The meaning of the holiday Pokrov Day and its traditions

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

Every year on October 14, Orthodox Christians around the world celebrate the Intercession Day, honoring the Most Holy Theotokos. Every believer knows what kind of holiday it is, and is familiar with the signs.

Traditions and customs

On this day, leaves usually fall, the first snow falls. The weather conditions are due to the cold snap. Before the holiday, it is customary to harvest and prepare for winter.

Interesting! Memorial Day Calendar 2020

The most popular omen is to have a wedding on Pokrov Day. It is believed that the marriage, concluded on October 14, will be long and happy, as the lovers will be under the protection of the Mother of God. Couples, already united by marriage, appoint a wedding in order to strengthen the prayer for a strong family union.

According to popular beliefs, the first snow falls on Pokrov. All the troubles for keeping traditions are assigned to women:

• flood the stove with sprigs of fruit trees;
• bake pancakes, treat guests with a treat;
• complete all field work, complete the collection of fruits;
• unmarried girls need to put candles in the temple for a successful marriage.

It has long been considered that if the celebration is held cheerfully, in a relaxed atmosphere, the whole year will be successful.

Interesting! What does the holiday of Ivan Kupala mean and its traditions

What not to do

Pokrovsky signs and traditions were collected and passed on from generation to generation. The most tested and truthful of them have come down to us. It is customary to spend this day within the walls of the church in prayer, freeing oneself from various matters, including:

• mental and physical labor;
• washing;
• ironing;
• Repair Work;
• agriculture;
• needlework.

In addition, you must not borrow or lend, use foul language, quarrel, conflict or get into disputes. In no case should you be offended by your relatives. The use of alcoholic beverages is prohibited.

What can and should be done

According to tradition, on Pokrov Day, in addition to prohibitions, there are things that must be done:

1. Bake something delicious. Usually it is a special bread, decorated with dough appliqués. They need to treat people who are sympathetic. Do not throw away the crumbs, collect and leave until the next Cover of the day.
2. Feed the birds and stray animals to their fill.
3. Owners of long hair should braid the head in a braid, and it can only be unraveled in the late evening.
4. Put on a dress or robe and tie a scarf or scarf over your head.
5. Make a donation if possible.
6. Before the icon, pray for the health of relatives and wish yourself personal happiness.
7. To bring congratulations on the holiday to couples who are legally married.
8. Place a vase with fresh flowers in the center of the dining table. Whether they were bought in a store or cut from the flower bed of their own plot does not matter. The main thing is the very presence of fresh flowers that symbolize the holiday.

The main thing on this day is to be in harmony with yourself and the world around you, sincerely wishing everyone good and happiness.

After a noisy and cheerful celebration, with a richly set table, in the villages, gatherings with chants were arranged, during which the girls were spinning. Young people looked closely at them, then came to woo. The evening was not limited to this, it was customary to guess.

Intercession rites

1. If an unmarried girl smiles at strangers in a good mood, she will soon meet her fate and marry successfully.
2. According to the Pokrov Day ritual, a girl who wants to get married as soon as possible must bake bread and put it on the windowsill. It was believed that the scent would attract a potential groom.
3. Girls who are just about to get married should go to church, buy three candles and light them. One - for the health of men who, in one way or another, took part in their fate. The other - for their own health, the third - for the well-being of the future groom.
4. To remove the karma of loneliness from yourself, on this day you need to take any of your things and tie it in a knot, and untie it at the end of the day.
5. A separate sign-ritual exists for brides. Without letting the groom out of her thoughts, the girl must start a new embroidery. At the end of the work, pay attention to the stitches. If they are even, everything will be smooth and calm in family relationships. Uneven and confusing - leads to problems.
6. To save children from diseases and ailments, it is necessary to take them over the threshold and pour water over them through a sieve. The ceremony should be performed by the oldest woman in the family who has ever given birth to a child.
7. On this day, you need to bake a large stack of pancakes and pies with sweet filling. To generously treat friends and acquaintances with pastries, saying to myself: "I give back a sweet pie, and may a good groom appear in my life."

According to the signs on Pokrov Day, uninvited guests - fortunately, joy and harmony.

Curious facts

1. On this day, in the old days, they collected the clothes and bedding of relatives who had passed away from a serious illness and burned them in the courtyard. It was believed that fire has magical powers that can protect a family from evil spirits and ailments. According to historians, this ritual came from pagan times.
2. It is worth noting one more curious detail - on October 14 it is customary to go to the forest to pick mushrooms. At the same time, the quantity and what kind of species it will be completely unimportant: white or fly agaric. The main thing is to bring them into the house, dry them and spread them in all secluded places, thereby respecting the Brownie. In ancient times, it was firmly believed that it was this fairy-tale character who was responsible for wealth and well-being. By the way, the first portion of pancakes was also certainly intended for him. The hostess neatly laid out one by one on a saucer and put it in the corners.
3. In some villages, the tradition is still preserved - the oldest woman in the family gathers everyone around her and reads a prayer, blessing in front of the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, asking her for protection for each relative.

The rituals and all kinds of rituals can be treated in different ways. Nobody forces anyone to believe and strictly observe everything to the smallest detail. The essence of the Pokrov Day holiday, the date of which invariably falls on October 14, is that everyone should be in harmony with themselves, not be angry with others, especially close relatives. And he did not use foul language.

According to the interpretation of the ministers of the church, emotional incontinence on a holiday, which can offend, can turn into the fact that the Virgin Mary will cease to be supportive of this person. It is believed that the lack of heavenly protection can make him weaker and more vulnerable.

The clergy strongly recommend on the great church holiday not to skimp on kind words and deeds. To selflessly help those in need, to do it sincerely, with pure thoughts.

Summarize

The Day of the Most Holy Theotokos, celebrated by Orthodox Christians, combines many rituals and traditions. Each of them was sacredly honored by our ancestors on the Cover of the Day:

1. Due to the dramatic climate change, many weather signs do not always come true, and yet people are used to taking them seriously.
2. It is believed that the main protective functions that the pagan gods were endowed with were closely related to agricultural culture and were transferred to the Most Holy Theotokos.
3. Despite the fact that modern youth strives for city life, the rituals and customs of the Cover of the Day, passed down from generation to generation, continue to live in their minds.