Holy Spirit Day

The Trinity is the personification of the trinity of the Highest Power, embodied in the images of God the Father, his Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit This theological dogma is recognized by most Christian denominations According to the Gospel, the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples of Christ in the form of a flame on the 50th day after the resurrection of the Savior The holiday is dedicated to one of the ways of being of the divine essence and its manifestation on Mount Sinai in Jerusalem In honor of the fire that descended on the apostles, the day after Pentecost, believers celebrate the Day of the Holy Spirit This time was considered special among the ancient Slavs According to the traditions of our Spirit ancestors, the day marked the beginning of summer and Mermaid Week - a period of rest after working in the fields and gardens It was believed that the peasant had done everything he could to get a good harvest, and now he needed to turn to the forces of nature for help On Spirits Day, which always fell on Monday, rituals were held for the growth and preservation of crops, for which, according to ancient beliefs, mermaids were responsible For the inhabitants of rivers and lakes on the banks, the Slavs left generous offerings - clothes and treats The Slavs believed that on Spiritual Monday the soil becomes fertile, so it should not be disturbed All work in the field and garden was prohibited Women went out into the streets and had meals, sitting on the ground, which they symbolically fed with laid out food The peasants asked the mermaids and merman to give life-giving juices and moisture to the meadows, fields and pastures sown with grain crops Swimming on Spiritual Day was also prohibited The mermaids in charge of reservoirs could tickle a person to death or drag a person to the bottom All Slavic holidays were associated with the forces of nature, its inexhaustible power and vital energy On Spiritual Day they predicted the weather for the next 40 days It was believed that it marks the arrival of the warm season, so fruit crops can already be planted in the ground Rain on Spirit Monday promised a hot summer and sunny autumn, abundant flowering of trees - a cold winter The girl’s wreath, launched in honor of the holiday and remaining on the surface, spoke of her imminent marriage Washing in the morning on Spiritual Monday with dew or well water gave youth and health Our ancestors believed that once a year the goddess Morena releases the souls of the dead into the world of reality For spiritual reunification with them, cut birch branches were laid out in the corners of the house - a talisman against evil, a symbol of resurrection and the strength of family ties In memory of this Slavic tradition, Orthodox believers go to church the day after Trinity After the service, candles are lit in churches for the repose of the souls of the departed Churches for the Day of the Holy Spirit are decorated with freshly cut grass and tree branches, incl birch Priests conduct services in green vestments Birch branches from the temple are taken home to bring good luck and prosperity to it Christians make donations, giving gifts from the bottom of their hearts to the poor and suffering In church and at home, believers read an akathist and a prayer to the Holy Spirit, congratulating family and friends on the holiday