Orthodox people live according to a special calendar of church holidays. So, Easter is preceded by a whole festive week, which is called the week. The penultimate day of this week is Holy Saturday. In 2022, this holiday falls on April 23rd. What date will be celebrated this or that holiday of the week depends on the date of the celebration of Easter.
Holy or Holy Saturday is also called Easter Eve, Dyeing Saturday, Quiet Day or Holy Week. This day is associated with the memories of Orthodox people about how Jesus first lay in a tomb and then descended into hell, in order to save the righteous people in hell from the torments of his life at the cost of his life.
history of the holiday
Great Saturday is a Christian folk holiday with a long history. It is celebrated on the last day before Easter. This date coincides with the end of the Great Seven-week Fast. This is the time when Orthodox people are completing the last preparations for Bright Sunday (Easter), which in Christian culture is the main event and comes at midnight. Good housewives have already prepared Easter eggs and festive pastries from Thursday week.
A significant event took place in Jerusalem on Easter Eve: the Holy Fire descended in the Church of the Resurrection of Christ. Many believers travel to this temple from all over the world to see this miracle with their own eyes.
According to biblical legends, on Dyeing Saturday Christ descended into hell to absolve the martyrs of all sins. So he took from hell with him to paradise all the righteous, including Eve and Adam. That is why Easter Eve is considered the day of completion of Jesus' torment and atonement for all human sins.
Traditions and rituals
Great Saturday is the day of grief of believers about the death of Jesus Christ, therefore it is associated with such Orthodox rites and traditions as:
- reconciliation with all offenders;
- a believer needs to ask for forgiveness from all people who happened to accidentally or deliberately offend;
- on the way to church, one should give alms to all those in need;
- Christian repentance and confession of one's sins;
- turning to their spiritual principles, visiting sacred places;
- changing the dark clothes of the clergy to light ones;
- the liturgy of the Great Basil, which is held in the church in the morning;
- reading of the Acts of the Holy Apostles on Saturday evening;
- consecration of Easter eggs and cakes;
- preparation of cold and hot snacks, alcoholic beverages for a festive feast;
- the "Midnight Office" rite, during which the ministers of the church transfer the Shroud to the throne and place it on the altar;
- matins, which begins at midnight.
If possible, Orthodox people should attend all services that are held on this day in the church.
What you can eat on Holy Saturday
Depending on what date Easter is celebrated, believers expect the end of Lent. On Holy Saturday, it is still impossible to completely abandon lean dishes, but some indulgences in food are already permissible.
On the last day of Lent, it is allowed to eat uncooked plant foods:
- lean bread;
- dried fruits;
- fresh fruits;
- fresh vegetables;
- nuts;
- honey.
Any alcoholic drinks remain under the strictest ban until the Bright Resurrection of Christ. An exception to this rule is made only for those believers who, throughout the 7 weeks of Great Lent, did not indulge in excesses in food and practically did not eat anything. Such Orthodox Christians are allowed to drink a glass of red wine on the Day of Dyeing Week, so that their body has enough strength for all the services on the eve of Easter.
As a rule, preparations for Easter have already been completed, so Orthodox people are tempted to ignore food restrictions, but this cannot be done. As soon as the evening church rituals and all-night vigils, which are held on the eve of Easter, are completed, you can immediately sit down at the festive table and eat any dishes. Usually the Orthodox feast begins early Sunday morning.
What not to do on Holy Saturday before Easter
Christian culture obliges believers to behave as quietly as possible before Easter. Therefore, on the Saturday of Holy Week, Orthodox people are strictly prohibited:
- cleaning the apartment;
- take out the trash, throw away old unnecessary things;
- gardening and cleaning in the garden in the country;
- wash clothes;
- ironing;
- engage in physical labor;
- go fishing or hunting;
- go to visit and invite guests to your house;
- attend entertainment events;
- to celebrate a birthday;
- try the dishes prepared for the festive table on Maundy Thursday;
- make noise in the house, move furniture;
- get married;
- dance and sing songs;
- go to the bathhouse (it is allowed to wash in the bathroom at home);
- quarrel with relatives or friends;
- go to the cemetery, commemorate deceased relatives;
- swear with someone, shout at someone;
- use profanity in speech;
- lend money;
- have sex.
On the eve of Easter, it is allowed to prepare a table for a solemn event. At the same time, the Russian Orthodox Church approves of the fact that the table was set not only by adult family members, but also by children. Responsibilities among children are distributed based on the age of the kids. By the evening, an Easter basket should be assembled in every house. The hostess should put in it:
- Easter eggs;
- Easter cottage cheese;
- Easter cakes;
- salt;
- meat;
- butter.
All these products have a symbolic meaning for the solemn service: they symbolize fertility, wealth, health and vitality. When believers go to church for the evening service, they take the Easter basket with them, covering it with a ritual embroidered cloth. On the way home, after all-night vigils and solemn services, believers are allowed to have a snack with what is in the Easter basket.
Signs for Holy Saturday
By their nature, believers are very observant, therefore, in Christian culture, there are many signs associated with Quiet Saturday:
- If the weather is warm before Easter, then the summer will also be warm. If it rains, then the summer will be rainy.
- If a girl washes herself with water in which a testicle was consecrated in the church, her skin will remain young for many years.
- It is recommended to spend the last night of the week without sleep. It symbolizes good health, rich harvest, good luck. Girls do not go to bed that night in order to marry successfully.
- Newlyweds who got married on Holy Saturday will divorce after a while.
- Laughter on Quiet Saturday will attract trouble to the house - you will have to cry all year.
- You cannot give your things to anyone on Holy Saturday. Even if a person asks for a thing for temporary use, it is better to refuse, since with this item, mutual understanding between family members, money and luck will leave the house.
- The birth of children on the last day before Easter is considered a good omen. Such people rarely get sick, they are lucky in any business.
- If a fisherman or hunter goes fishing on the Quiet Day of the Week, he or his family members will be in trouble.
Holy Saturday in 2022 will traditionally be held with a solemn church service and a festive feast. In order for Easter to symbolize the beginning of a new happy life, believers must strictly observe church restrictions throughout Great Lent and adhere to the Christian rules of life.
