What date is the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 2019

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

After the collapse of the USSR and the fall of Soviet rule, Christians of the former Soviet Union have the opportunity to openly express their religious feelings. Believers who have recently returned to the bosom of the Church do not know what date the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos is in 2019 and what should not be done on this day.

history of the holiday

According to the Church, the birth of the parent of Christ could not be an accidental and ordinary phenomenon. The Son of God had to save Mankind, and therefore very unusual events took place before his birth. At the same time, in the New Testament about the earthly life of this woman, the crane is rarely mentioned. The main provisions of the Apocrypha are based on Old Testament prophecies and signs described in the Jewish scrolls.

According to legend, in ancient times, a married couple, Joachim and Anna, lived in Jerusalem. As time went on, the couple could not conceive a child. As a result, the priests in the local church refused the man in another sacrifice to God, believing that the family had somehow angered the Almighty and now the trouble could affect the entire people of Israel.

In despair, the head of the family retired into the desert, wanting in silence and fasting to beg the Heavenly Father's blessing. He also ordered his wife to fast and pray around the clock in order to beg for grace from God.

The efforts of the middle-aged couple were crowned with success: an Angel appeared to each of them and told that soon they would give birth to a child whose name all mankind would know. Anna met her husband at the Golden Gate and told him about the upcoming event, thereby delighting and reassuring the man.

On this point, the Catholic and Orthodox churches have a significant divergence. The western direction claims that the conception of the Mother of God herself is immaculate. Eastern adherents of the Christian doctrine convince believers that this is impossible from the beginning, referring to the original sin, which marked all peoples on Earth.

A year after the birth of his daughter, the father of the future Mother of God called a big feast, inviting priests to it and asking them to bless the child. He immediately told everyone that during his fasting and prayers in the wilderness, Joachim promised the Lord that his only child, in the event of his birth, would certainly give him into service.

Thus, the Virgin Mary, whose Christmas is one of the twelve Orthodox holidays and is celebrated on September 21, 2019, was sent to a monastery after reaching the age of three.

The Bible does not indicate from what date the future Most Holy Theotokos began her ministry, however, the apocryphal Gospel of John states that the girl from an early age showed miracles of obedience and humility.

No less curious is the fact that the parents of the Virgin Mary were not ordinary inhabitants of the Judean Valley. Joachim came from the house of David, and Anna was the aunt of the righteous Elizabeth, who gave birth to John the Baptist. Thus, the future fate of the Most Holy Theotokos, whose Christmas Orthodox Christians celebrate in the middle of the first month of autumn, was determined long before her birth.

According to the churchmen, no matter what date in 2019 it is customary to celebrate sacred moments, it is important to understand that the Lord was preparing for the coming of His Son long before future events.

When is the holiday celebrated in 2019

Historically, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, both in 2019 and in previous years, has a stable date, depending on the period in which the Conception took place. The holiday falls on September 21 in the new style, which corresponds to the 8th day in the Gregorian calendar.

An interesting fact: Coptic Christians have a different opinion about the date of the birth of the Virgin Mary. They believe that the woman was born on May 9 in a new style.

At the same time, the Anglican and Catholic Churches argue that, regardless of the accepted chronology, the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in 2019 should have the number that was established long before the calendar reforms of a particular state. Therefore, they celebrate the holiday on September 8 without changing the date in the church calendar.

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Signs for the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin

Since people have been celebrating the Osenins since ancient times, the high priests had to be allowed to combine Christian institutions with pagan traditions, admitting a connection between Christian holidays and ancient signs:

• if by this time leaf fall has increased or the trees have completely thrown off their foliage, the winter will be very cold and windy;
• when it rains and is cold on the Nativity of the Virgin, the whole autumn will be dank and rainy;
• by the holiday, only carrots and late cabbage should remain in the garden so that the harvest is preserved until the next season;
• it is imperative to clean your home stoves before the new heating season. According to the statements of the ancient Slavic priests, getting your hands dirty with something black on a holiday meant a good omen, contributing to financial well-being. After that, it was necessary to stand on a broom for several minutes so that the ceremony was completed and had a magical effect;
• if the morning fog on this day quickly dissipates - "Indian summer" will last for another 40 days;
• if the morning dew is not abundant and dries up quickly, the winter promises to be with little snow.

Naturally, the main signs associated with the holiday are not relevant in our time due to global warming and other factors.

Celebration traditions of the Orthodox

In the pre-Christian period, the Slavs celebrated the feast of fertility on this day. It was customary for women and girls to go to the fields at dawn and there in silence and loneliness to perform rituals dedicated to fertility. They asked the pagan gods for healthy and timely offspring, and also thanked Mother Earth for a good harvest.

It was imperative to bake oat loaves and cook jelly, which they treated each other and fed to the livestock. At the same time, the older women of the clan traditionally performed rituals and explained to the younger generation what can and cannot be done in Oseniny (this was the name of the holiday in ancient times). All the action took place on the shore of the nearest reservoir, when the women returned from the rituals in the field.

It's much easier now. Even the Soviet authorities understood that it was impossible to fight against centuries-old traditions and rituals, so they timed the Harvest Festival to coincide with this day, when fairs and exhibitions of agricultural products were organized for 5 working days.

What not to do on the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos

On this day, you should forget about quarrels and troubles. Since the holiday of light and joy is dedicated to a great event, priests have a whole list of works, indicating to the Orthodox that it is impossible:

• work in the field;
• chopping wood;
• build something;
• make preparations for the winter;
• sew or knit clothes;
• clean up the house.

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If there is food left after the festive table, it should not be thrown away either; you should share the meal with those in need or with pets.

Thus, religion not only determines what cannot be done on this day, but also advises to pay attention to building relationships with loved ones and strangers.

What do they do on holiday

It is imperative to read prayers at the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, blessing her Birth and rejoicing in the grace of the Lord. They also ask her for intercession for future children, a calm and prosperous winter, and thank her for the harvest.

At the morning service, they try to bring baked bread and other dishes as gifts to the clergy. Traditionally, festive tables are laid on this day, when everything is ready, children are sent to relatives and neighbors with an invitation.

On this day, it is imperative to remove the hives with bees from the open air. This is perhaps the only thing that can be done on a holiday.

For those who do not know what can be done on September 21, 2019, on the feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, the priests recommend mainly not to quarrel with anyone, since it is believed that any unseemly deed will return to the guilty party three times.