Holy Week, or Holy Week, is the last week before Easter, dedicated to memories of the last days of the Savior’s earthly life, His suffering, crucifixion, death on the cross, and burial. This week is especially honored by the Church.
Holy Week- this is no longer Pentecost and, in general, this is not even Great Lent anymore - this is a separate time.
All days of Holy Week are called Great. Every day special services are held in all churches. The services of Holy Week are especially majestic, adorned with wisely arranged prophetic, apostolic and evangelical readings, the most sublime, inspired chants and a whole series of deeply significant, reverent rituals.
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week are dedicated to the recollection of the last conversations of the Savior with the disciples and people and intensive preparation for the Passion of Christ. In accordance with the fact that before his suffering Jesus Christ spent all his days in the temple, teaching the people, the Holy Church distinguishes these days with especially long Divine services. On these three days, the Gospel is read at all services and all four Gospels are read.
Preparing believers for the Savior's suffering on the cross, the Holy Church gives the Divine service of the first three days of Holy Week the character of sadness and contrition for our sinfulness. On Wednesday evening, the Lenten Divine service ends, the sounds of weeping and lamentation of the sinful human soul fall silent in church hymns, and the days of another mourning begin, permeating the entire Divine service - weeping from the contemplation of the horrific torment and suffering on the cross of the Son of God Himself.
GOOD MONDAY
I remember:
- Joseph, sold to Egypt for twenty pieces of silver;
- the curse of the barren fig tree, the parable of the evil winegrowers; prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem.
The Church remembers the Old Testament Patriarch Joseph the Beautiful, who out of envy was sold by his brothers to Egypt, who prefigured the suffering of the Savior.
From the events of the Gospel, the Holy Church remembers the drying up of the barren fig tree. The withered fig tree, according to the Gospel, was a significant sermon for the Apostles about the power of faith and prayer, without which a person is spiritually dead before God. According to the mind of the Holy Church, the barren fig tree represents the host of the Jews, in which Jesus Christ did not find true fruit, but only the hypocritical shadow of the law, which he denounced and cursed; but this fig tree also represents every soul that does not bear fruit of repentance.
The Morning Gospel edifies us with the parable of the unrighteous winegrowers who killed first their master’s servants, sent for grapes, and then their master’s son himself. In this parable, depicting the bitterness of the Jews, who beat the prophets, and with the coming to earth of the Son of God, crucified Himself, one cannot help but see the terrible condemnation of Christians who violate the apostolic and patristic commandments and thereby continue to crucify the Son of God with their sins. In the Gospel reading at the liturgy, the Holy Church recalls the fate of the apostate Jewish people and the end of the world as they were foreshadowed by Jesus Christ. Believers are encouraged in the midst of evil to generosity, impartiality, patience, prayer and spiritual vigil and are comforted by the Savior’s promise to spread the Gospel throughout the world and end the disasters of “the elect” (Matthew 24:14-22).
GOOD TUESDAY
I remember:
— Parable of the ten virgins and talents;
— Parable prophecy about the Last Judgment.
Jesus Christ also spent the night of Tuesday in Bethany, and on Tuesday morning he again came to the temple in Jerusalem and taught a lot in the temple and outside the temple (Matthew 24:1). The chief priests and elders, hearing His parables and understanding what He was saying, tried to seize Him and kill Him. But the people were openly afraid of attacking Him, who revered Him as a prophet (Matthew 21:46), were delighted with His teaching (Mark 11:18), and listened to Him with delight (Mark 12:37).
At Matins of this day, we remember the events described by the Evangelist Matthew (chapter 22 from verse 15 and chapter 23). But the content of Tuesday's service is borrowed from the parable of the ten virgins, the talents, and from the continuation of the story set on Monday about the second coming of Christ.
With these memories, the Holy Church especially calls believers to spiritual vigilance, to the purposeful use of the abilities and powers given to us, especially for works of mercy, which the Lord accepts as personal merit to himself when he says about them: “Because you have created one and the same for these lesser brothers of mine, you have created with me "(Matthew 25:40). In the hymns of this day, the Holy Church persistently instills in us the obligation of spiritual wakefulness and religious and moral improvement. With the parable of the ten virgins, the Church instills constant readiness to meet the Heavenly Bridegroom through chastity, almsgiving and the immediate performance of other good deeds, depicted under the name of oil prepared by the wise virgins.
GREAT WEDNESDAY
I remember:
— Repentance of the sinner who poured ointment on Jesus’ feet;
- betrayal of Judas.
This day is the day of betrayal of the suffering and death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Lord spent Wednesday night in Bethany (Matthew 26:6-17). Here in the house of Simon the leper, at a time when the council of high priests, scribes and elders had already decided to take Jesus Christ by cunning and kill Him, a certain “sinner” wife poured precious myrrh on the head of the Savior, and thereby prepared Christ for burial. Here Judas decided to betray Christ to the Jewish elders for 30 pieces of silver (an amount sufficient in those days to purchase small area lands even in the vicinity of Jerusalem).
In the church service of Great Wednesday, the “sinner” wife is glorified and the love of money and betrayal of Judas is condemned and cursed (Matthew 26:6-16).
On Great Wednesday at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts in last time The prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian is said with three great bows. At the evening service the Sacrament of Confession is performed: on this day everyone tries to confess.
MAJOR FOUR - CLEAN THURSDAY
I remember:
— Last Supper,
— The Lord washing the feet of His disciples as a sign of deepest humility and love for them,
— Prayer of the Savior in the Garden of Gethsemane,
- The betrayal of Judas.
In remembrance of the events of this day after the prayer behind the pulpit at the Liturgy in cathedrals During the bishop's service, a touching rite of washing the feet is performed, which resurrects in our memory the immeasurable condescension of the Savior, who washed the feet of His disciples before the Last Supper.
Maundy Thursday - the day the Lord established the sacrament of the Eucharist. Therefore, according to tradition, all Orthodox Christians, if possible, leave all their affairs in order to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ this morning. And at the evening service, all believers with candles in their hands, standing in the darkness of the temple, listen to the reading of the so-called Twelve Gospels, that is, 12 Gospel passages that tell about the betrayal of Judas, the trial of Christ and the Crucifixion of Christ.
GREAT HEEL
Memory:
— The Holy Saving Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ.
On this great day, the Orthodox Church commemorated all times of the sacred events of the salvation of the world with a divine service: the time of the capture of the Savior in the Garden of Gethsemane and His condemnation by the bishops and elders to suffering and death (Matthew 27:1) - with a Matins service; the time of bringing the Savior to trial before Pilate - the Divine Service of the first hour (Matthew 27:2); the time of the condemnation of the Lord at the trial of Pilate - by the completion of the third hour; the time of Christ's suffering on the cross - the sixth hour; time of death - ninth hour; and the removal of the body of Christ from the cross at vespers.
The entire service of this day is dedicated to the reverent and touching remembrance of the saving passions and death on the cross of the God-man.
“And, bearing His cross, He went out to a place called Skull, in Hebrew Golgotha; there they crucified Him and two others with Him, on one side and the other, and in the middle was Jesus. Pilate also wrote the inscription and placed it on the cross. It was written: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. This inscription was read by many of the Jews, because the place where Jesus was crucified was not far from the city, and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Roman. The chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate: Do not write: King of the Jews, but what He said: I am the King of the Jews. Pilate answered: What I wrote, I wrote. When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took His clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier, and a tunic; The tunic was not sewn, but entirely woven on top. So they said to each other: Let us not tear it apart, but let us cast lots for it, whose it will be, so that what is said in the Scripture may be fulfilled: They divided My garments among themselves, and cast lots for My clothing. This is what the warriors did. Standing at the cross of Jesus were His Mother and His Mother’s sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.”
Gospel of John, 19:17-25
Matins of Good Friday is served on Thursday evening. main feature this service - reading the so-called Twelve Gospels, that is, twelve Gospel passages telling about the suffering of Christ and placed between in different parts services. At each reading, those present light candles. This significantly indicates the triumph and glory that accompanied the Son of God even during His extreme humiliation amid reproach and suffering and testifying to His highest holiness and Divinity.
There is no Liturgy on Good Friday, because on this day the Lord Himself sacrificed Himself, and The Royal Hours are celebrated.
Vespers of Good Friday (“Removal of the Shroud”) is dedicated to the burial of the Savior and is usually celebrated in the middle of the day.
The shroud is located in the middle of the temple for 3 (incomplete) days, reminiscent of the three-day stay of Jesus Christ in the tomb.
This is a day of strict fasting, when you cannot eat anything, at least until the Shroud is taken out. This is the day of the strictest fasting of the year.
In some churches, after Vespers, by candlelight, as if on behalf of His Mother, the touching and sorrowful canon “Lamentation of the Virgin Mary” is read.
GOOD SATURDAY
Memory:
- The Lord's presence in the body in the tomb,
- Descent of the soul into hell,
— Staying on the Throne with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Holy Saturday- a time of peace and quiet, when the mystery of the divine resurrection takes place. The Church remembers the burial of Jesus Christ, the presence of His body in the tomb, the descent of His soul into hell to proclaim there victory over death and the deliverance of souls who waited with faith for His coming, and the introduction of the prudent thief into heaven.
Adam's sin distorted human nature and made it mortal. Death is a consequence of sin. Accordingly, the area in which the souls of all the dead fell found itself in the grip of evil. Before Christ descended into hell, even the souls of the righteous ended up there. Having become incarnate, God healed all human nature, introducing it to the divine. Having become a participant in death, He freed from corruption the very last tragic area of human existence. Having accepted death, Christ, like every person, descended with his soul into hell, but, like God, he destroyed this stronghold of death. Satan, the great deceiver, himself was deceived, not recognizing the One who came to his kingdom that day.
Matins of Holy Saturday is usually served on Friday evening. It begins with the singing of “God the Lord...”, the troparion “Blessed Joseph...” and troparions. A funeral chant is sung. The people stand at the shroud with lit candles. The wondrous and beautiful canon of Holy Saturday “Wave of the Sea”, written by the nun Cassia, is sung. The last song of the Saturday canon is especially touching and loved by the people: “Do not cry for Me, Mother, see in the grave.”
After the canon, during the singing of the subsequent stichera, the priest dresses in dark vestments and, with the beginning of the great doxology, once again censes the tomb of the Savior. Then, repeating the “Thrice-Holy Hymn”, to the sound of bells, the people with lighted candles follow him, carrying the Gospel and the Shroud - a procession with the shroud takes place around the temple - the rite of burial of the Savior. The solemn procession slowly circles around the temple, testifying that the entire universe has been purified, delivered and restored by the entry of the “Life of the World” into death. When the people again enter the temple, the choir once again sings the troparia and the prophecy of Ezekiel is read, the victorious lines of the psalms calling on God to rise, scatter His enemies and bring joy to the righteous. Repeated singing of “Alleluia” accompanies the Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians: “Our Passover, Christ, was sacrificed for us.” The Gospel about the sealing of the tomb is read again, after the litany and blessing. Matins ends. Holy Saturday services are the pinnacle of Orthodox liturgical tradition.
On Holy Saturday done in the morning Liturgy of Basil the Great . During it, the priests change their dark clothes to light ones. Instead of the Cherubic song, which calls for likeness to the angels through complete renunciation of earthly things, the touching song “Let all human flesh be silent” is sung, in the majestic and strict text of which believers are reminded at what price their immortality was purchased.
During the day, Easter cakes, colored eggs, Easter eggs, and meat are blessed in churches.- everything that will then decorate the abundant Easter holiday table.
Vespers on Great Saturday is served together with the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great. This service already belongs to Easter Sunday.
On the night of Easter, the Acts of the Apostles are read in the church - the entire book must be read before 10 o'clock in the evening. Then all the chandeliers are lit and the bell is struck. Approaching holy resurrection Christ...
Holy Week ends Great Lent, which lasts 40 days. All these days, believers avoid animal food and wine, only occasionally consuming lean milk and boiled fish. During Holy Week, fasting is especially strict. You can't just eat meat and drink wine. The ban is imposed on all dairy products, eggs and fish. Wanderers, the sick, pregnant women and young children may not limit themselves in food, however, with greater moderation in the consumption of these products. Believers can eat Lenten food cooked in vegetable oil during Holy Week. There is no ban on either vegetables or fruits. However, restrictions on the quality of food taken should not affect its quantity: overeating during Lent, especially during Holy Week, is sinful.
Holy Week 2016: what should Christians not do?
In addition to observing strict fasting during Holy Week 2016, you should also do other things related to restrictions. You can't use foul language or have festive happy parties, in Rus' these days there were no weddings or celebrations. It is forbidden to baptize children, get married, or commemorate the dead during Holy Week. You can't wash on Good Friday.
Holy Week 2016: what can and should believers do?
The beginning of Holy Week begins with cleaning the house. The first day of the last week before Easter is a day dedicated to prayers, good deeds, repentance. Maundy Tuesday is dedicated to the remembrance of Christ's parables. On Wednesday, believers pray for the great sinner who washed the feet of Christ with her tears. Maundy (Clean) Thursday is the most troublesome day, when believers prepare the house for Easter, wash their homes, and visit the bathhouse. On Thursday, women make Easter cake dough, and children paint eggs. Friday is a mournful day of strict fasting. On this day you need to pray. On Holy Saturday you can and should go to the temple in order to bless food there for Easter table. Believers in Jerusalem can observe the descent of the Holy Fire, which leaves no burns on the body.
Lent before Easter lasts for seven weeks.
1:622Every year, believers try to find out the start date of Lent as early as possible, because it is not constant. Easter is celebrated based on calculations lunar calendar. Depending on the date of Easter, the start date of Lent is also set.
1:1062 1:1072Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter every year on the first Sunday after the first spring full moon. That is, this is the first full moon after the spring equinox.
1:1380 1:1390Based on when Lent begins in 2016 among the Orthodox, special preparations are being made for it. It begins after the Birth and ends on the last day of Maslenitsa - Forgiveness Sunday.
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For Orthodox believers, fasting consists of two parts:
Midday(40 days of fasting in honor of the forty days that Jesus spent in the desert) and Holy Week(six days remaining until Easter).
1:371 1:381It is important! The period of fasting does not include holidays such as Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday. That is why on these days, during the fasting period, you can eat fish, while on other days it is prohibited (except Annunciation).
1:791 1:801From the beginning of Lent, the ban on eating dairy products and eggs comes into force. But according to church rules, one must give up meat starting from Maslenitsa week (in 2016, the beginning of Maslenitsa fell on March 7).
1:1206 1:1216The strictest version of fasting suggests eating thermally unprocessed food on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. But this strict variant is spreading on clergy, but the laity can receive some concessions from the priest for Lent.
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It is important! Lent is not a diet, it is a restriction on consumption certain type products. Such a restriction is necessary in order to more easily go through a period of humility, prayer and repentance for sins.
1:411 1:421The true meaning of seven weeks of fasting- purification of the soul and victory of the spirit over the flesh. A little about each of the seven weeks of fasting:
1:640 1:650Lent in 2016 begins on March 14
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The first week is the strictest and is considered a time of fervent prayer after the joyful Maslenitsa festivities. The first Sunday of Lent is called the Week of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. On this day they remember the victory of the Universal Church over iconoclasm.
1:1213 1:1223The second week (week) of Lent includes the day of remembrance of the dead. On Sunday of the second week, the author of the doctrine of the Light of Tabor, Gregory Palamas (16th century), is remembered.
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The third week of Lent ends with Sunday dedicated to the Cross of the Lord. In 2016 this is from March 27 to April 2. Believers call the third week of Lent the Week of the Cross. The dead are also remembered on Saturday.
1:412 1:422In the fourth week they remember St. John Climacus. The Church calls upon believers during this period to strive for the same spiritual heights that this saint, who lived in the 6th century, achieved.
1:785 1:795On Thursday of the fifth week (April 13), St. Mary of Egypt is remembered. She was a great harlot who, through deep repentance, became a great righteous woman.
1:1095 1:1105In the sixth week of Lent there are two great church holiday- Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday. Based on the date of Lent in 2016, Palm Sunday will fall on April 24. On this day they celebrate the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem.
1:1584 1:9After Palm Sunday begins Holy Week(last week of Lent). The Orthodox call Holy Week this way because in Church Slavonic the word “passion” means “torment and suffering.” During the last six days, believers remember the last days of Jesus' earthly life. They included suffering, crucifixion, death and burial.
1:728These days in churches they read those chapters from the Gospel that tell about the events that happened in Jerusalem two thousand years ago. This last supper, the betrayal of Judas, the Roman trial, the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.
1:1121Fasting during Holy Week becomes especially strict, and clergy must wear black and silver clothing.
1:1351 1:1361When Lent begins, believers remember the lives of various saints, but Holy Week is dedicated to Jesus. In the first days of the last week of Lent, the last conversations of Jesus with his disciples and people are remembered. The most mournful day of the last week of Lent is Friday. On this day Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross. Friday is a day of strict fasting and sadness for Christians.
1:2104Starts on Friday afternoon Holy Saturday services.
1:132 1:142Saturday is called among Orthodox believers not only Great, but also Quiet. On this day they remember Christ’s presence in the tomb. On the same day in People go down to the Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem Holy Fire . At night the sorrow ends because Easter comes.
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Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Christ. Most important holiday for Orthodox believers, for whom the birth of the spirit is more important than the birth of the body. Now you can easily not only answer the question of what date is Lent in 2016 in Russia, but also tell a little about each week of Lent.
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And for ease of perception and memorization, print out this reminder about nutrition during Lent.
Holy Week is the last week of Lent, a very significant period for Christians.
What is Holy Week?
Holy Week - translated from Church Slavonic - “week of suffering”, during which Christians pray intensely, aggravate the feats of fasting, and remember last days earthly life of the Savior, his suffering, painful death and burial.
The last week is especially revered by the Orthodox Church. Initially, most Christians did not celebrate Holy Sunday, but Good Friday, or Friday of the Cross. The ancient Christians had many serious disputes about what day to celebrate Great Easter. The final decision was made by the First Ecumenical Council held in 326 AD. From now on, Christians celebrate this Holy holiday on the Bright Resurrection of Christ.
Even in the time of John Chrysostom, who lived at the turn of the 3rd-4th centuries AD, Christians felt a great desire to be close to Jesus Christ during the last earthly days. Saint John described the exploits that people performed for the sake of their Lord during Holy Week. During these days, showing good behavior and mercy, Christians performed good deeds: they freed chained prisoners from shackles during Holy Week, were lenient towards the sick and holy fools, providing them with all kinds of help, and stopped litigation and disputes. They strove to do good deeds, becoming like their Lord, who suffered torment for the sake of people.
With faith through the centuries
The Orthodox faith grew stronger and developed. Christians of all times continued to honor Holy Week in a special way. Thus, according to the description of contemporaries, the inhabitants of Rus' in the last week before Great Easter made great preparations for the celebration of the main holiday of the year. The common people called Holy Week differently: Great, Holy, Red, Red. The furniture and household utensils in the huts were thoroughly cleaned. The walls and stoves were whitewashed. In the second half of the week, we prepared food for the holiday, painted eggs, and made Easter cakes. Men restored broken household items and set up swings for festivities.
The loud human conversation fell silent - this was especially noticeable in the villages. There were people responsible for observing these rules. The Russians believed that it was during Holy Week that evil spirits of all kinds rejoiced at the suffering of Jesus and went on a wild rampage in their dirty deeds. Also, according to the traditions of the ancient Slavs, it was believed that on the eve of Great Easter the souls of deceased ancestors returned to earth to celebrate this event.
Holy Week by day
All days of Holy Week are special, significant and holy in their own way. Orthodox Church performs services on each of these great days. Every day, special services are held in churches with apostolic, prophetic, evangelical readings and rituals. Divine services of the first three days Passion Week passes solemnly and sadly; these days they lament the sinfulness of human nature. On Wednesday evening, such services, held with Lenten lament, end. Crying of a completely different nature begins. About the suffering and torment of Jesus Christ, who pays with himself for fallen humanity.
Each day of Holy Week is called Great or Passionate. These days we see how church rituals are combined with folk signs. Holy Week is celebrated day by day as follows.
Maundy Monday
After Forgiveness resurrection Before Lent, strict dietary regimens begin. You should eat food twice a day, limiting its volume. IN Maundy Monday You can start cleaning your house in preparation for the holiday of Great Easter. The Church remembers the Old Testament Patriarch Joseph, who was sold by his brothers. Also cited is Jesus Christ’s curse on the sinful fig tree, which brings neither true repentance, nor prayers, nor faith.
Maundy Tuesday
On this day, we must remember the sermons of Jesus that he preached in the Jerusalem Temple: about tribute to Caesar, about the general resurrection of the dead and about the Last Judgment, about talents and ten virgins. Also on this day, Christ denounced the Pharisees and scribes. In worldly affairs, preparations for the holiday continue.
Great Wednesday
The day of remembrance of the betrayal of Judas Iscariot, who betrayed the Teacher for thirty pieces of silver, of the sinner who prepared Christ for burial by performing the rite of anointing. Home preparations increase the intensity of preparation for Great Easter.
Maundy Thursday
Significant day of Holy Week. Prayers for the Savior. This day is popularly called Maundy Thursday. Every corner of the house should be fully prepared for the holiday. Cleaning up after Maundy Thursday - Bad sign. There is a belief that on this day you can find a long-lost item in the house. To improve your well-being, it is recommended to add small things to the water with which you are going to wash doors and windows.
Good Friday
A day of special sorrow for all Christians. Day of Christ's crucifixion. No household chores are allowed. You are allowed to bake bread, and you must go to church. You should also refrain from eating until after the church service.
Holy Saturday
This day ends Lent. You need to go to church and bless the prepared Easter cakes and other Easter food. No food is allowed until the end of the night service.
After the end of the religious procession, Great Easter begins.
Great Easter holiday in 2019
In 2019, Great Easter is celebrated on April 28. As in years past, Christianity will celebrate the resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ. Accordingly, Holy Week 2019 will be from April 22 to 27.
Leaving all worldly affairs at this time, you should go to church. Attending divine services during Holy Week allows us, penetrating through centuries, to be present at the last earthly days our Savior, suffer for him, pray.
It is also necessary to receive communion at this time at least twice: on Maundy Thursday and on Holy Easter.
Holy Week is the final part of the strictest period of Lent. In addition to all this, it symbolizes the grief of Orthodox people.
The Church instructs believers to pray intensely these days and to abandon all entertainment events. If possible, avoid celebrating important events at all.
Also, the entire week requires you to strictly limit your food intake, and in the last days you can completely abstain from eating edibles.
Holy Week in 2016, what date?
Holy Week in 2016 will last from April 25th to the 30th. Accordingly, May 1 Orthodox people will celebrate the holiday of Great Easter.
Each of the seven days of the week has its own specific meaning.
According to the Bible, during these days Jesus suffered terrible torment, so the human race is obliged to pay tribute in the form of some restrictions. You even need to limit your communication with other people and devote your thoughts to the meaning of life and existence; you need to pray a lot for the salvation of the soul throughout the entire time. The Savior hears everyone who asks these days and helps him.
The people formed their own customs. Throughout the coming week, people are intensively preparing for Easter.
Over time, church and folk rituals became intertwined. But their behavior and permissibility in food remain base.
What can you eat during Holy Week?
From Monday to Thursday, as well as on Saturday, believers should eat only raw foods. The diet is predominantly plant-based.
Friday is the day Jesus was crucified, food is strictly prohibited. Conditions have been relaxed only for pregnant, elderly and seriously ill people. After the sun sets, they are allowed a small Lenten dinner.
Raw vegetables and fruits, nuts, dried fruits, water, honey, bread - all in small quantities can be eaten starting Monday. Do not forget that food intake is limited to one or two meals.
Everything is aimed at cleansing the soul and body. If possible, you should limit yourself from watching TV, using the Internet and using the phone. A person seeks harmony and peace throughout the week.
These days help to cleanse yourself of all evil. At this time, there is an opportunity to atone for sins, or try to atone for them.
Holy Week by day
On this day, you are allowed to clean the house and buy groceries. Everything should be as ready as possible for the onset of the Great Holiday.
A holiday is celebrated before Monday. These days, believers also adhered to food restrictions, so starting from Holy Week, portions are noticeably reduced, and the number of times is reduced to two meals a day.
The church remembers the day when Jesus was in Jerusalem. This was the beginning terrible torture and torture over him.
2. Tuesday 26 April, is a time for solitude and devoting oneself to prayers to the Lord.
Women these days continue to prepare for the holiday. They plan the preparation of dishes, count required amount products.
In 2016, Holy Tuesday coincided with the Feast of the Annunciation Holy Mother of God. As you know, in the church this holiday is always celebrated on a grand scale. According to the regulations, you can eat fish at Annunciation. Therefore, the diet will be slightly diluted.
Cleaning and doing dirty work is prohibited. Church ministers note that the Annunciation fell during Holy Week itself, so if possible it is better to avoid eating fish, you can add a little vegetable oil for food.
You should definitely visit the church to pay your respects to the holiday. It will be useful to think over your diet in advance on this day.
3. On Wednesday, April 27, you can safely continue all your business that was started on Monday, but postponed due to the celebration of the Annunciation.
There are dishes that need to sit before serving, so preparing aspic dishes, starting to color eggs, and other foods that can be stored for some time can be prepared.
4. Thursday 28 April, is considered pure. On this day it is customary to end general cleaning, wash in the bathhouse.
It is also good to count money; people say that it helps increase the family budget. Many people make conspiracies on. People believe that it can heal diseases and remove damage from a person. Also, rituals performed with enchanted salt protect against the evil eye.
This day is the most significant. It is not allowed to eat food in the Temple until the end of the service. You are allowed to drink water, that's all. After the end of the service, you can try some bread.
It is customary to talk about the suffering and torment of Jesus Christ, about how he was crucified on the cross. On this day, people relive events that happened many years ago.
It is advisable to visit the church twice, during which time you have time to consecrate some of the food. On Saturday, pies and Easter cakes are baked, but you must continue to abstain from eating and limit yourself to only bread and water.
In the evening, a service takes place, during which, after the Procession of the Cross, the priest reports good news to all believers that Christ is Risen!
This means Easter has arrived and Lent is over. Upon returning home, you can begin a ritual dinner of consecrated food.