Trinity notes. Trinity: the history and essence of the holiday Signs on the Trinity

Holy Trinity Day is one of the main holidays in the church calendar. Other names of the holiday: Trinity, Pentecost, Descent of the Holy Spirit.

On this day, we remember the event that took place fifty days after the Resurrection of Christ - the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles, and they set off to preach the Risen Christ to all peoples in all lands.

Trinity is also called the Birthday of the Church. Trinity Day always falls on a Sunday. This year Trinity falls on June 4th.

Believers always try to be present on this day at the service, to take communion. The Trinity service itself is especially solemn - inside the temples are decorated with greenery, plant branches and flowers. After the Liturgy, Vespers is served with the reading of kneeling prayers, during which, turning to the Lord, we ask Him for help and intercession.

There are a lot of folk customs associated with the holiday: - this is impossible, this is impossible ... But most of them have purely pagan, folk roots, and often such customs contradict the very essence of the Christian faith. Studying the Russian traditions of the Trinity holiday, one must clearly distinguish what is consonant with Orthodoxy in them and what is not.

There are no everyday rules in the Church about what is forbidden and what can be done on the days of certain holidays. The main thing that is possible and necessary is to be in the temple and pray.

The Liturgy for Pentecost is extraordinarily picturesque: the floors in the temple are lined with field grasses, birch branches, and flowers stand in vases. The fragrance of freshly cut greenery, the green vestments of the clergy, kneeling prayers - everything speaks to believers about the great plan of God, about the victory of Christ over death, about the Kingdom of God.

This day should be lived and spent in a Christian way - go to the temple, pray, take communion, try to be kind and attentive to your loved ones, spend your free time with them.

For a Christian, there are no prohibitions on certain types of activities on an ordinary or holiday day, if they do not harm his soul. Neither bathing, nor walking, nor work will interfere with a believing person if he remembers God.

The Feast of the Holy Trinity is divided into two days. The first day is dedicated to the glorification of the Trinity and the remembrance of the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, which is why it is called Trinity Day. The second day sings of the All-Holy Life-Giving Spirit and in honor of this is called the Spiritual Day.

Orthodox believers, realizing the holiness of the holiday, are sure to try these days to be present in the temple for worship, put aside all vain affairs and devote time to prayer. Since the first day of Trinity always falls on a Sunday, there is usually no problem for a Christian to attend a service on that day. The second day of the Trinity - Spirits Day - falls at the beginning of the working week. It is clear that on Monday it is difficult for a modern person to postpone their affairs, work. But if possible, it is better to start its implementation after attending the morning service in order to pay tribute to the holiday.

Working on the day of the Trinity, we seem to show our disrespect to God. No wonder people have always tried to put aside all external, vain deeds on the days of great holidays - this is not pleasing to the Lord. The work, as a rule, turned out to be in vain and did not bring a positive result. Of course, there are especially important things that cannot be rescheduled for another time. It is better to start their implementation only after attending the service and prayer.

If possible, on the days of major holidays, such as the Trinity, it is better to postpone all business, including work in the garden.

The celebration of the Trinity lasts three days.

On the first day of the Trinity, which is also called Green Sunday, people should be very careful and careful. It is believed that mythical creatures such as mermaids, mavkas and other evil spirits are walking, informs the Ros-Registr portal. Therefore, it is customary to decorate their homes with fragrant herbs, and icons with birch branches. A young birch is a symbol of blossoming nature in all its glory. And the green color is associated with cleansing, renewal and life-giving power. No wonder nature “puts on” a beautiful green dress for this day.

Trinity was celebrated in forests, fields, gardens. They sang songs and played funny games. On this day, unmarried girls divined on their own woven wreaths, into which they woven flowers fragrant with a delicate aroma and striking in their beauty. Wreaths were thrown into the water and amazingly heartfelt songs were sung, if the wreaths converged, then this year to be a young betrothed. Old-timers say that prophetic dreams come up on a festive night, which are usually given special significance. They also visited cemeteries and commemorated the dead, leaving treats. Toward evening, a real festivity began, where buffoons entertained people.

On the second day of Trinity, which is called Klechalny Monday, people attended church. After the service, the clergy walked through the fields and prayed, asking the Lord to protect the harvest.

The third day of the Trinity is called the Spiritual Day. They chose the most beautiful girl, dressed up beyond recognition - with multi-colored ribbons and incomparable wreaths, dressed in festive clothes. After that, they took her around the yards, and the owners generously presented her with treats. They also consecrated the water in the wells in order to purify it from the unclean spirit.

By Trinity, as a rule, all spring agricultural work ended.

By the holiday, the housewives traditionally washed and cleaned the house and yard, the fathers of families and sons mowed the grass in the fields. They baked pies and loaves, curled wreaths of birch and flowers, went to visit. Guys and girls walked in the forests and meadows, and the girls specially sewed outfits for the holiday. Heads were decorated with wreaths of flowers or headdresses embroidered with gold threads.

Trinity festivities marked the transition from spring to summer.

Today, many traditions and rituals are forgotten, they may still be remembered in the villages, but folk festivals in the cities are beginning to revive.

Trinity is a holiday of the living, and there is a day before to commemorate the dead - this is Trinity Parental Saturday - the day of universal commemoration of the dead.

On Trinity Saturday, a memorial service is served in churches, during which the Church commemorates all Orthodox Christians who have died.

As for the commemoration of suicides at the memorial service, the Church does not bless this - neither on the Trinity, nor on any other day.

Taking the life of another person is a great sin, but the killer can always sincerely repent of his sin and the Lord will forgive him. A person who commits suicide does not have the opportunity to repent of his act. The soul of a suicide is left to God's will. However, this does not mean that it is impossible to pray for such people at all. On the contrary, their souls especially need the prayers of loved ones, which can be performed at home.

Do not visit the cemetery on Trinity. On this important day for Christians, you need to visit the temple, pray and, if possible, take communion.

Christmas and Epiphany, but this is not to be said about the feast of the Trinity. Not everyone knows how to properly celebrate the Trinity, what traditions are customary to perform on this day, and what is better to refrain from.

Detailed answers to these questions, the opinion of the church, the video commentary of the priest - all this can be found in the article.

But what is this Trinity holiday, and how is it celebrated? There are quite a few traditions in Russia, and most of them are connected with folk memory, and not with church canons.

If we talk about how to properly celebrate the Trinity from the point of view of Orthodoxy, then you need to start, of course, with attending a service.

In general, the celebration is celebrated for three days (Pentecost, Spirits and the Day of God). The essence of the holiday is the same - the descent of the Holy Spirit and the onset of a grace-filled time when each person can save his immortal soul. The main service takes place on Sunday morning (this is the day of Pentecost).

The temples are decorated with fresh greenery, the floor is lined with grass, branches of trees (birch, maple, oak), and the priests dress in beautiful emerald robes. During the service, parishioners pray on their knees.

It is believed that from Easter until Pentecost, one should not pray on one's knees, because these are solemn days when Christians around the world rejoice on the occasion of the resurrection of Christ.

People bring birch branches to the service to bless them and then take them home. They put the consecrated birch branches (the symbol of the Trinity) in the most prominent place in the house, and then store them in a corner next to the icon.

It is believed that such a peculiar bouquet protects the house and brings happiness. You can remove it at the onset of the next Trinity, and it’s better not to throw it away, but simply put it on the field or send it along the river. In a word, in a place where no one will stomp on the branches.

The second half of the day is usually spent with family and friends. You can retire for a while, dream, make plans. You can also congratulate relatives, relatives and friends on the Holy Trinity - send, write warm words of congratulations.

Of course, believers pray and read the Bible, especially those places that are directly related to the holiday (for example, chapter 2 of the book of Acts).

And you can also visit relatives, friends, help someone with business. But the most important thing is to do everything from a pure heart, and not from selfish motives.

How is Trinity celebrated in Russia

Of course, the answer to the question of how the Trinity is celebrated in Russia would be incomplete without mentioning folk traditions and customs.

Of course, a lot of people strive for nature, they try to go on picnics to the forest and to the water. On this day, they try to collect and prepare herbs - it is believed that they are endowed with a special healing power.

Young girls weave wreaths of wild flowers and greenery, and then let them go down the river to tell fortunes about their betrothed. Go with the flow - the marriage will be happy, stay by the shore - you need to wait a bit, drown - some kind of test is coming.

In fairness, it must be said that although these rites are distinguished by their beauty, they have nothing to do with church canons. Therefore, if we talk about how to properly celebrate the Trinity precisely by the Orthodox, then of course, the first thing to do is to go to church.

And the second half of the day you need to try to spend on the same wave and in the same spirit. Do not turn a holiday into a typical day off.

Trinity - what kind of holiday?

In general, the Trinity is a triune God:

Father;
Holy Spirit.

And why do we celebrate the holiday of the same name every year exactly 50 days after Easter? The fact is that on this day God sent the Comforter to earth, about whom Christ spoke during his lifetime.

It was the Holy Spirit, which, like the noise of the wind, descended on the apostles - the disciples of the Savior, who gathered together in one of the houses of Jerusalem. It split into several flames that ignited above each of the assembled.

It turns out that it was at this moment that the Lord manifested himself as triune, because the Holy Spirit is the third person of God. He is still among us, and thanks to this, every person can pray to God at any moment, receive peace and forgiveness in prayer. That is why the Spirit was called the comforter.

What is cooked and eaten on Trinity in Russia

Of course, any holiday is also a delicious table at which you can not only satisfy your hunger, but also have a nice chat with family and friends. In Rus', there has long been such a tradition - the housewives before the Holy Trinity prepared festive dishes in advance and put things in order in the house.

The fact is that on the holiday itself in the morning they went to church with the whole family, and then it was already necessary to sit at home at the prepared table.

In general, traditional dishes are served on the Trinity. But there is one important condition: they must all be light enough, summery. Fatty, smoked, heavy meat and stuff like that is not welcome.

It is better to focus on vegetables and fruits, cereals, dietary meat, fish. You can not do without light salads, fresh juices, greens. From dishes for the Trinity you can cook:

vegetable casserole;
pies with onions and eggs, spinach, other herbs;
vegetable stew;
bigos with chicken;
baked fish.

You can also serve cottage cheese to the festive table, and pancakes with sour cream or any other delicious filling as an appetizer. A good red wine will look appropriate, and white wine will also go well with fish. As for strong drinks, it is better to refrain from them.

What not to do on Trinity

So, now it’s much clearer what the Trinity day is, what its history is, and how to celebrate and celebrate it. But what about on this day?

There are no strict restrictions. However, as is the case with any other big Orthodox date, according to tradition, it is not accepted on Pentecost:

Work, do routine, hard physical labor.
Visit a cemetery.
Clarify relationships, quarrel.
Indulge in drunkenness and unrestrained fun.
Plan complex cases that will take too much time (shopping, paperwork, etc.).

The last 4 points, perhaps, do not need comments. But why not work? In other words - how to spend the Trinity correctly? Here, too, everything is quite simple.

Hard work, general cleaning, home repairs, going to the country house, fixing the car - activities that will take almost the whole day. Will a person feel the holiday, standing in the garden with a shovel? Hardly.

Therefore, it is better to plan your week in such a way that on the day of the Trinity, pay more attention to spiritual matters. After all, we will still have plenty of opportunities to deal with pressing issues; everything has its time.

How to Celebrate Trinity - Church Commentary

Thus, the traditions of how the Trinity is celebrated in Russia are quite rich. And here is the promised video commentary of the priest on this topic.

The feast of Holy Pentecost itself is very full of bright summer colors. After all, it is always celebrated either at the end of spring in May or in summer in June, when even in our latitudes the warm season usually begins. Needless to say, a real new "summer of the Lord" is coming.

Therefore, the triumph of the Holy Trinity can, without exaggeration, be called kind, truly bright, and, therefore, it must be met and celebrated accordingly.

On the 8th week after Easter, the Church celebrates the last movable twelfth feast - Pentecost, or the Day of the Holy Trinity (another name for the holiday). This is one of the oldest holidays: it is already mentioned in the sources of the end of the 2nd century BC. and second only to Easter in antiquity. In the modern Charter, this holiday has the highest status: it is one of the three most significant twelfth holidays (together with the Nativity of Christ and Theophany), which, in terms of the solemnity of worship, are second only to Easter, but in a number of aspects surpass other twelfth holidays.

The name "Pentecost" arose in the intertestamental period (approximately in the III - II centuries BC) and is mentioned in the Holy Scriptures (Com. 2 ,1; 2 Macc. 12 .22; Acts. 2 ,1; 20.16; 1 Cor. 16 ,8). The meaning of the naming is simple: the Old Testament prototype of our holiday fell on the 50th day after the Jewish Easter, and the church holiday of Pentecost took exactly the same place in the calendar regarding the Christian Easter. Another name - the Day of the Holy Trinity - is associated with the theological meaning of the event: on this day we celebrate the appearance of the Holy Spirit, which became a decisive event in the revelation of the Holy Trinity. The revelation of God the Father and God the Son was fully manifested in the previous events of the gospel history and in the teaching of the Lord Jesus, while the revelation of the Holy Spirit was insufficient. Only the fact of His descent upon the apostles already speaks clearly to us about God glorified in the Trinity.

Now let's briefly recall the event of the holiday. After the ascension of Christ, the apostles were all together in Jerusalem, waiting for the acceptance of another Comforter, as the Lord had commanded them. On the day of the Jewish holiday of Weeks (or Pentecost), all 12 apostles in their renewed composition (together with Matthias, who was chosen to replace Judas) gathered in the upper room, where they stayed during the entire period from Easter to Pentecost. This chamber was a spacious room at the top of the house; such chambers were in many Jewish homes, and the rabbis often used them for prayers and meetings. There is a strong tradition that it was the Zion Upper Room, where the Last Supper took place.

And suddenly there was a noise from heaven, as if from a rushing strong wind, and filled the whole house where they were.And divided tongues appeared to them, as if of fire, and rested one on each of them.And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance(Acts. 2 , 2–4). In the above description, attention is paid to the signs of the Epiphany, which are characteristic of the Holy History and which manifested themselves in this event: a loud sound ( noise), strong wind, fire. This means that the descent of the Holy Spirit was essentially a Theophany and thus indirectly expresses the idea of the Divine dignity of the Holy Spirit.

Thus, the apostles received the gift of the Holy Spirit and were able to speak in the languages of different peoples, that is, they received not only a gift of grace, but also a real opportunity to preach the Gospel to both Jews and foreigners. This day is considered the birthday of the Church, not only because it became the starting point of the apostolic sermon, but primarily due to the gift of the Holy Spirit, for the Holy Spirit acts in the Sacraments of the Church and assimilates to the believers the fruits of the redemption made by Christ (without the Holy Spirit, living and acting in the Church, the Church itself is unthinkable).

After describing the actual descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, St. Luke narrates about the reaction of the Jews who were in Jerusalem, who saw the apostles speaking in different languages, and also cites the speech of the Apostle Peter. It should be noted that, in accordance with Deut. 16 , 16, the Feast of Weeks was one of three days on which all orthodox Jews were to come to the central sanctuary (that is, to Jerusalem). And although in terms of “popularity” Pentecost was inferior to the other two holidays (Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles), nevertheless, on this day, many pilgrims gathered in Jerusalem from different parts of the world where the Jews lived. The fact that the apostles spoke in the languages of the peoples testified to their acceptance of the gift of God, and the Jews who came to Jerusalem providentially confirmed this. It turns out that already at the moment of the birth of the Church, the sermon about Christ is multilingual and addressed to all peoples; this is not a closed national-religious community (as was the Old Testament Jewish community), but the Christian Church has been characterized by cultural diversity and a rich ethnic composition since its inception.

Against the enthusiastic reaction of the Jews of the diaspora, some skeptical residents of Jerusalem accused the apostles of they drank sweet wine(Acts. 2 , 13). In response to this, the apostle Peter delivered his first speech, in which he answered this reproach, and explained the meaning of everything that happened to the apostles, and also remembered the events (the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ) that preceded this. Note that the apostle Peter in his speech quoted the prophecy of Joel ( 2 , 28–29), testifying to its fulfillment on that day; the text of this prophecy is read as a proverb at the divine service of the feast.

An important question arises: why is the descent of the Holy Spirit by the Providence of God timed to coincide with the day of Pentecost? The Old Testament speaks of the agricultural nature of the Feast of Weeks (Old Testament Pentecost): feast of the harvest of the first fruits(Ex. 23 16) and sacrificed two wheat loaves baked from the flour of the new harvest (see: Lev. 23 , 16–17). And just as the Feast of Weeks was the beginning of the material harvest, so the New Testament Pentecost is the beginning of the spiritual harvest. The Lord in the Gospel calls the apostles "workers of the harvest" (see: Lk. 10 , 2), and the founding of the Church signifies the beginning of the preaching of Christianity, which is a harvest in the spiritual sense. It is in this sense that it explains the relevance of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the feast of the Weeks of St. John Chrysostom: “What kind of Pentecost is this? This is the time when it was necessary to cut the harvest with a sickle, when it was necessary to gather the fruits. Did you see the image? Look, in turn, at the truth itself. When it was necessary to put the sickle of the word into action, when it was necessary to gather the harvest, then, like a sophisticated sickle, the Spirit flies. Listen, indeed, what Christ says: lift up your eyes and look at the fields, how they have turned white and ripened for the harvest(In. 4 , 35); and further: the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few(OK. 10 , 2).

Now about the most striking features of the festive service. The All-Night Vigil generally follows a standard pattern; Let us note the "return" of two well-known prayers, which since Pascha have not been used either in divine services or in private prayer. These are “We have seen the true light ...” and “To the King of Heaven ...” On the eve of the Trinity, “We have seen the true light ...” is sung on “Lord, cry ...” with the fourth stichera, and “King of Heaven ...” - when singing stichera on the verse. “O Heavenly King…” is usually sung by the whole temple. In general, the stichera “O Heavenly King…” on the day of Pentecost is, as it were, a birthday girl, therefore, at the all-night vigil of the holiday, it is sung several times (even before the canon and before the doxology).

At the Liturgy, instead of the Trisagion, “You are baptized into Christ…” is sung. This reminds us that in the early Christian Church, the catechumens were baptized on Pentecost. It seemed appropriate - the day of the founding of the Church and the growth of its new members.

But the most striking service in terms of liturgical uniqueness is the Great Vespers, which is celebrated on the day of the feast after the Liturgy. There are several features that occur once a year. Thus, special petitions for the grace of the Holy Spirit are added to the peaceful litany. And the climax is, of course, the reading of kneeling prayers. There are only seven of them, they are divided into three parts: two in the first and second, three in the third. The parts are separated by short prayers: the first - after the great prokimen (“Who is God great ...”), the second - after the special litany “Rzem all ...”); after the second part is sung "Vouchify, Lord ..." and then the third part. At the very end of Vespers, the third of its features is a long special dismissal: “Who exhausted Himself from the Father’s and Divine bowels and descended from heaven to earth ...” In his introductory, very lengthy phrase, all the saving actions of God are sung, starting with the Incarnation and ending with the Cross death and the message of the Spirit. This dismissal sums up the entire redemptive work of the Lord.

And in conclusion, a few words about the custom of decorating churches on the day of the Holy Trinity with greenery. This custom, according to the famous liturgist of the early XX century. M. Skaballanovich, "gives special grandeur to the holiday and noticeably puts it forward from a number of other holidays." About the meaning of this tradition, the same M. Skaballanovich writes: “According to the law of Moses, on the feast of Pentecost, it was supposed to bring the first fruits of the harvest to the temple ... And on the feast of Christian Pentecost, branches and flowers are brought as the firstfruits to God from the spring, renewed by the power of the life-giving Spirit and indicate spiritual fruitfulness Church of Christ". There is another interesting explanation: the greenery at this moment (end of May - June) is fresh and beautiful, the whole creature is renewed, it is like a period of "spring rejoicing". Decorating churches with this greenery, we not only create a magnificent atmosphere, but also remember that the Lord created all the beauty of the world for man, which moves us to thanksgiving and fervent prayer.

Aleksey Sergeevich Kashkin, Candidate of Theology, Lecturer, Head of the Department of Biblical Studies, Saratov Orthodox Theological Seminary, May 27, 2018

Holy Trinity Day is one of the twelve twelfth holidays in the church calendar. Other names of the holiday: Trinity, Pentecost, Descent of the Holy Spirit.

No wonder this day is called the birthday of the Church. Trinity Day always falls on a Sunday. The best way to spend this holiday is in the temple, among brothers and sisters in Christ.

We have collected answers to the most common questions about what is possible and impossible on the Trinity:

Trinity - what is this holiday and what can not be done?

Trinity is a great Christian holiday, which is one of the twelfth - the most important of the year. It takes place on the fiftieth day after Easter, which is why it is also called Pentecost. On this day, Orthodox Christians remember the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, after which the disciples of the Lord became able to speak different languages and dispersed throughout the world to preach the teachings of Christ.

The Feast of the Holy Trinity always falls on a Sunday. Believers always try to be present on this day at the service, to take communion. The Trinity service itself is especially solemn - inside the temples are decorated with greenery, plant branches and flowers. After the Liturgy, an evening service is served with the reading of kneeling prayers, during which, turning to the Lord, we ask Him for help and intercession.

There are a lot of folk customs associated with the holiday: - this is impossible, this is impossible ... But most of them have purely pagan, folk roots. And often such customs contradict the very essence of the Christian faith. Therefore, when studying the Russian traditions of the feast of the Trinity, one must clearly distinguish what is consonant with Orthodoxy in them and what is not.

There are no everyday rules in the Church about what is forbidden and what can be done on the days of certain holidays. The main thing that is possible and necessary is to be in the temple and pray.

If you still have any doubts about how you should spend the day of the Trinity (Pentecost) holiday, you can find below a selection of the most frequently asked questions and answers about what you can and cannot do on Trinity.

What can not be done on Trinity?

On the Trinity, one cannot follow common signs and superstitions, many of which just give advice on what supposedly “not” to do on the Trinity (swim, walk in the forest and in the field, work, etc.). And you need to live this day in a Christian way - go to the temple, pray, take communion, try to be kind and attentive to your loved ones, spend your free time with them.

On Trinity, every believer tries to be in the temple, where on this day, after the Liturgy, special kneeling prayers are read for the forgiveness of sins, the mercy of God and the bestowal of the grace of the Holy Spirit. But a Christian can only preserve and multiply this grace in his life, following the Gospel, and not superstitious rules.

Is it possible to work for the Trinity?

It is possible to work for the Trinity, if circumstances so develop.

The feast of the Trinity (Pentecost) always falls on Sunday, and for most believers this is a day off, which is dedicated to going to the temple and praying. But in the modern world there are many works that must be done daily, without breaks and days off, and believers are also involved in them. If a Christian working on this day fails to change and go to the temple for the Trinity, this should not be a reason for despondency.

You can find time for prayer at the workplace, but you will have to go to the temple on another day. The Monday following Trinity, Spirits Day, is considered a continuation of the feast of Pentecost. And the giving of the Trinity takes place almost a week later, next Saturday.

Is it possible to work on the second day of Trinity?

Is it possible to work in the garden for Trinity?

The feast of the Holy Trinity always falls on a Sunday, so believers definitely try to attend a festive service in the temple, partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, refrain from doing any work and devote time to prayer.

Is it possible to commemorate the suicidal on Trinity?

The feast of the Holy Trinity is preceded by the day of general commemoration of the dead. On Trinity Saturday, a memorial service is served in churches, during which the Church commemorates all Orthodox Christians who have died.

As for the commemoration of suicides at the memorial service, the Church does not bless this - neither on the Trinity, nor on any other day. Taking the life of another person is a great sin, but the killer can always sincerely repent of his sin and the Lord will forgive him. A person who commits suicide does not have the opportunity to repent of his act. The soul of a suicide is left to God's will. However, this does not mean that it is impossible to pray for such people at all. On the contrary, their souls especially need the prayers of loved ones, which can be performed at home.

Why can't you kneel before Trinity?

Hieromonk Konstantin (Simon) answers:

We don't kneel from Easter to Pentecost because it's a time of joy. We very often kneel in prayer during Lent, as this is a time of repentance. But the period after Easter is a joyful time, we should not be sad. Of course, we should always ask the Lord to forgive our sins. But Easter is a special time, this is the time of the triumph of Jesus Christ over death. These days we're living in a special, special way, we're living in Paschal grace. And this grace does not allow us to kneel.
And on the day of the Holy Trinity at Great Vespers, for the first time since Easter, we kneel. Kneeling prayers are read on it, during which we can again ask God for the forgiveness of our sins, we can repent. The moment of repentance is clearly reflected in the texts of these prayers.
It is also worth noting that Great Vespers refers to Monday, the second day of the Holy Trinity - Spiritual Day, since according to the rules of the Nicene Council, Orthodox Christians should not kneel on Sundays.

Can I swim on Trinity?

You can swim on Trinity.

Often there is a statement that you can’t swim on the Trinity for three days. This is explained by a certain belief that it was during this period that “mermaids walk”, which can “lure the bather to the bottom”. At the same time, some "well-wishers" extend the ban on swimming on Trinity not only to the seas, rivers and lakes, but also to pools and home showers. It is clear that not only from the point of view of the Church, but also from the point of view of any sane person, there are no and cannot be any grounds not to allow bathing on the Trinity.

Another thing is that you should not replace going to church and prayer with a beach holiday, but you can go to nature to the reservoir after the service. Moreover, the Trinity always falls at the end of May or June, it is always celebrated on Sunday, and the weather on this day is hot.

Is it possible to go to the cemetery on Trinity?

Do not visit the cemetery on Trinity. On this important day for Christians, you need to visit the temple, pray and, if possible, take communion.

On the Trinity, believers remember how, after His Ascension to heaven, the Lord sent the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to all who believe in Him. This holiday is considered the birthday of the Church, since it was after this event that the disciples of Christ began to preach the Gospel throughout the world. This event is so significant and so joyful that it is on the day of the Trinity that it is not customary to specifically commemorate the dead. But the Church does not turn away and does not forget about them: the day before the Trinity is intended for commemoration and visiting the cemetery - Trinity parental Saturday. Moreover, in the kneeling prayers heard at Vespers, which is served on Trinity immediately after the Liturgy, there is a separate prayer for the departed.

Of course, there are different situations in life, and sometimes it is impossible to refuse a trip to the cemetery even on a completely unintended day. But even when you are forced to visit the Trinity cemetery, it would be good to try not to forget about the meaning and significance of this day in church history.

What can you do on the Saturday before Trinity?

Saturday before the Trinity is also called the Trinity Parental Saturday, on this day a special commemoration of all the departed is performed in the temples. Believers come to the morning service, after which a memorial service is performed. In addition, on Saturday before Trinity, as on the eve of other great holidays, newlyweds are not crowned. Also on Saturday before Trinity, it is recommended to attend the evening service and confess at it, so that on Sunday morning you can come to the church for the Liturgy and take communion. The Church does not impose any other special restrictions on this day.

Can I work on Wednesdays until Trinity?

On the Wednesday before the Trinity holiday, you can work. This day is indicated in the church calendar as a day of non-strict fasting - believers abstain from meat, but there are no other special restrictions.

Is it possible to marry before the Trinity?

The Church does not crown directly on the eve of great holidays, on Saturday (Orthodox Christians try to be in the temple for worship these days, many prepare for Communion), as well as on Tuesday and Thursday (weddings are not performed on the eve of fast days). As for the rest of the days of the week before Trinity, these days, as a rule, you can get married. Of course, in a particular temple there may be special circumstances related to the schedule of its work and services. Therefore, it is worth agreeing in advance on the time and place of the wedding.

Week after Trinity: what not to do?

The first day of the week after Trinity is called Spiritual Day. It is also a great church holiday, on which pious Christians try to come back to the temple. But there are no additional restrictions in the week after the Trinity in the church tradition (with the exception of fasting on Wednesday and Friday). Since ancient times, pagan beliefs have been preserved that in the week after the Christian holiday of the Trinity, it is supposedly worth staying away from water, or even not leaving the villages and villages at all: the most superstitious peasants feared the attacks of mermaids, believing that the week after the Trinity - a special time for evil spirits. However, such mythology never had anything to do with Christianity, and over time, belief in mermaids remained only a part of rural folklore.

Is it possible to make wishes on the Trinity and which ones?

This question is often asked by secular people to their church acquaintances, and sometimes just to random sites on the Internet. But if sites can answer differently, then believers, like the whole Church, will tell you one thing: the signs associated with making wishes have nothing to do with Orthodox dogma and are pure superstition. Christians believe that it is always possible to turn to God with a request, but it will not work to “deceive” him by making a wish at some special moment in time. This also applies to making wishes for the Trinity.

How many days can not work on Trinity?

Another popular question of people who are just immersing themselves in the church tradition. The answer will disappoint someone, but will please someone: there are no restrictions on work on the eve of the Trinity. So workaholics can safely enjoy their work, but lazy people will not have a new reason to relax, alas..

Is it possible to baptize on the Trinity?

It is possible to baptize on the Trinity, but keep in mind that on major holidays there are many believers in churches, the services are longer, the priests are very busy, and therefore you will most likely be offered to reschedule the baptism to another day.

On the day of the Trinity, Christians remember the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles. This miraculous phenomenon, which occurred almost two thousand years ago, attracted a lot of people, many believed and were baptized, and therefore the Trinity is also called the birthday of the Church. Of course, it is symbolic to be baptized or to baptize a child on this particular holiday. But in fact, there are no more or less suitable days for baptism, and the grace of the Holy Spirit, which a person receives through the Sacrament of Chrismation, joining the Church, is the same both on Trinity and on any other day of the year.

Is it possible to get married / get married / get married on the Trinity?

It is impossible to get married on the Trinity, since the Sacrament of marriage is not performed by the Church on the days of the twelfth (that is, the twelve main after Easter) holidays.

On the Trinity, Christians remember one of the most important events in church history - the descent of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, whose coming to earth was promised by Christ, ascending to heaven. On this day, immediately after the Liturgy, Vespers is served, at which the faithful kneel to the Trinity in all its fullness: God the Father, the Holy Spirit and the Son of God. The meaning of this holiday is so great that it is hardly possible, without missing anything, to take into your heart on this day also the experience of a great personal event - the Sacrament of Marriage.

As for the registration of marriage, then in this sense, most likely, it will not work to marry the Trinity. Trinity is always celebrated on Sunday, and registry offices usually do not work on Sunday.

Is it possible to play a wedding before Trinity?

You can play a wedding before Trinity in the period from Antipascha (the Sunday following Easter, also called Fomin) to Friday on the eve of Trinity, when weddings are performed in churches for the last time before Peter's Lent. You can enter into a church marriage on the days designated for this (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday, not falling on the eve or the twelfth and temple patronal holidays themselves). Before going to church, you need to register the marriage with the state authorities. And the newlyweds can play the wedding, that is, celebrate the birth of a new family, on any convenient day, but for a feast and fun, you should choose a day when there is no fast.

Playing a wedding right before the Trinity is not entirely appropriate and not very convenient. Saturday the day before is the day of commemoration of the dead and preparation for the holiday itself, in which most believers try to take communion, which means that they try to devote the days before the Trinity to fasting and prayer.

Is it possible to sign for the Trinity?

Signing for the Trinity is unlikely to succeed, since this most important church holiday is always celebrated on Sunday, and in registry offices Sunday is usually a day off.

The Church has determined the days when no wedding is performed, but the choice of the day of the week for registering a marriage is not regulated in any way. But if the question arises because it seems to future spouses that it is the marriage concluded, for example, on the feast of the Trinity, that will be strong and happy, then here the opinion of the Church is unequivocal. Neither the date of the wedding, nor the attempt to observe any wedding signs will make your family life happy. There will be peace and love in the family if the spouses themselves daily try to preserve and increase them, asking the Lord for help in this.

Trinity: traditions and rituals of the holiday

The Slavs called the Trinity, or Pentecost, Trinity Day. And also - the Trinity-Mother of God, Wreaths, Venoshnik, Birch Day.

Birches in the temple

On Trinity, temples were traditionally decorated with birch branches and grass. This custom has several explanations. Firstly, birch trees can remind of the oak forest of Mamre, where there was an oak under which the Lord, the Holy Trinity, appeared to Abraham in the form of three angels. She is depicted on the icons of the Trinity.

Secondly, on the day that the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles, the Jews. On the fiftieth day after the exodus from the Egyptian land, the Jews approached Mount Sinai, where the Lord gave Moses the Ten Commandments.
It was the time of spring, and the whole of Mount Sinai was covered with blossoming trees. Probably from here in the ancient Church there was a custom on the day of Pentecost to decorate their temples and houses with greenery, in order, as it were, to find oneself again on Mount Sinai with Moses.

Trinity Parental Saturday and Trinity Day

Often, the “Trinity” was called the entire time period from Semik to Spiritual Day, that is, the Day of the Holy Spirit, which the Church celebrates on Monday after Trinity.

Trinity festivities marked the transition from spring to summer. By Trinity, as a rule, all spring agricultural work ended.

In the Belgorod region, a special dress was supposed to be worn for each day of the Trinity cycle: red shirts were worn on Trinity Parental Saturday, on Sunday - white ones from grandmother's chests, on Monday, Spirits Day - sewn from factory fabric.

Trinity is a great Orthodox holiday, symbolizing the fullness of God's grace, when the third Holy Hypostasis, the Holy Spirit, appeared to people, in 2020 it is celebrated on June 7th.

Before His ascension, resurrected and staying with the chosen disciples, the Apostles, Jesus commanded them not to leave Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit descended on them, after which He ascended to heaven.

Biblical Description of Pentecost

Trinity called this holiday in honor of the fullness of God, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, with which the Creator baptized the Apostles on the fiftieth day from the Resurrection of the Lord. Hence the second name of this holiday - Pentecost.

The Holy Trinity

In prayer, daily communion were the Apostles and faithful followers of Jesus Christ, among whom were:

students;
the women who accompanied the teacher during His earthly life;
Mother Mary;
His brothers.

The Teacher did not say when the Holy Spirit would appear, and how it would be, only said that everyone should be in expectation.

The history of the holiday in Orthodoxy

From that day on, every Sunday every 50 days or seven weeks after the Apostles and the Christians around them celebrated the day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit. The celebrations of the Week ended with the baptism of those added to the Church.

Quintus Tertullian, an early Christian theologian, writer of more than 31 preserved treatises, wrote in 220-230 that the feast of the Trinity eclipsed all the pagan rites of that time.

The Trinity in Orthodoxy denotes the unity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Pentecost received official recognition by the Church in 381 during the Ecumenical Council of Constantinople, at which a dogma was approved recognizing the equality of all three hypostases of the Holy Trinity.

At the Council, the Symbol of the Christian Faith was adopted - I believe in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Symbol of faith
I believe in God the Father, the Almighty Creator who created heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, His Only Son, the Savior of people, who was born of the Virgin Mary at conception by the Holy Spirit, was tormented during the time of Pontius Pilate, died through crucifixion, was buried and resurrected after descending into hell, ascended to Heaven, sat at the right hand of the Most High, so that with Him to judge people, living and dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Universal Church, eternal life through forgiveness and resurrection. Amen.

Amen in translation means the statement "So be it!"

The difference between the Trinity and other holidays

Easter services end with Pentecost, after which, in the church calendar, the weeks are numbered weeks after Trinity.

The Monday after the feast of the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is called the Day of the Holy Spirit. From it until Easter, the Creed is read, and after the Resurrection of Jesus and until the day of Pentecost, during church and home prayers, the hymn is read: “Christ has risen from the dead, overcame death by death, rose alive from the tomb”, which is not sung after the Day of the Holy Spirit.

Divine service on the Trinity begins with a prayer, it is read before the start at the end of every holiday and deed, when the Holy Spirit is called as a reliable helper.

Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, dwelling everywhere and filling everything, Source of blessings and Giver of life, come and dwell in us and cleanse us from all sin and save our souls, Good One.

St. John of Damascus and Cosmos of Maium compiled the canons of the feast as early as the eighth century; they were set forth in the First Complete Byzantine Charter for the Service on the Trinity.

For information! At the evening service, there is no kissing of the icon; the parishioners venerate the Gospel.

At the vigil before the feast, the canon of Pentecost is read. The morning Liturgy is replaced by the feast of the Holy Spirit, on which prayers are read, kneeling.

The festive stichera helps to understand the meaning of this action. The Jewish people, in whose midst God the Son was born, is deprived of God's grace through their unbelief. Christians all over the world, pagans according to the flesh, are filled with Divine light. On our knees, as a symbol of a bowed heart, with deep faith we worship the third Hypostasis of the Divine Trinity - God the Spirit.

Compiled the first prayers:

The first petition is dedicated to the confession before the Creator of sins and the request for mercy in the name of the Sacrifice given to people by Jesus Christ, God the Son.
The second prayer is an appeal for the gift of the Holy Spirit to all people.
The third appeal to Christ, the Mission, God, who descended into hell and took the keys of life from Satan, to have mercy on our deceased relatives.

During the holiday, the Troparion is performed:

Blessed are you, Christ our God, who gave wisdom to the fishermen, making them Apostles, sent them the Holy Spirit and helped them win the whole world, glory to Thee, God is the Lover of mankind.

Traditions of decorating temples and houses on the day of Pentecost

According to folk tradition, on the Trinity, churches and houses are decorated with greenery; the people call this holiday green Christmas time.

Decorating the temple with greenery on the feast of the Trinity as a symbol of the flourishing of the Christian soul

On the one hand, this is a historical basis. God appeared to Abraham in the form of three elders who were reclining under an oak tree.

On the fiftieth day after the exit from Egypt, the Almighty on the green Mount Sinai gave the people 10 commandments, which are now the basis of Christianity.

According to custom, in honor of these events, all the temples were decorated before with greenery. Greenery at Pentecost symbolizes the flowering of the Christian soul, which was awakened by the Divine Spirit through the grace of God the Father and the Son.

The birches cut down on the Trinity symbolize the power of grace. While the tree was fed through the roots, grew in the ground, it lived, and as soon as it was cut down, it died. So the human soul lives as long as it is nourished by Divine power, but when a person departs from the Church, he immediately perishes. Jesus is the Vine, and we are His branches, feeding on mercy, forgiveness through confession and communion.

For information! The next week after the Bright Week is short, it ends with the Week of All Saints, after which Peter's fast comes.

The Almighty showed himself to be triune in the Trinity consubstantial and inseparable, you should not try to understand this dogma with your mind, explain it with the human mind. Each hypostasis of the Trinity has its own face, but these are not three Gods, but a single Divine essence.

Day of the Holy Trinity. Pentecost