On April 7 every year, all Orthodox Christians look forward to one of the twelve holidays - the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Judging by the name of the church celebration, one can guess that we are talking about the good news. It was on this day that an angel appeared to the Virgin Mary and announced that she would give birth to Jesus Christ.
The meaning of this holiday is Christian religion huge. This is evidenced by the fact that, despite Lent On this day, Orthodox Christians allow themselves more than usual. Also, the reverence for this holiday is indicated by the fact that on this day it is necessary to free yourself from work and spend it quietly and calmly, rejoicing in Christ.
Although many Christian holidays fall on different days The Annunciation is not one of these. Every year this holiday is celebrated on April 7th. Depending on what day of the week this holiday falls on, a lot will be connected with this day this year.
According to the priests, on this day it is extremely important to devote all your time spiritual enlightenment, reading the Bible and singing psalms. At the same time, no thoughts, work or vain affairs should distract.
✨ Annunciation in folk tradition
In the Slavic folk calendar, the Annunciation is perceived as the date of the beginning of spring. The Eastern Slavs have a wide spreading received ideas about the annual cycle of the earth, in particular that, from late autumn until the Annunciation, the earth is “closed”, it “sleeps”, etc. p., in connection with which until the Annunciation it cannot be touched: dig, dig, drive stakes into the ground, plow and sow. The “sleep” of the earth in the period from the Exaltation to the Annunciation is sometimes understood as the state of “pregnancy” of the earth, when something is hidden in it that at a certain moment, during its “awakening,” comes out. What sleeps in the ground during the winter and comes out only at the Annunciation includes reptiles, insects, plant roots, etc., as well as rain moisture, so violating the ban on touching the ground before it is “opened” is fraught with summer drought.
The end of the period of “sleep” of the earth on the Annunciation is described in folklore beliefs: its “awakening, opening, unlocking, revival” and the like, associated in time with its blessing by God. Following this, on the Annunciation, snakes, frogs, insects appear on earth, bees awaken in the hives and animals in the forest awaken. The “discovery” of land entails permission to cultivate it: plowing and sowing begin.
Among the Slavic peoples, the Annunciation was associated with the arrival of birds from a distant country called “Iriy” or “Vyriy”. In Belarus, on this day, children met storks. Mothers baked them cakes in the shape of a stork’s paw, the children took the cakes out into the yard, tossed them up and called to the stork (“busla”): “Busel, busel, give me a zhita kopa!” In Russia, on the Annunciation, birds were released into the wild, “so that they would sing to the glory of God” and bring happiness to the one who freed them.
Sometimes bonfires were lit at the same time as singing - in this way they “burned the winter” or “warmed the spring”. Annunciation bonfires were considered protection against disease, the evil eye and evil spirits. Russians burned straw beds, old bast shoes, jumped over fire and fumigated clothes. The Serbs, in order to protect livestock from epidemics, drove cattle between two bonfires on the Annunciation; on the eve of the Annunciation, they extinguished the old fire in the hearths and produced a new, “living” fire by friction.
Magic rituals, fortune telling, predictions of health, happiness, good luck, wealth, harvest, weather, etc. are timed to coincide with the Annunciation. P . They cared about being healthy, well-fed, well-dressed on this day, and having money with them, because this would be the case all year. Among the Eastern Slavs, a penny was baked into one Annunciation prosphora, and whoever received such a prosphora was considered happy and lucky, he was entrusted with starting sowing or other work. Pieces of prosphora were placed in seeds, buried in the corners of the field to protect against hail and drought, placed in the first sheaf, in the bottom so that mice would not eat the grain; prosphora was taken with them when sowing, tied to a seeder, and used to treat fever.
Our wise ancestors believed that the earth sleeps under the snow, the souls of their ancestors fly to Iriy, all the evil spirits sleep under the snow and you can’t destroy the earth until everyone wakes up, you can’t break this law because until the day the earth awakens you can’t disturb it. On April 1, the brownie wakes up, followed by the goblin. It was customary to celebrate this day with offerings to your assistant - milk, pies, sweets, porridge. 
And after the spirits the earth wakes up. They say the day of the Annunciation has always been special, a day when a lot can be forgiven, a day when everything had to start anew, because nature woke up young and renewed, the eternal wheel of life turned again from the very beginning.
✨ Traditions and customs for the Annunciation
Traditions of the Annunciation In Rus', this holiday was considered a holiday of freedom and tranquility. It was not celebrated with a feast; on the contrary, people indulged in prayer and meditation. Sometimes figurines of birds in the form of larks were baked for the holiday.
According to legend, one of the the strictest prohibitions On this day there was knitting, sewing and weaving. This tradition is connected with the fact that our ancestors believed that threads are the destinies of people that can be confused and bring partings, quarrels and strife into the house.
For the Annunciation special meaning given to birds. The ritual of releasing birds, often pigeons, was associated with them. For this purpose, there were special catchers, who then sold the birds for the ritual. There was a belief that pigeons would bring news of good deeds man to the angels, who will subsequently reward him for this.
On the night of April 6–7, it used to be customary to “warm up the spring,” so at that time a holiday was held with bonfires, where garbage was burned, old shoes, straw and rags. IN last time they called for spring, danced in circles and sang songs.
As already mentioned, you cannot work on this day, but you could consecrate seeds and seedlings for the harvest. After all, according to legend, God himself opens the sky to bless the earth for good harvest.
One of the most interesting traditions On this day the preparation of Annunciation salt takes place. This was done in order to take advantage of it in case of any illness. All family members took a pinch of salt and placed it in a bag, which the hostess subsequently calcined over the fire.
If this salt was not needed throughout the year, then on the Annunciation it was burned, believing that with it all troubles and misfortunes would disappear. They did the same with blessed water and prosphora, which the hostess kept for the whole year.
Separately, it is worth noting that many Orthodox Christians after the service tried to purchase as much prosphora as possible, but if they did not succeed, they baked it themselves. Then a festive dinner was held, where the housewives crushed this blessed bread and gave it to all family members; the women saved some of it to add crumbs to livestock feed.
Also, many believed that if you make a lot of noise on this day, rattle basins, ring bells, this will scare away predatory animals and save livestock.
✨ Signs for the Annunciation
The Day of the Annunciation, perceived as one of the most important seasonal boundaries after which spring begins, was considered a very “dangerous” day in many places. On this day, a strict ban on any work and even everyday activities was observed everywhere. As the Russian proverb says: “On Annunciation, a bird does not build a nest, and a maiden does not braid her hair.”
Why you can’t do a lot of things is due to many signs. For example, if you plant seedlings on this day, they will not sprout. In addition, this applies not only to the Feast of the Annunciation Holy Mother of God, but also to the day of the week on which this holiday fell. But the next day after the holiday is, on the contrary, very successful. On the eve of the holiday, many people plant peas. It is the day before that is considered favorable sowing.
- Look at the weather. If there is snow on the roofs of houses on Annunciation Day, then it will remain there until May 6 - Yegoria. If this day is frosty, then several more matinees will be cold. If it’s warm, then a lot of frost awaits ahead.
- If you don’t see swallows on the holiday, then spring will be cold.
- If on the eve of the Annunciation holiday you see a dark sky and no stars to be seen, then the chickens will not lay eggs well. If it's sunny outside, then expect a good wheat harvest. It is rainy - good year for fishing, and in the fall it will be successful mushroom season. A thunderstorm foretells a warm summer and a good harvest of nuts. And frost means a harvest of cucumbers.
- If you want your whole year to be successful, have good health, happy family, then be sure to go to church and eat the blessed prosphora. Many people bake it for everyone in the family or buy it, and then crumble it and eat it. The crumbs are also mixed with the seeds of the best harvest and given to livestock and birds to eat. This is often done even for bees, only mixed with honey.
- Since the Annunciation falls on Friday, it is better not to start a new business on this day all year, since it will not be successful.
- Many peasants carefully monitored the weather that day. If there was rain on the Annunciation, then they prepared for a good harvest of rye, but if there was a thunderstorm, then they believed that nuts would be born this year.
- The fishermen hoped that on this day there would be rainy weather, because they believed that there would be a good catch all year then.
- On this day, many families tried not to quarrel and live in peace and tranquility, because they believed that the year would pass the same way as the Annunciation.
- Thieves had their own belief. If you manage to steal something on this day, then the next year will be successful and prosperous.
- If swallows did not appear on Annunciation, then everyone was preparing for a cold winter.
- If you bought it the day before and on the day of the holiday new clothes, then under no circumstances should it be tried on that day, otherwise, according to the sign, the thing would quickly deteriorate and tear.
- On the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, they under no circumstances borrow or give anything away from home. Otherwise, you will be giving away your health, well-being and peace.
- In Annunciation, you should not go to the hairdresser, and it is also not recommended to do anything with your hair.
- On this day it is good to guess, ask - the sky is open.
- On this day, salt is burned in a frying pan with prayer - it is added to food for various diseases. You can light a fire and jump over it (to cleanse your energy).
- Wash jewelry, talismans, and runes in the spring.
Salt prepared on the day of the Annunciation, according to legend, had a special healing power.
The custom of the ritual use of salt is very ancient, dating back to pre-Slavic times, when any salt was recognized as having the ability to repel harmful forces and protect people.
On the same day you can prepare Annunciation salt (used in the same cases as Thursday salt). To do this, pour salt (at least 4 kg) into a cotton bag and, before sunrise, at dawn, bake it in the oven for ten minutes.
It was considered a universal medicine. In case of the evil eye and various ailments, peasants took it internally, rubbed it with its solution, and gave sick cattle bread salted with it or diluted it in a drinking bowl.
This salt can then be used throughout the year: salt food with it, clean the apartment with it, remove the evil eye and damage, etc. Buns are baked with Annunciation salt, which help cure a child from the evil eye. The child should be given such buns on an empty stomach at dawn for three, seven or fourteen days - depending on the strength of the evil eye.
It is believed that on this day Heaven opens, grace descends on people and they get the opportunity to be cleansed of sins.
The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary has long been considered a difficult day. Quarrels, scandals, and all kinds of misunderstandings are not uncommon on this day, so you need to try at all costs to control yourself and not give in to emotions. Otherwise, troubles will stick with you for a long time.
Celebrates the Annunciation magical rituals, to attract good luck, happiness, health, wealth and a good harvest. If on this day you are healthy, well-fed, well dressed and have money with you, then throughout the year you will be just as prosperous and lucky.
1. Buy prosphora for the Annunciation, stick a penny into one of the prosphoras. Then go around all the household members and let them choose a prosphora for themselves. The one who gets a prosphora with a coin will be happy all year, all his endeavors will be successful, everything he doesn’t plan will definitely work out, and he will be lucky and successful all year.
2. The Annunciation prosphora must be dried and ground. Mix the resulting crumbs with seeds before sowing. This mixture guarantees a good harvest.
“Wherever I plant, sit there,
Don't be swept away by the wind,
Don't wash it away with rain,
And don’t spoil it with enemies.
Mother of cheese is the earth, mother of the Holy Church.
Amen. Amen. Amen".
3. Do not give anything to anyone on this day.
“I’m going to bed, I have a cross seal on me, guardian angels on my sides, protect my soul from evening to midnight, from midnight to morning. Amen".
5. If you give alms on this day before washing, then there will be prosperity in the house for a whole year.
6. Burn salt in the oven and store the ash to sprinkle the garden against pests. Ash has the power to cure damage.
7. It is advisable not to comb your hair on this day, your hair will fall out.
8. If you call your husband “dear” 40 times on this day, your husband will have a loved one all year.
9. Grass is collected in the church and stored behind the icon for happiness, health and well-being
10. To make a profit on the Annunciation, sprinkle your store with enchanted water before the first customer enters.
“The Good News announced a miracle.
The gospel leads people to the temple,
And my conspiracy will bring people to my shop.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen."
11. Buy sugar for God’s dough (for Easter).
12. For good luck, buy honey for the Annunciation and spread it on right palm and close it with the left. Immediately separate your palms and, seeing how difficult it is to do, say:
“Like honey melts,
Hand sticks to hand
So that luck will stick to me, (Name).
Key, lock, tongue.
Amen. Amen. Amen."
This year is the feast of the Annunciation, which Orthodox Church It is always celebrated on the seventh day of the month of April and falls on Holy Saturday (the last day of Lent on the eve of Easter). Due to such features of the calendar, the list of what can and cannot be done for the Annunciation on Holy Saturday is slightly edited, but the signs for this holiday remain the same and do not undergo changes.
More than two thousand years ago, a significant, very important and significant event. It is associated with the Birth of Jesus Christ on earth. Without the birth of the Savior there would be no Easter. On the day of the Feast of the Annunciation, Archangel Gabriel, this is written in the Gospel of Luke, appeared in a dream to the Virgin Mary. She was then a young girl who decided to devote her life to serving the Lord. Yes,
Mary was married, but she was chaste and maintained her chastity throughout her life. In those days, there was a tradition that if a girl wants to serve God, but does not become a nun, she must live with her husband. Joseph, her relative, became such a husband for Mary.
Read interesting materials on the topic:
The Archangel informed the Virgin that she had conceived a child from the Holy Spirit and would, in due course, give birth to the Son of God. The Annunciation is associated with the Nativity of Christ and has a constant date in the calendar, but Holy Saturday constantly moves around the calendar depending on the date of Easter. It is quite rare to have such a coincidence and overlap of dates as this year.
In honor of this holiday, divine services are held in churches and the liturgy of John Chrysostom is read. But on Holy Saturday the Liturgy of St. Basil is read, and this year it is the second version of the Liturgy that will be read. If the Annunciation coincided with Easter Day, and this also happens, although rarely, then both canons would be united.
Be sure to go to the temple in the morning on this day, pray to the Mother of God, give alms to people who will need it and ask while being near the temple.
A fairly common custom, which in some areas has survived to this day, is the release of birds. This is especially true for white pigeons. In villages in Rus', people believed that the birds would fly to the Lord and Mother of God and ask for protection for the people who released them. Plus, the birds will tell you about the good deeds that a person managed to do during the year.
We know about Thursday salt, which is prepared in Maundy Thursday. But in fact, salt was also prepared on the day of the Annunciation. The principle is the same - take a bag made of natural fabric, preferably red. Each family member should pour a pinch of salt into the bag. Next, the housewife should keep the bag in the oven at 100 degrees for about a quarter of an hour and store it as a talisman next to the icons. If during the year the atmosphere in the house becomes tense or someone gets sick, then put a bag under that person’s bed, you can simply add salt to food.
Interesting! It was also believed that prosphora and blessed water, which were brought on this day from the service in the temple, had a special power to heal illnesses of both body and spirit.
Lenten menu
As a rule, on April 7, in honor of such a big and bright event, the Lenten diet is made less strict and the menu can include fish and a little Cahors. But since in 2018 the day of the Annunciation will coincide with the strict fast day of Holy Saturday, this year you cannot eat fish on the holiday. Also, do not cover festive table and especially have fun.
However, on the Saturday before Easter, many housewives bake Easter cakes, make Easter eggs and paint eggs. As a rule, such work cannot be done on a major holiday. But this year, again due to such a rare and complex coincidence of dates, it is allowed to do such preparatory work for Easter, but to do it with humility, in a quiet and friendly atmosphere.
What not to do:
- Sewing and knitting, doing handicrafts.
- Take care of your hair, even just comb your hair. An ancient sign says that by combing one's hair, a person can intertwine the threads of his destiny, and it is not clear how such an interweaving may ultimately end.
- Stay away from hard physical labor and try to complete most of your household chores.
- Don't wear new things.
- Don't get angry, don't fuss, and don't get irritated.
- On this day, weddings are not performed in churches and it is better not to conclude civil marriages at the registry office too.
Folk signs and ancient customs
All that remains is to consider the signs for the Annunciation, which have been formed among the people for centuries. As a rule, they are associated with weather and harvest. This holiday in the villages marked the final arrival of spring and the retreat of winter.
The weather for this holiday will repeat the weather for Easter.
- At the same time, there is another sign that excludes or complements (depending on how you look at it) the first: if the Annunciation is very warm for this period of the year, then on the day of the Resurrection of Christ it will be very, very cold.
- If the sky is clear, then spring will be early. If the sky is clearer in the evening than it was in the morning, then spring will be late.
- Watch the birds and try to spot swallows in the sky; if this doesn’t work, wait cold winter and late offensive warm summer.
- Warmth on April 7 means an excellent harvest, but snow (and this happens) means a poor harvest. It doesn’t take long to observe to understand that at this time of year, snow and frost will really harm the plantings.
- Many nuts will grow if there is thunder on the day of the holiday. If it just rains, then this will also lead to the harvest, but in such a situation you will collect mushrooms in the fall.
- A starry sky on the night of the holiday means that chickens will not produce eggs well.
The signs and rituals of the Annunciation holiday are passed down through generations. They relate to the weather and the harvest, which people constantly monitored, because previously the satiety of life and the successful outcome of the winter depended on this. As for modern people, especially urban people, the most important ritual for this holiday is to go to church, hold a service with a candle, and pray to the Mother of God.
Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary- a bright Christian holiday, which the Orthodox Church celebrates on April 7 (new style), and in Orthodoxy it is one of the twelve holidays. In ancient times, the feast of the Annunciation was given different names: Conception of Christ, Annunciation of Christ, Beginning of Redemption, Annunciation of the Angel to Mary. Nothing is known about where and how the Feast of the Annunciation first appeared. It is only known that in 560 Emperor Justinian indicated the date for the celebration of the Annunciation - March 25 (April 7, new style). The name of the holiday - Annunciation - conveys main meaning a related event: the announcement to the Virgin Mary of the good news of the conception and birth of the Divine Infant Christ by Her. This holiday belongs to the twelve permanent holidays and is celebrated every year on the same April day.
How the Gospel describes the plot of the Annunciation. The events of the Annunciation are described by the only evangelist - the Apostle Luke. In his Gospel he reports that in the sixth month after conception righteous Elizabeth Saint John the Baptist Gabriel was sent by God to Nazareth to the Virgin Mary with the news of the impending birth from her of the Savior of the world:
The angel came to Her and said:
Rejoice, O Blessed One! The Lord is with You; Blessed are You among women.
She, seeing him, was embarrassed by his words and wondered what kind of greeting this would be. And the Angel said to Her:
Do not be afraid, Mary, for 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. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and 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.
FOLK TRADITIONS, SIGNS AND RITUALS FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENT
The day of the celebration of the Annunciation is considered a day of complete peace and complete freedom; on this day, any work is the greatest sin! You need to take a break from worldly work and take a break from everyday life; you should think about the eternal and immutable. And at least try to start thinking not about this vain world, but about the fact that we are Spirit... and the time will come and we will all return to our Spiritual home. The spring holidays of Annunciation and Easter are just such holidays that remind us and encourage us to remember the Soul and stop and think at least for a few days.
Of course, an ordinary secular person cannot be in thoughts and thoughts about eternity for a long time, but these days our connection with God is strongest and we can better feel and understand the meaning of our existence and our earthly destiny.
Signs for the Annunciation
Everyone knows the saying - “A bird doesn’t build a nest, and a maiden doesn’t braid her hair” - this is the main meaning of the holiday, no work, no work - a day of Joy and Holiday for the soul. Liberation from earthly worries and thoughts about the eternal.
On this day there are blessings for every good deed - on the day when even sinners in hell cease to be tormented and are given rest and freedom.The greatest sin is considered to be the smallest work, even leaving or going on the road to earn money.
Not idle fun with the seasoning of festive revelry, namely concentrated, silent meditation befits this holiday of complete peace, freedom from business, based on the immutable belief and universal conviction that “on Annunciation Day, a bird does not curl its nest, a maiden does not braid its braids.”
What if you have to go to work?
Of course, no one will judge or punish for this, the meaning here is different - No cleaning around the house, no laundry or urgent repairs, even food needs to be prepared in advance, so that you don’t do anything on Annunciation but just relax! Put off everything possible for another day! Otherwise, as the legend says, luck will turn away from you for a whole year! As it turns out, it’s not easy to relax... and for some reason, it’s on days like these that you really want to do something, work! 🙂
What else you can’t do on Annunciation:
Not only can’t you comb your hair, otherwise it will fall out, but you also can’t cut it or dye it— otherwise the hair won't grow
The stoves are not heated, the fire is not lit - i.e. You cannot cook or heat food on gas or fire - Otherwise, you will suffer with your stomach all year or you will have to starve.
In which day of the week Annunciation, on that day throughout the year, There is no point in starting any new business - everything will go to waste!
Under no circumstances should you sew or cut with scissors! Otherwise, you will either get stuck in business or cut your happiness into pieces.….
You can't sow or plant anything- Any seedlings planted on this day will not please you; they will be frail and painful.
After the Annunciation, this year on Tuesday, throughout the year - on Tuesdays, also do not plant or sow anything…
There is even a belief that on which day this holiday occurs, it is considered unlucky for sowing and plowing, and the next one after him is the most successful and happiest...
And if you mix crumbled prosphora with seeds, the harvest will greatly surprise and delight you! The harvest will be very good!
You cannot wear new clothes on Annunciation Day.! Otherwise, it will definitely quickly tear or deteriorate. And there won’t be many new things all year... so this must be taken into account!
Beautiful signs and rituals for the Annunciation:
Since ancient times in Rus' it has been customary to on this day to release birds to freedom. In Moscow, this ritual was performed against Okhotny Ryad. People came here in the morning, bought birds and with their own hands released them from the cage into the wild.
Prosphora for the Annunciation has healing powers. Prosphora crumbs are added to the food of seriously ill people and they recover.
On the eve of the Annunciation, women burn salt in the oven on this day. This Annunciation salt works wonders in various diseases..
Another sign associated with Annunciation salt - he will be lucky who will guess on this day to burn a few pinches of salt in the oven
If the hostess, on the Annunciation, before noon, take the broom and drive the chickens off the roost, then they will try to rush to the Bright Holiday to prepare fresh eggs for the celebration of Christ.
“As you spend the Annunciation, so will the whole year” - that's why thieves steal on this day - for happiness.
On what day of the week is the Annunciation, do not start anything for the whole year, and the next one after him is the most successful and happiest.
Before the Annunciation, in the evening, big fires were lit, burned their straw beds, and jumped through the purifying fire.
Weather signs for Annunciation:
On Annunciation, frost means the spring harvest.
On Annunciation there is frost - the harvest for cucumbers.
On Annunciation rain - rye will be born.
Thunderstorm on Annunciation - for a warm summer and a nut harvest.
They take the bees out of the omshenik.
Annunciation without swallows - cold spring.
On the eve of the Annunciation, peas are sown
If there is a red day on Annunciation - ... this year will be a fire year.
If it rains, it will be a mushroom year, and fishermen hope for successful fishing
On Annunciation, a sunny day, wheat will be harvested
if there are few stars in the sky, then there will be few eggs.
On this day, the ritual “Return of Happiness” is performed.
Ritual “Return of Happiness”.
(This ritual is carried out only on April 7, it cannot be done on other days!) Buy a bird in advance - a titmouse, sparrow, pigeon, etc. Prepare food and water for it, over which you can first tell about everything that worries or saddens you, you can cry and lament. Then read the prayer “Our Father” and “Rejoice to the Virgin Mary” over them. After this, give the bird food and water, and when it eats and drinks, release it.
Ritual “Annunciation Salt”.
On the same day you can prepare Annunciation salt (used in the same cases as Thursday salt). To do this, pour the salt into a cotton bag and before sunrise, at dawn, bake it in the oven for ten minutes. This salt can then be used throughout the year: salt food with it, clean the apartment with it, remove the evil eye and damage, etc. Buns are baked with Annunciation salt, which help cure a child from the evil eye. The child should be given such buns on an empty stomach at dawn for three, seven or fourteen days - depending on the strength of the evil eye.
It is believed that on this day Heaven opens, grace descends on people and they get the opportunity to be cleansed of sins. The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary has long been considered a difficult day. Quarrels, scandals, and all kinds of misunderstandings are not uncommon on this day, so you need to try at all costs to control yourself and not give in to emotions.
Otherwise, troubles will stick with you for a long time.
Amulet for the Annunciation. A talisman that saves in grief and preserves in need. Read for the Annunciation:
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Without a wrist, but with a cross under a crystal bridge.
He sleeps, sits, but hears and sees everything. An old saint with a gray beard, barefoot.
He sees and anticipates, He helps me in all sad cases:
From hunger and cold, from sword and fire,
From an irreconcilable sorcerer,
From old age and premature old age,
From all people of the volost, honest and dishonest,
From a vain trial, a terrible punishment.
The gray-haired saint sits under the crystal bridge,
He is sleeping, but he hears and sees everything. Whoever touches me will drop his staff.
Whoever inadvertently wakes him up will ruin himself.
Keys, padlocks, My words are secret and witchcraft.
Close yourself more than once or twice, my words,
Nine locks, nine keys.
Key, lock, tongue. Amen. Amen. Amen.
The day after the bright feast of the Annunciation, Orthodox people glorify the Archangel Gabriel. People say that on April 8, the archangel descends from heaven to earth and fulfills all the desires of people. To make your plans come true, you need to get up early and go outside. Be sure to wear pectoral cross, since it is by this that the archangel notices those asking.
Stand facing East, cross yourself three times and say out loud (but not loudly) 3 times. Conspiracy: “Archangel Gabriel, servant of our Lord, hear the prayer of God’s servant (s) (your name) and fulfill my request (say your desire in your own words).
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen." The Archangel was also called Gabriel the Blagovest. According to the sign, if on April 8 you receive a letter or telegram (now both SMS and emails), then you will soon learn good news.
Signs.
- Don’t give anything to anyone for the Annunciation - otherwise poverty will come to the house.
- It was believed that the one who gave from home on the Annunciation spent family peace and peace on strangers.
- If on the Annunciation from morning to midnight you call your husband “dear” forty times, your husband will love and cherish you all year long.
- On Annunciation, you should not go to the hairdresser, and it is also not recommended to do anything with your hair and even comb your hair, “A bird does not build a nest, a girl does not braid her hair”
— You cannot wear new clothes for the Annunciation, otherwise you will tear or ruin them
- What day of the week does the Annunciation fall on? all year round do not start any new business.
For example, if the Annunciation fell on a Friday, then work does not begin on any Friday throughout the year. From the Annunciation, no one will ever sow, so as not to bring about a failed harvest.
There is even a belief that on which day this holiday occurs, it is considered unlucky for sowing and plowing, and the next one after it is the most successful and happiest. What to give for the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The topic of gifts always remains relevant, because just before the holiday, for some reason, all ideas, like fog, disappear from your head. On the eve of such a good and bright holiday as the Annunciation, I want the gift to be sincere and chosen with all my heart. What to give for the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary? Let's look at the brightest and most heartfelt gifts.
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On April 7, 2018, all Orthodox Christians are looking forward to one of the twelve holidays - the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Judging by the name of the church celebration, one can guess that we're talking about about the good news. It was on this day that an angel appeared to the Virgin Mary and announced that she would give birth to Jesus Christ.
Annunciation in 2018 - April 7
The significance of this holiday in the Christian religion is enormous. This is evidenced by the fact that, despite Lent, on this day the Orthodox allow themselves more than usual. Also, the reverence for this holiday is indicated by the fact that on this day it is necessary to free yourself from work and spend it quietly and calmly, rejoicing in Christ.
According to the priests, on this day it is extremely important to devote all your time to spiritual enlightenment, reading the Bible and singing psalms. At the same time, no thoughts, work or vain affairs should distract.
Traditions and customs for the Annunciation
According to legend, one of the strictest prohibitions on this day was knitting, sewing and weaving. This tradition is connected with the fact that our ancestors believed that threads are the destinies of people that can be confused and bring partings, quarrels and strife into the house.
At the Annunciation, birds were given special significance. The ritual of releasing birds, often pigeons, was associated with them. For this purpose, there were special catchers, who then sold the birds for the ritual. There was a belief that pigeons would convey the news of a person’s good deeds to the angels, who would subsequently reward him for this.
On the night of April 6-7, it used to be customary to “warm up the spring,” so at this time a holiday was held with bonfires, where garbage, old shoes, straw and rags were burned. For the last time they invited spring, danced in circles and sang songs.
As already mentioned, you cannot work on this day, but you could consecrate seeds and seedlings for the harvest. After all, according to legend, God himself opens the sky to bless the earth for a good harvest.
One of the most interesting traditions on this day is the preparation of Annunciation salt. This was done in order to take advantage of it in case of any illness. All family members took a pinch of salt and placed it in a bag, which the hostess subsequently calcined over the fire. If this salt was not needed throughout the year, then on the Annunciation it was burned, believing that with it all troubles and misfortunes would disappear. They did the same with blessed water and prosphora, which the hostess kept for the whole year.
Separately, it is worth noting that many Orthodox Christians after the service tried to purchase as much prosphora as possible, but if they did not succeed, they baked it themselves. Then a festive dinner was held, where the housewives crushed this blessed bread and gave it to all family members; the women saved some of it to add crumbs to livestock feed.
Also, many believed that if you make a lot of noise on this day, rattle basins, ring bells, this will scare away predatory animals and save livestock.
Signs for the Annunciation
Many peasants carefully monitored the weather that day. If there was rain on the Annunciation, then they prepared for a good harvest of rye, but if there was a thunderstorm, then they believed that nuts would be born this year.
The fishermen hoped that the weather would be rainy that day, as they believed that there would be a good catch all year.
On this day, many families tried not to quarrel and live in peace and tranquility, because they believed that the year would pass the same way as the Annunciation.
The peasants expected wind, frost and fog, because according to popular belief, this promises a good harvest for the whole year.
Thieves had their own belief. If you manage to steal something on this day, then the next year will be successful and prosperous.
If swallows did not appear on Annunciation, then everyone was preparing for a cold winter.
If you bought new clothes the day before and on the day of the holiday, then under no circumstances should they be tried on on that day, otherwise, according to the superstition, the item would quickly deteriorate and tear.
Fortune telling for the Annunciation
One of the main entertainments for young girls on any holiday was fortune telling. So on the Annunciation, the girls tried to monitor the weather, birds, and perform rituals in order to find out the future.
Fortune telling on a branch
In order for any dream to come true, the girls looked for an elastic twig on the street that day and put it under the pillow before going to bed, having previously made a wish. The next morning, they took it out and looked at it; if it broke, then everything would definitely come true this year, but if the branch remained intact, then the dream would not come true.
Fortune telling by birds
When going outside, the girls carefully monitored which birds they came across most often on their way. If, for example, there are pigeons, then the whole spring will pass happily and joyfully, but if there are crows, then, on the contrary, it will be sad and boring. Sparrows and swallows promised calm and stability, but wagtails and dead birds - vanity, financial problems, instability.
Also, when the girls woke up on the Annunciation, they immediately ran to the window to see what kind of bird would be on the window. If it is a tit or a dove, then you can expect pleasant changes and good luck in love. If it is a sparrow, then in the near future there will be failures and financial difficulties.
Fortune telling on the prosphora
In ancient times, the following fortune telling could sometimes be found in many families. In advance, women bought prosphora in the church, and put a penny into one of them. Then they gathered all the household members together so that each of them could choose a consecrated prosphora for themselves. Whoever gets a penny will be happy all year, everything that he does not plan will definitely work out, and good luck and success will accompany him all year.
Fortune telling for the harvest
In order to find out what the harvest would be like, housewives hung a wet rag outside at night. If it dries completely overnight, then expect a bountiful harvest and a warm summer. However, when the rag was frozen in the morning, then, according to legend, there would not be a good harvest, and the summer would be very cold.
What not to do on Annunciation Day
Not only can’t you comb your hair, otherwise it will fall out, but you also can’t cut it or dye it, otherwise your hair won’t grow
The stoves are not heated, the fire is not lit - i.e. You can’t cook or heat food on gas or fire - Otherwise, you’ll suffer with your stomach all year or you’ll have to go hungry.
On what day of the week is the Annunciation, on that day throughout the year, no new business should be started - everything will go to dust!
Under no circumstances should you sew or cut with scissors! Otherwise, you will either get stuck in business, or cut your happiness into pieces...
You cannot sow or plant anything - Any seedlings planted on this day will not please you, they will be frail and painful.
After the Annunciation, this year on Tuesday, throughout the year - on Tuesdays, also do not plant or sow anything...
There is even a belief that on which day this holiday occurs, it is considered unlucky for sowing and plowing, and the next one after it is the most successful and happiest...
And if you mix crumbled prosphora with seeds, the harvest will greatly surprise and delight you! The harvest will be very good!
- Lend something or, conversely, give money and things to strangers.
Otherwise, you may lose your well-being, health, peace and quiet in your family. This requirement should be strictly observed, even if the person asking you for something is well known and you are uncomfortable refusing him. It is important to ensure that nothing is taken from your home. Therefore, it is not advisable to invite guests on April 7th. The holiday is usually celebrated with family.
- Sew, weave, knit.
Many peoples of the world associate thread with life, so anyone who picks it up for work can confuse their fate, bring problems and troubles.
- You can’t wear new clothes on Annunciation Day!
Otherwise, it will definitely quickly tear or deteriorate. And there won’t be many new things all year long... so this must be taken into account!
Annunciation has great value in the life of Orthodox believers. This is a celebration of deep, strong faith in a bright future. This is the day of the victory of wisdom and humility over human vices. If you look through the eyes of a believer, it was from this day that the world was filled with transparency, light, purity and barely audible music of grace.
On Annunciation, it is worth putting off all matters, even the most important ones. It is necessary to rest both body and soul, cleanse your mind of filth, and spend this day in unity with the Lord. Confession and repentance are very welcome.
Hello. The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a great holiday for all believers. In the bustle of days, many have forgotten about the traditions of celebrating the Annunciation. Let's try to remember them so that we never forget and pass them on to our children.
What date is the Annunciation celebrated?
The Annunciation is the day of remembrance of how the Mother of God learned that she would give birth to Christ, and that this would happen in a miraculous way - through the descent of the Holy Spirit on Her.
In 2018, the Annunciation fell on Holy Saturday. Holy Saturday is a day of remembrance of that terrible moment when the Body of Christ was in the Tomb. This day is also called the day of silence. Everything is already behind us - betrayal, crucifixion, Death on the Cross.
Search mystical meaning There is no point in the fact that the Annunciation fell on Holy Saturday. Light Christ's Resurrection can fall on any day of the year between April 4 and May 8.
With early Easter, the Annunciation can fall on both Holy and Bright Week, and this only means that the service on this day will have its own characteristics associated with the double meaning of this day.
What can you eat if the Annunciation falls on Holy Saturday?
If the Annunciation falls on Holy Saturday, then you can eat vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, cereals, bread, but you cannot eat fish. The monastic charter presupposes abstinence from food on this day. vegetable oil, but from modern man Strict adherence to the rules of fasting established for monks in past centuries is not required. On Holy Saturday, Orthodox Christians usually adhere to their usual Lenten diet.
Annunciation is one of two days of Lent when fish is allowed at meals. But if it coincides with the days Holy Week, the meal on this day is not festive and they do not eat fish.
According to the rules, on Holy Saturday the monks were allowed to drink a little wine. But such a relaxation was given not for fun and entertainment, but to strengthen strength after a long prayer: the service of Holy Saturday is long, it is preceded by the days of Holy Week, which are very eventful with liturgical events, and ahead of the night Easter Matins.
The meaning and essence of the Annunciation holiday
The essence of the holiday is contained in the name itself. “Annunciation” means that good news is coming. If you look more closely, you will notice that the whole point of Christian holidays is that a person is given two paths:
- the path of salvation is the righteous path,
- the path of evil, envy and darkness.
Even the young Virgin Mary was asked by an Angel if she agreed that the Son of God, the Savior of the whole world, would be incarnated from her womb. Mary answered: “Let it be done to me according to your word,” meekly accepting God's word.
The icon dedicated to the Annunciation can be recognized by the Archangel Gabriel holding a flower. What does the flower mean? The flower is a symbol of good news. It was Gabriel who God gave to bring the Good News to people.
But he brought the most joyful news in the world 2000 years ago to the Virgin Mary, who took a vow of virginity and gave her life to serving God. From this day the history of the holiday begins.
In ancient Judea, people who reached the age of 14 were considered adults. So the 14-year-old Virgin Mary, who until that time had been raised in the temple, had to return to her home or get married. But the vow of eternal virginity closed the way for Her to create an ordinary family. Then the priests of the temple found very correct solution. They betrothed the Virgin Mary to the 80-year-old elder Joseph. Thus, Mary did not break the vow she made to the Lord.
So Saint Joseph became the guardian of the virgin purity of the future Mother of God. Lived for four months Holy Virgin in the house of Joseph, devoting all his time to reading the Holy Books and tireless prayers.
An angel caught her in this godly activity, saying to her: “Rejoice, full of grace!” Archangel Gabriel announced to Her about that greatest grace: to become the Matter of the Messiah.
The holiday really began to be celebrated in the 6th century during the reign of Justinian. He issued a decree setting the date for the celebration of the Annunciation - March 25 for Catholics, and for Orthodox Christians on Julian calendar- April 7.
The Annunciation is the arrival of spring!
How is this holiday celebrated? On this day, one of the most merciful traditions has existed since ancient times: releasing birds from cages.
Today this is done by church ministers, and before the 1917 revolution, many believers, observing traditions, brought cages with birds to worship, which were released into the wild after the service.
This action symbolized the human soul, languishing in the shackles of sin, but through the birth of the Savior, who took the sins of people upon himself, receives hope for freedom. The service in the temple even today ends with the release of white doves into the sky so that they convey news to the angels about everyone good deeds.
Signs for the Annunciation
With the arrival of spring, people pinned their aspirations for a good harvest. Therefore, there are many signs for April 7:
- If it is cold on Annunciation, there is fog or the day is marked by frost, then the year will be fruitful.
- If the swallows have not yet arrived, then spring will be late and cold.
- A clear day in Annunciation means fires.
- If April 7th is a rainy day, then expect a dry summer.
- The same day (weather) for the Annunciation, the same for Easter.
Other signs for the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- On Annunciation, you cannot give or borrow anything, so as not to give away your health and luck.
- On Annunciation, you cannot work, get a haircut, or even comb your hair, so as not to “confuse” your destiny.
- What day of the week does April 7 fall on, on that day you should not start new business for a whole year.
- On this holiday, you need to bless salt, water, and bring prosphora from the church. This will all help in case of illness.
- You can't wear new clothes.
- So that the husband does not go anywhere, on this day he must be called “beloved” 40 times.
Many rituals attract money to the house, for example, you need to give alms early in the morning, before that you don’t need to wash or have breakfast.
You need to collect grass from the church and store it behind the icons for good luck and health.
They say conspiracies work well. On April 8th, Archangel Gabriel fulfills your deepest desires. Early in the morning, make a wish, put on a cross, go outside, turn your face to the east, cross yourself three times, say the spell:
“Archangel Gabriel, servant of our Lord, hear the prayer of God’s servant (name) and fulfill my request (say your desire). In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen"
Icons of the Annunciation
The Annunciation depicts the meeting of the Virgin Mary and the Archangel Gabriel. Most common iconographic canon Feast: The Annunciator stands on the left and extends his hand to the Most Pure One on the right, blessing Her.
Our Lady is often depicted either reading Holy Scripture, or with a spindle and red thread in hands. The Gospel does not say what the Mother of God was doing when the Archangel appeared to her, but according to apocryphal sources, She was spinning a curtain for the Jerusalem Temple, which was torn in two at the moment death on the cross Christ.
Archangel Gabriel in the icons of the Annunciation is depicted with his hand extended towards the Mother of God with his fingers folded in a certain way. This is an ancient oratorical gesture meaning direct speech. In the same way, the reciprocal gesture of the Mother of God in this context is interpreted as Her acceptance of the gospel:
Another detail often present on icons of the Annunciation is a ray descending from Heaven onto the Virgin Mary. Otherwise, the descent of the Holy Spirit on Her is depicted on the icon in the form of a dove. On many icons, the Heavenly Ray and the Dove are combined.
On the icon of the Annunciation there may be the Infant God in the womb of the Mother.
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