The week before Easter is called Holy Week, White Week by Christians, but the most common name is Holy Week. Each of her six days is special.
On this day, Christians remember the Gospel story about how Jesus cursed a fig tree, covered with green leaves, but completely barren, which immediately withered before the eyes of His companions.
This miracle is important moral significance for every person: at every moment a person must be ready to meet God, so as not to then turn out to be spiritually empty and barren.
On this day it is customary to clean the house: paint, wash, clean.
According to church rules, on Holy Monday all discord, foul language and unclean thoughts are prohibited. Bread, vegetables and fruits are allowed from food. But according to an unspoken rule, many Orthodox Christians spend this day in strict fasting, without food or water.
You can't sing and dance on Maundy Monday - it's a sin.
On this day, Christians remember the parables about the Second Coming of Christ, the ten virgins and the talents.
On Tuesday it is customary to finish darning, washing and ironing clothes. Preparations for the holiday continue: they prepare not only clothes, but also choose a tablecloth to cover festive table, and a towel, with which they will go to the Easter service.
On this day you are allowed to eat hot food without vegetable oil. They also buy food for Easter.
In addition, Tuesday is a day of teaching.
On this day, Christians remember the betrayal of Judas. It is on this day that Judas betrays the Savior for 30 pieces of silver, thereby choosing spiritual death.
On Wednesday they finish home improvement work and start buying eggs to dye for Easter. According to legend, eggs bought on this day will not spoil for a long time and will be perfectly colored.
On this day it is customary to eat food without oil.
This day is popularly known as Maundy Thursday.
It is customary to start this day very early. Thursday is swimming day. It is believed that water on this day has healing powers, and bathing and prayer itself help preserve the health of the whole family for the whole year.
On Thursday they start preparing paska (Easter cakes). It is believed that before kneading the dough it is necessary to pray and cleanse the soul, otherwise the paskas will not turn out.
Also on this day it is customary to take communion, as well as place bread and blessed salt on the table.
Traditionally, it is customary to buy new clothes for children on Thursday. However, it is advisable not to give money, since it reminds of the betrayal of Judas.
This day is popularly known as Good Friday.
Friday is the strictest pre-Easter day, on which you cannot do anything around the house, sing, dance or listen to music.
In memory of the suffering of Christ, eating food is prohibited.
It is believed that “he who laughs on Friday will cry for a whole year.”
An integral part of the services on this day is the Shroud - a large cloth with the image of the body of Jesus Christ in the tomb. Eating is prohibited until it is taken out at the evening service.
According to legend, Joseph of Arimathea wrapped the body of Jesus Christ after His suffering and death on the Cross in the Shroud of Turin.
This day is considered a day of rest.
On Saturday, they remember the burial of Jesus, as well as His victory over death in Hell and entry into Paradise.
On this day they finish painting eggs and collecting the Easter basket.
In the evening, the Holy Liturgy is held, after which the good news of the Resurrection of Christ is announced.
Lent ends on Saturday.
Let us remind you that earlier “Apostrophe” talked about, which is celebrated a week before Easter.
Immediately after the end of Palm Sunday, the last week before Easter begins, which is called Passion. Each day of this week is called the Great Day - since it was on these days that events that had special significance in Orthodox Christianity took place: the Last Supper, the betrayal of Judas, the crucifixion of Christ - and then his Resurrection. That’s why every day has its own special and even mystical meaning.
Let's look at what you can and cannot do these days before Easter, and what signs and traditions exist.
Do's and Don'ts during Holy Week
Great Monday. Finished everything renovation work around the house, removing construction waste, taking out old, unnecessary things.
Great Tuesday. They finished repairing clothes, sewing, cutting, darning, ironing and the like. The meltwater collected this year was used to wash livestock to protect them from disease.
Great Wednesday. At night, from Tuesday to Wednesday, they took water from a river or well into a large jug or mug, and overshadowed it three times sign of the cross. At two o'clock in the morning they poured this water on themselves, leaving a little at the bottom, making the sign of the cross three times. Clean clothes were put on the wet body, and the remaining water was poured under a tree or bush. This meant the birth of a washed body and, according to signs, protected from illness for the whole year.
Maundy Thursday - or Maundy Thursday. Maundy Thursday falls on April 13th in 2017. Maundy Thursday or Maundy Thursday is the fourth day of Holy Week, the strictest week of Lent.
Swimming on Maundy Thursday has a symbolic meaning; on this day you need to wake up before sunrise and have time to swim. It is believed that in this way, as in Epiphany bathing, a person washes away all his sins, and all illnesses and illnesses will bypass him.
On Maundy Thursday you need to go to church for confession and communion. On this day, according to customs, it is customary to do general cleaning at home before Easter. It is after going to church on Maundy Thursday that you need to clean the house.
You need to clean very thoroughly, not superficially - you should wash all objects in the house, including the ceilings. There is a sign that if you clean your house well on Maundy Thursday, then the house will be clean for the entire next year. Again, cleanliness in the house will reflect the inner purity of the soul of a Christian believer.
In addition, it is necessary to wash all textiles and prepare traditional Easter food: Easter cakes and colored eggs.
Customs and signs for Maundy Thursday
1. Preparing Thursday salt. Each family member should take a handful of salt with clean hands and pour all the salt into a common pot. Every time the house is cleaned, salt should be added to the water for washing floors. It is believed that this custom helps improve the environment in the home.
After the grandiose cleaning carried out on Maundy Thursday, houses are not swept or cleaned according to custom until Easter.
2.The most famous sign on Maundy Thursday - count the money three times - in the morning before dawn, at lunchtime and at sunset. It is believed that money will not be transferred in this way in the house.
3. Another one of the signs of Maundy Thursday is associated with Easter baking - if the treat turns out to be heavy and doughy, it means that the believer will have to wait the same year.
4.On Maundy Thursday, children’s hair and the ends of women’s hair are also cut - it is believed that this will make them grow better and be voluminous.
5.Women who are unhappy in their personal lives are instructed to go waist-deep into the river on Thursday night. Previously, it was believed that such a woman would soon meet her betrothed and her personal life would improve.
6.On Maundy Thursday you can plot for a good income. To do this, you need to throw a handful of coins into the water that you are going to wash your apartment while saying: “Money, keep going - don’t transfer, grow, multiply, don’t get to the enemy!”
On this day, they completed cleaning the house - they washed everything clean.
Easter is considered the most important Christian holiday and they begin to prepare for it immediately after Forgiveness Sunday, that is, farewell. The first and last weeks of the one and a half month fast are considered the strictest.
Easter is considered the most important Christian holiday and preparations for it begin immediately after Forgiveness Sunday, that is, farewell. The first and last weeks of the one and a half month fast are considered the strictest. The seven days before Easter are called Holy Week y, what not to do and what signs are associated with this will be discussed in this article.
What cannot be done during Holy Week and what can be done according to church canons?
IN Palm Sunday Christians still rejoice and rejoice, glorifying the name of Christ, but already on Monday they begin to mourn, feeling the approach of inevitable betrayal and death. On this day, it is customary to remember the day when the Savior arrived in Jerusalem, who he managed to meet and what he tried to convey to ordinary lay people. Holy Week before Easter calls on all Christians to observe fasting of the second degree - dry eating. As before, it is unacceptable to eat products of animal origin, but now vegetable oil is also prohibited, and it is recommended to cook food without any heat treatment. On the first day of the strictest week, there is an order not to eat at all until sunset.
For those who are interested in what not to do on Tuesday of Holy Week, it is worth answering that it is recommended to continue fasting and, if possible, finish working with fabrics and threads. Before Thursday, you need to put your house in complete order, cover tables and furniture with festive tablecloths and capes, and prepare new outfits for yourself and your children. On Wednesday you can buy all the necessary ingredients for making Easter cakes. On Thursday, they remember the Last Supper and read a passage about this event from the Bible. They finish the general cleaning and be sure to wash themselves. According to superstition, it is believed that holidays do not come to a dirty house.
On Friday and Saturday it is prescribed to completely abstain from food, but such strict order is typical for a monastery, and ordinary lay people can fast according to their strength and health. This especially applies to the sick, the elderly, children, and pregnant women. It was on Friday that Christ was sentenced to death and crucified, so it is recommended to serve in the temple and not do anything around the house. On Saturday, early in the morning, you need to have time to bake Easter cakes, paint eggs and take them to the temple for consecration. For those wondering what one should not do on Saturday of Holy Week, one can answer that one should not eat non-lenten food.
What should you not do during Holy Week?
It must be said that fasting concerns not only food, but also the spirit. Refusal of certain foods means little without cleansing the soul, and therefore it is recommended to pray not only throughout the last seven days, but also throughout the month and a half of fasting, and also try to calm down all false and unkind thoughts within yourself. Avoid quarrels and idle talk, slander, flattery and condemnation. We must hurry to do good deeds and help our neighbors. Only through spiritual cleansing can one draw closer to God and truly rejoice in the resurrection of Christ.
For those who ask what you can’t do during Holy Week before Easter, it should be said that the prohibitions also apply to sex life, as well as any other pleasures. You can kiss your husband only in dark time days, and refuse any festive and entertainment events. And this especially applies to Good Friday. It is now clear what can and cannot be done during Holy Week, but such prohibitions seem gloomy only to those who have never adhered to them. Having entered the path of fasting, you can understand and feel that this was not done in vain and only by compassion for Christ can you cleanse yourself, become better and understand how bright and great the Easter holiday is.
There are quite a lot of prohibitions associated with Good Friday, so you can often hear the question: is it possible to work on this day? A detailed answer to it, as well as the clergyman’s comments, are given in the article.
Passionate, or Great, Friday is the day when the trial of Christ took place, after which the Savior was crucified and died on the cross. It is believed that on the same day the body of Jesus was taken down from the cross and buried.
The death of Christ was a very tragic event. The Bible reports that as soon as he died, the stones next to the cross split, and the day became dark as night. The crowd of people shuddered, and many of them sincerely believed that Jesus was truly the Son of God, and not a common fraudster, as his accusers believed.
However, the tragedy of history lies not so much in these shocks, but in the fact that, in fact, many people betrayed the Savior. Less than a week later, crowds enthusiastically greeted his entry into Jerusalem on a donkey (today Palm Sunday is celebrated in honor of this). And on Friday, during the trial before Pontius Pilate, many of them, in a fit of anger, shouted: “Crucify him!”
The story is described in detail in all four Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Here brief description events of that day, which happened about 2000 years ago: the trial of the Lord and his execution.
Is it possible to work and do household chores?
If possible, on such a day you should refrain from work and from any usual activities that take a lot of time. For example, these are all kinds of housework - general cleaning, washing, sewing, ironing, feasts, visiting and receiving guests, etc. It is obvious that each task gradually consumes a person, which makes it very difficult for him to concentrate on spiritual reflection and honoring the memory of Christ.
However, we cannot always afford to devote the whole day to God. And in many cases it is not the person’s fault. If Good Friday is a normal working day (and this usually happens), we simply have to accept this situation and go to work. However, you should definitely visit the temple, say a prayer and read the relevant passages of the Bible.
IS GOOD FRIDAY A CLOSED CLOSED?
It is interesting that in some countries, in connection with Easter, not one, but 4 days off are established: starting from Friday and until Monday, residents of 15 countries have a rest:
- Germany;
- Italy;
- Lithuania;
- Latvia;
- Slovakia;
- Spain;
- Austria;
- Portugal;
- UK;
- Australia;
- Switzerland;
- Slovenia;
- Croatia;
- Finland;
- Sweden.
Is it possible to work on the Friday before Easter - the priest’s answer
So, there is no strict ban on work on this day. On the other hand, it is clear that in times of sorrow, a believer should concentrate as much as possible on the memory of Christ and his suffering (passion). That's why you should do your best to at least attend church.
The corresponding commentary is given by the rector of the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
PLEASE NOTE
Of course, Good Friday in our country is not a weekend. Therefore, going to work is definitely necessary: it is the responsibility of every person, from which it is impossible to avoid.
And even Christ once said: “Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” This means that we cannot escape from earthly affairs, and even less should we resist the social order.
That's why the answer to the question of whether you can work on Good Friday is clear: if you have to do it, then so be it.
What to do if you don’t have time to visit the temple
Unfortunately, life very often puts demands on us, failure to comply with which is fraught with serious consequences. What should a person do who, for example, works on a strict shift schedule and goes to his regular duty for the whole day? What should you do if on Good Friday you need to sit with a sick child and take him to the doctor?
Of course, each of us can act according to our own conscience and taking into account the actual circumstances. This means that we ourselves are able to determine whether we can go to church today or whether objectively there is no such possibility.
Of course, it is important to make every effort to attend a church service. You can, for example, change in advance or even take time off or vacation. But if you really can’t go to church at all, a believer can read the canons from the service, as well as those parts of the Bible where the story of the crucifixion of Christ is described (below is again the answer of the rector Vsevolod Chaplin).
What can you read at home on Good Friday?
So, if you did not have the opportunity to visit the temple and attend the service, you can read at home those canons that are read in the temple on Good Friday: 
What things should you avoid on Good Friday?
So, there is no specific prohibition on whether you can work on the last Friday before Easter. Of course, it is preferable to devote attention to God and reading the Bible all day. And at the very least, it is important to visit the temple.
However, even if there is absolutely no time, it is useful to know what you should categorically refuse on Good Friday:
- Obviously, on Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Bright Resurrection itself, there is no need to get irritated or swear, which means there is no need to start a showdown. There are other days for this - why then darken the memory of Christ and the Easter holiday?
- You should not drink alcohol or host or participate in feasts or parties. If your birthday falls on this day, it is better to postpone it or celebrate it as modestly as possible.
- Spouses are advised to renounce mutual pleasures. Strictly prohibited intimacy no, but it is intuitively clear that memories of Christ and participation in his suffering do not imply any carnal pleasures.
- Of course, it is worth excluding any idle talk, gossip, lengthy arguments, or jokes. Good Friday is a day of remembrance and mourning. And any lively communication can simply dispel the atmosphere of sacred veneration of the deceased Savior.
What can you eat on Good Friday?
Finally, those who observe Lent know that on Good Friday it is prescribed not to eat any food until the removal of the shroud from the temple (this happens around 15:00, i.e. after lunch). And then you can eat only bread (any bread, but not sweet pastries) and drink water throughout the day. This ban lasts until Sunday night, when after the service the believers joyfully exclaim: “Christ is risen! Truly risen!” Of course, such a strict ban does not apply to people with poor health, children, the elderly, as well as those who work physically and may simply lose strength from starvation.
Thus, there is no strict prohibition on whether you can work on Good Friday, do household chores and other everyday affairs. Of course, life does not end on this day. However, it is worth keeping in mind that Good Friday- special time. And we must do everything possible to share the suffering of Christ and pay tribute to the Savior.
Holy Week 2018 began on April 2 and will last until Easter. Read what you can’t do on these days, what you can eat, signs and traditions of Holy Week.
Holy Week is the last few days before Easter. The Orthodox also call it Holy Week. She ends Lent. In 2018, Holy Week runs from Monday 2 April to Saturday 7 April. Each of these days has a special meaning and rules of behavior. You need to know what you can do during Holy Week and what you cannot do.
During Holy Week, day after day we remember the last days of the earthly life of Jesus Christ, we have the opportunity to witness these Gospel events, to follow Christ.
During Holy Week, believers remember the suffering and martyrdom of Jesus Christ. Each of the six days of this time has its own meaning.
Holy Week 2018: what not to do, signs and traditions
Holy Week although formally it does not refer to Lent. But these days, entertainment, even the most innocent, is inappropriate. It is not advisable for believers to celebrate birthdays and weddings on next week. During Holy Week, you need to show humility and purity of thoughts.
Many folk traditions Holy Week have little in common with the Orthodox canons, it is rather folk customs. But they are also interesting.
Great Monday. Usually on this day they put things in order in the house: something can be painted, something can be repaired. It was believed that the bright sun on this day would bring a good, fruitful summer. People in Rus' washed themselves with water in which they placed gold and silver jewelry. This helped, according to beliefs, to preserve youth and financial well-being.
Maundy Tuesday. Festive clothes for the Light Christ's Sunday prepared on Holy Tuesday. On the same day they continued to tidy up the house and could organize laundry.
Great Wednesday. General cleaning started on Holy Wednesday and could continue on Maundy Thursday.
Maundy Thursday. On Thursday of Holy Week, a passionate candle was brought from church, which helped in the treatment of illnesses. On the same day you can prepare the so-called Thursday salt , having healing properties both for the person and for the relationship. To do this, ordinary salt is placed in a stove or oven for 10 minutes, and then blessed. Also on Maundy Thursday, housewives painted and painted eggs and prepared Easter cottage cheese.
Good Friday. On Good Friday, they bought candles in the church and burned them throughout the day in all rooms of the house. Easter cakes are baked on the same day. Before cooking, you need to read the “Our Father”.
Holy Saturday. On Holy Saturday, all believers mourn for the Savior. This day you should especially refrain from having fun, intimate relationships, alcohol. Easter cakes and Easter are blessed in churches. Finally, on Saturday night, everyone gathers at the temple for the Easter procession, Easter service and Liturgy.
If it is not possible to defend the All-Night Vigil, then it is still better not to go to bed. It is believed that this can attract good luck.
- See also: 3
Holy Week 2018: what you can eat by day
During Holy Week 2018, all fasting restrictions apply. Moreover, during Holy Week the Orthodox try to fast more strictly than they fasted throughout Lent. For example, in Good Friday adults healthy people They don’t eat at all until the evening service.
Naturally, during the entire week you cannot eat food of animal origin: meat, milk and dairy products, eggs and dishes made from these components. Alcohol is strictly prohibited. Chocolate is undesirable - it may contain animal products. Baking - only lean and without the use of vegetable oil.
April 2, 2018, Great Monday - Monastic charter: dry eating (bread, vegetables, fruits);
April 3, 2018, Great Tuesday - Monastic charter: dry eating (bread, vegetables, fruits);
April 4, 2018, Great Wednesday - Monastic charter: dry eating (bread, vegetables, fruits);
April 5, 2018, Great Thursday. Remembrance of the Last Supper - Monastic Rules: dry eating (bread, vegetables, fruits);
April 6, 2018, Great Heel. Remembrance of the Holy Saving Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ - According to the monastic charter - complete abstinence from food;
April 7, 2018, Holy Saturday. Annunciation Holy Mother of God. — Wine is allowed at meals (fish and oil are not allowed);
And yet fasting and all kinds of restrictions during Holy Week are not an end in itself. Orthodox priests say that all this is done in order to try to feel and understand that Christ is somewhere very close. That His suffering and resurrection are something completely modern and relevant. This is not about ancient history, it's about us. When you manage to feel this at least a little, then all the questions about what you can do and what you cannot do during Holy Week disappear.
