What to do on the birthday of the blessed virgin Mary. Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. Folk omens and traditions of the holiday. Folk traditions and rituals

September is a special time for Orthodox citizens. On the 21st, a Christian church holiday is celebrated. At this time, a large number of women, mothers, who want to ask the Virgin Mary for help, come to the temple. Along with visiting the church, those signs and customs for the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, which arose a long time ago and were passed on from generation to generation, give meaningfulness. Despite the fact that many have fallen out of people's memory, the fundamental knowledge continues to exist.

On this day, it is customary to pray for all the worries that disturb a person, since not a single prayer will remain unheard, the confessors assure

The parents of the Most Holy Theotokos were Joachim and Anna, who lived in Nazareth. For a long time the spouses could not conceive a child, for which they asked God. Once an Angel appeared to them. At this time, Joachim was in the desert for prayers, Anna was at home. The messenger told the spouses about the appearance of their special child - a girl who will give people salvation.

On this day, special bread is baked, on which the letters "R" and "B" are squeezed out, which means "Nativity of the Virgin"

After the appearance of the Angel Gabriel, the couple met in Jerusalem, near the Golden Gate. They embraced, delighted at the news. After 9 months, on September 21st, the Virgin Mary was born. From the very birth, the future Most Holy Theotokos heard the prayers of the parents, their appeal to God. Three years later, she was given to the temple, as Joachim and Anna promised to the Almighty. The Virgin Mary became the person who connected life on earth with the heavenly world.

What do they ask the Most Holy Theotokos for?

The celebration of the day of the Most Holy Theotokos has always referred to the celebration of women and mothers. They celebrate it by visiting the temple, lighting a festive candle and holding a service, during which they thank the Most Pure Virgin for the birth of God's son. On this day, it is not customary to refuse signs, prayers, it is important to observe rituals and traditions.

Women who cannot have children for a long time due to various reasons, usually related to health, should seek help from the Most Holy Theotokos.

That is why people are waiting on September 21 to ask the Virgin Mary about getting rid of the disease, about having children, about successfully passing through the difficulties that have arisen. The prayer read on this day has special power.

Relationship with the date of September 21

In September, the 21st is considered the day of the autumnal equinox. After it, the length of the night time increases and the length of the day decreases. It was the weather on September 21 that determined what autumn and winter will be - warm, mild or, conversely, severe, frosty.

The harvest festival is celebrated on this day. Its other name is Second Autumn. Those ceremonies that were carried out long ago by ancestors have remained intact in many parts of modern Russia. The entire crop should be harvested by September 21st. During this period, it was time to harvest onions and other vegetables from the fields. Beekeepers clean up the hives, otherwise the bees will freeze and not even survive the warm winter.

September 21 was already rightfully considered the day when autumn entered its legal rights, from that day the cold snap began

To a greater extent, the celebration of the great day refers to the fair sex. They should have gotten up before the sun that day and washed themselves before dawn. This helped to preserve natural beauty until old age. The early washing of young girls gave hope for an early search for a groom.

After washing, the women had their morning meal. They walked towards the reservoir. You had to have jelly and oat bread with you. Songs were sung near the reservoir, praising the Blessed Virgin. In their prayers, the women thanked the Most Holy Theotokos for the collected bread, vegetables and the salvation sent. The brought bread was broken and given to pets. After completing the necessary actions, all participants went to visit the newlyweds.

A variety of folk signs

September 21 is a day characterized by the presence of a large number of omens. Some of them were forgotten, leaving the memory of themselves only in the memory of the elderly. Some signs have survived now and are passed from person to person. Among them, the following are the most famous:

If on this day it was noticed how birds rose into the sky, then warm weather will delight for a long time. If the birds fly closer to the ground, then the winter will be severe and frosty;
In the morning, they paid attention to the sky. If it was clear, a large number of stars were observed, then the weather was expected to be dry and cold. At the same time, the brightness of the stars and their large size spoke of the imminent onset of cold matinees. The dimness of the stars was a sign of warmth that would last for a while;
The appearance of a long fog in the morning foreshadowed the imminent onset of rainy weather. If the fog quickly disappeared, then an alternation of rainy days with warm and dry ones was expected;
If the day started with rain, then it could drag on for 40 days. This was followed by early winter;
On the 21st, we noticed the dew. If it was available, frost was expected to appear on the ground in a month. If the dew dried up quickly, then the winter should have been with little snow. If the dew persisted until lunchtime, a lot of precipitation was expected in winter;
On this day, pay attention to the wind. If present, then the winter should be windy and with little rainfall;
If the morning is warm, and after lunch it becomes cold, then winter will soon come: severe, frosty;
If a warm, cheerful sun pampers on September 21, then a large number of thaws should be expected in winter.

There is also a separate sign on this day: if a person accidentally gets dirty with ink or dirt, then there will certainly be a promotion

On a visit to the young

On the 21st of the month, it is customary to go to visit the newlyweds. Be sure to observe various traditions and signs. The hostess was supposed to meet the parents and elders with a treat - a delicious cake. If the guests did not like the food, then the young girl was given advice. If the cake turned out to be tasty, then the hostess was praised, rejoicing in her success.

On this day, the girl who received the guests had to set a rich table with many dishes. They were evaluated by guests who praised the talent of the young hostess or taught her new skills.

People believed that if you bake a cake on this day, then it can stay fresh for a long time.

An important role was assigned to the young host, who received guests. He had to show the elders the farm, the available livestock. If everything suited the guests, then the young man sought praise. If there were any shortcomings, he received useful advice, which he had to follow.

On the evening of the 21st, the young couple went to visit their parents. The wife knitted a braid on her arm, on which the letters "R" and "B" were embroidered. The loss of the tape spoke of the presence of envious people.

The birth of the Blessed Virgin is considered the birthday of a new life. It is necessary to blow out the old candle that is burning in the house and light a new one. This means leaving old problems and difficulties. A new life will come in their place.

Protecting children on a great holiday

The protection of children has always been the paramount request with which the mother addressed and continues to address the Most Holy Theotokos. On this day, prayers are read, traditions are always followed. It is customary to take off the child's old torn clothes and burn them. Such a custom made it possible to cleanse the child from damage, restore lost health, and bring good luck.

On September 21, everyone could ask for forgiveness from the Most Holy Theotokos and be grateful for everything, even children were taught this

After the burning of things, the children had to cross the threshold to be doused with water. Thanks to this, the cleansing of the child from difficulties and problems was completed.

The celebration of the birth of the Virgin Mary on September 21 is a special event for Orthodox Christians. The Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos gave people hope for salvation from sins, mistakes, and misdeeds. Compliance with traditions, customs, visiting a temple, reading a prayer, lighting a festive candle brings you closer to the history of ancestors, while maintaining the continuity of generations. The glorification of the Most Pure Virgin made it possible to receive help from Above, saving their children and loved ones from troubles and hardships of life.

The Church celebrates the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos as a day of universal joy. On this day, solemn services are held in churches and all believers glorify the beautiful day when the Lord gave people the hope of the Savior's coming into the world.

In the Orthodox Church, with the Nativity of the Mother of God, the annual cycle of 12 great - twelve feasts dedicated to the Savior begins.

History

According to church tradition, the Virgin Mary was born in the Galilean city of Nazareth. Her parents were the righteous Joachim from the family of King David and Anna from the family of the high priest Aaron. They led a righteous life and dreamed of children, but, according to the special providence of God, Saint Anna was barren for a long time, and this upset them very much.

Spouses had to endure contempt and ridicule, since at that time childlessness was considered a shame. For 50 years of their marriage, they fervently prayed to God for the granting of offspring, humbly trusting in his will.

On one of the holidays, when the Israelites brought gifts to God in the Jerusalem temple, the high priest, believing that the childless Joachim did not have the blessing of God, refused to accept them from him.

This greatly saddened the elder. Without returning home, Saint Joachim went into the wilderness and spent forty days there in strict fasting and prayer, praying to the Lord for mercy. His righteous wife, having learned about the deed of her husband, also began in fasting and prayer to mournfully ask God to give her a child, promising to bring a born child as a gift to God.

And the prayer of the holy spouses was heard - an angel appeared to both of them and announced that a daughter would be born to them, whom the whole human race would bless.

And indeed they had a daughter, who was named Maria. They protected her in every possible way and raised her in love for the Lord. She answered her parents in full reciprocity, bestowing her grace on them.

When the baby reached the age of three, Anna and Joachim took her to the temple of God in order to fulfill the promise given once to the Lord to consecrate the child given to them to serve the Creator.

The Holy Church rightly calls Joachim and Anna the Godfathers, because Jesus Christ was born from their daughter the Virgin Mary.

Holiday

The first mentions of the celebration of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos are found in the East in the 5th century - in the words of Proclus, Archbishop of Constantinople (439-446), and in the West - in the sacramentary (missile) of Pope Gelasius (492-496).

At the same time, the Palestinian tradition tells that the temple in honor of the Nativity of the Mother of God was built in Jerusalem by Saint Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great.
The official approval of the holiday in Byzantium, according to the most common version, took place during the reign of the Emperor of Mauritius - at the turn of the 6th and 7th centuries.

Despite these early mentions, in the West, the holiday began to be widely celebrated only in the XII-XIII centuries. It was only at the Council of Lyons in 1245 that Pope Innocent IV made the octave of the feast obligatory for the entire Western Church, and Pope Gregory XI (1370-1378) established a vigil with fasting and a special liturgy for the feast.

Traditions and rituals

Church traditions and customs of the celebration of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary are closely intertwined with the folk.

In Russia, the Nativity of the Mother of God was called Asposov day, on which they met "mother autumn", that is, autumn. It was the end of summer fieldwork and the beginning of autumn preparations. The farmers thanked the Mother of God for the harvest and asked for her help for the next year.

On this day, the onion week began - the housewives removed this vegetable from the beds. In addition, by Christmas, the Mother of God tried to collect the entire harvest, and the beekeepers began to prepare the bees for wintering - to remove the hives.

By tradition, on a holiday, people went to visit each other. There is no fast on the Nativity of the Mother of God, that is, believers can eat any food, so on this day they tried to set the table richer. It was believed that the more dishes were on the table, the richer the next harvest would be.

On the same day, it was considered obligatory to visit the young people who had recently celebrated their wedding. It was believed that parents on this day were supposed to teach the young, instruct them on the right path, teach them to avoid mistakes.

The young, in turn, had to talk about their life. The young wife cooked a pie with her own hands, which she regaled to the guests. The husband was supposed to show the guests the farm. If the household was strong, the house was clean, the life was adjusted, the young family was presented with gifts.

A reproduction of the icon "The Mother of God"

They also did not forget to try the pie prepared by the young wife. If the cake was successful, the wife was presented with a beautiful handkerchief. If the cake was raw or burnt, the husband was given a whip, which he had to teach his wife, but he had to eat the cake alone.

Signs

Many folk signs were associated with this day. At Christmas, the Mother of God determined what autumn and what winter would be. If the weather is sunny on this day, then autumn will be warm and clear, without heavy rains. If the sky is cloudy, then the autumn cold will come with rains.

If it rains on this day in the morning, it can last 40 more days, and the winter will be early and very cold. If there is dew on the grass in the morning of September 21, exactly in a month there will be frost on the ground. If the sun dries up the dew quickly, the winter will have little snow, and if the dew dries before lunchtime, you can expect an abundance of snow in the winter.

The people said that if birds rise to the sky on the Mother of God, then autumn is still far away, and if they huddle to the ground and look for food, then the winter will be cold and hungry.

In the morning we looked at the stars. If the stars are large and bright, then soon you need to expect cold matinees, if the stars, on the contrary, are dim, the heat will hold out for a long time.

If it is windy on this day, the winter will be with little snow, with harsh winds. If it is warm in the morning and colder in the afternoon, frosts will hit very early, and in winter there will be very strong frosts. The most severe frosts in winter fell on Epiphany.

In ancient times, women tried to go to the river early in the morning and meet this day by the water. It was believed that if a woman washes herself on this day with water before sunrise, then she will be beautiful until old age. And if a girl washed her face before sunrise, she should be married this year.

So that everything in the house was safe, women went to church in the morning and lit candles to the Most Holy Theotokos, which were wrapped in paper flowers. On the bottom of the candle they put paper on which the requests of the Most Pure Virgin were written. We looked at which side the paper would burn, because it is this request that will be fulfilled. If the paper burned out completely, then all requests were heard.

On this day, special loaves were baked, on which the letters "P" and "B" were squeezed out, which meant "The Nativity of the Mother of God". Such loaves were necessarily distributed to all households so that they could join the great holiday.

These loaves were placed under the icons and kept until the Nativity of Jesus Christ. If someone in the house got sick, they took a piece of such a loaf, pounded it and added it to the water, which was given to the patient to drink. Sometimes the loaf was simply given to eat, and the patient had to wash it down with holy water. Water was also sacred on the Nativity of the Virgin.
The material was prepared on the basis of open sources.

September 21, 2018 in Orthodoxy is the feast of the birth of the Most Holy Theotokos. This is a great day that many choose to visit the temple. In addition, September 21 is related to many folk rituals and signs. And although not all of them are relevant today, many can be of considerable benefit even in modern days. Today we will tell you what signs and rituals are associated with the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, as well as what you can and cannot do on this day.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary - the history of the holiday

The parents of the Most Holy Theotokos, Joachim and Anna, lived in the town of Nazareth. According to legend, they were deeply religious, so they constantly prayed to God and asked Him for children. One day Joachim went into the wilderness, and an angel came to his wife's home. He also appeared to the man. The angel told the couple that they would soon have a daughter, the Virgin Mary, through whom the Savior would come into the world. Having received the news, the parents-to-be went to meet each other and crossed in Jerusalem at the Golden Gate. Exactly 9 months after that, on September 21, the Virgin Mary was born. For three years her parents raised her, and then she went to the temple to fulfill her vow to God. Since then, Orthodox Christians have annually celebrated the birth of the Most Holy Theotokos.

What are the Orthodox praying to the Mother of God?

Since ancient times, the day on which the birth of the Most Holy Theotokos is celebrated has been associated with the feast of mothers and all women. According to tradition, when it comes, it is worth choosing the best clothes and going to the temple to thank Mary for the birth of her Son. It is believed that all the prayers uttered on her Christmas must come true, all worries, requests and troubles must be resolved. On this day, women often pray for the health of children, for family well-being. Often, the Mother of God is also addressed with requests for other people.

Signs for the Nativity of the Virgin

Every September 21, a candle is lit in the temple in honor of the holiday. A piece of paper with a written request is attached to it. There is a belief that if the candle burns out to the end, the Mother of God will hear all requests and prayers. It is believed that on this day, women need to give alms, share money and food in order not to have infertility.

Other folk customs associated with the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos

On September 21, the people celebrate the Second Autumn or the Feast of the Harvest. In many regions, various ancient rituals and signs associated with this day have survived to this day. As a rule, the entire crop has already been harvested by September 21st. By this time, beekeepers are trying to send hives with bees for the winter. The onion week begins, in which onions and some other vegetables are harvested from the fields. There is even a saying about this - "The Most Pure will come, it will become pure and pure." Closer to the days of the holiday, evening gatherings began at the house.

As for the signs, they were more about women. So, on the day of the holiday, they need to get up much earlier than sunrise in order to have time to wash before dawn. If you manage to do this, it was believed that external beauty will persist until old age. And unmarried girls performed this rite also in order to soon find a groom.

After washing, early in the morning, the women took jelly and oat bread with them and went to the nearest reservoir to praise the Virgin Mary and thank her for the harvest. There they broke bread into pieces and fed them to the cattle. After completing all these rituals, the women went to visit the newlyweds.

Interestingly, young families were visited not only by women participating in the ritual, but also by their parents, as well as by the elders of the settlement. The hostess of the house had to put a pie on the table. If it was tasty, everyone would definitely note the talent of the young wife, and if not, they would give their instructions on how to run the house properly. In addition to the pie, the guests also appreciated other dishes. As for the owner, he showed visitors his yard, the number of livestock, and also buildings for him. And here everything happened in a similar way. If the farm was organized properly, then it was praised, and if not, it was reprimanded and given instructions. Another sign, which was carried out on September 21, concerned the happiness of the family. The newlyweds went to their parents that evening. The wife tied a braid on her sleeves, on which the letters "B" and "R" were embroidered. If something happened to the braid, then this indicated the presence of envious people nearby.

Signs about the weather

At all times, it was important for people to observe the weather and note some of its characteristic features. On the holiday of September 21, there were also their own synoptic signs, for example, such: if this holiday is clear, then the rest of September and the whole of October will be the same. If fog was visible on the morning of Mary's Christmas, this indicated a rainy autumn, and if the fog quickly disappears, then the weather will constantly change. When it rains in the morning, people believed that there would be rainfall all autumn, and in winter it would be very cold. If from the very morning the sun shone brightly and dried all the grass from dew very quickly, this indicated a minimum of snow in winter. In view of the importance of the holiday, the peasants did not work that day, but only contemplated spiritual matters and prayed.

Protecting children from disease on the feast of the Virgin

It was for children and family that women prayed to their patroness on the day of the Nativity of the Virgin. To make their prayers more powerful, the wives performed some rituals and traditions. So that damage does not affect the children, all their old clothes, as well as shoes, are collected and burned for the holiday. It was believed that with this fire all problems would go away. After the burning, the children were brought into the house and doused completely with water. The ancestors greatly honored this holiday and observed all its signs. It was important for them to keep their home from harm. It is not surprising that even today the Nativity of the Virgin is an important holiday in Orthodoxy.

In contact with

A great holiday for all Orthodox Christians is approaching - the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. In 2018, as in previous years, the celebration will be celebrated on September 21st. The number falls on Friday. It so happened that the Orthodox honor the Mother of God no less than the Lord and his son - Jesus Christ. The date is celebrated with special reverence. In addition to religious canons, pagan customs and signs were reflected in the great holiday. This quintessence contains the very essence of the feminine principle and the meaning of faith for the current generation.

What can you do on this day

Many are interested in whether it is possible to play a wedding on this holiday. The answer is yes. Moreover, the Mother of God is considered the patroness of the hearth and women's happiness. If the wedding falls on September 21, this will be an additional amulet to create a strong union. Be sure to pray on the feast of the Virgin for the health of children and mothers. If there is no child in the house yet, and difficulties arise with conception, be sure to ask the Blessed Virgin Mary to help. Mary will hear calls for help and help solve difficulties. You can go to church and light a candle for the whole family in order to live in health and tranquility.

It is customary to rejoice on this holiday. All believers thank the Virgin Mary for Jesus. On this solemn day, priests put on festive clothes and pray with parishioners for the glory of the Mother of God.

What not to do on this day

On the birthday of the Mother of God, it is prohibited:

— swear and swear with loved ones, yell at children;

- abuse alcohol;

- be rude and offend parents, old people;

- do hard work;

- to arrange lavish celebrations with alcohol.

Signs and traditions

Since in Russia all church holidays were intertwined with Slavic ones, the onset of the autumn season - Oseniny - was celebrated at the Birth of the Virgin. Most of the harvest has already been harvested from the fields and thanked the Lord and nature for it.

For young girls, this time was spent on gatherings. They called future suitors, gave them tea and treats, and the guys wooed.

If beggars or lepers ask for alms, you need to give them some money. Refusal can threaten a woman with infertility or setbacks in family life.

On the birthday of the Mother of God, they tried to burn all the trash in the house. It was believed that this removes the evil eye.

There were many signs about Osenina. All of them are mainly associated with the onset of autumn and preparation for winter:

- On September 21 we observed the weather. E If the day is warm, the winter will also be good;

- you need to bury a fly or midge in the ground - insects will not bite;

- if there is dew on the grass, then frost is approaching;

- if the stars are not visible in the sky, the winter will be cold;

- if the wind blows on this day, then there will be little snow in the winter.

How to celebrate the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The birth of the Virgin is an excellent occasion to gather the whole family at a round table. Parents, grandparents, children are invited to their place for lunch or dinner. The young family invites all relatives to visit. The hostesses cook pies and prepare various dishes. If the meeting with relatives took place in a warm atmosphere, then life will be cloudless and happy. Crumbs from the table are not thrown away, but given to birds or animals. The birth of the Savior marks the beginning of a new period in life, so if there are candles in the house, you can illuminate the corners so that all litigation and adversity will go away.

Before the holiday, it was customary to clean the house and decorate the house with autumn flowers. As a rule, the day begins with a prayer to the Mother of God, in which believers ask for forgiveness of their sins and protection from life's hardships. Earlier on this day, women went to church and lit candles at the icon of the Mother of God. They wrapped them with little notes with wishes. It was believed that if the candle burned out completely along with the paper, then wishes will come true.

On a holiday, it is allowed to visit relatives to convey congratulations and treat them with something tasty, for example, oatmeal cookies. Even before the holiday, special bread was baked for all family members and for refreshments.

What can be prepared for the table

The first step is to bake bread. If possible, use oat flour for cooking, but if it is not available, then ordinary wheat flour will do. Guests and households are treated to fresh bread. The remains of the bread are dried on crackers and stored at home. If someone close to them is sick or morally depressed, they give him a crouton and lighted water. The patient will definitely recover.

Together with bread, they cook pies with vegetable or berry fillings from the fresh harvest. You can take any filling, be it apples, plums, cherries, cabbage and other crops that have grown in the garden.Baked pies with fresh onions and eggs are perfect for a festive dinner.

From drinks, jelly is made from berries or fruits. You can serve homemade wine on the table. As a dessert, guests are treated to fresh honey or honeycombs.

The holiday is celebrated next Friday

On September 21, Orthodox Christians celebrate the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos - a holiday dedicated to the birth of the Virgin Mary in the family of the righteous Joachim and Anna. This day belongs to the twelve holidays - the twelve most important religious holidays after Easter. In the popular Christian tradition of the Slavs, the Osenins are associated with this holiday - a holiday of harvest and refreshments.

Since the church year begins on September 14th according to the Gregorian calendar, the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos is the first from a chronological point of view. At the same time, the days dedicated to events in the life of the Mother of God have a lower status than the Lord's Feasts, on which Jesus Christ is glorified. Nevertheless, each of the twelve holidays is of great importance for Orthodox Christians.

Although the New Testament does not contain information about the birth of the Most Holy Theotokos, the event, which is celebrated on September 21, was described in the apocryphal Proto-Gospel of James. As stated in this text, a pious married couple from Jerusalem, Joachim and Anna, could not have children for a long time, but after the spouses prayed, an angel appeared to them, announcing that Anna would give birth to a child. Nine months later, they had a daughter who became the mother of Jesus Christ. Not being canonical, the "Proto-Gospel of James" influenced the traditions of the Catholic and Orthodox churches.

As in the case of many other Orthodox holidays, among the Eastern Slavs, a national Christian holiday was timed to coincide with the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. It was called Oseniny. By this day, the peasants completed their field work, so the day was considered a harvest festival and a meeting of autumn. In some localities, on this day, an old fire was extinguished in a hut, after which a new one was produced by blows of flint or by rubbing a tree. Early in the morning, women went to the banks of rivers and lakes with bread and jelly. Also on this day it was customary to visit the newlyweds. Often, the holiday was celebrated with great revelry, and if the harvest was rich, a large feast was arranged. Also, the holiday was associated with the autumn equinox.

According to some reports, the Eastern Slavs believed that the weather that is set on Oseniny will continue until winter. If on this day people saw that hares dig deep holes, this meant that the winter would be cold.

Catholics celebrate the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos on September 8 according to the Gregorian calendar. However, there are some exceptions - in particular, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church celebrates the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos on September 21.