Holy Week by day: what not to do and what to eat. Holy week. history of the holiday

The Great Week, or as it is also called, Holy Week, got its name in memory of the last days of the life of Jesus Christ on Earth. This the last week Great Lent. It ends with the day of Easter Sunday.

Each day of Holy Week is dedicated to a specific event from the Gospel. Every day of Holy Week in all Orthodox churches special services are performed and special prayers are read. During the entire Holy Week, the church does not conduct the sacraments of baptism and weddings, the days of saints are not celebrated and the dead are not commemorated.

Why is Holy Week so called: Maundy Monday, Maundy Tuesday and Maundy Wednesday

On the first day of Holy Week, we remember the patriarch from the Old Testament - Joseph the son of Jacob, whom his own brothers sold in Egypt as a slave. Like Joseph, the Jews, who hated Jesus Christ, put Him to death on the cross. Also on this day, they remember the story from the Gospel in which Jesus Christ cursed the barren fig tree, symbolizing a soul that does not bear spiritual fruits - true repentance, faith and sincere prayer.

On Tuesday, the second day of Holy Week, Christians reflect on the onset of the Last Judgment, the resurrection of the dead. On this day they also remember the parables that Jesus told in the Temple of Jerusalem. On Tuesday it is prohibited to add vegetable oils to food.

On Great Wednesday, Christians remember the decision of Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus Christ for thirty pieces of silver. On this day we also remember the sinful wife who washed with tears and anointed the feet of Christ with precious ointment, and thereby prepared Christ for burial.

Why is Holy Week so called: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday

On Thursday of Holy Week, Christians remember four important events at once: last supper, The Lord washing the feet of his disciples, the prayer of Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane and the betrayal of Judas Iscariot.

According to signs, if a person wants to be healthy throughout the year, he needs to swim before sunrise. This water can also wash away all the sins that have accumulated over the year.

According to popular belief, the person who does general cleaning in the house, receives from the Lord the gift of finding long-lost things.

On Good Friday during Holy Week, Christians commemorate the trial, crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. On the night from Thursday to Friday, people do not sleep, but pray. At the morning service, the 12 Gospels of the Testament of the Holy Passion are read. At the evening service, the shroud is brought out, after which the canon begins to be sung about the crucifixion of the Lord and the lamentation of the Most Holy Theotokos.

On Holy Saturday, the Church remembers the burial of the Savior, the presence of His body in the tomb. Services on this day begin with early morning and continue until the end of the day. Holy Saturday- Day of rest. This is the last day of Lent. On this day pies, Easter cakes and Easter cakes are baked.

Why is it called Holy Week: the day of Easter Sunday?

On the day of Easter Sunday, it is customary to rejoice because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. On this day, instead of greetings, people congratulate each other with the words “Christ is Risen!” To such a greeting one should respond “Truly He is Risen!”

Easter Day ends Lent Therefore, on this occasion, it is customary for believers to set a rich and delicious Easter table. The meal should begin with each person breaking his fast with an Easter cake blessed in the church. The main Easter dishes are colored eggs, Easter cake and Easter cottage cheese.

Days of Holy Week

Divine service

Liturgical features of Passion

• Nikolay Zavyalov.
• Hermogenes Shimansky.
• Priest Mikhail Zheltov.

Iconography

• . PHOTO GALLERY

Holy Week, or Holy Week, is the last week before Easter, dedicated to memories of the last days of the Savior’s earthly life, His suffering, crucifixion, death on the cross, and burial. This week is especially honored by the Church. “All days,” says the Synaxarion, “are surpassed by the Holy and Great Pentecost, but greater than the Holy Pentecost is the Holy and Great Week (Holy Week), and greater than the Great Week itself is this Great and Holy Saturday. This week is called Great not because its days or hours are longer (than others), but because during this week great and supernatural miracles and extraordinary deeds of our Savior took place..."

According to the testimony of St. John Chrysostom, the first Christians, burning with the desire to relentlessly be with the Lord in the last days of His life, during Holy Week intensified their prayers and intensified the ordinary feats of fasting. They, imitating the Lord, who endured unprecedented suffering solely out of love for fallen humanity, tried to be kind and lenient towards the weaknesses of their brothers and to do more works of mercy, considering it indecent to pronounce condemnation in the days of our justification by the blood of the Immaculate Lamb, they stopped all litigation and trials in these days , disputes, punishments, and even released for this time from chains prisoners in dungeons who were guilty of non-criminal crimes.

Every day of Holy Week is great and holy, and on each of them special services are held in all churches. especially majestic, adorned with wisely arranged prophetic, apostolic and evangelical readings, the most sublime, inspired chants and a whole series of deeply significant, reverent rituals. Everything that in the Old Testament was only foreshadowed or said about the last days and hours of the earthly life of the God-Man, the Holy Church brings all this into one majestic image, which is gradually revealed to us in the Divine Services of Holy Week. Remembering events in worship last days earthly life of the Savior, the Holy Church with an attentive eye of love and reverence watches every step, listens to every word of the Savior coming to the free passion of Christ, gradually leads us in the footsteps of the Lord throughout His entire way of the cross, from Bethany to the Place of Execution, from His royal entrance to Jerusalem and until the last moment of His redemptive suffering on the cross, and further - until the bright triumph of Christ's Resurrection. The entire content of the services is aimed at bringing us closer to Christ through reading and singing, making us capable of spiritually contemplating the mystery of redemption, for the remembrance of which we are preparing.

The first three days of this week are devoted to intensive preparation for the passion of Christ. In accordance with the fact that before his suffering Jesus Christ spent all his days in the temple, teaching the people, the Holy Church distinguishes these days with especially long Divine services. Trying to gather and concentrate the attention and thoughts of believers in general on the whole Gospel story the incarnation of the God-man and His service to the human race, the Holy Church reads the entire Four Gospels on the clock during the first three days of Holy Week. The conversations of Jesus Christ after entering Jerusalem, addressed first to the disciples, then to the scribes and Pharisees, develop and are revealed in all the hymns of the first three days of Holy Week. Since in the first three days of Holy Week various significant events took place that are most closely related to the passion of Christ, these events are reverently remembered by the Holy Church on the very days on which they took place. Thus, the Holy Church these days relentlessly leads us following the Divine Teacher, with His disciples, now to the temple, now to the people, now to the tax collectors, now to the Pharisees, and everywhere enlightens us with the very words that He Himself offered to His listeners in these days. days.

Preparing believers for the Savior's suffering on the cross, the Holy Church gives the Divine service of the first three days of Holy Week the character of sadness and contrition for our sinfulness. On Wednesday evening, the Lenten Divine service ends, the sounds of weeping and lamentation of the sinful human soul fall silent in church hymns, and the days of another weeping come, permeating the entire Divine service - weeping from the contemplation of the horrific torment and suffering on the cross of the Son of God Himself. At the same time, other feelings - indescribable joy for one’s salvation, boundless gratitude to the Divine Redeemer - overwhelm the soul of a Christian believer. Mourning the innocent sufferer, mocked and crucified, shedding bitter tears under the cross of our Savior, we also experience inexpressible joy from the knowledge that the Savior crucified on the cross will resurrect us, who are perishing, with Himself.

Being present during Holy Week at church services, which represent all the events of the last days of the Savior as if taking place before us, we mentally go through the entire majestically touching and immensely edifying story of the suffering of Christ, with our thoughts and hearts “we descend with Him and are crucified with Him.” The Holy Church calls us this week to leave everything vain and worldly and follow our Savior. The Fathers of the Church composed and arranged the services of Holy Week in such a way that they reflect all the suffering of Christ. The temple these days alternately represents either the Upper Room of Zion, Gethsemane, or Golgotha. The Holy Church surrounded the services of Holy Week with special external grandeur, sublime, inspired chants and a whole series of deeply significant rituals that are performed only during this week. Therefore, whoever constantly attends services in church these days apparently follows the Lord, who is coming to suffer.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week are dedicated to the recollection of the Savior’s last conversations with his disciples and people. On each of these three days, the Gospel is read at all services; all four Gospels are required to be read. But whoever can, must certainly read these passages from the Gospel at home, both for himself and for others. Instructions on what to read can be found in church calendar. When listening in church, due to large quantity read, much can escape attention, but reading at home allows you to follow the Lord with all your thoughts and feelings. When you carefully read the Gospels, the suffering of Christ, coming to life, fills the soul with inexplicable tenderness... Therefore, reading the Gospel, you are involuntarily transported in your mind to the scene of events, you take part in what is happening, you follow the Savior and suffer with Him. Reverent reflection on His suffering is also necessary. Without this reflection, being present in church, hearing, and reading the Gospel will bring little fruit. But what does it mean to reflect on the sufferings of Christ, and how to reflect? First of all, imagine in your mind the suffering of the Savior as vividly as possible, at least in its main features, for example: how He was betrayed, judged and condemned; how He carried the cross and was lifted up to the cross; how he cried out to the Father in Gethsemane and on Golgotha ​​and surrendered his spirit to Him: how he was taken down from the cross and buried... Then ask yourself why and for what purpose He who had no sin, and who, as the Son of God, endured so much suffering , could always abide in glory and bliss. And also ask yourself: what is required of me so that the Savior’s death does not remain fruitless for me; What must I do to truly participate in the salvation purchased at Calvary for the whole world? The Church teaches that this requires the assimilation by mind and heart of the entire teaching of Christ, the fulfillment of the commandments of the Lord, repentance and imitation of Christ in a good life. After this, conscience itself will answer whether you are doing this... Such reflection (and who is not capable of it?) surprisingly quickly brings the sinner closer to his Savior, closely and forever in a union of love connects him with His cross, strongly and vividly introduces him into the participation of the one who what happens at Golgotha.

The path of Holy Week is the path of fasting, confession and communion, in other words, fasting, for worthy communion of the Holy Mysteries on these great days. And how can one not fast in these days, when the bridegroom of souls is weaned (Matthew 9:15), when He Himself hungers at the barren fig tree, thirsts on the cross? Where else can one lay down the burden of sins through confession, if not at the foot of the cross? What better time to receive communion from the Cup of Life than in the coming days, when it is given to us, one might say, from the hands of the Lord Himself? Truly, whoever, having the opportunity to begin the Holy Meal these days, evades it, deviates from the Lord, runs away from his Savior. The path of Holy Week is to provide, in His name, help to the poor, sick and suffering. This path may seem distant and indirect, but in fact it is extremely close, convenient and direct. Our Savior is so loving that everything we do in His name for the poor, sick, homeless and suffering He takes personally to Himself. At His Last Judgment He will demand from us especially works of mercy towards our neighbors and on them He will establish our justification or condemnation. Keeping this in mind, never neglect the precious opportunity to alleviate the suffering of the Lord in His lesser brethren, and especially take advantage of it during the days of Holy Week - by dressing, for example, a needy person, you will act like Joseph, who gave the shroud. This is the main thing and accessible to everyone, with which Orthodox Christian in Holy Week he can follow the Lord who is coming to suffer.

This year is Holy Week or Holy Week falls from April 2 to April 7.

Strict day of the Greatpostconsidered Good Friday.

This year, Holy Week or Holy Week falls from April 2 to April 7. Then mark the main one religious holiday— Easter will be on April 8.

The main prohibitions for Holy Week

During Holy Week, only annoyance about food, as well as the rules of Lent, applies. So, April 2-5 are “dry” days, you can only eat bread, vegetables and fruits; April 6 - complete abstinence from food, April 7 - hot food, but without oil.

Maundy Monday - April 2

On this day you need to finish all the housework - painting, repairing, cleaning.

Maundy Tuesday - April 3

On this day it is customary to complete washing, ironing, and repairing clothes.

Great Wednesday - April 4

On this day, the last trash was taken out of the house, eggs and everything needed for coloring were prepared.

Maundy Thursday - April 5

On this day you need to swim before sunrise. It is believed that water on this day has healing properties. On Thursday they also start preparing Easter cakes. Before kneading the dough, you need to pray, cleanse your soul and the space around you, otherwise the cakes may not turn out.

IN Maundy Thursday In churches they light candles that need to be saved and brought home - this candle will protect your home from fire for a year. People also believe that on this day the souls of the righteous return to earth to produce the “Dead Passover.” At night in the church on this day you can see deceased priests and parishioners.

Good Friday - April 6

On Good Friday 2018 you cannot do anything around the house, sing, dance or listen to music. In memory of the torment of Christ, eating food is prohibited. In the evening, during services in the church, the Shroud is taken out.

Holy Saturday - April 7

It is considered the most difficult day for housewives - on this day everything is prepared for the Easter feast. They also continue to paint eggs.

Great Resurrection - Easter

After the end of Lent, when the soul and body are ready to accept the joy of salvation, Great Sunday comes - Easter Day.

Good Friday is considered the strict day of Lent. In 2018 it falls on April 6th. On this day, the bells in churches stop ringing, and believers eat almost nothing. It is believed that it was on Good Friday that Jesus Christ sacrificed himself and was crucified in order to be resurrected three days later and then rise again. To this day, the church recommends housewives to complete preparations for Easter. At the same time, people believe that on Friday it is better to paint eggs and bake Easter cakes.

Before starting work, housewives should read “Our Father”, and then say “Lord, bless” and only then start cooking. There is also another belief associated with baking: Easter will be delicious and beautiful only if no one sees the dough. And while baking, you can’t talk loudly.

What happened day by day during Holy Week can be read in detail in the four Gospels, plus, if a person goes to church on these days, then at the sermons after the service one can learn a lot of interesting things about those events, as well as gain a deeper understanding of their interpretation.

This strict week of fasting is dedicated to the memories of the last days of the Savior’s earthly life, his suffering, crucifixion on the Cross, death and then burial. Each day of Holy Week is considered majestic and important. These days are perceived in Christianity as a Divine holiday, which is illuminated by salvation through suffering and death. On these days there are no remembrance services, no prayers are sung, and no liturgy is held on Good Friday.

Since the time of the apostles, this week has been especially revered by Christians. At the very beginning there was no long seven-week fast on the eve of the holiday, but strict fast V Holy Week was established and strictly observed even then. This time, if you approach each day correctly, is filled with experiences, contemplation and sorrow.

What happened during the days of Holy Week

Maundy Monday

On this day they remember the Old Testament story about Patriarch Joseph the Beautiful. His brothers were jealous of him and sold him into slavery in Egypt, but Joseph was still able to live decent life and help the Egyptian people. Also on this day, they remember the withering that Jesus Christ spent on a fig tree covered with rich greenery. This plant has many leaves, but does not produce fruit.

In the same way, the scribes and Pharisees clearly presented their piety, but in fact they did not believe in the Lord and did not live according to the instructions of God. Likewise, the soul of a person who only outwardly believes will not bear spiritual fruit.

Maundy Tuesday

The Gospel records how on this day the Lord God Jesus Christ, already in Jerusalem, denounced the scribes and Pharisees. In the Jerusalem Temple, Jesus told parables and had conversations with ordinary people. It is a story about the future resurrection of the dead, about the Last Judgment.

Also on this day, Mary is remembered, who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. On this day in the Temple of Jerusalem, Judas showed great concern for the poor, revealing his compassion and already in the evening of that day he decided to sell Christ for thirty silver coins. At that time, with that kind of money it was only possible to buy a small piece of land near Jerusalem.

Great Wednesday

On this day of Passion Week, they remember the betrayal of Judas Iscariot. At the liturgy on this day in last time The prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian is said. It is believed that this is the prayer that the laity should read every day throughout Lent.

Maundy Thursday

People know that this Thursday is also called Thursday, and you can prepare Thursday salt. But what exactly gospel events are remembered on this day? The Last Supper took place - the last supper of Jesus with his disciples, where he spoke about the fact that betrayal had already been completed and his arrest would take place tomorrow.

Good Friday

The most terrible day is the trial of Jesus Christ, his crucifixion and death on Krsete. In the morning the 12th Gospel of the Holy Passion of Christ is read, in the evening the shroud is taken to the center of the temple. From this day until the end of the Easter service, according to strict church regulations, clergy must abstain from food.

Holy Saturday

Memories on this day are dedicated to the burial of Jesus Christ, his stay in the tomb. On this day, the soul of Jesus descended into hell in order to proclaim the victory of life over death and save sinful souls from suffering. Services begin early in the morning and continue throughout the day until Easter midnight.

These are the exact events that took place during Holy Week more than two thousand years ago, when the Savior lived and walked the earth, professed Christianity and gave people freedom from sins, hope for future life. During Holy Week, every Christian believer should try to lead a righteous life, give up entertainment, go to church or pray fervently at home. We hope that this period of fasting will be useful to you as a strong and correct spiritual preparation on the eve of the joyful holiday of Easter.

The second day of Holy Week is Maundy Tuesday. It is associated with many events that preceded the death of Christ and his crucifixion.

Holy Week is designed to purify our thoughts to help us draw closer to God. Every day of this week helps you become more humble and concerned about the salvation of your soul. Prayers, alms and donations are directed towards this good purpose.

You can contribute to the common cause on the Orthodox portal, which is engaged in the restoration of destroyed churches. Participation in the righteous cause on the Orthodox portal of Seraphim of Sarov on the eve of Easter will help in the reconstruction of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ.

Maundy Tuesday

This is the last Tuesday of Lent. Its exact date changes annually and depends on Lent. In 2016, Holy Tuesday is celebrated on April 26.

Along with Monday, it marks the beginning of the strictest abstinence of the year, lasting almost a week. Holy Week and Maundy Tuesday in particular talk about the so-called passion of Christ - the events that took place around Christ shortly before his death on the cross.

On April 26, in addition to reading prayers at home, many people will go to church to listen to chants dedicated to the events of that very Monday. If you do not have this opportunity, you can pray at home.

On this day, according to biblical scripture, many things happened important events. We will tell you about the main ones. It is they who are remembered in prayers at divine services in all Orthodox churches 26 April.

Customs and traditions throughout Holy Week require strict abstinence from animal food. Some monks and priests try to eat only bread and water as much as possible, but today this custom is not considered obligatory.

On every day of Holy Week, it is customary to go to church and spend as much time as possible in prayer and humility. Tuesday will be no exception. Praying on this day is very simple: just offer a prayer to the patron angel of this day.

Holy Tuesday Events

Jesus Christ spent Tuesday night in Bethany. In the morning, he continued to read sermons in the Jerusalem Temple, helping people awaken love for the Almighty. The enemies of Jesus Christ tried to suppress his teachings and stories by any means, but they were afraid of the rage of the people who respected the Savior and felt that he was a prophet.

Jesus Christ told people about the second coming of the messiah. The Savior said that the world would see him again. When exactly - only his Father, our Great Creator, knows. The only hints given to people are as follows: “You will see people's fear of natural riots, you will see false prophets revered by the church, and you will see the lawlessness of the Antichrist, who will come to Earth to rule the world. This will be the beginning that will tell you that the time has come to see Jesus Christ again. This will be the beginning of the end and the beginning of the beginning - the Great Judgment of God."

Maundy Tuesday was a day of revelations. And although Jesus’ enemies continued to torment him with questions until the very night, asking tricky questions during the sermon, they never managed to silence the Savior.

Tuesday in Holy Week is a day of teaching, when the church remembers that the Savior must return to us again to carry out Judgment on everyone who lived or lives in our world. We wish you to easily survive this week's abstinence and successfully celebrate a bright Easter, which is only a few days away. Be happy and don't forget to press the buttons and