When the Annunciation is celebrated. How to celebrate the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary? Metropolitan Anthony of Surozh

The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated by Orthodox Christians on April 7. Traditions, signs and customs of the holiday, what can and what should not be done on this day, the correspondent of the Minsk-Novosti agency found out.

The origins of the holiday

The Annunciation is a non-transferable holiday that always falls on April 7, is the third most important after Easter and Christmas. It belongs to the 12 most important Christian holidays. On this day, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary and told the good news - she would become the mother of the Son of God and the Savior of the world. “Blessed are you in women and blessed is the fruit of your womb,” said Archangel Gabriel.

The Feast of the Annunciation is celebrated 9 months before the Nativity of Christ, and means that the Lord in the holy phenomenon of the birth of God descended to a man, and the earthly girl Mary, becoming the mother of Christ in the flesh, became like angels.

The symbol of the holiday is a dove, as well as white lilies, with which believers decorate their homes.

What to do on the Annunciation

On the morning of April 7, they traditionally visit the temple, buy prosphora, one for each family member, and order a prayer for the health of loved ones. Prosphora is eaten on an empty stomach with holy water, reading the prayer “To accept holy water and prosphora”, and the crumbs are added to pet food.

Women on this day can pray in the church of the Most Holy Theotokos and ask her for a happy fate, a successful marriage, the birth of children, or the health of those already born.

On this day, Great Lent is slightly weakened - you can eat fish, but meat and dairy products remain banned.

Ancestors harvested salt on this day. She was supposed to be able to heal any disease.

On this day, it is customary to release the symbol of the holiday - birds, not only pigeons, but also larks, tits and other birds. It is believed that birds are able to convey news of the good deeds of people to guardian angels.

The most correct way to spend this day is to be with your family, in prayer and with pure thoughts, visiting relatives and not being distracted by worldly problems.

The key rule in the Annunciation: do not quarrel, do not become discouraged, do not gossip and do not slander. However, this advice is useful on any day, not just on holidays.

What not to do on the Annunciation

According to the saying, on the Annunciation “the bird does not nest, the girl does not weave braids,” so it’s better to postpone the visit to the hairdresser for another day.

On the Annunciation, any physical labor, housework or needlework (knitting, embroidery, sewing, etc.) is prohibited. Even food is advised to prepare before the holiday.

Since on this day the Lord blesses everything that grows on earth, it is not recommended to prune bushes and trees or work in the garden.

It is better not to borrow or take anything out of the house - this is a failure and problems in the family, it was believed among the people.

You can’t wear new clothes - they will definitely tear or wear out quickly.

Signs for the Annunciation

The Annunciation is considered the third Candlemas, after which the warmth definitely sets in.

On April 7, it was possible to guess by the birds: if a sparrow caught your eye - to appeasement, a crow - to despondency, doves - to grace, swallows - to success.

The fishermen believed that if it rained on the Annunciation, then the whole year there would be a good catch.

The inhabitants of the countryside believed that rain was a harbinger of a good harvest of rye and mushrooms. Thunderstorm that day promised a large harvest of nuts. Snow on the Annunciation - to a lean summer.

It is believed that the weather for the Annunciation predicts the same weather for Easter. However, if it is already very warm on the Annunciation, then it will most likely be cool on Easter.

If on this day the sun rises in a clear sky, then spring will be early, unless there are clouds in the sky at noon, spring will be slightly late, but if the weather is clear only in the evening, spring is expected to be late.

Swallows in the sky foreshadowed an early warm spring. If snow flies on the Annunciation, the summer is lean.

Even for thieves on this day there was a belief. If you manage to steal something on a holiday, then the whole year will pass successfully and in abundance.

Every year on April 7, Orthodox people celebrate one of the most important holidays in the history of the Bible - the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos. It is traditionally considered the twelfth, the number never changes. In 2018, the Annunciation coincided with Holy Saturday, which falls on the last day before Easter.

This is a big holiday that has been celebrated since the 3rd century.

The history of the holiday

The gospel literally means "good news" in Greek. April 7 was dedicated to the prophecy, which reports the birth of the Son of God. This holiday has three symbols - a light beam, with the help of which the Holy Spirit descended to earth, a spinning wheel - Mary sat next to her when she heard the news that she would become pregnant immaculately, palm leaves - symbolize feelings and thoughts related to the sublime and not intersecting with worldly life .

The Virgin Mary was destined to become the mother of Jesus, because until the age of 14 she was in the temple on the territory of Jerusalem. Since after this age all Jewish girls were required to marry, Mary refused, and promised that she would keep her virginity all her life. To comply with all the rules, the girl was betrothed to the 80-year-old righteous Joseph.

Mary didn't just get the information that she was going to be the mother of Jesus. She had the right to decide whether she was ready for it or not. Already from the 5th century, paintings by artists depicting this scene from the biblical legend began to appear in world art.

Traditions and rituals in the Annunciation

A lot of traditions are associated with this day - it is strictly forbidden to work, sew, knit, slaughter cattle, have fun loudly and noisily. On April 7, prosphora baked by the mistress of the house are consecrated in churches. How many people were in the family, so many had to be baked.

After they were eaten on an empty stomach, the crumbs and leftovers were collected and then added to livestock feed so that they would not get sick for the next year and give a normal weight gain or offspring. Prosphora was given the same importance as holy water. In order for spring to come faster, domestic animals were released into the street with a symbolic purpose of “listening to spring”. The girls came to the church, performed the so-called "crooked dance" around it.

All this happened so that spring would come faster. Another traditional action was the "release of birds". To perform the action, birds were caught, mainly pigeons or tits, which were put in a cage. It was believed that if a bird was released from the cage on April 7, it would fly to the Lord himself, and convey all the messages that people addressed to him.

Relaxation and changes on Holy Saturday

Since in 2018 the Annunciation is celebrated during Great Lent, there should be no meat and milk on the table. You can diversify the menu with fish and a glass of red wine. On a holiday, it is not recommended to give something, borrow money, because along with material things you can lose part of your health. It is also not recommended to wear new clothes, it is believed that they deteriorate faster.

Work in the garden is prohibited on this day, but you can take plant seeds with you to church. It is believed that they will bear fruit more. Combing and cutting hair is prohibited, because you can confuse your fate. Since this year the Annunciation falls on Holy Saturday, it is recommended to spend the holiday with your family, not to visit noisy places, to devote your free time to thoughts about the life of Jesus Christ before his crucifixion.

The Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos is an Orthodox holiday that has one day of forefeast and one day of afterfeast, on which the Cathedral of the Holy Archangel Gabriel celebrates.

The events of the Annunciation are described in the Gospel by the Apostle Luke - on this day they remember how the Archangel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary the good news of the conception and birth of the Divine Infant by Her - Jesus Christ.

The divine history is familiar to almost everyone, but on the eve of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, he invites you to remember it again, as well as to get acquainted with the history, traditions and signs of the holiday.

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Virgin Mary, who was given to the Creator from birth, is undoubtedly the most chaste in the entire Universe - she lived and was brought up until she was 14 years old in the Jerusalem temple.

Mary, when the time came to leave the temple, was found in the husbands of the elderly pious carpenter Joseph, who was supposed to protect her purity and innocence.

Therefore, the Virgin Mary, when the Archangel Gabriel announced to her that She had found the greatest grace from God - to be the Mother of the Son of God, she was embarrassed and asked the Angel how this conception would come about.

As an example, the Archangel cited the barren relative of Mary, Saint Elizabeth, who at an advanced age conceived a child six months ago, and thereby understand that there is no limit to the possibilities of the Lord.

Having heard the all-merciful will in the speeches of the Archangel, Mary said: "Behold, the Servant of the Lord; be it to me according to your word." Holy conception happened, as they say today, at the moment of pronouncing this phrase by the Virgin Mary.

Icon "Our Lady of Vladimir" (1652. The front side of the double-sided icon. Simon Ushakov)

Joseph, having learned that Mary was carrying a child, wanted to secretly let her go, but the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said: “Joseph, Son of David! Do not be afraid to accept Mary as your wife; and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins..."

Joseph did as the angel told him - he accepted his wife. Everything, as predicted, happened - they had a son, and they named him Jesus.

history of the holiday

It is assumed that the holiday was established by the apostles, since images of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin, dating back to the 2nd-3rd centuries, are found in the paintings of the catacombs, where the first Christians gathered for prayer.

However, they began to celebrate the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos especially - much later. This was facilitated by the discovery by St. Helena Equal-to-the-Apostles at the beginning of the 4th century of the Holy places of the Savior's earthly life and the construction of churches in these places, including the basilica in Nazareth, on the site of the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin.

Ancient Christians called the holiday differently - the Annunciation of Christ, the Conception of Christ, the Annunciation of the Angel of Mary, the Beginning of Redemption, and only in the 7th century it was given the name of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, both in the West and in the East.

The feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, according to some sources, was established by St. Cyril of Jerusalem, and by the end of the 7th century it was one of the most important in Byzantium. At about the same time, it also spread to the Western Church.

The date of the Annunciation both in the East and in the West is March 25 (April 7 in the old style). The Annunciation was dedicated to the day preceding Christmas by nine months, since the feast of the Nativity of Christ was historically established much earlier.

This number also agrees with the ideas of ancient church historians that the Annunciation and Pascha occurred on the same day of the year, as historical events.

Traditions

Since ancient times, the feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos has been especially revered in Russia. On this day, according to ancient tradition, people released birds from nets and cages. This custom was revived in 1995 and is now performed in many temples.

The peasants, on the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, according to tradition, according to the number of households, baked prosphora in the family - unleavened church bread, which was then lit in the temple.

Image of the Mother of God. Fragment of the icon "Annunciation (Ustyug)"

They ate the illuminated bread at home on an empty stomach, and, according to tradition, the crumbs were added to seeds and pet food. The people believed that the harvest would be rich due to this, and the livestock would be healthy and prolific.

The people perceived the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos as a holiday of spring - the beginning of a new agricultural year. Grain, according to tradition, people consecrated before sowing, placing the icon of the Annunciation next to the grain.

On this day, in the old days, "they called out to spring" - they made a fire and jumped over the fire, danced round dances, sang "vesnyanki". People considered the Annunciation fire the best protection against diseases, damage and the evil eye.

People beat mallets, rang a bell, copper utensils to protect cattle from wolves. There was a sign among the people that wolves would stay at the distance over which the sound would spread.

Signs

The holiday of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos among the people was surrounded by many signs. The main sign says that all land work and housework are prohibited. In the old days, people said that even a bird does not nest on this day, because it is a sin.

According to legend, the cuckoo did not obey the rules of this day and made a nest, as a punishment she can no longer build nests, and is forced to lay her eggs in the nests of other birds.

In many houses, according to tradition, on the eve and on the day of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, they tried not to light a fire, but in order to attract good luck in the oven, according to signs, a few pinches of salt should have been burned.

On the feast of the Annunciation, people believed that the angels rejoiced in heaven, and even in hell they ceased torturing sinners. The earth wakes up from its winter sleep and opens up towards spring. And with the inhabitants of the earth, all evil spirits awaken together.

Therefore, on the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, rituals were performed that protected from disease and evil. It was a good omen to wash yourself with melt water, fumigate winter clothes with smoke, and so on.

Fire was considered the best protection against snakes, so it was customary to burn the garbage accumulated during the winter. According to signs, not a single crumb can be dropped on the Annunciation, otherwise there will be no rescue from insects.

On the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, it was customary to guess for happiness - they baked small money in church prosphora, and whoever gets it, happiness will smile at him all year.

Under the icons they placed Annunciation consecrated water, as they believed that it would raise the sick to their feet, and they used it to solder the cattle.

In the old days, it was believed that consecrated water does not deteriorate for a whole year, unless a sorcerer or a person with dark thoughts touches it.

On the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, it is a bad omen to pour grain from bag to bag and lend, therefore, it was strictly forbidden to do this.

On this day, the hostess drove the chickens off the perch with a broom so that they rushed to Easter.

Icon of the Annunciation, late 16th century

A lot of signs are connected with the harvest and the weather. So, according to a sign, chickens will not lay well if the night before the sky is dark without stars. A sign of the wheat harvest is a sunny day on the Annunciation.

According to signs, rain on a holiday - to mushroom autumn, to good fishing. A thunderstorm on a holiday indicates a warm summer and a good harvest of nuts. If a thunderstorm thundered on a holiday, you can expect a warm summer and an excellent harvest of nuts.

According to signs, the frost on the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos indicated a good harvest of spring and cucumbers.

What are they praying for

They pray before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos of the Annunciation for relief and healing of their ailments, for release from imprisonment, and in general - to receive "good" news about something.

Prayer

Accept, O All-Mighty, Most Pure Lady Mistress of the Theotokos, this honest gift, the only application to You from us, Your unworthy servants, chosen from all generations, the highest being of all creatures of heaven and earth. For the sake of Thee, for the sake of Thee, the Lord of hosts be with us, and by Thee we will know the Son of God, and we will be honored with His Holy Body and His Most Pure Blood. Blessed are you also in childbirth, God-blessed, the brightest of the Cherubim and the most honest of the Seraphim. And now, All-holy Theotokos, do not stop praying for us, Thy unworthy servants, to deliver us from every advice of the evil one and from every circumstance, and keep us intact from every poisonous pretense of the devil. But even to the end, by Your prayers, keep us uncondemned, as if by Your intercession and help we save, glory, praise, thanksgiving and worship for everything in the Trinity to the One God and all the Creator we send, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.

Material prepared on the basis of open sources

The feast of the Annunciation throughout the great Russia was highly revered by the people as a day of perfect freedom and peace. The Annunciation was a holiday of beautiful traditions, the blessing of all reasonable and good deeds, and not rampant feasts. Believing Christians who adhere to the multi-day Great Lent, on April 7 - on the Annunciation, have an indulgence. Fish and wine join the meager lenten food, for the soul - quiet amusements are not prohibited. This once again emphasizes the greatness of this great holiday.

History of the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The story of the Annunciation is familiar to everyone who is strong in the Bible, as well as to those who watched children's cartoons based on the artistic adaptation of the Gospel.

What names were not given to the Annunciation in ancient times. He was called both the Conception of Christ, and the Annunciation of Christ, and the Beginning of Redemption, and the Annunciation of the angel Mary. But ethnographers and clergy have not been able, despite a long search, to determine where, when, how the feast of the Annunciation appeared for the first time. Only one thing is known: the instruction of the emperor Justinian, dated 560, about the celebration of the Annunciation in March on the 25th (according to the new style - April 7th).

Three gospels

The good news on April 7 gave rise to two others - on January 7 and on the day. In absolutely the entire chronicle of the human race, there are, most likely, three majestic gospels: about the moment that the Son of God was born and also about the fact that Jesus was resurrected. However, initially the Archangel Gabriel delivered the good (good) news to the Virgin Mary about the forthcoming creation of the Savior of the world. People call this day the Annunciation.

It is not known what exactly the Virgin Mary was doing at the moment when the Archangel Gabriel, the messenger of the Most High, delivered great news to Her. According to some assumptions, she then spun pink-purple yarn for curtains in the Temple. According to others, she went to the well for water, according to the third reasoning, she read the Book of the prophet Isaiah.

Whatever it was, today it is unimportant. The most important thing is what the Archangel said to her. The Apostle Luke tells that the Angel, having descended to Mary, asserted that she, the Full of Grace, should triumph, for she was chosen, to give birth to a son from the Creator himself. HE will become great and will be called Jesus, the Son of the Most High.

The Virgin Mary, no doubt, from the moment she was born, was given to the Creator, and Her husband, old man Joseph, took the obligation to protect Her innocence and purity. And as a result of this, She, embarrassed, inquired from the Angel how this generation would come about. Gabriel compared Mary's cousin, Saint Elizabeth, who had conceived an unborn child within a few months before the Annunciation. Moreover, she was at such an advanced age, at which sometimes innovative medical science cannot give the opportunity to conceive and give birth to a child. The Lord has no limits. The righteous Elizabeth, as well as her husband, the clergyman Zechariah, had a son, who was given the name John and who later became none other than John the Baptist.

Mary - the most chaste, as well as the holiest of all living in the universe, nevertheless, did not consider herself to be one that deserved special mercy from the Lord. However, having experienced the All-merciful will in the words of the Archangel, She said: “Behold, the Servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word." Today it is believed that at the moment the Virgin Mary uttered such a phrase, the holy conception took place. It is unrealistic and difficult to imagine what could happen to the planet, provided that at that moment in time the Virgin Mary declared something different.

It is logical that the righteous John Chrysostom called the Annunciation the source of celebrations, the basis of all Christian festivities without exception.

One of the most beautiful and also the most famous songs in the world community - Ave Maria - dedicated to the Annunciation, this is nothing more than the prayer of the Mother of God "Virgin, rejoice!" In general, it arose even before the division of the Orthodox religion into Western and Eastern. In honor of the celebration of the Annunciation in Russia, numerous churches and cathedrals have been erected or renamed. Particularly recognized and popular by all is the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

The presentation of the Annunciation is the most initial mention of the Mother of God in the Gospel. And in spite of everything, even the fact that the “Gospel” is translated into Russian from Greek also as the Good News”, only the Apostle Luke recorded the event of the Annunciation. And he rightfully refers not only to the first icon painters, but also to the creators of the first icon of the Virgin Mary. The original, obviously, did not remain, but its most patriarchal painting, according to ethnographers, is the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. The most revered image of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Russia.

Annunciation - beautiful traditions

invocations

The eve of the Annunciation and the holiday itself are permeated with ancient beautiful traditions, which are still actively observed in many villages. Traditionally, they “call for spring”: fires are lit, dance around them, singing beautiful stoneflies, flour sculptures of sandpipers, larks, swallows are baked. Young girls climb with them onto the roof of low buildings, stand on an elevated place, the children climb trees and linger, sadly and singsongly chant appeals to birds, urging them to fly faster, and bring Beauty Spring on wings! They are begged to bring from across the seas a lot of health, green grass, fragrant cakes, a pot of porridge and even a bag full of money. Birdies are lured with pies, koloboks, pretzels.

prosphora

So that all days of the year are calm and successful, the whole family has good health and a prosperous life, according to the Christian tradition, which eventually developed into a folk custom, it was obligatory to eat a piece of prosphora (church bread). It was baked (now bought) for each member of the family, consecrated in the church, then crumbled and eaten. Often its crumbs were mixed into the sowing seeds, to the feed. According to age-old observations, it has been established that this gave an excellent harvest, a good offspring in livestock and birds, and health for all living creatures. They even mixed crumbs of Church bread into honey and fed them to bees.

A tradition full of deep meaning - "Freedom to the birds!"

In 1995, in honor of the feast of the Annunciation, an ancient Russian beautiful tradition was revived - to give free rein to the birds. On this day, in the Cathedral of the Annunciation, after the chants, the clergy and children released the birds. This custom was supported in almost all temples. He likes people too. Residents of megacities in bird markets bought bonded birds and joyfully granted them freedom.

Signs for the Annunciation

According to the weather on the Annunciation, they predicted the future harvest, and what the summer months would be like. A lot of signs tied it together.

A windy day, with morning fog and hoarfrost, promised a fruitful summer. The Annunciation rain was leading to an abundance of mushrooms and bread.

To a good collection of spring, cucumbers, milk mushrooms was frosty; to warm summer days and to an abundance of nuts - a thunderstorm.

On the day of the Annunciation there are no swallows - by the cold protracted spring.

The Annunciation sky is dark, starless - chickens lay few eggs.

Annunciation snow on the roofs will not melt until May 6 (Egoria), and a strong frost by forty frosty matinees.

Among a considerable number of church holidays, the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is considered special. In importance, it is second, perhaps only to Christmas, which is celebrated by all Christians, regardless of denomination. Even before the day of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, the schedule of services in churches is posted on websites and front doors so that every believer can find time in his busy schedule for the joy of visiting church. Moreover, on this holiday, a visit to the temple is impossible to miss. Such an act is considered an unforgivable mistake that will bring trouble and trouble to the house. The Annunciation has a number of rules and restrictions, but many believers are not familiar with them. Therefore, they make unfortunate miscalculations in preparation for the holiday, which in the old days in Russia even children could not make. We will tell readers in as much detail as possible about this joyful day for the heart of every Christian: when the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated, where the tradition of celebrating the holiday came from, what is the history of its occurrence and many other interesting things. But let's talk about everything in order.

Brief historical background

The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary has a clearly defined date of celebration. It and Christmas are separated by nine months, despite the fact that the Annunciation took root in church traditions much later than Christmas. It is known that Catholics and Orthodox use different types of calendars. Not surprisingly, the dates of the holidays they differ. The Catholic Church in honor of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary begins services in the temple on the morning of the twenty-fifth of March. And the Orthodox holiday is celebrated on the seventh of April.

Among the twelve main holidays of the Christian Church, many believers consider this literally the beginning of the formation of religion. After all, its essence lies in the good news that Mary received from the angels. Some theologians in ancient times claimed that it was during this conversation that the virgin birth of a young girl took place. Therefore, for a long time the holiday bore a lot of names that characterize this particular side of it.

It is interesting that all the events concerning this topic were described by only one apostle. Luke in his Gospel spoke in great detail about what happened on this great day. To this day, all Christians refer to this written source, telling the story of the Virgin Mary and the conception of Christ.

history of the holiday

The story about the feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos must begin with a brief description of the life of the Virgin Mary.

Not everyone knows that from birth the girl who became the Mother of God was promised to the temple. Her life was to be serving the Lord, for which the little girl was being prepared. She spent her childhood in the Jerusalem temple and was brought up by its abbots. But by the age of fourteen, young Mary, according to Jewish law, had to get married. This was very embarrassing for the holy fathers, who prayed day and night to find the best solution to determine the fate of the girl. After vain prayers, an insight descended on one of the elders, and he began to search for a husband for Mary, who could protect her throughout her life, but nevertheless not lay claim to her, as a husband does to his wife. The search was short-lived, and soon Mary became the wife of Joseph, who by the time of the marriage was already eighty years old. The betrothed husband was known as a real righteous man and spent his whole life in labors and prayers. Before meeting Mary, Joseph had never been married.

One day, the archangel Gabriel appeared before the embarrassed girl. According to the Gospel of Luke, he announced to Mary the good news that she was chosen as the mother of the Son of God. However, it was important not only to tell the girl what awaits her, but also to get her consent. Without it, the Lord could not fulfill his will.

Upon hearing such news, Mary doubted the possibility of a virgin birth. However, Gabriel shamed her, reminding her of how her relative conceived, endured and gave birth to a baby, considering herself barren until old age. With this, the angel wanted to prove the unlimited possibilities of the Lord and reassure Mary. Being obedient and righteous, the girl agreed with God's will and conceived a child.

Interestingly, when Joseph found out about his wife's pregnancy, he thought about her infidelity. He decided that the girl had violated the vow of innocence, and invited her to leave him secretly, under the cover of night. However, in a dream, an angel appeared to him, telling the whole truth about the conception of the Son of God, and ordered the man to protect his wife and take care of her.

The importance of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos also lies in the fact that until this moment mankind had not received good news from the Lord. Adam and Eve were the last to hear the will of the Creator, but subsequent generations were deprived of this goodness.

The formation of the holiday

Christians began to celebrate the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos in churches in the fifth or sixth centuries, but even earlier there were references to this day in various sources.

Historians and archaeologists have found images of the events of the Annunciation in the caves where the first Christians hid from their persecutors. Similar paintings were painted not only in individual caves, but also in catacombs, in which the exiles spent weeks and months, leading services and preaching. Such murals date back to the second or third centuries.

In the fourth century, Saint Helena made her invaluable contribution to the formation of the holiday. She went through the places of Christ's life and everywhere she tried to leave a mark in the form of a basilica, temple, church or cathedral. She was also one of the first to speak about the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos as a significant event. The saint found the place where the appearance of the archangel to the Virgin took place, and set up a basilica there.

Already by the fifth century, icon painters began to pay great attention to this biblical story. They began to depict the events of the immaculate conception of Jesus on icons and murals in churches. Approximately one hundred years later, services on the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos were held in most churches. It is believed that St. Cyril of Jerusalem finally established its canons and traditions. Literally a century later, the holiday received the status of the main one in Byzantium and spread to the West.

By the way, in Russia the Mother of God was very revered. Therefore, the Annunciation was celebrated very solemnly and without fail by the whole family. From this, according to our ancestors, the well-being of all its members and abundance in the house depended.

In the eighth century, festive canons were compiled, which are sung during the service in honor of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos in churches. Their authors are considered to be the Metropolitan of Nicaea and two holy elders - Theophanes and John of Damascus.

Let's talk about traditions

Each holiday has its own traditions, especially since this statement is relevant when we talk about church holidays. The rules for celebrating the Annunciation were formed in ancient times and today are strictly observed by all Christians.

The day before the holiday, women started baking prosvir. This word was called unleavened bread in the form of small buns. Its number has always been equated to the number of households. On the morning of the feast of the prosvir, it was required to take it to the service and consecrate it. Only after that, family members could start the festive meal, during which bread was eaten. This was done with great care so as not to drop a single crumb past the mouth. If this happened, then all the remnants of prosvir were collected and given to cattle. It was believed that this contributes to the preservation of her health and fertility. However, it was necessary to eat the consecrated bread on an empty stomach. This was an indispensable condition for a rich harvest and family well-being.

Since the Annunciation is a very important holiday, it is strictly forbidden to work on this day. Our ancestors would never have slaughtered cattle, sewed, cleaned the house, and done other things. However, it was also forbidden to start unnecessarily noisy fun. People had to realize the sanctity of this day and be imbued with it.

I would like to note that in Russia this church holiday was considered at the same time the day when it was customary to call spring. It was believed that after the Annunciation, winter finally recedes and a new round of life begins in nature. In order to get rid of the disease, our ancestors made fires. They danced around them, sang songs and "barkers". The especially brave ones even jumped over the fire, thus being cleansed of all diseases and unclean thoughts.

A particularly beautiful tradition on the Annunciation was the release of birds. Before the holiday, feathered songbirds were caught on the streets and in the forests, which were put in cages. After attending the church service, the youth gathered in the courtyards of the temples and opened the cages. The birds soaring into the sky were a symbol of the good news once brought to mankind.

On the Annunciation, cattle were often driven out into the streets. He had to pass to the sound of mallets and bells. This, as our ancestors thought, protected cattle from diseases and predators.

The assortment of festive dishes of the tradition of the Annunciation is not limited in any way. It all depends on what day the given date falls on. For example, this year it was Good Friday. Therefore, believers could not afford to eat even fish. Although usually, if the holiday coincides with fasting, the Orthodox have some indulgences. Seafood is one of them.

Holiday symbols

Few Christians are aware that the Annunciation has its own symbolism. It is a kind of graphic story about the essence of the holiday. The first character is depicted as a beam of light. It represents an ephemeral road along which the Holy Spirit descended on the Virgin Mary. This is how the gospel story of the good news began.

The second character is a spinning wheel. According to written sources, the Virgin Mary spent a lot of time with this instrument. The archangel Gabriel, who descended from heaven, found her spinning and at that moment announced the mission that the girl would need to complete.

The third symbol was the palm branch. Since ancient times, it has meant spiritual elevation. Some theologians interpreted the symbol as the unity of the subordination of thoughts and feelings to divine providence.

Features of the church service: day and evening on the eve of the holiday

In addition to the general traditions of celebrating the Annunciation, which we have already talked about, there are certain nuances of holding church services. Believers usually learn about them already at the service, but they may let something out of their attention. We will tell readers about all the features of meeting the holiday in accordance with church canons.

On the day before the feast, believers attend vespers. During it, the clergy read stichera and excerpts from the Holy Scriptures dedicated to the sufferings of Christ, the good news brought to the Virgin Mary by the archangel, prophecies about the Son of God, as well as texts about his acceptance of torment for the sake of saving people's souls. At the final stage of the service, the troparion of the Annunciation and the canon "On the crucifixion of the Lord and on the cry of the Most Holy Theotokos" are sung. After that, the service ends and the believers disperse for a while.

In the evening of the same day, Matins is served. It must be attended by all Orthodox who wish to be fully imbued with the holiness of the moment. The service begins with hymns, turning into six psalms and troparia:

"Noble Joseph";
“When you descended to death”;
"Myrrh-bearing women".

Further, the service continues with reading excerpts from the Gospel and holiday canons. It is impossible to imagine this service without the canons of the Annunciation and Holy Saturday. They are considered special because they are read only on major holidays and have an unusual structure. The Canon of the Annunciation is written in the form of a conversation between the Virgin Mary and the archangel. But the second canon is actually philosophical reasoning on the topic of processes occurring from the crucifixion to the resurrection of Christ.

Morning holiday service

From the very morning, the service bears little resemblance to a festive one. It is performed at the usual hours, but after the end it immediately continues with the Vespers Liturgy. The clergy sing Sunday stichera and proverbs. Usually, after this, a list of those who wish to be baptized on this holiday is announced.

Matins continues with the reading of the Gospel. Much attention is paid to the texts about the deeds of Christ and his torment on the cross. The final stage of the service is the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great.

A few words about the meal and the vestments of the priests

Interestingly, the services on the Annunciation require special vestments for the clergy. Usually the color of the vestments on all holidays dedicated to the Mother of God is blue. However, in the Annunciation it turns into purple. By the way, this is the only day when church ministers wear clothes of this shade.

As for the meal, it is always accompanied by wine. Depending on the coincidence with other holidays, priests set a number of restrictions regarding dishes on the table of believers. However, in any case, the Orthodox receive a blessing for red wine.

Temples in honor of the Virgin

In Russia, the Mother of God was especially revered, and the number of churches in her honor is difficult to calculate. Many of them were forgotten and abandoned in Soviet times, but in recent years they have become active again and have been fully restored. We will tell readers about some of them.

The Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin on Vasilyevsky Island in St. Petersburg has a long history associated with the names of many famous figures of Russian science and culture.

The temple was founded in the middle of the eighteenth century and was built over thirteen years. As a result, believers were able to see the most beautiful seven-altar temple complex. It was consecrated even before the builders left the territory of the church. The lighting procedure was carried out by Tikhon Zadonsky himself.

In the thirty-sixth year of the last century, the temple was closed and resumed worship only twenty-six years ago. Today it is open to all those in need from nine in the morning until seven in the evening. On weekends, the church waits for believers until eight o'clock in the evening.

On the main church holidays, which include the Annunciation, the Liturgy is held twice a day: at seven and ten in the morning. You can confess half an hour before the service.

Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Fedosino

This temple is located in Moscow and was founded at the beginning of the fifteenth century. In the future, he was rebuilt more than once. The final version dates from the first half of the nineteenth century.

The village of Fedosyevo belonged to the Ascension Monastery, which supported its inhabitants in difficult times. The temple, built within the monastery, strikes with its beauty and strict forms. It was active until the thirties of the last century, when there was a campaign for the mass closing of churches. It is noteworthy that the villagers did not allow the church to be closed. They tried to defend their faith as a united front, but for many decades the temple was used by the Soviet authorities for other purposes.

Today, believers can find out a lot of interesting and important information on the site dedicated to the Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The schedule of services, for example, is updated here once a month. Usually in the temple the doors for believers are open until five o'clock in the evening. Divine services begin at half past eight in the morning.

Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin in Petrovsky Park

There are at least five temple complexes in honor of the Mother of God in Moscow. All of them, even in the most difficult times for Christianity, were not empty. Believers have always come here in the hope of finding solace. And the Church of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos in Petrovsky Park was very important for the Orthodox of this area.

The initiator and sponsor of the construction of the church was Princess Naryshkina. At her request, the architect Richter created a unique project that was not supposed to contradict the ensemble of the Petrovsky Palace. And he managed to make it happen.

The foundation stone of the temple was laid in the forty-fourth year of the nineteenth century. It was originally supposed to have four thrones. The first one was consecrated three years after the start of construction.

The rector of the Church of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos in Petrovsky posts the schedule of services on the website. The resource is maintained by him and some members of the flock. In the temple complex of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos in Petrovsky Park, the schedule of services of which is of interest to all believers, morning services usually begin at eight o'clock. Evening services are held from five o'clock. Orthodox Christians have the opportunity to confess almost every day. This is done before the morning Liturgy.