How is the Trinity counted? Trinity - traditions, rituals, signs

Trinity is one of the most important and ancient holidays of Orthodox Christians. It is celebrated on the 50th day after Easter, so the second name of the Trinity is Pentecost.
As a rule, the holiday falls at the end of May and beginning of June. In pre-Christian times, this period - the beginning of summer - was celebrated with pomp and joy. They walked for several days, and the holiday was called Green or Mermaid Weeks. Echoes of paganism have survived to this day: in the signs and traditions of the Christian holiday.
History of the Christian holiday
Those who believed in the Lord God also believed in his son Jesus Christ when he was resurrected. And they believed in the power of the Holy Spirit only when, on the 50th day, the twelve apostles and the Mother of God gathered in one upper room. They heard a terrible noise from the sky, which soon filled the whole house. Following the noise, tongues of fire appeared, which stopped, one at a time, on each of Christ’s disciples. This is how the Holy Spirit entered each of the apostles.
And from that moment they all received the opportunity to preach the word of God in “other” languages, which they did not know before. Thus, the triumph of the Holy Trinity took place: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit testified before Christians.
In Christianity, following pagan traditions, the Holy Trinity is celebrated for several days. The Saturday before the holiday is called Parents' Day, then Trinity Sunday and Spiritual Day.

Naturally, as with any holiday, so with the Trinity, which in turn also has a name - Pentecost, there are many different signs and rituals associated with it. Since this Christian holiday is always celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter, that’s why it has the name Pentecost. Absolutely all the signs of the Trinity were treated quite carefully and parents always passed on the history of their meanings to their children.

Trinity is the greatest Orthodox holiday, which always falls on Sunday, since it is celebrated precisely on the 50th day after Easter.

In fact, the meaning of this holiday is that God reveals himself to all of us in a certain number of stages, and not in one moment. In modern times, the Trinity means that the Father, who, in turn, created absolutely all living things, sent the Son to people - Jesus Christ, and only then the Holy Spirit. For all believers, the meaning of the Most Holy Trinity comes down to the special praise of God in absolutely all of his hypostases.

The Trinity holiday in Rus' was celebrated in several stages, which began precisely after the 7th Thursday after Easter. Then comes Parents' Saturday, which, in turn, had special significance for remembrance. Next was the day of the Holy Trinity, and this day has several special names, such as Rusalnaya, Green, Gryanaya or Klechalnaya. Then after the holiday of the Trinity comes, and on Thursday - Rusalkin Great Day, or as it is also called - Nava Trinity.

On the occasion of the Trinity, great importance was attached to diverse vegetation. Before the holiday, all housewives put a rather special order in their home and prepare festive dishes, and decorate absolutely all the rooms with various herbs and flowers. After all, they always believed that such a ritual would drive away all evil spirits from the house.

In general, a huge number of and are associated with Trinity Day, which, in turn, are observed in the modern world.

The Orthodox Trinity is one of the beautiful religious holidays, all the traditions of which are quite closely intertwined with a variety of pagan rituals. This day was revered as the day of the birth of the Church of Christ and it is also necessary to note that it is celebrated fifty days after Easter. This fiftieth day is not accidental and it coincides with the holiday of the Old Testament, that is, Pentecost.

The Holy Trinity is the day when they glorify God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit, this is the best time to fill your heart with sincere love for absolutely everything that exists and lives.

This bright holiday is simply amazing in its diversity of traditions and customs.

Greenery for Trinity - a symbol of regenerating life

It is quite important to pay tribute to greenery on Trinity Day, that is, for example, to decorate your house or apartment with it; it is also necessary to consecrate bouquets of herbs in the church, giving special meaning to the birch tree. This rite symbolizes the rebirth of a new life and also, according to all popular beliefs, on Trinity, every branch is an excellent friend and helper, and most importantly, a healer. Blessed flowers on Trinity are used in a wide variety of rituals, which you can find out in

Birch - symbol of the Trinity

The main tradition of the Trinity is to decorate the windows and doors of houses with birch branches; this is also the key to the rapid and smooth growth of everything that is in the house, that is, money savings, children, supplies in the barn and animals.

In the modern world, there is a custom of placing birch branches consecrated in the church at the bottom of a flower pot when replanting it. This ritual is the key to the rapid growth of the plant and its lush flowering.

You can also ask a birch tree for mutual and sincere love on Trinity; you need to curl a birch tree branch with thoughts of the young man you like. If good health is needed, then on Trinity Sunday you need to prepare an infusion of birch leaves, and be sure to drink it for any illnesses.

Tradition of folk festivals

After the festive service, absolutely all believers on Trinity Day necessarily went to visit each other, with a variety of treats and interesting gifts. And they certainly organized folk festivals in the streets with quite funny songs and beautiful dances. And in modern life the traditions of the Trinity are finding their revival.

Should I swim on Trinity Sunday?

There is a folk legend according to which, during the “mermaid” week, mermaids come out of the water to the shore at night and watch people. And that is why going swimming, especially alone, was considered completely undesirable, since the mermaids could take a careless traveler to themselves, namely, to the bottom. Do you want to take a risk and test this folk wisdom? Swim, of course, unless you are afraid of mermaids.

Thanks to all the very interesting traditions of the Trinity, we get a holiday with a fairly rich history, beautiful rituals and various signs.

Signs about the weather for Trinity say that if it rains on this holiday, then there will definitely be warm weather and a large number of mushrooms.

The most ancient sign is the custom of consecrating a special “mourned” grass in the church; tears have always symbolized rain. Such grass was hidden in the house behind a frame or an icon, thereby begging from nature and God for a very good summer, that is, without drought, but with a rich harvest.

Birch branches are a symbol of the Trinity, since they are one of the first, so to speak, to dress in very bright, elegant greenery, which is why they were inserted behind shutters and trim, and also scattered around the room, thereby begging for a sufficiently fruitful summer.

On the Monday following Trinity, the Orthodox people celebrate. And from Monday to Sunday there is Rusal Week. And since, according to legend, especially on Thursday - Rusal's Great Day, mermaids tried to lure people to them, they tried not to swim during the entire Rusal Week, and also always carried everything with them - wormwood. It was believed that mermaids were very afraid of this herb.

Also, absolutely any work for the Trinity was condemned, except for cooking. It was absolutely impossible to do any business.

Matchmaking was considered a fairly good omen for Trinity. The family life of the young people will be very happy and long enough if they get married on Trinity Sunday and get married on Intercession.

All the old women went to the cemetery on Trinity Sunday, and in order to please the dead and ward off evil spirits, they swept the graves with birch brooms.

It is believed that it is on Trinity that the birch tree has quite great power and therefore a special medicinal infusion is made from its leaves.

On Trinity Day, absolutely all young girls performed one rather special ritual with birch branches. After mass, all the girls put on their most beautiful outfits and made themselves wreaths from birch branches with flowers. Afterwards, they went to develop the birch tree in this way: they stood in an even circle near the curled birch tree, and one of the beauties cut it down and placed it in the middle of the formed circle. The birch tree was decorated with beautiful flowers and ribbons. Next, the girls walked in pairs, and in front of everyone, one of the girls carried a birch tree that had been curled earlier. After the girls had walked around the entire village, they placed this birch tree in the middle of the street and began to dance around it. Young boys also joined them. Well, in the evening of the same day, each of the girls broke off one branch for themselves and all together they went to the river to drown them. And thus the birch tree floated along the flow of the water, and meanwhile the beauties threw their wreaths into the water and watched:

the wreath sank - it promised trouble, there was no need to get married.

If a wreath is nailed to the other side, love will definitely be instilled in the girl.

Let the Trinity holiday enter your home with the unusually fresh smell of herbs. And always remember: mermaids are worth watching out for.

Trinity Day, which is also called “Green Christmastide” or “Green Sunday”, is a day of glorification of blossoming nature, it symbolizes the onset of the long-awaited hot summer, it is a holiday of great mood and happiness. And that is why a large number of different magical rituals are associated with it, which are popular in turn, for example, such as rituals for attracting money and wealth, health and, of course, love.

The energy of the Trinity is truly unique, it is on this holiday that absolutely each of us can make our most cherished desire come true, that there be happiness and harmony in life, wealth and love, and also health. If you know exactly how to carry out the rites and rituals for the Trinity, which in turn were used by our ancestors, then you will definitely be able to achieve the desired result.

Ritual for a loaf

It is in the morning on the feast of the Holy Trinity that you need to bake a rye loaf. Under no circumstances should you eat such a loaf right away; you must put it in the red corner for a while, and at the same time recite the “Our Father” prayer over it. According to absolutely all beliefs, such a Trinity loaf drives out evil spirits from a person, and also makes him kinder and very reasonable.

Remove damage to Trinity

For this ritual to remove damage on Trinity Day, you need to collect a fairly large bouquet of forty or more different types of flowers and go to the temple with it. Holding the bouquet in your hands, you must defend the morning and evening services, and after that you can begin the ritual.

The duration of this ritual for Trinity is 40 days, and by doing everything absolutely according to the rules, you will definitely be cleansed of the negative program.

Every day you need to take one flower from the bouquet, not paying attention to whether it is dried or not, put it in any container and water it with holy water. You need to dip your finger into the water collected in the glass and then apply it to the top of your head three times, and drink the remaining water. Then put one coin of any denomination in a box, which must be prepared in advance. Thus, you need to do everything so that in the end, after forty days, you have 40 identical coins in your hands.

After forty days have passed, you need to go to the temple and order a service for yourself about health. And don’t be lazy, be sure to listen to the entire prayer service, from beginning to end. And then you need to light one candle each for the following saints - Panteleimon, Cosmas and Damian, as well as Tryphon.

All forty coins that you have during this magical ritual on Trinity must be distributed to all the beggars you meet on the way home. This ritual is all over and now feel free to return to your normal daily life, the damage will be completely removed.

Ritual on the tablecloth

Absolutely always, according to all traditions, a cheerful festive dinner was held at Trinity, and guests and close relatives were invited. The festive table was covered with a beautiful white tablecloth, and after dinner the tablecloth was not washed at all, but was placed under the couple’s bed at night. This ritual on Trinity Sunday was performed to enhance the love feelings between husband and wife.

Round dance ritual

Round dances have always been considered a special ritual action, and Trinity round dances, in turn, have such magical power that can make a wish come true. In order to perform the ritual to fulfill a wish on Trinity, you need to hold hands (at least three people) clockwise and lead a round dance, while saying the following:

“I’m walking in circles around the sun,

I'm talking about my desire

I send you to the clear sky,

I wish you fulfillment."

The person who wants to fulfill his wish must, in turn, stand in the center of this Trinity round dance and pronounce his desire.

Trinity rituals with herbs and plants

Naturally, the most effective and efficient rituals and ceremonies for Trinity are carried out using a variety of green herbs, plants and flowers.

Love spell for Trinity

If a young woman wants to make a love spell, she needs to go to the service on Trinity Day and at the moment of the first kneeling, take absolutely any green grass from the floor, and you need to take as much as possible, since then you will need to weave a wreath from this greenery. You need to take it with your left hand and hold it until the very end of the service. After a woman leaves the temple, she must bow low enough to all four sides.

This woven wreath must be hung on the icon and placed under your pillow before going to bed.

Attract love to Trinity

If a woman wants to attract the attention of the opposite sex, improve relations with her beloved husband, give birth to a baby, or achieve mutual love, she needs to go to the field the day before the Trinity holiday and pick thyme. Afterwards, the collected thyme must be dried and placed in any corner of the room, maybe even sewn into a pillow or placed under it. This ritual will also help a woman get rid of nervous tension, insomnia, and make life more calm and balanced.

Trinity rituals with birch

Birch plays a fairly significant role in the conduct of rituals and ceremonies on Trinity. If you have a cherished desire, but it doesn’t come into action at all, then just sit down under a birch tree on Trinity Day and ask it for help, and you will notice how very soon your desire will come true.

In order to always have grace and happiness in your home, you need to pick birch branches and bring them home.

A special ritual for all representatives of the fairer sex is the weaving of wreaths from birch branches. As a rule, such wreaths are woven after lunch on Trinity Sunday, and as evening approaches, young girls throw them into the river and make wishes.

Having risen from sleep, I thank Thee, Holy Trinity, for for the sake of Thy goodness and long-suffering, Thou hast not been angry with me, lazy and sinful, nor hast Thou destroyed me with my iniquities; but you usually loved mankind and in the despair of the one who lay down, you raised me up to practice and glorify Your power. And now enlighten my mental eyes, open my lips, to learn Thy words, and to understand Thy commandments, and to do Thy will, and to sing to Thee in heartfelt confession, and to sing Thy all-holy name, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages. centuries. Amen.

Come, let us worship our King God. (Bow)

Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King God. (Bow)

Come, let us bow and fall down to Christ Himself, the King and our God. (Bow)

The Trinity of the Lord is Divine unity in three personal expressions - God the Father, God the Son - Jesus Christ and God the Holy Spirit.

The Trinity is a unity, a fusion, a union of three in one and, in turn, one in three. The middle element of the other two links into a completely unified order. It is a symbol of unity in its diversity.

The Trinity is endowed with three qualities, such as Hope, Love and Faith and, in turn, the following colors are dedicated to it - green, red and yellow. In Christianity, the Trinity is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, or Mary, Joseph and Jesus. And the symbols of the Holy Trinity are the hand - the symbol of the Father, the lamb - the symbol of the Son and the dove - the symbol of the Holy Spirit. Such three aspects as the three-dimensionality of place, time and space exist independently of each other, but still they represent one God. The symbol of the Trinity as one God is sometimes depicted as a triquest, woven, in turn, into a circle.

Other symbols of the Trinity are - the throne, the book and the dove, as the power of intellect and love; three intertwined fish or three fish with one head, one of them is Christ, and the other two are the zodiac sign of Pisces; three eagles or lions; three suns; a triangle with an eye inside or three stars; three joined triangles; trefoil or cross of three leaves, three hares with ears forming a triangle. One of the rather old symbols is an equilateral triangle inscribed in a circle, which, in turn, means not only the trinity, but also the eternity of God. Another of the most ancient symbols is three intersecting circles, where each in turn is absolutely perfect and complete, and the center formed by the circles forms, in turn, the common part.

The “image of the Holy Trinity” itself is the image of God the Father in the form of a bearded man, who, in turn, holds a cross with Christ in his hands, while the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove hovers above him.

It is on Trinity Day itself that you need to buy yourself 7 candles of only red wax in the temple. Next, place all the available 6 candles in front of the image of the All-Heavenly Queen, pronouncing a spell on each candle when lighting it. When lighting the seventh candle, also read the plot:

While the seventh candle is burning, wax should drip from it directly into your palm, so to speak, into the hole of life, namely into the center of your left hand. When the exact moment comes when half the candle burns out, you need to put it out on the wax that is in your left hand. Next, clench your fist and go home on foot, and you also need to remain silent all this time. Already at home, absolutely everything that you have in your hand must be carefully wrapped in a pure white small piece of fabric, while this made amulet for the Trinity must be absolutely always carried with you, and then you will be in absolutely no danger.

The remaining stub from the candle must be re-lit if there is a strong need for protection, with the following words:

And you need to hide it in the red corner of your house behind the icons.

Protective ritual for Trinity

This unique one needs to be performed only a few times a year, on these days: on Christmas - January 7, on your birthday or on the day of your Angel, on the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary and on Trinity. Its incredible magical power is quite large and effective. For this Trinity ritual, you need to prepare the following items in advance: blessed water, an icon of Jesus Christ, exactly 7 church candles, an icon of the Vladimir Mother of God, 2 mirrors, matches and Thursday salt.

Trinity is one of the greatest celebrations in Orthodoxy, which is celebrated among the people and recognized in the church. This is the second most important holiday after Easter, and it is scheduled for the fiftieth day after Easter Sunday. The Bible says that on this day the Holy Spirit descended from heaven, also simultaneously by the Father and the Son, to the twelve apostles and proved the unity of God. It was then that God gave the blessing to the apostles to build a church. This day is considered the founding day of the church.

There is also a legend that on the fiftieth day after leaving Egypt (Old Testament Passover), Moses on Mount Sinai told Israel God's law, which everyone must fulfill. This was precisely the starting point in the development of the Old Testament church. Since then, every year Jews have celebrated the so-called Shavuot, that is, Pentecost. Also on this day, Israel celebrates the festival of the first harvest and fruits. However, Shavuot is considered more important and significant, and is one of the three holiest Jewish holidays.

Pentecost always falls at a time when trees and flowers are in bloom. Therefore, for the holiday, temples and houses are decorated with branches with leaves that smell and remind of the holiday. Before Trinity, Saturday is held in churches when they commemorate people who passed away of their own free will and those who drowned and disappeared. On the holiday, clergy dress in festive attire. The grass is taken from the temple, dried, and then used for a year as a talisman against the evil eye and ill-wishers.

Trinity among the Slavs

As you know, the Slavic people did not always profess Christianity, and for many centuries their official religion was paganism. That is why, even today, customs and traditions that belong more to the Slavic culture have been preserved.

Even before the church began to celebrate Trinity, this day was considered the border between spring and summer. On this day it was customary to sing songs, dance, have fun, and dance in circles. Houses were decorated with greenery, which was then used as medicinal herbs and tinctures. It was believed that it was on this holiday that evil spirits came to earth in the form of mermaids and mawoks.

Before the baptism of Rus', there was the holiday of Semik or Triglav, that is, the Slavic Trinity. According to pagan teaching, there are three Deities who rule humanity - Svarog, Perun, Svyatovit or Svyatozhich. The first, in their opinion, created the Universe, the second is a defender of the truth, moreover, it was Perun that all the warriors revered in a special way and considered him their patron. The third, Svyatozhich, is the keeper of light and sky, it is he who fills humanity with the energy of life.

As we have already mentioned, another name for the Slavic Trinity is Semik, which translated means Green Week. This, one might say, is the beginning of the summer holidays, which, as always in Rus', were accompanied by loud festivities, peculiar rituals, and, of course, girls’ fortune telling.

Traditions and customs of the Trinity in Rus'

Like many holidays, this one began with cleaning. Housewives, a day or two before Trinity, began general cleaning in the house and in the yard. After this, the women decorated the hut and yard with everything that summer had bestowed on the earth, namely green plants. According to our ancestors, young plants symbolize prosperity, wealth and continuation of life.

And on Trinity Day, from the very morning the whole family hurried to the temple. After all, churches held a festive service on this day. After the temple, everyone went home and had a festive dinner. As usual, our ancestors visited each other to congratulate each other, give gifts and communicate together.

Swimming in rivers and lakes was prohibited all week. After all, our ancestors believed that during this period you could meet a mermaid who would invite you to come to her, and not return, because mermaids could tickle you to death.

Towards evening, all the people gathered in the villages for a celebration. They held round dances, sang songs, danced, and performed rituals. Also, fairs were often held for the whole week, where one could also find a lot of entertainment. Of course, at this time the young people looked closely at each other and got to know each other.

Rituals and rituals for Trinity

The celebration of Trinity lasts three days. IN first day of Trinity, which is also called Green Sunday, people should be very careful and careful. It is believed that mythical creatures such as mermaids, Mavkas and other evil spirits are walking around. Therefore, it is customary to decorate your homes with fragrant herbs, and icons with birch branches. A young birch tree is a symbol of blossoming nature in all its glory. And the color green is associated with cleansing, renewal and life-giving power. It’s not for nothing that nature “puts on” a beautiful green dress on this day.

They celebrated Trinity in forests, fields, and gardens. They sang songs and played fun games. On this day, unmarried girls read fortunes using their own woven wreaths, into which they wove flowers fragrant with a delicate aroma and striking in their beauty. They threw wreaths into the water and sang amazingly heartfelt songs; if the wreaths matched, then be a young bride this year. Old-timers say that on a festive night one will have prophetic dreams, which are usually given special significance. They also visited cemeteries and commemorated the dead, leaving refreshments. Towards evening, a real party began, where people were entertained by buffoons.

On second day of Trinity, which is called Clergy Monday, people attended church. After the service, the clergy walked through the fields and prayed, asking the Lord to protect the harvest.

The third day of Trinity is called God-spirited day. They chose the most beautiful girl, dressed her up beyond recognition - with multi-colored ribbons and matchless wreaths, and dressed her in festive clothes. After that, they took her around the yards, and the owners generously presented her with treats. They also sanctified the water in wells in order to cleanse it of the unclean spirit.

Each Slavic holiday is literally imbued with different rites and rituals. Well, let's take a closer look at a few of them:

As we have already mentioned, on this day there was a belief that mermaids wake up on Trinity. Therefore, in order to protect themselves from it, several rituals were performed in the villages. In some villages, women ran around the entire village with a broom at nightfall. And in other villages they dressed the girl as a mermaid, and then drove her out into the field and threw her into the grain crop, after which they ran home. Another ritual associated with the expulsion of the mermaid was carried out as follows. In advance, the whole village created a stuffed mermaid, and in the evening, during the festivities, round dances were performed around it. Then everyone was divided into two teams, one of which was trying to take the mermaid from the enemy. After this, the stuffed animal was taken to the field, torn into small pieces and scattered across the field.

In addition to mermaids, according to the Slavs, on this day the merman also woke up, who also needed to be scared away. To do this, the entire village lit bonfires along the shore, danced in circles and sang songs loudly. The next morning it was believed that all evil spirits had been driven away, so the people with a clear conscience ran to the river from the very morning to swim.

Women who had young children saved a piece of Trinity pie for their wedding. When someone got married, the mother handed this biscuit to the newlyweds, in the hope that it would be their amulet and would bring peace, happiness, wealth and joy to the house, and also protect them from illness and adversity.

Particular attention should be paid to decorating the house, since ordinary branches and bouquets were not suitable. It is believed that on this day there must be branches of maple, birch, oak and rowan in the house - after all, they are the ones who can protect from evil people, and also bestow strength, health and energy to overcome obstacles. A week later, all the plants were burned at the stake.

It was also customary to collect various herbs on Trinity Day, because according to our ancestors, they had special powers. All this was dried and left in case someone in the house got sick. An obligatory ritual on Trinity Sunday was the throwing of wreaths along the river. This was a kind of fortune telling for Trinity - in this way the girls tried to find out their fate for the next year.

In order to escape from drought and crop failure, on this day it was customary to water the flowers and branches with which they stood in the temple with their tears. The girls specifically tried to cry so that the drops would fall on the flowers, after which they were stored for a whole year.

Signs for Trinity

They tried not to schedule a wedding for this day; it was believed that nothing good would await such a family. But matchmaking and acquaintance on this day is a good sign. Such a marriage will be strong and happy.

We also tried on Trinity Sunday not to think about bad things, to be jealous and angry at someone - this is a bad sign and it will not lead to anything good.

Many of us have heard that if it rains on this day, it means tears for the dead. However, in addition to this sign, there was another one, which said that if it rains on this day, then there will be a lot of mushrooms all year, a good harvest and wonderful weather.

Women also tried to redo all their work before Trinity Day, since it was believed that on this day it was forbidden to sew, spin, whitewash, bake pies and work in the garden.

If, after three days, the birch branches with which the house was decorated were fresh and had not withered, then everyone was waiting for wet haymaking.

Many believed that in order to scare away evil spirits and attract wealth and prosperity to the village, it was necessary to go to the cemetery and sweep the graves.

It was a very bad sign if it was hot on Trinity Sunday. This means the whole summer will be dry and, accordingly, a poor harvest.

And the dew collected on Trinity Sunday, according to Slavic women, has a special power that can heal and give strength.

How is Trinity celebrated today?

Despite the importance of the holiday, many traditions have been forgotten. Few people attach any importance to the Trinity, especially in big cities. And if you conduct a survey “Why is Trinity celebrated and what is its meaning?”, most people will not be able to answer anything specific. It’s a shame, because this is our history and it should be remembered and honored, adhering to traditions.

But in the villages they prepare for the holiday in advance. They carefully clean and decorate their homes with beautiful flowers and herbs collected at dawn, which intoxicate with their delicate aroma, believing that evil spirits will not be able to enter the house. Housewives prepare culinary delights for households and guests. And after preparations they attend church. Then they sit down at the festive tables, which they take outside or go into nature. And in the evening they attend folk festivals, taking active part in various competitions.

Trinity Day in 2019 is celebrated on June 16. “Komsomolskaya Pravda” decided to tell all the most interesting things about the holiday, symbolizing the trinity of God

Daria Ivashkina Trinity is one of the twelve main Orthodox holidays. Sometimes it is also called the day of the descent of the Holy Spirit. From this name it is immediately clear what event this celebration is associated with. Actually, with the descent to earth of the Holy Spirit described in the Bible, which was foreshadowed by Jesus Christ and which showed and at the same time proved the trinity of God, that is, the existence of three Persons of one essentially God - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

The Trinity also has a third name - Pentecost. This name indicates the date of celebration - the fiftieth day after Easter, to which, as you know, many Christian celebrations are tied.
There is no exact date for Bright Resurrection, therefore Trinity is celebrated every year at different times. For example, in 2019, the Orthodox celebrated Easter on April 28; if you count 50 days from this date, you get June 16 - this will be the Day of the Holy Trinity.

As for Catholics, Trinity does not coincide with Pentecost (the day of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles) and is celebrated a week later. However, in 2019, the Catholic Trinity will be celebrated on June 23.

Story It is believed that the apostles, who are also called the disciples of Jesus Christ, decided to establish a holiday in honor of the Holy Trinity. In this way, they wanted to consolidate in people’s memory the event that occurred on the fiftieth day after the Ascension of the Lord. According to biblical legends, on that day the Holy Spirit descended on these same apostles, who by that time had already been praying for fifty days in a row in the Zion Upper Room, which later became the first Christian temple.

It is worth noting that after the descent of the Holy Spirit, the apostles noticed some changes: they suddenly learned to heal and prophesy. At the same time, they also spoke in different languages: the knowledge of languages ​​was given to them in order to carry the Word of God throughout the world. After this, the disciples of Christ went to different parts of the world to tell all the inhabitants of the planet about the life of the Lord and his painful death for the sins of all mankind.

And the official establishment of such a holiday as the Trinity occurred in 381, when the Second Ecumenical Council was convened in Constantinople, at which the doctrine of the Trinity was formulated. It was then that the dogma of the equality and consubstantiality of all Divine persons was established.

But our Slavic ancestors began to celebrate the Trinity much later - only 300 years after the baptism of Rus', that is, at the end of the 13th - beginning of the 14th centuries.
Traditions Since Trinity is a religious holiday, naturally, this day is never complete without a service in the church, which, according to tradition, includes the Divine Liturgy and Great Vespers.

Moreover, it is customary to decorate churches on Trinity Day with greenery: freshly cut grass is usually placed on the floor, and icons are decorated with spring flowers and young tree branches. On this day, many believers bring several birch branches with them to church to consecrate them and then place them in their homes (usually consecrated branches were placed near icons). It is believed that in this way you can protect your home and yourself from all evil. In general, the birch tree is the main attribute of the holiday; its branches symbolize the power of the Holy Spirit.

Another tradition of Trinity Day is to arrange a feast and invite all relatives, friends and loved ones to the celebration. By the way, since Pentecost is not a fast day, housewives have the opportunity to demonstrate all their culinary skills and please their guests with a wide variety of treats. However, the traditional dish for Trinity Sunday was and remains a loaf.

Previously, on the Day of the Holy Trinity, real folk festivities were organized - in the late afternoon, round dances, singing songs and dancing began in all villages. It is worth noting that detailed fun on Trinity Day has not lost its popularity to this day.

In addition, it has always been customary to get married on Trinity Day. So, it was believed that if you woo on Pentecost and have a wedding on Intercession - the day when, according to our ancestors, autumn meets winter, then a happy life together is guaranteed.

There are also a number of other traditions associated with preparation for Trinity. For example, a couple of days before the holiday, believers usually do a thorough cleaning of the house. The fact is that on the Day of the Holy Trinity itself you cannot clean, sew or wash, in other words, do any housework. And on Parents' Saturday - the day before Trinity - it is customary to visit cemeteries and remember the dead.

Trinity is the twelfth holiday of the Orthodox calendar, celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter, on the tenth day of Ascension. Other names for the Trinity are the day of the Holy Trinity, Pentecost, the day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. On this day, the Orthodox Church remembers the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and honors the Holy Trinity. The event described in the New Testament book “The Acts of the Holy Apostles” has a direct connection with the doctrine of the Trinity - one of the main tenets of the Christian faith. According to this teaching, God exists in three unmerged and inseparable persons: the Father - the beginningless principle, the Son - the logos and the Holy Spirit - the life-giving principle.

From the Old Testament, humanity first learned about the first Face of the One, Triune God - the Father Almighty, the Father of all things. The Son of God appeared to people in the form of Jesus Christ. On the day of Pentecost - the second great holiday of the Jewish people, dedicated to the giving of the Law of God to Moses in the form of the 10 Commandments on Mount Sinai, and on the 50th day after the resurrection of Christ humanity, represented by a group of apostles who gathered in the Jerusalem upper room around the Virgin Mary, for the first time received the revelation of the Third Hypostasis of the One God - the revelation of the Holy Spirit (see Spiritual Day).

“And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting, and dividing tongues as of fire appeared to them, and one rested on each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit..." This moment is interpreted by believers as a manifestation of the divine essence of the Holy Trinity. In memory of him, a holiday was established, which retained the name “Pentecost” and received a new one – “The Descent of the Holy Spirit.”

In the church calendar The holiday of Trinity is considered great; it is inextricably linked with the Ecumenical Saturday(Trinity Saturday), celebrated the day before, and followed by Monday - the day of the Holy Spirit. Many people know about Trinity Parental Saturday, as it is similar to other ecumenical parental Saturdays celebrated by the Orthodox Church.

In terms of significance and solemnity, the celebration of the Trinity was second only to Easter. It is customary to count all subsequent weeks of the church year from Pentecost (the first Sunday after Pentecost) until the week of the tax collector and the pharisee(Lent); In addition, the weekly count of days changes: Sunday is considered the final day of the seven-day cycle.

On Trinity, Orthodox churches are decorated with fresh greenery; During the service, worshipers hold birch branches and flowers in their hands; The custom of consecrating greenery brought by believers is widespread. The Church believes that green branch is a symbol of renewed spring and at the same time symbol of the renewal of people by the power of the descending Holy Spirit. In honor of this holiday, priests often dress in green phelonions, and church utensils are decorated with light green fabrics and ribbons. On Trinity, as well as on Christmas, Candlemas, and Easter, candles are made and blessed in the church.

In general, Trinity covers several holidays at once. This includes Trinity Parental Saturday (one of the four general memorial days of the year), then Trinity Sunday itself, as well as the Spiritual Day that follows. Besides, Pagan rituals were held these days, organically included in all Slavic Christian celebrations.

The holiday of the Trinity is unusual in that in Rus' it was established not at the time of its baptism, but three centuries later, at the very the flourishing of Russian Orthodoxy - under St. Sergius of Radonezh. Perhaps the celebration of the Trinity was introduced specifically to replace the spring pagan customs and rituals that continued to live among the people.

In folk tradition, Trinity begins with Semik and ends with Spiritual Day. Trinity was celebrated widely and cheerfully. The people associated the holiday of the Trinity, first of all, with reverence for the greenery of the birch, which flourished precisely at this time. Housewives carefully prepared for this holiday: they tidied up their houses and farmsteads, prepared ritual dishes and treats for guests, and prepared green branches for rituals.

From time immemorial Trinity was considered a women's holiday. In most cases, the central characters of Trinity rituals and games had a female appearance - the cuckoo ("Baptism and Funeral of the Cuckoo"), the birch tree ("Trinity Birch"). On Trinity Sunday, only the souls of dead babies, girls and young women were commemorated. Especially for the Trinity festivities, the girls prepared bright outfits and put wreaths of fresh greenery on their heads. In such bright outfits, the girls walked along their or the central village, and also gathered near the parish church. And guys and future mothers-in-law came to see them.

In all Trinity rites, the main symbol was the birch tree. On Semik, girls “curled” birch branches, intertwined them with grass, flowers and ribbons. A on Trinity Sunday they were necessarily “developed”, believing that otherwise the tree might be “offended.” Among the Trinity rituals with the birch tree, the ritual of “cumulus” with the tree was widespread. The girls “celebrated” with the birch tree and called it “godfather” during the holiday. In addition, churches, houses, outbuildings and even livestock were decorated with fresh birch greenery.

According to popular belief, plants on Trinity Day have special magical powers. Therefore, on the night of Trinity, healers collected medicinal herbs.

Trinity loaf

Trinity rites with a birch tree were accompanied by a ritual meal, which involved a collective collection of food: by pool or in the homes of fellow villagers. The main dishes were eggs and scrambled eggs, as well as “Trinity loaf”, which was baked by the older women in the house. They took the loaf to the grove and, decorating it with wreaths, placed it on the tablecloth, around which they danced in circles. Then they divided the loaf into parts and distributed them among the families where there were girls of marriageable age. These pieces were dried and used to make a wedding loaf, believing that this would bring happiness and love to the new family. There was a widespread belief that a tablecloth from a “Trinity loaf” could tie a guy tighter to a girl. To do this, at the bride's viewing - one of the important stages of the wedding ceremony - the tablecloth was secretly placed on the table under the top tablecloth. Therefore, the girls kept this tablecloth as a guarantee of their happiness.

Trinity fortune telling

Since Trinity was a women's holiday, girls always made fortunes about their marriage on this day. They wove wreaths and launched them on the water: whose wreath floats to the shore first, that girl will be the first to get married. According to another fortune telling, girls threw spoons into a birch tree: whose spoon falls to the ground and does not get stuck in the branches, that girl will get married earlier than others. In many places, it was a common custom to ask the cuckoo how long the girl would remain in her father’s house: how many times the cuckoo crowed, so many years would she have to wait for marriage.

In order to find out the direction from which the groom might appear, the girls spun around their axis and fell: in which direction the girl falls, from there her happiness will come. According to another fortune telling, the girls were breaking the old plow and dividing it into parts between themselves. Then they threw the fragments without looking: in which direction part of the plow would fall, the groom would come from that side. On the night of Trinity, girls always burned old men's trousers so that there would be more brides in the settlement.

Since Trinity was originally considered a women's holiday, during the festivities in the girls tried to get away from the guys. Moreover, in the folk Trinity songs that girls sang in a round dance near the birch tree, threats were often made towards boys and men in general. These songs were called “shoot an arrow”:

“Oh, I’ll shoot an arrow along the street,
You fly, arrow, along the wide
You kill, arrow, a good fellow.”

Gradually, however, the tradition of exclusively girls' festivities on Trinity Day was supplanted. This holiday has turned into a youth holiday. Both girls and boys came from many villages and walked all night, usually lighting fires.

The Trinity was also a kind of spring and summer section, a borderland in which evil spirits usually “walk.” Therefore, in order to protect their homes from the influence of evil spirits, peasants placed crosses over their windows and doors with chalk on Trinity Sunday.

At the end of the Trinity celebration, farewell rituals were performed: funeral service, drowning, burning of the Trinity birch tree, farewell to Kostroma.

For Orthodox people, the holiday of Trinity carries a special meaning. This is one of the twelve main Orthodox celebrations, which is celebrated on a large scale and helps to understand the secrets of Divine intent.

The celebration of the Trinity directly depends on the day of celebration of another bright holiday - the Resurrection of Christ. Easter is a fundamental Christian holiday, which is the center of all biblical history and the basis of all Christian teaching. The date of Easter changes every year. This is a moving holiday, due to which many other Orthodox celebrations have a floating date, and Trinity is no exception.

Trinity in 2018

As already mentioned, the holiday of Trinity is a moving holiday. People also call this celebration Pentecost because it occurs 50 days after Easter. In 2018, Orthodox believers will celebrate Trinity on May 27. Since the celebration of Pentecost, Lent ends, after which people prepare for the cycle of summer Christian holidays.

The Holy Trinity was established by the apostles. It has been celebrated since ancient times. This celebration has absorbed many traditions, since it originated at the dawn of Christianity. Many customs have remained unchanged and carried over into the present day.

As a rule, the celebration begins with a solemn service, which includes an all-night vigil. The All-Night Vigil, or, otherwise, the All-Night Vigil, is served on the eve of all great holidays. The celebrated day begins in the evening, and this divine service is directly related to the Orthodox celebration. The all-night vigil is an ancient service that began to be performed at the dawn of religion. Jesus Christ himself most often prayed at night together with the apostles. In ancient times, evening services were quite long: they took place all night. All believers should be present at this service in order to offer prayers to the Lord and all the saints together with the clergy.

According to biblical legends, on the day that we now call Trinity, the Holy Spirit descended to earth, thereby showing the Trinity of God. First, heavenly fire visited the Virgin Mary, and then endowed the apostles with Divine power, giving them cleansing from sinfulness, sanctifying their thoughts and revealing the secrets of their destiny.

Traditions of the Holy Trinity

The main attribute of the Trinity holiday is considered to be birch. Its branches and young leaves were used to decorate huts and temples, they were taken to church to be blessed, and then kept as a powerful talisman against all evil. The floors were usually covered with freshly cut grass. Each parishioner, going to the service, had several birch branches with him. At home, consecrated branches were placed near icons. According to popular beliefs, such a talisman helped protect the house from negativity.

As soon as the morning service ended, people tried to get home quickly in order to have time to prepare festive dishes and set the table. The loaf was considered an integral part of the festive table. The menu that day was special. This is not a fast day, so you can allow yourself whatever your heart desires, just as our ancestors did. Many families could afford to bake a pig, serve meat treats and other delicious dishes. It was believed that the year would be successful if treats from your garden were served at the table. Kvass was considered the main drink; compote, which had healing properties, was also served.

After the gala dinner, our ancestors went out into the street to congratulate neighbors, friends and strangers on the holiday of the Holy Trinity. This was a very important ritual, during which all people exchanged joy and happiness, wishing each other success and prosperity. The remains from the festive table were given to the poor, who were waiting for alms that day.

On this day, people paid special attention to spiritual life. It was customary to pray and glorify the Lord. This is very important now. The clergy call on everyone to pray in order to beg the Almighty for salvation and forgiveness, for guidance on the true path, for earthly and heavenly happiness. You need to pray not only for yourself, but also for loved ones, relatives, children and for every lost soul. On this day, the Lord is patient and merciful to any request and to any words.

Single people looked for their ideal companion on Trinity Day, since it was believed that acquaintance on this holiday would be blessed from Above. Many men decided to take a responsible step and asked girls to marry, appeasing the parents of the future bride.

Of course, some traditions have lost relevance, but most of them have retained their value and significance. For the most part, we are talking about moral cleansing. They have been striving for it since ancient times, since only by following the spiritual path can one find meaning and place in this life. We wish you a bright holiday. Take care of yourself and your loved ones. May luck smile on you,and don't forget to press the buttons and

26.01.2018 01:26

The image of the Holy Trinity is revered by Orthodox Christians around the world. Prayers in front of this icon can protect your...