The Trinity is a great Orthodox holiday, celebrated after the expiration of fifty days after Easter . Introduced by the apostles in memory of the descent of the Holy Spirit and the revelation of the truth of the existence of the Triune God - the Holy Trinity.
It should be noted that the fiftieth day is not accidental, and coincides with the holiday of the Old Testament - Pentecost. For a long time this day was revered as the date of foundation of the Church of Christ.
Celebrating the Trinity in Russia
The celebration of the Holy Trinity is one of the largest Orthodox church traditions. Serves as a symbol of the purification of the human soul from all bad and evil. He exalts the grace that came down from heaven, which gave strength for the foundation of a single Church. It is believed that on that day the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles in the form of a sacred fire, bringing great knowledge. It was from this moment on that the apostles began to preach, telling about the true Triune God.
Rituals and traditions of the Trinity
Preparing for the holiday, the landlady obligatorily induce cleanliness in the house. The dwellings are decorated with wildflowers, fragrant herbs and tree branches. It is believed that all this symbolizes the renewal of nature, prosperity and a new cycle of life.
A festive morning begins with a visit to the church. People give thanks to the Lord for protecting them through baptism . Small bouquets of herbs and flowers of parishioners bring with them to further place them in homes in the most honorable places. As traditionally accepted among the Slavs, the Trinity celebration can not do without a hospitable table, which is shared with family and friends. On the table must put a loaf and consecrated in the church grass as a sign of prosperity and prosperity.
It should be noted that the church scenario of the celebration of the Trinity ends here, however, the tradition of folk festivals remains. It so happened that the Orthodox rite coincided with the ancient veneration of the coming summer and the so-called Green weeks. In the people, Green Christmas trees (weeks) were considered, above all, a holiday for teenage girls. At this time, the older girls took them to their company for general gatherings and fortune-telling on the betrothed.
In addition, this week was called "mermaid". In its essence, it was an absolutely pagan tradition, including games with disguises, dances, the giving of prayers to Mother Nature. They believed that this week mermaids at night go out of the water to the shore, swinging on the branches of trees, watching people. That is why it was impossible to wash in ponds, walk alone in the thickets of trees, walk cattle far from villages - mermaids could take the careless traveler to himself, to the bottom.
Also in the pagan tradition, the Green Week was considered the time when the dead woke up. Mostly it concerned "dead" corpses - that is, those who died before time and "not by their own death". They believed that these days they returned to earth to continue their existence in the form of mythological beings.
Thus, like many other Orthodox holidays, the church rites and traditions of the celebration of the Trinity are closely interwoven with pagan history. The official church does not accept or approve of this. But since in essence holidays are very similar to each other, then they began to celebrate their people in a symbiosis, not separating the Orthodox rites from pagan. Thanks to this, we received a holiday with ancient history, interesting traditions and beautiful rituals, which, at the same time, is filled with philosophical contemplation and religious meaning.