Every year on the 40th day after Easter, the Orthodox celebrate the great twentieth feast - the Ascension of the Lord, whose history is connected with the earthly life of Jesus Christ.
The History of the Feast of the Ascension
The name of the holiday is directly related to the event, which marks the entire Orthodox world. On this day, 40 days after the resurrection, Jesus Christ completed his earthly ministry and again entered the temple of the Heavenly Father, ascended to heaven.
As is known, through his suffering and death, Jesus redeemed the sins of mankind and became the Savior, giving people the opportunity to rise again and receive eternal life. And His ascension is a festival of the opening of Heaven, an eternal abode for human souls. That is, by his ascension, Christ again revealed to us Heaven as the Kingdom of God, the realm of truth, happiness, goodness and beauty.
On the last day of his earthly life, Jesus Christ appeared to his disciples and followers. With them was His Mother - the Most Pure Virgin. He gave them the last instructions, commanded the disciples to go around the world with the gospel preaching, but before that wait for the appearance of the Holy Spirit.
His last words were the prediction of the descent into the disciples of the Holy Spirit, who was to inspire and comfort them, blessing to preach God's teaching throughout the world.
After this, Jesus ascended the Mount of Olives, raised his hands and, blessing the disciples, began to ascend from earth to heaven. Gradually, a bright cloud closed Him from the eyes of perplexed disciples. Thus the Lord ascended to Heaven to His Father. And before the Apostles appeared two bright messengers (the angel), who announced that Jesus, ascended to heaven, after a while again will come to earth in the same way as he ascended to heaven.
The apostles, comforted by this news, returned to Jerusalem and told the people about it, then they began to wait in the constant prayer for the promised descent of the Holy Spirit.
Thus, in Orthodoxy, the history of the Ascension of the Lord is inextricably linked with the last act of Jesus Christ in the work of our salvation and the union of the earthly and heavenly. By his death, the Lord destroyed the kingdom of death and gave all people the chance to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. He himself was resurrected and became a forerunner to his Father in the person of the redeemed person, making it possible for all of us after death to enter Paradise.
Folk signs and traditions of the Ascension Day
As with most other church holidays , with the feast of the Ascension of the Lord and its history, many signs, traditions and divinations are associated.
People always aspired to celebrate the Lord's ascension to heaven with a ritual sign like Easter cakes and eggs. On this day, it was customary to bake pies with green onions - the so-called bread stairs with seven bars, symbolizing the steps in the number of skies of the apocalypse.
First, these "ladder" consecrated in the temple, and then threw from the bell tower to the ground, wondering which of the seven heaven is destined to get the fortune-teller. If all seven steps remained intact, it meant that he would fall directly into the sky. And if the "ladder" was broken, it meant a sinner's sinner,
According to the beliefs, if the egg laid down on this day is suspended on the roof of the house, it will protect the house from harm.
If on the day of the Ascension there is heavy rain, this means preventing crop failure and cattle diseases. And after the rain, good weather is always set, which lasts until the day of St. Michael.
And most importantly - everything that you ask in prayer on this day, will certainly come true. This is due to the fact that on the day of his Ascension, the Lord spoke directly with the Apostles. And on this day all people have a unique opportunity to ask the Lord about the most important.