We propose to understand in more detail when (what date) in 2022 the Orthodox will celebrate Forgiveness Sunday, how the date of the holiday is determined and who should be asked for forgiveness.
How to find out the date
In 2022, Forgiveness Sunday will be celebrated on March 6.
According to the Orthodox calendar, Forgiveness Sunday comes to us every year on the eve of the first day of Great Lent, therefore its date is not constant and changes, like all the dates of rolling Orthodox holidays, taking into account the day of the celebration of Easter. In 2022, Lent will last from March 7 to April 23.
history of the holiday
The great Orthodox holiday Forgiveness Sunday has its roots in the distant past. The tradition of asking each other for forgiveness for committed sins and atrocities originated in Ancient Egypt and, over time, was reflected in all three leading world religions:
- for Christians - Forgiveness Sunday;
- among the Jews, this is Yom Kippur, the day of repentance before the living and the dead;
- Muslims have Sura At-Tauba, a holiday when it is customary to ask for forgiveness for committed evil and bad thoughts.
The last Sunday before Great Lent is a special day. It is believed that this day coincides with the day when the Lord expelled Adam and Eve from Paradise. Not because they sinned, but because they refused to repent of their sins. That is why, on the Forgiveness Resurrection, God forgives people their sins, demanding only one thing - complete and sincere repentance. And this happens precisely on Sunday, which has been considered the day of purification and renewal in Christianity since ancient times.
It so happened that in Russia this great holiday of repentance coincides with the last day of Shrovetide. Therefore, it is often called "cheese-breeder", the last day when milk, meat, fish, eggs and other non-fast foods can be eaten. Immediately after Forgiveness Sunday, 40 days of Great Lent begin, during which you can only eat lean food and strictly limit yourself in everything.
Traditions
Forgiveness Sunday is a special day that requires a person to do a lot of spiritual work on themselves. It is not enough to come to church and confess, as tradition requires. You need to sincerely ask for forgiveness from everyone you have offended and try so that those who have suffered from your neglect and rude treatment can also forgive you from the bottom of their hearts. It is accepted that the priest who conducts the service is the first to ask forgiveness from his flock. Then, with requests for forgiveness, people turn to not only the living, but also the deceased, before whom they feel guilty.
Interestingly, there is no single recipe for how to properly ask for forgiveness. There are common phrases, but, in fact, your words matter much less than your thoughts. When speaking to people or the Lord, you must be absolutely open.
What do they say to each other?
It is important to ask forgiveness correctly. It is more correct to say “I'm sorry”, not “I'm sorry”: “By saying“ I'm sorry ”, we seem to justify ourselves, they say I didn't want to, but it happened - I'm sorry. But when we say "forgive" - we, confessing our guilt, ask to accept the guilty and the sinner. And realizing our guilt, we try not to repeat such mistakes in the future, to approach our actions more thoughtfully. "
What to answer to the phrase: "Forgive me"? In these cases, they say: "God will forgive - and I forgive!"
On this day, you need to try to be as sincere as possible. If some words to beloved people have long been asked for language, then it is on the last day of Maslenitsa that they need to be said.
What shouldn't be done on Sunday?
This is a day of spiritual cleansing, preparation for Fasting. Therefore, on Forgiveness Sunday, it is categorically impossible:
- think about the bad;
- it is a great sin to refuse someone asking for forgiveness;
- enter into conflicts with someone, get angry, quarrel and resent;
- engage in physical labor: in particular, cleaning and washing (except for cooking and caring for pets);
- to eat meat and get drunk (in principle, from meat products it should have been on the first day of Maslenitsa);
- leave food in the evening;
- go to bed late, as after midnight it is already Great Lent.
You can't finish eating leftovers on Monday! All that remained of food on Sunday night was burned or fed to pets. If there are no pets, you can feed the homeless.
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