Trinity is one of the greatest feasts in Orthodoxy, second in importance after Easter.
The fourth of June we celebrate one of the greatest Christian holidays – the Holy Trinity. This festival comes on the 50th day after Easter. The name of the Trinity was in honor of the descent of the Holy spirit promised by Jesus Christ before his Ascension.
On this day Ukrainians traditionally decorate their homes fragrant herbs – mint, thyme, sweet flag, chernobrivtsy, other green herbs.
To the temple with green bouquets
Trinity is one of the greatest feasts in Orthodoxy, second in importance after Easter. It is also called Pentecost and the Descent of the Holy spirit.
The feast of the Holy Trinity Ukrainians have a pious custom to visit a temple with a bouquet of green herbs and branches of trees, says the head of the information Department of the UOC, Archbishop Kliment, Bishop of Irpen.
“The green herbs symbolize life, which is filled with the Holy Spirit. The feast of the Trinity teaches us that the Holy Spirit fills all living things around, and we exist only because God’s grace gives us the opportunity to make our life a feat,” says the Bishop.
Lord Clement emphasizes that on this day special prayers are recited in the temple, which Christians pronounce on his knees.
“In these prayers we invoke God’s grace on our lives. We ask God that he strengthen us with his heavenly assistance in the spiritual life and in all that is necessary for a Christian to be perfect and earn heavenly blessings,” said the priest.
The Trinity is the abbreviated name of the Day of the Holy Trinity, in turn, said Archpriest George Kovalenko. The Bible says that Jesus Christ promised the disciples return after the ascension and his promise kept the feast of the Trinity.
According to legend, 10 days after the ascension of Jesus Christ and on the 50th day after his Resurrection his disciples and the mother of Jesus – the virgin Mary, gathered in Jerusalem to pray. Suddenly from above descended a divine flame, and the lights circled over the heads of the audience. At this point, participants felt the ability to communicate in the many languages of other peoples. They reached the city, where many people had gathered, and began to preach the Christian faith. Therefore, Christian tradition considers the day of the Holy Trinity by the early preaching of Christianity around the world.
According to the Bishop of Rome, since the feast of the Trinity is one of the biggest Orthodox holidays, on this day, Christians have to be in the temple, and put aside all everyday cares and worries. And after Trinity next week, the post is cancelled on Wednesday and Friday, because a week begins the Post in honor of the Holy apostles Peter and Paul, which runs from 12 June to 11 July.
Green holidays
Preparing for the Trinity, the Ukrainians have from time immemorial paid special attention to the festive table. Ethnographers say that the Trinity in the Ukrainian family is never complete without cake, pancakes, dumplings, kurnikov, dairy and fish dishes, casseroles, jellies, wine, beer and Mead. Cooking lasted a whole week before the holiday.
Ukrainian ethnographer Novel Kobylinska notes that in the Carpathian villages, there was also the custom to call poor Lunches “for God’s sake”, so as to help the souls of dead relatives to attain the Kingdom of Heaven.
The main folk tradition is filling the house aromatic herbs and sweet flag, which lay on the floor and window sills. Holiday preparing bouquets of fragrant herbs. The aroma of mint and thyme gives a special happy mood.
People say that the Trinity is impossible to sew, knit, blanching, baking pies, working in the garden.
This holiday, according to national signs, not to talk about the bad, angry and jealous. In this day it is customary to get a haircut, not to go near water and swim in open water. You also can not play the wedding, the marriage will fail. Better on the Trinity only to propose and to talk about the wedding – especially if young will celebrate the wedding on the Cover, then their life together be long and happy.
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