Holy Week- last before . It is dedicated to the memory of the last days of earthly life: His suffering, death on the cross and burial (in Church Slavonic the word "passion" means "suffering"). All days of Passion Week are called great.
This week is especially honored by the Church. “All days - it is said in - is superior to the Holy and Great Forty Days, but more than the Holy Forty Days is the Holy and Great Week (Passion), and this Great and Holy Saturday is greater than the Great Week itself. This week is called great, not because its days or hours are longer (others), but because great and supernatural miracles and extraordinary deeds of our Savior took place in this week ... ”.
Remembering the events of the last days of the Savior’s earthly life in the Divine service, the Saint follows every step with an attentive eye of love and reverence, listens to every word of Christ the Savior coming to the free passion, gradually leads us in the footsteps of the Lord throughout His entire way of the cross, from Bethany to the Place of the Skull , from His royal entry into Jerusalem and until the last moment of His redemptive suffering for human sins on the cross, and further - until the bright triumph of Christ's Resurrection.
The first three days of this week are devoted to intense preparation for the Passion of Christ.
In accordance with the fact that Jesus Christ, before His sufferings, spent all the days in the temple, teaching the people, the Holy Church distinguishes these days with a particularly long Divine service.
Trying to gather and focus the attention and thoughts of believers in general on the entire Gospel story of the incarnation of the God-man and His ministry to the human race, the Holy Church reads the entire Four Gospels on the clock on the first three days of Passion Week.
IN Great Wednesday I remember the sinful wife who washed her tears and anointed the feet of the Savior with precious ointment when He was at the supper in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, and thereby prepared Christ for burial. Here, Judas, with imaginary concern for the poor, revealed his love of money, and in the evening he decided to betray Christ to the Jewish elders for 30 pieces of silver (an amount sufficient at the then prices to acquire a small plot of land even in the vicinity of Jerusalem).
On Great Wednesday at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, after the prayer behind the ambo, the prayer of the monk is said for the last time with three great prostrations.
On Thursday During Passion Week, the divine service commemorates four major evangelical events that took place on that day: the Last Supper, at which the Lord established the New Testament sacrament of Holy Communion (Eucharist), the Lord washing the feet of His disciples as a sign of deepest humility and love for them, the Savior’s prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, and betrayal of Judas.
In commemoration of the events of this day, after the prayer behind the ambo at the Liturgy in cathedrals, during the hierarchal 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.
On this day, the Lord established the Sacrament of Communion, so all Orthodox Christians strive to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ on the Divine. Troparion of the day “When the glorious disciple is enlightened at the washing of the supper, then Judas, the wicked with the love of money, becomes darkened, and betrays the righteous Judge to the lawless judges. See, the property of the zealot, who used the strangulation for this sake: run the unsatisfied soul to the Teacher who dared. Who is good about all, Lord, glory to Thee”
Great Heel Day dedicated to the memory of condemnation to death, suffering on the Cross and the death of the Savior. In the worship of this day, the Church, as it were, sets us at the foot of Christ and before our reverent and trembling gaze depicts the saving sufferings of the Lord. At Matins of the Great Heel (it is served on Thursday evening), the 12 Gospels of the Testament of the Holy Passion are read.
There is no Liturgy on Good Friday, since on this day the Lord Himself sacrificed Himself, and the Royal Hours are performed.
Vespers is served at the third hour of the day (14.00), at the hour of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, in remembrance of the removal from the cross of the body of Christ and His burial. When singing the troparion: “Noble-looking Joseph, from the tree we will take down Your most pure body, wrapping it in a clean shroud, and covering it with stench in a new tomb.(Translation: “The noble Joseph, having removed Your most pure Body from the cross, wrapped it in a shroud and anointed it with fragrances, put it in a new tomb”)” the clergy raise the Shroud (i.e. the image of Christ lying in the tomb) from the Throne, as if from Golgotha, and they carry her out of the altar into the middle of the temple, offering lamps and burning incense. The shroud is placed on a specially prepared table (tomb). Then the clergy and all those praying worship before the Shroud and kiss the ulcers of the Lord depicted on it: His pierced ribs, hands and feet. In the evening there is a second service with a procession.
The shroud is located in the middle of the temple for three (incomplete) days, thus reminiscent of the three-day stay of Jesus Christ in the tomb.
This is a day of strict fasting, when nothing can be eaten, at least until the removal of the Shroud. This is the strictest day of the year.
On Holy Saturday(the service begins on Good Friday evening) The Church commemorates the burial of Jesus Christ, the stay of His body in the tomb, the descent of the soul into hell to proclaim victory over death and the deliverance of souls who with faith awaited His coming, and the introduction of the prudent thief into.
On Great Saturday, a liturgy is celebrated, beginning with vespers. After a small entrance with the Gospel (near the Shroud), 15 paramias are read before the Shroud, which contain the main prophecies and types relating to Jesus Christ, as having redeemed us from sin and death by His death on the Cross and His Resurrection. After the 6th Parimia (about the miraculous crossing of the Jews through the Red Sea), the chant is: "Gloriously glorified." The reading of the parimias concludes with the song of the three youths: "Sing to the Lord and exalt unto all ages." Instead of the Trisagion, “They were baptized into Christ” and the Apostle is read about the mysterious power of Baptism. This singing and reading serve as a remembrance of the custom of the ancient Church to baptize catechumens on Holy Saturday. After the reading of the Apostle, instead of "Alleluia", seven verses selected from the psalms containing prophecies about the Resurrection of the Lord are sung: "Rise, O God, judge the earth." During the singing of these verses, the clergy change into bright clothes. Instead of the Cherubic Hymn, the song "Let all human flesh be silent" is sung. At the twelfth hour of the night, the Midnight Office is celebrated, at which the canon of Great Saturday is sung. At the end of the Midnight Office, the clergy silently transfer the Shroud from the middle of the temple to the altar through the Royal Doors and place it on the throne, where it remains until the feast of the Ascension of the Lord, in memory of the forty-day sojourn of Jesus Christ on earth after His resurrection from the dead.
After this, believers reverently await the onset of midnight, at which begins the bright Paschal joy of the greatest Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Paschal joy is a holy joy that does not and cannot be equal on the whole earth. It is the endless eternal joy of eternal life and bliss. She is exactly the joy that the Lord Himself said: “Your heart will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy from you” ().
The events of Holy Week are described in detail in the four Gospels. Also, having visited any temple in the last week of Lent, the believer can hear from the priest the story of the martyrdom of Jesus Christ and the subsequent Resurrection. Thus, one can better understand the sacred meaning of biblical events and their significance for all Christians.
History of Holy Week
At the dawn of Christianity, not Easter was celebrated, but Holy Friday. For almost 300 years, believers have gathered together to remember the last days that the Savior spent in the land of Judah. These days it was customary to forgive your enemies, free the slaves and follow all the precepts of Christianity. But the main event was considered the crucifixion of the Son of God.
Fact! The only problem was that each community had its own rules. The meeting of Christians often turned into a serious theological dispute. Each held his own point of view, not listening to the brothers.
In 326, the First Ecumenical Council took place. The hierarchs of the church decided to put an end to the controversy. It was then that it was decided by the whole world to celebrate the Bright Sunday of Christ. Passion Week, in turn, turned into the eve of Easter.
Meaning of days
Each of the six days of Holy Week is considered holy or great. The first half of the week after Forgiveness Sunday is devoted to human sins, which the Savior had to atone for. On Thursday night, weeping begins, dedicated to the suffering of Jesus and his death:
1. Good Monday. On this day, the laity begin preparations for Easter. Food is eaten only twice, so that the mundane does not distract from the spiritual. On this day, divine services are held in churches dedicated to two events. The first is the sale of the Old Testament Joseph by his own brothers into Egyptian slavery. The second is the curse by Jesus of the barren fig tree, which is a symbol of the soul that has forgotten the path to God.
2. Good Tuesday. Continuing preparations for the holiday, the laity will once again plunge into the world of biblical traditions. Maundy Tuesday is the day when the sermons of Jesus are repeated in the Temple in Jerusalem. Believers remember how the scribes and Pharisees were convicted. On the same day, Mary washed the feet of the Savior.
3. Passionate environment. In churches, for the last time, you can hear the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian, which believers need to read every day of Great Lent. The services are dedicated to the betrayal of Judas Iscariot and the rite of anointing performed by a sinner over the body of the dead Jesus.
4. Pure Thursday. After this day, it is forbidden to clean the house. Temple services on this day are very intense. The clergy need to remind the laity about the Last Supper and Christ washing the feet of his disciples. The meaning of the prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane is also explained, which showed the duality of the nature of the will of the Son of the Lord, uniting the human with the divine. The whole depth of the betrayal of Judas Iscariot is also revealed.
5. Godfather Friday. This is the day of sorrow, on which it is not customary to eat food before the removal of the Shroud of Jesus Christ. At the church service, 12 Gospels about the Passion of Christ are read, it will be told about the crucifixion of the Son of God on Calvary.
6. Annunciation. Great Saturday is dedicated to the stay of Jesus in the tomb. It is believed that at this time his soul went through hell, saving sinners from torment. Lay people are encouraged to spend the whole day in the temple, not eating food until the end of the midnight service.
On Saturday, Lent and Holy Week end. The laity, having endured all the trials and prepared for Easter, can finally relax. On Sunday, immediately after the service and the consecration of Easter cakes, breaking the fast begins. Christians around the world are celebrating a great event - the Resurrection of the Lord.
Important! After being reminded of all the suffering that the Savior endured in the last days of his earthly existence, people rejoice that the Kingdom of Heaven awaits Him, like all people. This good news overcomes all the difficulties that the laity have to go through during the time of Fortecost and Passion Week.
It is precisely for a more complete understanding of the meaning of Easter that one needs to abstain from fast food, limit oneself in pleasures and grow spiritually. Only in this way can a person understand the whole meaning of the torment of Christ and the road to God, opened by the crucifixion on Golgotha and subsequent resurrection.
Before bright Easter, you will have to meet the Holy Week (we will tell you what you can eat on the days before Easter in the article). But what can you eat every day during this period?
Now we have to deal with this. For believers, this week is very important. During this period and until Easter itself, Christians pray and read the Bible. They remember Christ, who came to our Earth to cure us of various diseases, and left this world for our sins.
The fact is that throughout the week before Easter, not everything is allowed to eat. These 7 days are considered the most severe. Starting from the first day and ending with the seventh, every day is considered Great. On an important week, believers keep the strictest Fast.
Holy Week is a kind of memory of the last time of our Savior's passing and of his terrible torment. During this week, people are rethinking their lives. Someone decides to repent, someone is just thinking, and someone is praying earnestly. For everyone, this holy holiday means something different. This week the soul is cleansed of sinful thoughts. That is, abstinence occurs not only in food, but also morally. On Holy Week, one cannot be angry and swear - this is a great sin, just like eating meat with wine.
What Not to Do on Holy Week
Great Monday. They completed all the repair work around the house, removed construction debris, and took out old, unnecessary things.
Great Tuesday. They finished repairing clothes, sewing, cutting, darning, ironing, and the like. The melt water collected this year was used to wash livestock to protect them from diseases.
Great Wednesday. At night, from Tuesday to Wednesday, they took water from a river or well into a large jug or mug, and made the sign of the cross three times. At two o'clock in the morning they watered themselves with this water, leaving a little at the bottom, signing themselves with a cross three times. Clean clothes were put on a wet body, and the rest of the water was poured under a tree or bush. This meant the birth of a washed body and, according to signs, protected from diseases for the whole year.
Maundy Thursday - or Maundy Thursday. Clean Thursday in 2017 falls on April 13th. Maundy Thursday or Maundy Thursday is the fourth day of Holy Week, the strictest week of Great Lent.
Bathing is of symbolic importance on Maundy Thursday, on this day you need to wake up before sunrise and have time to swim.
It is believed that in this way, as in Epiphany bathing, a person washes away all sins from himself, and all ailments and illnesses will bypass him.
On Clean Thursday, you need to go to church for confession and communion. On this day, according to customs, it is customary to do a general cleaning at home before Easter. It is after going to church on a clean Thursday that you need to clean the house.
You need to clean up very carefully, not superficially - you should wash all the objects in the house, including the ceilings. There is a sign that if it is good to clean the house on a clean Thursday, then the whole next year the house will be clean. Again, cleanliness in the home will reflect the inner purity of the soul of a believing Christian.
In addition, it is necessary to wash all textiles and prepare traditional Easter food: Easter cakes and colored eggs.
Passion Week Notes
It is on this day that you can get rid of many sins and improve your life. Following Easter signs and rituals, you can change your destiny for the better for the next year.
Here's what I know...
“If you want to be healthy all year round, by all means, swim before sunrise.” - Try it yourself and you will see that, indeed, this morning the water acquires wonderful healing properties. This water can wash away everything, the sins that have accumulated over the year.
Do not indulge in laziness, but rather get up early on Maundy Thursday and wash yourself white in the shower, in the bathroom or in the bath before dawn. If you cannot believe in the power of the magical Thursday water, then there will be no harm, purity is for the benefit of everyone - both bodily and spiritual.
There is a true sign - if you do a general cleaning on Clean Thursday, you will get a lot of joy for it.
In addition to the fact that the house will become clean, there is also such a religious moment here that religious people do not clean up for six days after Maundy Thursday.
In addition, there is a popular belief that by starting a general cleaning in the house, you receive a gift from the Lord with the opportunity to find your favorite and necessary items that seemed lost forever.
It has long been believed that if during Maundy Thursday all the money in the house is counted three times, then they will not be transferred to the family during the year. Counting money should be done early in the morning, at noon and at sunset. This should be done in secret not only from strangers, but also from all your household members. Only then will the performance of this ancient rite be useful.
And here is the money conspiracy on Pure Thursday. If you wash the doors and windows with water in which a trifle is placed, then throughout the year your cash income will grow by leaps and bounds!
Conspiracy words to say when throwing a bucket or basin of water with a handful of coins:
“Money, drive - don’t transfer, grow, multiply, don’t get to the enemy!”
and any other prayer that you know well. After all the doors and windows in your house have been washed, remove the change from the water and put it in a far, but previously washed, corner of your house or apartment for a week. Pour water under any tree.
Place any silver item in a container of water overnight. And in the morning, on Good Friday, wash yourself with this water, and during the year no evil spirit will be afraid of you.
If in your house there is a baby under the age of one year, then such a procedure is especially indicated for him, since he cannot yet protect himself with the help of holy prayer. Therefore, we must take care of its protection.
Thursday salt can be prepared in two ways:
The first way: go to three neighbors or friends, and ask them for a handful of salt, then mix it, preferably in earthenware, and use it as needed. It is said that added to the food and drink of a seriously and even terminally ill person, thursday salt can help to heal him.
The second way to prepare Thursday salt is as follows: pour a pack of salt into the pan and fry it, stirring constantly, while reading “Our Father”. You will feel the readiness of the salt yourself.
The second day of Holy Week is Maundy Tuesday. It is associated with many events that preceded the death of Christ and his crucifixion.
Holy Week is designed to purify our thoughts in order to help us draw closer to God. Every day of this week helps to become more humble and take care of the salvation of the soul. Prayers, alms and donations are aimed at this good goal.
You can contribute to the common cause on the Orthodox portal, which is engaged in the restoration of destroyed churches. Participation in a righteous deed on the Orthodox portal of Seraphim of Sarov on the eve of Easter will help in the reconstruction of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ.
Maundy Tuesday
This is the last Tuesday of Lent. Its exact date changes annually and depends on Lent. In 2016 Holy Tuesday is celebrated on April 26th.
Along with Monday, it marks the beginning of the most severe abstinence of the year, which lasts almost a week. Holy Week and Holy Tuesday in particular tell about the so-called passions of Christ - about the events that took place around Christ shortly before his death on the cross.
On April 26, in addition to reading prayers at home, many people will go to the temple to listen to hymns dedicated to the events of that very Monday. If you do not have such an opportunity, you can pray at home. 
On this day, according to the biblical scripture, many important events took place. We will talk about the main ones. It is about them that they are remembered in prayers at divine services in all Orthodox churches on April 26.
The customs and traditions of the entire Holy Week require the strictest abstinence from animal food. Some monks and priests try to eat only bread and water as much as possible, but today this custom is not considered mandatory.
On every day of Holy Week, it is customary to go to church and spend as much time as possible in prayer and humility. Tuesday will be no exception. Praying on this day is very simple: just offer a prayer to the patron angel of this day.
Maundy Tuesday Events
Tuesday night Jesus Christ spent in Bethany. In the morning, he continued to read sermons in the Jerusalem temple, helping people to awaken love for the Almighty. The enemies of Jesus Christ tried to suppress his teachings and stories by any means, but they were afraid of the fury of the people who respected the Savior and felt in him a prophet.
Jesus Christ told people about the second coming of the Messiah. The Savior said that the world would see him again. When exactly, only his Father, our Great Creator, knows. The only clues given to people are as follows: “You will see the human fear of natural violence, you will see the false prophets revered by the church, and you will see the lawlessness of the Antichrist who will come to Earth to rule the world. This will be the beginning that will tell you that the time has come to see Jesus Christ again. This will be the beginning of the end and the beginning of beginnings - the Great Judgment of God.
Maundy Tuesday was a day of revelations. And although the enemies of Jesus continued to torment him with questions until the very night, asking tricky questions during sermons, they did not manage to silence the Savior.
Tuesday in Holy Week is a day of teachings, when the church remembers that the Savior must return to us again to judge everyone who has lived or lives in our world. We wish you to easily survive the abstinences of this week and have a good Easter, until which there are only a few days left. Be happy and don't forget to press the buttons and
The seventh week of Great Lent, which is also called Holy Week or Week, precedes Christ's Resurrection. For believers, this is a time of remembrance of the last days of the earthly life of Jesus Christ, his torment, crucifixion and subsequent resurrection. This year, Holy Week will last from April 2 to April 7: it is these six days that are especially significant for the Church - during the Week, the Orthodox strive to spend more time in prayer, avoiding insults, bad thoughts and deeds, and anxiously preparing for Easter.Today we are entering difficult days: the days when we remember the Passion of Christ, the days when it will not be easy for us to come to the temple to endure long services, to pray ... What will happen these days is not a dead memory of when - something past; this is an event that is in the heart of our days, the life of our world and our life is based on it,
- says Metropolitan Anthony of Surozh to the portal Pravoslavie.Ru .
It is today that large-scale preparations for the holiday begin: on Good Monday, it is customary to clean the yard, whitewash the walls, get rid of large debris and unused household items, and also repair everything broken in the house.
Moreover, “general cleaning” should be done not only in the home, but also in the soul - on Great Monday, many people come to rethink certain actions, and new ideas arise about resolving any difficult life situations.
On Holy Monday, try to think and do only good things: drive any negativity out of your head, do charity work ... It is also advisable to attend church throughout the Great Week. For those who fast, it is recommended to eat raw vegetables and fruits, as well as honey and nuts.
Preparations for the bright holiday are underway. On this day, the sermons and parables of the Savior are remembered, as well as his denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees. It is necessary to eat on this day in the same way as on Maundy Monday.
On Wednesday, it is worth remembering the betrayal of Judas Iscariot, as well as the sinner who washed her tears and anointed the feet of Jesus Christ with peace. Christians also believe that confession has a special power on this day, so many rush to repent of their sins on Great Wednesday. And in Rus', they believed that on Holy Wednesday the evil spirits were especially rampant, so many women refused to do needlework. They also eat on Wednesday, as in the previous two days - raw vegetables, bread, nuts and honey.
On Maundy Thursday, it is customary for people to get up before sunrise and go to the bathhouse: it is worth remembering that bodily purity is no less important than spiritual purity. Also on this day, it is worth completing the cleaning and decorating of the house: there is a popular belief - whoever carefully cleans the house on Maundy Thursday will receive a gift from the Lord the opportunity to find lost objects dear to the heart that seemed impossible to find.
Orthodox on this day remember the most important gospel events: the Last Supper, Christ washing the feet of his disciples, the prayer of the Savior in the Garden of Gethsemane and the betrayal of Judas.
It is also necessary to adhere to the same strict lean diet.
On this day, it is forbidden to work - people say that "on Good Friday, even a bird will not build a nest."
The culmination of Holy Week is a day of rest and remembrance of Christ's stay in the tomb. On Saturday, the Orthodox paint eggs and bake pies, Easter cakes and Easter cakes, after which they rush to the church to bless these Easter treats.
On this day, the ceremony of the descent of the Holy Fire is performed in Jerusalem.
April 8 is the day of the Holy Resurrection of Christ.
On this day, the Orthodox are in a hurry to congratulate each other, greeting passers-by with the words “Christ is Risen!”, And hearing in response - “Truly Risen!”.
On the day of Easter, Great Lent ends, so it is customary to lay a plentiful and tasty table. The meal begins with the fact that the head of the family divides the Easter cake, consecrated the day before in the church, equally among all household members. It is customary to cover the Easter table with a light tablecloth.
In Rus', folk festivals were organized on this day: people go to visit each other, exchange treats and congratulations.
It is also worth remembering that the church does not approve of trips to the cemetery on Easter - a special day has been set for this - Radonitsa, which falls on the 9th day after the Resurrection of the Lord.
When people visit the cemetery on Easter, first of all, there is a break with church tradition, because Easter is the most joyful Christian holiday, it displaces all sorrow and sadness from the hearts of believers. It is customary to commemorate the dead on Radonitsa, but not on the Bright Day of Christ's Resurrection, - emphasize the clergy.
