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Sometimes people of the older generation, whose advice most listen to, are convinced that during major church celebrations, in addition to the fact that one cannot do work, one should also not wash on church holidays (especially in bathhouses). If the ban on labor seems quite understandable and simple to many people, then why is it forbidden to wash and is it worth walking around dirty during celebrations? In this article you can find out in more detail about this prohibition, whether failure to comply with it is considered a sin, and much more.
Why you can't wash yourself on holidays
Church celebrations represent those days when a believer should devote his communication with the temple and the Lord, and on these days this view is inherent in all known religions in the world.
It is worth noting that such a day must begin with a prayerful appeal to the Lord and his saint, then one should go to church to confess one’s sins, take communion, or perform other church rituals that relate to a specific day. During a religious holiday, such actions are considered the most correct.
The best article for you, go to: What are women buried in?
Is it possible to wash on Orthodox holidays and Sundays?
For those who ask the question “is it possible for Orthodox Christians to wash on Sunday?” should take into account that Sundays and holidays are special in the Christian religion, where it is believed that six days a week it is necessary to work hard, and on the seventh one should devote oneself to the Almighty. And on this day you need:
- show concern for your neighbor,
- be merciful
- do good deeds
- study the Word of God.
And cleaning, for example, is best done in advance, namely on Saturday, so that you can greet Sunday in a clean and bright house.
After a believer has attended a church service, he is allowed not only to bathe, but also to clean the house, as well as perform other available tasks. After all, it is worth remembering that the whole point of this prohibition is not to clean the house at all and not to wash in any way on the day of a religious festival, but to not exchange communication with the Lord God for anything else on such days.
It follows from this that religious acts must be performed first, and only then can we move on to worldly and personal ones.
The best article for you, go to: Canon of Repentance to Our Lord Jesus Christ
If a Christian does not work on the holiday because it is forbidden, but still does not attend God’s temple, then this is already considered simple superstition, and this, in turn, is not entirely true.
Decoration
When decorating towels for baptism, it is important to remember that they should contain discreet church ornaments and not be too clunky or pretentious. Recently, embroidered baptism towels have become popular.
As a rule, they are made with gold or silver threads.
If it is not possible to do embroidery, it is recommended to buy ready-made appliqués and stripes, which are sold in hardware stores. They are attached quite simply, using a glue gun or a hot iron.
Decoration with pearls, rhinestones, and beads is becoming fashionable. But it is worth remembering the safety of the baby, who can swallow the bead. Therefore, it is better not to use such decoration.
When to swim
Let's take a closer look at when you need to swim, and when it is better to hold off on this procedure. In the Christian church there are special days when cleaning and washing are considered church rituals, namely:
- Clean Thursday, on which you not only need to bathe yourself, but also tidy up the whole house, clearing it of dust and dirt, wash your laundry, and also make sure that the children don’t forget to take a bath.
- Another festival that involves taking water procedures is the rite of Epiphany, with the onset of which most people plunge into an ice hole in reservoirs to receive consecration with Epiphany water. And those who do not have such an opportunity should at least wash themselves in the shower at home.
Appearance of a baptism towel
In fact, the towel, or as it is also called kryzma, carries a certain sacred meaning. It must be purchased by the godmother, who can purchase both the finished product and decorate the towel with embroidery herself. Moreover, before starting embroidery, the godmother must read a prayer.
Most often, baptism towels are decorated with church symbols - crosses, images of saints, etc. or just beautiful angels. In addition, towels with the name and date of birth of the child are popular, but quite difficult to sell. Light threads with contrasting elements, as well as a combination of gold, beige and white colors look good on such towels.
Embroidery on baptism towels is even desirable, since this attribute is often kept as a memory for many years, and a beautifully decorated towel will be a worthy reminder of the ceremony.
On what holidays can you not wash?
It should be noted that on some days it is still prohibited to swim, namely on Elijah’s Day, that is, during this period, the so-called official ban on swimming comes into force (this mainly applies exclusively to natural bodies of water).
The best article for you, go to: Orthodox holiday Trinity Day
The date of its celebration falls on the 2nd day of the last summer month. As a rule, after this date the weather becomes changeable and the nights become colder, making the water temperature unsuitable for swimming.
The Lord is always with you!
Decoration
When decorating towels for baptism, it is important to remember that they should contain discreet church ornaments and not be too clunky or pretentious. Recently, embroidered baptism towels have become popular.
As a rule, they are made with gold or silver threads.
If it is not possible to do embroidery, it is recommended to buy ready-made appliqués and stripes, which are sold in hardware stores. They are attached quite simply, using a glue gun or a hot iron.
Decoration with pearls, rhinestones, and beads is becoming fashionable. But it is worth remembering the safety of the baby, who can swallow the bead. Therefore, it is better not to use such decoration.
And if anyone doesn’t understand about the Favorian light...
– There are many superstitions associated with the names of church holidays. Many priests criticize such names as “Nut”, “Apple Savior”, saying that this is on the verge of blasphemy. But one priest recently wrote online: “Don’t you understand that today for the overwhelming number of ordinary and not ordinary people, our Orthodoxy plays only a festive, decorative, elegant, ritual role in order to somehow brighten up our fragile, gray, poor national existence? On the other hand, you might think: who needs that invisible, uncreated light of the conceptual and speculative schemes of the theologian Palamas!”
– There is no need to panic about the ignorance of our people - this has always been the case, at all times. When the Lord comes to God’s chosen people, when the fullness of times has come, how many people believed in Him? After all, the Lord Himself preached! He didn’t leave a single note - He showed the way by his example, and said about Himself: “I am the way and the truth and the life, and whoever wants to, follow Me.”
It's amazing: He calls for him, He doesn't drive anyone. Therefore, we should not drive the people anywhere with any theology. If you are a theologian, good - that means you have been given more than another person. But this is why the Lord appointed shepherds, so that shepherds could teach. If there is no shepherd, then the sheep will be scattered and will be kidnapped by both wolves and thieves. This has always been the case.
Here you can remember the words of the Apostle Paul to his flock: when you were babies, I fed you milk, but when you grew up, it’s time to take solid food. The people are like children: they are unable to digest the solid food of theology about the uncreated light. Even in the seminary, only one or two students are able to understand the theology of Symeon the New Theologian or Gregory Palamas. The rest can only memorize certain texts in order to pass the exam. And it’s the same among priests.
Therefore, there is no need to be discouraged. We must missionaryize and teach the people, each in his own place: priest, deacon, churchgoer and intelligent layman - all must, with their light, with their good life, as the Lord commanded, teach others to glorify the Heavenly Father.
I think you shouldn’t despair because you have learned high truths, but your loved ones cannot perceive these truths. We learned the truth not in order to push it into someone, but in order to become even more merciful, caring, and sacrificial. Thank God if our knowledge is manifested in this, but if we become embittered against our neighbors because of lofty truths, then it is better not to know such truths.
According to popular wisdom, what should you not do on January 20, 2022?
- You can't do hard work. For this reason, January 20 is also called Lazy Day. If a stranger wants to give you a gift, refuse to take it, otherwise he will pass on his misfortune, illness or other problem to you. You cannot eat meat dishes on January 20th. You cannot walk around in dirty clothes and count small coins, otherwise you will have a financial crisis. Copied from the site: https://www.astromeridian.ru
- The feast should not start with the first courses, so as not to lose the chance to achieve your goals this year.
- Don't sit back and be lazy today. If there is no work, try to find something to do around the house. Otherwise, you risk spending a year in poverty.
What is forbidden to do with a towel
Although the Bible does not give a clear answer, any clergyman will give a clear answer:
- Baptismal clothes and kryzhma with myrrh elements cannot be washed.
- Christening accessories usually have beautiful embroidery. The product may have the child’s name, date of birth, or angels. Many parents want to display this beauty by hanging it on the wall. This should not be done, as strangers can put the evil eye on the child through the kryzhma.
- It is forbidden to throw away the kryzhma - if the owner died, then it is placed in the coffin with him.
- It is prohibited to transfer baptismal items to another child or adult.
Is it possible to wash a towel after a christening if it is dirty? If there is any embarrassment, the accessory can be washed, but by hand and without chemical detergents, after which the water is poured under a tree or bush.
Preparing things before baptism
When preparing clothes for the ceremony, some mothers doubt whether things can be washed before baptism. According to popular belief, it is believed that all items should be new and unwashed. Perhaps such a superstition was justified in the old days, when they wove the fabric themselves and made clothes from it. Nowadays, few people do this.
The clergy say that before baptism, clothes do not carry any meaning and can be washed. After all, when purchasing children's things at the market or in a store, you do not know in what conditions they were stored, so they definitely need to be refreshed.
- If you still doubt whether it is possible to wash items for baptism, and want to fully adhere to tradition, use a steam cleaner.
- Instead, you can iron things with an iron and steamer. Select the desired mode and carefully go over the fabric on both sides. Temperatures exceeding 100 degrees reliably kill germs.
But it’s better not to rack your brains over whether it’s possible to wash things before baptism, but to listen to the advice of Orthodox priests and clean your linen before the sacrament.
