The Annunciation is one of the twelve most important Orthodox dates. It is dedicated to the memory of a long-standing event, which is described in the Gospel of Luke. Once, when the young virgin Mary was reading the book of the prophet Isaiah, a radiant angel appeared before her and announced the good news that she was to become the Mother of the Savior of the world. This holiday is imperishable, so there is no need to calculate how many believers will celebrate the Annunciation in 2024. It falls on April 7th.
The meaning of the solemn date
This is one of the most beloved holidays for believers. Perhaps, because they especially revere "the most honest cherub and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim" Mother of the Lord.The news brought by the angel became good news not only for the Blessed Virgin Mary, but for humanity as a whole. The incarnation of Christ in the guise of a man shows what a sacrifice God made for people and testifies to His endless love for His creatures.
The establishment of a special celebration of one of the three Christian celebrations dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary occurred in Constantinople no earlier than the 4th century. It is also known in church history as Hail Day, Annunciation, Hail Mary, Conception of Christ, Beginning of Redemption.
What can I do
In most cases, the holy date falls on the days of Great Lent - a time of sincere repentance and fervent prayer. However, April 7 also contains great joy, because the event precedes the Birth of the Savior, and then His miraculous Resurrection - Easter, opening the way to the celebration of Holy Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles.In 2024, Trinity will be celebrated on June 23.
Traditionally, Orthodox believers tend to visit the temple to participate in the cathedral prayer, confess, take communion, or at least put a candle near the festive icon. In 2024, it will be much easier to do this, because the holiday falls on Sunday - a day off for many.
The priests recommend, if possible, free yourself from hard work and carry out a general cleaning the day before. It is necessary that on the solemn date itself not be distracted by the secondary, focusing on the divine meaning of what is happening.
The virgin color is blue, which can be used to decorate the house. A tablecloth of heavenly shades on the festive table will be appropriate (it should be lean, but fish and seafood are allowed) or the same tea set. It's nice to frame the home iconostasis with blue ribbons.
What not to do
In its instructions, the church says that one should not give up spiritual pursuits in order to focus on everyday affairs. No need to do hard work, which is easy to put off until later. It is no coincidence that a folk saying appeared that a bird does not nest on the Annunciation, a maiden does not weave braids.
There are no funeral services in churches (even if the Annunciation falls on parental Saturday), since it is customary to meet the good news with joy, thanking God for his endless love for people.
You can't get married on April 7, 2024. The wedding is not held, because the holy day falls on Great Lent - a period of repentance and abstinence.
Excessive fuss, focus on worldly things, quarrels, conflicts, manifestations of incontinence, irritation and anger are contraindicated. This makes it difficult to tune in to a bright mood.
Traditions
Although the Orthodox Church does not support such traditions, people still believe that the Annunciation is not allowed:
- starting a new business will certainly prove futile;
- borrow money (repaying debts is welcome);
- put on new clothes - you can attract misfortune.
Sewing, knitting or weaving is not blessed. Such a prohibition is associated with the belief that human life is akin to a special thread, the control of which is exclusively with God or in the hands of guardian angels. Taking up knitting on such a great holiday, a person runs the risk of confusing the threads and changing life for the worse.
Good deeds include the tradition of releasing birds - mostly white doves. It has been actively supported by the church since 1995, and more and more believers are joining the good cause.
Even our ancestors believed that thanks to washing with melted Blagoveshchensk water, he alth becomes stronger, and the general condition improves.
Also, many made a big fire, "treating" the flame with old and obsolete things. It was believed that jumping over a fire helps to cleanse oneself of those sins that a person has forgotten about.
Folk omens
On the Annunciation, it becomes noticeable that soon spring will win a complete victory over winter. This is reflected in the abundance of proverbs and sayings. Our ancestors' observations of the weather led to the following conclusions:
- winter path starts to break down the week before April 7 or a week later;
- brown bears leave their lairs;
- The cover is not summer, the Annunciation is not winter;
- if there is still snow on the roofs, it will lie there until May;
- if it rains on this Mother of God holiday, the summer is expected to be mushroomy, if it froze - everyone will stock up on milk mushrooms, plus the harvest of cucumbers will be wonderful.
There were also thunderstorms on this April day - this was considered an accurate sign of the onset of autumn rich in nuts. There were frequent frosts - then it was expected that there would be 40 of them in a row in the morning.
Signs and traditions are not the main thing at all. The Annunciation is a celebration filled with the deepest spiritual meaning. It is very important to tune your soul in a divine way, and not focus on minor things.
