Many people know that at the end of Shrovetide, fasting begins, which continues until Easter. Christians of both directions (Catholics and Orthodox) adhere to it until the day of the Resurrection of Christ. However, among Catholics and Orthodox, fasting begins on different days and has its own name.
This day is dedicated to the work of Thomas Eliot, written in poetry in 1930. To understand what exactly was described under the name “Ash Wednesday” by Eliot, it is important to know the essence of the day itself.
The meaning of the holiday
Catholics start fasting on Wednesday. We will find out why this happens a little later, and for a start we will analyze why Ash Wednesday is called that. At the beginning of the fast, the priest in the church puts a cross on the forehead of the congregation with consecrated ashes. It reminds people that their bodies are just dust. The priest conducts the procedure with the words: "Remember, man, that you will return to dust."
The ash used is not simple, it should be from palm branches, which have been preserved from the last holiday of Palm Sunday (Entrance of the Lord into Jerusalem). In Europe, willow branches are used. People often call them cats. Many parishioners believe that blessed ashes contribute to a good harvest.
There are other names for this day:
- Bad environment.
- Black environment.
- Adam's day.
- Curve environment.
- Crazy environment.
All these names refer to the same day and begin the fast, which should last 46 days.
Story
The custom itself initially envisioned sprinkling ashes on the head, but has changed over time in some countries. It has an ancient biblical origin. Even in the Old Testament, such an action meant repentance and humility of man.
It is already known that Ash Wednesday is the beginning of fasting. This tradition arose in the 4th century. Moreover, at first its duration was 40 days, and by the 8th century it was decided to add a few more days. Since that time, the post began to be held from Wednesday.
Easter does not have a fixed date that repeats year after year. It is celebrated every year at different times, and therefore Ash Wednesday begins in different ways. For example, in 2015, it was held on February 18.
Why does Adam’s day begin 46 days before Easter
The answer lies in the fact that Ash Wednesday is the beginning of the fast, and it lasts 40 days, that is, 6 weeks. But Catholics do not hold it on Sundays, so these days fall. That is why they start it earlier, that is, on Wednesday, and not on Monday.
For the Orthodox, the post is continuous and amounts to all 40 days in a row. Therefore, it starts from Monday, which is called Clean.
Interestingly, among Catholics, the last day before fasting is called Fat Tuesday. Among the Orthodox, he is known as Forgiveness Sunday.
Crazy Wednesday Days Until 2020
The dates presented are calculated according to an algorithm developed by the Catholic denomination. In the following years, the Ash Wednesday among Catholics will be held:
- 2016 - February 10;
- 2017 - March 1;
- 2018 - February 14;
- 2019 - March 6;
- 2020 - February 26.
Ash Wednesday in Slavic traditions
It is always very difficult for ordinary people to resist any prohibitions, so not everyone can fast. If today priests speak more about the spiritual side, and not about abstinence from food, then in the last century it was a question of strict observance of Christian dogmas.
In Europe, it was customary to wear dark clothes these days, only a certain list of products was allowed to be eaten, and alcohol was not allowed. However, the last point was severe enough for the male half of the population, so many found excuse for their weaknesses. In general, the catholic ash environment is the same everywhere, although some countries have their own rites.
For example, in the Czech Republic, men after serving on Crooked Wednesday believed that a glass of alcohol drunk on that day would save them in the summer from mosquito bites and other insects. In some areas they even said: "Wash down the ashes."
Since the Ash Wednesday divided people's lives into festivities and prolonged abstinence, they treated her in a special way. So, it was believed that on this day you can not spin the thread. Failure to comply with the ban can lead to poor harvest of flax and hemp, and those who get such clothes will suffer misfortunes.
In Slovakia, you cannot lay eggs under the hens at this time, so that they do not hatch in curves. Also, women cooked long noodles so that tall ears would spawn, and large cakes were baked so that pigs grew thick.
In Poland, there was a tradition according to which on this day a person could steal a thing from the owner of the house, and then sell it back to the owner in the tavern.
Traditions with soot
In addition to sprinkling and anointing with ashes in the church, the Slavs performed their rites. So, in Slovakia, the guys tried to anoint the young girls with soot, the women also anointed themselves with it. Poles grabbed a sieve with ash above the entrance to the house so that everyone entering the house would be showered with it.
Many Slavic Catholics collected meat and ashes from the furnace for sprinkling seeds, dwellings, fields on them. This was supposed to protect from fires, pests, natural disasters.
Ash Wednesday, the photo of the celebration of which is presented in the article, has many traditions that complement it. Most often, people independently thought of them, so in different countries and even regions they can differ.
Causes of Easter mismatches among Catholics and Orthodox
It just so happened that the celebration of Christian Easter among the Orthodox and Catholics does not coincide. This did not happen due to a split, and not on purpose. The fact is that the celebration is calculated by studying the phases of the moon. More specifically, this should be on the 14th day of the phase after the day of the vernal equinox. Many ancient countries had their own calculation of this day, so in Gaul, Italy, Egypt, the Easter date was still in the 4th century.
Another contradiction was the calendar split that occurred in the 16th century. The Gregorian calendar was introduced , and the world was divided into those who lived according to the New and Old styles. The Orthodox Church left the Julian calendar in the rites , so all the holidays continue to be celebrated according to the Old Style.
Most often, the difference between Easter is from one to five weeks. But she cannot be two or three weeks. All these calculations are carried out according to a special algorithm. At the same time, every few years Easter at both faiths may coincide. For example, in 2014 it was. The next match will be in 2017. The main condition is that the Christian Easter does not coincide with the Jewish.