The religious feast of the Holy Spirit, or Spirits day, is celebrated in Christianity the day after the Trinity. As a rule, it falls on the first Monday after it. Only the calendar date is changed.
This is a special time for believers, accompanied by a festive service - with chants and readings of special verses and prayers.
Description
The Holy Spirit is the active energy of the Almighty, through which He manifests such ability as omnipresence.
Also, according to Bible books, thanks to this Sacred Power many miracles were performed, including the healing of people and the resurrection of life.
The symbol of the Holy Spirit is a pigeon bird. This is clearly reflected at the time of the baptism of Jesus Christ in Jordan - then this bird flew over him as a sign of the active power of the Almighty and a testimony that He is God who sent His only begotten Son to Earth.
From which it follows that this symbol is part of the Holy Trinity: God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is this Holy Trinity that personifies the Christian holiday of the same name, which is celebrated fifty days after Easter. And always on Sunday. Therefore, the date of the Spirit of the day is the first Monday, which follows immediately after the Trinity. It is recommended that the day before - in the morning and evening, and in the early morning of this day, people visit the temple to participate in divine services.
Indeed, on this holiday a special prayer is read - “King of Heaven”, which is filled with blessed purity, humility, gratitude, a request for help and reverence. And also canon and akathist are performed.
The Holy Spirit bestows every person on the planet, especially sincere, bright and kind, with unusual qualities that are called “the fruits of the Spirit” in the Bible. Namely: patience, mercy, love, joy, kindness, purity. All this is like grace from God sent to people. And it is very important to preserve and increase these gifts, to be grateful.
Story
In order to better understand the essence of the holiday of the Spirit of the day, it is necessary to turn to the biblical events that took place in the 1st century AD.
When Jesus Christ was resurrected and ascended to heaven forty days later, he promised his disciples and followers that a special sign would be sent to them. And it will happen in Jerusalem.
Ten days later, the words of the Son of God were confirmed: fiery tongues descended on the apostles and other believers, symbolizing the gift of heaven — to preach the Christian faith throughout the earth; and they spoke in different languages. All this was accompanied by a thunderstorm foreshadowing the storm.
It is this memorable moment called the Holy Trinity Day. And this is the story of the establishment of the Spirit of the day when the Holy Spirit descended on chosen people, disciples of Christ.
General traditions
On this holiday, divine liturgies are performed everywhere in the churches of the Christian religion, during which sacred chants and prayers are performed. In addition to the “King of Heaven”, prayer texts are also recited for the people who rested.
Believers consecrate birch branches - a symbol of the Trinity Day. This tradition has deep Christian roots. In the early centuries, every clergyman went with the locals of the village on a festive day to a birch grove or forest, where he solemnly consecrated a birch. And then people carried branches from this tree to their homes. And thus they put an impenetrable shield for the dark forces.
By tradition, in Spirits, water was consecrated in wells in a day so that it was life-giving, and the source never dried up.
Of particular importance on this holiday are the relationship with the land. All believing Christians tried to be especially attentive to this element. They listened to her and learned important information in this way. Or arranged so-called picnics in the fields, which favorably affected productivity and prosperity.
The collection of medicinal herbs has also been carried out in Spirits day since ancient times. Because they are filled with special healing and protective properties, which, according to legend, gives a holiday.
Sacraments of worship
In Orthodox churches, everything starts from the day of the Trinity. In the evening, a traditional Vespers is performed.
It is at this hour that prayers are read, solemn hymns are sung. The priest makes the passage through the temple with a censer.
Further, all believers kneel - while reading other sacred prayers: for salvation, for the monastery, for loved ones - the living and the departed.
One of the important prayer texts-hymns is the akathist, who is also pronounced during the service dedicated to the holiday - the Spirit Day. This is a great sacrament, accompanied by choral chant, the joint recitation of some parts of the texts.
And during the Great Vespers, the canon of the Holy Spirit is fulfilled, which is an important component of worship and the sacred tradition of such an extraordinary day.
All these verses, songs and prayers are read several times. And each word is filled with great meaning, touching the souls and hearts of believers who are present at this time in temples.
And in the morning a liturgy is held - as grand and sacred as the day before.
Prayers
On the feast of the Holy Spirit, a series of prayers are read. The first of these is the “King of Heaven”, which brings awe to many people. For the power of the text and the power of the Lord, His acting energy are great and have no time limits.
This prayer can also be spoken independently by a person at home every day (morning or evening).
She turned to the Holy Spirit - one of the Faces of the Holy Trinity. Who is the creator of this sacred text is unknown. But prayer appeared in the first millennium after the birth of Jesus on Earth.
The second also appeals to the Spirit with a request to fill the whole Universe, each living person, not to shun spiritual impurity and to clear from sinful thoughts and desires. It is claimed that with the help of the Holy Spirit a man lives who has repented and does good deeds. And he glorifies the Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
A few words about the Slavic customs of this day
The feast of the Holy Spirit is a common Christian. Therefore, the customs associated with it take place both in Orthodoxy and in the Catholic faith. They may be similar in some ways, but may differ in some ways.
For example, among believing Orthodox Slavs in Spirits, it is believed that:
- The weather should be accompanied by a thunderstorm with rain. After all, it nourishes Mother Earth, because she is celebrating her "creation" today.
- On the eve of the Spirit descends to earth and spreads through the fields and dwellings of people.
- It is necessary to make religious processions around land.
- All mermaids from water bodies go to the earth and run along it, thereby filling it with moisture - for a better harvest.
- Unmarried girls should weave a wreath and send it to swim in the water - this is for good luck.
- It is necessary to spend spring (traditions on Siberian soil), which contributed to the youth mass festivities that the people arranged.
- The souls of the departed flew in on a festive day and sat on birch branches. Therefore, in small places the center was this tree, which was then carried away to the river or in the field.
- The water in the reservoirs is sacred, and women on the territory of the Russian Federation washed it early in the morning, thus cleansing themselves of spiritual impurity and evil thoughts, and were healed of ailments.
And among Catholics - in the West - traditional pastoral mass festivities are organized on this day.
Holiday Signs
And since ancient times, believers know that on a Christian holiday in honor of the Holy Spirit it is impossible to disturb the earth. Namely: to work on a personal plot (to loosen the beds, weed the garden, plant plants in the garden and so on).
It is necessary to carefully and carefully treat the elements on this day, not to disturb peace and integrity. Otherwise, a lean year may happen.
Household chores are also not recommended: cleaning, painting, whitewashing, sewing, washing. You can’t swim either.
From this day the real summer begins. Because heat comes from both the earth and heaven. And before the holiday there may still be a cooling.
Wise people said that the weather in Spirits day characterizes the whole summer - what a holiday, such will be on other days of this season.
Summary
Traditions, history, signs and so on on this festive day are so deep and wide that it is simply impossible to cover everything. Nevertheless, it is part of the religious Christian culture, and, therefore, the life of a modern believer living in Russia.
And the deeper the contact with the spiritual, the hidden, the happier people, people.