We bring to your attention a selection of answers to the most common questions about the Annunciation.
Is it possible to eat fish on the Annunciation?
The Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos falls on the strictest post in the church year - Great. But in honor of this holiday, an indulgence is made in the gastronomic post - you can eat fish.
(Except for those cases when the Annunciation falls on Holy Week (as was the case in 2015). In this case, the charter allows food with vegetable oil).
What can you eat for the Annunciation?
In honor of the feast of the Annunciation, an indulgence is made in the gastronomic rules of Great Lent - you can eat fish. Meat, eggs, milk are still excluded from the meal.
(However, there are exceptions: if the Annunciation falls on Holy Week (as it was in 2015), fish is not allowed.)
Is it true that nothing can be done on the Annunciation?
This is a folk tradition, the main goal of which, rather, is to find a reason to justify one's inaction, failure to fulfill certain obligations.
In fact, there is no ban and cannot be. The Church says that on the day of the Annunciation, like other major church holidays, every believing Christian should try to put aside his affairs for the sake of being in the temple and praying. Further - a person is endowed with freedom and the right to choose. As an independent mature person, each of us has the right to reason and choose for himself what is best for him to do, based on his own capabilities and resources.
Also, we should think about our personal attitude to the holiday.
When a solemn event is planned for one of our loved ones, don't we try to postpone all our affairs as much as possible and spend this day with them?
Do we feel the same about the Annunciation? Do we perceive the Annunciation as a holiday? For many, unfortunately, this is just another event in the life of the Church and nothing more. We do not associate this holiday with ourselves ...
But still, you should always look at the situation. After all, no one knows what circumstances you are in. What are your obligations to your family or to your employer?
In any case, the main thing is not to get bogged down in fuss, worries, anger, irritation, etc. If possible, put aside everything that can prevent you from meeting this Holiday with joy and gratitude.
Is it possible to marry the Annunciation?
In rare cases, it happens that the Annunciation falls on Bright Week (the week after Easter), but even during this period weddings are not performed in churches.
We can say that Bright Week and Holy Week are a single period in the center of which is Easter.
On Holy Week, the last days of Christ's earthly life are remembered, and on Holy Week, the Church glorifies and sings of His Resurrection!
Therefore, all the attention of the Church is riveted to this great event.
In any case, if you just want to sign in the registry office, then state registration has nothing to do with the Church, here you have the right to make your own decision.
But if it is important for you to follow church traditions, then you can get married starting from the first Sunday after Easter - this is Antipascha (Anti means the opposite), popularly called Red Hill. Then you can safely get married and celebrate the event in a proper way, without conflicting with Orthodox traditions.
Is it possible to make a commemoration for the Annunciation?
On the Annunciation, as well as on other important and honored by the Church holidays, funeral services and prayers are not performed.
A holiday is a time of joy, so one should not be sad and sad on such a day. Especially if it falls during the period of fasting, when a person already does some work on himself.
In the life of the Church, everything has its place and time. There are days of special commemoration of the departed, when special prayers are made for the departed. And on ordinary days, certain prayers are read for the repose of the soul during divine services.
But you can also pray for your relatives and friends of the deceased on your own any day.
Is it possible to wash on the Annunciation?
The answer is unequivocal - you can.
Similar questions “Is it possible to wash on the Annunciation?” as a rule, they give rise to various folk wisdom, which are more related to paganism than to Orthodoxy.
This implies that on a holiday, as on any other significant day for the Church, it is necessary, if possible, to leave all worries, all the fuss and pay attention to the main event, in this case, the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos.
The Annunciation (that is, the good news) is the day when the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary and announced to her the birth of the son of God Jesus Christ into the world. This is more than a worthy reason to put aside our less important affairs for the sake of temple attendance and prayer.
But if you walk around unwashed - this, of course, will give you a lot of inconvenience, irritation and all those unpleasant emotions that simply will not allow you to concentrate, and even more so to share the joy of this holiday with your loved ones.
Is it possible to work for the Annunciation?
In Russia, there was a tradition not to work on the day of the Annunciation. The peasants did not go to the fields, but devoted their entire time to the Orthodox celebration. But even then, in past centuries, and now, there is no prohibition to work as such. Another thing is that it is better to use the hours of this day for deeds of prayer and mercy. Go to the temple with the whole family, pray to the Lord and the Mother of God, share the joy of the holiday with other parishioners of the temple.
The Church also blesses on the Annunciation (as well as on other Orthodox celebrations) to help those who need it most. Visit your elderly relatives, go with volunteers to an orphanage, transfer a donation for an operation to a sick child.
Is it possible to embroider on the Annunciation?
In Russia, girls did not embroider on the Annunciation, because there was a tradition to put off all household chores for the sake of prayer and a joyful meeting of the holiday. In our time, this custom has been preserved only in part, but most often believers try to devote the whole day to God on April 7th. Go to the temple, gather the whole family at the festive table.
Is it possible to get a haircut on the Annunciation?
Doubt about whether it is possible to have a haircut on the Annunciation arose because of an old saying: "A bird does not nest, a maiden does not weave braids." This proverb, of course, is not a strict ban on having a haircut and combing your hair; rather, it says that on this important day for every Christian, it is worth putting aside all vain, everyday things and focusing on the meaning of the holiday. Read the Gospel, attend a church service, do something good for your neighbor, get together with your family and share joy with each other.
Is it possible to clean the house for the Annunciation?
In Russia, it was customary to do all the housework before the feast of the Annunciation, so that on April 7 (according to the new style) to wake up in a clean hut and not be distracted by the fuss. Believers both then and now try to devote this day to prayer and joyful fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ.
Is it possible to take communion at the Annunciation?
Of course, you can take communion at the Annunciation.
Is it possible to knit for the Annunciation?
Needlewomen in Russia on the feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos put off their sewing and knitting until the evening. It was believed that on this day you can not do anything around the house.
In our time, the Church also recommends that Christians put aside worldly, vain deeds in order to dedicate this day to the Lord and the Mother of God. Pray at home and in the temple, do some good deed for your neighbor, gather relatives and friends at a solemn meal.
What can not be done on the Annunciation?
The Church does not give any specific prescriptions and prohibitions.
It is necessary to stop paying attention to signs, beliefs, which have nothing to do with the life and world of the Church.
Following contrived rules limits one's own freedom.
And in such a state, what kind of joy and gratitude can we talk about?
Orthodoxy is the religion of adults, mature people. No one is forcing or forcing us. We make our own choice. And only in this way can we consciously come to something, get deeply acquainted with traditions, with meanings.
When I understand the meaning for which I am doing something, then the attitude to what is happening will be completely different.
ACCORDING TO THE MATERIALS OF THE ORTHODOX PRESS
April 7 is a great Christian holiday - the Annunciation, when the Archangel Gabriel brought the bright news to the Mother of God that she, being immaculate, would endure and give birth to the Savior of mankind. And everyone knows the folk wisdom that no one works for the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, even for this reason "the girl did not weave a braid, and the bird did not fork a nest." And only the cuckoo was naughty, for which she paid - she does not have her own nest, and therefore she is forced to throw her cuckoo pets to other birds, never seeing the children.
But not only was the ban on weaving braids and bird's nests, but also on something else, so it is very important to know, on the Annunciation, what can and cannot be done in order to adhere to these rules.
- On this day, it is not customary to give anything to anyone, because then you will never be able to replenish what was distributed.
You can't borrow money today - you'll spend the whole year in debt.
- They don’t cut bread for the Annunciation - they break it off so that it’s healthy.
- You can’t get a haircut and change your hairstyle - you will cut off well-being.
- You can’t sew and knit until evening, as you will quarrel.
- A pregnant woman should not eat red - the child will have an allergy.
- Put on a new one - tear it up.
“You can’t start a new business today.
- Do not go to the cemetery - to the disease.
- Chasing animals - they can bite until they bleed.
- You can’t leave today to work - you still won’t earn money.
- The guy didn’t offer his hand and heart that day, as he will soon part with his beloved.
- Today we tried to laugh a little and rejoice, as this is a silent celebration.
- It is forbidden to shout, if you need to call out to someone, you need to approach the person.
“From now on, it’s a sin to sit by the torch in the evening - only to attract evil spirits.
- Depending on what day of the week the Annunciation fell on, there were separate prohibitions:
Monday - quarrel with your loved one, quarrel forever.
Tuesday - give the first complementary foods, the child will be thin and painful.
Wednesday - confessing love, will be unrequited.
Thursday - talk about pregnancy, as problems may arise with it.
Friday - give alms to the opposite sex, as there will be misunderstanding with the other half.
Saturday - wash your hair - wash your mind.
Sunday - stroking a cat before lunch - to illness.
- Today it is necessary to visit the church, where to light a candle for the health of a sick family member - he will recover very soon.
- You can ask the Virgin Mary for help in conceiving a child in the morning. Get up early and read the prayer “Our Father” three times, and then, looking at the icon, ask for help in your own words.
- It is advisable to wear white underwear in order to be pure both in thoughts and actions.
- Children must be given unleavened bread baked the day before, on which to read prayers for health, let them eat on an empty stomach.
- Release the birds into the air - so that happiness accompanies. Birds can be purchased at the market, it is not necessary to have your own.
- It is necessary to kindle a fire so that spring birds can dance around it and sing.
- Bake figurines of larks and waders, as well as other birds with which the children climbed onto the roof or tree, where they called the birds to return home as soon as possible. And they ate the figurines.
- Since April 7, all the peasants have tried to move to the cold part of the house, because summer has begun today.
It turns out that if you follow these rules and do not forget the prohibitions, then you can hope for a good harvest, which means a satisfying and rich life, family happiness and the health of all family members. Otherwise, everything can end up in trouble both for the one who shows disobedience and for his family.
Among the people, the holiday of the Annunciation, which is celebrated on April 7 annually, is considered predominantly for women. Therefore, many signs of what you can do on this day, and what you need to refuse, relate specifically to women. The Mother of God is the mother of Jesus Christ and it is believed that she asks the Lord for a woman's share, being next to him. On the day of the Annunciation, if you pray to the Mother of God with a pure heart and with great faith in your soul, she will definitely hear and help.
The history of the origin of the holiday is connected with the archangel Gabriel, sent by the Lord and the young Virgin Mary. She learned from the Archangel on that very day that a miracle happened, the Holy Spirit descended on her, and after the allotted period of pregnancy, she was destined to give birth to the Son of God into this world. On this big holiday, you need to give up housework, be sure to go to the temple. An ancient tradition in Russia is to release birds from cages on the day, high into the sky, so that they fly straight to the Lord.
What not to do on the Annunciation:
*Work primarily around the house. After all, this holiday does not always fall on a day off and a person cannot refuse to go to work in the modern world. But household chores should be postponed for another day, this is a church holiday and work is prohibited.
* Do not leave home on this day, especially go on a long trip.
* Under the ban is work on the ground, you need to give up even trimming trees. Because, the people believed that on the day of the Annunciation of the Lord blesses everything growing, the plants grow and begin to actively turn green.
* Girls on this day do not weave braids, just like birds do not build nests. If you do complex hairstyles on a holiday, then you can confuse the threads of your destiny as the hair on your head gets tangled. Everything in life can go awry from this.
* You can not borrow something from home on a holiday, including money. The people believed that with a thing borrowed on this day, one can give a person their health and well-being.
* Do not wear new clothes.
* Engage in sewing, weaving or knitting. Again, due to the fact that the strings of fate can get tangled.
These are folk signs about prohibitions on the Annunciation, which not everyone supports the church, but for many generations they have been passed from mouth to mouth and have been preserved in our tradition. Again, do not forget that during this period there is Great Lent before Easter, and almost all fasting prohibitions are not canceled. Therefore, you can not have fun too actively, talk loudly. As for the holiday menu, here the post makes an exception and fish can be included in the diet.
What to do on the day of the Annunciation
According to an old tradition, which is beginning to actively revive today, birds were released on this holiday. Especially white doves. Birds must fly high into the sky and convey to the Lord God about the good deeds of the person who released them.
Previously, in the villages on the Annunciation, they prepared special Annunciation salt. It must be said that this sign is precisely a folk one, it has nothing to do with church rules. It was necessary to take a pinch of ordinary salt for each member of the family and throw it into a bag. Then the mistress of the house calcined the salt on fire, shifted it to a red corner and kept it there for years for certain occasions. For example, if someone fell ill, then a bag with this salt was placed at the head of the bed of this person so that he would recover faster.
Important! If during the year the Annunciation salt was not useful and remained until the new holiday, then it must be burned the next day, April 8th. Together with her, the flame will eat misfortunes, troubles and illnesses that could be prepared for the family next year.
Common signs and customs for the Annunciation:
* Decorate someone with a trifle. The sign is contradictory, because theft in Christianity is a great sin, but the people believed that this way you can attract great luck.
* Be careful with fire on this day.
* In Transcarpathia, before dawn on the Annunciation, unmarried girls combed their braids and went around their house three times, swept their parents' hut, but they collected garbage and carried it to the river, next to which they buried it in a deep hole. Then you need to collect water in the river and water the beds where the seeds are planned to be planted. It was believed that such a ritual could provide a good match for marriage and a happy family life.
* If you find a primrose on this day, then this summer a young girl will definitely get married.
*In the evening in the villages they gathered around the fires and led modest round dances, jumped over the fire. But all this must be done modestly and without much fuss, because
The Annunciation is one of the most important and significant holidays in the religious world. Every year, it is celebrated on April 7, this date is not fluid, because sometimes the holiday coincides with the period of Great Lent. Like many other religious holidays, the Annunciation has its own history, traditions and some canons on how to celebrate this day.
There are many holidays that are subject to some restrictions, for example, you cannot quarrel on Easter. And what can not be done on April 7 at the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary?
Church customs
The Annunciation often coincides with the period of Great Lent, sometimes coincides with the period of Bright Week and Palm Sunday. If there are no such coincidences, but still the holiday falls on Lent, then the church service, which must be attended on the day of the Annunciation, is as follows:
- Great Compline is a service, an all-night service, on the eve of the holiday itself, as before Christmas or Easter.
- The Matins service on the occasion of the feast is one of the longest of the year. Its difference from the service, which is not held on the days of the holiday, is in the set of prayers. The consecration of food also takes place, and at the end of the service, the clergyman distributes and blesses the bread and wine.
- The evening service is held in the order that is accepted for the day of the week, it is also the final stage of the celebration of the Annunciation.
Returning to the fact that the Annunciation usually coincides with Great Lent, some indulgences are allowed in the fasting diet. On this holiday, the church allows you to deviate from the strict rules of Lent and eat fish and drink a little wine.
In addition to the fact that you should definitely go to church, it is customary to do other things on the Annunciation. But, besides this, there is something that cannot be done on April 7 at the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos. In honor of the holiday, you can do it.
The main bans on the holiday
The list of the most basic and strict prohibitions for this holiday will include the fact that you can not do any work, as well as start new business. You can’t work, because the Annunciation is a big holiday. But new things should not be started because they will not bring success and the good that is expected in any undertaking. According to one saying, even a bird does not nest on this day.
What can not be done on the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary on April 7 also includes the following actions:
- You can not lend things and money to friends, relatives or just acquaintances, this can lead to a loss of personal well-being, health and energy. It is also impossible to ask for a loan from other people;
- You can not engage in knitting, sewing and weaving, as the threads of many peoples are associated with life and fate. By performing such actions, a person does work (and this is the main prohibition on the Annunciation) and by his actions can confuse his fate, go astray.
- You should not put on new clothes, as they will quickly wear out, and it will not be possible to purchase new clothes;
This is the main list of what not to do on the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos on April 7th. It is also recommended to celebrate the holiday in a narrow circle of the family, to refuse to visit and receive guests at home. Notice when.
Other signs and customs for the Annunciation
The name of this day comes from the event that once happened. Namely, it was on this day that the Archangel Gabriel informed the Mother of God that she, being an immaculate virgin, would give birth to a son who would become the Savior of all mankind. Like many other religious holidays, the Annunciation has its own signs and customs. If the list of what not to do on April 7 on the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary includes a ban on work, does this mean that you can just lie on the couch all day and do nothing at all?
There are many customs and signs that are dedicated to the holiday, some of them still call for some action, or impose some more prohibitions:
- The ancestors believed that it was impossible not only to work, but also to wash and comb your hair;
- You can not light a fire in the house;
- Those wives who manage to call their husband “dear” 34 times before midnight will receive great love and care from their husband during the year;
- If the weather is warm on the night of the holiday, then the spring will be warm and pleasant;
- If it rains on April 7, then there will be a lot of mushrooms in the forest in autumn;
- To find happiness and health, salt should be burned on the Annunciation, and later added to food;
The Annunciation is a religious holiday that should be spent wisely. Attend a service in a church, pray, confess. Next, do your business, if they don’t contradict what you can’t do for the annunciation, and end the day with a modest Lenten dinner with your family. On this day, you should pay special attention to your family and loved ones, especially not indulging in entertainment. And, most importantly, do not forget that if the Annunciation coincides with Great Lent, then you should observe fasting and get acquainted with what you can eat and what you can not eat on this day.
Before the great feast of Holy Pascha, all believers will have to celebrate another no less important and joyful day - this is the Annunciation. The Annunciation is not a moving holiday, and is celebrated annually on April 7th. If we consider the historical context of the holiday, then it was on this day that the Archangel Gabriel told the Virgin Mary the news that she was to bear the fruit, which after birth would become the Savior of the whole world. Only after the Virgin Mary gave her consent did the immaculate conception happen, which turned the whole story upside down. The significance of the holiday cannot be overestimated, but what can not be done on the Annunciation and what can be done on this day?
How is the Annunciation
Like many other religious holidays, it is a special day that has its own traditions and signs. It is customary on this day to go to the temple, where the Blessed Virgin Mary is glorified, prayers of gratitude to God are said, and the memory of the messenger of the good news, the Archangel Gabriel, is honored. Also, the consecration of the prosphora takes place in the temple, which you need to take home. It is believed that if you store such a prosphora at home, it will protect against the troubles of diseases and other misfortunes.
Since ancient times, on this day, after the service in the temple, white doves were released. Today, not all churches adhere to such a custom, which only in 1995 was partially revived in small churches.
Also, there is a belief that on the Annunciation the sky is open for requests and prayers, so you can ask for what you would like very much, and this will certainly come true.
Therefore, on the Annunciation, you need to go to the temple, bring home the prosphora, and also do not forget to pray and use your chance to ask the Lord for something. Also, on this day, despite the fact that this is a fasting period, you can cook fish for a festive meal.
What not to do on the Annunciation
The most important ban on the Annunciation is the ban on any work. On this day, you can not work, as it is considered a sin. Also, there are other signs that are associated with prohibitions on this day:
It is impossible to give anything and take it out of the house for the Annunciation, this also applies to borrowing money, because if you give something away, health and prosperity will go along with it;
You can’t cut, dye and do some other hair manipulations on a holiday. It is believed that this way you can confuse your fate, this also applies to knitting and sewing. By the way, in ancient times, the girls did not even comb their hair and did not collect it in a braid for the Annunciation;
It is impossible to start any new business on April 7, as they will not turn into success;
Also, you can’t put on new clothes on yourself, because if you get dirty on the Annunciation, you can no longer wash off the stains;
In order not to miss the angelic light, which sent the good news to the Virgin Mary, it is impossible to light lamps and candles in houses when it gets dark.
It is also impossible to engage in land work, as planting a crop will not bring good.
On the Annunciation, the Lord blesses all life on earth, nature begins to wake up after a hard and cold winter, so you should not interfere with it. The best thing that can and should be done on the Annunciation is to devote time to prayers and to God, and also to spend the holiday in a cozy family circle, without quarrels, disputes and showdown.
