Who proclaimed the good news to the Mother of God. Annunciation. history of the holiday

Church feast of the Annunciation Holy Mother of God is dedicated to an event that stands on the border of two eras in the history of mankind - the Old and New Testaments. The beginning of the countdown of the New Time comes from the Nativity of Christ, and it happened exactly 9 months after the Annunciation.

Origin of the Feast of the Annunciation

Like other akathists, it is written on the model of the main akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos “Hail, Unbrided Bride” and consists of successively alternating kontakia and ikos. Accurate information about the creation of the main akathist "Rejoice, Unbrided Bride" is not available today. It is believed that it was written sometime between the 5th and 7th centuries by one of the great authors - perhaps Romanus the Melodist, George of Pisidia, or Patriarch Sergius.

But all subsequent akathists were compiled according to his model.

Akathist to the Annunciation gives all believers the opportunity to join this holiday, since the Annunciation often falls on weekdays when most people are busy with work and do not have the opportunity to attend worship services. You can read it both in the temple and at home.

Advice! But one should not think that reading an akathist makes sense only on this holiday. No, you can read it throughout the year.

Among the Canonical Gospels, the episode of the Annunciation is present only in the Gospel of Luke.

Old and New Calendar Styles

According to the old style, the date of the Annunciation is March 25, and the date of the Nativity is December 25. Orthodox Church lives according to the old calendar. Therefore, if you look at these dates from the point of view of the New Style, they are shifted forward by 13 days - April 7 and January 7.

Please note: Unlike the Orthodox, the Catholic Church lives according to the new style.

There Christmas - December 25 in a new style. Moreover, in Catholicism such great importance Annunciation, as in Orthodoxy.

About other Mother of God holidays:

In Orthodoxy, the Annunciation is one of the twelve, that is, the most significant holidays after Easter and, according to modern interpretation, is the Mother of God.

There are also Lord's holidays dedicated to important events from the life of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Orthodox Church believes that the countdown of a person's stay in the earthly world goes not from the moment of birth, but from the moment of conception. For the legitimate conception of babies, the Church blesses married couples in the sacrament of the Wedding.

Church charters regarding the Feast of the Annunciation

As mentioned above, The Annunciation is celebrated by the Orthodox Church on April 7 in a new style. This is a non-transferable holiday, that is, unlike some other twelve, it is celebrated every year on the same date.

The forefeast and the afterfeast are one day. Afterfeast is also the Cathedral of the Archangel Gabriel.

This is also a big holiday, but it does not apply to the twelfth. As on the day of the Archangel Michael (November 21, according to the new style), one of the supreme Angels is venerated. Total higher archangels eight, and prayer appeal to one of them Orthodox Christian it is supposed to mentally collect them all. Also, according to the teachings of Orthodoxy, there was also a ninth archangel named Dennitsa, but he fell away from God and became the devil.

The week preceding the day of Easter is called Holy Week in Orthodoxy, and the next week is called Bright Week.

Attention. The Great Lent preceding Holy Week these days is even more aggravated.

A Christian is forbidden entertainment and worldly pleasures, watching TV and reading unprofitable books are also not blessed.

On the Bright Week, on the contrary, it is strictly forbidden to fast.

So, if the Annunciation falls on Passion or Bright Week, then the prefeast and afterfeast are transferred to other days. Similar coincidences are possible due to the fact that Easter is a movable holiday, and every year it falls on a new date.

Orthodox and Catholic Church use different methods to determine the day of Easter.

The Annunciation is a fast day, but the laity are allowed fish dishes and vegetable oil. But meat, chicken, eggs and dairy products are prohibited.

In fact, work is also prohibited, but, due to the secular nature of our state, prescribed in the Constitution, usually believers go to work on this day. But at least they should refrain from physical work on the ground, in the field, in gardens, in kitchen gardens, as well as from washing, cleaning, sewing, visiting hairdressers.

Some famous temples dedicated to the Annunciation

In Russia, the first stone church dedicated to the Annunciation is the Annunciation Cathedral, built by Grand Duke Vasily, son of Dmitry Donskoy, in the period from 1397 to 1416. By 1482, during the reign of Ivan 3, the building fell into disrepair due to age and was dismantled, a new temple was erected in its place.

In 1547, by the beginning of the reign of Ivan the Terrible, the building suffered a fire, and was later restored.

About the churches consecrated in honor of the Annunciation holiday:

In Israel, in a holy place, near the source where the Virgin Mary visited and where the First Annunciation took place (information about it is based on the apocryphal writing from James), the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation was founded in 1750. It still operates today.

The source is located in the crypt of the temple, above it there is an icon, famous for many miracles.

Church of the Annunciation in Israel

Popular beliefs on the Annunciation

The following beliefs about this day are common among the people:

Do not lend money and other things - you can bring yourself poverty.
Girls do not weave braids, do not comb their hair.
Do not wear new clothes- She won't last long.
Wives try to call their husband "dear" as often as possible - if you do this 40 times, then he will be kind to his wife all year.
Do not sow - there will be a crop failure.
How you spend this day, and the whole year.
Do not heat the oven, do not bake pies.
Well, if there is a thunderstorm on this day, the summer will be warm and fruitful.
If it rains, it will good harvest rye.
Swallows do not fly - spring will be cold.
In general, this day among the peasants is considered the real beginning of spring.

However, it should be noted that such beliefs are not recognized as true by the official Orthodox Church and have no theological value.

Advice! The Russian Orthodox Church does not impose such prohibitions on its parishioners on this holiday, but recommends, if circumstances permit, that they attend the festive service and partake of the Mysteries of Christ.

Orthodox Literature on the Annunciation

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Fr. Seraphim Slobodskoy
On the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, Metropolitan Kirill
Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary "Bible Encyclopedia"
The wisest Psellus Word on the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos archim. Ambrose
Conversation for the Annunciation of St. Proclus, Patriarch of Constantinople
Word on the Annunciation of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary St. Nicholas Cavasila
Omilia XIV. On the Annunciation of Our Most Pure Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, St. Gregory Palamas
Annunciation of the Metropolitan Veniamin (Fedchenkov)
Sermon on the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary by St. Dimitri Rostovsky

Watch a video about the Feast of the Annunciation

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin - Orthodox holiday, which 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 good news about the conception and birth of the Divine Infant - Jesus Christ.

The divine history is familiar to almost everyone, but on the eve of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 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 Mary's barren relative, Saint Elizabeth, in old 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 Most Holy Theotokos 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 of St. Helena Equal to the Apostles at the beginning of the 4th century, the Holy Places of the Savior's earthly life and the construction of temples in these places, including the basilica in Nazareth, on the site of the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin.

The 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 Easter 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 Rus'. On this day, by 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, one should burn a few pinches of salt.

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 whole year consecrated water does not deteriorate, unless a sorcerer or a person with dark thoughts touches it.

On the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary bad omen is pouring grain from bag to bag and lending, 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 one applied 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 Mother of God, do not stop praying for us, Your 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 One God and we send all to the Creator, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.

Material prepared on the basis of open sources

The Orthodox Church annually on April 7 celebrates the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is one of the 12 most important church holidays, which Christians celebrate nine months before the birth of Christ.

The Annunciation has one day of forefeast and one day of afterfeast, on which the Cathedral of the Holy Archangel Gabriel is celebrated.

The events of the Annunciation, which are described in the Gospel by the Apostle Luke, are familiar to almost everyone, but on the eve of the holiday, he invites you to remember this divine story once again.

Mother of God

The Virgin Mary, undoubtedly the most chaste in the entire universe, was given to the Creator from birth. Until the age of 14, she lived and was brought up in the Jerusalem temple.

And when the time came for Mary to leave the temple, her husbands found for her an elderly carpenter Joseph, famous for his piety, who was supposed to protect Her purity and innocence.

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

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

The archangel cited as an example the barren relative of Mary, Saint Elizabeth, who, at an advanced age, conceived a child six months ago, thereby making it clear that the Lord has no limit to what is possible.

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." Today it is believed that at the moment the Virgin Mary uttered such a phrase, the Holy Conception took place.

Upon learning that Mary was carrying a child, Joseph wanted to secretly let her go. But the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, the Son of David! their…"

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

Story

There is an opinion that the holiday was established by the apostles, due to the fact that in the paintings of the catacombs, where the first Christians gathered for prayer, there are images of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos dating back to the 2nd-3rd centuries.

However, they began to celebrate it especially not earlier than the 4th century. 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 Conception of Christ, the Annunciation of Christ, the Beginning of Redemption, the Annunciation of the Angel of Mary, and only in the 7th century it was given the name of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, both in the East and in the West.

The holiday, which, according to some information, was established by St. Cyril of Jerusalem, by the end of the 7th century 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 West and in the East is March 25 (April 7 in the old style). Since the feast of the Nativity of Christ was historically established much earlier, the Annunciation was dedicated to the day that precedes Christmas by nine months.

Painting by artist Vasily Polenov "Source of the Virgin Mary in Nazareth"

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

Traditions

The Feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos has been especially revered in Rus' since ancient times. According to ancient tradition, on this day people released birds from cages and nets. This custom was revived in 1995 and is now performed in many temples.

On the Annunciation, the peasants traditionally baked prosphora - unleavened church bread, according to the number of households in the family. Bread was lit in the temple.

Lighted bread was eaten at home on an empty stomach, and the crumbs were added to pet food and seeds. The people believed that thanks to this, the harvest would be rich, and the livestock - prolific and healthy.

The Annunciation was perceived by the people as a holiday of spring, the beginning of a new agricultural year. People consecrated the grain before sowing by placing an icon of the Annunciation next to the grain.

In the old days, on this day, "spring was called" - they made a fire and jumped over the fire, danced round dances, sang "vesnyanki". The Annunciation fire was considered the best protection against diseases, damage and the evil eye.

To protect cattle from wolves, people beat mallets, copper utensils, and rang the bell. The people believed that the wolves would stay at the distance to which the sound would spread.

Signs

Among the people, the feast of the Annunciation was surrounded by many signs. The most important of them - you can not do anything around the house, all land work is prohibited. Old people say that on this day even a bird does not nest, because it is a sin.

There is a legend that the cuckoo did not obey the rules of this day and made a nest. As punishment, the cuckoo can no longer make nests, and now she is forced to lay her eggs in the nests of other birds.

On the eve and on the day of the Annunciation in many houses they tried not to light a fire. However, it was necessary to burn a few pinches of salt in the oven to attract good luck.

People believed that on this day the angels in heaven rejoice, and even sinners in hell cease to be tortured. The earth is waking up from its winter sleep and opening up to spring. Along with the inhabitants of the earth, all evil spirits are awakening.

Therefore, on this day, rituals were performed that helped protect against evil and cure diseases. For example, they fumigated winter clothes with smoke, washed themselves with melt water.

Icon of the Annunciation, late 16th century

Fire was considered the best defense against snakes. Therefore, it was customary to burn the garbage accumulated over the winter. Not a single crumb can be dropped on the Annunciation, otherwise there will be no salvation from insects.

On the Annunciation, they guessed for happiness - they baked small money in the church prosphora, and whoever gets it, happiness will smile at him all year.

Annunciation consecrated water was placed under the icons. It was believed that it does not deteriorate for a whole year, unless a sorcerer or a person with dark thoughts touches it. They believed that this water would raise a sick person to his feet. She also soldered cattle.

On this day you can not lend anything. You can not pour grain from bag to bag. In order for the chickens to rush to Easter, on the Annunciation, the hostess drove them from the perch with a broom.

Many signs are connected with the weather and the harvest. So, the night before, a dark sky without stars - to poor laying of eggs by chickens. The sun on the feast of the Annunciation is for the harvest of wheat.

Rain on a holiday - for good fishing, for mushroom autumn. If a thunderstorm thundered on a holiday, you can expect a warm summer and an excellent harvest of nuts. And the frost that day could bring good forecasts for the harvest of cucumbers and spring crops.

What are they praying for

Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos of the Annunciation, they pray 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 one applied 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 Mother of God, do not stop praying for us, Your 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 the whole in the Trinity to the One God and all the Creator we send, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.

The material was prepared on the basis of open sources.

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin and Ever-Virgin Mary- the great twelfth holiday, celebrated, dedicated to the memory of the proclamation by the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary about her forthcoming birth of Jesus Christ. General value the words "Annunciation" - good, joyful, good news.

This holiday gives us once again to recall the proclamation by the Archangel Gabriel Holy Mary about the future world joy. This significant event is told only in the Gospel of Luke: “In the sixth month, the Angel Gabriel was sent from God to the city of Galilee, called Nazareth, to the Virgin, betrothed to a husband named Joseph, from the house of David; the name of the Virgin: Mary. An angel, having entered to Her, said: Rejoice, Blessed One! The Lord is with you; You are blessed among women. But when she saw Him, she was troubled by His words and wondered what kind of greeting it would be. And the angel said to her: Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace with God; and behold, thou shalt conceive in the womb, and thou shalt bear a Son, and thou shalt call his name: Jesus; He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father; and shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom shall have no end. Mary said to the Angel: How will it be when I do not know my husband? The angel answered her: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the holy being born will be called the Son of God; behold, your relative Elizabeth, who is called barren, and she conceived a son in her old age, and she is already the sixth month old; for with God no word will remain powerless. Then Mary said: behold, the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word. And an angel departed from her” (1:26-38). When Joseph learned that Mary was expecting a child, he was embarrassed and wanted to 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, for what is born in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you will call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Luke 1). Joseph obeyed the Angel and, together with Mary, began to wait for the miraculous birth of the Son of God, the Savior of the world.

The Annunciation is considered by the church to be the third most important holiday after Easter and Christmas. church celebration has it different duration and depends on whether it falls before Lazarus Saturday or after. If it precedes it, the festive service in the church is held for three days, if it coincides, then for two, and if March 25 falls on Passion Day or Easter week, it is celebrated for one day. When Pascha falls on this date, the Annunciation Liturgy is served first, and only then they cross over to the Paschal Liturgy. The day on which this coincidence occurs is called "Kyriopaskha", that is, the "dominant", "real" Easter. On the feast itself, the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is celebrated in the temple, which differs from other services of Great Lent by its special solemnity. Troparion of this canon church service they represent the conversation of the Archangel Gabriel and the Virgin Mary, and in the course of it it proclaims: “The day of our salvation is the main thing and the hedgehog from the light of the sacrament is the manifestation,” since in the annunciation and conception of Christ the church lays the beginning of the salvation of the human race.

The bright feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos has been celebrated by the church, presumably since the 4th century. Perhaps it originally originated in Asia Minor or Constantinople, and then spread throughout Christendom. Among the ancient Christians, this holiday had a different name: the Conception of Christ, the Annunciation of Christ, the Beginning of Redemption, the Annunciation of the Angel of Mary; and only in the 7th century it was given the name "Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos" in the East and West. Feast of the Annunciation in Orthodox world solemnly celebrated since the middle of the 7th century, and in Rus' they began to celebrate this holiday only in the 10th century, that is, along with the adoption of Christianity. And it is believed that even on this day, in addition to the great news of the Angel, Mary conceived Jesus Christ.

IN folk calendar The Annunciation was one of the most revered holidays. On the Annunciation of the Virgin, the people in Rus' developed various customs, beliefs, and traditions. Also, the people accepted the Annunciation as the beginning and holiday of spring, the beginning of a new agricultural year, they say that nature wakes up on the Annunciation. The people, who considered the Annunciation the beginning of spring, said: "The pike breaks the ice with its tail", "Spring overcame the winter." It is considered a great sin on the Annunciation to do some business, to work. Wide famous saying: "On the Annunciation, the little bird does not nest, and the maiden does not weave braids," was supported by a strict ban on braiding and combing hair, otherwise the chickens could ruin the crops by "combing" the beds. Even according to old observations in nature, any creature feels a big holiday and tries to do nothing.
The people appeared on the feast of the Annunciation various signs and proverbs: “If on the day of the Annunciation wind, hoarfrost and fog - by the harvest year”, “On the Annunciation it rains - rye will be born”, “On the Annunciation frost - the harvest of milk mushrooms”, “On the Annunciation thunderstorm - to the harvest of nuts, to warm summer”, “What you spend the Annunciation, such is the whole year”, “A cuckoo without a nest for curling it on the Annunciation”.

Orthodox today religious holiday:

Tomorrow is a holiday:

Holidays expected:
15.03.2019 -
16.03.2019 -
17.03.2019 -

Hello. Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin - great holiday all believers. In the bustle of days, many have forgotten about the traditions of celebrating the Annunciation. We will try to remember them so that we never forget and pass them on to our children.

What date is the Annunciation celebrated?

The Annunciation is a day of remembrance of how the Mother of God found out that she would give birth to Christ, and that this would happen in a miraculous way - through the descent of the Holy Spirit on Her.

In 2018, the Annunciation fell on Holy Saturday. Holy Saturday is a day of remembrance of that terrible moment when the Body of Christ was in the Tomb. This day is also called the day of silence. Everything is already behind - betrayal, crucifixion, death on the Cross.

It is not worth looking for mystical meaning in the fact that the Annunciation fell on Holy Saturday. Light Christ's Resurrection It can fall on any day of the year from April 4th to May 8th.

During early Pascha, the Annunciation may fall on both Holy Week and Bright Week, and this only means that the service on this day will have its own characteristics associated with the dual meaning of this day.

What can you eat if the Annunciation falls on Holy Saturday?

If the Annunciation falls on Holy Saturday, then you can eat vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, cereals, bread, but you can’t eat fish. The monastic charter suggests on this day abstinence from food with vegetable oil, but from modern man strict adherence to the fasting rules established for monks in past centuries is not required. On Holy Saturday, the Orthodox usually adhere to their usual Lenten diet.

The Annunciation is one of the two days of Great Lent when fish is allowed at the meal. But if it coincides with the days Holy Week, the meal on this day is not festive and they do not eat fish.

According to the charter, monks were allowed to drink some wine on Holy Saturday. But such an indulgence was given not for fun and entertainment, but to strengthen forces after long prayer: service Great Saturday long, it is preceded by very eventful liturgical days Holy Week, and ahead of the night Easter Matins.

The meaning and essence of the holiday of the Annunciation

The essence of the holiday lies in the name itself. "Annunciation" means that the good news is coming. If you look closely, you can see that the whole point Christian holidays is that a person is given two paths:

the way of salvation is the righteous way,
the path of evil, envy and darkness.

Even the young Virgin Mary was asked by an angel if she agreed that the Son of God, the Savior of the whole world, would be incarnated from her womb. Mary answered, "Let it be unto me according to thy word," humbly accepting God's word.

The icon dedicated to the Annunciation can be recognized by the archangel Gabriel holding a flower. What does flower mean? The flower is a symbol of good news. It was Gabriel who was given by God to carry the Good News to the people.

But the most joyful news in the world, he brought 2000 years ago to the Virgin Mary, who took a vow of virginity and gave her life to serve God. From this day begins the history of the holiday.

IN ancient Judea people over the age of 14 were considered adults. So the 14-year-old Virgin Mary, who until that time had been brought up in the temple, had to return to her home, or get married. But the vow of eternal virginity closed the way for Her to create an ordinary family. Then the priests of the temple found a very correct solution. They betrothed the Virgin Mary to the 80-year-old elder Joseph. Thus, Mary did not break the vow she made to the Lord.

So Saint Joseph became the guardian of the virginal purity of the future Mother of God. The Blessed Virgin lived for four months in the house of Joseph, devoting all Her time to reading Holy books and unceasing prayers.

Behind this charitable occupation, the Angel found her, saying to Her: “Hail, Gracious!”. Archangel Gabriel announced to Her about that greatest grace: to become the Mother of the Messiah.

The real holiday began to be celebrated in the 6th century during the reign of Justinian. He issued a decree, setting the date for the celebration of the Annunciation - March 25 for the Catholics, and for the Orthodox according to the Julian calendar - April 7.

The Annunciation is the arrival of spring!

How is this holiday celebrated? On this day, since ancient times, there has been one of the most merciful traditions: to release birds from cages.

Today, church ministers do this, and before the revolution of 1917, many believers, observing traditions, brought cages with birds to worship, which were released after the service.

This action symbolized the human soul, languishing in the fetters of sin, but through the birth of the Savior, who took the sins of people upon himself, he receives hope for freedom. The service in the temple ends today with the release of white doves into the sky so that they bring the news to the angels about all the good deeds.

Signs for the Annunciation

With the advent of spring, the people associated their aspirations for a good harvest. Therefore, there are many signs for April 7:

If it is cold on the Annunciation, fog falls, or the day is marked by frost, then the year will be fruitful.
If the swallows have not arrived yet, then the spring will be late and cold.
A clear day on the Annunciation - to the fires.
If April 7 is a day with rain, then wait for a dry summer.
What day (weather) for the Annunciation, such for Easter.

Other signs on the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

On the Annunciation, you can’t give or borrow anything, so as not to give away your health and good luck.
On the Annunciation, you can’t work, get a haircut, even comb your hair, so as not to “confuse” your fate.
On which day of the week April 7 falls, on that day you should not start new business for the whole year.
On this holiday it is necessary to consecrate salt, water, and bring prosphora from the church. All this will help in case of illness.
You can't wear new clothes.
So that the husband does not go anywhere, on this day he must be called “beloved” 40 times.

Many rituals attract money to the house, for example, you need to give alms early in the morning, before that you don’t have to wash your face or have breakfast.

It is necessary to collect grass from the church and store it behind the icons, for good luck and health.

They say conspiracies work well. On April 8, Archangel Gabriel fulfills the most secret desires. Early in the morning, make a wish, put on a cross, go outside, turn your face to the east, cross yourself three times, say a conspiracy:

“Archangel Gabriel, servant of our Lord, hear the prayer of the servant of God (her) (name) and fulfill my request (say your desire). In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen"

Icons of the Annunciation

On the Annunciation, the meeting of the Virgin Mary and the Archangel Gabriel is depicted. Most common iconographic canon Feast: The Annunciator stands on the left and extends his hand to the right hand of the Most Pure One, blessing Her.

The Mother of God is often depicted either reading Holy Scripture, or with a spindle and a red thread in their hands. The Gospel does not say what the Mother of God was doing when the Archangel appeared to her, but according to apocryphal sources, She was spinning a veil for the Jerusalem temple, which was torn in two at the moment death on the cross Christ.

The Archangel Gabriel in the icons of the Annunciation is depicted with a hand extended towards the Mother of God with fingers folded in a certain way. This is an ancient oratorical gesture, meaning direct speech. In the same way, the reciprocal gesture of the Mother of God in this context is interpreted as Her acceptance of the gospel:

Another detail often present on the icons of the Annunciation is a beam descending from Heaven on the Virgin Mary. Otherwise, the descent of the Holy Spirit on Her is displayed on the icon in the form of a dove. On many icons, the Heavenly ray and the dove are connected.

On the icon of the Annunciation, the Divine Infant in the womb of the Mother may be present.