Each year, Palm Sunday falls on a different date and is celebrated a week before Easter or on the sixth Sunday of Lent. In 2018 we will celebrate April 1st.

Palm Sunday has already been celebrated by Catholics in 2018, and Orthodox Christians will soon celebrate it too, because this holiday, also called Palm Sunday, is dedicated to the solemn entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem and is one of the most important church holidays.

Palm Sunday in 2018 falls on April 1st. The date changes every year. The holiday is celebrated seven days before Easter, on the 6th Sunday of Lent. IN church calendar it belongs to the great twelve solemnities and is called the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem.

How to celebrate Palm Sunday

1. Preparations for the holiday begin a few days in advance. People cut willow branches and place them in water at home so that they bloom.
2. Palm Sunday celebrations begin on Saturday evening. Churches hold services and the blessing of willow trees.
3. On Sunday, there is also a service in churches, and the priests sprinkle the willow twigs with holy water.
4. After the service, people bring the blessed branches home, place them near the icons and store them in this place for a year. To attract strength, health and prosperity, family members are lightly whipped on the back with willow twigs.
5. Housewives are cooking holiday dinners or dinners. Palm Sunday falls on Lent. On this day it is forbidden to eat meat, eggs, dairy products, but it is allowed to eat fish and a little red wine.

Palm Sunday is preceded by the holiday of Lazarus Saturday. On this day, Jesus Christ performed a great miracle - he raised the righteous Lazarus. After Palm Sunday, Holy Week begins - the week before Easter, which is dedicated to memories of last days earthly life of Jesus Christ.

history of the holiday

Established the Feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem Christian church in Jerusalem in the 4th century. In Rus' it arose in the 10th century and was called Palm Sunday.

The holiday is dedicated to the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem before Easter in 33. After Christ raised Lazarus from Bethany, rumors about Him spread to many cities. He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, accompanied by the apostles. According to tradition, those who entered the city on a horse brought war, and those who entered the city on a donkey brought peace. The Jews saw in Jesus a new ruler - a king. They showered Christ's path with flowers, palm branches, and laid clothes at his feet. But the Lord went to Jerusalem not for earthly power, but to die a martyr in the name of atonement for the sins of mankind. Five days later, the same crowd shouted: “Crucify Him...!”

There is a pagan version of the origin of Palm Sunday, according to which the prototype of the holiday was the ancient Slavic celebration of Verbokhlest. It was dedicated to fertility, vitality and willpower, which the willow identified. On this day, mass celebrations were held. The boys jokingly whipped the girls with willow. It was believed that such a ritual contributed to the continuation of the family and the appearance of healthy and strong heirs. Also on this day, domestic animals were beaten with willow twigs so that they would grow up healthy.

Traditions and rituals

There are many traditions and rituals associated with Palm Sunday. They are aimed at attracting health, wealth, prosperity, successful marriage, happy motherhood.

Modern traditions

Believers prepare for Palm Sunday in advance. A few days before the holiday, they cut young willow branches, bring them into the house and put them in water so that they bloom. It is worth choosing undamaged trees, where there are no hollows, broken or dried shoots. It is not recommended to use willow that grows near cemeteries or bodies of water. According to legend, evil spirits can rest on it.

Palm Sunday celebrations begin on Saturday evening. All-night vigils are held in churches. At the service, the priests read the Gospel, Psalm 50 and sprinkle the willow twigs with holy water. Parishioners stand with twigs and lighted candles until the end of the service. On Sunday, the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is held and the willow tree is consecrated again.

People bring the blessed branches home and place them near the icons. There is a tradition of whipping children and adult family members with them, saying: “I don’t hit, it’s the willow that hits!” or “Willow whip, beat me to tears!” People believe that such a ritual helps to cleanse oneself of the evil eye and evil spirits, and attract health, strength and prosperity.

Traditional healers prepare willow buds on this day. They believe that infusions from them help men maintain strength and women to conceive a child. Housewives bake pies from willow buds. It is believed that they help protect household members from diseases.

On this day, young girls cast love spells on their future husbands. They break several branches on a willow tree, tie them with red thread, make a wish for their betrothed and keep them behind the icons. You can’t throw away the bundle, as you could ruin your life. young man and your own.

In some regions it remains ancient tradition organize palm bazaars or fairs on this holiday. They host celebrations with colorful treats and entertainment for adults and children. Folk craftsmen sell handicrafts and cherubs - willow branches decorated with figurines of angels.

Ancient celebration traditions

Women who had small children bathed them in water with palm buds on Palm Sunday. They believed that such a ritual could save babies from illnesses and give the growing body health and strength.

Relatives of weak and sick people beat them on the body with willow twigs and at the same time said: “Holy Spirit, enter through the willow tree and take away the disease. The willow will come and the disease will take away.” It was believed that such a ritual would help restore health.

Housewives baked cookies with the addition of willow buds to become healthier and ward off illnesses from their families. Baked goods were also fed to livestock to increase the number of animals and protect them from diseases.

After the end of the church service, believers ate 9 willow buds to protect themselves from toothaches and illnesses.

On this day, people hammered a blessed palm stake at the corner of the house. They believed that he would help banish fears and make all family members more determined.

In the 16th-17th centuries, an annual event was held in Moscow on Palm Sunday. Procession. The Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Tsar took part in it. They rode through the city on a donkey. An important attribute of the holiday was a tree decorated with fruits. The fruits symbolized God's grace. They were distributed to everyone on Red Square after general prayer.

Properties of consecrated willow

Blessed willow has magical and healing powers. It protects the house from fires and lightning, helps to get rid of diseases, attract health, luck and prosperity, and solve a difficult life situation.

Rituals with blessed willow

• To cleanse from the evil eye and evil spirits, they lightly beat family members on the back with blessed willow twigs and at the same time say: “I don’t hit, it’s the willow that hits!” To attract strength, health and prosperity, they say when whipping: “Be as strong as the willow, as healthy as its roots, and as rich as the earth.” Whipping willow on domestic animals protects them from diseases.
• To protect the house from fire and lightning, several branches are burned and the ashes are stored.
• To attract health and strength, bread with buds in bloom is baked on Palm Sunday. consecrated willow and eat it.
• Women who cannot get pregnant for a long time should swallow several willow buds.
• For insomnia, place a willow twig at the head of the bed and before going to bed say: “Holy angels, take care of my sleep, holy willow, drive away the undead.”
• To successfully resolve an important matter, they eat a willow bud and think about the matter.
• To become more self-confident, stick a blessed branch into the roof of the house or in the corner of the ceiling.

What to do with consecrated willow

A consecrated willow becomes a shrine. She has miraculous power during a year. The church recommends keeping it in the house near the icons until next Palm Sunday. This helps to attract health, prosperity, and good luck. You can also make healing infusions from it, perform rituals to protect against diseases, fires, and to attract health, strength, and well-being. You cannot throw consecrated twigs in the trash. This can lead to illness and money problems.

Where to put last year's willow:

• let the river flow;
• burn separately from garbage;
• bury in a clean place;
• put between the bushes of growing young willow;
• use to expel evil spirits and cleanse the house - set fire to a twig and walk around all corners of the room with it;
• give it to the nearest temple, where they will burn the willow with prayer.

What you can and cannot do on Palm Sunday

On this day it is forbidden to do housework: cleaning, washing, washing dishes. It is undesirable to cook hot dishes, so housewives try to prepare holiday treats for the family in advance. It is not recommended to sew, knit, embroider, or comb your head. It is not allowed to engage in heavy physical labor: chopping wood, working in the garden.

On this holiday you cannot quarrel, use foul language, wish harm, or think about bad things. It's better to refrain from watching TV, computer games, noisy feasts.

Baptism
The Orthodox Church does not prohibit baptizing a child on Palm Sunday. You just need to agree in advance with the clergyman about the time of the event and prepare everything necessary for its holding.

Wedding
Palm Sunday falls during the period of Lent, during which it is not recommended to organize lavish celebrations. If the newlyweds want to seal their love union on this day, you should limit yourself to painting in the registry office and a modest celebration in a narrow circle without meat dishes and alcohol.

Wedding
According to the rules of the Orthodox Church, getting married on this day is prohibited, since the holiday falls during Lent. The only exception can be the consent of the bishop who rules the church.

What you can and cannot eat

Palm Sunday falls during the Great Forty Days of Lent before Easter. At this holiday Orthodox Church gives relief from fasting. It is prohibited to eat meat, eggs, and dairy products, but it is allowed to eat fish.

Traditional treats festive table are vegetable salads, stews with the addition of peas, beans, corn, beans, lentils, porridge from a mixture of cereals. A popular product during fasting is mushrooms. Housewives make roasts, casseroles, pies, zrazy, soups, cabbage rolls from them. Mushrooms and legumes replace meat products. For dessert, housewives serve fruit, lean marshmallows, jam, marmalade, halva, dark chocolate, and cookies. Traditional drinks are jelly, compotes, and uzvars. On Palm Sunday it is allowed to consume red Cahors in small quantities.

Signs and beliefs

• If it falls on Palm Sunday good weather, then there will be a good fruit harvest.
• In order for there to be prosperity and well-being in the house, on this day it is necessary to plant or replant indoor flower. If it grows well, then you should expect profit, and if it withers, prepare for losses.
• If a girl wants to get married in the next year, then she needs to break branches on a young willow before dawn, put them at the head of the bed and think about her loved one all day.
• Before committing an important task, you need to eat three willow buds stored on Palm Sunday. They can attract good luck.
• To get rid of a headache, you should comb your hair thoroughly, collect the hair from the comb, dip it in water and pour it at the roots of the willow.

Catholic Palm Sunday

For Catholic Christians, Palm Sunday is called Palm Sunday, or Vaiya Week. The holiday is celebrated a week before Catholic Easter. In 2018 it falls on March 25th.

On this day, the solemn service begins with a walking procession around the church, which symbolizes the meeting of the Jewish people with Jesus Christ. It involves the clergyman and parishioners holding lighted candles and palm branches in their hands and singing the hymn to Christ the King and Bible songs. At the end of the service, the palm branches are blessed.

Symbols of the holiday in different countries

The main symbol of Palm Sunday in the Orthodox countries of the CIS is the willow, or willow. Depending on the geographical location and historical traditions of the people, the celebration may have other attributes:

• The date palm is used by Christians who live in Mediterranean countries.
  Palm branches were the first symbol of the holiday. They symbolized the branches with which the inhabitants of Jerusalem greeted Jesus Christ.
• Olive tree - in Switzerland and Italy.
  In Switzerland, this day is called Olive Sunday.
  In Italy, the olive is considered a symbol of peace. It is customary to give a consecrated twig to a person with whom you want to make peace.
• Coconut palm - in the Philippine Islands. Bouquets are made from its leaves, with which people solemnly glorify Jesus Christ.
• Walnut is a symbol of the holiday in Austria. On the eve of this day, residents of the country prepare thick nut shoots, which they decorate with sweets, flowers and ribbons.
• Dried flowers - in Poland and Lithuania. In these countries, on Palm Sunday, bouquets of dried cereal shoots, ears of wheat, juniper and blue paper flowers appear.
• Tees - in England.
• Orange - in France. Long before Palm Sunday, the French sprout an orange seed in a flower pot. On the eve of the holiday, they decorate young sprouted shoots with ribbons and take them with them to worship.

Congratulations

At the hour of spring awakening
We celebrate Palm Sunday.
On this pious holiday
I wish you to be happy
So that there is peace and harmony in the home and heart,
So that you are happy with everything and you are happy with life.

Congratulations on Palm Sunday!
Let this day and hour be happy.
Let love enter both hearts and souls,
Let both eyes and ears become sharp.

Find time for good deeds
So that your life is better.
Give up bad deeds
And on God's will rely on the holiday.

Palm Sunday is the last Sunday before Happy Easter. returning to Bible stories we learn that on this day the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem took place. Jesus Christ rode into the city riding a donkey, at a time when the people of Israel were under the claims of the Romans, and the day before a significant event took place, the resurrection of the deceased Lazarus, Christ was greeted as a winner, as the Messiah, about whom the prophets spoke.

Icon of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem

All events described in the Bible are parables, or symbolize something. The Lord's entry into Jerusalem symbolizes the entry of a righteous person into paradise. They greeted Jesus as the King of kings, not earthly, but heavenly. Those who met perceived this event as a holiday. At that time, it was customary to greet kings with palm branches and flowers in their hands, signifying respect and admiration for the ruler or winner. No one yet knew what fate was in store for the Savior in the next seven days, and how those who glorified Him would crucify Him in a few days...

In southern countries, where it is very hot almost all year round, palm trees are not rare plants; their leaves are wide fans, like royal fans. As in biblical times, this day of the week is called flowering Sunday.

Palm trees do not grow in our latitudes, but willow is the very first of the plants that comes to life in the spring, even if the snow has not yet melted. Even before the leaves and grass peck, the willow buds fluff up on the branches, meaning that the winter season is over. Therefore, it was the willow that became the symbol of the coming revival and the eve of Easter.

By the way, if you pay attention, the branches brought to the temple look different. This is because they belong to plants of the willow family, which have different names: willow, pussy willow, willow, broom, and different botanical classifications. But they are all the first to bloom fluffy silvery buds.

On the eve of resurrection at the all-night vigil Saturday service Willow branches, which can be combined with flowers in bouquets, are blessed after reading the Gospel, censing and sprinkling with holy water. This Orthodox tradition echoes the meeting of Jesus in Jerusalem.

Sometimes parishioners in churches during the blessing of willow trees worry about whether their branches have been sprinkled with enough holy water. But believers should know that illumination occurs by the grace of the Holy Spirit, so it doesn’t matter how much water gets on the branches, what matters is true faith and a deep understanding of the significance of the days ahead. Sprinkling can be repeated on the day of the holiday itself. In some churches, consecrated willow is also offered in church shops.

In Russians Orthodox traditions Palm Sunday has long been familiar religious holiday, and in the handling of willow branches one can see a response of a pre-Orthodox pagan quality. It is customary to knock each other with a blessed willow branch, thereby driving out evil spirits and illnesses, giving vitality and health. It is also believed that a consecrated willow twig is capable of controlling even the most disobedient pets, and willows placed at the head of the bed protect the family hearth. Of course, these are superstitions, but for many centuries this tradition has been remembered among the people.

Artist Vladimir Sulkowski "Palm Week"

Sanctified willow branches keep for the next year. According to old traditions, they are dried and left next to home icons.

If you need to dispose of branches that have lost their appearance, then it is recommended to burn them separately from other branches and debris; this can be done in some temples in specially designated areas.

But if you keep them in water, they can germinate and produce good roots; willows take root quite easily. Then take them to the dacha or find a place in the yard where you can plant a willow, which will bloom with delicate fluffy buds every spring.

Two days of joy separate the penitential time of Lent from the sorrow of Holy Week. In 2013, the Church remembers the Resurrection of righteous Lazarus by the Savior on April 27, and the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem on April 28. What is the meaning of these events? What are the features of worship? Why do we sanctify the willow and eat fish?

Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. Fragment of the “Maesta” of the Cathedral in Siena (Italy) by Duccio di Buonisegna. 1308-11

Willows of Sunday

You will not find the phrase “Palm Sunday” either in the Lenten Triodion or in the Typikon. In Russian tradition, this day is usually called “Week of Vaiy”. Frond is a young branch of a date palm. Reading, explaining the meaning of the holiday, the Sanaxarion from Triodion for this day says that “Vaya bo among the Jews is a soft branch.” For obvious reasons, in our latitudes, the place of date branches was taken by willows - our Russian messengers of spring and a new awakening of the world from winter torpor. So, where it says “Week Week,” we can safely say “Palm Sunday.” In the Palm Sunday service, willow fronds are mentioned many times, in almost all hymns. During the morning service of Palm Sunday, after the reading of the Gospel, the branches are censed, a prayer is read over them to consecrate the branches, and then they are distributed to the believers. These touching attributes, both symbolically and tactilely, allow believers to penetrate through millennia to an event full of reverent triumph and seeming irrationality. Therefore, the branches of willows are participants precisely in the morning part of the Palm Sunday service, and not in the spring decoration of apartments. Outside the temple, outside our participation in worship, they lose their symbolic meaning...

The triumph and sadness of Palm Sunday.

The same sanaxarion begins with words capable of causing sacred awe in a believer and bewilderment for an outside observer: “He who stretched out the sky with a word, sat on a donkey, trying to free mortals from wordlessness.” That is, He who, with His word alone, spread out the tent of heaven for us, rides on a donkey, an animal by no means of a solemn appearance. And the One riding on such a seemingly inconspicuous creature on Palm Sunday strives to free mortals from powerlessness before death.

The outline of the festive event of Palm Sunday is explained as follows. Many people became aware of the resurrection of Lazarus. Some believed in Christ, others - the “Jewish host” - decided to kill Him without fail on Easter. “And behold, He who has heaven as his throne, riding on a colt, enters Jerusalem. The youths of the Jews, and they themselves, spread Him clothes and cut branches of dates, while others, carrying branches in their hands, accompanied Him, exclaiming: “Hosanna to the Son of David, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!” Branches date palms signified Christ's victory over death. Victors in battle or war were greeted with branches of evergreens. On the one hand, Christ appeared as the conqueror of death when he resurrected Lazarus, on the other hand, He had to suffer, die and finally defeat the law of death that dominated people.

Already with the fronds - willows of Palm Sunday, believers sing a troparion at the service, a hymn in which the triumph and sadness of this holiday are combined: “Assuring the general resurrection before Your passion, You raised Lazarus from the dead, O Christ God. In the same way, we, like the youths of victory who bear 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.” On Palm Sunday, we, like those Jewish children who met Christ in Jerusalem, meet Him “bearing signs of victory,” that is, with willows, the banners of Christ’s victory over death, remembering the resurrection of Lazarus, which assures us of the general resurrection of the dead. But all this is “before Your passion.” Christ goes to suffering and death. Palm Sunday is a time where the Divine power of Christ and human imperfection, which has already planned to betray its God, walk the same roads. From the canon of Palm Sunday we hear how God, sitting in the highest on the cherubim, comes with glory, at a time when the Pharisees (“scribes and priestesses” of the Jews) are at the level ordinary consciousness(“Learn in vain”) they are surprised who this is, to whom the children sing Hosanna. Another Palm Sunday hymn further emphasizes the improbability of what is happening: “On the throne in heaven, carried on earth as a lot, O Christ God, Thou didst receive the praise of Angels and the chanting of children, calling to Thee: blessed art thou, who art come to call Adam.” Jesus Christ is simultaneously on the Heavenly Throne and on a donkey, He is sung by angels and earthly children. And although, as they say in the canon, the feet of the rebellious (Jews) are quick to shed the Lord’s blood, He will rise again.

Palm Sunday in Scripture

The prophet Zechariah, six hundred years before the glorious entry of Christ into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday), predicted: “Rejoice with joy, daughter of Zion, rejoice, daughter of Jerusalem: behold, your King is coming to you, righteous and saving, meek, sitting on a donkey and a colt. the donkey's son under the yoke" (Zechariah 9:9). What happened according to the Evangelist Matthew in great detail:

“And when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them: Go to the village that is right in front of you; and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her; untie, bring to Me; and if anyone says anything to you, answer that the Lord needs them; and he will send them forthwith. Nevertheless this happened, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, who says: Say to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy King cometh to thee, meek, sitting on a donkey, and the colt of a donkey, the son of a yoke. The disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them: they brought a donkey and a colt and put their clothes on them, and He sat on top of them. Many people spread their clothes along the road, and others cut branches from trees and spread them along the road; The people who preceded and accompanied exclaimed: Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matt. 21.2-9).

Palm Sunday - the history of the holiday.

Vaii Week (our Palm Sunday) has been known quite definitely since the end of the 4th century. Pilgrim Egeria describes a celebration taking place in the landscape of New Testament history, in Jerusalem. Believers pray on the Mount of Olives, after which everyone goes on foot to the Church of the Resurrection. And all the children (they have a special role in this holiday, because they are the ones who are “unartful,” that is, not spoiled by the experience of dead and politicized bookishness), hold palm or olive branches in their hands. People - and simple people and to know - accompany the bishop, who is the image of Christ coming in glory and to the Passion. At the same time, everyone sings hymns, the refrain of which is “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” So for about one and a half thousand years, on Palm Sunday (Vaiy Week), the triumph and sadness of pre-Easter expectations have been celebrated.

In the Russian Orthodox Church, since the 16th century, Palm Sunday has been celebrated even more solemnly. The patriarch or bishop, with a cross and the Gospel in his hands, rode through the city on a donkey, and the king or one of the noble townspeople led this donkey by the bridle. A palm tree, decorated and hung with sweets, was carried in front of the donkey. The procession was accompanied by a choir. Since the time of Peter I, they stopped celebrating Palm Sunday in this way.

Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. Tver. XV century

Palm Sunday and asceticism.

The image of Palm Sunday is associated primarily with the spring sun, bunches of willows, fish dishes who did not partake throughout Lent? and anticipation of Easter celebrations. Why then does the spiritual writer of the 9th century, St. Theodore the Studite delivers precisely on the week of Vai (Palm Sunday) his teaching “That we should not lose heart, but be courageous in the work to which God has called us”?

Saint Gregory Palamas writes about this day: “...as the memory of the saving Passion of Christ approaches, a new and great and spiritual Easter, a palm tree (victorious reward) for dispassion, the beginning of the next century, is approaching.” Lent is over, but Holy Week awaits us ahead, a week of remembering what our Easter cost: “Let everyone avoid such evils and do good. What is good? - This is abstinence, fasting, chastity and righteousness, mercy and generosity, love and humility, only with which we can worthily participate in the Lamb of God slain for us and thereby accept the pledge of immortality, which we will preserve with firm hope of the inheritance promised to us in heaven " Complicity with the “Lamb of God slain for us” is what believers will face after the celebration of Palm Sunday. The last, most difficult step lies ahead. These are especially long services, maximum abstinence in food and refusal of vanity in Everyday life. Palm Sunday is the last respite before Holy Week.

Dmitry DAIBOV

As Palm Sunday approaches, signs become especially important and significant. At this time, it is customary to make forecasts almost a year in advance about the weather and the future harvest.

Lazarev Saturday

Another holiday celebrated on Saturday of Palm Week is the Resurrection of Lazarus.

They sent news to Jesus that his friend and associate Lazarus from Bethany was seriously ill, and they asked him to hurry. It was not clear why Christ was in no hurry. And only after the news that Lazarus had died did he set off.

When he arrived in Bethany, four days had already passed since his death. The relatives and friends of the deceased were in deep sorrow. Jesus prayed earnestly near the cave where Lazarus was buried.

He cried out to God to perform a miracle. After the prayer, the stone blocking the entrance was moved away, and those present saw the miracle of the resurrection. 4 days ago Lazarus turned out to be alive.

Christians have been celebrating Lazarus Saturday since the 4th century. Three and a half centuries later, a certain canon for holding services on this day was developed. Chants during the service do not indicate an accidental miracle, but an important symbol of strengthening faith.

After sunset, during the evening service, willow branches begin to be blessed. This is the beginning of the celebration of Palm Sunday.

Palm Sunday holiday

As already written above, Palm Sunday, according to church canons, begins on Saturday evening. But the main services and the blessing of the willow are held on Sunday.

Among other things, in Rus' this holiday symbolizes the awakening of nature after a long winter. It is not for nothing that the northern Slavs chose the willow as a symbol of this day. The tree is a harbinger of spring. As soon as the sun warms the air, fluffy lumps hatch into the light. They are the ones who give faith in warm days to come.

Orthodox Christians joyfully celebrate Palm Sunday. How is this day celebrated in Russia? People of any age go to the nearest church on Sunday morning to bless willow branches. Churched parishioners stand at the service, performing prayers and participating in chants. Upon returning home, it is customary to lightly whip the household with willow with wishes of health and grace.

Blessed branches are placed next to icons, braided into braids, made into amulets, and nailed to outbuildings. A year later, on the eve of a new holiday, the willow is burned.

If you know the exact date celebrations, you can prepare in advance. How to calculate what date Palm Sunday will be celebrated in a given year? To determine the date, you need to know what day Easter will be. Exactly one week before the Resurrection of the Lord, the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem is celebrated.

What not to do

Palm Sunday is a significant holiday for Christians. Any work on this day is undesirable. Some don't even recommend cooking. IN modern world everything has become much simpler. There are services and professions that require daily work, regardless of calendar dates. But if there is no particular need for something, then it is better, of course, to postpone it.

In the old days, women were forbidden to comb their hair on this day, just like on the Annunciation. It is clear that this is hardly possible now. Although owners of long curls can observe the ban. Hair braided into a braid, covered with a scarf on top, can easily go a day without combing.

What other prohibitions exist on Palm Sunday? What is completely unacceptable is to indulge in gluttony. The end of the sixth week of fasting does not imply a rich feast. A little wine Lenten dishes fish cooked with vegetable oil is the basis of the festive table.

Holiday traditions

The main and main tradition of the holiday is the blessing of willow branches. It is believed that there should be exactly as many of them as there are people in the family. Some peoples weave from these branches family amulets. Their strength is great. They protect the house from bad people and fire, they save from hurricanes and floods, from poverty, despondency and disease.

On Palm Sunday, signs for the weather and harvest are especially reliable. They are supported by families for generations. This is especially important for residents involved in agriculture.

The tradition of putting coins in bread comes from Belarus. In this way, you can determine who will have good luck and prosperity all year long.

In some areas, it is customary to place consecrated branches in the coffin of the deceased. This tradition goes back to the very beginning of Christianity. It is believed that thanks to the willow you can enter the gates of heaven and greet the Savior there. Among other things, the willow tree is a symbol of life and awakening.

Palm markets are traditional. Children especially love this entertainment, since the main product is sweets. In addition, pleasant little things for the household are offered and the same willow, collected in bouquets and decorated with ribbons and paper angels.

A tree grown from a blessed branch increases wealth in the house. Therefore, bouquets brought from church are placed in water and carefully monitored to see if roots appear.

Rituals and customs

Many folk signs on Palm Sunday have long grown into rites, customs and rituals.

If you live near a river, try lowering a willow branch into the water. If it floats away from you, then in the near future an increase in wealth in the house is expected.

Branches attached to the roof will protect the inhabitants of the house from illness and mental anguish.

Whipping children with branches on holiday is the most common ritual. With every blow, a wish for health is spoken.

Here is another custom for increasing wealth. Even if there is a complete ban on doing anything on this day, it is still recommended to plant indoor plant with thick round leaves. If the flower is accepted and grows rapidly, you can be sure that wealth will come to the house.

Rituals on Palm Sunday are traditions that go back centuries. Whether to believe them or comply with them is something everyone decides for themselves. For some, this is a principle of life, and for others, it is just a beautiful addition to a day off.

Use of consecrated willow in folk medicine

It has long been believed that willow contains enormous healing power. Sprinkling with holy water increases it several times. How can you use twigs brought from church on Palm Sunday? What to do with them to improve health? Here are some examples of the use of willow for medicinal purposes:

• By taking a decoction of the branches, you can get rid of headaches, fever, temperature, and insomnia.
• Rubbing the decoction into sore spots relieves rheumatic pain.
• Willow infusion with vodka will help cope with intestinal infections and disorders.
• The leaves are capable of healing wounds.
• Swallowing consecrated blossoming buds helps with infertility.
• Babies sleep more peacefully after bathing in water infused with willow branches.

Willow in folk medicine It is used wherever it grows and enjoys well-deserved respect.

Folk signs

Folk signs for Palm Sunday have long come into use. They are passed down from elders to younger ones and become part of our lives.

Calm, sunny weather promises a warm, windless summer and a rich harvest. A strong wind promised cool weather.

A cold but clear day gave hope for spring crop yields.

A frost-free Palm Sunday increases the chance of an abundance of fruit.

The number of blossoming earrings also served as an indicator of the future harvest.

And on this day it is customary to mentally call on your loved one, and the meeting will definitely take place.

Every year for many centuries in a row, the church opens its doors to everyone who believes in salvation. Palm Sunday is a holiday symbolizing the power of faith and its revival. Willow branches and bouquets bring peace and protection to the house. Following the first sun rays Hope for the best arises in our hearts. And even if this day is fraught with a lot of sadness, it is still a harbinger of the Light Christ's Sunday and the salvation of all mankind.

Indeed, people go to church with willow. Tomorrow is Palm Sunday. Ding, Or tomorrow after the evening service or on Sunday after the liturgy. Or do I need to defend the service? And what time is the liturgy on Sunday? I apologize in advance for stupid questions, but I’ve never done this.

Tell me, what do they do in church on this day? The priest simply sprinkled holy water, and the parishioners held it in their hands. And in the middle there was a large vase with willow for those who did not have one and then gave it to them in branches.

Midnight Office - a service intended to take place at midnight

It's actually not that important. The fact is that the holiday of Palm Sunday is the memory of how Christ entered Jerusalem. And the beginning of the service varies slightly in different churches. Vespers usually take place at 5 or 6 p.m., and in the morning on major holidays they usually serve twice - starting at 6-7 a.m. and at 9-10 a.m. (check with the church, or by phone).

It is possible on any day when the liturgy is being served - let her find out in the temple. It's always just served on Sunday

Mainly old grandmothers. My friend ordered a memorial service for her mother on Sunday. I bought Cahors, fruits, flowers…. She usually gives her friends bags of candy, waffles, fruit, etc. In Chisinau, the church is full of people sitting and asking.

Send help to an orphanage - do you have them?.. or to some poor people. And he will submit a note for the liturgy - this is the main service. So let's take Cahors, fruits, flowers, waffles, etc. We have a lot of orphanages (the Czech Republic has some of the strictest adoption rules). There are also quite a few homeless people, but in certain parts of the city, and mostly they are alcoholics. And throughout the year we constantly help, as best we can, the homeless, orphans, the sick, etc. She often goes to church.

Before marriage (1986), she lived in Chisinau on Botanika, on Mira Avenue (now, in my opinion, Dasia’s street). I don’t know how to do it right. Thank you very much. It seems beautiful, if the willows are consecrated, then you need to take them to the temple, they will burn them there. Blessed things are not thrown away with the trash at all; I burn them in stoves at churches, and some burn them themselves.

Liturgy (common cause, public service) is the main service during which Communion (Communion) of believers takes place. Clock services – recall of events (by clock) Good Friday(suffering and death of the Savior), His Resurrection and the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles.

Due to the weakness of modern Christians, such statutory services are performed only in some monasteries (for example, in the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Valaam Monastery).

On the eve of Sunday or a holiday, Matins is part of the All-Night Vigil and is served in the evening

People call the Liturgy mass. The vigil of the temple and its worshipers occurs at every service. Each of the seven colors liturgical vestments correspond to the spiritual significance of the event in honor of which the service is performed. There are no developed dogmatic institutions in this area, but the Church has an unwritten tradition that assigns a certain symbolism to the various colors used in worship.

On holidays dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ, as well as on the days of remembrance of His special anointed ones (prophets, apostles and saints), the color of the royal vestment is gold. On holidays in honor Holy Mother of God and angelic powers, as well as on the days of remembrance of holy virgins and virgins, the color of the vestment is blue or white, symbolizing special purity and innocence.

Dark red is the color of blood. Services in red vestments are held in honor of the holy martyrs who shed their blood for the faith of Christ. They usually serve in black vestments. weekdays Great Lent. Black color is a symbol of renunciation of worldly vanity, crying and repentance. White color as a symbol of Divine uncreated light, it was adopted on the holidays of the Nativity of Christ, Epiphany (Baptism), Ascension and Transfiguration of the Lord.

The Shroud is taken to the altar before the Easter service on Saturday evening

Dikiriy is a candlestick with two candles, symbolizing the two natures in Jesus Christ: Divine and human. Trikirium - a candlestick with three candles signifying the Holy Trinity. He stands facing the altar, in which is the Throne of God and the Lord Himself is invisibly present. You can venerate the Shroud from the middle of Good Friday until the beginning of Easter service.

What services are performed in the Church daily? Ding, according to the charter, is consecrated only at the evening service on Saturday. On what days does the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great take place? Usually there is not enough willow left in the temple; everything is given away. IN Holy Saturday and on Easter the Liturgy is served, therefore, there is Communion of the faithful. In the name of Holy Trinity The Orthodox Church holds evening, morning and afternoon services in churches every day.