One of the most widespread world religions is Christianity, which preaches faith in Jesus Christ - the Savior of all offended and thirsting for justice. However, in the course of historical events, Christianity fell into three streams: Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism.
What do the Orthodox believe
The Orthodox people are people who believe in God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit.
For them, God is one, but embodied in this Trinity. The main postulates of Orthodoxy are:
The belief that Jesus Christ has two natures at the same time - human and divine.
The faith in the atoning sacrifice that Jesus made for the salvation of mankind.
Belief in the afterlife and in the fact that everyone after death will be rewarded according to his merits.
Belief in a mysterious force called Divine Grace, which is sent to people from above to be freed from sin.
Belief in the existence of angels and demons.
The main shrine is the Bible, which is honored by the Orthodox people.
This book, which consists of the Old and New Testaments, reflects basic Christian ideas and guides believers on the true path.
The foundations of the Orthodox society
Orthodoxy gained the greatest distribution among Slavic peoples.
Adherents of this movement in Christianity (translated literally meaning “correct teaching / judgment”) adhere to ancient customs and traditions that clearly reflect their worldview.
Thanks to Christian foundations, such significant holidays as the Nativity of Christ, Baptism, Easter have appeared in the life of the Orthodox.
The Orthodox people are people who sacredly honor family values and traditions. In particular, believers hold a long fast before Christmas. Its ending falls on January 6 - Christmas Eve.
On this day you can not eat before the rise of the first star. Traditionally, after an evening service, the family gathers at the festive table, where one observes a kutya (overeating).
The main holidays in Orthodoxy
Christmas is the celebration of the birth of God the Son - Jesus Christ, who came to the world as the Messiah, the Savior. Thanks to Jesus, people gained faith and received hope for the mercy, kindness, truth, and eternal life that Christ spoke about in his sermons. According to the Julian calendar , this holiday is celebrated on January 7, while Catholics celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25.
On this day, carol walkers go home, praising the birth of Christ in carols and wishing all household members health and prosperity.
Another significant holiday celebrated by the Orthodox people is Baptism, which marks the baptism of Jesus, who at that time was 30 years old. The rite was performed by John the Baptist in the Jordan River and symbolized the cleansing of the soul and body of a person from sins.
On the eve of the holiday, churches and churches hold a ceremony of blessing water. It is believed that after this rite, water acquires miraculous properties that can heal the sick, and also have a detrimental effect on the evil spirits. By tradition, baptismal water is stored in the house for a year, until the next festive consecration.
The baptism of Jesus Christ marked the beginning of the tradition of baptizing children, which became one of the sacraments of the Orthodox Church.
The main Christian holiday is the Resurrection of Christ - Easter. It is dedicated to the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. This day is celebrated with special triumph: many hours of service are held; believers prepare Easter, bake Easter cakes, paint eggs, which are sanctified after the end of the service.
The Orthodox traditions of the Russian people consisted, among other things, of believing in the salvation of the soul, cleansing it of sins for the commission of good deeds. Therefore, on Easter, parishioners sacrificed for the benefit of the church and there are especially many needy.
The influence of religion on society
The Orthodox peoples of Russia make up a significant part of the total population of the country. Nevertheless, they get along well with representatives of other religions, for example, Muslims, Catholics, Buddhists.
An important fact is that the Russian Orthodox Church is the largest of its kind.
Its influence is quite tangible in all matters of human life and the state. And yet in our time it is not as great as before. Thus, the church greatly influenced the work of many prominent writers and composers: A.S. Pushkin, F.M. Dostoevsky, N.V. Gogol, P.I. Tchaikovsky, M.P. Mussorgsky, A.P. Borodin. The works of these outstanding people are very kind to the Orthodox people. Their significance for the culture and life of believers is enormous, as is the observance of the customs and traditions of their ancestors.