What to do with blessed willow branches? Willow: healing properties, how to make a talisman

IN Lately I began to notice that cars that have icons pasted on the dashboard, or horseshoes and other amulets hanging/dangling, always have scratched sides, cracked windows, etc. Why doesn’t it pop into your head?!)))

To talk about icons (from 01/18/03). As far as I know, people involved in embroidery and gold embroidery first study the laws of icon painting. And NOBODY undertakes the creation of an icon without a blessing. I think that you need to be a very religious person in order not only to embroider, but also to develop patterns...

Discussion

When I started embroidering the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, I asked our priest if it could be illuminated and hung in the house like a real icon. Can! I am Orthodox, this is our saint, this icon was embroidered with thoughts of God. This is quite enough. Now I'm waiting for Easter to illuminate.

Developing is possible. But non-believers can embroider out of love for art, and these icons are also blessed in the church. This is not painting an icon, but copying a finished image. Moreover, in the case of cross stitch - well, the most exact copy it will work out. That's why good design is important.
An analogy can be drawn with the “stamping” of icons that are sold in churches - this is production, it depends on whether believers print them or not. Embroidery, of course, is much more of an “art”, but its meaning is still a reproduction of the original.

Happy holiday to everyone who celebrates it! Boom-boom you with this: [link-1] (I can’t paste) I don’t remember the Russian traditional greeting, but in our area it’s customary on this day to lightly hit friends and loved ones with a branch of a consecrated willow with the following words: I’m not the one, willow b "It's Great Day for this week. The Red Egg is not far away. Be (and remain) strong like a willow, healthy like water, rich like the earth, and beautiful like spring!

The rooster looks at the flying Bella, as if following her with his gaze, and he himself is about to head off again to gallop further in the opposite side. This is quite symbolic. You need to continue your path, draw, suffer and search. This picture looks like night. Something flew out of my hands and that’s it... This won’t happen again. In the background of the canvas is the moon, sanctifying the corner of the house and giving a feeling of the eternal. And at the same time, this eternity seems like a moment. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, he realized that life had almost passed. You can feel the “Gogolian breath” in this picture. It's like a fairy tale with an unknown ending. I could write about Chagall for a long time, but I want to finish now. Chagall worked a lot, but never returned to Russia. He worked in stained glass, ceramics,...

Discussion

Informative. Written with great warmth and love - THANK YOU)))!!!

Thanks to everyone who liked it and who didn’t..) Thank you for reading this “dry summary”...) And I wrote it at the institute of psychology in creativity. The topics of this subject are immense; any creativity can be promoted for a very long time and in different directions, on the one hand and on the other.
And Chagall wanted to show positive side, and that he is not an unfortunate character of Russian art, as described in many books, but a world-famous artist and, in my opinion, a well-realized one. And the burning of his paintings by Goebbels, in a modern way, I would call an excellent PR move..)

The flame of a candle, swayed by the fading breath of the audience; in the uneven shadow, simple dolls come to life - and a miracle happens! No one will say that this is a fairy tale. That’s how it was, that’s exactly how it was! This wonderful action has been living in Russia for more than two hundred years. They played it on Christmastide from Christmas to Epiphany throughout Christendom. They played the nativity scene for themselves and their neighbors, moving from house to house, repeating the game with songs and carols. In the old days, nativity boxes were made very large: two, even three floors, with complex decorations - and then stored as relics long years. In them, the dolls were controlled from below, through special slots in the bottom of the box. Later, one-story nativity scenes appeared, made more simply, from scrap materials - perhaps they were not intended for long-term...
...But how dear is the awe and reverence with which our ancestors treated the Christmas story! It never occurred to anyone to put the text into their mouths Holy Mother of God or the Christ child. Nativity scene - painting, icon, sign. She sanctifies the whole action. We know painted scenes with the Holy Family, we know those made in dolls - people created them as best they could, according to the strength of their love. If you decide to make a two-story nativity scene, then Holy family should be placed at the top, in a one-story nativity scene - to the right of the stage (on the left for the audience). nativity scene is simple and strict: above (right) - heaven, below (left) - hell. Those who never live in paradise - the Holy Family, angels, shepherds, wise men - do not...

Easter is approaching - the main event in the spiritual life of Orthodox Christians. On this day, or rather, with the first star that lit up in the sky the day before - Saturday, the strictest and longest fast - Lent - ends. The table is covered with a white tablecloth - you can start eating.
...Coarse rock salt was pounded in a mortar, dissolved in thick leaven grounds, and then evaporated in a frying pan over low heat. The salt turned out to be a light coffee color, with a special pleasant taste. Easter cake The main dish of the Orthodox Easter lunch is Easter cake, which is made from butter yeast dough. As a rule, the dough is kneaded on the night from Thursday to Friday, baked all day on Friday, and consecrated on Saturday. Easter cakes are eaten throughout Easter week. Raisins, candied fruits, and nuts must be placed in the Easter cake; add various spices: cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla And if you season the dough with saffron, it will also serve as a yellow dye. True, the aroma of one spice should predominate, and it must be used wisely so as not to drown out...

Discussion

Oh, rubbing the cottage cheese through a sieve! I wonder if those who advise this have tried to do this at least once? Nothing more difficult can be imagined! There is no need to do this; modern cottage cheese in packs usually does not need this. Holding it under pressure is yes, but wiping it... I tried it once, and since then I haven’t bothered. And my Easter eggs are delicious!

Very often, when I walk along the streets of my city, or even any other, I see young mothers walking with their babies, irritably tugging at them, pulling them and reprimanding them, trying to raise them strictly, “so that they don’t sit on neck"...
...Here it is, the truth, and such a bitter mistake. Our second child is growing. Daughter. She is already one year and four months old. Of course, she can do anything!!! Be it a crash or a flood. The main thing is that nothing threatens life. The main thing is that she is happy! The main thing is that she would never think that her parents would not love her for something she had done. Our endless love sanctifies her path, and I will never say in my hearts, no matter how tired I am: “Lord, when will this end?!” Parents, love your children, they grow up so quickly, the world is so complex and often scary, why do they also need storms in their own family? Don’t be annoyed with them, they came into this world so that you would take care of them and pamper them, it’s not our society that will do this for you. Carry your baby in your arms when you want and when he wants. Give him a million...

Discussion

Stories like these awaken something in us... something important. We look at the lives of other people through the prism of our own, but we do not understand the main thing - much is simply unknown to us, therefore, “judge not, lest ye be judged.”
Author, thank you for this story. I’m still in tears, I can hardly see the monitor... after all, the Lord gives to some, and does not give to others the happiness of motherhood... but remember! This is not a punishment for your severity, this is your path, do not reproach yourself for what could have happened or what you think could have happened, you will act a little differently.
Patience to you, strength to survive the grief. I think your son up there loves you very much. Do not Cry...

Yes, yes, I also notice such mothers and always wonder, is it really impossible to raise a child with tenderness?

A little later, the estate was acquired by Catherine II, who decided to build a country residence here. The palace with numerous services was built according to the design of the architect V.I. Bazhenova. The Tsaritsyno ensemble is very picturesque due to the bright combination of red brick walls and white stone details. Bazhenov worked on the project for ten years. A palace, an Opera House, cavalry corps, bridges and gates were built. However, Catherine was dissatisfied with the palace, and it was dismantled. In its place was erected new palace designed by architect M.F. Kazakova. But the palace was never completed, since the treasury was greatly emptied due to the war with the Turks. Today the palace has been partially restored. In the center of the Tsaritsyno composition are two palaces connected by a gallery with...
...The landscape is very beautiful; in spring and summer, a walk through these places is a sincere pleasure. There is a place to sit for a family picnic; people actively swim and fish in the reservoir at the same time. There is no need to bring products from Moscow; they can be purchased right here in a rural store. Water is collected from a local consecrated spring. I would like to share several useful links to Internet resources on the topic of the article. We advise you to look at the website about Moscow estate museums, and also read the Internet magazine about children's leisure "Vacations". We recommend. Good luck to everyone and good mood! Leskova Natasha, [email protected]....

Discussion

Yeah. Venerate the relics of the saint and eat at McDonald's. The author does not even understand what she wrote looks like.

The Trinity-Sergius Lavra is indeed a very peaceful place, but not for 2-3 year olds - they don’t care yet. Without a guide, it is impossible to understand what events took place here; the history of the spring must also be told in order to feel the mystery of this place. Apart from the territory of the Lavra (which means temples, museums and long distances on foot), there is nothing to do in Sergiev Posad. And if you go on a weekend, there will also be crowds of people hanging around.
In a word, this is in no way suitable for a holiday with small (less than 8 years old) children, in my opinion.

Wonderful ideas!! Interesting. Healthy. Great.

She replaces with festive table the Old Testament Passover lamb and reminds us that the time of bloody sacrifices has passed. Previously, in Rus', a piece was cut off from Easter and stored as. There was a belief that eggs laid on Holy Thursday and eaten on Easter protected against illness. The blessed egg was attributed magical properties. It was believed that it could put out a fire, so such eggs were kept behind the icon in case of fire. True, before throwing the egg into the flame, you had to run around the house with it three times. WITH easter egg They were looking for missing or lost cows and sheep in the forest. A favorite Easter pastime, especially among Russians, was rolling eggs from a hillock or on a special tray. When a rolling egg hits an egg on the ground, the player takes it...

My birth, had it taken place in a maternity hospital, would not have happened without medical intervention, that’s for sure. Perhaps it would have ended with a Caesarean. I believe that no matter where we give birth, we alone are responsible for our children. Doctors and midwives can only help. The choice is ours! Our daughter Sofa was born at home, on April 26, 2004, weight 3500, height 55 cm. 5/9 according to Apgar Tatyana, Stanislav and Sofia Manerov....

Discussion

Well done, you have made the best decision for you - to give birth at home. We also gave birth to our second child at home. The first is in the maternity hospital. There is something to compare with, not in favor of the maternity hospital. Our second child was larger (almost 4 kg and 53 cm) compared to the first (3,500 kg and 50 cm). They did everything they could to interfere with the natural course of childbirth. They started by puncturing the bladder without even telling me what they were going to do. When I walked through the corridors of the maternity hospital for only 4 hours with quite tolerable contractions, the doctor decided to inject oxytocin to speed up labor, which in turn led to an epidural (this was already at my request, because the dose of oxytocin was a horse). As a result, when it was time to push, I only made a few attempts before the doctor, again without warning, stabbed me with a knife. Here you have an unnecessary episiotomy with subsequent leaks. The placenta was pulled out by the umbilical cord, and thank God that everything healed well (my two friends had serious complications after such a procedure). When giving birth at home, I managed to avoid this whole bunch of unnecessary actions. I gave birth without even the slightest crack, despite the fact that the child was larger. It is quite possible that if another doctor had attended the birth, much would have been different. But “thanks” to our first sad experience, we began to look for an alternative to giving birth in a maternity hospital. Giving birth at home is natural. The presence of a qualified midwife was important to us. Besides her, there were 2 more of her assistants, and besides this, there was an agreement with the doctor if the birth was delayed or something went wrong.

Six months have passed. Our child died during birth at home. The birth lasted more than three days. I still gave birth to him myself, already dead. According to the forensic examination, the child died two days before birth, which means one day after the onset of labor. Midwife Irina Dmitrieva spent these three days with us lying on the sofa, believing that there was no reason to worry. We completely trusted her, because she was recommended to us by the couples who gave birth to her, because she delivered “500 births, and then stopped counting,” because she herself has six children, she gave birth to five herself at home, including twins." This is our first child , my husband and I were preparing for pregnancy, went to courses, separately listened to lectures by this midwife; I scoured the entire Internet, I have a lot of literature on the topic of pregnancy and childbirth. But our child died during childbirth. I wanted to write to everyone thinking about giving birth at home right away, then I re-read everything on the site again - well, what to write about - everything has already been written. Six months have passed - there is no child... it was a girl... I am writing, but my hands are shaking - but I thought that everything was already in the past. In general, not I will describe how the birth proceeded, this is not what will help readers, but the conclusions: 1. before giving birth, imagine possible consequences, if something goes wrong, no one knows how it will go; 2. needed under the window ambulance with equipment for resuscitation of a child - it will not be useful, thank God; 3. don’t turn off your consciousness by talking “you need to think about the good and nothing bad will happen” - I tried very hard to think about the good for three days, and if I had gone to the hospital 12 hours after I started, now I would be sitting with a child in my arms; 4 think carefully about why you are running away, refusing the maternity hospital - and then in Moscow you will definitely find a maternity hospital in which everything will be as close as possible to what you want - you can be with your husband, you can have a baby at your breast, and you can not be separated from him, I don’t know what is not allowed in our time! 5. Doctors simply play it safe when they inject stimulants, when they puncture a bladder, when they perform a caesarean section - but you want them not to play it safe? Probably our midwife has her own explanations about what happened; I don’t have the strength to communicate with her. But no matter what her explanations are, this does not change the matter - there is no child. It turns out that this is not the first or second case for Irina Dmitrieva. When we, sitting in shock, asked her what we should do now, she said “well, one of my dads went and buried a child in the forest,” well, what can you say... I want to warn expectant mothers from what happened to us. From such home births... Or at least from childbirth with Irina Dmitrieva.

Saint Valentine, the shepherd and confessor of warriors, secretly blessed loving hearts and, despite the ban, sanctified the relationship with a church rite. The disobedient priest was extradited. He was executed on February 14. Since then, this day has been celebrated as Valentine's Day. An indispensable attribute of Valentine's Day celebrations is a valentine - a message sent to a loved one. One of the first Valentine cards was a card sent in 1415 by Charles, Duke...
...Where is the end of the world? (Where the shadow begins). When they build new house What do you drive the first nail into? (In a hat). What is under a person's feet when he walks across a bridge? (Shoe sole). What can you easily pick up from the ground, but cannot throw far? (Pooh). How many peas can fit into one glass? (Not a single one - everything must be put down). What can you cook but can't eat? (Lessons). How can you put two liters of milk in liter jar? (I need to cook it with milk...

Thank you for raising the question, although I will also be enlightened on this matter! Snusmumrik I can only answer about the dress - after the font. mammik Look at Orthodox websites - the whole sacrament is described there in great detail and you can even ask a priest a question. It also describes how to behave godparents. They put on a new white shirt or dress after dipping into the font three times, after which they put on a cross; if you buy a cross not in a church, then you need to consecrate it in advance. Still needed white towel when you receive the baby after the bath. They also tell godparents that it is advisable to fast for at least three days before the sacrament. Don’t forget that mothers are not allowed to attend the sacrament, only at the very end, but you can take a video in many churches, they are allowed for a small surcharge, and even after the sacrament they issue a certificate...
...Our baptism lasted 2 hours because 3 children were baptized at once. Ours was 5 months old, the others were 1.5 months old. The girls were sleeping, and Sashka was screaming..... Then he was apparently under terrible stress, he didn’t eat or drink anything and slept for 5 hours, and then he hung around all night. But you are already big, so it should be easier to pass. Flamingo We actually got baptized at home. Everything lasted about an hour. First the godfather held the daughter, and then the godmother. And before that, some kind of prayer was read over me. I was in the room where they were baptized. Coccinella (SLok) Have you already chosen a specific church? You need to go on a weekday, arrange a time (so that you are alone), talk to the priest. IN different churches times vary. If children...

On the eve of adoption, I repented, I asked God for advice. The husband repented immediately after blessing his son. At that time (five months from birth), the child, still very nervous, loud, and afraid of people, behaved quietly during the blessing (the believers asked the Lord to bless the baby) and calmly accepted congratulations. No conveyor belt. In general, in the prayer house of the Evangelists, the atmosphere is peaceful, a bright, spacious room without icons, beautiful chants, prayers in simple, accessible language, the children do not behave under pressure during the service - they walk around the hall, sit down, sing, and no one shushes them, does not “pressure” ". I am not ready for my baptism. There is a temptation to baptize your adopted son, becoming his godmother (they say “the godmother’s prayer will atone for all sins and raise him from the bottom of the sea”), for example...

Discussion

I completely agree with you, Natalya, and I admire your action. That's how it should be! Although it is very difficult, and most of us go completely into the depths of our grief, there is really only one way out of it - to try to help the other person. Not being religious, I am sure that God wants exactly this from us - so that we never give up, do not become embittered and return to happiness through love, and not through leaving the world for a monastery, etc. Otherwise, why did he give us this world? ?
But I still can’t come to church. I don't understand many things:
According to Christians, some people atone for the sins of other people with their suffering (starting with Jesus). Once at a children’s hospital I read an article by a priest on a stand about how this is the meaning of serious illnesses in children. So, maybe they don’t need to be treated? Some kind of pagan attitude - make a sacrifice, and everything will be decided (and the sacrifice is not a lamb, but a child!). You can gain wisdom and understanding yourself through suffering. How can someone else do this for you?
After reading the Gospel, I asked myself another question: why? Christian church does it even exist? Jesus commanded:
- do not build temples on earth, but only in the human soul;
- do not fast, do not pray, but it is better to go and make peace with your neighbor;
- and if you want to pray, enter quietly into your house and pray there so that no one sees you.
Is not it?
That’s why I would like everyone, like Natalya, to go to God (= to understanding life and their place in it) through love for people, for children, for their child, and not on the advice of priests. Even if they good people, pure souls, etc. - well, who can wisely manage your life, your thoughts, your feelings for you? What if the priest is a bad person or simply indifferent? There are a lot of them.

“Do not allow the patient to view life’s affairs as material for obedience to the Enemy. If you have made peace the goal and faith the means, the person is almost in your hands and it makes absolutely no difference what goal he pursues. If only rallies, brochures,
political campaigns, movements and causes mean more to him than prayer,
mystery and mercy - he is ours."
This is a quote from “Letters of a Screwtape” by K.S. Lewis (C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters). At one time, this book pushed me to finally get baptized, and I highly recommend reading it to anyone who sincerely wants to find answers, and is not just “hanging out.” (If anyone doesn’t understand, this is advice from an old, experienced demon to a young and beginner).
As for the last statement - “if you believe in Christ and go to Christ, then only not through Orthodoxy” - I hear this very often. Indeed, in modern satanic society it is permissible to be anyone - a Catholic, a Sandeist, a fire worshiper, or even a pagan - but not Orthodox! Well, for me this is yet another proof that Orthodox Christianity is the true faith.

How to behave correctly when visiting houses of worship of various religious denominations? General etiquette standards and main differences.
...Men must take off their hats when entering the temple. Headscarves are not required for women. There are also no special standards in clothing or use of cosmetics. Appearing in the temple in shorts or too revealing clothing is not welcome, and in some temples, including St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, it is prohibited. At the entrance to the temple there is a vessel with blessed water, or a crypt, into which fingers are dipped right hand and then are baptized. Immediately upon entering the temple, kneeling takes place ( right knee) in front of the tabernacle. And subsequently, passing by the tabernacle, they kneel or at least bow their heads. Catholics are baptized in a different order from Orthodox Christians - first the left shoulder, then the right. Special moments outside the liturgy, when perfection is required...

Please tell me whether embroidered icons are blessed, is it even possible to do this? In the near future I plan to finish Stoyankin’s small model of the Madonna and Child, and I’m wondering if it’s possible to try to consecrate it?

I finally embroidered the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Now I don’t know - how to arrange it? Just in a frame? Or maybe someone designs icons differently? And then they would take it to church and consecrate it for Easter. Did someone go and illuminate their embroidery? How does the Priest react to this? When I'm done, I promise to show it here and start new project- mother with baby.

Every time before Palm Sunday, Orthodox Christians have a question: what to do with last year’s willow, which they kept all year? And when should you get rid of it? On the eve of the holiday or on Palm Sunday itself?

A few words about the holiday itself

Palm Sunday is a holiday commemorating the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. This is one of the last events during the life of Christ. And it happened a week before Easter - Happy Resurrection. Why Palm Sunday? As Jesus entered the Holy City, people covered his path with freshly cut palm branches. This tradition was adopted in the East during meetings of important persons. In Russia, in the absence of palm trees, willow is used.

But on this day, not only willow and palm trees are blessed in the church, but also olive, boxwood, and laurel branches.

There is a tradition of decorating large branches with sweets and fruits, as well as colored ribbons. Lighted branches were installed at the head of the house, near crucifixes, near fireplaces and stove hearths, as well as in animal stalls and other places. They can be installed simply in dry places or placed in a vase with water. Branches protect the house from the elements, diseases, and quarrels.
So, a year has passed, tomorrow is Palm Sunday again, fresh willows need to be blessed. What should we do with the old ones from last year? And when should you get rid of them? A consecrated willow is no longer just tree branches, but a real shrine. You can't just throw it in the trash. It is believed that willow retains its magical properties until next spring.

It is possible on Palm Sunday itself, before it or immediately after Palm Sunday perform a small ritual. There are several options for getting rid of willow.

Throw old willows along flowing water into any body of water.

Burn dried willow branches. In this case, the ashes need to be poured out in a place where they will not trample on them. You can pour the ashes into the river.

If willows sprouted in water, it is best to plant them in a forest or near a river.

Willows can be stored for several years. But at the same time, celebrate the holiday with fresh branches every year.

If someone dies in the coming days, then the willow is placed in the coffin.

Some older people collect willows to take to their graves.

With a lit willow branch, you can cleanse the house and sanctify it by walking around the house with this branch and prayer.

Take them to the Church, where they are burned with prayer.

Take it to the forest and leave it there between the willow bushes.

If you have a stove in the house, you can use last year’s dried willow to light it for baking Easter cakes.

Old willow symbolic ones sweep the corners of the house and then burn them, thanking them for their service.

Miraculous properties of the consecrated willow:

Coming home from church, they lightly beat all household members with a blessed willow so that they are healthy. They don’t forget about all the cattle. All living things absorb the power of spring and renewal.

Willow protects the house from evil forces and spirits.

Willow is planted in the garden if there is a bride of marriageable age or a young guy in the house. As soon as the willow takes root, there will be a wedding.

On St. George's Day, willow is used to drive livestock out to the fields. Then he will be healthy and fruitful.

It is believed that willow can be used to ward off thunder, hail and clouds by tilting it towards the clouds.

Willow reduced the destructive power of fire by throwing it into the fire.

Willow buds were swallowed to get rid of fever, sore throat, and infertility.

Willows were used to line wells to prevent evil forces from getting into the water.

Folk traditions associated with Palm Sunday

To this day, there are many signs and traditions associated with Palm Sunday. They are passed down from older to younger family members.

On the night of Palm Sunday, you can make spells for headaches. To do this, the hair from the comb was dipped into water and the willow was watered with this water. The water will go into the ground along with the headache.

On Palm Sunday, girls cast a love spell on a willow tree. When casting a spell, the willow was placed behind the icons. You cannot throw away charmed branches.

You can only “hit” with a willow on the back, wishing for health. If you are hit on the butt, this person wishes you illness and evil, and it may come true.

Willow branches could only be cut from young trees. It is important that the trunks are free of damage and mossy bark.

You cannot pluck branches from a willow tree if there is a hollow in it. You also cannot tear branches from a cemetery willow.

You cannot tear branches bending over the river. It is believed that mermaids sit on them at night.

Signs

If it was frosty enough on Palm Sunday, then a fairly good harvest of spring grain was expected.

If there were frosts on the night of Verbnoye, there will be a good harvest of cabbage and cucumbers.

If on Verbnoye strong wind, then the whole summer will be quite windy, there will be hurricanes and storms. And if the day is warm and quiet, it will be summer.

Whatever the wind is in Verbnoye, it will be like that all summer.

If the sun shines in Verbnoye, there will be a rich harvest of cereals and fruits.

Tap the willow on your body on Palm Sunday and you will be healthy all year.

Willow is the most tenacious tree. Stick a branch into the ground and a tree will grow. The tree gives the same vitality to humans.

If you eat a bud of a consecrated willow, any matter will be easily solved. Of course, you can use the “magical” properties of willow only in extreme cases.

Think about your loved one on Verbnoye, he will come to you.

If you plant a houseplant on Palm Sunday, you will be rich. But if the flower withers, you will live in poverty all your life.

The energy of Palm Sunday helps make all your desires come true.

What to do with willow?

How to collect willow? Tear several branches from small young trees. Don't cut off all the branches from one bush. But you need enough branches to put several in each room, and in the livestock quarters too. Take the branches to the church for blessing. If you can’t go to church, you can sprinkle the willows with holy water at home.

Arrange the branches among the vases. They do not need to be removed for two weeks. On Maundy Thursday, the branches were used as sprinklers: they were moistened with holy water and sprinkled on all corners of the house. And then the branches can be used in different ways: left until next Palm Sunday, or immediately floated down the river.

The holiday of Palm Sunday, which we will celebrate this year on April 1, 2018, is as well known as Easter, celebrated exactly a week later. Of course, the main symbol of this event is the willow. But how to properly consecrate a willow on Palm Sunday, where and how many willow branches should be taken and where to place them in the house - not everyone can answer these questions. And why are willows needed on Palm Sunday anyway? Let's talk about everything in order.

We can start with where the holiday came from, and why is it called that way? Almost 2000 years ago, the Savior triumphantly entered Jerusalem. He came in peace, and the symbol of this was the donkey on which Christ sat (after all, the conquerors of the city always entered on horseback). A huge number of people, imbued with the belief that he was the Son of God, enthusiastically rejoiced and rejoiced as never before in their lives.

They brought a huge number of palm branches and laid them all over Christ’s path. The result was a whole path covered with branches. Of course, it was a special, solemn moment. Although exactly a week later the Savior will be executed, he will also be resurrected, which will finally prove his divine nature. That's why we celebrate Palm Sunday first, and exactly a week later, Easter.

Of course, in our area there are no palm branches yet, so we buy willows and decorate the house with them. And willows are willow branches that are the first to northern latitudes give fresh buds. They begin to swell in March. That is why, no matter what the date of celebration is in a given year, the willows always ripen.

This tradition appeared in Rus' a long time ago - so long ago that it is impossible to name even the approximate year when it began. After all, for a long time our ancestors, whole families, went to willow groves, to the shores of reservoirs, to forests and tore these branches. Of course, they still pick them today, but most of us tend to simply buy willow branches, bring them home and put them in water so that they herald the coming of spring to the whole family.

How to properly consecrate a willow and how many branches you need

You've probably noticed that the willow buds are not the same in color and shape:

1. There are whitish ones, with gray shades. They are like lumps, quite soft to the touch. These are male kidneys, which are also called “seals”.
2. And there are also female ones - they are elongated, less fluffy, and closer in color to gray-green.

Of course, you can take both, because the essence of the holiday is not what kind of willows you bring. But the number of branches matters. As with flowers, it is best to take an unpaired number of branches. Wherein total not that important – but you shouldn’t be greedy either. Try to take exactly as much as you need: for yourself, family, friends, neighbors.

NOTE

On the eve of Palm Sunday, willow groves are subject to a real invasion - because people are trying to collect as much as possible more branches. Sometimes they leave the tree bare, and of course, this harms nature. Therefore, you should take this ritual more calmly: try to take a small amount of willow branches and not be excessively greedy.

But as for how to properly consecrate a willow, the answer is clear: you should definitely bring the branches to church. Many people do this on Sunday morning, directly on the day of the holiday (by the way, you can buy pussy willow branches then). And it would be more correct to come to church on Saturday evening, when the All-Night Vigil begins. According to tradition, the consecration of the willow occurs on this day. But of course, if you didn’t make it on Saturday, this is not a reason to give up the tradition. Then the willow is blessed on Sunday and brought into the house.

Where to put willow in the house

So, the branches are already at home, and of course we strive to put them in the water in the most visible place. How to decorate a bouquet correctly? And where is it placed according to tradition? No special decorations are required - after all, this is not a bouquet of flowers, but a symbol of the holiday. Therefore, several willow branches are tied into a simple bundle and placed in a vase on the table.

If there is a kind of red corner in the house - a quiet place where you are used to relaxing, being alone with your thoughts or praying, you can put the willow there. Usually believers place an icon on a small shelf, put church candles. You can also place a small vase with an odd number of branches there. By the way, believers keep them throughout the year - exactly until next spring.

NOTE

In any case, it is important to understand that the willow is simply a symbol of the holiday, just as colored eggs and Easter cake symbolize Easter. You may have only one branch in the house, or it may turn out that there is none. But the main thing is a person’s sincere faith and benevolent, festive mood. After all, faith is not for a symbol, but a symbol for faith.

Signs associated with willow

Of course, first the branches are blessed in the church - after all, what are the branches for? That’s right, it’s a symbol of the holiday, uplifting and allowing you to feel and get in touch with an ancient tradition. Here are some interesting beliefs that have come to us from time immemorial:

1. Willow was used for treatment and general health improvement body. They took several kidneys and filled them with water. And then they drank the whole glass. You can just eat the kidneys.
2. Lightly hit with a twig loved one– it is believed that this gives health and strength for the whole year.
3. After the holiday, they took some of the twigs, boiled them, and then bathed the children in this water, and the adults themselves were not forbidden to add a little palm decoction to the bath.
4. And if someone in the house is sick, you can put lighted branches at the head of the bed - the person will feel better.

And in general, willow branches protect the house itself from troubles and intrusions unnecessary people and other unforeseen events.

First-hand: Archpriest Alexander Ilyashenko answers

So, with the purpose of the willow for Palm Sunday, the position of the church is clear. This is a good symbol of the holiday, which reminds us of the Savior and his feat. And sometimes believers wonder not only why willows are needed on Palm Sunday or how to consecrate them. People often wonder: if a willow branch has taken root, can it be planted on their property?

This is what Archpriest Alexander Ilyashenko thinks:

Thus, of course, it is better for us to consecrate the willow and choose the right place in the house where to put it. But the most important thing is a person’s faith, his sincere mood for the holiday. After all, any material object is a symbol that allows you to come into contact with a good tradition. And of course, the symbol exists for faith, but not vice versa.

FROM THE EDITOR. What do we know about the consecration of the willow on the holiday? - Yes, sestablished pious tradition...

What to do with blessed willow / greenery for Trinity / bouquets for Makoviya? - That, in fact, is all the questions that arise for us in this regard.

Our contemporaries - theologians from the Skaballanovich Society - in their missionary publication draw attention to when and why the willow is consecrated during the service on the day of the holiday.

Do you know that…

Fact #1

The blessing of willow branches takes place during the evening service on Saturday

During the polyeleos - the most solemn part of the festive evening service, after the Gospel, during the reading of the penitential 50th psalm, the priest censes the people standing with tree branches and herbs.

After which the prayer is read:

After this prayer, people standing in the temple with willow branches in their hands are sprinkled with holy water.

Fact #2

It is not the willow tree that is sanctified, but the people standing in the temple.

Although it is believed that branches of trees (most often willows) are sanctified, however, in prayer we are talking about something completely different, namely: we ask the Lord to sanctify us, to give us His Saving grace, so that we, holding the branches, are like gentle children when we meet the Lord in Jerusalem, and remained so, so that they would not become like those who first shouted “Hosanna!”, and then began to shout “Crucify Him!” Even if we do not say such words, then all the same, with our sins, our insensitivity and laziness, we crucify Christ again and again and make His Sacrifice for us in vain.

Fact #3

It is important not to take the consecrated willow from the temple, but to come to the temple with it.

A twig in the hands is a sign that the Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem to suffer freely is as important and touching for us as it was for those who two thousand years ago greeted him with palm branches and shouted “Hosanna!”

This is how it is sung about this in the troparion for the holiday:

The Church is generally timeless. During services it is almost impossible to hear anything about sacred events in the past tense, for example, that the Lord entered Jerusalem. You can less often hear that He “ascended into Jerusalem,” but more often than not, He “enters,” and moreover, “today,” now. In the souls of people, the events of the Gospel are experienced in a new way every time. That’s why they bring willows to the temple and stand with them during worship, to show that we also greet the Lord as our King and Messiah.

Unfortunately, this wonderful tradition was over time rethought in terms of external rituals. If the liturgical texts placed the entire emphasis on “He who comes in the name of the Lord” - Christ and the people who met Him, then folk tradition The whole meaning of the holiday was reduced to the consecration of the willow. Bringing willow to the temple (or rather, taking it out of the temple), it turns out, is no longer necessary in order to testify to the Lord one’s love, but in order to stock up on a good amulet.

Fact #4

If you did not stand with a willow at the service, glorifying the Lord, “who is coming in free passion,” then there is no need to go to church with it just to sanctify it.

From year to year the same story is repeated: throughout the day, when the festive Liturgy has long ended, many people come into the church with the question: “Where is the willow distributed here?” I don’t feel sorry for the willow, but for some reason it always makes me sad.

In books and oral conversations you can find a lot of advice on what to do with willow, where to put it, how many years to store it, even in what cases it is advisable to eat a willow bud.

People hope to receive help from the willow, because the willow is blessed. But if you parse the text of the prayer, it turns out that there is not a single word in it that the willow is sanctified, its meaning comes down to the phrase: “... and us, in imitation of them (i.e., us, in imitation of people, those who greeted the Lord with branches), on this pre-festive day, observe and preserve the branches and branches of trees in the hands of those who carry them.”

The Church did not see the willow as the object of sanctification, but the person himself. In the Trebnik - a collection of priestly prayers containing the sequence of Sacraments and rituals - there is not even an instruction to sprinkle the willow with holy water. This instruction is in the Service Book - a book containing the sequences of the Liturgy, Vespers, Matins, but it appeared there later, as a reflection of established practice.

Fact #5

On the morning of the holiday, the willow will be sprinkled with holy water, but the prayer for consecration is no longer read.

Usually the sprinkling is repeated on the day of the holiday itself, after the Liturgy.

When consecrating willows, a prayer is read: “These willows are sanctified by the Grace of the All-Holy Spirit and the sprinkling of this sacred water, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!»

But when performing this ritual, one must not forget its inner meaning. The main thing is where the Lord is going and for what.

The holiday of Palm Sunday begins for us Holy Week. During these few days, the Lord will complete His earthly life. In this consummation there will be the completion of everything. As He Himself will say in His last words on the Cross: “It is finished!”

The history of the holiday of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, why and why Orthodox Christians consecrate willow branches, what power is attributed to it, you will learn by reading the article.

Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem

A week before the celebration of the Holy Resurrection of Christ, in memory of the solemn Entry of the Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem - the main city of the Holy Land - before his Passion on the Cross, the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem is celebrated.

The Feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (Week Week, Flower Week, Palm Sunday) is one of the 12 main holidays Orthodox Church. The service recalls the Gospel events of the solemn entry of our Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem on the eve of the sufferings on the cross. Residents of the holy city greeted Christ as the Messiah - with palm branches in their hands, hence the original name of the holiday - “Palm Sunday”.

On this day, Christ rode into Jerusalem on a young donkey. The day before, He performed the miracle of the resurrection of the holy righteous Lazarus, who lived with his sisters Martha and Mary in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem and died four days before Jesus came to Bethany.

The news of the resurrection of Lazarus spread throughout Jerusalem. People learned that Jesus, who raised Lazarus, was coming into the city. Many people came out to meet him. People spread the clothes they had taken off along his path. Others carried palm branches in their hands - a symbol of victory, solemnly exclaiming: “Hosanna (salvation) to the Son of David!” - this is how the Jews customarily greeted kings and victors. Only Christ alone knew that the path now strewn with palm branches leads to the Cross and Golgotha.

Entering the Temple, Jesus drove out the merchants and began to heal the blind and lame. People, seeing the miracles of Christ, began to glorify him even more. In the following days, Jesus preached in the Temple and spent his nights outside the city.

The people relentlessly followed Jesus, and the high priests, elders of the people, and scribes looked for an opportunity to destroy Him.

Palm Sunday

The Christian Church introduced the holiday of the Lord's entry into Jerusalem in the 4th century, and it came to Rus' in the 10th century and began to be called Palm Sunday, since the willow here played the same role as the palm tree and palm branches. The willow was and is now being blessed in the church with holy water.

According to church tradition, on the feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, believers stand at the service with willow branches in their hands. That's why the holiday is called Palm Sunday. Willows replace the fronds - palm branches, which were held in the hands of the inhabitants of Jerusalem who met Christ. Believers seem to meet the invisibly coming Lord.

On the eve of Palm Sunday, at the all-night vigil on Saturday, willows are consecrated by sprinkling with holy water after reading a special prayer. However, on Sunday, at the morning service, people stand with willow branches and lighted candles, and after the Liturgy, sprinkling is carried out.

The willow is sanctified by the grace of the Holy Spirit, so you don’t have to worry about how much water gets into the twig. A drop of holy water or a liter - it doesn’t matter, the willow is consecrated.

By coming into contact with this shrine, a person receives sanctification. Christians come to church on this day to pray, remember the solemn meeting of Jesus in Jerusalem and bring a piece of this holiday to their home.

Before the holiday, old branches are burned, and new ones are placed next to the icons.

Why are willow branches blessed?

Buds appear on willows earlier than other trees.

Since ancient times, willow has been attributed Magic force promote fertility and future harvests. It was also believed that willow had the ability to impart health and sexual energy to people and livestock, protect against diseases and cleanse from evil spirits.

In addition, the willow is credited with the power to protect houses from fire, fields from hail, stop a storm, recognize sorcerers and witches, and discover treasures. Willow “earrings” are swallowed in order to protect oneself from illness and drive away any illness. This shrine also drives away demons. During a thunderstorm it protects against lightning, so the branches were placed on the windowsill.

In ancient times in Rus', preparing willow branches was a kind of ritual. On the eve of Palm Sunday, Russians went to break willow trees on the banks near flowing rivers.

Coming from church with a blessed willow, it was customary to whip their children with it, saying: “The willow is a whip, it hits you to tears, the willow is red, it doesn’t hit in vain.”

You need to whip yourself to replenish your health, and you should say: “It’s not I who beat, it’s the willow that beats.”

Newlyweds or young girls were also beaten with blessed willow so that they would have healthy children.

There is an opinion that a consecrated willow, thrown against the wind, drives away a storm, thrown into a flame stops the effect of fire, and stuck in a field saves crops.

Cowardly people who want to get rid of their shortcomings need to drive a peg of a blessed willow tree into the wall of their house on Palm Sunday, upon arrival from Matins.

The weather during Palm Week was used to judge the future harvest. Good weather these days portend a rich harvest.

After Palm Sunday, Holy Week begins. Every day, step by step, gradually means last days earthly life of the Savior. The Church these days remembers the Gospel events, and in the first three days all four Gospels are read on the clock: Matthew and Mark on Monday, Luke and John on Tuesday and Wednesday.

For our own sake, these days we must collect all our thoughts and feelings and purify them. You can read how to do this on the website.

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