Holy Trinity Day is a Christian holiday with a rich history. It began to be celebrated on a grand scale only after the baptism of Rus, thanks to the efforts of Sergius of Radonezh. In 2019, the Orthodox Trinity falls on June 16 and coincides with the Catholic one.
Holy Trinity Day: the history of the holiday
Holy Trinity Day is a major church holiday. It symbolizes the veneration and recognition of the unity of God the Father, the Son of the Savior and the Holy Spirit. The holiday began to be celebrated at the dawn of the birth of Christianity. On one significant day, the apostles gathered in the light room and the Holy Spirit descended on them in the form of tongues of flame that shone, but did not burn. This happened on the fiftieth day after the execution of Christ. The Holy Spirit endowed the apostles with the strength and ability to speak in different languages. This enabled them to carry the good news around the world and tell people about the Savior.
Trinity in 2019
Trinity is a holiday that does not have a fixed date. It falls on a different number every year. Only the day of the week remains unchanged. Trinity is always celebrated on Sunday, the fiftieth day after Easter. For this reason, it is also called Pentecost.
To find out when Orthodox Christians celebrate Trinity, you need to count 49 days or 7 weeks from Easter. In 2019, Easter was celebrated on April 28. Trinity falls on June 16. In this case, the Catholic holiday coincides with the Orthodox Pentecost. Catholics will also celebrate the holiday on June 16th.
How Trinity is celebrated
In the modern world, people celebrate the Trinity on a grand scale. Some Orthodox traditions are closely intertwined with pagan culture. Believers clean the house in advance, which symbolizes the beginning of a new life. On the Saturday before Pentecost, it is customary to prepare and commemorate departed relatives. Divine services are held in churches. It is especially important on this day to remember the drowned people and everyone who did not die of their own death.
There is no traditional Sunday liturgy on Trinity. It is replaced with a festive service. After the midday service, Vespers takes place, which is accompanied by prayers glorifying the Holy Spirit who has descended to earth. On Pentecost, it is customary to decorate temples with green branches of birch and maple. The floor is covered with herbs and wormwood. Priests wear emerald-colored robes for the festive service.
On Trinity, it is customary to consecrate birch branches or any herbs. They can be put at home next to the icons or anywhere else. It is believed that the consecrated branches protect the inhabitants of the house. Dried herbs can be added to tea. This is especially useful for people who want to be healed of diseases.
In the old days on Trinity, people prepared brooms for the bath, and the girls weaved wreaths and wondered for their betrothed. It was necessary to put a wreath on your head and gently, without touching it with your hands, lower it onto the surface of the reservoir. It was believed that a wreath that floated away in any direction predicted an early marriage. A sunken wreath is a harbinger of trouble.
In modern cities and towns on Trinity, festive festivities and fairs are held. According to tradition, after visiting the temple, you must definitely eat a piece of loaf. In the old days, people dried pieces of loaf and then added crumbs to the dough for wedding pies so that the life of the newlyweds was happy.
You cannot work for Trinity. The ban also applies to swimming in water bodies. According to an old belief, on this day, mermaids drag tourists into the water. Pentecost is a great date for matchmaking and any new beginnings.
