Annunciation Holy Mother of God- this is one of the most important Christian holidays. In Orthodoxy, this event is of great importance for every believer.

History and meaning of the Annunciation

This is the twelfth holiday, which means it has a fixed date - April 7. Its second name is Annunciation. This is absolutely no coincidence, because on this day, according to legend, the Virgin Mary was notified by the Archangel Gabriel that she would soon give birth to the savior of all righteous people - Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Luke wrote in his Gospel that mother of God learned about the holiness of her unborn child and its great significance in the life of every person in the sixth month of pregnancy. The Virgin Mary was in Nazareth, where the angel appeared. He said the following words, which later became the basis of the prayer:

Blessed Mary, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among wives. Do not be afraid, for you have found the grace of God. You carry the Son of God in your womb, and after his birth you will call his name Jesus. He will reign forever with his Father, and his kingdom will have no end.

The significance of the Annunciation in Christianity is enormous. This holiday and the very fact of the secret holy conception atones for the sin of Eve, who was the very first woman to know it. Actually church leaders and the wise men believe that Mary became the second Eve. Exactly the Eve she was supposed to become later - submissive and humble, kind and respectful of God.

Traditions on April 7

The Annunciation is the twelfth holiday, which is categorically not celebrated if it falls during Holy Week. In terms of its significance, this day is ranked by the clergy on a par with the Nativity of Christ and Epiphany.

On April 7, churches hold a special liturgy, the features of which depend on the day of the week and the date. Many points are very important, so you should clarify with the church what can and cannot be done. One interesting point is that sometimes this event falls on Easter itself. Then the holidays are combined and celebrated sequentially - first Easter, and then the Annunciation.

The Ecumenical Council established one important rule due to the exclusivity of the holiday. On this day, the full liturgy is celebrated in all churches, despite Lent. Let us remind you that this is prohibited in any other cases. If the day does not fall on Holy Week, then you can eat olive oil, wine and fish. If the holiday falls on Good Friday or on the Saturday before Easter, then it is celebrated on Sunday - the first day of Easter.

April 7 is great date for every self-respecting Christian. If you do not have the opportunity to visit church, then read the prayer “Rejoice to the Virgin Mary” at home. Believe in God, love your family and live righteously. Good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and

The most significant celebrations in church calendar, the twelve holidays, are inextricably linked to each other. For example, believers began to celebrate the Annunciation of the Mother of God, as well as the Exaltation of the Lord, in the 4th century, when, 300 years after the crucifixion of Christ, the mother of Emperor Constantine, Queen Helena, traveled to the holy places associated with his earthly life. She managed to find the sacred cross on Calvary and clarify the dates of such famous events as the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the birth of the baby Jesus.

Since then, it has been believed that the Virgin Mary’s immaculate conception became known on March 25, on which day Catholics celebrate the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary. Russian Orthodox Church, living according to the Julian chronology, on April 7 glorifies the Annunciation; customs and traditions dictate that the holiday be celebrated decorously, with quiet rejoicing in the heart, because it falls during Lent.

News of a miracle

Now it is difficult to imagine what was going on in the soul of sixteen-year-old Mary when the Archangel Gabriel turned to her with the words: “Rejoice, the Lord is with you! May you be the Mother of the Son of God!” How could she, raised in the temple, disobey the Creator, go against his will? However, in order to fulfill it, it was necessary to show considerable courage and steadfastly endure human condemnation. Even her betrothed husband Joseph, who by that time was already in his ninth decade, did not immediately decide to do such an act; at first he wanted to secretly let his chosen one go. He was ashamed, everyone around knew that his bride had voluntarily taken a vow of chastity.

What influenced him more, the persuasion and prophecies of the angel who appeared to Joseph in a dream, or the boundless self-sacrifice of young Mary, who believed in a miracle? After all, her coming into the world was also associated with it; her elderly parents, Anna and Joachim, literally begged their daughter from God. Without his blessing, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, the birth of Jesus, the bright Christ's Resurrection(), the Exaltation of the Lord and other great events, the memory of which is preserved by the twelve holidays.

Releasing the bird

Not all of them are now popular among the people, like the Annunciation, the customs and traditions of which are still observed and passed on from generation to generation. The beautiful rite of liberation of birds is especially loved. Priests usually release snow-white doves from their cages. They soar into the sky, as if souls freed from the oppression of sins, who have received hope, a chance for salvation through the Good News. In the old days, especially for a great Christian celebration, peasant boys caught wild birds in the forest that had managed to return from warmer climes. They brought them to the city market, where they asked for a ransom for them: rescue the bird from captivity, she will put in a good word for you before God. The children persuaded the adults to pay a pretty penny so that the bird could fly home.

Those birds that stayed for the winter, beyond the seas and oceans, were lured with tasty treats. On the Annunciation of the Mother of God, or more precisely the night before, housewives made sweets on the water; during Lent you cannot put the dough, even on a holiday. Funny buns were made from it, exactly like real larks: heads with beaks and raisin eyes, tails, wings. As soon as the “birds” turned brown in the oven, they were taken out, covered with honey and given to the children. They climbed onto fences and barn roofs and called loudly and loudly for spring, urging starlings and larks to build nests.

True, there is a belief that no one should work on the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, even birds do not build nests on this day. According to legend, the ban was once violated by a cuckoo. As punishment, she turned into an eternal widow, and other birds hatched her eggs. This is how the poor cuckoo chicks grow up as orphans with a living mother. Who would wish such a bitter fate for themselves? That’s why they put off all household and household chores and worries for later, didn’t light the stove, didn’t comb their hair, didn’t braid their hair.

Annunciation of the Virgin Mary: what you can do and what you can’t do

The Most Holy Theotokos has long been known in Rus' as a protector and patroness of women. They turn to her for help and support, for advice in Hard time they go to the Church of the Virgin Mary. And on her holiday, April 7, they are sure to buy blessed bread there - Annunciation prosphora, for all family members. They say they bring wealth and happiness to the house. Anyone who eats church food will remain in good health.

For the same purpose, on the Annunciation, customs and traditions taught how to make miraculous salt. Everyone, young and old, threw a pinch into a linen bag. Then the eldest woman in the family mixed the salt, calcined it in a cast-iron frying pan in the oven and treasured it like the apple of her eye until special occasion. It was believed that such a drug raised hopeless patients to their feet and took away any misfortunes from a person, as if the Most Holy Theotokos herself vital forces endows. If the magic potion was not useful, it was thrown into the fire on the eve of the next celebration.

At the Annunciation, ancient customs and traditions are also aimed at attracting wealth. On this holiday, it is customary to fill your wallet with money, paper bills, preferably larger denominations, and coins. You will count them at the entrance to the Church of the Virgin Mary under the solemn ringing of the bells, then you will give alms to the poor in the square in front of the church, you will not know the need for finances. There is also a completely strange, funny ritual: to steal something small. If you go unnoticed, luck in money matters will not pass you by.

However, everything can easily be ruined if you work on this day, for example, sitting at sewing or knitting. The fact is that the fate of a person is like a thread that obeys the Lord and his assistants - the angels. As soon as she gets confused, breaks off, gets wrapped up in the wrong ball, you can expect trouble: quarrels with family and friends, separation from a loved one, jealousy and evil gossip. It is better to visit the temple of the Virgin Mary, pray, devote time to ancient women's conspiracies, because the Most Holy Theotokos fulfills all desires on her holiday.

A spell that banishes the blues

Read three times before going to bed, in bed:
“I go to rest with the seal of the cross. The guardian angel guards my sleep, protects my soul from evening to morning, drives away sadness from my heart. Amen".

Annunciation love spell of good luck

On the eve of the holiday, honey is bought. On the Annunciation, rituals and traditions advise them to smear the palm of their left hand, press it tightly to right palm, and having separated, say:
“Honey melts from the heat, palms join. May good luck and happiness also stick to me, the servant of the Lord (name).

Making a cherished wish

Briefly formulate in advance what you want to ask the Mother of God and Archangel Gabriel. At dawn on April 8, go out onto the street or balcony, turn your face to the east. Cross yourself and say: “Hear my prayer, Archangel Michael, Most Holy Theotokos, I trust in you. Fulfill my tearful request (state it in your own words).” Kiss pectoral cross and don’t tell anyone about your deepest desire, otherwise it won’t come true.

Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary It is celebrated on April 7 (New Art.), is exactly 9 months from the date of the celebration of the Nativity of Christ, has one day of pre-celebration and one day of post-celebration, on which the Council of the Archangel Gabriel is celebrated. The forefeast and afterfeast are postponed if the Annunciation occurs on Holy or Bright Week.

Annunciation of the Most Holy Mother of God(Luke 1:26-38)

When, according to the eternal determination of God, the time had come for the Savior of the world to appear on earth, the Archangel Gabriel was sent from God to the Galilean city of Nazareth. The God-chosen Youth Mary, from the line of David, the daughter of Joachim and Anna, recently moved here to the house of Joseph the treemaker from the Jerusalem monasteries at the temple. At the age of three, She was brought into the temple by her parents and dedicated to God. At the temple She grew up in God-thought solitude. There She learned the needlework of her sex and spent time in labor, prayer and reading sacred books. Her highest virtues were unperturbed purity of thoughts and feelings, the deepest humility and complete devotion to the will of God. Her parents were no longer alive when She reached the age of 14. She decided to spend her whole life in the presence of God, under the roof of the temple. The priests, knowing Her unparalleled holy life, could not help but see in Her determination inspiration from above: but, not having an example of the virgins of Israel devoting themselves to a celibate life before the face of God, they betrothed Her to Joseph, a holy elder, also from the royal family of David, with that so that he would be the guardian of Her virginity in his house. Joseph lived in Nazareth and here he supported himself by carpentry. Holy Virgin Mary, too, in his house, helping to maintain it with her feminine labors, continued the pious exercises with which she had become accustomed since infancy. Tradition says that She read the book of the prophet Isaiah and stopped at the words: Behold, the Virgin will be with child and give birth to a Son, and they will call His name Immanuel(VII, 14).

Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Painting of the vault of the Assumption Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.

She thought: how blessed is this Virgin, who is worthy to be the Mother of the Lord, and how I would like to be even the last servant with her! And then an angel appears to Her and greets Her: Rejoice, O Blessed One. The Lord is with You: blessed are You among women. The Most Holy Virgin, while still living in the temple, became accustomed to the society of the angelic world, and therefore She was not alarmed by the appearance of the angel. She was embarrassed by his words when he called Her blessed among wives. The angel hastened to reassure Her: Maria! You have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a Son, and you will call His name Jesus. This will be the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end. The Blessed Virgin Mary said: how will this be when I am not involved in marriage? The Angel answered Her: The Holy Spirit will come upon You and the Power of the Most High will overshadow You: why the One who is born, like the Son of God, will be holy (without the sin of the ancestors). So Elizabeth, Your relative, reputed to be barren, despite her old age, has already been carrying a son in her womb for six months. So, what God commands to happen cannot fail to come true.. The Blessed Virgin, who has given herself up to God since childhood, humbly obeys His holy will. I am the servant of the Lord she said may it be done to me according to your word. After this, the angel left Her. The event is St. The church celebrates March 25th.

Most often on Orthodox icon They depict the Archangel Gabriel holding a flower, which symbolizes good news to the whole world.

It is he who is given the grace to bring joyful or good news to people.

That is why the believers were waiting for Gabriel so much. But the most good news was his omen to the Virgin Mary, when he said that in her womb was the future Savior of the human race. It was this day that became the beginning of the Annunciation holiday.

A little history

Until her 14th birthday, Maria studied in the temple. But after she turned 14, she had to leave the temple and either return to her parents or get married. The saints wanted to marry the girl off, but she refused. It turned out that Mary vowed to God to remain pure forever. Then, for her safety, the priests betrothed her to the eighty-year-old elder Joseph, who was supposed to guard her integrity. Together with her husband, she led the same solitary and modest life as at the monastery.

A few months after the betrothal, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to her and told her that she was “blessed among wives.” And he told her that the Son of God would be born to her.

The girl was very surprised by this news. After all, she didn’t understand how someone who doesn’t know her husband could become a mother. And then the Archangel revealed a great miracle to her: “The Holy Spirit will find you and overshadow you with God’s Grace. Therefore, what is born by you will be called the Son of God!” The virgin comprehended the power of God and entrusted herself to his will. The announcement of the birth of a baby was carried by angels throughout the world.

Today The date of the Annunciation is considered to be March 25. This date is exactly 9 months away from December 25, which since the 4th century has been considered the Nativity of Christ among Catholics and in the East. In addition, the ancient churchmen believed that the Annunciation and Easter occurred on the same day of the year.

This date was first mentioned in the writings of Western authors in the 3rd century. It is described as the day of Jesus' crucifixion. The rest became known by comparing the dates mentioned in Holy Scripture and the Gospel. That is, it was according to them that it became possible to calculate the date of the Nativity of Christ from the beginning of the creation of the world.

Previously, the day of the Annunciation of the Lord was considered the first day of the New Year. This was the case not only in the West, but also in the East. Easter and the Annunciation coincide in days, which led to the fact that March 25 was called Kyriopascha. That is, literally translated - “The Lord’s or real Easter.” Now this name is mentioned only when the day of the Annunciation coincides with Easter according to the calendar. In Russia, this day falls on April 7, according to the new style.

Images of the Annunciation were discovered by archaeologists on the walls of the catacombs back in the 2nd century. But the establishment itself church holiday occurred no earlier than the 4th century.

The meaning and meaning of the holiday

In the 4th century, Saint Helena discovered the earthly places of residence of Jesus Christ and began to build temples and churches on them. This milestone in history caused people to begin to take a more active interest in everything. And it is precisely this time that is attributed to the date of the first mention of the Annunciation as an independent holiday.

For the first time its official celebration took place in Byzantium. It was at that time that Pope Sergius included this day among the three most famous days dedicated to the Holy Virgin Mary. The Annunciation is celebrated in Rome to this day with great solemnity. Services were held in churches. Descriptions of the celebrations of that time can be found in many sources. Processions with chants and lit torches walk through the streets of the city, glorifying the Mother of God and allowing every resident and tourist to venerate the icon of the Good News.

Traditions

The Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Rus' was revered at all times and had special significance for everything Orthodox world. According to one of the traditions, on this day Birds were released from cages and nets. In 1995, this tradition was resumed.

In every home on this day It is customary to bake unleavened church bread- prosphora. After this, they are illuminated in the church and brought home. Prosphora was baked strictly according to the number of family members.

After consecration, it was customary to eat the bread, and the crumbs from it were added to animal feed. This was done to ensure that all family members were healthy throughout the year, and that the animals did not get sick and gave good offspring.

This holiday was popularly considered a symbol of the beginning of spring. In order to have bread all year round and get a good harvest, peasants blessed grain by placing an icon of the Mother of God next to it.

On this very day it was customary to call spring. Young people made a huge fire and jumped over it, singing and dancing. This fire was considered the most the best amulet from damage, the evil eye and dark magic.

To protect animals from wild animals it was customary to beat a mallet, ring a bell, or simply hit a copper frying pan in a stable. It was believed that the beast would stay from the cattle at the distance that the sound of the bell reached.

Orthodox people offered prayers for a good harvest and good weather, for the livestock to be fertile, and for people not to get sick. The icon of the Annunciation was a moving symbol or talisman that mother gave to her children during the creation of her family. It was believed that on the 8th day after the wedding, the family had already been born and it needed to be protected from everything bad. It was this theme that was revealed in the ceremony of donating the icon.

Main signs of the holiday

The Annunciation was especially revered by the people. On this day it was you cannot work or dig the ground. It’s not for nothing that there is still a saying that on Annunciation the bird does not build a nest, and the girl does not braid her hair.

There is even such a legend: the cuckoo did not obey the rules of the day and made a nest. As punishment, she could no longer see her nest. And from that day on, she puts eggs in the nests of other birds.

You should not light a fire on the night of the Annunciation. so as not to attract evil forces. But On Annunciation they burned salt in the oven to bring good luck and wealth into your home. This custom continues today.

It was believed that on this day all the angels rejoice and even in hell stop torturing sinners. It was customary to pray, and prayer was always heard. They especially often prayed for the health of a child or the fertility of the soil.

According to legend, it was on this day that the earth woke up from sleep. And flowers appeared on it. But at the same time, all the evil forces awoke.

That was superstition. But even today, to protect against evil forces It is customary to carry out rituals. The main one is the fumigation of winter clothes with smoke. I had to wash myself in the morning with melt water.

The celebration began early in the morning and continued until late in the evening. You had to congratulate every person you met and tell him pleasant things about how pleased you were to see him. It was believed that this helps strengthen own strength and gives confidence. The celebration menu had to be varied in order to attract wealth and prosperity to the house.

The only way to protect yourself from snakes is with fire. Therefore, it was on this holiday that it was customary to burn all the garbage that had accumulated in the house over the winter. And also you shouldn’t drop a single crumb on the floor, otherwise there will be no protection from insects all year.

Orthodoxy considers fortune telling a heresy. But on this day one was still allowed to guess and wish oneself happiness. The most common fortune-telling was baking money in prosphora and whoever came across it would live in happiness and wealth all year.

On the Annunciation, it was customary to take water from the church. She was placed near icons and was considered holy. After all, it did not deteriorate during the year, unless it was touched by a sorcerer or a person with unclean thoughts. This water was considered healing. The treatment of a person began precisely with the fact that he was given Annunciation water. It was also used to feed sick animals. She helped:

• from damage;
• from case;
• to resolve the burden at the hotel.

You cannot lend on this day. Otherwise, the money will not be processed. And in order for the chickens to lay eggs well all year round, the housewife drove them off the roost on a holiday.

When people come to church, they most often turn to it in order to get rid of debts and poverty, to receive health and goodness. In general, this means that you can pray to the icon about everything.

The very first and oldest frescoes of the image are drawings found in the catacombs of the 2nd century. But by the 5th century, certain canons of icon painting had developed, which remain completely unchanged. In most cases, the script for writing a holiday icon is that it depicts the Archangel Gabriel and the Holy Virgin.

Most famous icon considered Our Lady of Yarn. On which the Virgin Mary sits and spins yarn, and the archangel comes to her. If you believe folk tales, the Virgin at that time was weaving a red curtain, which was torn in two at the moment of Christ’s death.

The icons of the Annunciation with the Child in the Womb recreated the idea of ​​the Immaculate Conception. Similar images can be found not only in icon painting. They met:

• in embroidery;
• on manuscript miniatures;
• in sculpture.

At all times, only healers were allowed to work for the Annunciation, because people cannot wait. Today, this holiday is not honored as much as before. A day off is given only on Easter. And if the Annunciation coincides with this day, it means that all Orthodox Christians will rest.

Icons of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary: photo

The holiday of the Annunciation throughout Great Rus' was highly revered by the people as a day of perfect freedom and peace. The Annunciation was a holiday of beautiful traditions, the blessing of all reasonable and good deeds, and not riotous feasts. Believing Christians who adhere to the multi-day holiday, April 7 - the Annunciation, have a relaxation. Fish and wine are added to the meager lean food; for the soul, quiet entertainment is not prohibited. This once again emphasizes the greatness of this great holiday.

History of the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The story of the Annunciation is familiar to everyone who is strong in the Bible, as well as to those who have watched children's cartoons based on the artistic adaptation of the Gospel.

What names were given to the Annunciation in ancient times. It was called the Conception of Christ, the Annunciation of Christ, the Beginning of Redemption, and the Annunciation of the Angel to Mary. But ethnographers and churchmen have not been able, despite lengthy searches, to determine where, when, and how the Feast of the Annunciation first appeared. Only one thing is known: the instruction of Emperor Justinian, dated 560, about the celebration of the Annunciation in March on the 25th (according to the new style - April 7).

Three Gospels

The good news on April 7 gave rise to two others - on January 7 and on the day. In absolutely the entire chronicle of the human race there are, most likely, three majestic good news: about the moment that the Son of God was born and also about the fact that Jesus was resurrected. However, initially Archangel Gabriel delivered good news to the Virgin Mary about the upcoming birth of the Savior of the world. People call this day the Annunciation.

It is unknown what exactly the Virgin Mary was doing at that moment when Archangel Gabriel, the messenger of the Almighty, brought Her wonderful news. According to some assumptions, she was then spinning pink and purple yarn for curtains in the Temple. According to others, she went to the well for water; according to third reasoning, she read the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.

Be that as it may, today this is of little importance. The most important thing is what the Archangel said to her. The Apostle Luke says that the Angel, having descended to Mary, affirmed that she, the Graceful One, should triumph, for she had been chosen, to give birth to a son from the Creator himself. HE will become great and will be called Jesus, the Son of the Most High.

The Virgin Mary, undoubtedly, from birth, was given to the Creator, and Her husband, old Joseph, took the obligation to protect Her innocence and purity. And as a result of this, She, embarrassed, inquired from the Angel how this birth would happen. Gabriel compared Mary's cousin Saint Elizabeth, who conceived a child within a few months before the Annunciation. Moreover, she was at such an old age that sometimes innovative medical science cannot give the opportunity to conceive and give birth to a child. The Lord has no limits. Righteous Elizabeth, as well as her husband, the clergyman Zechariah, gave birth to a son, who was given the name John and who later became none other than John the Baptist.

Mary, the most chaste, as well as the holiest of all those living in the Universe, nevertheless, did not in any way consider herself to be one of those who deserved special mercy from the Lord. However, having experienced the All-Merciful will in the words of the Archangel, She said: “Behold, the Servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” Today it is believed that at the moment the Virgin Mary uttered such a phrase, the holy conception took place. It is unrealistic and difficult to imagine what could have happened to the planet, provided that at that moment in time the Virgin Mary said something different.

It's logical that righteous John Chrysostom called the Annunciation the source of celebrations, the basis of all Christian celebrations without exception.

One of the most beautiful and also most famous songs in the world community is Ave Maria, timed to coincide with the Annunciation, this is nothing more than the prayer of the Mother of God “Virgin, rejoice!” In general, it arose even before the start of division Orthodox religion to Western and Eastern. In honor of the celebration of the Annunciation in Russia, numerous churches and cathedrals were erected or renamed. Particularly universally recognized and popular by all is the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

The presentation of the Annunciation is the earliest mention of the Mother of God in the Gospel. And despite everything, even the fact that the “Gospel” is translated into Russian from Greek as “Good News”, only the Apostle Luke spelled out the event of the Annunciation. And he rightfully refers not only to the first icon painters, but also to the creators of the first icon of the Virgin Mary. The original, obviously, did not remain, but its most patriarchal painting - according to ethnographers - is Vladimir icon Our Lady. The most revered image of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Russia.

Annunciation - beautiful traditions

Calls

The threshold of the Annunciation and the holiday itself are permeated with ancient beautiful traditions, which are still actively observed in many villages. Traditionally, they “call out spring”: they light fires, dance around them, singing beautiful stoneflies, and bake flour sculptures of waders, larks, and swallows. Young girls climb with them onto the roof of low buildings, stand on an elevated place, the children climb the trees and chant protractedly, sadly and melodiously to the birds, urging them to fly quickly and bring the Beauty of Spring on their wings! They are begged to bring from across the seas a lot of health, green grass, fragrant cakes, a pot of porridge and even a bag full of money. Birds are lured with pies, koloboks, and pretzels.

Prosphora

So that all the days of the year are calm and successful, the whole family has good health and a prosperous life, according to Christian tradition, which over time grew into folk custom It was obligatory to eat a piece of prosphora (church bread). It was baked (now bought) for each member of the family, blessed in church, then crumbled and eaten. Often its crumbs were mixed into sowing seeds and feed. According to centuries-old observations, it was established that this gave an excellent harvest, good offspring for livestock and birds, and health for all living creatures. They even mixed crumbs into honey Church bread and fed it to the bees.

A tradition full of deep meaning - “Free the birds!”

In 1995, in honor of the Feast of the Annunciation, the ancient Russian beautiful tradition- give the birds freedom. On this day, in the Annunciation Cathedral, after chanting, the birds were released into freedom by the clergy and children. This custom was supported in almost all temples. People like him too. Residents of megacities bought forced birds at bird markets and joyfully gave them freedom.

Signs for the Annunciation

Based on the weather at Annunciation, they predicted the future harvest and what the summer months would be like. A mass of signs tied this together.

A windy day with morning fog and frost promised a fruitful summer. The Annunciation rain led to an abundance of mushrooms and bread.

There was frost for a good harvest of spring crops, cucumbers, and milk mushrooms; for warm summer days and an abundance of nuts - a thunderstorm.

There are no swallows on the day of the Annunciation - a sign of a cold, prolonged spring.

The Blagoveshchensk sky is dark and starless—the chickens will lay few eggs.

The Blagoveshchensk snow on the roofs will not melt until May 6 (Egoria), and there will be severe frost by forty frosty mornings.