Elijah's Day is a holiday dedicated to the memory of the Prophet Elijah, revered by the eastern and southern Slavs, as well as many others Orthodox peoples. There are many things associated with the day of the prophet Elijah interesting traditions and will accept.

Celebrating a holiday August 2 according to the new style. It is connected with the life of the prophet Elijah, who lived before our era. This Old Testament saint was an ardent fighter against paganism and pagan traditions, which were very common at that time. This day is not included in the list of 12 main Christian holidays, but it still has its own special importance.

The story of Ilyin's day

This is, rather, a folk holiday, rather than an Orthodox or church holiday, since back in the 10th century, Elijah’s Day became a replacement for the holiday of God Perun, who controlled the natural elements, lightning and thunder. Saint Elijah helped bring rain, so people began to identify this image of a fictitious god with an archaic saint.

Ilyin’s Day is one of the most revered all-Russian national holidays for the whole year. His Orthodox history simple. God took Elijah to Heaven for his fighting character and inflexibility in matters of faith. There is a belief that the Lord allowed him to come to Paradise alive, and even on a fiery chariot, personifying his passion and zealous service to the Creator.

It is believed that the prophet will have to be present at the second coming of Jesus Christ. His mission will be preaching and the second baptism of the Son of God. This is exactly what Christian sermons say.

That is why this holiday is so important for people - it shows us that the power of God is limitless and existed even in those times when the world was ruled by paganism, chaos and unbelief.

Traditions and rituals on Elijah's Day

According to folk traditions on Elijah's Day, which we wrote about earlier, this holiday was also called Thunderbolt, Carrot, Gromovnik, Ilya the Angry. This day had many names, but now everyone calls it Ilya’s Day, since Russian Orthodox Church fights even the smallest remnants of paganism, which, according to the clergy, are the main enemies of pure faith in God Jesus Christ.

• Before Elijah's Day, it was always customary to bake cookies when work in the field was completed. This ritual warded off troubles and bad weather.
• On August 2, people traditionally pray to God for the salvation of their home and for him to have mercy on them and protect them from bad weather.
• Since ancient times, it was believed that any work on Elijah’s day only brings trouble. You shouldn’t expect any results from it, so all people relax on this national holiday.
• Games, round dances and dances, as well as fun and good mood- these are the main attributes of Ilyin’s day. Everyone should have fun and share treats. This is a kind of collective ritual.
• From the very beginning of the association of Elijah's day with pagan origins, it was believed that this holiday represents the end of summer period. According to folk superstitions, on Elijah’s Day, animals change their behavior, the water in reservoirs begins to bloom and become colder. In Rus' they even said: “We live in summer until lunch, and after lunch autumn comes.”
• Strong lightning and thunder on Elijah's Day indicate that the winter will be snowy and cold.
• The Prophet Elijah is a person who is identified with rage towards evil spirits. That is why people have long believed that all devilry hides when Elijah descends from heaven to illuminate the heavens with the light of lightning.

Each of us must honor these traditions and signs, as they are the result of observations of dozens of generations of people. This is the greatest holiday, which is designed to say goodbye to summer time and prepare for autumn with fresh strength.

On this day in Orthodoxy it is customary to read prayers for protection. One of these is the “I Believe” prayer. Read it before going to bed to save yourself and your loved ones from troubles - both natural and spiritual. Good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and

02.08.2016 03:00

On August 2, Rus' traditionally celebrated the day of the Holy Prophet Elijah. Find out which folk signs connected...

Elijah's Day - Orthodox religious holiday. Article to read

The veneration of the prophet Elijah began in Byzantium. On the occasion of Elijah's Day Byzantine emperors organized celebrations and theatrical performances. It is not surprising that after accepting Christianity Kievan Rus this saint became no less revered and respected than Nicholas the Ugodnik and St. George the Victorious.
When Christianity was adopted in Rus', the formidable biblical prophet took in the imagination of the people the place that once belonged to the powerful God of thunder and lightning Perun.
Ilya is a formidable, stern, punishing saint.

ELIJAH THE PROPHET Russia, last third of the 19th century.
Wood, tempera, gold leaf, oil.
54x45 cm. Private collection

On this day, August 2, the Day of the Prophet Elijah came to me, a lot of questions, and the main ones: why did the prophet Elijah pee in the water? Where did this expression come from and what does it mean?

Let's start in order, who is Ilya really? Prophet from old testament or is it ours? Slavic god Perun, during Christianity, was reclassified as a prophet?

According to biblical legend, the Old Testament prophet Elijah was subject to formidable elements. The very end of his life is surrounded by an atmosphere of miracle - in a whirlwind and flame, he ascended to heaven alive. It is not surprising, therefore, that with the advent of Christianity in Rus', the people, who retained many of the qualities of the old pagan gods, endowed Ilya with the signs of their most revered deity - Perun the Thunderer.

Independent and mighty Perun He commanded thunder and lightning, whirlwinds and winds, and heavenly moisture. One of the days of the week was dedicated to him - Thursday. In times of drought, only Perun could send beneficial rain. He was asked about this, but often his prayers remained in vain. By the way, this is where the humorous saying comes from: " After the rain on Thursday".

You can’t swim on Elijah’s day. If this was not recommended on August 1, then on August 2 it was strictly prohibited. This prohibition was explained as follows: Elijah the prophet rides horses across the sky; from running fast on Elijah's day, one of the horses loses a horseshoe, which falls into the water, and the water immediately becomes cold: "Elya the prophet muddies the water in the rivers."

So why did the prophet Elijah pee in the water?

Or they say like this: “Ilya peed in the water, you can’t swim!” Or this is how they also say: “Ilya poured water into the water.” My parents and grandmother constantly told me this, they drove me to hysterics, so I wanted to swim in August. But no, Ilya peed in the water and that’s it! It is forbidden. Moreover, like a child, I took it for granted, so I wrote something like this in the water Respected man, so it’s necessary, with all due respect, well, let me swim!!!

I must say, we swam, but indeed, the water was not the same, it was already cooler. And why did Ilyusha accomplish this unusual feat, I became interested already as an adult. 🙂

And this is where the most important thing lies. Ilya Perun is painfully strict and hot, but fair. Shooting an arrow at evil spirits and wicked people - it's his style. And the peasants were always worried that if evil spirits had cunningly sneaked into the house in the form of some kind of animal (read below), then Ilya would not waste time on trifles, he would strike the house with lightning, be healthy, so the peasants were ready to even read conspiracies so that Ilya would I didn’t hunt their houses and gardens and barns, but everything they had acquired would burn to dust, they would go around the world (). They were ready to put up with the evil spirits, or then drive them out themselves, just so as not to be left as fire victims without a home. This is the prose of life.

So why does He still...

So, in many Belarusian and Baltic fairy tales, our prophet Ilyusha (aka Pyarun / Perkunas) enters into confrontation with the unclean (serpent). The serpent hides from the god of thunder under a man, under a horse, under a cow, under a tree, under a stone, but God finds him everywhere. Then the serpent finally hides under the water, and only then does the “thunderer” calm down: “Well, sit there!” Water becomes the refuge of Perun's antipode. Hence the hostile partisan actions on the water of Ilya, the heir to the god of thunder. He urinated in the water, the snake couldn’t swim out. This must be understood, of course, as a legend, no, even as an allegory, August 2 (2nd according to the old calendar) in time terms corresponds to the turn of the sun for winter - the duty one, so to speak, the transition from life to death on an annual basis, to the change of seasons, from warm riot for winter sleep and cold. From life to death, because not all living organisms will survive the winter, many plants and animals will die in order to be reborn again next spring. And so in a circle, the eternal circle of birth and death, samsara.

And a little last thing...

Prophet Elijah, having replaced Perun in the popular imagination, took on all his “responsibilities”, in addition becoming the protector and patron of agriculture and cattle breeding. Elijah the prophet became one of the most popular saints among the common people. Terrible, punishing, but at the same time generous, bestowing, he is the manager of the most terrible and beneficial forces of nature. Ilya gallops across the sky in a fiery chariot drawn by four (or two) white horses; this is such an incident in icon painting; thunder comes from the sound of its wheels. And “only the wind is faster than Ilya’s horses,” says the proverb.

However, sometimes the popular imagination brought the image of the saint closer to simple peasant life. One researcher recorded such a conversation with a Smolensk peasant about a hundred years ago.

“Ilya delivers across the sky,” the farmer said, “water for all the saints, and if he spills a little, it rains on earth.”

Why doesn't it rain in winter? - the scientist asked.

And in winter,” the interlocutor was not at all embarrassed by the question, “the saints sit without water.

In Russian fairy tales Ilya is settled on the island of Buyan, which lies in the unexplored expanses of the sea-ocean; It’s as if all the thunder and lightning, all the power of the storms and winds are hidden on that island. The witch from the site recorded it for you. But not only do Ilya command them: they prayed to him for protection from gun wounds, and for good luck in the hunt, and even for a cure for anthrax. Many different conspiracies are associated with his formidable and omnipotent name.

“I, servant of God, will get up and go to the eastern side, to the sea and ocean. On that ocean - sea there is an island of God, on that island lies a flammable stone-alatyr, and on the stone sits the holy prophet Elijah with heavenly angels. I pray to you, holy prophet, send thirty angels in a gold-plated dress, with bows and arrows, so that they will fight off all troubles and misfortunes, all ailments and illnesses from your servant."

Elijah the prophet has power over the spirits of darkness, hits them with his arrows. Fleeing from Elijah, the evil spirit turns into various animals - hares, foxes, cats, dogs, etc. Therefore, on Elijah's day, the custom was established not to let dogs and cats into the house: just look, you will inadvertently bring thunderstorms and lightning to the hut. In general, many bans are timed to coincide with August 2.

You can't put livestock out to pasture, otherwise the wolves will devour him: there was a belief that on Elijah’s day “all wild animals roam free.” But, even having avoided meeting with predators, the disobedient shepherd will be punished: the prophet, angry at disobedience, can send lightning on both the cattle and the shepherd.

You still can’t work on Elijah’s day. Carrying hay is a sin, Ilya will burn it. They don’t throw haystacks on Elijah’s day - they’ll burn in a thunderstorm. The only exception was made for beekeepers: they could trim the honeycombs in the beehouse and clean the hives. A bee is a “God’s bird” that collects wax for God’s candle; Ilya will not hit the hive with an arrow, even if an unclean spirit hides behind him... Use it for your health and good. Link required.

The Prophet Elijah in Rus' was always considered formidable and angry, they even feared him: he was considered the master of the weather - rains and thunderstorms, thunder and lightning. The people imagined him as a formidable old man with a white beard, riding across the sky in a thundering chariot, and punishing sinners; he knew how - long before the birth of Jesus Christ - to bring people back to life with his prayers. Legend says that the name “Elijah” in Hebrew means “the fortress of the Lord,” and the saint fully justified this name. In the minds of the Russian people, the biblical narrative was peculiarly intertwined with popular beliefs, and Elijah the Prophet himself took on the functions of the mighty Slavic pagan god Perun, who ruled with all nature, lightning, thunder and rain. Elijah was a generous saint, he endowed people with wealth, harvests, livestock and health, and cleansed the world of all evil spirits. The peasants considered him the lord of rain, the owner of “rattlers,” that is, springs and rivers that did not freeze in winter, which allegedly appeared from the impact of his fiery arrows, the patron of agriculture and cattle breeding, the main breadwinner and waterer of people and domestic animals. On the eve of the holiday, Elijah the Prophet from time to time he showed people his power. To do this, he organized the so-called sparrow night, when thunder rumbles, lightning flashes, rain pours, strong winds tear off thatched roofs, birds rush about, centuries-old trees sway and break, and livestock roars. On such a night, one can only be saved by a prayer addressed to an angry prophet. Judging by the chronicles in Rus', the prophet Elijah has been revered since ancient times, even before the adoption of Christianity: when Princess Olga was baptized, she built a temple in his honor in her homeland. And under Prince Igor in The first cathedral church was built in Kyiv in honor of Elijah the Prophet. After the Baptism of Rus', Elias churches began to be erected in large numbers.

There are a lot of signs and beliefs associated with Elijah’s Day

Before Elijah's Day, it was necessary to do a general cleaning of the house, but all shiny objects - samovars, dishes - were hidden or taken away, and even the mirrors were covered with a clean linen. The room was fumigated with incense, the doors were locked, the windows were curtained, candles were lit in front of the icons and they prayed to the prophet. Elijah was a generous saint who kept order on earth and punished guilty people, he endowed people with wealth, harvests, livestock and health, and cleansed the world of all evil spirits.

We remember many of the signs from childhood. For example, our grandmothers’ favorite sayings:

That starting from Ilya’s day you can’t swim in the river, since before that Ilya shot off evildoers on land with his fiery arrows, and now they all settled in the water;

From Ilya's day the night is long and the water is cold;

Peter - Paul shortened the day, but Elijah the Prophet - dragged away two;

If thunder thunders, then it is Elijah riding across the sky in a fiery chariot.

Ilya's summer is ending and he's reaping the harvest.

I'm sure each of you has even more sayings in your memory with which you can continue this list.

Usually, on Elijah’s day it rains, which is considered healing. By bathing in this rain, you can be cured of diseases.

They pray to the Prophet Elijah for rain during times of rainlessness, for the cessation of rain during prolonged bad weather. In case of drought they prayed to Ilya Mokroy, and in rainy weather - to Ilya Sukhoi.

Celebrating this holiday began on its eve - on the Thursday before Elijah's Day, when ritual cookies were baked in some areas. In addition, on the eve of Elijah's Day, they took various precautions to protect their home, farm and crops from rain, hail or lightning. On Elijah’s day, any work was strictly prohibited - it would not bring any results and could anger Elijah the prophet, who severely punished for disrespectful attitude towards his holiday. From Ilyin's day to folk beliefs, bad weather began, and swimming was prohibited.

Almost everywhere throughout Russia, the obligatory rite of Ilyin’s day was a collective meal (“brotherhood”) with the slaughter of a ram or bull purchased by pooling. In addition, beer or wort was brewed on Ilya’s brotherhood. Such fraternities ended with youth festivities, games, round dances and songs. The organizers of Ilya's brotherhood, unlike other holidays, were men.

“Prosperous bread” - the bread of the first harvest - was baked with particular solemnity. They followed the ritual of cutting and distributing the first loaf: the eldest got the first loaf - like a “father-plowman”

Nowadays, the army has again joined in the veneration of the prophet of God Elijah. Its elite - the Airborne Forces - now honor the Prophet Elijah as their Heavenly patron and celebrate August 2 as the Day of the Airborne Forces

August 2, 2006, on the day of the holy prophet of God Elijah, celebrations dedicated to the 400th anniversary of the Ilyinsky alarm were held in the capital.
Elijah's Day is the last summer holiday. Considered angry, even dangerous. Menacing white-bearded old man Ilya is the lord of rain, thunder and lightning, riding a thundering chariot and punishing the unrighteous. At the same time, Ilya is generous, as he sends fertility to the earth.
Prophet Elijah, one of the most “strict prophets”. His prayers, according to Holy Scripture, brought people back to life.
The holy prophet Elijah, originally from Thesvah (Palestine), was the son of Sabah from the tribe of Levi and lived in the 9th century BC. According to the legend that has come down to us from Saint Epiphanius of Cyprus, when Elijah was born, his father had a mysterious vision that handsome men welcomed the baby, swaddled him with fire and fed him with a fiery flame.

Really, Saint Elijah was one of the most ardent zealots true faith and piety.
To the prophetic ministry of St. Elijah was called by God under the Israeli king Ahab. To admonish this wicked king and those corrupted by him Israeli people The prophet Elijah struck the earth with a three-year drought, closing the heavens with prayer. After this, according to the word of God, he hid by the stream Horath, where the ravens brought him bread and meat every morning and evening.
A year later, the divine prophet miraculously fed the widow of Sarepta, multiplying a handful of flour and a vessel of oil through prayer, and then prayerfully resurrected her son. A little later, Elijah brought fire from heaven onto the sacrifice on Mount Carmel, showing those people that Jehovah is the true God. After this, with intense prayer, he caused rain to fall on the thirsty land.
On Mount Horeb, the great prophet was honored, as far as humanly possible, to contemplate God face to face. His contemporaries, clearly seeing him as a man of God, threw themselves to the ground when they met. For his holy life and fiery zeal for the glory of God, Saint Elijah was taken alive into Heaven. This mysterious event assures the resurrection of the dead and the rebirth of the living on the last day of judgment. According to the belief of the Church, Saint Elijah, together with Enoch, will be the forerunners of the second coming of Christ and then they will experience bodily death according to universal human law.
Elijah is the only one of the prophets who was taken alive into the Kingdom of Heaven.
The only one of the Old Testament prophets who is respectfully recognized by the Orthodox Church. The first church built in Kyiv under Prince Igor, was in the name of the prophet Elijah. After Baptism the saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga built the temple of the Prophet Elijah in her homeland, in the village of Vybuty. Elijah the prophet was prayed for the sending of rains (Ilya wet), for the cessation of rains (Ilya dry). They also turned to him with other requests: for protection from gun wounds, increasing the harvest of grain and medicinal plants.
Helps treasure hunters and fur animal hunters. Protects and heals from witchcraft and the evil eye, damage and disease, bleeding, fever. Saves from evil spirits, robbers, newlyweds from damage, and livestock from troubles. According to legend, Elijah sends thirty angels with bows and arrows. Pilots these days consider him their patron, protecting them in the sky. But Elijah the prophet can rightly punish sellers who overweight.
Among many nationalities, Elijah is considered the Thunderer, like ancient god thunder and lightning to Perun. This association is explained by the fact that the chariot of the prophet Elijah rushing across the sky makes a loud sound.
The name Elijah means Fortress of the Lord(Heb.).
Although they didn’t work on Elijah’s day, they tried to do a lot of agricultural work on it. They tried to dry the hay and put it in stacks.
It always rains on the day of remembrance of the prophet Elijah. This rain is blessed; you need to wash yourself with healing rain to get rid of diseases and the evil eye.
The Jews have the following custom: after the Passover meal, pour a glass of expensive wine for Elijah the prophet, and, opening the door, say, “Pour out your wrath on the pagans who do not know You.” Ilya will certainly visit this house.
From Ilyin's day moderate warmth sets in. The daylight hours are decreasing, and the night is increasing.“Ilya the prophet stole two hours of daylight,” “Since Ilya’s day, the night has been long and the water is cold.” On Ilya there are usually “sparrow nights”, when thunder rumbles and lightning flashes throughout the whole night. After Elijah's day they stop swimming: “Ilya cooled the water.” Rain on Elijah's day, as well as on Maccabee (August 14) and on Exaltation (September 27) for a bountiful harvest next year.
Holy Prophet of God Elijah heavenly patron Russian airborne troops.

Here are the proverbs the Russian people came up with on Ilya’s Day:

• Ilya dies, summer ends; the first sheaf, the first autumn holiday.
• Elijah the Prophet mowing time.
• Peter with a spikelet, Ilya with a kolobok (round loaf of new rye).
• For Ilya, summer is before lunch, autumn is after lunch.
• Elijah will come and bring rot (rain).
• Before Ilya it dries under the bush, but after Ilya it doesn’t dry on the bush.
• On Ilya's Day, somewhere it lights up due to a thunderstorm.
• From Ilya's day the night is long and the water is cold.
• Before Ili, the man bathes, and says goodbye to Ilya and the river.
• On Elijah's Day, dogs and cats are not allowed into the house (they will attract lightning).
• On Elijah's day it is a sin to carry hay; Elijah will burn it.
• During Ilya's night the horse eats enough, and the man gets enough sleep.
• Peter and Paul shortened the day by an hour, and Elijah the Prophet took two hours off.

On Elijah’s Day, the reapers placed the first sheaf in the “red” corner, with the words: “This is Ilya’s beard” or “Here’s your beard, Ilya, and on next year produce for us the bread of the city.”
“Prosperous bread”—bread from the first harvest—was baked with particular solemnity. They followed the ritual of cutting and distributing the first loaf: to the eldest the first loaf as the “father-plowman”.