The brightest holiday of all Orthodox people is approaching - Easter. On the day of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, each of us has a soul filled with joy, hope that everything will be fine, faith in miracles and goodness. In this article we want to tell you about Easter traditions and customs that are revered not only in our country, but also abroad.

Easter is a religious holiday that has existed for 11 centuries, but it should be noted that we have long stopped treating it as a purely church celebration. For us, the day of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is a tradition, a folk festival, a rejoicing that only has a religious origin.

Nevertheless, the traditions that were laid down by our distant ancestors have been preserved, because they are interesting and fascinating not only for adults, but also for children:

Easter has always been perceived as a family celebration. On this day, all relatives should gather at one family table to rejoice in the spring renewal of nature and the miraculous resurrection of the Son of God.
On Sunday night, lights come on in every house - light bulbs, candles, whatever. This is a symbol of the fact that the hundred Slavic Orthodox people are preparing for the biggest holiday of their faith.
On Easter Day, people meeting each other must exchange krashankas and kiss three times, saying the phrase: “Christ is Risen - Truly Risen!” It is believed that in this way people show each other their pure and good intentions. All those who were previously at war must certainly be reconciled on this day for the sake of the joy and miracle that happened with the Resurrection of Christ.
For Easter, housewives made sure to clean their homes perfectly, throwing out all unnecessary rubbish, so that the family could also have grace and comfort.
On the day of the Resurrection of Christ, housewives always collect baskets with various foods and drinks, so that the priest will bless them with water, and they can break their fast properly after Lent. As a rule, baskets are filled with Easter cakes, krashanki, meat, lard, salt, water, Cahors and other ingredients that they simply consider necessary to take with them.

According to the old Orthodox tradition, the basket should also contain artos - leavened bread, which must be blessed and stored at home, so that in case of serious illnesses it can be eaten and thus get rid of ailments that worsen one’s well-being.

On Easter Day, you must definitely distribute holiday cakes to your acquaintances, friends and simply people in need, so that they, too, can rejoice and break their fast on the brightest Orthodox holiday.
From 18:00 on Saturday a large church service in honor of Easter begins. At night, the Easter fire is lit in churches and temples everywhere, which is intended to notify all Orthodox Christians of the miracle that happened to the Son of God.
At 00:00 the solemn procession of the Cross begins, during which the stichera is sung. After this move, the great service of Matins begins. Those who did not go to the religious procession are not allowed to go outside during the procession. It was believed that on this night all evil spirits go out into the street to prevent the miracle of the Resurrection of Christ from happening.
Church services are accompanied by the ringing of bells. There is a belief that anyone can climb the bell tower to make a wish on Easter Day and ring the bell. People believe that this is how a wish made will definitely come true.
The most beautiful and largest Easter cake should remain in the house. It should be surrounded by eggs painted red because it signifies the victory of good over evil. Modern people paint eggs in different colors, put stickers on them, there is nothing wrong with this, this corresponds to another tradition - painting eggs with patterns of varying complexity. It was believed that an egg decorated with the most complex pattern should belong to the oldest member of the family, and one with a simple pattern should belong to the youngest.

A week after Easter, Krasnaya Gorka usually begins - an excellent period for celebrations such as weddings. This is why most engaged couples plan a wedding on Krasnaya Gorka.

Easter week: traditions

The week before Easter is called “Holy Week”. Each day of this week has its own traditions:

On Monday the big cleaning of the house begins. Everything that is old and dilapidated should be thrown away, and something new, useful and beautiful should be put in the vacated space. On this day, as the Orthodox believe, the dead return home, so they need to be remembered.
Tuesday is the day when you need to prepare all the food for the festive table, as well as for preparing Easter cakes.
On Wednesday it’s nice to wash and wash everything. Even the body can be reborn if you perform such a simple ritual: fill a mug with water from a well or river. Read a prayer over it and place it at home, crossing yourself on the windowsill, covering the mug with a towel. At 2:00, pour this water over it, but do not use all the water - there should be some left at the bottom. Put a shirt on your wet body, pray, and at 3:00 pour the rest of the water into a houseplant or outside under some bush. If there is still snow in the yard, it needs to be melted in order to wash the livestock with melt water.
Thursday is the greatest day of Holy Week. There are a lot of traditions associated with it:

Before sunrise, all family members had to take a swim. Our ancestors swam in rivers and lakes; modern people can even take a bath at home, as long as it’s before the sun rises.
Girls cut their hair so that it grows thick and beautiful. To preserve beauty, girls throw a coin into the water they use to wash themselves, and give the towel they use to dry themselves to those who ask for alms from the church. It is believed that thanks to this tradition, unmarried girls quickly find husbands and start families.
Also, one-year-old children also need to have their hair cut on this day.
Housewives on Maundy Thursday need to heat the salt in a frying pan. Then each family member should take a grain of this salt and pour it into one bag with their own hands. People believed that such salt acquired healing properties and helped a person recover from serious illnesses.
On this day, you can cleanse your house of evil spirits and negative energy by burning several branches of juniper in it.
On Thursday you need to color the eggs and place them on grain and wheat. And in the evening of the same day, housewives begin to bake Easter cakes, always decorating them with the letters “XB!”
In order to keep money in the family all year, you need to count everything in your wallet or stash three times on Thursday.
From the evening of that day it was no longer possible to clean the house. It is strictly forbidden to pick up a broom or mop.

You can no longer clean on Friday. You can only cook food. If you have sore legs and lower back, then you can do the following treatment procedure for yourself: take unnecessary rags, wipe the corners of your house with them, and then wrap them around your legs and lower back.
On Saturday until 18:00 you can still prepare for the celebration of Easter, but after this time you can no longer do anything, because it will be considered a sin.

Easter table traditions

Easter is a holiday on which the table should be rich and good. Each dish that you offer to your household and guests for a meal will have its own symbolic meaning:

Make a dish that combines all the colors of the rainbow. It should be greens, bright vegetables, colored eggs, meat. You can also bake gingerbread cookies in the form of chickens and Easter cakes, decorate them with cream and place them on a plate. It is better to place it in the center of the table. This dish will bring joy, happiness and prosperity to your home.
Place a vase of flowers next to this colorful dish so that spring and renewal will come to your home.
There must be a lot of meat and fish on the table. You can cook boiled pork, make meatloaf, jellied meat and various salads.
An obligatory dish according to tradition is Easter cake. It can be made from dough or from cottage cheese, it all depends on your taste preferences.
You can't do without homemade red wine on Easter Day. If you don’t have homemade ones, you can buy ready-made ones in the store. This must be the sweet church wine "Cahors".

Of course, krashankas should also be on the table. But we did not mention them in the list of dishes, because they should be present in the holiday meal by default.

Easter traditions for children

For children, Easter is a very fun holiday when you can rejoice, jump, run, dance, ride on swings and just be foolish from the heart. There are several traditions associated with children's idea of celebrating Easter:

Children can gather in the yard, turn on their favorite music and dance in circles. It’s great if adults join their company too.
You can play "Pokatushki". To do this, children line up in 2 rows. Some stand on a hillock, others opposite on a flat area. The goal of the game is to roll your egg so that it knocks down your opponent's egg below. This is not just fun, it has a magical meaning - people believed that with such “rides” children help the earth awaken from a night’s sleep.
A swing is a must-have attribute of the Easter holiday for children. If you have the opportunity to take your kids to rides or an amusement park, do it. Let the tradition take on a modern color, but the main thing is that it will be respected.

Easter traditions from different countries

Easter is a holiday that is revered all over the world! Only each nation has its own special traditions of celebrating this day:

Finnish Easter is similar in many ways to ours. Here they also bake Easter cakes and paint eggs, and go to church services. However, the folk festival is a little different. During Holy Week, children dress in beggar clothes, smear their faces with soot, pick up willow branches and walk along the street to be given various goodies. People generously distribute them not only to children, but to anyone who needs a donation. In addition, Finns give friends and relatives Easter cards with witches on them. They believe that witches become good during Holy Week. The main dish on the Finnish holiday table is “Mammi”: sprouted rye with orange peels, filled with water, dark molasses, malt and milk. Finnish children love this delicacy.
Czechs spend Easter in a very unusual way. On this day, men beat their wives with willow twigs to keep them young and beautiful. Moreover, women do not resist at all, but obediently obey. Instead of the usual Easter cake, they prepare meatloaf, which looks like lamb.
On Easter Day, Slovaks prepare meat cake - the pie is stuffed with minced meat. In addition, they actively eat garlic throughout Holy Week and give it to their livestock in order to thus drive out evil spirits.
Easter traditions in Germany are very interesting, especially for children. On Easter Day, the Easter Bunny brings chocolate eggs to all children who have behaved well. He hides them in the home yard, in the grass and flowers, so that the children will look for them after waking up. The result is an exciting game that gives the whole family a wonderful holiday mood. On the German table on Easter, in addition to chocolate eggs, there should be bread in the form of a spikelet, symbolizing the awakening of nature after winter.

The Greeks bake bagels for Easter, with a crust placed in the middle. On Saturday, at exactly 11:00, they begin throwing old pottery out of the windows of their houses. If you are planning to spend Easter in Greece, take into account this strange tradition of theirs so as not to get hit by shrapnel.
In Australia, Easter is a four-day festival. They also have an Easter bunny and chocolate eggs, bake buns and cook meat over a fire when going into nature. During the Easter celebrations, the country hosts all kinds of fairs and other interesting events that reflect the national flavor.
The Irish, like the Germans, make chocolate eggs and expect the Easter Bunny to bring them gifts for good behavior. In addition, on this bright holiday they bake cinnamon rolls, which are decorated with sweet cream.
The French also revere the Easter bunny and chocolate eggs, but they have one unique feature. On this day, they gather in the largest square of the city, where a large omelet with meat is always prepared, and French buns with ham and olives are sold. The French gather in such squares and celebrate the bright holiday of the renewal of nature and spring.
The main American dish on the Easter table is potatoes baked with pineapples and meat. In addition, there should be various fruits and ham on the table. Otherwise, the traditions of celebrating Easter in this country are similar to other European traditions.
According to Easter traditions in Great Britain, on Easter Day you need to bake a lamb stuffed with vegetables, bake a birthday cake and buns, on which you need to depict a cross.

We would like to wish all our readers a truly bright, kind and joyful Easter. Let it be the beginning of something real and beautiful for you! Take care of sincerity and tenderness in your heart, give all this to the people around you, and then the mood of spring and happiness will not leave you on Easter Day and the rest of the year after it!

Video: “Easter: traditions and customs”

Easter week is a symbol of rebirth and renewal of life. This is a very strong time to adjust your Destiny for the better. The word "Easter" came to us from the Greek language and means "passing", "deliverance". Knowledgeable people have long preserved traditions and rituals, with the help of which these days you can independently get rid of bad luck, financial difficulties and various negativity, but also significantly improve your well-being, strengthen your health, and attract financial success.

Palm Sunday.
They consecrate the willow. And then they keep it in the house all year in a vase or behind icons. They sweep all the corners, windows, thresholds with an old willow that has stood for a year, thank it for its service and burn it. When you consecrate a willow, put some money in this bouquet, let it be consecrated along with the willow. Then do not change it for a year, let it lie in a secluded place - it will be a talisman for your money for the whole year.

Tuesday of Easter week.
We take unnecessary things out of the house - we take away problems. Decide in advance what you want to part with once and for all. Write on a blank sheet of paper a list of problems that you want to get rid of. Collect all the trash you want to throw away in a large bag, including your personal pair of worn-out shoes or clothes, as well as 21 unnecessary items that you think no longer belong in the house. Light three white candles at the threshold, the second on the kitchen table, and with the third, walk around the home clockwise, saying:
“Get out of my house, trouble and trouble, I drive you out with fire forever. Go away, need, go away, darkness, there is no place in the house (list the names of all family members) ever. So be it.”
You need to finish walking around your home at the doorstep. Blow out all three candles, take them out with the trash and burn them.

Maundy Thursday.
At the beginning of a new day on Thursday, Thursday salt is prepared. Pour a new pack of salt onto a baking sheet or cast iron frying pan and place in a hot oven or stove for half an hour, let the salt fry well. Then, when it cools down, pour it into a linen bag. Store this salt all year round, adding it to food for both yourself and livestock from time to time as a prophylactic against all diseases. It is advisable to serve with it in church, but you can consecrate it at home yourself. To do this, just place your pectoral cross on the salt and read the prayer "Our Father" 3 times.

Thursday salt helps to cope with illnesses, protect yourself from the evil eye and damage, cleanse your home of bad energy, and in many other everyday situations. It must be stored in the kitchen, close to the stove, away from prying eyes. It is also not recommended to talk about Thursday salt left and right, i.e. everyone. The healing properties of Thursday salt have long been known: it helps with many diseases, both physical and mental, heals and protects the family, and brings happiness, prosperity and prosperity to the home.

On Maundy Thursday, in the morning, you need to count all the money in the house three times so that there is always enough of it. It is advisable to count them before dawn. After each account you need to say a secret spell on money:
"A thousand, half a thousand, six hundred - everything, everywhere my hand will take. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Amen. Amen."
Then in the morning you need to wash your face with water, to which you say:
“Maundy Thursday glorifies Easter, all Orthodox people glorify Easter, so people would glorify me, both young and old, so that the servant of God (name) would walk in honor of his superiors, so that my business would bring me profit. Gold sticks to my hands, The coins are clinking. The key is Amen.

Protection from damage for the whole year for a child on Maundy Thursday.

This conspiracy is read over a sleeping child during Holy Week on Maundy Thursday.

Just as the little child lived in the mother’s womb, did not see the white light or the red sun, so live in the whole white world; Don’t believe in knocking, or thunder, or a dog’s barking, or a marten’s laughter, or a magpie’s tickle, or a black-haired girl, or a young man passing by. Where it came from, go there; when it came from the wind, go there; it came from people - go there; don't come back."

Good Friday- no practices are carried out.
Under no circumstances should they do laundry on this day. On this day there is only cleansing with candles, reading your favorite prayers, repentance and an information post. It should be remembered that the main thing during fasting is not abstaining from food and sweets, but repentance, prayers and awareness of one’s sinfulness.

Saturday is the last day of Lent.
They bake pies and Easter cakes. The conspiracy for a rich life is read on the Saturday before Easter at seven in the evening. Read three times over a coin, which you then sew into the lining of any of your clothes that you wear most often. The spell words are:
“The merchant carries gold, and just as this merchant is a matchmaker and brother to wealth and luck, so am I, the servant of God (name), in gold, silver, health and all good things. Amen.”

Or you can do the following spell on a coin with the number 5, which then needs to be kept in your wallet for a whole year:
“In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Money for money, penny for penny. As people wait for Easter, as they go to the temple of God, so it would be for me, the servant of God (name), money flowed like a river. All Saints saints, everyone is with me. Amen."

Choose any of these rituals that you like best. You can perform 2 rituals at once if you want. Listen to yourself.

On this day, in the late afternoon, place a colored egg and money in each corner of your house, saying:
“Like an Easter egg with a ruble will not come out of this corner, so that money will never leave my house. Christ is Risen, and to my words, amen.”
The eggs are eaten the next day, that is, on Easter Sunday, but the money cannot be spent until Easter week has passed.

Sunday - Easter.
It is advisable to stay awake all night. When the bells ring for the first time on Easter, you need to mentally say 3 times:
“Christ is Risen, and my family will have health, my house will have wealth, my field will have a harvest. Amen.”
With these words, you program your family for prosperity, health, and wealth for the entire coming year.

Money ritual on Bright Sunday, at dawn, read the “Our Father” prayer 3 times, and then the conspiracy:
“In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As the people rejoice at the honorable bright holiday, as the bells ring for matins, there let the money rejoice at me. In my wallet they have both a home and a shelter. As on Easter the poor are not allowed to die of hunger “As they are given alms, so you, Lord, give me, God’s servant (name), prosperity in the house, neither horse nor foot can interrupt my word. Amen.”

For Easter food and Easter cakes, a prayer for well-being in the family is read:
“Like night with a star, like the sun with the moon, so am I with my family! As Jesus Christ loves us, so we would love each other. Incense and the Lord’s prayer, give us peace and peace of mind. So be it.”

1. During the Easter service Keep a handful of wheat on your chest. Returning from church, sprinkle grain at your doorstep with the words:
How many lights there were from the candles in the church,
I have so many suitors.
There are as many suitors for me as there are in a handful of grains.
Key. Lock. Language.
Amen.

2. Kiss nine colored eggs for Easter and say a love spell:
How people love Holy Easter,
appreciate and remember maternal affection,
So would me men and boys
They loved the strong more than the strong, they valued them more than ever.
Herds behind me. God's servant (name), walked.
Christ has risen, and the grooms have come to me.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

3. Used to remove damage, evil eye.love spells. Works best on Maundy Thursday, Epiphany. Get under the shower or the pouring rain....and... read this plot in multiples of three:
"The rain fell on the ashes. The ashes turned to dirt, the servant of God soiled and splashed me. Wash me with clean water, leave no shadow or trace of the dirt, The dirt goes away with the water, grace descends on me. May it remain with me. Protects, protects, protects from dirt. Saints, be my intercessors. AMEN."

4. Money ceremony
On Easter morning, at dawn, read the following plot. Before doing this, read the “Our Father” 3 times.
The text of the conspiracy itself:
“In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. As the people rejoice at the honorable bright holiday, as the bells ring for matins, let money rejoice at me there. In my wallet they have both a home and a shelter. As on Easter they do not allow the poor to die of hunger, as They are given alms, so you, Lord, give me, the servant of God (name), prosperity in the house. Neither horse nor foot will interrupt my own. Amen.”

5. From quarrels with loved ones
To do this, on the third day after Easter, a special spell is read twelve times in a row.
Lord, help, Lord, bless with a happy Easter,
Clean days, joyful tears.

John the Apostle, John the Theologian, John the Baptist,
John the long-suffering, John the headless,
Archangel Michael, Archangel Gabriel, St. George the Victorious,
Nicholas the Wonderworker, Barbara the Great Martyr,
Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia,
Pray for the common path of the servants of God (names of the warring parties).
Calm their anger, tame their anger, quench their rage.
His holy army,
With invincible, indomitable force, lead them to agreement.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

6. Plot for summer residents for the harvest
There is not much time between Easter and sowing, and it is quite possible to save one or more colored eggs. During sowing, chop them in the garden with the words:
"Mother Earth, accept my affection
I give you a red Easter.
And for this give me
The richest harvest."

7. Knead the dough and make as many flat cakes as there are people in your family.
Before baking them, draw crosses on them and say:
“I renounce with the sign of the cross, with the bread given by God, from the works and illnesses of sorcerers of all stripes, from all volosts. Once this cake is digested in me, it will turn into shit, so whatever the sorcerer started against my family will turn into shit for him.”
The flatbreads are eaten by family members.

8. On Easter Sunday, before serving food, say three times for each dish:
“Like the night with a star, like the sun with the moon, so am I with my family! As Jesus Christ loves us, so we would love each other. Incense and the Lord’s Prayer, give us peace and peace of mind! So be it!”
Be sure to say this spell on the Easter cake when you cut it. There should be exactly as many pieces as there are people at the table. Make sure everyone eats their own piece of cake.

9. Conspiracy from enemies and envious people at work
On Easter morning, dry yourself with a towel and say:
"Christ is risen!
And I am the red sun to the whole world.
Sweet honey, salty salt,
The most praised! ".
Spread a towel on the table, eat Easter and a colored egg over it. The day after Easter, take this towel to work and wipe your work area with it.

10. Annual from illnesses and damage.
Say a prayer on the Easter cake and take it to church to bless it on the eve of the Holy Resurrection of Christ. After the end of the all-night vigil, with the first exclamations of “Christ is risen,” answer: “God is risen and saved me.” Then break off and eat a small piece of Easter cake. Eat the rest with the whole family at a holiday meal.
Prayer for Easter cake, read three times:
“In the name of a just, victorious cause, my strong word! There is a small island on the ocean coast, and on that small island there is a white stone city. In that white-stone city the street is full of different, Christian people. Everyone is rushing to the all-night vigil in the Church of God. Just as all the people rush to church, so I hurry. Oh, Lord, have mercy! As the week of Lent passes, I would like to be under your protection and be protected for the whole year: from damage, the evil eye, and body infection. Amen to my word"

11. Ritual for marriage
It is believed that if you collect spring water on Easter night and silently bring it home, it will become magical. Young girls who want to get married need to wash themselves with this water (at least holy water) on Easter morning with the following spell:
“Resurrection of Christ! Send me a single groom, a good groom, in boots and galoshes, not on a cow, but on a horse. Amen.”
It was believed that after this, within a year, the girl would definitely meet a young man with whom she would connect her destiny.

12. For happiness and joy in the house.
So that joy and happiness reign in your home throughout the whole year, give the first egg that you painted for Easter to the youngest in the family, saying to yourself:
As long as people paint eggs,
Until that very time, the saints will not forget our home.
Key, lock, tongue.
Amen. Amen. Amen.

13. You can also make a personal amulet on Easter. The day before (not on Good Friday), sew a small bag from dark plain fabric. On Easter afternoon, put in it a little crushed shell of a blessed colored egg, 3 buds of a blessed willow and a small piece of paper on which write:
“The Lord sees everything from heaven, the Lord knows everything about me. The Lord is watching over me, the Lord is protecting me, the Lord will save me from trouble, take me away from grief, save me from an evil person. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen".
Tie the bag with red woolen thread and always carry it with you.

14. If an adult or child is constantly sick, Try this for Easter. Pour holy water brought from church on Easter into a small bottle. Place the pectoral cross (consecrated) of the person you want to heal into it and read the plot 3 times:
“In the kingdom of heaven there is a wonderful spring. Whoever touches the water, whoever washes his face with water, his illnesses will be washed away. I collected that water and gave it to God’s servant (name). In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen".
Take out the cross, put it on the owner, and sprinkle water three times on his forehead. Sprinkle the frequently ill person with enchanted water 3 times a day throughout the Easter week. And keep the bottle near any icon.

15. For childhood seizures
Sprinkle the child with the spoken water that you collect during Holy Week:
A child's body, an angelic soul, innocent before the Savior, and innocent of suffering. Cleanse yourself and become stronger. Amen.

16. Lime fibroids
Tie your bare stomach with a towel, on which Easter cakes were blessed, and say:
Servant of God (name), your mother gave birth to you,
the tumor twisted you, and I treated you.
Rotten, visceral, painful,
stringy, wet, dry, purulent, flammable.
Go, tumor, from the stomach, from the inside,
from the veins, from the skin, from the blood, from the entire skeleton,
go out into the open field, where there is emptiness.
That's where you belong, my dear,
there is a rookery for you, a tumor.
You should be there
live among dry grasses.
May not the body of the servant of God (name) be white.
In the name of God Christ
I'm chasing you, tumor,
I tell you, mother, I tell you:
leave you the servant of God (name).
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Now forever and ever.
Amen.
The plot is read forty times. After this, doctors told many women that the fibroids had significantly decreased in size. Do not under any circumstances tell why this happened!

17. Speak to the vertebral hernia
On the waning moon, melt the incense bought on the third day after Easter in a cup. When it bubbles, put twelve candles in it and read the following plot:
The bell-ringer's three daughters are coming,
Three sons of a sexton.
The bell ringer's daughter of the servant of God (name)
The vertebrae are counting
The sexton's sons will reprimand him for his hernia,
And the Mother of God let them
He blesses us for this work. Amen.
After this, pour the incense and wax onto a rag, tie it on your lower back (on a sore spot) and go to bed.

18. So that children in your family are not drawn to wine, on the third day of Easter, soak a rag in vodka and put it under the cat’s nose. The moment the cat turns his nose away, you need to quickly say:
The mustache can’t smell, and you, (name),
Turn away from the wine.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

19. For healing
At Easter, you should try to get a chicken egg from the priest. When you leave the church, approach the icon of the Mother of God, saying:
“Mother Mother of God, hear my prayers. Come with me to my home. You need to spend the night with me. Me r.b. (name) to heal. Amen! Amen! Amen!"
When leaving, make a donation.
At home, eat an egg and don’t eat anything for an hour. In the evening, take the Gospel and read the plot:
“Lord, save and have mercy, R. Your (name) in the words of the Divine Gospel, read about the salvation of R. Yours, burn, Lord, the thorns of all his sins. And may Your purifying grace dwell in him. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen"
In the morning, get up at dawn, take unopened water and say to it exactly as many times as you are full years old:
“Disease, disease, don’t interfere with me. Otherwise I’ll start drinking water to dissolve you forever. Amen! Amen! Amen!"
Take three sips and wash with the rest. Do not wipe your face.

20. Be sure to do 7 good deeds or give 7 gifts this Easter. Then all year long, until next Easter, the Lord will remember your kindness.

Krashenka.

1. The first spell is not for a boiled, but for a raw chicken egg, simply laid on Easter.

A spell for good luck.

An egg laid on Easter is broken in a clay bowl, the wedding ring is thrown into it, then you need to go around the house, fry an egg from this egg along with the ring and eat it, taking out the ring, of course. Until the scrambled eggs are finished, you can’t talk to anyone! The year will be rich.
When eating an Easter egg, crush the shell with your left hand and say:
“How many small parts, so many successful days for me!” Don't throw away the shells! Grind it as much as you can and pour it into your wallet, pockets, the bottom of your bag, or your piggy bank.

2. Paint more eggs for Easter, let's get startedtreat yourself with Easter eggs.
Red eggs are used to treat the skeletal system, muscles and skin.
To treat the kidneys, bladder, and reproductive system, eggs of orange and yellow colors are used. In addition, eggs painted yellow help ward off diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, stomach and gall bladder.
Green color helps in the treatment of the cardiovascular system.
The endocrine system - glands - thyroid, pancreas, thymus - can be treated with blue eggs.
And the blue color helps with disorders of the respiratory system - nose, throat, bronchi, lungs.
The color violet helps in healing the nervous system.
The eggs, after they have rolled away diseased organs, are buried in the ground. If you bury under a tree, do not confuse: for a man - a male tree (maple, oak, poplar, ash) and for a woman - a female tree (rowan, willow, aspen). Of course, of all the trees, aspen and poplar are preferable as they take away evil energy.

Conspiracy read when rolling back diseases:

“Here it is, the long-awaited day, desired by everyone, on Holy Saturday I wished for it, on Great Day I looked in. What you see in a dream is true. Who can explain it, but an angel told me. I, the servant of God (name), went out into an open field, bowed to 4 sides, saw 7 earthly rivers and 2 springs. Then the word of God came to me: either on the red river it is not my blood, but health for the bones, then on the sunny afternoon you won’t get tired, but with children you will gain strength, then the yellow river floods for consolation, for the sick, healing, and don’t be afraid of the green river, with heart health strengthen yourself, judge for yourself about the other, as it is said - so fulfilled, filled with God's sacrament. Amen"

If you have several diseases, you can use several eggs of different colors, read the spells at least three times, or more: reading eight times helps relieve pain, four times - if the disease appeared under the influence of damage. You can roll back in a course: paint, for example, 12 eggs blue and roll back for 12 days in a row. Or three eggs a day, also for several (3, 7, 9, 12) days in a row.
When you bless paints for Easter, you can also bless minerals, i.e. stone eggs - jasper, onyx and others that you have. You can use them in the same way, rolling back diseased organs, but you need to bury them in a flower pot and for 40 days is quite enough.
Agate eggs can be used to treat respiratory organs, sore throat, infection in the upper respiratory tract, shortness of breath, stomach, even hair loss. Blue agate treats the thyroid gland, colds, yellow - the digestive organs, liver, gall, red - the endocrine system, vascular system and viral diseases, white relieves stress and aggression, multi-colored increases overall energy, and black - sexual activity.
Beryl eggs only treat the liver and gastrointestinal tract.
A turquoise egg will help with diseases of the liver and gall bladder, endocrine system, and skin diseases.
If you have a precious opal testicle, you can treat your heart and nerves with it.
Serpentine egg removes negative energy and treats sexual disorders.
Hematite will help with diseases of the kidneys, liver, spleen, genitourinary system and metabolic disorders. If you purchased an egg made from rock crystal, treat your stomach and respiratory organs with it.
You can buy a jadeite egg; it will help you treat the spine and nervous system, and also stabilize blood pressure.
Lapis lazuli will help with disorders of the lymphatic system.
Malachite will even out the energy.

Malachite will be useful in many situations; it will strengthen the gastrointestinal tract. The white variety of jade will help with disorders of the autonomic nervous system, rheumatism, kidney and genitourinary system diseases.
Obsidian is useful for diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system, bone disorders and sexual impotence.
Onyx relieves pain and normalizes acidity.
A selenite egg will help get rid of excess bile and mucus, heal the liver, spleen, and gastrointestinal tract.
Chrysolite will help with nervous disorders, as will charoite.
The help to your health from an amber egg is innumerable and immeasurable, but I think it’s difficult to acquire one!
Jasper. The most diverse and widespread mineral, like agate. You may come across jasper eggs of all colors and shades! But only the digestive organs, especially peptic ulcers, are treated with jasper.
They ward off illnesses with paints throughout Easter week. Stone eggs can be used all year round, periodically treating the eggs themselves in the ground. The Easter plot, of course, cannot work all year, but there are many other spells for reversing diseases.

CONSPIRACIES, CUSTOMS AND RITES FOR THE HOLIDAY OF BRIGHT SUNDAY EASTER!

Bright Sunday of the Lord “Easter” in 2014 is celebrated on April 20, this is the most important event of the year for Orthodox Christians around the world.

Easter is traditionally associated with many rituals, beliefs, signs; there are a huge number of Easter conspiracies that have been formed over centuries and passed on from mouth to mouth, including many elements preserved from pagan times. On this Bright Holiday, it is not recommended to practice magic, but you still want to know and apply something.

For example, the Christian ritual for Easter is to light candles; earlier in pagan times, our ancestors lit bonfires. The Easter ritual of lighting the fire earlier, but, as now, it personified the victory of life over death, light over darkness. Such rituals were carried out near houses and in fields, on hills near villages, so that quarrels and grievances would burn out in the flames of the fire, so that evil spirits would die in the fire, preventing future shoots from sprouting, as a sign of worship of the gods and in memory of deceased ancestors.

Now we don’t light bonfires, but throughout Easter week we try to light church candles in church or in our house or apartment. So our Easter ritual of lighting and placing candles for the health of all family members, enemies and the repose of deceased relatives also symbolizes the victory of life over death and the expectation of a happy Sunday.

Another ritual for Easter among Orthodox Christians is to collect “silent” water, and it is called “silent” because it is drawn from a spring on Easter, early in the morning and always silently. You also need to carry it home without saying a word. Christians believe that after this ritual the water is endowed with powerful miraculous powers.

By the way, our Easter ritual of stocking up on “silent” water was called “baptism” in pagan times. Before sunrise they gathered water in silence, and towards noon the whole village went out into the field and doused each other from head to toe. This promised not only good health for everyone, but also a good harvest.

There is a ritual for Easter for various ailments and diseases, and it consists in this: at sunrise on Easter, light a church candle and, baptizing the space in front of you with it, say the following spell three times:

“Lord, bless me, Your servant (your name), give me good health. Just as you got rid of the chains of death on Easter, so I should get rid of the accursed disease, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen".

After this, put out the candle and on the same day try to put it in the temple for your health.

For Easter, you need to cast amulets for your home and household. This Easter ritual must be performed by the owner of the house.

After attending the Easter service, returning home, break off 3 branches from the birch tree, do not forget to ask the tree for forgiveness for the sacrifice it made. Place it on a clean white cloth at home and sprinkling it with holy water, say the following words of the Easter spell:

“On Easter day I sanctify you, I endow you with mighty strength. Keep my house and everything in it from thieves, sorcerers, from evil and witchcraft, from misfortune and misfortune, from divination and illness. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen".

The twigs should be placed in certain places, one above the front door from the inside, the second in the kitchen, and the third in the bedroom.

For Easter, you can make a personal amulet. Prepare (sew) a small bag of plain fabric. For Easter, put in it a little crushed shell of a painted consecrated egg, 3 buds of a consecrated willow and a small piece of paper on which write the following words of the spell:

“The Lord sees everything from heaven, the Lord knows everything about me, the Lord watches over me, the Lord protects me. The Lord will save me from trouble, take me away from grief, and save me from an evil person. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen".

The bag should be tied with red thread and carried with you.

Conspiracies and rituals for Maundy Thursday.

On the eve of one of the biggest Christian holidays - Easter, there is one day when every person must undergo mandatory rituals of spiritual and physical cleansing. This day is known to us as Maundy Thursday. There are many legends associated with it, but they all boil down to one thing: only on this very day can you expel all negativity from your life. Even our distant ancestors firmly knew that if you thoroughly clean the house on this Thursday, then there would be order in your life all year long. That is why it is on this pre-Easter day that it is customary to carry out all kinds of rituals for cleansing.

First of all, the person himself needs cleanse yourself physically. To do this, on the night from Wednesday to Thursday you need to perform the ritual of ablution. It is believed that for these purposes a running reservoir is required, since such water is endowed with incredible healing powers. Before sunrise, you should plunge into the river, and then say the following words:

“Here is Monday, here is Tuesday, here is Wednesday, but Thursday is pure water. Water washes the living, the obvious, wash me too, so that trouble will pass! Voditsa-sister, wash away the harmful damage cast from me. Wash away illnesses and diseases, wash away for health! Take away the evil weakness and toil. Give me the strength of health, good grace! My word is strong! Let it be done according to my will!”

If you don’t have the opportunity to use river water, then just get into the shower at night and imagine how warm streams wash away all the negativity from you, leaving light in your soul.

When you wake up in the morning, the first thing on Maundy Thursday is to do cleaning the house. This is the last day before Easter when you can put your home in order: starting from Friday, cleaning the room is strictly forbidden. By washing the floors, you protect your home from the penetration of filth and all kinds of troubles. With the help of water on this day, you can perform an effective ritual to attract wealth and well-being to your home.

To do this, you will need all the little things available in the house. Collect all the coins and place them in a bowl of water. Then read the “Our Father” three times over the water. Now, going clockwise from the front door (it is washed last), wash all the doors and windows in the house. Afterwards, read the prayer three times again, take out the coins and put them in a safe place, and carefully pour the water under the nearest tree. Under no circumstances should change be spent until Red Hill, which is celebrated 7 days after Easter.

The obligatory ritual of Maundy Thursday is This must also be done three times - in the morning, at lunch and in the evening. Lock yourself in a room so that no one disturbs you, and slowly count all your cash, saying the following words:

“A thousand, half a thousand, six hundred, that’s it, my Lord will take it everywhere. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen".

And the most important thing that should not be forgotten on Maundy Thursday is preparation of the so-called Thursday salt. You can prepare it in two ways. The first method: coarse salt purchased in advance should be poured into a new linen bag and calcined in the oven. After this, the salt is crushed, sifted and tightly closed in a jar. The second method is easier: on Maundy Thursday, all family members take a handful of salt and pour it into one container. In the future, Thursday salt is used in food to get rid of illnesses or end family troubles.

The holiday of Holy Easter is the main holiday for Christians. It has long been believed that this day has special properties and conspiracies read on the bright day of Easter have enormous power. On Easter they asked for strength and health, drove away quarrels and troubles, removed the evil eye, attracted suitors and even drove out cockroaches and bedbugs. Depending on the lunar calendar for a particular year, the holiday falls between April 4 and May 8.

After Easter Sunday, celebrations continue for eight days - the last of which is called Fomin Monday. Services in churches continue throughout the week and services are practically no different from those that took place on Easter Day. Preparation for Easter takes place during Holy Week and ends on Holy Saturday with the preparation of festive food - Easter cakes, cottage cheese Easter cakes and colored eggs. The food is carried to the church, where it is blessed during the service. Previously, very great importance was attached to the festive food for Easter: it is no coincidence that the word “Easter” is known as the name of the food that was prepared for this holiday.

Holy Week: signs and customs

Monday

On Monday You need to put things in order in your house: paint something, repair something.

In the old days, peasants went out early in the morning on this day and watched what the day would be like. If the sky was clear, and the sun seemed to be playing in the sky, then the summer will be good and fruitful. All weddings that will take place this year will be happy. On this day, knowledgeable people always washed themselves with gold and silver in order to preserve their youth and financial well-being for a long time.

Tuesday

Festive clothes It is customary to prepare for Easter Sunday on Tuesday. On the same day you can continue cleaning, you can organize laundry.

Products are purchased for Easter.

Women cook medicinal infusions. Men should not even touch herbs, tinctures, powders.

Wednesday

Carry out general cleaning accepted in the house on Wednesday. This is the day of washing and all sorts of wiping. On Wednesday, it is advisable to thoroughly wash, scrub the floors, and beat out the carpets. And you can continue on Maundy Thursday. It’s not for nothing that the next day of the week is called Maundy Thursday. Whoever has dirt in his house on this day will live in dirt all year.

On Wednesday of Holy Week, a special ritual against any bodily illness was remembered. It was necessary to scoop up water with a mug from a well or from a barrel on the street, or draw water from a river. After crossing ourselves three times, we covered the mug with a clean or new towel, and at 2 a.m., after crossing ourselves three times again, we doused ourselves with this water, leaving a little in the mug. Afterwards, clothes were put on the wet body without drying, and the water that remained in the mug was poured onto a bush or flowers for up to 3 hours. They say that a body washed in this way is reborn.

Thursday

On Maundy Thursday you need to bring a passionate candle from church, which will help in the treatment of various diseases. On the same day you can prepare Thursday salt. To do this, ordinary salt in a canvas bag is placed in a stove or oven for 10 minutes, and then it is consecrated in the church.

Thursday salt has excellent healing properties. It is used throughout the year. With the help of this salt you can then help establish peace in the family, get rid of damage, and make amulets to protect against evil spirits. Thursday salt is used to cleanse homes of negative energy and treat objects and gifts if there is a suspicion that they contain negativity.

On this day, housewives prepare pysanky (or painted eggs), krashenka (painted eggs) and a cottage cheese dish called Easter. The appearance of Easter cottage cheese on the festive table is also not a coincidence. Since ancient times, milk (and dairy products) along with bread (Kulich) have been considered sacred, sacred food. Our ancestors endowed milk with medicinal properties and perceived it as a product that gave strength and fertility.

The custom of painting eggs has a long history and came to us from early Christian times. The Bible says that Jesus Christ had a disciple - Mary Magdalene. On the day of the resurrection of Jesus, Mary Magdalene came to the Roman Emperor Tiberius to announce the resurrection of Christ.

Since it was impossible to appear before the emperor without gifts and offerings, Mary Magdalene, being poor, brought a simple chicken egg to the emperor as an offering.

The purpose of Mary's coming to the emperor was to notify Tiberius of the resurrection of the Lord, which she did, saying: “Christ is risen!”

Tiberius did not believe that someone could rise from the dead and exclaimed that this was impossible, just as it was impossible for a white egg to turn red. To the surprise of everyone, the egg changed color to red, which confirmed the truth of Mary Magdalene’s words.

The people present at this miracle spread the good news everywhere. After this, as a sign of the significant event in honor of Holy Easter, Christians have been painting eggs red and other colors for many centuries.
Over time, eggs began to be not only painted in different colors, but also painted with different patterns that symbolized strength and fertility.

Friday

On Good Friday you need to buy as many candles as possible from the church and burn them in every room throughout the day. On this day, when Christ was crucified, suffered and died on the cross, they do not eat food.

Church traditions say that on Friday, when Christ was crucified, Christians should not eat food.

Easter cakes are baked on the same day. Before you get to work, you need to read “Our Father”, and after saying: “Lord, bless,” you need to start baking Easter cakes.

Ash from the oven where Easter was baked, taken on the Friday before Easter, will help cure alcoholism, love spells, damage, and the evil eye.

On Good Friday they sweep the corners with a rag, and if you tie yourself with this rag, it will help with lower back pain.

For pain in the legs and joints, you can wipe your feet with this rag after a bath.

Saturday

Saturday is a day of mourning, when all believers mourn for the Savior. It is contraindicated to have fun, drink alcohol, or have an intimate relationship.

The last (quiet) tidy. You can also paint eggs. On this day, common holiday dishes are prepared.

On Saturday they brought colored eggs, Easter cakes, Easter cakes and other items to church to be blessed. And before going to the service on Easter night, they left a treat on the table so that later they could break their fast. True, they ate little by little - only symbolically, after which they went to bed. But late on Sunday morning the real feast began, which lasted all week.

On Saturday evening the Easter service begins in the church. If for some reason you are unable to attend the All-Night Vigil Service, then you still should not go to bed - by doing this you will attract good luck to your home.

Of course, all preparatory work: cooking, painting eggs must be completed before Easter.

Sunday

The next day comes Easter. The holiday is called the wonderful Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The morning begins with breaking the fast. The family stands in front of the icons and prays, then everyone sits down at the table, and the eldest man in the family breaks off a “bump” from the Easter cake and gives it to the hostess. Then the owner cuts the cake into pieces and distributes it to all family members, inviting them to break their fast.

First they eat the blessed Easter cake, eggs, and ham, then it’s time for other dishes. You cannot get drunk on this day: “If you get drunk while breaking your fast, you will walk around half asleep all year, so God will punish you.”

After breaking their fast, they went out into the street to guess: “Whatever you see first, that will be the best activity for you in life, bringing good luck.”

At Easter, you should definitely visit your parents and godparents if you haven’t seen them for a long time or live separately from them.

What do they light up for Easter?

As soon as the bells rang, they went to church in their festive attire. In their hands are lighted candles and beautiful baskets. They contained Easter, Easter eggs covered with the best towel, and could also contain salt, vodka, lard, pig, cheese, horseradish, fish, millet, poppy seeds, chalk, a knife and even a block on which to sharpen a knife.

The solemn ritual of entering the temple under the ringing of bells began, and then a walk around the church service with the choir around the temple singing “Christ is Risen.” They say that while walking around the church, angels lead the Savior out of the tomb, and saints come out of the icons and kiss - kiss Christ. The priest sanctifies Easter, eggs and everything that the hostess brought with her to church in a basket. They hurry home with the consecrated one (sometimes they even run, overtaking each other). According to popular belief, if you come home from church before your neighbor, you will have good luck and live a long time. It was also believed that whoever runs home first on Easter will have the best harvest and the owner will be the first to finish field work.

In connection with this custom, there were some other Easter beliefs:
- The bread will grow as quickly as the owner runs with Easter.
“Whoever overtakes everyone will have the strongest horse, and will spend the whole year outrunning others in work.”

Easter table

In ancient times, wealthy owners served 48 dishes for Easter, according to the number of days of Lent. The remains of pies, eggs and other dishes consecrated in the church could not be thrown away; they were buried in the field so that the soil would be fertile and produce a lot of harvest this year.

In Rus', as in many other countries (Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic), in addition to Easter, Easter cake and eggs, a figurine of a lamb made of dough or butter was always placed on the Easter table. The skillful housewife cut the lamb out of butter with a knife and fork without a shape.

Since Easter is a holiday of resurrection and rebirth, it is customary to place sprouted grain (wheat, barley or other) on the table.

The Easter table was always rich: in addition to the dishes listed, the hospitable hosts served a variety of vegetable appetizers, stewed chicken giblets, fish roe and milt dishes, herring, jellied fish, jelly and jellied meat, beef kidney potassium with pickles, liver cauliflower, stewed buckwheat porridge with lamb meat, roast with mushrooms prepared for future use in the summer, beef with turnips, boiled pork in hay with beer, duck or goose in honey or fried with juniper branches.

The drinks were also varied: beer, homemade liqueurs, liqueurs and wines, jelly and sbitny.

Easter is the oldest and most important Christian holiday, the Resurrection of Christ. Easter traditions and cooking have always been closely linked. Initially, Passover was the name given to the sacrificial lamb, which was baked whole and eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

And now Easter is not only a solemn night service and the descent of the Holy Fire, but also the end of the 7-week Lent, breaking the fast and a special treat.

Believers prepare the Easter table on Maundy Thursday in order to dedicate Good Friday to even stricter fasting, and on Saturday have time to consecrate the Easter meal in church.

All Easter dishes are prepared only once a year, so it is very important to prepare them tasty, beautiful and memorable. To do this, you must definitely find real country cottage cheese and butter, the freshest eggs with a bright yolk and genuine spices. Dry store-bought cottage cheese, butter of dubious origin and pale eggs are in no way suitable for Easter dishes.

Easter meal

Entering the house, with the blessed Easter in their hands, stepping over the threshold, they say three times: “Holy Easter to the house, all evil spirits from the house.” They sit down at the festive table. First they eat everything holy. Sometimes they began by cutting the holy pysanka into as many pieces as there were family members. Everyone ate their portion in silence, and then they dined on jellied meat, pork, and sausage, ending the meal with Easter.

The festive meal also began with Easter. First of all, they cut off the top of it and gave it to the cow so that there would be a lot of milk, or they kept it until the time when the cow would calve.

After lunch, you were supposed to not drink water for two hours - then you wouldn’t want water in the field during the harvest.

The remains of the festive Easter meal were handled very carefully. All the remains of Easter are collected and buried in a place where no one walks, so that they do not trample on the saint; they throw it on the water (into the river) so that it can go for water.

Our ancestors also believed in the miraculous power of the shells of sacred eggs: shells from eggs or Easter eggs were kept on sticks in the garden to prevent worms from breeding in the ground; When they planted garlic, they attached the shells to two sticks stuck into the ground, hoping that the garlic would be round, like an egg.

They used a holy knife to cut Easter and everything sacred. Then they hid it, and in the summer, when there was thunder and hail, they threw a shovel and a poker crosswise into the yard, and stuck a knife between them. This knife has such power that you can immediately kill a wild boar with it.

There was a special attitude towards the towel in which Easter was celebrated. It was pulled out when a woman went into labor to make it easier.

It is customary not to indulge in food or wine throughout Bright Week. The tables in the house are always covered with the best dishes, and people visit each other. After Lent, for many, this is the most “delicious” week, when any treats acquire an incredible taste.

According to tradition, the festive table should be covered with a beautiful white tablecloth, if possible with Easter-themed embroidery. In the center of the table there is always an Easter cake on a platter, and around it are the most beautiful colors. The rest of the eggs are laid out on separate plates for first use; our ancestors always covered these plates with oat and wheat sprouts.

If possible, in addition to numerous meat dishes, young roasted lamb is served on the table, which symbolizes the Lamb of God.

It is necessary to start each meal with consecrated foods, and then continue the feast with the rest of the dishes. Our ancestors drank only wine these days, but now other, stronger drinks are also possible.
After and during breaks between meals, it is customary to exchange paints, have fun with a variety of games, dance and constantly congratulate each other. Previously, everyone was allowed to ring bells on these days, so festive ringing could be heard from everywhere.

Bright holiday

A festive service is held in the church for three days. If anyone wants to learn any craft, he should go to church on the first day of Easter and, when the priest first says: “Christ is risen!”, quietly answer that he wants to learn to sew - “a needle in his hands”, to craft - “an ax in his hands” and etc.

Any housework is strictly prohibited. During Easter week they visit each other, walk, and sing.
A swing was arranged for the holiday. In an open place, they buried two plows at a distance, made a crossbar at the top, threw a rope and made seats from a plank at the bottom. There was a lot of laughter and jokes while the girls were swinging.

They say that whoever dies on Easter, his soul goes straight to heaven: “On this day God leads all the dead to heaven.” Until three days, the gates of heaven are open (the royal gates in the iconostasis are also open), and the soul will immediately fly to heaven, to paradise. Red Easter eggs are placed in the coffin of the deceased: Christ himself meets the dead on Easter and shares Christ with their souls.

In addition to entertainment, on Easter days it was previously customary to perform the “Green Christmastide” ritual. Just like during the sowing season, several people, singing Easter songs, go from house to house and congratulate the owners who treat them. In the evenings, violinists also walked around the courtyards and played Great melodies.

During Easter week, it is customary to help the poor and weak - to give alms, distribute blessed food to the poor, and help the sick.

After Fomin Monday, the church continues to celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord for 32 days, but at this time there are no more magnificent feasts. According to legend, during these days the Savior walked around the world with the apostles. It is believed that to this day they test human qualities - they reward kind and not greedy people, and punish evil and cruel people.

Many traditions have not survived to this day, but the main thing remains: after Easter Sunday, you need to carry the joy of this bright holiday in your heart for at least another week.

Easter superstitions, signs, customs

Easter is an ancient and complex holiday that dates back to pagan times. For farmers, Easter symbolized the coming of the sun and the awakening of nature. Therefore, many rituals are associated with the main concerns of peasants: the future harvest, the health of the family and livestock. The Church has assigned to this day such an outstanding event as the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Most folk rituals were performed on Maundy Thursday, which is also called “clean Thursday.” The main ritual on Thursday is to get yourself in order. It is advisable to wash in cold water on this day. Water washes away diseases, gives the body beauty and health. Previously, soap was taken outside at night to make the face especially clean. They washed and bathed until the first rays of the sun, and dipped silver and gold into the water. These metals symbolized wealth and strength. To make their hair thick and long, women cut the ends of their braids. One-year-old children had their hair cut for the first time on Maundy Thursday. This day is also dedicated to cleaning the house, because... Before Easter, gender revenge was not accepted.

Among the people they believed that On Easter night you can see your deceased relatives. To do this, after the religious procession you should hide in the temple with a passionate candle so that no one notices. It was forbidden to talk to the dead; there is a cemetery for that.

According to the peasants, on Easter night all the devils are unusually angry, so that when the sun set, men and women were afraid to go out into the yard and onto the street: in every black cat, in every dog and pig they saw a werewolf, a devil in the form of an animal. Even the men avoided going to their parish church alone, just as they avoided leaving it.

To mock the evil spirits, villagers came out to the crossroads with an Easter egg and rolled it along the road. It was believed that then the devils would certainly jump out and dance.

So, the one who will be the first to see the sunrise Sun on Easter, he will not know troubles all year.

It was considered a bad omen to oversleep the morning service on Easter - this prophesied failure.

In addition, there was a belief that During the Easter morning service, sorcerers can be easily identified. For this it was enough to turn around and look at the people: all the sorcerers would stand with their backs to the altar.

After the morning service you need get home as quickly as possible and start eating the festive meal: the sooner you do this, the more successful things will be.

On Easter morning housewives watched the cattle. The one that lies still is the one for the yard, and if the animal is tossing and turning, it has no place in the household. In the morning, peasant women “shook” the chickens from their roost so that they would not be lazy, but would get up earlier and lay more eggs.

One of the most interesting customs for Easter is expulsion of bedbugs and cockroaches from the hut. When the owner came home after mass, he was not supposed to immediately enter the hut, but first knocked. The hostess, without opening the door, asked: “Who is there?” “I am your master,” answered the husband, “my name is Ivan. Well, wife, how are we going to break our fast?” “We will break our fast with meat, sour cream, milk, eggs.” “What about bedbugs?” “And bedbugs are bedbugs.” The peasants were sure that, having overheard this dialogue, the bugs would either get scared and run away from the hut, or attack each other and eat themselves.

To get rid of troubles, bad luck and quarrels, you need to burn a cross on the door frame with an Easter candle.

On Easter, as well as on the Annunciation, as a sign of spring freedom the birds were released into the wild. When releasing it, they made a wish - it was believed that the bird was a heavenly creature, and she would pass it on to the Almighty.

Candles bought for Easter They were kept in the church all year - they blessed the young, placed them near the seriously ill, and used them to drive out evil spirits from houses.

Remains of wax from Easter candles kept until next Easter - according to popular belief, this served as a talisman for the house against fire, and for the family against curses.

Exists belief about the “playing” sun on the day of the Holy Resurrection of Christ. Since ancient times, many people have gone to “watch for the sun.” From different heights (hills, bell towers) those wishing to watch the sunrise. Through a shard of smoked glass, it seemed as if the sun was “dancing.”

If your the child is capricious and whiny, On Easter, parents must definitely go to church to atone for their sins.

If the child was born on Easter Sunday, then he will become a famous, famous person. Anyone born on Easter week will have good health. Great people, who can even change the course of history, are born not just on Easter Sunday, but also at noon and with a shirt on.

A so that the baby grows strong and strong, on the morning of Easter Sunday he must be placed with his feet on an ax and said: “As steel is strong, so be you strong and healthy. Amen.

If your baby develops slowly On Easter, walk him barefoot on a wooden floor. And his teeth will erupt faster, he will walk on his own legs sooner, and he will speak sooner.

The willow brought during Palm Week, fanned the children's room, thereby driving out misfortunes and illnesses.

Mothers protected their children as follows - starting from Easter and throughout the Easter week, the babies were first given a piece of blessed Easter cake on an empty stomach, and then only fed the rest of the food.

A so that there is peace in the family, ok and no one quarreled with each other, the Easter meal must begin with the whole family and everyone must first of all eat a piece of Easter cake and eggs that were blessed in the church.

A woman who can't get pregnant, on Easter, you should put an extra plate next to you, put a piece of Easter on it with the words: “Kulich for the kids!” After the meal, this piece was crumbled to the birds.

There was a tradition for older people comb your hair, saying a wish so that they have as many grandchildren as there are hairs on their heads.

Death on Easter- this is a special sign. A person who died on this day is marked by God. His soul will immediately rush to heaven, to the holy saints. The deceased is buried with a red testicle in his right hand.

Christians believed that Easter dishes, consecrated by prayer, have enormous power and can help in difficult times. The housewives hid all the food at night so that not a single mouse could get to it. There was a belief: if a mouse eats a consecrated piece, it will grow wings and turn into a bat. And bones from the Easter table were buried next to arable land or thrown into the fire during a thunderstorm to avoid thunder strikes. The head of the blessed Easter cake was also preserved. Only during sowing did the peasant take it to the field and eat it in the field. This should have ensured a bountiful harvest.

The Easter table should be beautifully decorated, then the heavens will rejoice for the holiday of Easter.
You cannot eat an egg and throw (let alone spit out) the shell out the window onto the street. Peasants used to believe that throughout the entire Bright Week, Christ himself with the apostles in beggar's rags walks the earth and, if you are careless, you can hit him with a shell.

Girls on Easter week washed with water from a red egg, to be ruddy, they stood on an ax to become strong. To prevent your hands from sweating, do not take salt into your hands on Easter days.
There are a number of other girlish Easter signs:
- if you hurt your elbow during Easter week, my dear remembers;
- if a fly falls into the cabbage soup, wait for a date;
- if your lips itch, you can’t avoid a kiss;
- if your eyebrows start to itch, you will see your loved one.

If on Easter night draw water from a spring or river, then, according to popular belief, it will have special power.

Lure the Groom possible in church on Easter during the service. When the priest says “Christ is Risen!” you need to quickly whisper: “Resurrection of Christ, send me a single guy as my groom!” “The Resurrection of Christ! Send me a single groom, in stockings and a pair of shorts!” or “God grant a good groom, in boots and galoshes, not on a cow, but on a horse!”

To get younger and richer, older women also washed themselves from dishes in which they placed a colored egg and coins, that is, they washed themselves “with gold, silver and a red egg.”

So that no one can jinx the child for a whole year, need it for Easter cross him with an Easter egg and say: “Just as no one ever picks up this egg, so no one ever picks up (the child’s name).” You need to give this testicle to the child to kiss.

If you are experiencing constant difficulties with money, definitely for Easter give the beggar a coin- all year you will not know the need.

If during Easter week you saw a deceased relative in a dream this means that next year no one in the family will become seriously ill or die.

Even criminals (thieves, dishonest card players, etc.) created peculiar signs dedicated to Easter. The thieves made every effort to steal some thing from those praying in the church during Easter Matins and, moreover, to do it in such a way that no one would even think of suspecting them. If the enterprise was successful, they were sure that they could safely steal for a whole year and no one would catch them.

The players, when going to church, put a coin in their boots under the heel with the firm hope that this measure would bring them a big win. But in order to become an invincible player and be sure to beat everyone and everyone, it was necessary, when going to listen to Easter Matins, to take cards to the church and commit the following sacrilege: when the priest appears from the altar in bright vestments and for the first time says “Christ is Risen”, having come with the cards must answer: “The cards are here.” When the priest says “Christ is Risen” for the second time, the godless gambler replies: "The Whip is Here". Third time: “The aces are here.” This sacrilege, according to the players, can bring countless winnings, but only until the blasphemer repents.

On Easter and throughout the week there is church did not marry the newlyweds - being distracted by worldly holidays was considered a great sin.

Couples in love were sensitive to kisses for Easter. It was considered a bad omen to kiss on the threshold - it promised separation. Also, if you hear the croaking of a raven during a kiss, then the lovers could soon separate. But if the kiss took place under a tree, then this promised a joyful life.

It’s good to go on a swing on Easter (and throughout Easter week). This ritual of worship. They say it blows away all sins.

“Christ has risen, and my family has health, my house has wealth, my field has a harvest. Amen". Then the year will be successful.

If at the first strike of the church bell you say: “Christ is risen, health to the servant (name). Amen", This person, whose name was named, recovers, even if he is seriously ill. Unmarried girls can say this: “Christ is Risen, and I have a good groom. Amen".

It was believed that bells ringing on the day of Christ's resurrection endowed with truly magical powers - by ringing the bell, believers asked for a good harvest, peace and harmony in the family, and the girls for a handsome and rich groom. If a person said his request from the bottom of his heart, then it would definitely come true.

In Rus', every year on the day of this great holiday in every home they placed jugs of honey near the icons, which were called kanunchiki. The owners lit candles in them and remembered their relatives and friends who had departed from this world, so that they too could rejoice that Christ had risen. After the holiday, on Easter week, these jugs were taken to the cemetery and left on the graves of the dead. They also took three red Easter eggs with them to the cemetery and, saying “Christ is risen” at the grave, crumbled the colors for the birds.

There were a lot of signs associated with the Easter egg. There was a belief that with the help of an Easter egg, the souls of the dead could find relief in the next world. To do this, you just need to go to the cemetery, christen the deceased three times, then break the egg, crumble it and feed it to the “free” bird, which, in gratitude for this, will remember the dead and ask God for them.

With the help of an Easter egg, the living also receive relief from all diseases and misfortunes. If the egg received at the time of Christhood from the priest is kept in the shrine for three or even twelve years, then as soon as such an egg is given to the seriously ill to eat, all the illness will be removed from them as if by hand.

If there is a death in the family on Easter, then this is a very bad omen. This means there will be a series of deaths in this family. To prevent this from happening, a red Easter egg is placed in the deceased’s right hand. There should be no more red eggs in the house, they should be distributed to people.

When the bells ring on Easter, you must whisper three times: “Christ has risen, and my family has health, my house has wealth, my field has a harvest. Amen." Then the year will be successful.

The peasants also believed that the egg also helped in extinguishing fires: if a righteous person took such an egg and ran around the burning building three times with the words “Christ is Risen,” the fire would immediately subside and then stop on its own. But if the egg falls into the hands of a person of questionable lifestyle, the fire will not stop. Then there is only one remedy: throw the egg in the direction opposite to the direction of the wind and free from buildings. It was believed that then the wind would subside, change direction, and the power of the fire would weaken.

But most of all, the Easter egg helps in agricultural work: all you have to do is bury it in the grains during the Easter prayer service, and then go with the same egg and grain to sow, and a wonderful harvest is guaranteed.

A husband and wife must hit colored eggs against each other at breakfast on Easter Sunday; the one whose egg does not break will be the “head” of the family all year.

Painted eggs were exchanged at a meeting; they were used to tell fortunes by breaking the shell in a certain way. The egg had to be rolled on the table. Good luck in games with eggs promised well-being in the family.

Finally, the egg helps even treasure hunters. After all, every treasure, as you know, is guarded by an evil spirit specially assigned to it, and when they see a person approaching with an Easter egg, the devils will certainly get scared and scatter, leaving the treasure without any protection or cover. Then all that remains is to take a shovel and calmly dig out the cauldrons of gold.

In the folk calendar, the upcoming weather was determined by Easter.

Thunderstorm on Easter - for late and dry autumn.

If there is frost or thunder on the first day of Easter, it means a good harvest.

If it rains on the first day of Easter, it means a rainy spring and a good rye harvest.

If it rains during the week, there will be a good wheat harvest.

If the weather is cold on the second day of Easter, then the summer will be dry.

If the weather is clear on the second day after Easter, then summer, on the contrary, will be rainy.

If it rains on Easter, then spring will also be rainy.

If it was warm and clear on Easter, then the summer will be sunny and the harvest will be good.

A starry night on Easter means frost.

By Easter all the snow had melted away - for a good harvest.

At Easter the sky is gloomy - summer will be cold and cloudy.

There is also such a sign: if a dog barks to the east during Easter Matins - to the fire, to the west - to misfortune.

Other Easter signs:

On the first day of Easter, breaking something means death this year.

If a candle goes out during a service, it is bad luck, but if after the service a person extinguishes it himself, it is good luck.

Oversleeping the morning service is a sign of failure.

Feeding free birds brings wealth and good luck.

If the Easter bread is baked successfully, then everything in the family will be fine.

A child born on Easter at noon has a great destiny.

Seeing the Easter sunrise means good luck in business.

Seeing a colorful sunset is good luck.

Hearing the cuckoo foretells an addition to the family, and for young girls - an imminent marriage.

Hear the sound of a woodpecker - you will have your own home.

Even hunters had their own Easter traditions, which boiled down to the main requirement: never shed blood on holidays. It was believed that animals also celebrated the Resurrection of Christ.

This night, lamps or candles must be lit in the red corner of the house. Candles are also lit on the graves of deceased relatives. Fire, candles, bonfires are indispensable attributes of Orthodox Easter: the apostles warmed themselves by the fire in the Garden of Gethsemane when it was Christ’s last night.

On Easter they often visited the cemetery - they went to celebrate Christ with the dead, they left colored eggs, some bread and beer on the graves.

According to legend, from the first day of Easter until the Ascension, Christ and the Apostle wander the earth in beggar’s rags and experience human mercy. The good are rewarded and the evil are punished.

And of course, everyone around them congratulated each other with the words on their lips: “Christ is Risen!”, and in response they heard: “Truly He is Risen!”, kissed the cheek three times and exchanged Easter gifts.

Spouses must christen themselves so that no one can see, otherwise it will lead to separation. Children must be kissed three times.

Easter is a great Christian holiday. Our people associate many traditions and rituals with this day. It is believed that on this day a deeply religious person will be able to ask the Lord to fulfill his cherished desire and gain wealth, health and prosperity for the whole year. But not all magical actions can be performed on this day. There are special rituals for Easter that are valid only during this period. Using them at other times is not recommended as it may lead to disaster. If you can follow all the rules and traditions, then Easter conspiracies will help you make your wishes come true in the coming year.

History of Easter

Celebrating Easter in Rus' began only at the end of the 10th century. This holiday does not have an exact date, since according to tradition this day is determined by the church. According to the calendar, most often this period is from the first days of April to the first days of May. Historically, this holiday is a tradition passed down to us from the Hebrew holiday of Passover, which has been known about since ancient times.

For Jews, this is also a great holiday, which is a symbol of the coming spring, the renewal of everything in this world, the liberation of man and the awakening of nature from the sleep. On this day, everyone can gain dignity and freedom. In the sacred books, Passover is associated with the great journey of the Jews under the leadership of Moses (translated as “passover” - “transition”). In the Orthodox religion, the traditions of celebrating Easter are somewhat different from the Jewish ones.

Preparation for the celebration takes place over the course of a whole week (we call it “Passion Week”) and ends with the preparation of abundant and festive food, which is brought to the church for consecration. After holding the all-night vigil (service throughout the night), the family returned to the house, where they sat down at the table. And first of all, one should try the food that was blessed in the temple.

The most popular for cooking were special Easter cakes, Easter cottage cheese and colored eggs. Most of the signs and rituals are associated with them.

Rituals for the Easter holiday: ancient and modern

One of the most striking symbols of this holiday is the painted egg. In the Christian tradition, it marks life itself, as well as the victory of this life over death. Eggs are often painted red to remind of the Blood of Christ, which he shed to save humanity.

Such painted eggs, which were necessarily blessed in the church, were eaten first at the table. On Easter day it was customary to wash with special water. They put gold and silver in it, as well as a painted egg. This was supposed to bring health, wealth and beauty for the next year.

Mothers used red painted eggs to protect their children from the evil eye. To do this, they rolled them over the child's face and hands.

At Easter, there is a tradition according to which small groups of singers and musicians were created, who after Easter walked around the courtyards and sang special songs. In them they sang praises to the owners and the whole family, wishing them a fruitful year, fertile livestock and other blessings. In return, the owners of the house had to thank the singers with freshly prepared food. It was believed that such an exchange contributed to the well-being of the family, a rich harvest and protection of the entire family from various adversities.

Easter has its own customs and traditions that you need to know and preferably observe. This information will be useful for both adults and children.

Easter customs

In ancient times, Christians continued the great Easter holiday They gathered daily for public worship and sanctified this day with special deeds of piety, mercy and charity.

Imitating the Lord, who by His Resurrection freed all people from the shackles of sin and death, pious kings wiped out prisons on Easter days and forgave prisoners (but not criminals). Ordinary Christians these days came to the aid of the poor, the orphaned and the wretched. Brashno (that is, food), consecrated on Easter, was distributed to the poor and thereby made the poor participants in the great joy of the bright celebration.

It has long been a tradition that in Rus', with Easter, lively festivities for young people always began: they rode on swings, danced in circles, sang spring flowers.

On this bright and great holiday, all people celebrate Christ: They kiss on the lips three times in Russian and say: “Christ is risen!” - “Truly risen!” At the same time, everyone gives each other painted, blessed Easter eggs and takes them to the graves of the dead.

On Easter day, after a long seven-week fast, they appear on the festive table. Easter cakes, eggs, cottage cheese and meat.

Why is it customary to give eggs at Easter?

The egg is considered the main Easter symbol of the Resurrection, since from it a new creature is born. Therefore, since ancient times, the Orthodox Church has maintained the pious tradition of giving eggs on the bright holiday of Easter. This custom was introduced by Saint Mary Magdalene, Equal-to-the-Apostles, when, after the Ascension of the Lord, she came to Rome to preach the Gospel, appeared before Emperor Tiberius and, presenting him with a red egg, said: “Christ is Risen!”, thus beginning her sermon.

Following the example of Mary Magdalene, all Christians now and in our days give each other colored eggs on Easter, confessing the life-giving death and the Resurrection of the Lord - two events that Easter unites in itself. The Easter egg is a reminder of one of the main tenets of faith and serves as a visible sign of the blessed resurrection of the dead, the guarantee of which is the Resurrection of Jesus Christ - the Conqueror of death and hell.

Painted Red eggs were previously called krashenka, painted eggs were called pysanka, and wooden Easter eggs were called yaichata. A red egg signifies rebirth for people through the blood of Christ. The different colors and patterns used to decorate the eggs are an innovation that also reflects the joy of the greatest holiday of Christ's Resurrection.

There is even an Easter sign: If you wash your face with water in which dye has been dipped, the person will be healthy and handsome. And staying awake the night before Easter protects against illness, ensures a successful and happy marriage, a rich harvest and good luck in the hunt.