What date is Lazarev Saturday in 2020

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

Laypeople who are interested in biblical history will be interested to know not only the time of Great Lent and the date of Holy Sunday, but also when Lazarev Saturday comes in 2020. This is one of the most significant miracles performed by Jesus, which is directly related to the Bright Resurrection.

history of the holiday

In the Orthodox tradition, it is customary to celebrate all significant episodes of Jesus' earthly life set forth in the New Testament. During his earthly life, the Son of God was glorified by numerous miracles.

One of the most significant miracles was the resurrection of Lazarus (Jesus Christ resurrected him four days after death). The Bible says that this happened on Saturday, so now this day is always considered one of the most revered by the Orthodox.

Those who want to celebrate it need to know when Lazarev Saturday will be celebrated in 2020. According to the calendar of church holidays, it always falls on the day before Palm Sunday. In 2020, it's April 11th.

This day is significant for all Christians because it was after this miracle revealed by Christ that many people believed that he was the Savior and Messiah. And the 11th chapter of the Gospel describes this event that took place in Bethany, where the righteous Lazarus lived, who suffered from a serious illness.

Jesus knew him and his family and often visited their home. It is known that the righteous man died, and his sisters Mary and Martha buried him in a cave, as required by the Jewish tradition. The entrance to the cave was filled with a large stone.

Sister Mary came to Jesus to inform him of her brother's death. Before that, she washed his feet with expensive oil and wiped them with her hair. Christ on the fourth day went to the cave in which the body of Lazarus lay. He said that the righteous was not dead, but asleep.

Arriving at the burial place, Jesus prayed and moved the stone away from the entrance and called Lazarus. Next to Christ there were many disciples and worshipers who accompanied him, who saw with their own eyes the miracle he had shown - the resurrection of Lazarus.

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He went out to meet people, there was not even a trace of a serious illness on his body. After this miracle, Christ went to Jerusalem, where he was greeted as the Messiah, since the news of the resurrection of Lazarus had already spread among the inhabitants of the city.

Lazarus himself lived another 30 years after the resurrection and died in Cyprus, where he served as bishop in the Christian church of the city of Kition. His relics were transferred to Constantinople and canonized as a Christian shrine.

A temple was built in Cyprus in his honor. Prior to that, Lazarus had been venerated for 400 years as the first Christian righteous man who was a friend of Christ.

Since then, the Byzantine branch of Christianity, and after it the Russian Orthodox Church, has venerated Lazarus and celebrated Lazarev Saturday. According to the biblical concept of Christ's earthly life, it preceded his ascent to Jerusalem on the eve of the accomplishment of the greatest feat of the Son of the Lord.

Those who are interested in knowing what date is Lazarev Saturday in 2020 should remember that it precedes Palm Sunday, which symbolizes the Day of Entry into Jerusalem.

On this day in churches, churchmen put on festive white robes for the service, but the holiday is held in an ascetic manner, since it falls on Great Lent. On Lazarev Saturday, believers in honor of the holiday are allowed to eat fish caviar, drink red wine and eat lean food with vegetable oil.

What date in 2020

Traditionally, the day of veneration of Saint Lazarus, who became the greatest miracle manifested by Christ in his earthly life, has a floating date. To find out when Lazarev Saturday will be in 2020, you need to remember that it falls on the 6th week of Lent.

It is immediately followed by Palm Sunday, and then comes the most important week of Great Lent - Holy Week. This year this Orthodox holiday falls on April 11, and Palm Sunday, which is held in high esteem by the Orthodox, falls on April 12. A week later, the Orthodox celebrate their main holiday - Bright Sunday.

Tradition and superstition

In the Russian Orthodox tradition, Lazarev Saturday and Palm Sunday have always been revered. The people have developed a tradition of collecting willow twigs, which in Russia replaced the biblical palm leaves. It was them that were thrown at the feet of the inhabitants of the city to Christ entering Jerusalem on a donkey.

It is customary in Russia to always collect pussy willow branches on Lazarev Saturday. After that, bunches of willows were carried to the church for lighting.

There was a tradition to celebrate Lazarev Saturday with a special menu during Lent. It could include fish with caviar, red wine and vegetable oil.

On Lazarev Saturday, it was customary to bake fish pies and buckwheat pancakes, as well as to cook buckwheat porridge. The people tried to lightly hit the household with willow twigs. It was believed to bring health. By the number of blossoming buds on the willow, it was judged how productive the year would be.

Summarize

Anyone who is interested in what date Lazarev Saturday is in 2020 should remember the following:

1. This day always comes before Palm Sunday.
2. Orthodox Christians who are fasting can diversify their table with fish, caviar and vegetable oil. It is also allowed to drink some red wine.
3. In Russia, on Lazarev Saturday, it was customary to collect or buy bouquets of pussy willow and bless them in churches.
4. On Lazarev Saturday, people tried to hit each other with consecrated willows in order to scare away illness from a person. It was believed that the consecrated willow protects against disease.
5. Lazarev Saturday is the starting point for the great Feat of the Son of God. It was the manifestation of the third miracle of the resurrection of Lazarus that made many people in Jerusalem believe in Christ as Savior and Messiah.