holy Cross is celebrated on September 27, 2020 (September 14 is the date according to the old style). The holiday is dedicated to the Cross of Jesus Christ, on which he was crucified. Rising means "lifting up". This holiday symbolizes the lifting of the Cross from the earth after it was discovered there.

On this day, people do not start any business, as there will be no positive result.

Traditionally, detours or religious processions are made with icons and prayers.

On this day, Vozdvizhensky evenings begin, which last for two weeks. Unmarried girls gather and read a certain spell seven times. According to legend, after such a ceremony, the one who is dear to her heart will fall in love with the girl.

Those who keep fasting during the Exaltation will receive forgiveness of 7 sins, and those who do not observe will receive 7 sins.

On this holiday, crosses are drawn in houses with chalk, soot, coal, garlic, animal blood. Small crosses made of wood are placed in the bins and mangers of animals. In the absence of crosses, they are made from rowan branches. They protect people, animals and crops from evil spirits.

history of the holiday

After the death of Christ, the holy Empress Helena ordered the erection of about 90 churches in various places: where the Savior was born, from where he ascended to heaven, where he prayed before death, at the burial place of his Mother. Part of the Cross and the nails with which he was chained to it, she brought to Constantinople. By order of Emperor Constantine, a temple was built in Jerusalem in honor of the Resurrection of Christ. Its construction took almost 10 years.

In 327, Queen Helena died, not having lived to see the consecration of the temple. Despite this, on September 13, 335, it was consecrated, and the next day - the 14th - the celebration of the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord was appointed.

Have an interesting day

Task for today: Refrain from food of animal origin.
The Holy Empress Helena, after the death of Christ, ordered the erection of about 90 churches. Temples were supposed to be in a variety of places: where the Savior was born, from where he ascended to heaven, where he prayed before his death, at the burial place of his mother. But the queen did not live to see the consecration of the temple. And yet, on September 13, it was still lit, and the next day a holiday was appointed.

According to Orthodox tradition, on the day of the holiday itself, there is a strict fast - refrain from food of animal origin.

Signs

North wind - to a warm summer.

If the west wind blows for several days in a row, then the weather will be bad in the coming days.

At sunrise, the moon outlines a reddish, quickly disappearing circle - to clear and dry weather.

Geese fly high - the flood will be high, low - the river will rise low.

If the cranes fly slowly and high, cooing on the fly, then the autumn will be warm.

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross is a great twelfth feast, celebrated annually on September 27th. It has been celebrated since the 4th century. The holiday is dedicated to two important events related to the cross of the Lord - its acquisition and return.

History of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

In ancient times, Roman emperors repeatedly tried to destroy any mention of the life and work of Jesus Christ, and to destroy the sacred places he visited. Emperor Andrian ordered to cover the tomb of the Lord and the sacred mountain Golgotha, on which the Savior was crucified, with earth. On an artificially created hill, a sanctuary of the goddess Venus was built and a statue of the god Jupiter was erected. For a long time, pagans met at this place to perform cult activities and make sacrifices to their deities. But after 300 years, Christians found the tomb of the Lord and the cross on which Jesus was crucified.

This outstanding event for believers took place during the reign of Constantine the Great. He was the first of the Roman emperors to decide to end the persecution of Christians. According to legend, in the sky he saw a sign of God - a cross and the inscription "This will win." To fulfill God's will, Constantine sent his mother, Queen Helen, to Jerusalem, who was supposed to find the cross and the tomb of the Lord.

For a long time it was not possible to find the shrine, but the woman did not give up and continued her search. In the end, her efforts paid off. Around 326, the relics were found under the temple of the pagan goddess Venus. The temple was destroyed and Christian values ​​​​were brought to light: the cross on which the Savior was crucified, four nails and the coffin of the Lord.

According to some reports, they found not one, but three crosses and a tablet with an inscription made by Pontius Pilate. Patriarch Macarius, in order to find out exactly on which cross Jesus was crucified, began to impose each cross in turn on the deceased. From the touch of one of the crosses, the deceased came to life. This was the proof that it was on this cross that Jesus was crucified.

With the acquisition of the cross, people got the opportunity to worship Christian shrines again. Seeing the miracle that had happened, Christians began to ask Patriarch Macarius to erect a cross so that believers could see it at least from afar.

After all these events, Empress Helen brought to Jerusalem the nails she had found and a piece of the cross of the Lord. Constantine the Great ordered the construction of a temple in Jerusalem in honor of Christ's Resurrection. The next day after the temple was consecrated, the celebration of the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord was established.

Even on this day, the return of the cross to Jerusalem from Persia, where he was in captivity for 14 years, is remembered.

During the war against the Greeks, the Persian king Khosrov II Parviz defeated their army, plundered Jerusalem, taking many valuable things, including the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. The cross was in Persia for 14 years, and only under the Byzantine emperor Heraclius I, who defeated Khosrov and made peace with his son, was the Christian relic returned. The Life-Giving Cross was solemnly transferred to Jerusalem.

According to legend, Emperor Heraclius in purple and a royal crown carried the Cross of Christ to the Church of the Resurrection. Next to him was Patriarch Zacharias. At the gate to Calvary, the emperor suddenly stopped and could not go any further. Zachary explained to the emperor that the Angel of the Lord did not allow him to pass, because the one who carries the Cross to Golgotha ​​to redeem the world from sins makes his way on the Cross in a humble form. Then the king took off the purple and the crown, put on simple clothes and freely brought the shrine into the temple.

Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord: what can not be done?

There are some prohibitions for this day. It is not necessary to start important matters on September 27th. It is believed that all your efforts will be useless and, as a result, the work you have begun will end in failure.

You can’t even go to the Exaltation of the forest. Our ancestors believed that on this big church holiday, the earth “closes” for the winter and all reptiles crawl away to some unknown warm lands. Therefore, they did not go into the forest, because they were afraid to meet snakes. The owners locked the gates and doors for the whole day, so that creeping reptiles would not accidentally enter the house.

Also, they were afraid to go into the forest because of the meeting with the goblin and other forest evil spirits. According to legend, on this day the goblin gathers all the animals subject to him to inspect them before winter, which is just around the corner. Having met a person, he can harm him. Girls were not allowed into the forest that day, they were afraid that the goblin could steal them.

Do not forget that September 27 is a fast day. You can not eat fast food. They believed that the one who does not fast on this day, seven sins will rise.

You should not pass by the places where a murder was once committed, because the unclean one can beguile.

It is impossible to cross incomprehensible traces seen on the ground. They can be left by forest evil spirits. Whoever crosses these traces will soon become seriously ill.

Video: Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 27)

On September 27 (according to the new style), the Orthodox Church celebrates the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. This is the twelfth (one of the twelve great) Lord's (dedicated to the Lord Savior) holiday.

However, the events that led to its appearance took place several centuries after the Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. Life-Giving Cross There is no need to explain how important, filled with holy meaning, the cross becomes for every Christian - a reflection of the Cross of the Lord, on which God parted with life in terrible torment in order to meet death and defeat it.

The pectoral cross, the sign of the cross, crosses on the domes of temples and inside churches ... If we only know about the Cross, remember the death of the Lord, for the sake of our salvation - this will already become a solid foundation on which the building of faith will be erected.

Jesus Christ, having passed the earthly path, left many shrines to people. But the Cross on which He suffered is the greatest. “The Cross of Christ is the beautiful praise of Christians, the honest preaching of the apostles, the royal crown of the martyrs, the precious adornment of the prophets, the most brilliant illumination of the whole world!

Cross of Christ... protect those who glorify you with a fiery heart. Save those who with faith receive and kiss you. Govern your servants in peace and firm faith. Vouchsafe everyone to reach a joyful and bright day of resurrection, guarding us in Christ Jesus, our Lord” from the creation “Come, believers, let us worship the Life-Giving Tree” by St. Theodore the Studite. A special liturgical event of the Feast of the Exaltation is the veneration of the Cross. It is performed during the All-Night Vigil on the eve of the celebration (that is, September 26 - why the liturgical day begins in the evening of the previous day, read in this article). The priest takes out the Cross, overshadowing the cardinal points with it (east, west, south, north and again - east). Then the faithful venerate the shrine.

Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord - hymns of the Holiday (video)

At this time, the troparion is sung:

We worship Thy Cross, Master, and glorify Thy Holy Resurrection.

Actually, this action - the raising of the Cross - is called the exaltation. The shrine is erected over the world, over the bowed people. This has, first of all, a spiritual meaning - the Cross dominates, is a guide for salvation, spreads grace. At the same time, it is being erected so that all those gathered can see the shrine, which reminds us of the events that took place 18 centuries ago...

history of the holiday

At the beginning of the 6th century, Emperor Constantine the Great himself was not yet a Christian. But he was quite loyal to Christians, especially since his mother, Elena, also believed in Christ. It was he who in 313 issued the Edict of Milan, which gave Christianity the status of a legitimate religion that can be practiced openly and freely. At this time, he fought with the ruler of the Roman part of the empire - Licinius (or Licinius). Before the decisive battle, Constantine was honored with a vision of the Cross and heard the words:

"Sim win!"- The emperor ordered to decorate the armor of soldiers, banners with the image of the cross, in front of his army they carried a large precious cross. So, having won a victory in 324, Constantine subjugated the entire territory of the empire.

Soon it was decided that the mother of Constantine would go to Jerusalem to find the real Cross of the Lord. And in 326, the empress arrived in the holy land. There are several stories that tell about her search for a shrine. All of them boil down to the fact that on the site of Golgotha ​​there was a pagan temple (the temple of Venus), under which a cave was found, clogged with various rubbish. The temple was destroyed, and in the cave they found three large wooden crosses, nails and a tablet with the inscription “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews” (this is the inscription we now see on the images of the cross in Orthodox churches).

It remained to determine which cross is the instrument of execution of the Savior. With a large gathering of people, a sick person was brought to each of the crosses - touching the shrine, the suffering person received healing (there is also a legend that at that time a funeral procession passed by and the deceased, who was brought to the Cross, came to life). Having received clear evidence of the extraordinary grace emanating from one of the crosses found, the Bishop of Jerusalem Macarius erected (placed vertically) the shrine in front of the people. People fell on their faces with an exclamation "Lord have mercy!".

At the place where the Lord's Cross was found, the construction of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ began. The date of its consecration (September 14, according to the old style and September 27, according to the new one) is also associated with the day of the celebration of the Exaltation. But we remember not only the acquisition of the shrine in 326. Three centuries later, in 614, the Persians captured Jerusalem and took away the Cross of the Lord along with Patriarch Zacharias. The captive and the Honest Tree were returned to Jerusalem by Emperor Heraclius (according to various sources, this happened from 624 to 631). Today, the Life-Giving Cross is divided into particles stored in different parts of the world.

Emperor Constantine the Great was glorified not only by the granting of freedom and rights to Christians, not only by the initiative to acquire the Honest Trees, but also by the organization of the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea in 325. He himself received holy Baptism only at the end of his life. The Orthodox Church venerates Constantine, along with his mother, as saints and Equal-to-the-Apostles.

HAPPY HOLIDAY TO YOU, MY DEAR!!!

The holiday is non-transitory, every year it is celebrated on the same day. In the Orthodox tradition, the Exaltation of the Cross refers to the twelfth, that is, the twelve main holidays of the year. This day is one of the most important in Orthodoxy, and many signs, beliefs, rites and rituals are associated with it.

The cross in Christianity is the main symbol of faith, because it was on the cross that Jesus Christ was crucified. The history of the Feast of the Exaltation begins in the 4th century, when three crosses were found near the cave of the Holy Sepulcher. The church claims that the true cross on which Christ was crucified healed the woman when she touched it. After finding the Life-Giving Cross, it was decided to build the Church of the Resurrection of the Lord at the place where it was found. It is in this temple that every year we can observe the miracle of the Holy Fire.

The date of the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross was set on the day when the temple was completed, 10 years after it was found.

On this day, Indian summer ends and autumn fully comes into its own.

Folk traditions and customs

Before the baptism of Rus', the holiday on September 27 was called "Stavrov's day", it is believed that this name came from the Greek word "stavros" - the cross. On this day, there was a custom to draw crosses on the walls and doors of the house with chalk, coal, garlic, dough, and even the blood of a sacrificial animal. In the cattle shed, crosses were hung, tied (nails could not be used) from rowan branches as a symbol of the sun. If there was no cross, then crossed rowan branches were laid, which was a symbol of bright light that scares away evil spirits. Thus, the peasants "baptized" the most dangerous places in the house from the intrigues of evil spirits. In pre-Christian Rus', the symbol of the cross was a sign of the sun, warmth and life.

Many features of everyday life were associated with the Feast of the Exaltation among ordinary people. “A shift has come - the caftan with a fur coat has moved” (or “bread has moved from the fields”), the people said. Thus, the peasants hinted at the imminent arrival of winter and the harvesting of grain from the fields.

On Stavrov's day, they began to harvest cabbage for the winter - to ferment and salt. The girls often hosted cabbage parties that could last up to two weeks. According to legend, the girls who gathered for such evenings had to read a special spell seven times. After that, the guy he liked fell in love with the girl without memory. The number seven was not simple (for example, the seven Christian sacraments). It was believed that those who prayed on this day were forgiven seven sins. But on the one who did not celebrate the Exaltation, seven sins should have fallen.

According to legends, on the Exaltation of the birds, snakes and insects go to the magical country of Iriy, which was located on the warm sea, in the west or southwest of the earth. The sea in the popular mind is associated with death. The concept of the west is also connected with it, where every evening the sun sets and dies. Consequently, the magical land of Iriy is nothing but the ancient Slavic idea of ​​\u200b\u200bparadise.

What not to do on Exaltation

• On September 27, no important business began.
• They don’t go on the road on Stavor on the day - the goblin will confuse.
• On the Exaltation, meat, eggs, milk and, in general, all products of animal origin are not eaten.
• By prohibition - quarrels, abuse and foul language.
• Refuse this day from noisy gatherings and recreational activities.
• You can not do heavy housework, sewing and needlework.
• On that day it was forbidden to go to the forest.
• At this time, you can not disturb the animals - they are preparing for hibernation.
• You can not leave windows and doors open - a snake can crawl in.

What to do on the holiday of September 27

On the eve of the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, every believing Christian went to the temple for the All-Night Vigil, which ends with a liturgy and the removal of a cross for worship. During the service, everyone can ask the Higher Powers for help and repent of unseemly deeds.

After the service, you need to sprinkle every corner of the house with holy water, reading a prayer to the Honest Life-Giving Cross - this will help drive people with bad thoughts away from your family.

They also bring three candles from the church service, bind them together, light them and go around their house or apartment around the perimeter, reciting a prayer:

“Honest Cross, guardian of soul and body, wake up: casting down demons in your own way, driving away enemies, exercising passions and giving reverence to us, and life, and strength, with the assistance of the Holy Spirit and honest prayers of the Most Pure Theotokos. Amen."

In the evening, the hostesses arranged festive feasts. And since September 27 is the day of strict fasting, they prepared dishes from cabbage of the new crop. Every good housewife had a whole list of her signature dishes and cabbages that were served on the table.

On the Exaltation, you need to draw a cross on the front doors with chalk - this way you will protect your house from diseases and ill-wishers.

Signs for Exaltation

The holiday of September 27 was considered by the people to be a difficult and even dangerous day - it was forbidden to go into the forest, it was supposed to keep a strict fast and follow the advice of wise ancestors so as not to invite trouble.

• Whoever kills the snake on the Exaltation - seven misfortunes will be erected on him.
• Whoever goes to the forest to the Exaltation may not return.
• Whoever fasts on this day, seven sins will be forgiven.
• Whoever does not fast on the Exaltation - seven sins will be raised on him.
• Birds on this day fly to Iriy, and if you see a flock of migratory birds today, you must definitely make a wish.
• It is better not to go into the forest, because you can meet the goblin.
• On the Vozdvizheniye, the bear is in the lair, the snake is in the hole, and the birds are to the south.
• A snake that bit a person on September 27 will not be able to crawl away to warmer climes, it will have to freeze in the winter cold.
• At least on Sunday, come Exaltation, and everything on it is Friday-Wednesday, Lenten food!

Also on Stavrov Day, the weather was noted:

• Geese fly high - to a large flood, low - to a small one.
• North wind - to a warm summer.
• Frost in the morning - winter will come early.
• Clear and warm weather on Stavrov Day promises a warm and long autumn.
• From the Exaltation, autumn shifts to winter.
• If a cold north wind blows on this day, then the next summer will be hot.
• In the Exaltation of the bird, summer is carried away over the seas.

Magic, conspiracies and rituals for the Exaltation

Among healers, Exaltation is considered an energetically powerful day, favorable for all sorts of witchcraft affairs, especially love ones. On the night before the Exaltation, witches gather for a sabbath on Bald Mountain. But ordinary people did not go to the mountains and forests that day - the danger was too great to meet whole hordes of snakes, large and small.

The Exaltation is also called the Snake Day - on this day all the snakes go into their holes. In the magic of the Slavs, witchcraft was attributed to snakes. Especially often snakes were used in love spells. The healers advised to go into the forest, kill the snake, melt the fat out of it, and make a candle out of this fat, which must be lit every time you feel cooling in love. But as soon as the candle burns out completely, love will pass forever.

Conspiracy for love

Gathering on the evening of September 27, the girls read special conspiracies that day in order to forever bind suitors to themselves. Here is one of them. From the evening dawn until midnight, read the conspiracy words on the smoke from a fire or stove.

“There is a dry forest in a dry forest. In that forest, all the foliage is dry, Dryness drives that foliage, Longing for the servant of God (name), catches up dryness For me, for the servant of God (name). Dry him without me, water, Do not go into his mouth without me, food, Sleep, go around him, Longing-dryness, find him For me, for the servant of God (name). In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Now and forever and forever and ever. Amen".

Rite of love

The girl cooked small pies with cabbage, poured milk into a glass and left it all overnight on the table with the words:

“My friend brownie, become my matchmaker and marry (name) to me (name). Amen".

Rite so that the husband never changes

This rite is done only if the first snow has not yet fallen before the Exaltation. The wife should cut off a strand of hair from his head (it’s impossible to tell your husband why you are doing this, you need to think of something) and put it behind the stove, reading an old plot:

“In the sea-ocean, on the island of Buyan, an oak grows - broad-leaved, broad-leaved. You can’t walk around that oak tree with your feet, You can’t wrap your arms around it, Its roots are mighty and long. And just as its roots sit firmly and deeply in the ground, So the betrayal of God's servant (name) would sit behind my stove, And the flesh of God's servant (name) would not dare to leave me anywhere, Wouldn't want or want anyone. Century by century, from now to the century, Amen to all.

love plot

When going to a festive skit, a girl can read a love plot seven times, standing in front of a mirror. Then the guy who liked her will like her.

“My word is strong, like hot iron! Raise, Father Exaltation Day, in the heart of a good young man (name) love for me, a red girl (name), so that there is no end to love, so that it does not burn in fire, does not drown in water, so that its cold winter does not chill! My word is strong as iron!

On September 27, an important holiday for Orthodox Christians will take place - the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord. This day must be remembered in order to spend it according to the precepts of the church.

Exaltation in 2019 is celebrated on September 27. However, this date does not shift from year to year in the calendar, unlike some other church festivities.

The Exaltation is one of the twelve holidays - these are celebrated by the church. Their dates do not change. This feast is dedicated to the acquisition of, perhaps, one of the most significant relics for the entire Christian (not only Orthodox, but also Catholic) world: the Cross on which Christ was crucified.

The name of the holiday is explained simply: in the Eastern, Orthodox Church, there is a tradition for this holiday to take out to the parishioners for service and ritually establish a cross - that is, erect it. Hence the name. This custom is very ancient: it dates back to the 4th century AD.

How to celebrate the Exaltation in 2019

The basic rules remain unchanged - on such a day you can not get angry, swear, swear or abuse bad habits. It is necessary to be at peace and harmony with relatives and colleagues. September 27, 2019 falls on a Friday, many will work, completing the work week; in such a situation, stresses, quarrels, disagreements are possible - they need to be extinguished if possible, bring the disputants to a compromise, look for options that will suit everyone. It is also at home - it is important for all household members to honor the elders, not offend the younger ones and take care of each other.

If possible, it is worth going to the service in the temple to catch the removal of the cross. Churched people are prescribed a strict fast on this day - you can not eat all animal food as food.

Prayers on this day should also be remembered. You can start with "" - this is the main Christian prayer. You need to read it, tuned in to communication with God, not in between times and not in vain thoughts. Another important prayer for September 27 is "".

If you want to learn more about the rules and traditions of this day, the editors of the site have prepared a publication for you about. We wish you prosperity and happiness on this important and solemn day. Good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and

26.09.2019 05:56

One of the main church holidays, called the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, has a rich history and many traditions, ...

On September 27, according to the new style, the church holiday of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord is celebrated. The holiday was established in memory of the found Cross, ...