Foreignness of the Epiphany is an important date in the Orthodox calendar. Holiday celebrate January 18 every year This is a non-transmitting date. The second name is the Epiphany Christmas Eve. The forever of the Epiphany and the Great Consecration of Water takes place on the same day. Believers relies like a strict post to the first star, food is customary after the consecration of water. In this, the Epiphany Christmas Eve is similar to Christmas: they have general rules.
My memories of Epiphany (Epiphany) water are associated with the wonderful healing of the grandmother from a dangerous ophthalmic disease. She just with faith in his heart was washed with baptic water and saw 3 sip every morning on an empty stomach. In the article, I will tell you about the traditions of the Epiphany, about folk signs and beliefs.
The essence of the holiday
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What does the word "forever" mean? This church Slavonic word denotes the "Holiday Welcome". The world is preparing for a meeting with God, so the feast of baptism is called the Epiphany. The church recalls the moment when the prophet John baptized Jesus Christ in the Jordan River. During the baptism of the Holy Spirit descended from heaven and sounded the voice of God: "This there is a son of my beloved." God Father directly pointed out his only begotten son. Then the saying was born: "Jesus was baptized, the devil was drowned."
This saying is connected with water, in which the redemputor of the world and all people was baptized. At this point in time, the world ceased to be the same, because the word of the ancient prophets about the Messiah (Savior) entered into force. In the church on the liturgy, an imagine of a special place is given to the sanctification of water with great rank - great consecration. This chin sanctification is spent still in the step, as the holiday directly points to the meeting (step) of the Old Testament with a new - Simeon's priest with a baby Christ.
Worship at this time is carried out with a special pomp. Such worships in the liturgical year only 4:
- christmas Christmas tree;
- Epiphany Christmas tree;
- great (pure) thursday;
- Great Saturday passionate sadders.
Folk traditions
The feast of the Epiphany refers to the two-month, however, is characterized by special mysticism and mystery. Baptism is crowned with a shiny, during which the most mysterious and often terrible events occurred. Only the mirror corridor is worth it. Special mystical horror attribute week before baptism. The people believed that at this time the unclean power would be harmful to people. Therefore, before the Epiphany, all the mistresses painted on the doors and window frames (shutters) crosses consecrated chalk. It was believed that they would protect the house from the penetration of the unclean in this troubled time.
Worship in this holiday is characterized by a special pomp and solemnity. Previously, the liturgical year was opened by the feast of the Epiphany. The central place in worship is given to the consecration of water, for the sake of this, the great chin of sanctification is carried out. According to tradition on January 18, the water is sanctified in the temple in the evening, and January 19 - in the natural source. Many Orthodox on this day bathes in a hole, blending their sins.
The people believed that on the night of April 18 to January 19, the Lord sanctifies each puddle.
Bathing in the hole is not necessarily, but Orthodox believe that it is the baptic water that will be able to wash off the heaviest sins and give health. The tradition of kneading sins in the hole went from our ancestors, which during the ranks dressed up with unclean power. Believers were cleaned with themselves this image so that he does not bring the misfortune and trouble. Also, people believed that on the night of January 18-19, water in the reservoirs pegs. They poured water into the cup and waited, it slammed at midnight or not. If the households saw that the water was broken, which means that the hurdles of the Epiphany were honored. It was considered a kind sign of fate.
What else did on the eve of the Epiphany? Called pure snow. It was believed that he had a healing force. This snow was kept carefully, the bathhouse was treated with him (for beauty), washped (for health), sanctified the wells (threw inward). Also this snow was used to choose canvases. People believed that it was by the Epiphany snow that can be highly whiten linen cans.
This evening, it was customary to krop the whole house with holy water, as well as to take the cattle. The peasants believed that the Holy Water could protect against damage and illness not only people, but also domestic animals. Epiphany water was gained in all the containers to have enough for the whole year: it was customary to drink the Wick daily on an empty stomach of 3 sip. But if the water ended, it was possible to add a few drops of bachechensky to ordinary water - and it also became consecrated.
Prayer before the use of baptic water:
During the sprinkling of the house of Epiphany water, the trophard of the Epiphany was read:
Also on this day they defended the house from fires and impact lightning. To do this, under the images read a special charm with a lit candle:
The candle was kept behind the images, the next year they simply survived to the end.
Signs and beliefs on the Christmas Eve
The people believed that in the Epiphany Christmas Eve, the unclean force was last walking around the world, so it goes into a spread. At this time, the witches worked the most terrible damage and love spells. They managed to recruit in natural sources of "Black Water" and use it in their demonic matters.
But at this time, it was possible to wash off with baptic water from themselves any damage, even the most soothed, and heal from serious ailments. Epiphany womb is so strong that he could cope with any carriage spell.
People believed that in the eve of the Epiphany of the Epiphany could accumulate anyone: a pet, an unfamiliar man and even a relative. Therefore, there were special signs in the people to recognize the unclean for the mask.
In the old days, people believed that witches and wildcraft could steal the moon and the stars from the sky. That is how they explained all cases of eclipses and new moon, during which a month becomes an invisible couple of days.
Of particular interest is the belief of the offseason, to which the intererement refers - noon / midnight. It was believed that during these moments everything is alive on the verge of life and death, and the spirits gain special activity. Also believed that if you change your appearance (throw the fur coat to the fur outside, put the mask of the animal), you can easily get in touch with the world of perfume. That's where the tradition came to dress up during the ranks.
In the baptized Christmas tree, they certainly fed her pet bread, whose crust was drawn with a chalk cross. The glory sign was considered a reliable protection against all demon and otherworldly. In some southern regions, our country was such a rite of animal protection from unclean strength: the owner caught his cattle with an ax in his hands, and then this ax flipped through crowded animals. This rite is based on an ancient faith in the magical properties of iron as a powerful protection against the entire demonic and otherworldly.
Folk beliefs:
- Blizzard in the Epiphany Christmas Eve - Bees will be good;
- Unprecedented barking dogs - a good catch in hunters;
- Snow in the morning of January 19 - to a rich crop of buckwheat;
- Bright stars at the night sky - to a rich harvest of legumes;
- shine stars - to a rich crop of wheat;
- The absence of stars in the sky (due to clouds) - to the crown of mushrooms.
Basically, all signs were associated with agricultural needs.
Fortune telling
Everyone knows the words from the poem of Zhukovsky "Svetlana": "Once in the baptismic evening the girl was gadal." Foreignness of the Epiphany - the last chance to learn your future. In the morning, the unclean power will leave the world of people and will not be able to raise freely on earth, which means that it will be problematic about her future. Therefore, girls used this evening with the benefit of the case: wondered and stole.The most brave spent scary Rite "Mirror Corridor" in which hoped to see their narrowed. Contemporary girls are difficult to understand their vintage peers, since today women can survive on their own. In the past times, without male hands, it was impossible to keep the economy, and no one paid pensions. Therefore, every girl sought to marry the very good and working guy: after all, its well-being depended on it.
What other fortune telling this evening? Enjoy popular with popularity divination by shadows on the wall (And in our time it has not lost the relevance). To do this, it is necessary to hide the paper, best of all the newspaper, and put a lump on the back of the plate. Next, this lump of paper needs to set fire and let it burn. When the electric light and the candle is off and the candle creates a projection on the wall: according to figures you can determine your future. At least 2 people take part in the fortune study: one holds a saucer with burnt paper, and the second stands behind with a burning candle.
Also wondered in wax . To do this, it is necessary to melt a small piece of wax in an iron spoon over the candle (it is possible above the gas burner) and make your desire. While the wax is token, you need to think about a desire, and not about outsiders. Then melted wax pour into a pre-prepared bowl with cold water. After driving the frozen wax figure, trying to determine the answer to the question - a desire will be fulfilled or not, and how it will be. In this fortune, it is important to have developed imagination.
What can not be done on this day
Of particular importance, our ancestors paid banners on holidays. It was not so important to perform any rituals how to keep prohibitions. Because the non-compliance of the prohibitions attracted misfortunes and trouble.
Forbidden:
- Find out with anything relationship, swear, quarrel.
- Use in conversations of obscene vocabulary, squander.
- Engage in dirty homework, sew, knit.
- Serving the table at the even number of devices and dishes.
- Thinking about bad during the set / sanctification of baptisma water.
- Violate a strict post and there is a rapid to the first star.
- Industion to indulgence during a festive dinner.