The Day of the Holy Spirit is an Orthodox holiday, considered a direct continuation of the Trinity, as it occurs the day after it. It always falls on Monday. Because of this, there are other names - Holy Spirit Monday or Spirits Monday. It is also popularly believed that on this day the earth has a birthday. It is important to understand the essence of the holiday and know the history of its origin, as well as signs by which you can predict the near future
When do Christians celebrate Spiritual Day in 2022?
To accurately determine the date of the holiday in any year, just remember that it occurs on the 51st day after Easter (Trinity always falls on the 50th). Holy Spirit Day in 2022 falls on June 21 , as Trinity is celebrated on the 20th. The date is rotating, so each year the celebration takes place on different dates. But it is no coincidence that it comes immediately after the Trinity, because it symbolizes the Holy Spirit who descended on the apostles.
Holy Spirit Day in 2022 falls on
21st of June
On the day dedicated to the Holy Spirit, services are held in churches. Many Christians prefer to visit church on Monday, since there are a lot of people on Trinity Sunday. It is important to know all the features of the holiday, since on this day you cannot engage in many types of work.
For Catholics, the day coincides with Trinity.
What kind of holiday is Holy Spirit Day, its meaning
To understand the history of its origin, you need to study several chapters of the New Testament. According to him, the Holy Spirit came to the apostles in Jerusalem during their prayer and reminded them of the importance of the commandments of Jesus, the need to continue his work and bring Christianity to new lands.
From this moment on, the apostles acquired many new skills:
- began to speak different languages and understand the speech of all peoples;
- received the gift of prophecy and fortune telling;
- could heal various diseases.
These gifts from the Messiah were given to them so that the apostles would convey the word of God to the inhabitants of all countries and help them come to the true faith. They also helped all those suffering, explained the nature of miracles, held conversations about the purpose of man, and talked about the atonement of sins and forgiveness.
All this happened in the Upper Room of Zion and was described as a sudden strong noise, reminiscent of the howling of the wind. The blessing descended on the apostles in the form of a flame, after which they noticed changes in themselves and the birth of new gifts and skills.
If on Trinity the main event is the descent of the Holy Spirit to the followers of Christ, then the next day all attention is paid only to it. In fact, the All-Holy Life-Giving Spirit is one of the three hypostases of God - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This is one of the most ancient holidays among Christians and is of great importance.
It is believed that on that day the spread of Christianity throughout the world began, because the apostles were able to carry the word of God in different languages. In essence, this event is the birth of the Church in its traditional understanding.
FAQ
When should you not touch the ground?
The ban applies to all significant church holidays. This is due to the fact that if the peace of the earth is disturbed, troubles and misfortunes will await a person. This applies not only to the harvest, but also to other areas of life. Just make it a rule to complete all urgent tasks the day before so as not to violate the prohibitions.
Why can’t you touch the earth on Spiritual Day?
An old saying says that on Spiritual Day the earth is the birthday girl. Therefore, it is prohibited to carry out any work on this holiday. This is a kind of birthday of the earth, when sowing work is completed and all that remains is to wait for the new harvest. Therefore, it is important to give the earth a little peace, so that later it will reward you with a good harvest.
Is Spiritual Day a church holiday or not?
This is, without a doubt, a church holiday, which is always celebrated the day after Trinity. But at the same time, some folk traditions are also associated with it, dating back to the times of paganism. The church has a number of rules regarding this holiday. It comes earlier, because the evening service is always held the day before. There is no separate icon, since the Holy Spirit is not depicted in any way; the same attributes are used as on Pentecost.
What prayers should you read on Spiritual Day?
Most often on this day the prayer “To the Heavenly King” is read; it is traditional for Spiritual Day. There are others addressed to the Holy Spirit. But, as the clergy note, on the holiday the very fact of prayer is important, you can read what you know, the main thing is to turn to the Lord on this day.
Fortune telling and rituals
On the holiday of Spiritual Day, ancient Trinity rites and fortune telling continued to be performed. They turned to the forces of the earth, asked it for various benefits, and read conspiracies.
- To attract wealth, they fed the birds bread crumbs, saying: “Just as I can’t count the crumbs, I can’t count or count the money.”
- To heal from illnesses and recharge with strength for the whole year, they walked the earth barefoot, reading the words of the conspiracy: “Diseases will come out of the feet and enter the earth. Take away, mother earth, my illnesses, deliver me from torment and suffering. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen" (5-7 times).
- Among the Eastern Slavs, this day was closely associated with the cult of the dead. They continued to carry out rituals associated with Parents' Saturday. This is where the name “Zasdushnitsy” came from – associated with the “souls of the dead.” To honor their memory, the icons were decorated with birch branches. It was believed that on Spirit Day souls flock to the birch tree to visit their living relatives.
- To increase fertility on this day, a ritual of feeding the earth was performed. In the evening, the women spread tablecloths in the field, and, after having dinner, buried the remains of food in the ground.
- From the very morning, they opened all the doors and windows wide so that the Holy Spirit could easily enter the house and bring happiness with it.
- Without waiting for the sun to rise, they went looking for treasures. According to legend, on her name day Mother Earth is ready to reveal her secrets to good people. Before leaving, the treasure hunter had to pray to the Holy Spirit. Then he went to “listen to the treasure,” placing his ear to the ground.
- The girls wove a wreath of young branches and herbs and floated it down the river. It was considered a good sign if he immediately swam away. This means that the matchmakers will come soon. A wreath that was spinning in place or washed up on the shore promised a long-term marriage. If it sank or disintegrated, it meant a terrible disaster. A girl’s heart can be broken, her lover can die, etc. To prevent this from happening, beads, coins and beautiful clothes were left on the shore - to appease the mermaid and ask for help.
Healers and sorcerers prepared herbs. For divination, lovage was picked and dried. For a successful conception, Bogorodsk grass was collected. And the wormwood flower collected on this day was considered a powerful amulet against the evil eye and nightmares.
Signs for Spiritual Day
This day has been endowed with special properties since the times of Ancient Rus', so there are many signs associated with it that many still remember. Some of them changed along with ideas about the world around them, others remained almost in their original form. The ancestors believed that only after Spiritual Day one could be sure that there would be no night frosts; before that, warmth was considered deceptive.
As for signs, the most famous of them are:
- Whatever the weather will be on the day of the holiday, this will remain the case for the next six weeks.
- After Spiritual Day, prolonged heat should set in, regardless of the ambient temperature.
- If it rains, whether all day or occasionally, the coming summer and fall will be sunny and warm. Signs of the weather are considered the most significant; they are the ones that are most often given the main attention.
- It is advisable to go to a church service and bring at least one birch twig from there. Grace and happiness will enter the house with her.
- You definitely need to wash your face in the morning. The best thing is dew, but in cities this is not always possible. In rural areas you can use well water, and in cities you can use tap water. But it is advisable to pour it in advance and let it sit for at least a couple of days.
- Anyone who helps someone in need with a pure heart will have good luck all year long. Help can be either material or any other – even volunteer work.
- You cannot sweep the floor on this holiday - you can sweep away joy and good luck from the house along with the rubbish.
Different regions have their own signs, which may differ from those listed. This is due to the fact that many of them originated from pagan rituals, the roots of which go back to pre-Christian times.
What you can and cannot do on Spiritual Day
What to do on the day of the descent of the Holy Spirit:
The fast that took place the week before is over, so there are no restrictions on food intake.
You need to go to church services and pray for all your family and friends.
Lighting a candle for the repose of the departed is another tradition among Orthodox Christians, which has been observed for centuries.
If you are preparing medicinal herbs, this day is ideal for collecting them. It is believed that plants acquire special healing powers, which are much greater than usual.
You can visit relatives or friends, or spend time with your family for pleasant communication.
On this church holiday you should not do the following:
Work on the garden plot, do repairs or anything else that can be put off. The holiday is a continuation of the Trinity, so it is not advisable to engage in any work. This does not apply to the performance of official duties; there are no restrictions in this regard.
Sewing, knitting and other similar work should not be done, although there is no direct prohibition.
For a long time, Orthodox Christians in Russia believed that you should never run on this day. A person can run away from his own destiny and thereby harm his future life.
It is important to welcome all guests on this day; hospitality cannot be denied to anyone. Otherwise, until the next holiday, according to the superstitions of our ancestors, there will be no money in the house.
It is also not customary to go to a cemetery; instead, it is better to light a candle in the church and pray for the deceased.
It is not advisable to wash dishes on this day, so if possible, postpone this task until the next day.
You should visit graves on Trinity Parents' Saturday, on the eve of the holiday.
The main symbol of the holiday
On Spiritual Monday, temples and churches were decorated with young birch branches. This tree was considered the main symbol of the festival. When the solemn service ended, the Orthodox took fresh branches home and placed them under the icons. People believed that the souls of deceased ancestors sat on them. For the holiday they flew to visit relatives.
To protect against evil spirits, twigs brought from the church were placed around the house. If there was a sick person in the house, he was fumigated with smoke from a burnt birch tree. When the disease subsided, a decoction was prepared from the branches and given to the patient to restore strength.
Church traditions
The Church always celebrates the Day of the Holy Spirit in a certain order, which has evolved over hundreds or even thousands of years. The roots of all the described traditions go deep into antiquity, some have changed over time, but the main part has remained virtually unchanged.
It should be noted that the first festive service begins the evening before. The clergy always read the prayer “To the King of Heaven . Kneeling three times by parishioners and priests is obligatory. During the process, they ask for the repose of the souls of the dead, and it is also customary to sing canons. And the next day they always hold a long morning service.
It is believed that Trinity and Spiritual Day symbolize eternal life, so it has long been customary for clergy to dress in green clothes. Churches are decorated with birch branches; this tradition dates back to Old Testament times. It is believed that from the first years of Christianity, people brought the first greens as gifts. And the room in which the apostles prayed when the Holy Spirit descended to them was decorated with green branches.
During the New Testament, the tradition acquired new meaning and began to symbolize the birth of new life thanks to the descent of the Holy Spirit. Every year nature is renewed and thus the cycle of life continues again and again. It is important to understand that this holiday is an integral continuation of the Trinity, dedicated to one of the hypostases of God, which is not given as much attention as others.
It is customary to light candles for the repose of those who are no longer with us, remember them with kind words and read prayers for the repose of the soul. And after the service, many set the table and invite loved ones to socialize in a close circle.
Features of worship
Services for this day:
- begins the day before, with Vespers (in reality, it is served immediately after the liturgy of the Holy Trinity, not in the evening, but closer to noon);
- the first hymn, which is often sung by all those gathered with enthusiasm, is a prayer to the Holy Spirit;
- The peculiarity of this festive Vespers is special kneeling prayers - there are three of them in total; According to tradition, believers kneel for the first time after Easter days, when prostrations are not blessed.
On the morning of the next day, the festive liturgy is served. As on the eve, it is celebrated in a temple decorated with green branches and flowers - symbols of the life that God gives to this world.
