When willows are blessed in the church. What to do with the old willow after Palm Sunday

There are various traditions in the Church that have become widespread among the Russian people. One of these is the consecration of willows on the feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem in Orthodox churches.

It is worth noting that the very celebration of the Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem does not come down solely to the practical side of the consecration of the branches of the tree that is the first to bloom in the spring (willow and willow). The main point The celebration is a remembrance of the Savior’s procession to free suffering and death for the sake of saving man and reconciling him with God. Therefore, visiting temples solely to consecrate willows is not correct from the point of view Orthodox faith. The consecration of the willow should not be given special mystical significance; this action should not be an end in itself for an Orthodox Christian.

During the Savior’s entry into Jerusalem, palm branches were laid under the Lord’s feet. In Russia, willows replaced palm trees. This tree has become a symbol of spiritual joy and awakening, just as nature awakens through the blossoming of willow and willow buds.

Consecrated is a shrine for Orthodox man, evidence of the grace of God sent down during the consecration. Believers keep these shrines for a year, after which the branches are burned or inserted into the ground. garden plots to a place that cannot be trampled under foot.

When and how is the willow blessed?

Many people mistakenly believe that the consecration of the willow takes place on the holiday itself on Sunday. However, the church charter does not provide for such an order at or after the liturgy on the day of the Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem. The consecration of the willow takes place the night before during the Saturday all-night vigil service.

In church tradition, services begin on the evening before the celebrated event. The all-night vigil on Saturday before Palm Sunday already refers to the festive service of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. Therefore, it is not surprising that willows are consecrated in churches during this service, and not during the service of the liturgy on Sunday.

The consecration of willows occurs at Matins after the reading of the Gospel texts. After reading Holy Scripture The fiftieth psalm is read, during which the prepared willow and willow branches are censed. The priest reads a prayer for the blessing of the willow and sprinkles the branches with holy water. After this, the service continues with its festive rite.

In the photo: Palm Sunday in the Church of the Archangel Michael. Gomel.

Time flies so quickly. It seems like just yesterday New Year, and the day before yesterday was Easter, as Palm Sunday came again, Easter again in a few days.
I’m wondering, is Palm Sunday a holiday for you personally?
How do you celebrate it? What customs do you observe? Do you go to church to shine willow branches?
Or is this the most ordinary day off or workday for you, when you have to dig and sow in the garden, when every minute in the field is precious?

Do you know when to pick willow branches for consecration and what to do with last year’s ones?

A week before Easter, Orthodox Christians celebrate the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem.
On this day, willow branches are blessed in all churches. This is a very ancient holiday with its own customs and traditions, about which nothing is written in the Bible.
But many people don’t even know how to properly collect and consecrate willow, and then store it at home. Is this how you collect willow branches?
That’s right, before going to church or right along the way we find a willow tree or a bush of seals and peel it off required quantity branches or buy directly from the church, fortunately, bouquets are sold there in abundance, we stand in a line and wait for the priest, who walks in a circle or in a square and pours a specially trained broom on the willows, heads, and clothes of a huge number of people who have been reincarnated as devout people.

HISTORICAL REFERENCE: When Jesus Christ rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, he knew perfectly well what fate had in store for him. The city greeted him joyfully, covering the road under his feet with palm leaves. Therefore, the symbol of the feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem is palm leaves. But in our climatic conditions palm trees do not grow, and Easter comes very early, it is believed that the willow blooms first and its branches are ideal for this purpose.

According to tradition, willow branches for Palm Sunday are plucked on the eve of the holiday, on Lazarus Saturday, or a couple of days before it. The bouquet must be placed in water and fresh, unwilted branches must be carried to the church. The number of twigs in the bouquet should be odd

When is the willow blessed in church: on Saturday or Sunday?
It is correct to illuminate the willow on Saturday.
On the eve of Palm Sunday, on Saturday evening, festive services are held in churches - the All-Night Vigil. You should come to this service with willow branches and candles.
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. It is at this service that believing parishioners receive grace.
Repeated sprinkling occurs on Sunday morning, after the liturgy.

As a rule, people who have become devout go to the blessing of the branches in the morning, without even going to church, they line up in a circle, the priest comes out and we know what is happening. The people came to receive grace! But this sprinkling is no longer preceded by that special prayer.
So, what happens is what happens.
They came, stood around, even managed to quarrel several times right in the church yard, put the branches in a bag and go home to celebrate. I couldn't think of anything about having a fight. Yesterday I myself heard several times: “Why are you standing in front of me? Is there not enough other space for you?”, “Move further, you are covering the priest for me, holy water will not fall on me!” I just wanted to say that even a barrel of holy water wouldn’t help her.
How do people not understand that everything is much deeper and more serious than the performance they are putting on?

It is not for nothing that priests are indignant that Palm Sunday today has turned from a holiday dedicated to the Lord into the day of the consecration of the willow. People come to church not to praise Christ, to remember his wonderful deeds, but simply to sprinkle the willow twigs in their hands with holy water. Will it bring any benefit to the soul and body? Church officials have their doubts. For true grace one must come to the All-Night Vigil service.

What to do with the consecrated willow after the holiday?
After the consecration, the willow branches should be brought home and stored in a red corner, placed behind the icons, or you can put them in a vase so that the twigs dry or in water, then the plant will remain fresh for a long time or take root. It will be possible to plant it somewhere in the yard or in another place.

How many willow branches should you put at home?
At home you need to place the number of willow branches equal to the number of family members, or any odd number.

You cannot distribute your willow to anyone, either in church or after it. If someone who cannot go to church for sprinkling himself asks you to do this, then you need to collect a separate bouquet for this person.

How long should a willow tree stand after Palm Sunday?
The blessed willow branches remain in the house until the next Palm Sunday, that is, for a whole year.

Where to put last year's blessed willow?
Willow branches consecrated in the church acquire the character of a shrine.
Priests advise burying last year's consecrated branches in places where people do not walk and animals do not relieve themselves. Somewhere in the garden or on a summer cottage.
You can throw it into the river, burn it in an oven or on a fire. You can also feed it to animals.

Traditions of the Slavs.
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: “Be as strong as the willow, as healthy as its roots and as rich as the earth!”

It is believed that willow buds can be eaten after consecration to protect oneself from diseases and troubles,
get pregnant or successfully complete some important undertaking.
They stuff the deceased's pillow with willow and place it in the coffin so that his soul goes to Heaven.
These priests folk traditions considered absurd.

Willow branches are not a talisman. In the spiritual sense, the house is protected from evil by the prayer and faith of those who live in it. If there is godlessness and debauchery going on in the house, then no little willows, icons and sprinkles, no crosses on the walls will save you.

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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

Feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem Christian church introduced 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 blessed 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 begins Holy Week. 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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A week before Holy Easter, true Christians meet wonderful holiday- Palm Sunday. According to ancient tradition, tender branches are consecrated with respect in temples and churches on Saturday or Sunday itself, correctly called the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem.

Why are willow branches blessed?

This ritual originates from the events describing the last days of the life of Jesus Christ. Him, who arrived in Jerusalem on an old donkey, local residents They greeted him with great respect, laying out palm branches in front of him, as if in front of a royal person.

The exotic palm tree was eventually replaced by delicate willow branches, which were revered by the Slavs as a symbol vitality for early awakening from winter sleep. Thin twigs decorated with fluffy buds can be bought at the market from prudent traders, or you can prepare them yourself by carefully cutting a small bunch of several pieces in the forest.

How to consecrate a willow?

The custom of consecrating willow was first mentioned in the chronicles of 1073. The consecration ceremony is traditionally carried out after the Saturday evening or festive Sunday morning service. The priest, after reading a series of prayers, sprinkles the willow branches with holy water, endowing it with special powers. Smartly dressed parishioners congratulate each other with wishes of all the best and carefully carry home the main consecrated symbol of the holiday.

By old belief, those family members who various reasons I was not at the festive service, it is customary to lightly whip with twigs. This helps to free oneself from sins and defilement and gives strength and health for the whole year.

Signs and traditions associated with consecrated willow

Fluffy twigs brought from church become a strong talisman, protecting the house from troubles and misfortunes, bringing grace to the whole family. They are placed in a place of honor in front of the images of saints, if desired, decorated with beautiful ribbons.

The consecrated willow is credited with magical powers, sprinkling it with the help of holy water into your home, cleansing it of bad energy. They plant a few branches in the garden, believing that this will protect the crop and bring profit. Hidden in the corners of the house, they protect it from fire and disaster. Seriously ill people are recommended to take baths with it for a speedy cure.

You need to treat the willow with care, without throwing the holy symbol into the trash. After complete drying, it can be burned, scattering the ashes in the garden or buried near the house, to improve the atmosphere in the family and attract good luck and grace.

This is usually done on Lazarus Saturday, before Palm Sunday. It is celebrated a week before Easter, as well as the next day. In 2017, Lazarus Saturday falls on April 8, but those who did not have time to consecrate the willow need to go to the temple and do it on Sunday. It is better to find out in advance at the temple what time it costs to come to illuminate the willow tree, since the time is different in all temples. You can find out exactly when willow is blessed in a church from the priest or parishioners who often attend services. Usually these are women of retirement age who do not miss a single service. On the eve of the holiday, the priest usually tells you when to illuminate the willow tree and what time to come to the temple. Some parishes write a large announcement. In any case, information is available almost everywhere.

Why is the willow blessed?

This tradition is associated with Christian holiday when Jesus came to Jerusalem on a donkey and everyone revered him and laid palm branches and flowers at his feet. However, since palm trees do not grow in our country, we used willow branches. In spring it is one of the first trees to grow leaves. Sometimes willow with cones is used. There is no fundamental difference in what exactly to choose for lighting. The main thing is the very appearance of a person in the temple and the fact that he decided to consecrate the willow.

Many people attend church services on this day. However, not everyone will be able to endure a two-hour service due to health reasons. It is for this reason that people working on this day are those who are busy various matters or worries, they can simply come only for consecration. To do this, you need to buy a candle in the temple, make a small feasible donation to the temple, buy a willow and stand in line with other believers. When the priest appears, you need to light a church candle and offer him a willow so that drops of water fall on it. After the priest leaves, you need to go home with the willow. Good omen, if you can carry the candle home without it going out. It is believed that after this there will be grace from the temple in the house, and no one will get sick for a year.

It should not be thrown away under any circumstances. During the year, the dried branches are stored until the next Palm Sunday. On the day you brought the branches home, you need to put them in a vase and place them on the table or in the red corner with icons. After this, all family members or religious guests sit down to celebrate the holiday.

On Palm Sunday, fasting is relaxed: you can drink moderate amount wine and eat fish and seafood. However, you should not eat cottage cheese, milk, eggs or cream for another week. A fish table can also be very tasty and healthy. Here are the main dishes and products that can take place on the holiday table.

1. Dried pike perch. It can be used as an addition to potato dishes. It is very tasty and goes well with a variety of foods.
2. Mussels in oil. Can be used as a stand-alone snack or simply an addition to various salads and appetizers. They have a bright taste and add piquancy to any salad.
3. Red fish steak with garlic sauce. Appetizing and very tasty dish instant cooking for microwave. You just need to heat the steak for 5 - 10 minutes so that its aroma can be heard in the room, then buy a creamy garlic or cheese sauce, squeeze a little garlic into it and add chopped olives. Serve in portions as a separate dish. Sets of such steaks are available in supermarkets and large hypermarkets. They can be used to prepare a delicious dinner for the whole family. This fish is rich in various amino acids and omega-3, which allows you to restore strength before the end of the fast.
4. Crab sticks. You can use them as an independent dish or simply add them to your favorite salad. The dish will be very tasty and appetizing with them. They go well with rice, dill, canned corn and soy sauce.
5. Shrimp. Can be used as an independent dish (shish kebab in the microwave), fried in a frying pan, or simply boiled in dill, like crayfish. An excellent dish that gives you a feeling of fullness and at the same time normalizes the level of protein in the body.
6. Fish baked with spices. A wonderful holiday dish on its own. There are many Lenten recipes How to cook it quickly and efficiently.
7. Wine. As for alcoholic drinks, it is best to use red wine, expensive champagne or liqueur on Palm Sunday.

What not to do with willow

First of all, consecrated branches should not be thrown into the trash bin or given as a gift, especially to strangers. Otherwise, grace may leave the house. The willow, which has already stood in the house for a year, is not thrown into the trash, but burned in a fire, like many holy things and objects. It should not be given to small children or used for household needs. What else you can’t do on this day - read our article