The Bright Week after Easter has a special meaning. Do's and Don'ts for Easter Week

In the Orthodox world, the calendar year begins with Advent, which continues until the advent of the Nativity of Christ. On January 7, a continuous week begins, called the Church of the Svyatochny, and among the people - simply Svyatki.

Traditionally, multi-day fasts are intended for introspection, prayers and spiritual exploits. During fasting, there are special rules that cannot be violated. As a rule, the week is divided into Monday, Wednesday and Friday, when only food is allowed, Tuesday and Thursday, when hot food without oil is allowed, and Saturday and Sunday, when it is allowed to add vegetable oil to dishes.

Continuous weeks serve as a consolation after many days of fasting, help to stock up on strength before the upcoming spiritual test (after all, there are several fasts), and do not allow one to think of oneself as an “eternally limiting faster”.

A continuous week is called a week from Monday to Sunday, when even weekly fasts on Wednesday and Friday are canceled, it is allowed to eat any food.

Such weeks are often preparatory before the 4 main Lent (Great, Petrov, Assumption and Christmas Lent) and are tied to church holidays.

Types of weeks

During the year in the Orthodox calendar, the Church has established five continuous weeks before this or that fast.

Christmas week

The end of the Nativity Fast will mark the beginning of Holy Week. Strictly speaking, it lasts not seven days, but 11. The week covers the period from the Birthday of Christ, who appeared in our world in the name of the salvation of mankind, until the Baptism of the Lord - from 7 to 18 January.

"Holy days" or "Holy evenings" have been revered in the Church since ancient times. These days, the Charter of Pr. Savva the Sanctified was forbidden to fast, kneel and marry.

The holiness of the continuous week was violated by the remnants of pagan holidays: for example, fortune-telling.

Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee

The Week of the Publican and the Pharisee got its name thanks to the parable of the same name from the Gospel of Luke, which tells about the need for humility, and not pride and exaltation of one's own merits.

The publican and the Pharisee are the heroes of the parable who came to repentance. The second convinced himself of his own loftiness and closeness to God so much that he stopped noticing his own pride, and the first sincerely admitted his sins and asked for forgiveness.

This Week is one of a series of preparatory weeks on the eve of Great Lent.

The Church Charter does not establish the exact date of the continuous week, because it is tied to the date of Easter. Such a week must necessarily take place 14 days before the start of the fast.

Week of the Prodigal Son

Before Great Lent, there is another preparatory week - the Week of the Prodigal Son. The Gospel of Luke contains a parable that tells the story of a father and son. A son wandering around the world, having squandered everything that was behind his soul and was given by his father, returns home to sincerely pray for forgiveness, and receives it.

Drawing an analogy, before Great Lent it is necessary to repent of sins and return to the bosom of the church, hoping for His mercy.

Week of the Last Judgment

The last 7 days before Great Lent in Orthodoxy, the Parable of the Last Judgment is read at the liturgies, and the whole week is dedicated to the memory of the departed, those who are inveterate and not inveterate by the church. These days, we should remember that God is a just judge, and not just merciful.

Pancake week

The pagan Maslenitsa actually merged with the last preparatory before fasting continuous Cheese week, which is revered by the Orthodox Church. In the Christian sense, during Cheese Week, one must devote oneself to fellowship with one's neighbors, to reconciliation with them.

The emergence of such a church tradition is associated with the vow of the Byzantine emperor Heraclius I, who waged an exhausting war with the Persians. He made a vow not to eat meat food a week before the start of Lent, and when the victory was won, the Church included such a rule in the Charter.

A distinctive feature of the Cheese Week is food restrictions associated with the proximity of fasting. This week you can eat fish, dairy products, cheese and eggs, but meat dishes are no longer allowed.

bright week

During the Easter week, Jesus met with his disciples several times until they finally believed what had happened. The last meeting of the Savior was with the Apostle Thomas, who for the longest time refused to believe in the resurrection of the Lord and wanted to see the wounds and be convinced of the miracle.

Christ gave him such a chance, personally visiting Thomas, returning the disciple to the true path. The example of the apostle shows that the Church does not close the door to a person who wants to believe, but does not have the inner strength for this.

Bright week is the first week after Easter - a time of joy, happiness, a great miracle.

At this time, all services will be similar to Easter.

It is strictly forbidden to observe fasting, asceticism and even to kneel. A continuous week people celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord: they rejoice and have fun. Any food can be eaten all day long.

Trinity week

The last continuous week in the calendar year is Trinity Week, following the feast of the Holy Trinity - the Birthday of the Church. According to legend, it was on this day that the Holy Spirit descended to the apostles and gave them the knowledge of languages.

In total, according to the Bible, there were 9 such gifts, including the gift of tongues. The Holy Spirit descended to the believers, giving them the opportunity to attract to the Church those who do not have faith, to edify themselves and others.

During the week it will be possible to eat whatever you want - the restrictions of Lent are ahead.

The end of the Trinity week is also the beginning of the summer Peter's (Apostolic) Lent, which has a different duration, but always ends on July 12 - on the Day of Peter and Paul.

Orthodox fasts and weeks are inseparable from each other: the former provide an opportunity to accomplish a spiritual feat, cleanse oneself and engage in introspection, while the latter give time to take a break from asceticism, to feel the other side of life. At the same time, it is important to remember that continuous weeks are given not for continuous fun, but for deliberate fun - each of them is filled with an inner meaning open to believers.

If you don’t understand something, your faith is not strong, or you are looking for a mentor, go to church. Pray to God or talk to a minister.

Orthodox Christians celebrated Easter, which this year fell on April 8th. From the beginning of Easter comes a very important time - Easter week, which is also called Bright Week. This is a seven-day period that includes Easter Sunday and the next six days until St. Thomas Week (the second Sunday after Easter, which is called Antipascha, popularly - Krasnaya Gorka).

When is Bright Week in 2018

In 2018, Bright Week begins on Sunday, April 8th and ends on Saturday, April 14th.

Rules of conduct and fasting on Bright Week, what not to do

Easter is the most important holiday for Christians and the basis of the Christian faith in the resurrection of the Son of God, who became the savior of mankind. Therefore, Bright Week is one of the most joyful periods in both church and folk life.

There is no fasting at this time, even on traditionally fast days - Wednesday and Friday. You can eat meat, dairy products, eggs, etc. It is also allowed to drink wine.

But, despite the fact that the restrictions of Great Lent cease to operate, the church warns these days against gluttony and especially against alcohol abuse. From alcoholic beverages, it is allowed to drink red wine (of course, exclusively for adults), but the church does not bless the use of vodka and other strong drinks.

It is also believed that during the Easter week one should not be stingy, one should be generous, share treats and generally actively participate in charity. At the same time, it is especially noted that generosity should come from the heart.

In the Bright Week, despondency and quarrels are extremely undesirable - those who violate this prohibition in the most joyful week for Christians can expect trouble.

For the Orthodox (with the exception of emergency workers), work is strictly prohibited only on the first day of Bright Week - Easter. But you can work until the next weekend if it is required by production needs or in accordance with the work schedule. The principle of rationality is important here. The ban applies mainly to housework and yard work.

Bright Week and visiting cemeteries

One of the most delicate moments is visiting cemeteries on Bright Week. The fact is that on Easter week the church does not hold any weddings or requiems, so that believers do not renounce the celebration of the Holy Resurrection of Christ. Therefore, the church does not bless trips to cemeteries these days, as incompatible with the joy of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The next day when the church recommends visiting cemeteries is Radonitsa - the first Tuesday after Antipascha. In 2018, Radonitsa falls on April 17th.

However, the church ban on commemorating the dead on Bright Week conflicts both with the Soviet tradition of visiting cemeteries on Easter, and with more ancient folk beliefs that the dead visit the living on Easter week, so they definitely need to repay the debt.

Folk traditions on Bright Week

Bright week in the folk calendar goes from Easter to Krasnaya Gorka (Anti-Easter, the first Sunday after Easter). Among the Slavs, this time was considered the beginning of the spring rebirth and renewal of life.

A characteristic feature of the folk celebration of the Bright Week, which differed from the church tradition, is the commemoration of the departed ancestors. According to folk beliefs, during the Easter week, the souls of the dead return to earth for a short time to rejoice with the living in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Memorial days of the Easter week are considered the first (Easter) and "Navsky Thursday" (the so-called Easter of the Dead). These days, it was customary for the Slavs to visit the deceased relatives at the cemetery, “Christify” with them and “invite” them to a festive feast. It was believed that, having received an "invitation", the dead came to houses, ate and drank with the living, attended church, etc.

Signs, prohibitions and rituals of the Bright Week among the Slavs

During the Easter week, villagers tried not to lock their doors so that deceased relatives could enter their homes. People also hung towels out of the windows so that the souls of the dead could climb into the house.

It was impossible to sew, so as not to sew up the eyes of the dead; they tried not to wash, so as not to muddy the waters before the dead; weeping and wailing in cemeteries were forbidden, so as not to prevent the dead from rejoicing at Easter and not to destroy their hope for their own resurrection.

It was believed that the dead left their homes for Radonitsa, and the earth for Ascension.

Also, starting from Easter, girls performed various ritual actions to bring matchmaking and marriage closer. For example, in order to get married as soon as possible, the girl had to be the first to get to the bell tower on Easter and be the first to strike the bell (on Easter week, everyone is allowed to ring the bell).

During the Bright Week, they began to prepare for the wedding period, which started from Krasnaya Gorka - reviews of the newlyweds were held, as well as the bride-to-be brides and grooms.

Easter week (Bright, Glorious, Great, Joyful, Red, Great Day) - the week after Easter.

According to the church calendar, this week (Bright Week) is considered entirely festive, continuous: on Wednesday and Friday, fasting is canceled, so it makes up one holiday, and each of its days is called Bright.

This year, the Bright (otherwise - Easter) week falls on the period from April 9 to April 15. It lasts, as already mentioned, seven days, starting from Easter and ending with St. Thomas' day. All seven days it is customary to ring the bells every day, in addition, celebratory crusades are made. Many temples for Bright Week allow everyone to try their hand at the belfry - ring the bells "to your taste." Therefore, the ringing of bells, as a rule, fills the entire district from morning to evening. All days of the week are called bright, and divine services are performed according to the Paschal rite.

Each day of the week after Easter has its own name and meaning, and there are certain prohibitions for these days. The week after Easter is called Bright Week or Easter Week, according to folk traditions, all these days it is customary to have fun, visit each other, and relax. Find out what you can and can't do these days.

Bright week after Easter by day

First Monday after Easter, it is customary to go to visit their relatives and friends: godchildren - to godparents, grandchildren - to grandparents. Bring Easter gifts: Easter eggs and Easter eggs.

It was believed among the people that a man should enter the house first, this would bring wealth and happiness to the family.

The first Monday is also called the Day of the Virgin, it is customary to give alms to the needy and do good deeds.

bathing places

Tuesday of the Easter week is called Kupalishcha, it was customary for the people to pour cold water on those who overslept the morning prayers on this day.

Round dance or Thunder Wednesday

From the Wednesday of the week after Easter, youth festivities begin, girls and boys gathered to dance, grooms look after brides, older people also gathered “to the music”, danced, had fun with their families, gathered in taverns to continue celebrating Easter.

Navsky Thursday

In many places, on the first Thursday after Easter, they go to the cemetery, carry red eggs and commemorate the dead, put things in order on the graves of their ancestors.

Folk festivities continue, people continue to visit, arrange gatherings, “drive a mare”: they put a “tail”, “head” on a stick, imitating a horse, a man dresses up as a gypsy and “rides a mare” for everyone.

Forgiveness Friday

On this day, the father-in-law and the mother-in-law invited the parents of the son-in-law to visit.
Women and girls were supposed to wash themselves with cold water on this day before dawn - it is believed that this rite gives beauty and youth.

Hail Saturday

On Saturday after Easter, it was customary to call the newlyweds, their parents came to visit them.
On Saturday, the youth continued to dance, have fun, and carried out a fun ritual “seeing off the mermaids”.

The outside

Young people gathered under the open sky in the evenings and held parties that were fun and lively, with songs, music, dances, the guys flirted with the girls.

What not to do in Bright Week

• Getting married all week is not recommended up to Krasnaya Gorka. The rite of baptism is performed. It should be noted that there is no strict ban on weddings - Great Lent is already over, but it is better not to rush into this and postpone the wedding until Krasnaya Gorka.
• During this festive period, it is impossible to arrange memorial services, mourn or go to the cemetery.
• Of course, you will have to go to work during Bright Week, but do not forget to have fun and try not to be too zealous in your work. Things that can be postponed for later, it is better not to start.
• In Bright Week, you need to try to provide yourself, loved ones and everyone around you with only joy, bright events and happy moments.

It must be understood that the Easter holiday in the Orthodox church calendar is the most important and solemn. For every Christian, the resurrection of Christ is a huge event, which is an important symbol of eternal life, the victory of good over evil. This holiday does not end on a festive Sunday, but only begins. Then for forty days there will be holidays, a time for fun and joy. This is especially evident in Bright Week.

When you can wash clean - nowhere without work

Much in the question of when to start work after Easter depends not only on the desires of believers, but also on the circumstances and characteristics of their work. The clergy say that work as such is not forbidden, especially when it comes to employment, because Monday, the second day after Easter, is a working day for everyone without exception.

It’s just that everything these days needs to be done with prayer to the Lord, not forgetting to find time in even the busiest schedule to attend church. For those who still doubt that they are not committing a sin by working immediately after Easter Sunday, we can advise you to turn to the priest and ask him such an exciting question.

Important to remember

It is strictly forbidden to work on Good Friday and on Easter itself. These days it is customary to put off all things, as they say, for later. But doing something useful around the house or in the garden on the second day after this church holiday is not forbidden at all. Reading or hearing about the ban on work on the days after Easter, you need to understand well that this ban is more a blessing for people to spend time in attention to the Lord, as well as to those close to them around them. This prohibition rather refers to a pious tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation for hundreds of years.

Household chores, work in the garden are an integral part of the life of the vast majority of people. You can do them after the Bright Sunday of Christ, but preferably without fanaticism.

Reading time: 12 min.

Easter is the main holiday for all Christians, the center of the entire church year. Christians have been preparing for this event for a long time, and the Church calls for a long time to rejoice at the Resurrection of Christ, to celebrate. After all, Easter joy is so huge that it cannot fit in one day! Since ancient times, the holiday lasts a whole week - after Easter, Easter week, or Bright Week, begins. Light is called and her every day.

Bright Week (Easter Week) is a festive week lasting seven days, including Easter Sunday and the next six days until Krasnaya Gorka.
In 2018, the Continuous Bright Easter week from April 8 to April 14.
Other week names
Easter week, Christovochka, Wire week, Gremyatskaya week, Red week, Red Christmas time, Holy week, Bright week, Great day week, Joyful week, Glorious week, Greek week, Great Christmas time.
The week is continuous: there is no fast on Wednesday and Friday, and even those preparing for Communion cannot arbitrarily impose a fast on themselves.


Bright week date in the coming years
– In 2019 from April 28 to May 4.
– In 2020 from April 19 to 25.
– In 2021 from May 2 to May 8.
Traditions and customs
In Orthodoxy, during the entire Bright Week, after the service, processions are held, at which the faithful sing festive hymns and the priest sprinkles everyone with holy water. During the procession, a festive bell ringing sounds. Orthodox Christians during this period, instead of both morning and evening prayers, read the Easter hours. Traditions and Customs During the Easter Week, divine services are performed daily in churches according to the Paschal rite. Morning and evening prayers are replaced by the singing of the Easter Hours. After each Divine Liturgy, a festive procession is performed, symbolizing the procession of the myrrh-bearing women to the tomb of Christ. At the procession, the worshipers walk with lighted candles. The Royal Doors in the iconostasis (separating the altar from the main space of the temple) remain open during the Bright Paschal Week as a sign that on these days the invisible, spiritual, Heavenly world is opening before the believers. Open Royal Doors - the image of the Holy Sepulcher, from which the Angel rolled away the stone. During the entire Bright Week, they do not close even during the communion of the clergy - they will close only on Bright Saturday before the 9th hour.
Throughout the entire Week, the daily ringing of all the bells is due.
By tradition, every layman, with the blessing of the rector, can climb the bell tower and strike the bells. During Bright Week, one-day fasts (on Wednesday and Friday) are cancelled.
Starting from the day of Holy Pascha, believers greet each other with the words of Paschal joy: “Christ is Risen! - He is truly risen!
Before the feast of the Holy Trinity (on the fiftieth day after Easter), prostrations are not performed.
There are no weddings and prayers for the dead during Bright Week.
Funeral services are performed for the dead, but more than half of them consist of Easter hymns.
Throughout Bright Week, a special bread called artos stands near the open Royal Doors. This custom has been established since apostolic times.
It is known that after His resurrection, the Lord repeatedly appeared to His disciples. At the same time, He either ate the food Himself, or blessed the meal.
In anticipation of these blessed visits, and later in memory of them, the holy apostles left the middle place at the table unoccupied and placed a piece of bread in front of this place, as if the Lord Himself was invisibly present here.
In continuation of this tradition, the Fathers of the Church established on the feast of the Resurrection of the Lord to lay bread in the temple.
On Bright Week, which was considered the beginning of the spring rebirth, the renewal of life, many ritual actions were performed related to marriages. Their initiators and main participants were single youth and newlyweds. Spring-summer festivities for boys and girls began from Bright Week. Bright Week was also the time when bride reviews were held in Russian villages. This happened differently in different villages. For example, in the Pechora district of the Arkhangelsk province, girls, wearing the most beautiful outfit, went out into the countryside to play bacha. Bacha was a long, painted stick, with which it was necessary to knock down a wooden figure set on the ground. The game gathered a large number of people who wanted to look at the girls. In the Oryol province, girls, having put on women's clothes for the first time - poneva, went to the meadow to fry scrambled eggs and have fun without the participation of guys. In the Ryazan province, girls who had entered marriageable age were invited to the square in front of the church. There they stood for some time to show off to everyone, and then rode around the village on horseback.
At the same time, they were “offered” as brides to every man they met. On Easter week, girls performed various magical actions aimed at bringing matchmaking and marriage closer. So, dreaming of getting married as soon as possible, the girl was supposed to be the first to get to the bell tower on Great Day and be the first to strike the bell. During the Bright Week, in many regions, reviews of the newlyweds were held, ceremonies were held that consolidated their new social status. In the Vladimir province, for example, the newlyweds approached the married women who had gathered at their house and gave them a pie and eggs as an "introductory" one. In the Kostroma province, married women, gathered in a group, came to the house of the newlyweds and demanded that the newlywed let them in. She opened the door for them and said: “Neighbors, my dears, love me and favor me, take me as your girlfriend.” After that, everyone entered the house and treated themselves to festive food.
The whole Bright Week was devoted to entertainment: we went to visit each other, treated ourselves to good fast food. However, there were no excesses in food and drink, a great village-wide revelry with fights, characteristic of patronal holidays, during these bright days, as people called them. The festive meal was held cheerfully, joyfully, but at the same time decorously and dignifiedly. On Bright Week, a lot of people gathered on the village streets: they walked, demonstrating themselves, their children, their outfits, looking at other walkers, singing songs.
Easter Monday
The Bible tells that, having risen, Christ appeared unrecognized to two of his saddened disciples, shared with them the path to the village of Emmaus, not far from Jerusalem, and dinner.
“... Taking the bread, he blessed it, broke it and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him. But He became invisible to them. And they said to one another, Did not our hearts burn within us as He spoke to us on the road, and as He opened the Scriptures to us? And rising up that same hour, they returned to Jerusalem and found together the eleven apostles and those who were with them, who said that the Lord had truly risen and had appeared to Simon. And they told about what happened on the way, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread. While they were talking about this, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them and said to them: Peace be with you.”
According to the Scriptures, on the first day after the resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples and for 40 days told them about the Kingdom of Heaven, after which he ascended into heaven.
Vespers on the first day of Pascha is performed by the rector, dressed in all sacred garments. After the evening entrance with the Gospel, the Gospel is read about the appearance of the Risen Jesus Christ to the apostles in the evening on the first day of His Resurrection from the dead (John 20:19-25). The gospel is read by the rector, facing the people.
- On Monday after the Great Day, the godchildren went to visit the godparents, the grandchildren - to the grandmothers, bringing them presents - pies and krashenki. The same gift (“drawing”) was given to them with them. The villagers went to each other, christened and exchanged Easter eggs or Easter eggs.
- In Ukraine, companies of guys, according to custom, went from house to house and congratulated them on the holiday, for which they received eggs, festive bread, and money. All the money went to the treasury of youth groups and was spent, as a rule, on holding youth holidays in autumn and winter with the invitation of girls.
- In the Hutsul region, a girl on this day gives her boyfriend krashenka or pysanka (Easter egg). She doesn’t give it herself, but hides it in her bosom, and the guy takes it away from her, after a little struggle. Having taken out an egg, he leads the girl to the water, pours it over with water “for beauty and health”, it happens that he completely redeems. Probably from this custom, known in other regions of Ukraine, as well as Poland, Monday was called "watered".
- In the Czech Republic, early in the morning on Easter Monday (Czech. Červené pondělí), the guys go out with a "pomblek" - an Easter whip. Looking for girls who are hiding or pretending to want to hide. The guys whip the girls with a birch panicle, juniper or a whip of young willow twigs decorated with ribbons (they say that this rejuvenates and heals). Girls pay off with krashenka, Easter eggs, treats.
- Serbs Pobusny or Water Monday (Serb. Pobusani ponedaљak, Vodeni ponedeљak) devote to commemoration of ancestors and putting things in order on the graves. On this day, painted eggs are taken to the graves and distributed to the poor.
Tuesday - "Kupalischa"
On Tuesday of Bright Week, a special celebration takes place in honor of the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God.
The name "bath" is popularly associated with Tuesday. In the old days, there was a custom to pour cold water on those who slept through matins on this day. The Gustin chronicle spoke about this custom as a relic of ancient paganism, linking it with the deification of the Mother - Raw Earth.
In some places, from Tuesday, and more often from Wednesday, the girls began to dance, so Wednesday was called the "round dance". Round dances continued from that day in the evenings until Trinity.
In Ukraine, on the third day of the “Great Yuletide”, the villagers gathered in a tavern “to the music” in order to spend Christmas time. These three days of the Great Day holidays were a happy time of “visiting”, youth games and fun. Adults were looking for ryast flowers these days, and when they found them, they trampled them, saying: “To wait for the ryast to trample on that year.”
Gradovoy environment, Khorovodnitsa
The fourth day of Great Day in Belarus was called "hail Wednesday" "ice day". On this day, candles were lit in the church against hail. From Bright Wednesday, spring round dances begin in some places, continuing until Trinity Day - every evening.
In southeastern Bulgaria, the rite of Mara Lishanka was performed on this day, in order to bring rain and protect the fields from hail.
Navsky Thursday
First Thursday after Easter. In Belarus, in some places, and especially among Catholics, there is a commemoration of the dead in the cemetery. Red eggs are laid on the graves, which the beggars collect the next day for their own benefit. “Nuski great day - a drunken day on the great tyzhny”, “Navsky great day to encourage the dead” (woodland). In Polissya on Easter “go to the cemetery on the first day and on Thursday. They put things in order at the cemetery, but at home they don’t do anything. They go first to the church, and then they go to the cemetery. Bread, colored eggs, Easter, wine. Women tie aprons, men - towels, and everyone - a ribbon.
On Thursday, the girls called for Spring, singing special songs on the hillocks calling for spring.
In the Pavlovsky district of the Voronezh region there was a custom to “lead a mare”: “On the fourth day of the Easter week, they “led a mare”. They made a head on a stick, tied a tail, covered it with a rope. Those wishing to ride sat on top of this horse. The man dressed up as a gypsy and led this mare down the street. When the mare fell, then the gypsy “nibbled” her ear and she got up.” For skilled horse breeders (guys who portrayed a mare), the horse “knew how” to dance and rear up, she kicked everyone in a row, and especially the girls. Similar ritual actions were performed in other parts of the region on Trinity, and in other places on winter Christmas time.
The celebration was coming to an end, but there were still Easter cakes (paska), krashenka on the tables and sounded everywhere “Christ is risen!” So it was allowed to celebrate for 40 days - until the Ascension itself.
Friday - Forgiveness Day
On Friday of Bright Week, the memory is celebrated - the icon of the Mother of God "Life-Giving Spring". According to tradition, on this day, after the Divine Liturgy, the consecration of water is performed, and if local circumstances allow, a religious procession to reservoirs or water sources. With the water consecrated at this prayer service, believers sprinkle their gardens and kitchen gardens, calling on the help of the Lord and His Most Pure Mother to give the harvest.
The memory of the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God is celebrated.
In Belarus, on a forgiveness day (Belarusian Prashchenne) on Red (Belarusian Red, Vyalikuyu, Great) Friday, village girls washed their faces at dawn with cold water in order to be beautiful and healthy throughout the year. They believed that "kali peas graze at Vyalikuyu P'yatnitsa, that yon velmi is kindly born." The father-in-law and the mother-in-law invited the son-in-law and his relatives to “young beer”.
On a forgiveness day in the Tula province, father-in-law and mother-in-law also “summon their relatives” for young beer. In the Kostroma and Vologda provinces, beer was brewed together. When pouring beer into the lagoons, young and old converged to drink the rest. Each of them, tasting beer, was obliged to say: "Beer is not a miracle, and honey is not praise, but everything is a head, that love is dear."
Saturday - Round dance
Throughout Bright Week, a special bread called artos stands near the open Royal Doors. This custom has been established since apostolic times. It is known that after His resurrection, the Lord repeatedly appeared to His disciples. At the same time, He either ate the food Himself, or blessed the meal. In anticipation of these blessed visits, and later in memory of them, the holy apostles left the middle place at the table unoccupied and placed a piece of bread in front of this place, as if the Lord Himself was invisibly present here. In continuation of this tradition, the Fathers of the Church established on the feast of the Resurrection of the Lord to lay bread in the temple. On Saturday of Bright Week, after the Divine Liturgy, the artos is solemnly blessed and a special prayer is read for the fragmentation of the artos. After that, pieces of this sacred bread are distributed to believers. Then this shrine is given to the sick or to those who cannot be admitted to Holy Communion. Prayers, having received a part of the artos after the end of the Liturgy, keep it throughout the year (usually by cutting it into small pieces and eating them on an empty stomach, especially during illness).
On Saturday of Bright Week before 9 o'clock, for the first time after Pascha, the Royal Doors in churches are closed.
Saturday was also popularly called the “round dance”, as it was the height of youth fun. On the same day, in some Siberian villages, they went to “say goodbye to the bells”, since the Easter bell ringing, which had been unceasing all week, had ceased in the evening of that day.
On Easter Saturday in the Vladimir province. there was a custom to “appease the proud”: in the middle of the day, the relatives of the young visited the newlyweds’ house, while the relatives of the young, if the young woman was “suitable for the house”, tried to please them in everything and appease their desires. In the Yaroslavl province. young people, according to custom, had to stay that day with the parents of the young woman. After visiting their house by "hailers", the young went on a visit with their parents and close relatives of the young. In the house of the father-in-law, a treat was prepared for them, and the feast itself was called "vyuninami". "Vyunins" were an important transitional moment in the life of the newlyweds, they symbolically completed the rituals of the post-wedding period. Before them, the young man did not leave his wife, and after that he could leave home for a long time, go to seasonal work. After the celebration, the full load of household duties fell on the young woman, from which she was partially released in the previous period.
This day is the height of youthful fun. In the Chernigov province, the custom of expelling or "seeing off" mermaids is timed to this day.

The first week after Easter is called Bright Week or Bright Week. At this time, it is customary to relax, visit, enjoy life, find a reason for fun and congratulate each other, saying: "Christ is Risen - Truly Risen!"
Monday
From Monday you can visit. A man enters the house first. The guest brings Easter cakes, krashanka and symbolic gifts to the festive table. If a man has a family, his wife and, if he has a daughter, stay at home that day.
Tuesday
On Tuesday, which is called Bright Tuesday, women already begin to visit, and their men do not visit relatives on this day. But these traditions are now departing and they are practically not observed. More and more families are visiting. Previously, in some places, from Tuesday, and more often from Wednesday, girls began to dance, so Wednesday was called "round dance". Round dances continued from that day in the evenings until Trinity.
Wednesday
On Wednesdays of the "Great Yuletide" many villagers staged dances and fun. Both adults and children gathered "to the music" to spend Christmas time. These three days of the Great Day holidays were a happy time of visiting, youth games and fun. Adults were looking for ryast (corydalis) flowers these days, and when they found them, they trampled them, saying: "To wait for the ryast to trample on that year."
Thursday
On the first Thursday after Easter, the girls called for spring, singing touching songs on the hills. Starting from Thursday, it was possible to arrange bridegrooms and young people looked after their bride. Once upon a time, on the fourth day of the Easter week, they "led a mare." They made a head on a stick, tied a tail, covered it with a rope. Those wishing to ride sat on top of this horse. The man dressed up as a gypsy and led this mare down the street. When the mare fell, then the gypsy "nibbled" her ear and she got up. The celebration is already over by Thursday, but Easter cakes, krashanki can still stand on the tables and sound: "Christ is risen, Truly risen!" So it was allowed to celebrate for 40 days - until the Ascension itself.
Friday
On Friday was Forgiveness Day, which was especially magnificent and solemnly celebrated by the newlyweds, to whom close relatives came. On this day, according to tradition, the girls washed themselves with ice water, which, it is believed, helps to stay healthy all year round.
Saturday
The round dance was celebrated on Saturday. In the afternoon, the height of youth games and festivities began. For example, it was popular to play egg rolling. Everyone who wants to lay their colored eggs in a semicircle near a low hill, after which one of them rolls his egg from above, trying to knock down as many strangers as possible. The player takes all the downed eggs for himself, but if nothing came of it, then he loses his. Participants had to paint their eggs beautifully and in an original way so that they could be easily distinguished from strangers. By the way, this tradition came from pagan times, where it was designed to awaken the forces of the earth and ensure a good harvest.
Sunday
Young people or girls, dressed in bright outfits, gathered in groups and called out to their comrades who had married the previous year. They walked around their village and the nearest neighbors. For the newlyweds, the day was of great importance, because before it the husband could not leave his wife alone, but after that he could leave for a long time to work, shifting the burden of household chores onto the shoulders of his wife. On this day, they saw off Easter, held the rites of the meeting of spring, mass celebrations.
Do's and Don'ts
Since the Easter holiday is the triumph of life over death, therefore, the whole Easter week should be rejoicing, and not mourning for the dead. Also, there are no memorial services on these days. But you can baptize children. It is also believed that a baby born during the Easter week will be endowed with good health, good luck and will achieve a lot in life. It is not customary to hold a wedding ceremony during Bright Week. But you can arrange bridesmaids, go to dances, have fun and enjoy life.