Everything that happened in those great times was reflected in the New Testament. And in order to preserve the memory of the whole series of unforgettable days, the foundation of Christianity and the church is celebrated on the Day of the Holy Trinity, because then the Holy Spirit appeared to the apostles.

This holiday is also called Pentecost, because five times ten days passed. It is not tied to a calendar, but to Holy Easter Day - this is both the day of foundation and an occasion to remember a great event, and this is one of the 12 main religious holidays of people professing the true faith, no matter where in the world they live.

What is celebrated on this day, and what is its significance

The spread of the Christian faith began after a chain of events took place in one corner of the Earth, which became the reason for its foundation. Since then, millions of people, united by faith in the Triune God, have drawn inspiration, strength and guidance from it.

Faith in God spread thanks to the apostles who went into the world and began to preach, and almost everyone died in the name of a great cause. Before ascending to the Kingdom of Heaven (Christians know this day as the Ascension), Jesus Christ promised his apostles that the Holy Spirit would descend from heaven to Earth to give them comfort from the Heavenly Father.

And when the apostles were in the Upper Room of Zion, where they had previously gathered to offer up prayers and read the Holy Scriptures, they saw tongues of fire (for each of them - their own) and heard a noise. So they acquired the knowledge of all earthly languages, in order to bring to all nations the light of true religion and spiritual strength, in order to transmit it to the pagans.

Important! The sacred meaning of the feast of the Holy Trinity lies in the fact that it was on this day that the meaning of existence and the truth of the Triune God appeared to the apostles of the Faith, when the ascension of the Son to the Father and the descent of the Holy Spirit revealed to the world the light of true religion and the possibility of its dissemination by those chosen for this purpose.

The meaning of this great day was fixed only in 381, when the Ecumenical Council, the second in a row, held in Constantinople, determined the fullness of the Holy Trinity and approved the doctrine of the Three Hypostases of the One God: the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. To consolidate this Christian postulate, Holy Trinity Day was proclaimed, one of the 12 (according to the number of Christ's apostles) the biggest holidays of Christianity.

Orthodox beliefs and practices

Orthodoxy, unlike other branches of Christianity, is a kind and benevolent trend, designed to give people peace not only in their souls, but also in what is happening around. To make it easier for the pagan Slavs to accept the light of the true faith, it gradually adopted and adapted many traditions and rituals, or dated them to its dates. The Trinity, as a holiday, among the ancient Slavs, meant the cessation of hard work in the field and the transition to the expectation of retribution and generous fruits for their labors.

Note! Green Christmas time meant rest, peace and goodness, the transition from spring to summer, the onset of warm and good days of unity with the Mother Earth and Generous Nature. It was impossible to neglect the existing customs and ignore the established traditions, because, in the opinion of the working people, the well-being and kindness of the rest of the year depended on them. Therefore, Christians celebrate this day differently than Catholics, and even on the wrong date.

Holy Trinity Day and green Christmas time, like many other pagan beliefs adopted by the Holy Church in their postulates of the day, became not only a church holiday, but also a national holiday, in which Slavic customs, beliefs and signs took root. Hence the need to decorate your home with green grass and branches. On this holiday, bouquets of herbs, wild flowers and greenery are brought to the house, with which believers go to the temple.

For reference! On Parental Saturday, which precedes Great Sunday, the dead are commemorated, but not in tears and grief, but remembering joy, fun, good moments in life and days of spiritual grace. To visit the graves of loved ones on the eve of the Trinity, put candles for them in the church and pray with all my heart, and then remember with a kind word - the surest way to ask God on this day for forgiveness and repose in the world.

This tradition is also from pagan times, just like sacred rites with plants. Orthodoxy adopted the traditions of its parishioners, and the greenery in the Temple, on one of the most significant church holidays, in essence, the tradition of the pagans, acquired a new meaning and made it possible for spiritual fusion.

The meaning of folk rites on the Trinity

The main part of the mentality of the Slavic people is love for the Mother Earth, Mother Nature, finding peace and unity with the surrounding realities and generous retribution for righteous work. Greenery in the Temple, like other rituals and beliefs, is a way not only to appease your gods, but also to benefit from it:

Having cleaned and decorated their dwelling with green young branches, the Slavs hoped that they would bring prosperity and prosperity to the house;
decorating the gates and the house with birch branches (and the birch is a primordially Slavic tree with special meaning and healing properties), they asked for health and protection from evil forces, guarded their homes from unclean forces;
cleaning with branches, the Church and sprinkling her floors with grass, recognized religion and derived additional benefits from this (the grass from under the feet was used as a means for preparing healing decoctions, the branches were placed in pots where seedlings were grown;
festivities, fairs, songs, games and commemoration of ancestors on the same day should have covered the entire natural cycle - from the birth of a new life to its repose, receiving protection and intercession from the Triune God, and deceased ancestors, whose souls on this day with looked at the earth with tenderness.

Interesting! The ancestors spent this Sunday in a birch forest. Birch in the Slavic mentality is a special tree, which is given a sacred meaning. It was believed that it does not grow like other trees, and therefore has healing powers and protects from evil spirits.

The meaning of pagan beliefs in birch branches also embodied their use for utilitarian purposes (for further medical procedures). In addition, birch branches also have a sacred meaning. They are used to escape from evil spirits and mice, food spoilage and shrews. They can be put in the attic from a possible fire.

There are a lot of rituals and beliefs for unmarried girls on the Trinity. And this also has a special meaning - the continuation of the family and healthy offspring are possible only in the purity of the spirit, and beliefs, hard everyday work, which gives generous fruits over time, and days of rest when you can enjoy all this to the fullest.

You should not try to repeat the festivities in the birch forest after the ancestors and drive away the mermaids with consecrated branches if a person lives in a city and does not have special opportunities for this. The meaning of the Holy Trinity is in the unity of peace, peace, kindness and knowledge of the divine, which will lead a person to the Church with a bunch of greenery not for pagan rites, but in order to reunite the worldly and the church in his mind and find the one and true faith. Such is the mentality of Orthodoxy and the Slavs - to remember the past, look to the future and live in the present.

The Christian holiday Trinity is one of the Orthodox twelfth holidays, which is celebrated on the 50th day after Easter, on Sunday. Churches of the Western tradition celebrate on this day the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, Pentecost, and the Trinity itself on the following Sunday.

The meaning of the feast of the Trinity

The Bible says that the grace given to the apostles by the Holy Spirit descended on them on this very day. Thanks to this, people were shown the third face of God, they joined the sacrament: the unity of God is manifested in three persons - the Father, the Son and the Spirit. From that day on, the message has been preached throughout the earth. In general, the meaning of the Trinity as a holiday is that God is revealed to people in stages, and not immediately. In modern Christianity, the Trinity means that the Father, who created all life, sent the Son, Jesus Christ, and then the Holy Spirit to people. For believers, the meaning of the Holy Trinity is reduced to the praise of God in all his hypostases.

Trinity traditions

The Holy Trinity, whose history of celebration dates back thousands of years, is also widely celebrated today. The people celebrate Trinity for three days. The first day is Klechalnoe or Green Sunday, when people had to be extremely careful because of the aggressiveness of mermaids, mawks, will lose and other mythical evil spirits. In the villages, the holiday of the Russian Trinity is celebrated in compliance with traditions and certain rituals. The floor of churches and houses was decorated with grass, icons with birch branches. The green color symbolized the renewing and life-giving power of the Holy Spirit. By the way, in some Orthodox Churches, golden and white colors are endowed with the same meaning. Girls on Green Sunday tell fortunes with the help of wicker wreaths. If the wreaths floated on the water converge, then this year the young woman will be betrothed. On this day, deceased relatives were commemorated in cemeteries, leaving treats on the graves. And in the evenings buffoons and mummers entertained the villagers.

In the morning comes Klechalny Monday. After the service in the church, the clergy went to the fields and read prayers, asking the Lord for protection for the future harvest. Children at this time participated in interesting games-amusements.

On the third day, Bogodukh's day, the girls "led Poplar". Her role was played by the most beautiful unmarried girl. She was unrecognizably decorated with wreaths, ribbons, and taken around rural yards so that the owners would generously treat her. The water in the wells on this day was sanctified, getting rid of the unclean spirit.

Christian Western tradition

Lutheranism and Catholicism share the feasts of Trinity and Pentecost. The cycle opens with Pentecost, a week later the Trinity is celebrated, on the 11th day after Pentecost - the feast of the Blood and Body of Christ, on the 19th day - the Sacred Heart of Christ, on the 20th day - the feast of the Immaculate Heart of St. Mary. In Poland and Belarus, Catholic churches in Russia these days, churches are decorated with birch twigs. Trinity is considered a public holiday in Germany, Austria, Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Iceland, Luxembourg, Latvia, Ukraine, Romania, Switzerland, Norway and France.

Trinity and Modernity

Today, Trinity is especially celebrated in rural areas. Before this day, housewives usually put things in order both in the house and in the courtyard, prepare festive dishes. Flowers and grass collected early in the morning decorate rooms, doors and windows, believing that they will not let evil spirits into the house.

In the morning, festive services are held in churches, and in the evening you can attend concerts, folk festivals, and participate in fun competitions. Most of the traditions, unfortunately, have been lost, but the holiday still remains one of the most important for believers.

Holy Trinity Day - the history of the holiday

Orthodoxy celebrates many holidays. Believers, of course, know about such a holiday as the Day of the Holy Trinity, it has a long history and certain customs.

The Church celebrates this holiday on the Day of Pentecost, the fiftieth day after Easter. Any Orthodox person knows exactly when to celebrate this holiday and what is the history of the Holy Trinity Day. The history of the Trinity holiday dates back to the time of Jesus Christ. Then, on the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Christ, the apostles of the Holy Spirit descended to earth. The apostles understood the role of the third Person of the Trinity and why God is triune.

History of the Holy Trinity

After the Ascension, the apostles were constantly present in the Zion Room and prayed. Suddenly they heard a noise in the sky, and fiery tongues appeared in front of them, which fell on their heads. Thus the Holy Spirit entered the bodies of the apostles. The Holy Spirit gave the apostles knowledge of hitherto unknown languages ​​so that they could spread the Christian faith throughout the world. The Orthodox feast of the Trinity was proclaimed by the apostles, according to history. After the incident described, every Pentecost, Christians began to celebrate this holiday, it is considered one of the most important in the Orthodox world.

Later, Basil the Great compiled certain prayers that needed to be read on this day. This tradition continues to this day. The day of the Holy Trinity throughout the Orthodox world is considered the birth of the Christian church, which was created by God.

In Orthodoxy, the Day of the Holy Trinity and the Day of Pentecost are combined into one, which cannot be said about the Catholic Church. Catholics celebrate Holy Trinity Day on the Sunday after Pentecost.

Icons telling about the descent of the Holy Spirit began to be painted in the 6th century. On them you can usually see the Zion Upper Room and the apostles with books. At the same time, between the apostles Peter and Paul there is an empty space, symbolizing the Holy Spirit. Above the heads of the apostles are flames.

The history of the Trinity holiday is very ancient, it originates from the Ascension of Jesus Christ. Orthodox people know this and therefore celebrate the holiday especially widely - be sure to attend services on the day of Pentecost.

History also tells us about some of the traditions and customs that are observed during the feast of the Trinity to this day. The floors of temples and houses should be covered with freshly cut grass, and the icons should be decorated with birch branches, symbolizing the power of the Holy Spirit. On Saturday before Trinity Day, Orthodox go to the cemetery to honor the memory of deceased relatives, this day is called "parental". Birch branches are used to decorate houses and temples; this tradition has developed historically. Moreover, it is believed that Holy Trinity Day without birch decorations is the same as Christmas without a Christmas tree. Before the Trinity, they must carry out a general cleaning, bake pies, make wreaths (again, from birch and flowers). Since ancient times, this holiday has been especially loved by girls, because they could dress beautifully and go to the bride. Trinity matchmaking is considered a good omen, and the wedding is already played in the fall.

Some of the customs of the feast of the Holy Trinity have migrated from history to our time - churches are decorated with birch branches, girls weave wreaths, Orthodox Christians must go to the cemetery on parental Saturday. This holiday is very joyful and cheerful - in the morning you must visit the temple, and after that they dance and sing songs. One of the traditional dishes for the Trinity is loaf, often invite guests and celebrate this holiday together. Folk festivals on the Trinity do not lose their popularity.

What does the feast of the Holy Trinity mean? When is it celebrated? History of the holiday?

And what's with the trinity? The Bible does not contain the doctrine of the trinity at all. It appeared more than 320 years after the end of the writing of the Bible. Jesus recalled the 1st commandment - ABOUT THE ONE true God, and not about the trinity introduced by pagan religions into Christianity. - 3 years ago

Aaleksey

The Trinity is usually celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter and on the tenth day after the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ. This day can be found in the Bible. On this day, about two thousand years ago (according to historians in May 30 AD), the apostles were sitting in a room in one of the Jerusalem houses on Mount Zion. And suddenly there was a noise from heaven and filled the whole house, and all the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in foreign languages, which they did not know before. In Jerusalem at that time there were many pilgrims from different countries, hearing the noise, they hurried to the house of the apostles. They were surprised when they heard that the apostles spoke different languages. For each of them, the sermon of the apostles sounded in his native language. The time has come not only for God the Father (who was in the times of the Old Testament), not only for God the Father and the Son (times of the New Testament), but the time of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Esther

The feast of the Holy Trinity means that we have the Triune God Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And also on this day, Christians around the world celebrate the birth of the church, not the church building, but the people. The church is the believers. And where two or three are gathered in the name of God, there is God among them. In 2016, the feast of the Holy Trinity is on June 19, and in 2017, on June 4. Happy Holidays!

In Orthodoxy The feast of the Trinity falls on the 50th day after the Resurrection of Christ when, according to the Gospel, the Third Person of the Trinity - The Holy Spirit - descended on the Apostles in the form of flames, after which they were able to preach in different languages ​​the Word of God to different nations, not only to the Jews. So another name for the holiday is Pentecost.

In Catholicism and Lutheranism, the holidays of the Trinity and Pentecost do not coincide: Pentecost, the Descent of the Holy Spirit is also celebrated on Sunday on the 50th day after Easter; Trinity is celebrated a week later, next Sunday.

In Protestantism, it is Pentecost, the descent of the Holy Spirit on the 50th day after the Resurrection of Christ, that is a great celebration. For example, the Evangelical Pentecostal denomination celebrates this day no less violently than Easter, and usually on this day baptizes neophytes in the reservoirs with the Holy Spirit.

mychange

The history of the origin of the feast of the Trinity is set forth in the Acts of the Apostles. On the 50th day after Easter, the apostles were waiting for the fulfillment of the promise given by Christ, which was fulfilled - the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles, they were given grace-filled help to preach Christianity throughout the world. Thus the Christian church was born.

It is very symbolic that the first New Testament Pentecost was on the day of the Old Testament Pentecost, that is, on the day when God gave the commandments of God to people, the apostles and all Christians received help to fulfill the commandments, and the apostles received grace to celebrate the sacrament of the Eucharist and other sacraments.

This holiday is always celebrated on the 50th day after Easter, on Sunday.

Kritikspb

The Orthodox feast of the Trinity was proclaimed by the apostles, on the fiftieth day after the Ascension, when the Holy Spirit entered their bodies and bestowed knowledge of many languages ​​so that they could preach Christianity in them and carry it into the hearts and souls of people around the world.

kitsune tenko

Feast of the Holy Trinity, or Pentecost, is one of the main Christian holidays, which is celebrated on the 50th day after Easter.

The Orthodox Church refers it to the so-called Twelve Feasts, the meaning of which is the glorification of the Most Holy Trinity.

Second name - Pentecost- I received this day because the Holy Spirit descended to the Apostles on the 50th day of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ in the form of fiery tongues. By this sign, the Holy Spirit made it clear that the apostles had the power and ability to preach the teachings of Christ to other peoples. On that day, many people believed in Jesus Christ and were baptized.

On this holiday, it is customary for Orthodox Christians to decorate their homes with fresh green birch branches and fragrant flowers.

Ivan Markin

The descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles on the day of Pentecost is described in the Acts of the Holy Apostles (Acts 2:1-18). On the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Christ (the tenth day after the Ascension), the apostles were in the Zion Upper Room in Jerusalem, “... 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).

On this day, Jews from different cities and countries were in the city on the occasion of the holiday. Hearing the noise, they gathered in front of the house where the apostles were, and when they heard that inside they were speaking in various dialects, they were amazed. Some of them sneered at the apostles and "said, They have drunk of sweet wine" (Acts 2:13). In response to this response:

The holiday got its first name in honor of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, which Jesus Christ promised them before His ascension to heaven. The descent of the Holy Spirit pointed to the trinity of God - "God the Father creates the world, God the Son redeems people from slavery to the devil, God the Holy Spirit sanctifies the world through the dispensation of the Church" [source not specified 311 days]. On the day of Pentecost, the universal apostolic Church was formed (Acts 2:41-47).

The corresponding text in Catholicism is the Veni Sancte Spiritus prayer. Veni per Mariam.

The New Testament does not directly mention that the Mother of God was with the apostles during the descent of the Holy Spirit. The tradition of her presence on the icon-painting images of this event is based on the indication in the Acts of the Apostles that after the Ascension, the disciples of Jesus “with one accord remained in prayer and supplication, with some women and Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and with His brothers” (Acts 1:14). On this occasion, Bishop Innokenty (Borisov) writes: “Could the woman who conceived and gave birth through Him not be present at the moment of the coming of the Holy Spirit?”

As a theological term, “charisma” is 9 special gifts of the Holy Spirit, poured out by him on the apostles in the Jerusalem temple on the feast of Pentecost. These gifts are: wisdom, knowledge and the ability to discern spirits; faith, miracles and healing; prophecy, glossolalia, and the interpretation of tongues.

What is the Trinity holiday?

What are they doing? How do they celebrate?

Orina

The Trinity is otherwise called Pentecost, because it takes place on the fiftieth day after Easter. This holiday takes place in honor of the Triune God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). It is believed that on this day the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles. On Trinity Sunday, the Apostle Peter baptized and converted 3,000 people to Christianity. This day is the birthday of the Christian Church, but not only Orthodox, but also Catholic.

These days there is a whole summer cycle of holidays. If after the New Year we celebrate winter Christmas time, then in summer we celebrate “green Christmas time”. In the old days, “green Christmas time” was also dressed up as animals, mermaids, and other evil spirits.

Trinity churches have always been decorated with wild and meadow flowers, birch twigs and other plants. The floor was sprinkled with fresh cut green grass. This herb was believed to have healing properties. Those who kept cattle took this grass home. It was believed that animals fed with church grass would not get sick, and cows would give a lot of high-quality milk.

Everyone went to the church for the Trinity with branches of birches and bunches of flowers. The plants that had been in the church were dried and kept behind the icons.

After the church, the girls put wreaths on their heads and went to a birch tree decorated with ribbons and flowers. The birch was cut down. A procession with a felled tree went around the whole village. Then they stuck the birch into the ground and danced around it. In the evening, they took off all the decorations from the tree and went to the river to drown it.

On the same day, the girls threw their wreaths into the water and thought of something, as a rule, about the grooms. If the wreath sank, then the girl will not marry this year. If the wreath stuck to the shore, then expect happiness.

Many years ago, there was a custom to bury the dead on Trinity, who for some reason were not buried during the year. The reason could be an epidemic or a hungry year. Then all the bodies fell into a common pit. In the week before Trinity and on Trinity itself, the dead were placed in coffins and buried as expected.

dolphinica

Trinity is a holiday with a rolling date, each year the date of the celebration of the Trinity is celebrated on different days, depending on the date of Easter. One thing is invariable, the Trinity is celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter. Knowing the date of the celebration of Easter, we can calculate the day of the celebration of the Trinity.

The holiday is celebrated in honor of the Holy Trinity

The first God the Father, the creator of everything living and inanimate, visible and invisible in our world. After the creation of peace on earth, God the Father sent the Son to earth as a messenger of the bright path. Then the Holy Spirit descended to earth, he is next to every person.

The second God is the Son, he is born from God the Father.

The third God is the Holy Spirit, he comes from God the Father.

For unbelievers, the Trinity matters as a symbol of the onset of something new, joyful and bright.

Believers on this day go to church, observe traditions.

The feast of the Trinity is celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter, but this figure appeared for a reason. For 40 whole days after the Resurrection, Jesus was still on earth with his disciples, and only on the fortieth day did he ascend. But at the same time, he told the disciples that in ten days the Holy Spirit would descend on them, and they would receive knowledge and strength to bring Christianity to the people. And so it happened, exactly 10 days after the Ascension, the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles and they set off to preach the teachings of Christ. This event is celebrated on this day. In fact, this is the beginning of the Christian church, its birth. Therefore, it is one of the greatest holidays in Christianity.

This is the feast of the fiftieth day after Easter ... the day of the indulgence of the holy spirit on the apostles, which gave them numerous abilities, is celebrated. And it is celebrated from year to year simply - this holiday always happens on Sunday, so on the eve, on Saturday, they visit cemeteries, remembering deceased relatives, then they attend evening service in the church, and on Sunday - morning. The church and the house are decorated with herbs, birch branches, and a festive stod is prepared.

It's all been said

Even in ancient Russia, the feast of the Trinity was celebrated, it was called "green Christmas time", "mermaid week". At that time, it was dedicated to the awakening of mother earth, the beginning of the violent growth of plants, it was dedicated to the Slavic goddess Lada.

After the arrival of Christianity in Russia, two holidays were mixed into one, but in many villages the Trinity is still called "green week" or "suffocating commemoration" (source "Narodnaya Rus", 1901, Apollo of Corinth).

For Orthodox Christians, the feast of the Trinity is celebrated seven weeks after Easter, on the fiftieth day, therefore it is also called "Pentecost". This holiday is dedicated to the Descent of the Holy Spirit:

The Church celebrates two days: the first day on Sunday, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, and Monday is dedicated to the Holy Spirit, otherwise the people call it Spirits Day.

As in antiquity, so in our days there is a tradition to decorate everything around with birch branches on this day.

The feast of the Trinity is also called Pentecost in another way, all because it is celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter. This holiday is movable, it does not have a fixed date. People call this holiday "emerald" or "green". Because it symbolizes the renewal of life. It’s nice to decorate your houses with birch, maple or lilac branches for this holiday. Also on the Trinity, it is customary to let wreaths consisting of flowers over the water.

Lelishna

The feast of the Holy Trinity is celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter. Otherwise, the holiday is called Pentecost. The Trinity is understood as the unity of God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. The Trinity has been widespread in Russia since the fourteenth century thanks to the efforts of St. Sergius of Radonezh. On this day, it is customary to clean houses, decorate the house with green branches, as a symbol of spring and life.

Holy Trinity Day is one of the main Orthodox holidays. It is transitional, associated with the date of the celebration of Easter, as it is always held seven weeks after it on Sunday. On this day, people walk, go to worship and festivals. The service that takes place on this day in Orthodox churches is considered the most beautiful of all held throughout the year.

The Feast of the Holy Trinity is one of the most important Christian holidays. Orthodox believers celebrate it on Sunday, the 50th day after Easter. This holiday got its name in honor of the great event - the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, as Jesus Christ promised them before his ascension to heaven. This descent pointed to the trinity of God.

The Orthodox feast of the Trinity is celebrated 50 days after the church feast of Easter. It is celebrated on Sunday. Also, accordingly, the holiday is called Pentecost. It is believed that on this day the descent of the Holy Spirit took place. On this day, hard work is not recommended, it is better to visit church, devote time to family and spiritual development.

One of the biggest and most revered holidays in Christianity is the feast of the Trinity, but few people know and understand what kind of holiday it is and what the name Trinity means, which is also used in the ordinary life of Christians.

Trinity Holiday - what is it?

The Trinity holiday (another name for Pentecost) is dedicated to the memory of the descent of the Holy Spirit to Earth. It was on this day that the Lord God appeared to the world in his third incarnation of the Holy Spirit, descending to Earth and appearing in this third incarnation before the disciples of Christ, i.e. in fact, in front of his disciples, since in Christianity the Holy Spirit, Christ and God are one whole entity.

Why is the feast of Trinity called Pentecost?

Icon. Andrei Rublev. Trinity. Around 1422-1427 Minimum symbols: three angels (Trinity), a cup (Atonement sacrifice), a table (the Lord's meal, the Eucharist. Of the recognizable realities - an oak (Mamre), a mountain (here is the sacrifice of Isaac, and Golgotha) and a building (Abraham's house? Church?) .

The answer to this question is very simple.

The descent of the Holy Spirit to Earth and the appearance of Christ to his disciples took place exactly on the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Christ (Easter) or on the 10th day after the Ascension of Christ (Ascension).

Hence the name of this holiday - Pentecost. At the same time, this Pentecost holiday should not be confused with another Jewish holiday that has exactly the same name Pentecost and is celebrated on the same day, but dedicated to another event - the holiday in memory of the Sinai legislation (the holiday of Moses receiving the commandments of the Lord on Mount Sinai).

How did the Holy Spirit appear on Earth?

The manifestation of the Holy Spirit happened unexpectedly and was attended by a limited number of people.

On the tenth day after the ascension of Christ to heaven, the Jews, as always, celebrated their ancient and great holiday in memory of the Sinai legislation.

On this day, all the apostles, together with the Mother of God and with other disciples of Christ and other believers, were in the same upper room in Jerusalem. “It was the third hour of the day, according to the Jewish account of hours, that is, in our opinion, the ninth hour of the morning. Suddenly there was a noise from heaven, as if from a rushing strong wind, and filled the whole house where the disciples of Christ were. And fiery tongues appeared and rested (stopped) one on each of them. Everyone was filled with the Holy Spirit and began to praise God in different languages, which they did not know before.

So the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles as a sign that He gave the apostles the ability and strength to preach Christ's teaching to all peoples; he descended in the form of fire as a sign that he has the power to scorch sins and purify, sanctify and warm souls.

In Jerusalem at that time there were many people who came from different countries for the holiday. The apostles went out to them and began to preach in their native languages. The sermon had such an effect on those who listened that many believed and began to ask: “What should we do?” Peter answered them, "Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Those who believed in Christ willingly accepted baptism, there were about three thousand people that day. This is how the Church of Christ began to be established on earth.

It was on this day that the beloved children of the Lord, united with Him by the Holy Spirit, left the walls of the Zion Upper Room to fearlessly preach Christ's doctrine of love.

Why did the Holy Spirit descend to earth?

The main reason why the Holy Spirit descended to earth was the reason to encourage the disciples to build the Church of Christ: "...to perfect the saints, for the work of service, for the building up of the Body of Christ." It is the poet who considers Pentecost to be the birthday of the Christian Church.

How is Pentecost celebrated?

On Pentecost, immediately after the Divine Liturgy, Vespers is served in the churches in remembrance of the descent of the Spirit of the Comforter upon the holy apostles. During the service, kneeling prayers are read for sending us the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of wisdom, the Spirit of reason and the fear of God.

The Church prays for the grace of the Holy Spirit to be bestowed on all those present, as well as on the formerly deceased relatives in the flesh, so that they too can be arranged to be participants in the Kingdom of Glory in the land of the living - “for not a single one is clean before God from filthiness, if only one day of his life is lower” ( kneeling prayer after "Vouchee, O Lord, this evening").

Orthodox Christians on this day decorate houses and churches with green birch branches and flowers. This custom comes from the Old Testament Church, when houses and synagogues were decorated with greenery on Pentecost in memory of how everything bloomed and turned green at Mount Sinai on the day when Moses received the tablets of the law.

The Upper Room of Zion, where the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles, at that time, according to the general custom, was also decorated with tree branches and flowers. On the feast of the Trinity, the appearance of the Trinity to Abraham in the Mamrian oak forest is also remembered, so the temple decorated with greenery also resembles that oak forest. And the flowering branches remind us that under the influence of the grace of God, human souls bloom with the fruits of virtues.

What does the word Trinity mean in the Bible?

The very word "Trinity" of non-biblical origin was introduced into the Christian lexicon only in the second half of the 2nd century, two hundred years after the ascension of Christ, by Bishop Theophilos of Sioy.

In his treatise "Against Autolycus" Theophilus wrote: "The three days [of creation], which were before [the creation of] the luminaries, are the images of the Trinity: God, His Word and His Wisdom." This work has survived to this day only in one manuscript of the 11th century and was probably written no earlier than 180 AD. e., as it mentions the death of the emperor Marcus Aurelius.

Neither in the Old nor in the New Testaments is the concept of "Trinity" directly used, and according to Bible scholars, there are only a few hints in Scripture indicating the trinity of God, but no more.

The doctrine of the Trinity

Non-canonical icon. Holy Trinity with angels and saints. Master from Meskirch, early 16th century.

The doctrine of the Triune God comes down to three propositions:

1) God is trinity and trinity consists in the fact that there are three Persons (hypostases) in God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit.

2) Each Person of the Most Holy Trinity is God, but They are not three Gods, but the essence of a single Divine Being.

3) All three Persons differ in personal or hypostatic properties.

All three Persons of the Holy Trinity have the same Divine dignity, between them there is neither senior nor junior; just as God the Father is true God, so God the Son is true God, so the Holy Spirit is true God. Each Person bears in itself all the properties of the Divine.

Since God is one in His essence, then all the properties of God — His eternity, omnipotence, omnipresence, and others — belong equally to all three Persons. In other words, the Son of God and the Holy Spirit are eternal and omnipotent, like God the Father.

They differ only in that God the Father is neither born nor emanates from anyone; The Son of God is born from God the Father — eternally (timeless, beginningless, infinite), and the Holy Spirit proceeds from God the Father.

How to understand the doctrine of the Trinity?

Any educated Christian is well aware that the main dogma and cornerstone of the Christian church is the dogma of the Most Holy Trinity, and without its correct understanding there is neither faith nor the Christian church.

The dogma of the Trinity tells believers the following: God is one in essence, but trinity in persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Trinity is consubstantial and indivisible.

In other words, there is a God who has three essences, none of which is the main one and none of them can be divided.

Believers must clearly understand that the dogma of the Holy Trinity is incomprehensible, it is a mysterious dogma, incomprehensible at the level of reason. For the human mind, the doctrine of the Holy Trinity is contradictory, because it is a mystery that cannot be expressed rationally.

It is no coincidence that Pavel Florensky called the dogma of the Holy Trinity "a cross for human thought." In order to accept the dogma of the Holy Trinity, the sinful human mind must reject its claims to the ability to know everything and rationally explain everything, i.e., in order to comprehend the mystery of the Holy Trinity, it is necessary to turn away from one’s own thinking.

Since when is Trinity celebrated?

Christian Pentecost as a feast of the Holy Trinity has been celebrated since the 4th century, when the dogma of the Trinity was finally approved at the II Council of Constantinople, in which the one God began to officially exist in three persons - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion

The Feast of the Trinity is not only the feast of the appearance of the third Person of the Godhead in a visible way, but also the birthday of the Church of Jesus Christ. The Bible says that the day will come when God will complete the formation of His Church here on earth, and She will be taken from the earth in order to be with God forever. This moment is also called the second coming of Christ or the rapture of the Church, when God will return for those in whom His Holy Spirit lives.

Signs on the Trinity

There are many signs and superstitions regarding things that cannot be done on this day.

So, on the Trinity it is better not to appoint a wedding day. Allegedly, those who tied the knot on this day will have an unhappy family life. It is better to get married on Trinity and prepare for the wedding.

The ancient Slavs believed that on the day on which Christians later appointed the Trinity, fabulous creatures appear - mavkas and mermaids. Therefore, it was not worth walking alone in the forests and fields, because they can take away a lone traveler and tickle to death.

According to ancient beliefs, it was forbidden to swim, because mermaids will surely drag you to the bottom. There is a superstitious legend that there will definitely be a drowned man on Trinity, so you should avoid any bodies of water and not tempt fate. One of the largest and most revered holidays in Christianity is the Trinity holiday, but few people know and understand what kind of holiday it is and what the name Trinity means , which is used in the ordinary life of Christians.

From time immemorial, Trinity was considered a bad omen to play weddings.

How to celebrate Trinity (Pentecost)

On Pentecost, houses, apartments and churches are decorated with greenery and flowers, as well as birch branches, because it was the birch in Russia that was the main symbol of this holiday.

Before the Trinity, it is customary to clean up the house and visit the cemetery to pay tribute to the dead.

In the morning on Trinity, people go to the temple, sanctify birch branches, greenery and flowers. It is generally accepted that the greens lit on the Trinity can be stored throughout the year - in Russia, the greens consecrated on this day replaced people with an amulet that protected the home from evil spirits and troubles.

On the Trinity, girls often guessed at the future groom.

How to guess on the Trinity

Of course, the church does not welcome fortune-telling, but this tradition stretches to the present day from antiquity.

It is customary to guess at the Trinity from Thursday to Sunday.

Fortune-telling on wreaths is considered the most common on the Trinity - with their weaving and their further letting through the water.

On this day, irresponsible Christians tell fortunes using other objects - rings, chains, etc.

Fortune-telling by a wreath consisted in the fact that the girl weaved a wreath and wished on the groom, after which she went to the river and, with a tilt of her head, threw the wreath into the water.

Ideas for the behavior of the wreath and guessed at the betrothed:

If the wreath floated calmly, then his mistress expected a calm year

If the wreath floated under water or sank, then the girl needed to be afraid of illness, death of loved ones or other troubles.

If the wreath was untwisted, then this promised the girl parting with the sweet

If the wreath quickly floated away, then this promised the bridegroom's girl from the far side

A wreath stuck by the shore meant that the bridegroom could not be expected until the next Pentecost.

Films on the theme of the Trinity holiday

Not many films have been made about the Trinity, but nevertheless, you can find the following films on the Internet:

Film by Metropolitan Hilarion "Trinity";

Film "Holy Trinity"

Genre: Documentary

The feast of the Holy Trinity is one of the most interesting and, perhaps, the most unusual church celebrations. He, like Easter, is also always celebrated on Sunday - namely, 50 days after this day (the Most Holy Trinity is also called Pentecost).

At the same time, for the most part, we know much more about the Bright Resurrection or about Christmas than about the day of the Most Holy Trinity. That is why it will be interesting to understand what kind of holiday it is, why it has several names, and what is the sacred meaning of this date. And most importantly - how to properly celebrate the Great Trinity?

Trinity holiday in Orthodoxy: meaning and names

First of all, let's deal with the names. There are simple cases when everything is clear: Christmas is Christmas, and Easter is Easter (or the Bright Resurrection of Christ). But with the Trinity, the situation is a little different - the holiday has several names at once:

1. Trinity Day (Holy or Most Holy Trinity Day, Trinity Day) - i.e. holiday in honor of the triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
2. Pentecost - this word has exactly the same meaning. It simply reminds us that the descent of the Spirit took place on the 50th day after Easter. Therefore, the celebration always also falls on Sunday: May 27, 2018, June 16, 2019, etc.
3. Spirits day, or the day of the Holy Spirit - this name emphasizes the key event in honor of which the holiday is celebrated.

All these names of the Trinity holiday can be found in various sources - for example, on Wikipedia, Orthodox magazines and others. By the way, Spirit Day falls on Monday, and Pentecost itself falls on Sunday.

But what do the three days of the Trinity mean? They symbolize the same holiday, it is simply celebrated for three days.

Holy Trinity: what kind of holiday

So, what is the meaning of this interesting holiday? Why is it considered one of the great Christian celebrations along with Easter, Christmas, Epiphany and other significant dates? Answers to these questions can be obtained if you learn something about those events two thousand years ago, which laid a good tradition to celebrate this date.

The history of the Trinity feast dates back to the last days of Jesus' life on earth. Shortly before his death, he promised that exactly 50 days after that, God would send the Comforter, who would invisibly help all his followers.

And indeed, after 40 days, the Savior ascended to heaven, and a decade later, the disciples of Christ gathered together in one of the houses of Jerusalem. And at that moment, a very strong noise was heard in the sky, as if a hurricane wind swept over the city.

It turned out that these were not air currents, but a miraculous event: at the same moment, flames lit up over the heads of the apostle disciples. People began to speak all the languages ​​​​and dialects that were used in those days by the local peoples. Then the holy apostles-followers of Christ began to teach people, preaching to them salvation and God's love.

However, what does the holiday of the Trinity mean for us - people living in modern times, 2000 years later? It turns out that the relevance of those events has been preserved in its original form, because the descent of the Holy Spirit is directly related to all the inhabitants of the planet.

His coming to earth means the onset of a grace-filled time when we have a direct connection with the heavenly powers. Every person today can just pray, ask for forgiveness and receive it.

And in the old days, complex rituals were performed for this, sacrifices were made, bonfires were kindled. In a word, forgiveness was purchased at a very high price. Now the connection with the Almighty has been established so that any of us can turn to him.

It turns out that the Holy Spirit is a kind of communication channel between man and God. Moreover, he is God himself, his third person. Therefore, the Orthodox feast of the Trinity symbolizes the Triune Lord, who has revealed himself in all his fullness.

WHY IS THE HOLY SPIRIT THE COMFORTER?

Let's rewind the events 20 centuries ago and present such a picture. The Lord died but rose again. There is no limit to the joy of believers - after all, even today, the echoes of this event resound with a joyful wave in the hearts of billions of believers when they say: “Christ is risen! He has truly risen!" What happened after?

The Savior went to heaven, as expected, on the 40th day. Probably, many people had such a feeling in their hearts that they seemed to be orphaned or lost their right wing. But now - only 10 days have passed, and the Holy Spirit descended on the earth.

It turns out that since then and until today, God himself is invisibly next to us, and at any moment we can ask for his help. It was for this purpose that the Comforter was sent to our planet.

How Orthodox Christians Celebrate the Holy Trinity

Among church holidays, Holy Trinity Day is perhaps the most beautiful event of the year. Priests dress in green clothes, temples and icons of the Holy Trinity are decorated with birch branches, wildflowers, and leaves. The floor in the temples is covered with fresh grass.

The green tone serves as a symbol of life-giving faith, the rebirth of nature after a long winter, but most importantly, the liberation of the human soul from sin.

That is why on this day it is customary to consecrate birch branches (after all, a birch is a real symbol of Russia) and bring them into the house. It is believed that this kind of bouquet will bring good luck for the whole year, if you save it until the next Trinity.

Green branches of other plants - oak, linden, maple and mountain ash are also used to decorate the home on the Trinity. They are designed to protect the house from evil spirits. Cornflowers, lovage, thyme, fern, mint, lemon balm, burdock are taken from meadow herbs, wreaths are woven from them and hung on the door, bouquets are made that are placed on the table or near the icons.

On the eve of Holy Trinity Saturday, an all-night vigil is served. On the day of the feast of the Holy Trinity, the Gospel of John is read, and a festive liturgy is performed.

The third day of Trinity is called the day of the Holy Spirit. On this day, it is customary to bless water in churches. People take the grass and branches that decorated the temples and bring them home. They dry them and store them all year round - they protect the house from diseases and troubles. Healers recommend collecting herbs on this day - it is believed that nature endows them with special miraculous properties.

Priests do not recommend doing heavy physical work on these holidays, visiting a cemetery, planning some global affairs (for example, cleaning the house, working in the country, large purchases, etc.). It is best to find time for festive services - go to church for a service, attend a liturgy in honor of the Holy Trinity, feel the spirit of the bright, tune in to the festive wave.

And the rest of the day you can spend with your loved ones, help your family, visit old friends. There is no fasting on the feast of Holy Pentecost, so the festive table is supposed to be rich and plentiful, with a variety of meat dishes, pies, and fresh herbs.

Also, after the festive dinner, traditional folk festivities are arranged - people tend to nature, where they perform ritual dances, sing songs, kindle bonfires. And you can also make your most cherished wish on such a holiday - if you tune in to the fulfillment of a dream, it will certainly come true.

So, what is this - the holiday of the Great Trinity? This is the day of the descent of the Holy Spirit, when God manifested himself in all three persons and revealed himself as the triune Supreme.

And it is also the day of the rebirth of the human soul, when it can receive the priceless gift of salvation, simply by repenting of its sins and entrusting all experiences to the Lord. Such is it - the bright Holy Trinity.

Trinity: signs, traditions and customs

On June 4, 2017, Orthodox Christians celebrate Holy Trinity Day. This day is very important, since the event that became the reason for the holiday gave a significant impetus to the development of Christianity. To understand how to behave on the Trinity, and what to do, you need to learn a little about the history of the holiday.

Feast of the Holy Trinity - what does it mean

If we turn to the holy books of Christians, we can find out that the Trinity is a holiday associated primarily with Jesus Christ, his death and resurrection. The fact is that after the Son of God was resurrected, he ascended to heaven. This happened forty days after Jesus came out of the cave where he was buried. And ten days after the Ascension of Christ, another miracle happened.
Jesus had followers - devoted disciples who often gathered to pray. So it happened this time. The disciples came to a house on Mount Zion. And as soon as they began to pray, loud sounds were heard in the room where they were, reminiscent of the hum of the wind. Immediately, the whole room became engulfed in flames, but the tongues of fire did not burn anyone from those present. And then the disciples of Jesus heard the voice of the Lord. He told them to go and preach Christianity throughout the world. And then all the apostles spoke in different languages.
People ran to the noise, the crowd gathered in front of the house, and when the apostles reported what had happened, three thousand people decided to be baptized on the same day. Soon the first Christian church was built, and the apostles began to preach religion in different countries.

The holiday is called the Day of the Holy Trinity for the reason that the trinity of God (God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit) was revealed to the apostles. This day also has a second name - Pentecost. It indicates the time when believers celebrate the holiday. The apostles heard the voice 50 days after the Resurrection of Christ. That is, the Trinity is celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter.

What kind of holiday is the Trinity: signs, traditions and customs

The importance of this day prompts people to have questions regarding what can and cannot be done on Trinity. Basically, all prohibitions are exactly the same as on other Christian holidays. On this day, you should not do physical work (wash floors, make repairs, sew, clean up). And besides this, earthworks are also prohibited, such as weeding the garden, mowing grass, planting flowers.
Previously, people believed that if these rules were violated, then some kind of misfortune would happen, for example, for those who sew or knit, sheep, the source of yarn, would get lost or die, and for those who were engaged in crops, hail would destroy the entire crop.
It is also better not to cook for the Trinity. Mistresses used to prepare everything for the holiday in advance, for example, on Friday or Saturday. Food can be warmed up, but you should not spend all day at the stove. As a rule, pies are baked on Trinity. And you can also cook any meat and fish dishes using as many greens as possible. In some parts of the country, there is another tradition that refers to Easter - people dye eggs green.

The best thing to do is to start the day with a visit to the temple. Churches are very beautifully decorated for the holiday - everywhere there are fresh flowers, tree branches, green bedspreads and whole carpets of grass. Such decoration symbolizes the beginning of life. People can also decorate their houses, it used to be believed that such a ceremony protects the home from evil spirits, for example, from mermaids who could drag someone under water.