When willows are blessed in the church. What to do with the consecrated willow, where to put the willow from last year? When to pick willow on Palm Sunday and bless the willow in church

For many believers, the question is when to consecrate the willow: on Saturday or Sunday. Because, on the one hand, people call it Sunday, but on the other hand, many people already go to churches on the evening of Lazarus Saturday with festive bouquets. Let's try to figure out how to do it right and why.

About the tradition of consecration

Indeed, it is customary for people to prepare palm bouquets on Lazarus Saturday. On this day, the willow itself is collected from reservoirs, but branches of willow and birch can be picked even earlier and placed in a vase so that they bloom a few days before the holiday. You can decorate your bouquet with additional ribbons to make it even more festive and elegant.

Then you can go to the temple with these branches for the evening festive service on the Saturday of Lazarus. But you need to understand that the first consecration of them was carried out by the priest only late in the evening, almost at the end of the service. This usually happens at night. So, if you don’t plan to spend so much time in the temple, then it’s better not to take bouquets with you this time. And wake up on the morning of Palm Sunday and, already at the parade, go to the temple with your branches.

As a rule, the festive morning service on this important Christian holiday, the last Sunday before Easter, begins at nine in the morning and lasts several hours. After this service, a second ceremony of consecrating the festive bouquets is carried out.

What to do with consecrated willow

When willow bunches are blessed, they become inviolable. After all, along with the holy water, the grace of the Holy Spirit seemed to descend on them. Therefore, these are no longer just beautiful decorated branches, but a real heirloom. Traditionally, it is necessary to keep a bouquet at home in a red corner.

In Rus', if someone was sick during the year or his condition worsened state of mind, then they picked off several buds and added them to the patient’s food. Or they simply placed the willow at the head of the bed, believing that the plant would help cure a physical or mental illness and restore strength faster. Some do exactly the same thing now, the church has nothing against this ritual, but still in sermons you can often hear that this is still folk superstitions. Because the main thing to do on Palm Sunday is to greet the Lord in your soul, and palm bouquets and other material rituals are given in order to better and more easily understand the essence of what is happening.

Where to put the old bouquet?

If a believer celebrates Palm Sunday every year, then he should have a lot of last year’s bouquets at home. In theory, in fact, when new willow this year is brought into the house, the old one must be disposed of. But recycling doesn’t happen simply by throwing the branches in the trash. As noted above, consecrated branches are a holy relic, and even though a year has passed, the relic has not ceased to be holy.

Therefore, there are different preferred disposal options. Alternatively, this could be burning in a fire (in temples there is also an annual burning ritual old willow, so you can simply bring it to the temple and put it in a place specially designated for this, and they will sort it out there), you can float it along the river (there must be a clean body of water with a current), you can even bury the twig (but choose a quiet and secluded place for this place).

The consecration of the willow occurs either during the night service on Palm Sunday or after the festive morning liturgy on the day of Palm Sunday itself. As a rule, there are a lot of people interested, so be sure to think in advance about where to go and how much time you will have for everything: in order to be sure to have time to receive your fresh blessed pussy willow bouquet.

Find out when the willow blooms, when to collect and consecrate it, what to do with the willow at home after the consecration.

A week before Easter, Orthodox Christians celebrate the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. On this day, willow branches are blessed in churches. The holiday is associated not only with church traditions, but also with parachurch traditions, which you cannot read about in the Bible. You should know how to properly collect and consecrate willow, and also store it at home afterwards.

When does the willow bloom, when does it bloom?

IMPORTANT: Jesus Christ rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, knowing that his fate was predetermined. The city, having heard about the deeds of the Lord, greeted him joyfully, spreading palm leaves along the road before his feet. Therefore, if something was to become a symbol of the feast of the Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem, a symbol of readiness to meet Christ at any moment in one’s life, it was this plant.

The majority of Orthodox Christians are Slavs living in conditions temperate climate, where palm trees do not grow. This holiday falls at the beginning - mid-spring, when the snow has just melted, most plants have not yet recovered from winter. But not the willow; it is one of the first to bloom.

The willow begins to bloom in March.

Willow, or willow, is a shrub and tree that is part of the large Willow family. These plants are pollinated by wind, which must be strong enough to disperse the pollen.

IMPORTANT: Willow blooms in early or mid-spring, from March to April. Flower buds appear on shoots with a characteristic red color (krasnotalah), which bloom very soon.

Willow flowers differ between male and female trees.

1. Male ones are called “seals” - they are collected in round “lumps”, colored grayish - White color, soft to the touch.
2. Female ones are grayish-green, oblong, not so fluffy.

It was the willow that Orthodox Christians chose as a symbol of the holiday of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. Moreover, it received another name - Palm Sunday. People wear the color of willow from both male and female trees to church for consecration.

When should you pick willow on Palm Sunday? How to preserve willow until Palm Sunday?

According to tradition, willow twigs are torn on the eve of the holiday, on Lazarus Saturday, or a couple of days before it.

IMPORTANT: We must remember that willow is not just a talisman, a home decoration, but a plant Living being. On the eve of Palm Sunday, willow bushes growing in cities and villages are subject to a real attack - they are broken off almost to the last branch. It is unlikely that such harm to nature is a godly deed. No need to bring a whole broom to church! A small unpaired number of twigs is enough.

It is customary to pick willow on the eve of the holiday, on Blue Saturday.

It is necessary to store the willow until Palm Sunday in a vase with water, then the branches will remain fresh.

When is the willow blessed in church: on Saturday or Sunday?

It is correct to illuminate the willow on Saturday.

1. On the eve of Palm Sunday, on Saturday evening, a festive service is held in churches - the All-Night Vigil.
2. Parishioners attend with candles and willow branches.
3. After reading the Gospel, the priest says a special prayer, walks around the people holding willows with a censer and sprinkles them with holy water. The Church places emphasis on the fact that it is the parishioners themselves who are sanctified and receive grace, and not the branches of the plant.
4. The willow is consecrated with the words:

Prayer for the blessing of the willow tree.

Repeated sprinkling occurs on Sunday morning, after the liturgy. Usually, it is in the morning that the largest flow of people wishing to receive grace is observed. They not only fill the temple, but also line up around it. But prayer no longer precedes this sprinkling.

IMPORTANT: Priests complain that Palm Sunday has today turned from a holiday dedicated to the Lord into the day of the consecration of the willow. People flock to church not to praise Christ, to remember his wonderful deeds, but simply to sprinkle holy water on the willow twigs in their hands. Will it bring any benefit to the soul and body? Church officials have their doubts. For true grace, they advise coming to the All-Night Vigil service.

VIDEO: Palm Sunday

How to decorate a willow tree with your own hands for a church?

A willow tree for consecration in a church does not require special decoration. Usually, several branches are simply collected into a bouquet and tied with thread or colored ribbon.

You can also collect a beautiful bouquet of willow twigs with male and female flowers, add to them branches of willow-like plants, for example, willow.

It is worth repeating that church ministers do not give willow such great importance. Therefore, they do not have any requirements for her appearance during the consecration.

What to do with the consecrated willow after the holiday? How many willow branches should you put at home? How long should a willow tree stand after Palm Sunday?

After the consecration, the willow twigs should be brought home and stored in the red corner:

• laid out behind the icons, then the willow will dry out
• placing it in a vase with water, then the plant will remain fresh for a long time and, possibly, take root

The place of the consecrated willow is in the red corner, near the icons.

Everything else that is connected with the willow after its consecration in the church is already a parachurch tradition born from our ancestors. Here are some of them:

1. At home you need to place the number of willow branches equal to the number of family members, or any odd number.
2. You cannot distribute your willow to anyone, either in church or after it. If someone who good reason He couldn’t come to the temple himself, he asks for a favor; a separate bouquet needs to be made for him.
3. Upon arriving home from church, it is customary to symbolically whip all household members, especially children, with willow. It is believed that then the plant gives them strength and health, and they say: “I don’t hit, the willow hits” or

A person who has any ailment can be cured by rubbing the willow over the part of the body that hurts and bothers him and saying:

It is believed that willow buds can be eaten after consecration in order to:

• protect yourself from diseases and troubles
• get pregnant
• successfully complete some important task

They also stuff the deceased's pillow with willow and place it in the coffin so that his soul goes to Heaven.

IMPORTANT: Many of these folk traditions priests consider it absurd. They categorically do not recommend eating willow, putting it in a coffin, and also thinking that it alone will protect the house from fires, robberies and various natural disasters.

The blessed willow branches remain in the house until the next Palm Sunday, that is, for a whole year.
If desired, you can use it to make interesting interior decorations, such as bouquets and wreaths.

Is it possible to throw away willow after Palm Sunday? Where to put the old consecrated willow from last year? Is it possible to plant consecrated willow on the plot?

Willow branches consecrated in the church acquire the character of a shrine. Therefore, after they become unusable (for example, they fade or dry out), or the next year, you cannot simply throw them in the trash.
According to the church, willow should not be in a dirty, trampled place, mixed with garbage and waste.
Priests advise doing this with last year’s blessed branches:

1. Bury them where people don’t walk and where animals don’t relieve themselves. For example, under a tree in the garden or at a summer cottage.
2. Let your eyelids flow along the river.
3. Set the willow on fire - burn it in an oven or on a fire.
4. Feed to animals.
5. Take it to the church, where the burning ritual will take place.

If the willow twigs have roots, they can be planted in a warm place and provided with abundant watering. Plant a tree in an area near a body of water - a river or pond.

How to consecrate willow at home?

Having blessed the water for Epiphany, many think that now with its help they themselves will be able to consecrate anything, even Easter cakes, dyes and willows. “Informed” women know the descriptions of the rituals, and they are also available on the Internet.

1. In theory, the willow at home can be consecrated by the person who, for good reason, is not present in the temple.
2. A woman cannot perform the ceremony during menstruation.
3. To carry out the consecration, in addition to the willow itself, you will need holy water. They sprinkle it on the willow, saying the same words as the priest in the church.

There is an opinion that you can consecrate the willow at home yourself. The clergy do not agree with him.

Priests believe that there is nothing wrong with sprinkling willow at home with holy water. But this rite has nothing to do with real consecration.

VIDEO: Willow. To light or not to light. Where to put the old willow. Palm Sunday

Feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem Christian church introduced in the 4th century, and in Rus' it appeared in the 10th century and began to be called Palm Sunday, since the willow had the same meaning as palm branches.

According to the traditions of the holiday on the eve of Palm Sunday in old times Russian people went to the banks of the river to break willow, and it was a real ritual. The willow was always blessed in the church with holy water, however, this tradition has survived to this day.

IN warm countries This day is celebrated with palm branches, but in our country at this time of year the leaves on the trees have not yet bloomed. Evergreen branches coniferous plants traditionally used in burial rites, so they cannot be used.

According to signs and beliefs, it was believed that the blessed willow had healing properties, so they touched people with branches, wishing them health, placed them at the head of the sick, applied them to sore spots, and whipped children so that they would not get sick during the year and grow up healthy. Crushed dried willow buds were added to various healing infusions, which were used to treat wounds and skin diseases. Sometimes the buds were added to bread and other baked goods, and some baked bread in the shape of a willow twig. Palm porridge was made from the opening buds. But willow not only heals, it gives physical strength, courage and courage, so many young men made amulets and talismans for themselves from willow buds.

It was believed that if you eat a few willow buds before a long journey or some serious undertaking, then only success will await a person on his path and in his business. Icons were decorated with branches and hung in the corners of rooms, which many still do to this day. Also, amulets made from willow buds were worn by women who did not have children. According to legend, you had to eat ten kidneys five days after the end of your period, this was supposed to help in conceiving a child. To ensure that the offspring were healthy, a willow twig was placed under the feather bed, and the newlyweds were showered with buds.

Our ancestors believed that willow could impart sexual power not only to humans, but also to livestock. That is why domestic animals were lashed with a blessed willow branch, branches were hung in barns, and before the first pasture in the field, these branches were fed to the animals so that they would not be poisoned by poisonous herbs, or become victims of diseases, thieves and predatory animals. Not a single day goes by without weather-related signs. And Palm Sunday is no exception.

If it rains on Palm Sunday, expect a good harvest. This sign is based on many years of observations of our ancestors. They noticed that if on a given day it's raining, then the harvest will be simply wonderful. If, on the contrary, the weather is dry, then you may not expect a harvest. And, if the sky is cloudy, cloudy, but there is no rain, then the harvest will be quite good, but not as much as we would like. It was also believed that the willow could protect the house from natural elements. A house in which there is a consecrated willow branch will not be struck by lightning. If during a fire you throw a willow into the fire, it will go out faster and the flame will not spread to another building. And twigs thrown into the water during ice drift will help avoid large floods.

If by the next Palm Sunday there were still unused branches in the house, then under no circumstances should they be thrown away. They must be burned and thrown into a stream or river, and the water should not be stagnant. When choosing new branches, they gave preference to young trees growing near rivers. It was forbidden to take branches from trees growing near the cemetery, or on which there were nests and hollows.

Many people, believers and not, even today, on the eve of Palm Sunday, decorate their home with willow branches, because this plant gives joy and awakens spring in the heart.

Signs for Palm Sunday

Tap your body with a willow twig- you will be healthy for a whole year. Perhaps this is the only sign that people know about today. First, a willow twig is blessed on this day in the church, and after that the twig is tapped on the body and the sentence is said: “Be as strong as the willow, as healthy as its roots and as rich as the earth.” This preference is given to the willow because it is, perhaps, the most tenacious tree that exists in nature. It is believed that even if a willow stick is stuck into the ground upside down, it will still take root and grow. It is for this reason that willow can give health to a person, because it itself is very strong.

Eat a willow bud- an important matter will be decided. Blessed twigs It was customary to keep willows near the icon for a whole year. If you have to go to important negotiations, or you are about to start a very important business for you, and you are not sure of the result, then willow will help you here too. But only the willow that was consecrated in the church on Palm Sunday will help. When going on an important task, you need to tear off three buds from a branch and eat them, washing them down with holy water, while thinking about your business. True, this property of a twig can only be used as a last resort. Constantly, don’t, it’s better not to disturb the willow, it can go sideways.

On Palm Sunday, think about your loved one., he will come. Superstition? More likely. But before, a young girl, if she liked some guy and he didn’t pay any attention to her, would wait for this very day. Starting in the morning, she began to think about who was dear to her heart. Her thoughts were somehow incomprehensibly transmitted to this guy. And in the evening he came to her to invite her for a walk. In principle, it has long been proven that human thought is material. Everything we think about inevitably happens sooner or later. real life. Perhaps Palm Sunday has such an energy that allows us to bring our thoughts to life much faster than on any other day.

Plant a houseplant for Palm Sunday- you will be rich. It used to be believed that if you plant on this day indoor flower, then he will attract money into your life. In the cities, of course, they kept houseplants, but in the villages there was no time for that. But those who knew about this sign and planted indoor plants quickly got back on their feet. But this sign has several features that few people know about. Firstly, if the flower withers within a month, then you will have to live your whole life in poverty. And secondly, you only need to plant plants with large and fleshy leaves. By the way, one of these plants is now called the money tree. In order for it not to wither and grow well, you need to know the special rules for planting and caring for it. By the way, it was noticed that in the house where Money Tree It grows well, there is always prosperity and there is no shortage of money.

Poultry is not allowed outside- the witch will ruin it. Perhaps earlier they were confident in this sign, but not now. It was believed that a week before Easter, witches began to go on a rampage. After all, starting from Easter and all the holidays, their power temporarily decreased. So they tried to cause mischief, so to speak, for the future. It was believed that it was on poultry that witches took revenge. But it’s not known whether to believe this sign or not. But in villages to this day, those who keep the bird try not to let it out into the street on Palm Sunday.

There are holidays that we have heard about and know about, but we do not know about the signs associated with this day. We don't worry too much because we don't know what customs to follow. But when troubles happen in our lives, problems appear, then we begin to think where all this comes from, and why all this is on our heads.

Beliefs on Palm Sunday

Headaches are spoken of on Palm Sunday.
To do this, after combing your hair, remove the hairs from the comb and put them in water.
Pour this water over the willow tree on Palm Sunday and say:
“Water, go to the ground along with your headache.”

On Palm Sunday they cast a love spell on a willow tree.
To do this, break a twig and say:
“As long as the willow lies behind the icon,
Until then, my husband will not stop loving me, he will not forget me. Amen".
Place the willow behind the icon.
Just don’t throw away the enchanted twig under any circumstances!

Remember that the branches from Palm Sunday must be preserved.
They help in the treatment of many diseases!

It is believed that on Palm Sunday it is customary to hit the back of the person you wish good health with a willow.
But know that the one who slapped you on the backside wishes you harm.
Since, having lashed with willow on this great holiday, they may wish you harm, and it will come true.

They consecrate the willow. And then they keep it in the house all year in a vase or behind icons.
With old willow that has stood for a year, they sweep all the corners, windows, thresholds,
they thank her for her service and burn her.
It is necessary to lash all domestic animals and animals on the back with the new holy willow,
Saying out loud: “Whip willow, beat me to tears,” this adds health.

Buds, fluffy leaves from holy willow
help with female infertility and enuresis.

Today you can bake holy willow fluffs into bread
and give to sick pets - they will be healed.

To everyone who helps their loved ones with castings
or another method to remove damage or treat,
this amulet against interception will come in handy: today you need to eat on an empty stomach
3 willow buds and wash down with holy water.
Then say:
“St. Paul waved the willow and drove away other people’s illnesses from me.
How true that Palm Sunday they honor, it’s true,
that other people’s illnesses don’t bother me. Amen".
If you Orthodox man, then before that you need to take communion.

Rituals. Willow and its strength

Willow is still a significant plant in the folk Orthodox culture of Russians. It gave the name “Palm Sunday” to the church’s twelfth feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, celebrated on the last Sunday before Easter. According to the Gospel, Jesus Christ went with his disciples from Bethany, where he raised Lazarus, to Jerusalem to celebrate Easter there. On the way to the city, Christ saw a donkey tied to a tree, on which he rode into the city. The inhabitants of Jerusalem, having learned about the miracle of the resurrection of Lazarus, enthusiastically greeted the Savior with palm branches called “vaii” and a song of praise. On the road along which Jesus was traveling, people threw palm branches and spread out their clothes. In memory of this event, in Christian churches on the day of the holiday it is customary to consecrate decorated tree branches. Among the Russians, the place of the palm branch was taken by the willow, and the week before the holiday began to be called “Verbna”, “Verbnitsa”.

Ideas about unusual properties willows, however, go back to pre-Christian, pagan times. This plant, like birch, in folk culture associated with the idea of ​​rapid growth, health, vitality, fertility. These ideas are based on the fact that willow blooms its buds earlier than other plants. A blossoming tree symbolized the coming spring and, according to mythological consciousness, could convey health, strength and beauty to humans and domestic animals.

Willow was quite widely used in calendar rituals of Russian peasants. Despite the fact that Palm Sunday was church holiday On this day, numerous rituals with willow were performed, based on archaic beliefs. It was customary to go to the forest to pick willows before sunrise on Lazarus Saturday, on the eve of Palm Sunday. The brought branches were often immediately decorated with paper flowers and ribbons, but sometimes this was done only after their consecration or on the eve of Easter. They went to church to bless the willow on the same day for the evening service or on Sunday morning. The consecrated branches were placed in the front corner of the shrine or placed behind the icons, where they were kept until St. Yegoryev's day or all year. In Siberia, a “teremok” was made of straw for the willow tree, decorated with rags, ribbons and hung in front of the icon.

Upon arrival home after the consecration of the willow, and sometimes right next to the church, each member of the household, and most often children, was hit with it, as it was believed, “for health.” At the same time they said: “The willow is red, hit until you cry, be healthy!”, or: “I don’t hit - the willow hits, the willow hits until you cry.” In many areas, for the same purpose, cattle were whipped with willow or given a twig or buds of the plant to eat.

In the Central Russian zone, in order for sheep to be “fed”, they were fed with a special loaf or bread in which willow buds were baked. In some places, the shape of kidneys was given to ritual cookies, which on Lazarus Saturday were brought to church for blessing along with willow cookies. In the Kostroma province it was called “lamb”, in Moscow - “lamb”, “granny” or “akatushki”, in Ryazan - “nuts”, “kytka”. Cookies were baked according to the number of livestock and poultry, and in some local traditions - for all household members. In the Ryazan region, when feeding sheep with cookies on Palm Sunday, it was believed that they would each bring a pair of lambs, and the holiday itself was called “lamb holiday.”

The Russians everywhere placed and still place blessed branches in the red corner next to the icons. Previously, willow was stored until St. Yegoriev's day or all year. Throwing it away after whipping cattle was considered a sin. Usually these branches were stuck in the barn under the roof, “so that the cattle would not wander,” or thrown into the river, “let them float on the water”; sometimes they burned it in a furnace. Belarusians kept willow all year behind icons until the new Holy Monday. On the same day they burned it and placed a new consecrated willow near the images. When going to new house Some of the willow branches were left in the old house, and half were transferred to the new one.

On Yegoryev Day, in many localities, each cattle was hit with a willow during the ritual of the first pasture for grazing, and after pasture they fed it, believing that these actions would ensure a good offspring and protect them from wild animals throughout the grazing season. They did the same on the day of St. Nicholas the Great: on this day, and especially when driving the horses out at night, the first of the season, they were lashed with willow branches.
On Ivan Kupala in Volyn and Podolia, a willow tree or branch was used as a festive attribute: girls decorated the plant with flowers and danced around it, and after a while the boys burst into the girls’ circle, grabbed the willow and tore it apart. This ritual is close in meaning to numerous agricultural rituals of the East Slavic tradition using stuffed animals made of plant material, and its purpose is to influence the forces of nature so that the harvest is successful.

As can be understood from the above examples, willow in the popular consciousness was attributed magic functions. Willow branches blessed on Palm Sunday were endowed with special powers. The producing properties of the plant are obvious from its magical meaning sentences that were pronounced when children were whipped with willow: “Grow like a willow!”, “As the willow grows, so do you grow!” In some areas, barren women ate the buds of the blessed willow in the hope that it would help them give birth to a child. The beekeepers stuck willow branches around the apiary so that the bees would swarm well, more bee colonies would be born, and they would bring the owner honey and wax in abundance.

In the Penza province there was a ritual of calling out to young women, in which it is obvious that the willow positive value. At midnight on the eve of Palm Sunday, young people went around the houses where the newlyweds lived and shouted near the gate:
“Open it, open it, young one, hit it with a camel, give it more health than before.” The young woman unlocked the gate, and the crowd entered singing: “If only there would be a harvest of grain, multiplying livestock.” Everyone sleeping in the hut was lightly hit with a willow, saying: “We hit to be healthy,” and also: “Get up early, hit the ram.” The last to be whipped was the young one as she bowed, escorting the singing youth out of the gate.

The productive power of the willow was also used directly in agricultural rituals. So, after the first pasture of livestock, the twigs could be broken and scattered across the field, and the buds could be crushed into grain intended for sowing. In the Smolensk region, part of the willow brought after cattle pasture was stuck into the ground in a grain field - “so that the earth would come to life faster”, “so that the rye would grow well and grow fluffy, like a willow”; the other part was hidden behind the icon - “so that the cattle would return home.” Here the housewife threw the rod, which she used to drive out the cattle, into the manure in the barn; at the same time, she jumped as high as possible “so that flax would be born.” In some places, willow branches were stuck in the four corners of the field to protect the crops. In the Tambov province, willow was generally planted in the field for this purpose. In Belarus, with the consecrated willow they went out for the first plowing of the spring field and to plow up the virgin lands.
In addition to producing, willow was endowed with healing properties, which were used both for preventive purposes and directly in folk medical practice. In the Yenisei province, consecrated willow was fed to cows and sheep in Maundy Thursday- Thursday on Holy Week, and they said: “It’s not I who give, but the waistcoat. Just as the talnik does not dry, so you, my God-given cattle, do not dry.” Willow, even unconsecrated, was also widely used to treat people.

In Kuban, willow was used in the treatment of childhood diseases. To do this, early in the morning, before sunrise, they went to the river and there they cut the willow three times, nine branches each. At the same time, they counted from nine to one three times. Arriving home, they lowered them into hot water one bunch of nine branches and bathed the child near the window from which the sunrise could be seen. At noon, they put a second bunch of willow in hot water and bathed the child near the window, opposite which the sun stood at that moment. In the evening, when the sun was setting, the same actions were performed with the last bunch of branches in front of the window looking west. At the end, all the willow branches with water were taken to the river and poured out with prayer so that they would float on the water. It was believed that the disease would recede. In the Vitebsk region, sick cattle were fumigated with willow, they ground it into powder and covered wounds with it, they made a decoction from it and drank it for various diseases, and also used it as a lotion for tumors and bruises.

Willow in folk culture was attributed protective qualities. Everyone has Eastern Slavs There were widespread ideas that a consecrated branch could protect against thunderstorms, storms, other natural disasters, evil spirits and diseases. The Russians in the Tambov province believed that a willow thrown against the wind could drive away a storm, and thrown into a fire could pacify it. People everywhere believed that the willow stored in the red corner would protect the house and the entire household from thunder and lightning. During hail, Belarusians placed a bunch of consecrated willow on the windowsill to pacify the elements and avoid hail in the grain fields.

Along with the fact that willow is widely used in the ritual sphere and is an attribute of one of the largest Christian holidays, in popular belief it belongs to the trees cursed by God. According to legend, Christ’s tormentors made pins from it to hold the cross together. For this willow, by popular ideas, is subject to turning by worms, and devils sit in the dry willow. In this regard, the famous Ukrainian proverb is indicative: “I fell in love like the devil with a dry willow.” According to the beliefs of Belarusians, the devil sits on a willow, especially an old one - dry and hollow, from Epiphany to Palm Sunday. In the spring, the devils warm themselves on the willow tree, and after it is blessed on the holiday, they fall into the water, and therefore from Palm Sunday until Easter you cannot drink water drawn under the willow tree.

Palm Sunday is a major Orthodox holiday, one of the main attributes of which is the blessed willow tree. After the service, many people ask the question: where to put the willow after Palm Sunday and how long can it be stored? In order not to desecrate the symbol of this great day with careless handling, you need to know the basic rules for handling consecrated willow branches.

What to do with consecrated willow on Palm Sunday and after?

According to a centuries-old tradition, willows are plucked on Lazarus Saturday or on the eve of the holiday. They choose the most beautiful branches, with already blossoming gray or light green, even yellow fluffy lumps.

People come to the All-Night Vigil service on the eve of the great holiday - the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem - with branches of blossoming willow. After the rite of sprinkling with holy water with prayer - consecration - the Orthodox take them home.

A bouquet of willow is the main decoration of the “red” corner where icons are stored. Also, several branches are placed throughout the house, especially in the nursery or in the room of a sick person. They are usually placed in small vases with water. You can tie the branches with a red ribbon. There is no point in making interior decorations: after all, this is a home shrine, and not a simple tree.

Having blessed a bunch of willow in the church, Orthodox Christians divided it into several parts. One was left in the house, the other was taken to the cemetery for deceased relatives. The third and fourth were used for magical purposes.

In the old days, willow twigs were lightly tapped on the back, saying sentences out loud. It was believed that if you put twigs on the window sills, this would protect the house and household from natural disasters (thunderstorm, thunder, hail, rain, ball lightning) and thieves.

At home they kept only an odd number of branches, equal to the number family members. If there were more branches, they were given to the neighbors. Elderly people treasure willow with special care, not throwing it away for several years. According to popular belief, the blessed branches of this tree are placed in a coffin or stuffed into pillows.

Women, in order to get pregnant quickly, ate several buds of consecrated willow on an empty stomach, believing in its miraculous properties. In order for livestock to give birth easily and often produce healthy offspring, bouquets of willow were hung in the corners of stalls and barns.

Old willow twigs were used to sweep the corners. In some areas there was a belief that if you lined wells with them, the water would acquire miraculous powers and healing properties. Elderly people advised newlyweds to keep willow in the house to avoid swearing, fighting and anger towards each other. When newborns were bathed, willow branches were added to the water. It was believed that this would bring strength and health to the baby.

All these folk beliefs priests consider it absurd and often clarify that willow branches are not a talisman. Faith and heartfelt prayer protect a person and his soul from evil and other misfortunes.

All year long, the willow will delight with its charm and remind you of spring and Easter. But after Lent, Palm Sunday is coming, and the question arises, what to do with the willow branches that were consecrated last year? According to the clergy, there are several ways to deal with last year’s willow:

If for some reason the willow has been lying in the house for more than a year, nothing bad will happen. But it is better to remove it from the house before the holiday itself, preparing a new bouquet for consecration.

Many, not getting to church or simply not wanting to go there on the eve of the holiday, consecrate the willow at home. Here you need to be careful and remember that the priest still needs to sprinkle water on objects with prayer. Therefore, the willow consecrated within the church on the eve of the holiday is considered to be real power and grace.

When preparing for the holiday of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, one should remember that the main task is not to consecrate the willow, but to bring home a state of Divine grace and joy, thinking about the soul and. Having found out where to put the willow after Palm Sunday, you can properly say goodbye to this symbol of the holiday without sinning or disturbing the peace of your home and heart.

Eat Orthodox holidays, especially loved by the people. This is the day of Jesus Christ's entry into Jerusalem. People threw palm branches at his feet. This is how the most important people were greeted in the East. In our area they usually use willow.

But every time a problem arises: where to put these fluffy branches after the holiday? You can't just throw them in the trash. They are consecrated in the church. There are houses behind icons, near crucifixes, near fireplaces and stoves. In pet stalls. Or in vessels with water. Willow protects your entire home from various misfortunes, illnesses, and quarrels. And so on for a whole year.

The main thing is not to sin

However, not everyone knows what to do with willow after Palm Sunday. It is generally accepted that it does not lose its wonderful medicinal properties until the spring of next year.

What is the right thing to do? Get rid of last year's branches on the holiday or on the eve of it? And when should the newly cut ones be brought to the consecration? These are not formal questions. People want to do things by the rules. According to the laws of the church. So as not to sin again.

So, what to do with willow branches after Palm Sunday? You can collect them all together and put them into a river, lake, stream, or pond. Let them sail in peace.

Also, some people prefer to simply burn willow branches that have dried out over the course of a year. However, attention! The ashes must be scattered where they will not be trampled by passing people or animals. It is also not forbidden to pour the ashes into the river.

Plant a new tree

Are you still concerned about the problem of where to put the willow after Palm Sunday? What do you think of this proposal? The willows were in your vase. Have you changed the water from time to time? And the branches gave roots. The best (and most beautiful!) is to plant it in a clearing in the forest or somewhere near a river. Let it grow, reach for the sun. Makes people happy. And maybe this willow will again be consecrated by people in the church.

In general, willows can be stored for several years in a row. However, every spring it is better to celebrate the holiday with fresh twigs.

In memory of the departed

In our area there is a tradition that has lived for centuries. If you follow it, then you will never have to wonder what to do with the willow after Palm Sunday.

Such a ritual is known. Neighbors and relatives usually know that some person is living last days. And on the day of the funeral, last year’s consecrated willow is placed in his coffin. Others elderly people They themselves accumulate old twigs so that they can be placed in their grave at the funeral.

We also recommend this method if you are wondering where to put the willow after Palm Sunday: you need to set its branches on fire and walk around the house with them. At the same time, read a prayer. This is how they cleanse the apartment, the house of everything bad.

It’s not a bad idea to bring the spent twigs to the priest at church. There they will slowly burn them, while reading prayers.

In the forest, next to others

But here is also a good kind of solution to the question of what to do with willow branches after Palm Sunday. For those who find it difficult to answer and don’t know what to do, we can offer this option - take the branches into the forest. Place between the bushes of growing, new, fresh willow.

If you have a stove in your house, then it is very good to light it with an old and well-dried branch. And then bake the cakes. Many people sweep corners with last year's old willow. And then they throw the twigs into the fire and burn them, first thanking them for their service.

By the way, wells were lined with old willow. For what? So that no evil spirits penetrate into the water.

It is interesting that it was from Belarus that the tradition came when parents often beat their own children with willow so that they would grow well and be healthy. For the same purpose, both cattle and adults were whipped everywhere. The bee hives were beaten three times. And then they went to their gardens or fields. There they beat the ground three times with branches. They also stuck branches into the ground. Finally, they went to beat and whip the graves of their loved ones.

Wonderful properties

What kind of service did these modest people perform? forest beauties after they were blessed by the priest?

Traditionally, the first ritual after returning from church is this: all relatives and household members are lightly beaten (or patted) with a blessed willow, for their own health.

The same is done with domestic animals. After all, what to do with the willow after Palm Sunday is a settled question. Nothing. Let him be in the house. Everyone must absorb this wonderful power of renewal. The juices of spring and the rebirth of nature.

Another property is that the willow perfectly protects the house from evil, negative spirits, and any evil spirits.

The bride or groom has grown up in the house. What are they doing with our willow? She is urgently planted in the garden. As soon as the sprout takes root, it means there will be a wedding soon.

Willow is also used to drive animals to the fields on St. George's Day. It was believed that with such “treatment” she would be healthy and begin to gain weight well and reproduce.

And here is another option for what to do with willow after Palm Sunday. Childless girls and women were advised to flavor their food with willow buds, which were blessed in the church. It helps. They also said to use them as a preventive measure against various diseases.

When they bathe sick children, they must also throw the willow into the water. Her kidneys were put in bread for the cattle and in porridge for the whole large rural family.

Against thunder, thunderstorms

People strongly believed that a consecrated willow would stop a thunderstorm and deliver from hail and thunder. You just need to wave a twig towards the clouds.

During fires, willow was thrown into the fire. For what? To reduce its destructive power.

Any coward who dreams of becoming one had to, coming home from church on Palm Sunday, drive a small stake into the wall - from a consecrated willow tree. Of course, this did not instantly turn an over-cautious person into a hero. But in any case, this removes his natural timidity from his soul.

People attributed powerful powers not only to the leaves but also to the entire branch. healing power, but also her earrings. They were eaten at once, nine at a time. For fever - the surest panacea. And those who caught a cold or fell ill with some kind of illness swallowed willow buds. And this saved them from bad fever, severe sore throat, and chronic infertility. The consecrated willow served people so faithfully.

Now about the timing. When exactly to free yourself from the old willow tree? Here choose what suits you best. You can take, say, willow branches into the forest directly on the holiday itself. This is also allowed on Palm Sunday. Or right after that big day. Fortunately, we offered many options for this.

We hope that next Palm Sunday you will already know very well what to do with willow.