Ascension of the Lord - signs, folk traditions and ancient customs. Ascension of the Lord! History, folk signs, rituals

Today the Orthodox world celebrates one of the most revered holidays - the Ascension of the Lord, or Ascension Day. It comes on the 40th day after Easter.

Today the Orthodox world celebrates one of the most revered holidays - the Ascension of the Lord, or Ascension Day. It comes on the 40th day after Easter. And since this holiday is moving, every year it is celebrated on different days.

According to legend, on this day Christ ascended to heaven in the flesh, completing his mission on earth, but giving everyone hope and knowledge. On this day, Jesus Christ appeared to the disciples in the form of a spirit and asked them to follow him in order to leave the city.

When they left it, the apostles witnessed a real miracle (this miracle is described on numerous icons): before their eyes, Jesus raised his hands to heaven and moved away from the earth, rising up and disappearing there. The disciples, who watched the ascension of the teacher to the Kingdom of God, bowed to the earth, and upon returning to the city, they told about what they saw.

Then people realized that death is not sadness, but the transition of the soul to another world, where the Lord awaits it, and that the Lord will deliver from vices and temptations. It is the open heavens that give believers hope for the redemption of sins and finding a home in the Kingdom of God at the end of the journey.

How the Ascension of the Lord is celebrated

On Wednesday, on the eve of the feast of the Ascension of the Lord, in all churches they perform the sacred rite of "giving away" the Bright Resurrection of Christ (the giving of Easter). Directly on the holiday itself, which always falls on Thursday, the clergy, dressed in white church robes, perform a solemn liturgy in churches: bells sound, they read the Holy Scripture, which is dedicated to the Ascension of the Son of God Jesus Christ. On Friday, the holiday ends with a service and the reading of prayers in honor of the Ascension of the Lord.

For the feast of the Ascension of the Lord, believers bake pies stuffed with green onions and oblong-shaped bread, which is also called "ladder". This bread got its name because it is baked with seven steps, forming strips of dough and laying them on top of the bread. This is a symbol of the seven heavens of the apocalypse - "ladders" are baked for Christ on the road. Pies and bread are taken with them to the temple, where they are consecrated. Part of the consecrated bread is left in the temple.

Upon returning from the temple, the Orthodox treated each other with pies and bread, went to visit each other, brought their treats and tried what the hosts regaled. And they also served food to the poor - it was believed that the forty days spent by the soul of Christ on earth before the Ascension, she was in the form of a beggar, so the poor were treated with respect these days. People believed that under the guise of a poor man, Jesus could go into any house and ask for help, so they should not be refused. These days, believers carefully monitored cleanliness and order - they did not litter and did not spit, because at any moment Christ could pass next to them. It was believed that after the onset of Easter, for the next 40 days, where Jesus passed, nature came to life - everything blossomed, turned green and bloomed.

The feast of the Ascension of the Lord in the Orthodox world is given special significance. On this day, it is important to forgive all insults and radiate only love for all things.

And on this day, they commemorated the deceased ancestors: they prepared funeral dishes - pancakes and scrambled eggs.

On the Ascension of the Lord, everyone rejoiced at the spikelets released by winter rye

It is impossible to work in the field and around the house on this holiday, only have fun, rejoicing in the flowering of spring and the imminent arrival of summer. It was believed that from the day of the Ascension of the Lord, the weather becomes consistently warm and sunny.

And in the evening, on the outskirts of the villages, large fires were lit, which were a symbol of the imminent onset of summer. Round dances or “spikelets” were led around the fire, rejoicing at the spikelets released by winter rye.

Signs on the Ascension of the Lord

On this day in Russia, if the weather allowed, the bathing season was opened. People believed that if you bathe on this day in a river or lake, then no ailment will take them.

Those who wanted to be beautiful and healthy collected morning dew on this day, drank it and washed their faces. According to legend, dew is the tears of the earth about Jesus Christ, who leaves it on this day.

It was on the feast of the Ascension that healers went to harvest medicinal herbs, since it was believed that all medicinal plants collected on this day had unusual properties, that their strength increased.

On the night before the Ascension, nightingale songs sound louder, announcing the upcoming miracle. By the way, catching nightingales on the feast of the Ascension of the Lord was strictly forbidden, and the one who neglected the ban was considered a great sinner.

Rain on Ascension is a harbinger of a modest harvest and ailments of domestic animals. But if the rains continued for several days, then this gave hope that the troubles would pass by.

On Ascension, healers prepared medicinal herbs,as it was believed that on this day they have unusual properties

In Russia, it was noted that even chickens do not work and do not lay eggs on Ascension. But if suddenly this happened, then it promised the owners great joy. The egg was spoken for good luck, protection from troubles, the evil eye and diseases.

10 days after the Ascension of the Lord, the Orthodox world will celebrate another twelfth holiday - the Trinity or the Day of the Holy Trinity (Pentecost, the Descent of the Holy Spirit). It is celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter, and it marks the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles of Christ. Holy Trinity Day believers will celebrate June 19, 2016. published

The Ascension of the Lord is a great holiday celebrated by Christians exactly 40 days after Easter and always on Thursday, so in 2017 its celebration date is May 25. For the Orthodox, the feast of the Ascension of the Lord is one of the most significant. Of course, it is not celebrated as magnificently and solemnly as, for example, Easter, but still widely.

One of the symbols of the Ascension holiday is a ladder. It is associated with the path to heaven, which Jesus Christ did, and which sooner or later the soul of every believer will make. This path means overcoming death - after earthly life, heavenly life opens up for the soul. This Orthodox holiday, like others, has its own characteristics. The customs and traditions of the Ascension are associated with love, matchmaking, marriage, procreation, strengthening well-being and family ties.

History of the Feast of the Ascension

Jesus passed the test, taking upon himself the sins of the people, thanks to which he saved the souls of men from darkness. Christ overcame death after torment and ascended to heaven, giving all sinners the opportunity to atone for sins after death in order to go to heaven.

People are grateful to Jesus Christ for his deed, so on the eve of the holiday there is an all-night service, where stichera dedicated to this event are sung. In addition, signs and rituals are important on the Ascension of the Lord, so they were remembered and honored.

Signs and customs for Ascension

On this day, it is customary to remember deceased relatives by visiting their graves. The fact is that it was believed that, starting from Easter and ending with Ascension, the doors of hell and paradise open, so in these forty days sinners can meet with the righteous to have fun together.

On Ascension, they bake pies with potatoes, green onions and eggs, mushrooms and cabbage and visit each other.

Relatives and close acquaintances were given a pie stuffed with green onions, decorating it with crossbars in the form of a ladder. This is a symbol of the way to heaven, that is, spiritual rebirth. Such a gift wished happiness and joy.

In order to have a good harvest, rye bread-ladders were carried to the field, which were crumbled there. They were also worn at the cemetery - they were "gifted" to deceased relatives. It's good that the birds eat them.

The girls baked pancakes and treated the guys to get their attention.

There was also such a maiden rite - to weave birch twigs into braids. If they do not wither before Trinity, it means that they will get married this year, but if they deteriorate, alas, you should not expect a wedding in the near future.

They collected dew for the Ascension of the Lord. It was considered healing - they gave it to the sick to drink, and also wiped wounds and cuts with it.

If it rained that day, it was necessary to stand under it so that the braid would grow long and thick.

Children born on this day were considered lucky - they will be accompanied by good luck and joy all their lives.

In order to have money in the house, on Ascension they were “planted” under a tree - these can be small coins and paper bills - the result will be positive in any case. If it rains that day, then it should be expected on Trinity. If it is dry, then six weeks is not worth waiting for rain.

It is a bad omen if on this day a crow croaks under the window - to bad news, but if a dove cooes - to a love date.

Mothers of marriageable daughters baked bread on this day and crumbled it in different directions so that the groom would come from all sides for their daughter, and she could choose a worthy one.

If the spouses could not conceive a child in any way, then on the Ascension of the Lord they had to defend the morning service, leave the temple without talking to anyone until they came home to try to fulfill their desire there. Usually a woman finds out quickly that she is pregnant.

On the Ascension of the Lord, the girls wove wreaths of dandelions so that the sun would love and give health.

Today it was possible to make a cherished wish, write it on a piece of paper, it will certainly come true if you put the paper in your own baked bread, which you take to the temple.

If you cut yourself on this day, then you need to say three times: “Forgive me, Lord!” and the bleeding will stop quickly.

Guys who were in love with some girl could bring her a bouquet of herbs and wild flowers today, put it under the threshold of her house. There was a belief that if she smelled it, she would fall in love with the donor.

What not to do in Ascension

On the Ascension of the Lord, as well as on the Annunciation (April 7), you can not do any work around the house, garden, orchard. You can’t greet people with the words “Christ is Risen!”, since forty days have already passed since Easter.

You should not lend to anyone on this day - there is a big risk that they will not give you money back. If you are asking for a loan, ask to come for money the next day.

Whoever quarrels at the Ascension - that year will remember the offense. On this holiday, it is better not to sort things out with anyone, and even in your thoughts not to allow anything like that. which could provoke a quarrel.

The Ascension of the Lord is a great Christian holiday, with which some rites for good luck and wealth are associated among the people. On this day, you can make interesting conspiracies to move up the career ladder.

The Ascension of the Lord takes place on the fortieth day after Holy Pascha, therefore it always falls on a Thursday.

After His Resurrection, for forty days the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to the apostles more than once, teaching them the basics of building the Church and spreading the true faith. On the fortieth day, when the last such manifestation took place, the Lord, having given the disciples a promise that the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Holy Trinity, would soon be sent down to the world, led the disciples from Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives on the road to Bethany and, blessing them, began to ascend into heaven, “and a cloud took him out of their sight."

The Ascension ended the earthly ministry of the incarnated God the Son. Having conquered death, thus giving every person the opportunity to resurrect in glory, He did something even more – He raised human nature in His Person to the Throne of God the Father, to the mountain dwellings, thus preparing the human nature to receive the Holy Spirit, which He promised to send to His people from the Father.

Traditions

The Feast of the Ascension of the Lord is one of the 12 most important church holidays for Christians. It is celebrated on the 40th day after Easter. Forty days - from Easter to Ascension - the Slavs considered the time of "open gates of heaven and hell", a time when sinners do not suffer in Hell, and the righteous can walk on earth. That is why during this period, and especially on this holiday, customs demanded that great attention be paid to the poor and “passable” ones: according to legend, Christ himself wandered along dusty roads on this holiday in the guise of a homeless man, watching how ordinary people live, punishing sinners - greedy rich, and welcoming the righteous - people pure in heart and soul.

• On this holiday, in some areas it was customary to put a bowl of food for the beggars at the doorstep in the evening, in some - to put a coin on the window casing from the side of the street. It was obligatory to give alms to the poor and to contribute money for the needs of churches and temples,
• It was forbidden to throw rubbish out of the hut into the street and spit, except in one's own yard. It was believed that it was possible to accidentally fall into Christ, bypassing the earth,
• Baking was considered obligatory - shortbread-ladders. Strips-sticks of rye, unleavened or yeast dough were laid out on a baking sheet in the form of simple ladders. Then it was necessary to treat the “pure soul” with baking - a child, a poor, holy fool. Such bread helped the righteous to rise to heaven - pastries - "ladder" served as steps on the way to paradise.
• These days, they baked special pancakes - “baptiki”, “baptochki”. It was believed that the Lord walks along dusty roads in ordinary shoes, and fresh "bast shoes" were supposed to make his way easier. Lapotkas were treated to all households, generously shared with the "wandering people" - travelers, pilgrims.

Signs

• If the weather was good on the Ascension of the Lord, then this will last until St. Michael's Day (November 21).
• The rain foreshadowed disease and crop failure.
• Fortune-telling was also arranged on this day. The girls braided several branches of birch into braids. And, if the branches did not wither ten days before the Trinity, then this year a wedding was expected.
• Dew on this day is considered healing, and herbs enhance and retain their healing properties until the onset of Ivan Kupala (July 7).

Rites

• To attract prosperity on the day of the holiday, you must try to hear the crackling of the magpie. Hearing this bird chatting, I must say, a conspiracy and ask her to collect good and jewelry, but carry them not to her nest, but to your house.
• In order for good luck to accompany you during the year, you need to hear the song of the crow. And under this song, ask that it’s not trouble that is called out, but good luck, so that during the year you and your family do not hear a sad song, but under every croak of a crow, so that a good event happens in life.
• To move up the career ladder, there is no better time to conspire than the Ascension Day. The fact is that traditionally on this day the peasants baked cookies in the form of a ladder with steps. This is a ritual cookie and will help build a career. You must independently bake such ladders according to any recipe and eat before sunset. At the same time, be sure to drink pastries with water consecrated in the church. It is believed that when such a conspiracy is committed, the career will definitely go up.
• The egg that the hen laid in Ascension also always had magical powers. It was considered a talisman, and he was credited with magical abilities to ward off misfortune from home. The egg must be hidden in the attic or in a secluded place.

Conspiracies

Conspiracies associated with the Ascension contain requests addressed to the Lord. Saying cherished words, you can ask for a harvest, love, happiness. There is a conspiracy for a bread "ladder" for those who dream of a promotion.

Protection of the earth from damage

“Lord, bless my land, Lord, protect it from the machinations of the devil and people, from the attacks of pests and animals, protect it from witchcraft, from theft, from witchcraft, from the evil eye, from damage, from lessons, from prize-winners, from reproaches, from envy , from praise. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen".

Conspiracy on the bread ladder

True Christ, King of Heaven,

Rising in His glory.

Lord, I sing to You

Stepping on the ladder of glory

that brought you

To the throne of the Kingdom of Heaven.

God bless this bread.

Who will eat this bread, Who will drink it with holy water,

That Your patronage

Find it everywhere.

Fate will not offend that person,

Judge won't judge

The cunning will not cheat

Fast will not run around

Every door will be opened to him

Every head will bow to him.

King David himself helps me,

He blesses my stairs

Michael the Archangel confirms my words.

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

When the charmed "ladder" is ready, eat it.

For crops

“As a birch tree grows, so do you, my crops, grow, pour juice, know the life-giving water and the sun. Exactly!"

A conspiracy from the bad to the Ascension of the Lord

A conspiracy to get rid of a bad past, unnecessary; from the obstacles that hinder your life.

On Ascension, visit the church and light a candle to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. After that, in a whisper or you can just use your heart, pronounce the words of the conspiracy:

“Jesus, our Savior, as You got rid of worldly fuss, ascended into heaven, so help me, a sinner (oh) in the past, leave all troubles and problems in order to come to you with a pure heart and bright thoughts!

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Amen"

Bell ringing has magical power in Ascension.

If you accidentally hear the ringing of a church bell, then cross yourself three times and say a conspiracy to yourself:

“Heard the bell (a), became happy (a), drove away failures (a), took luck (a).

The Lord is my witness!

Amen".

What can be done

• Honor the memory of ancestors. Pray, praising Jesus and his Father (you can send your prayers to Heaven not only in the temple, but also at home).
• Stay with your family. Think good.
  To help all suffering people (the holy fool, the poor, the crippled, the defective).
• Build optimistic forecasts for the future.
• Please your relatives with gifts.
• Ask Christ for the fulfillment of cherished desires through sincere prayers. It is believed that on this day Jesus is available to absolutely all people.

What Not to Do

In order for Jesus to be merciful, always and in everything to help, protecting your family, you need to properly spend the holiday:

• Do not slander;
• Do not ignore the opportunity to do charity work, helping the disadvantaged and the poor;
• Do not swear and do not sort things out with anyone;
  not doing certain housework. This refers to washing and ironing clothes, sweeping and washing floors, collecting dust, erecting outbuildings and wells, mending and sewing clothes;
• Don't gossip;
• Do not pronounce the phrases “Christ is Risen” and “Truly Risen”, since on the day of the Ascension the Shroud is taken out of the temples;
• Don't blaspheme;
• Do not allow negative thoughts and do not fall into despair.

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Congratulations

Congratulations to all believers on the Ascension of the Lord! May light and joy illuminate us on this day, may faith in the future salvation shelter us from adversity and help us not to lose hope even in the darkest hour. Happy holiday! And may the soul always be light and sunny from faith and love for God.
***
So the calendar counted 40 days from Easter and the Holy Feast of the Ascension of the Lord came. Today I would like to wish all Christians strengthening of faith, humility, remission of sins. May every step you take be directed only towards good, and may God protect and protect you from wrong decisions.
***
On the day of the Ascension of the Lord, with all my heart I wish to sincerely repent of all the atrocities and sins committed, to begin a bright and kind path to the good and happiness of the soul, to cover close and dear people with my love, to accomplish a great feat every day, never to lose faith in the Lord and hope for better.
***
Today is an important religious holiday - the Ascension of the Lord. This event - the ascension of Christ to heaven - shows us how a person, in accordance with his nature and essence, overcomes death and acquires the immortality of the soul. Earth is our temporary shelter, and Heaven is an eternal home where truth, goodness and beauty reign. Happy Holidays Orthodox Christians!
***
On a big holiday - the Ascension of the Lord, I wish you faith, unquenchable hope for the best and pure spirituality. Let the example of Jesus light your path, make it truly righteous and reward you with love. Strive to be better, no matter the cost!
***
Dear friend! Be happy on this feast of the Ascension of the Lord, may your thoughts become even purer, and your soul brighter. On this day, turn your eyes to him and remember Jesus Christ, our Father, the Lord, who protects and guides us. Fold your hands in prayer and ask for the health of your loved ones, and I will pray with you.
***
We congratulate you on a bright holiday, we wish you peace and harmony in your soul, health to you and your household, strength of spirit and God's blessing on all good deeds.
***
Ascension of the Lord
The news is wonderful.
Let it be with joy today
The sky will give you everything:

May happiness be with you
Increasing grace,
To all sorts of bad weather
Bypass you forever!
***
Congratulations on the Ascension of the Lord,
May your soul soar with happiness.
I wish you deliverance
From illness, grief and resentment.

May a miracle happen to you
And eyes glow with health.
Everything bad will disappear completely
And the heavens hearken to prayers.
***
Ascension of the Lord on the threshold -
A day of unfading hope and miracles.
Let your sorrows and worries disappear,
And prayers will reach heaven.

Let life flow mercifully and brightly,
Knowing no trouble, no offense.
Let fate hide gifts in itself
And let happiness shine in your eyes.
***
On the great day of the holy Ascension
The sky rejoices, the people celebrate.
May the truth of the divine Genius
It will bring you pure bliss.

May your joy be endless
And life is without sins and without evil.
On the day of the triumph of great eternal life
May there be a lot of happiness and warmth!
***
Joyful Sunny Ascension Day
May it bring you good news.
May your heart find salvation
Fate will become bright and pretty.

May you always, as your heart desires,
Good happiness is fulfilled a hundred times.
And do not yearn, and do not grieve,
Only good things come true in life.
***
The holiday is so big today
Giving love to souls -
Ascension of the Lord
It brought us joy again.

May it give you happiness
Celebration for many years
And health, and participation,
And a great light of hope!
***
Ascension with your light
Let it warm you, strengthen you.
Be in harmony with your God,
He alone will protect you!

Also, I would like to wish
You wisdom and kindness,
Fill your soul with peace
Live without sorrows and fuss!
***
Today is Ascension
May happiness come to you!
Anxiety and doubt
Let it go forever.

May our true Lord
Will help you in everything
Live only in thoughts
You are clean about it!
***
He ascended to heaven
To protect people!
I wish in Ascension -
you devoted friends,

So that lies from your life
Disappeared forever
And so that faith in the heart
Stayed for a year!
***
I congratulate you on the Ascension,
Today I praise the Lord
I'm always ready to do it -
After all, He is the only one in the world.

The essence of the Ascension is reminiscent of the joyful gospel event. The resurrected Jesus Christ spent 40 days on earth, communicating with his disciples. After 40 days, Christ finished his earthly ministry and ascended to Heaven to His Father.

The Lord led His disciples to the Mount of Olives, where He blessed them for a righteous life and the creation of His Church on earth. On the top of the mountain, Jesus Christ began to ascend to Heaven.

Jesus Christ has both Divine and Human nature, therefore, with his Ascension, sanctify human flesh as well. Since that moment, mankind has been above the angels, cherubs and seraphim. The ascension of people is measured by their spirituality, faith and involvement in Jesus Christ.

According to the gospel teaching, it was on this day that the last meeting of the Savior with his disciples, after which Jesus Christ ascended into heaven. This was a sign to the apostles that Christ would no longer be seen on earth in bodily form.

Ascension is another holiday that symbolizes the Lord's victory over death and sin.

The popular name of the holiday was - "Ushestie". And the Ascension of Jesus Christ to the mountain cloisters was interpreted by the people's consciousness as follows: "Before the Ascension, Christ with his disciples walks the earth, and in the Ascension, the Risen Christ flies away."

Traditions have survived to this day, how the “departure” of Christ takes place. During mass on the day of the Ascension, the heavens open above the church domes, and a staircase descends, along it descends down to earth, all the heavenly host (angels and archangels), who, having descended to earth, stop in anticipation of Christ.

And then, with the first strike of the church bell, they all ascend to heaven together. True, as the ancestors claimed, it was given to see only the righteous.

Ascension customs, rituals and traditions

On Ascension there is a unique opportunity to turn to God and ask for the fulfillment of a cherished desire. People believe that the Lord hears everyone. But do not ask for wealth - the request will be ignored. The exception is cases when money is needed for treatment or if need really overcomes. Then you will get exactly what you need.

According to popular beliefs, everything you ask for in prayer today will surely come true. This sign is connected with the fact that on this day Jesus Christ directly communicated with people before ascending to heaven.

It is believed that an egg laid by a chicken on Ascension will take away all troubles and misfortunes from the house. Of course, urban residents will not be interested in such a sign. But she is well known to the villagers. If someone has a chicken laid that day, the egg is not eaten. Above it, you need to read any conspiracy from the enemies, then hide the egg in the attic. They believe that after this rite no one can harm you. Even if the enemies turn to the witch for help, her efforts will be in vain.

open the door to happiness

In ancient times, peasants were especially afraid to take on any work on this day. The people believed that "for this sin, the hail will knock out the sown fields." At the very least, it’s definitely not worth sowing peas today - it will disappear anyway, “it will beat you with hail”.

Remembrance of deceased ancestors: They begin to commemorate the dead from the Red Hill holiday, then to Radonitsa, but on Ascension, you must definitely remember your parents, grandparents, who are already in another world, preparing pancakes and boiled or fried eggs for them. They were either eaten early in the morning in the house at the table, or in the field, when they rested during land work, as their active period was going on.

In memory Ascension of the Lord they baked large oblong pies, the upper crust of which was laid out across the crossbars (no more than seven, since it was believed that there were seven heavens). These pies were brought to the church, and prayers were performed over them, after which one part of them was given to the parable, and the other to the poor. These pies were called ladders, ladders, ladders.

In Russia, the heyday of spring and its transition to summer began precisely on Ascension Day. In the evening on this day, a large fire was traditionally kindled, symbolizing the flowering of young nature. Residents of cities and villages led dances - "spikelet" and round dances.

In the morning on Ascension, Mother-Cheese-Earth cries with abundant dew for the guest-Christ departing from her. This "Ascension" dew is endowed with great healing power, capable of curing various ailments. Drops of morning dew were collected by healers. They whispered the cherished words over the drops of "Ascension" dew, then it acquired its miraculous properties. “If you know such a cherished word and whisper it over the Ascension dew, and give it to a sick person to drink, everything is dashing as if by hand!” - says common folk wisdom that knows all sorts of words.

The girls washed themselves with this dew in order to become beautiful and get married as soon as possible.

If the day is rainy, the summer will be wet. If the sunrise is crimson, summer is expected with thunderstorms.

Heavy rain on Ascension portends crop failure and disease, especially in livestock. If this sign is destined to come true, then after the Ascension, good weather will be established and will last until the day of St. Michael.

"A collection of prayers for every need" open the door to happiness

On this holiday, special rituals can be performed that help the good growth of everything that has already been planted in the fields and gardens.
One of the most common rituals is to visit one's landings and arrange ritual meals. If you have your own site, then be sure to go to it, taking with you a birch twig tied with bright ribbons. Stick a branch in the middle of the garden, saying: “As a birch tree grows, so do you, my crops, grow, pour juice, know life-giving water and the sun. Exactly!"
So that your back does not hurt while working in the garden or on the plot, you need to touch the ground and say 3 times a conspiracy: “How light is the mother earth, how high is her power-silushka, so it’s easy for me to deal with her, my body will get drunk with the power of her . May it be so!"

On this day, many rituals were performed in order to increase the fertility of the fields. In the villages there were prayers in which they asked God for the welfare of the people. Many of them passed by the rye field. At the end of the prayer service, the girls and women each went to their own field to “see Christ off”. There they ate eggs, pancakes, and pancakes, which they called "Onuchi Christ."

Then they threw up a loaf-ladder, saying: “Horn, horn, grab Christ by the legs!” The meaning of this proverb is that the rye grows taller. In some places, the girls rolled on the grass with the words: "Grow grass to the forest, and rye to the barn." By performing these magical actions, the peasant women hoped for a good harvest of rye, for a full ear and a tall stem.

On Ascension, they baked pies with green onions, with the first spring "vegetable garden". In some places, Trinity rites began with the Ascension. On this day, a birch was curled, saying: “It will not wither until the Trinity - the one to whom it is curled will live for a whole year, and the girl will marry before the year.”

The night before the Ascension is a nightingale, the nightingales sing louder and louder than the rest of the time. On this night, catching nightingales was considered a great sin: whoever catches it will not have good luck all year. Ascension was considered the full bloom of spring, its transition to summer: “By Ascension Day, all spring flowers bloom”, “Spring bloom before Ascension”. In the villages they used to say: “The Ascension Day will come, the spring will throw off - red laziness, it will turn around in the summer, pretend to be, it will start working in the field.” They noted: if the weather is fine on Ascension, then there will be a harvest. And if the Ascension is with rain, then on the day of Elijah the Prophet, one must expect a thunderstorm.

From the Feast of the Ascension, a short break in spring work began - until the Trinity.

How to celebrate the Ascension of the Lord

On this day, we must try to stop for a moment and remember about faith, truth and goodness. Modern man is in constant motion and there is practically no free moment to think about eternity and about God. Great church holidays serve to stop and think.

Conspiracies for the Ascension of the Lord

- On this day, Jesus Christ, going to heaven, talked with people, listened to their requests, fulfilled their desires. Therefore, even today you can ask for help, even monetary, if you urgently need material benefits for treatment or for other important needs - you have a large family and do not have enough money to live on, or you are begging and would like to get out of this situation.

To do this, before going to bed, turn to God with the words: “Jesus, help me, take my request to the Lord God. He will listen to you and think of me. Will give a blessing for a good birth. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit." After that, you need to lie down in a fresh bed and read the prayer “Our Father”, then wash yourself early in the morning and go to church, where you light a candle for your health. Believe me, very soon your request will be granted, of course, if you were sincere and pure in your thoughts.

"A collection of prayers for every need" open the door to happiness

Also in Ascension you can spend rite to protect the earth from damage and the evil eye. To do this, bury the shell from the Easter egg in the corners of your site, saying aloud 3 times a conspiracy: “Lord, bless my land, Lord, protect it from the machinations of the devil and people, from the attacks of pests and animals, protect it from witchcraft, from theft, from witchcraft, from the evil eye, from damage, from lessons, from prize-winners, from reproaches, from envy , from praise. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy
Spirit. Amen"

A conspiracy from the bad to the Ascension of the Lord

A conspiracy to get rid of a bad past, unnecessary; from the obstacles that hinder your life.

On Ascension, visit the church and light a candle to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. After that, in a whisper or you can just use your heart, pronounce the words of the conspiracy:

“Jesus, our Savior, as You got rid of worldly fuss, ascended into heaven, so help me, a sinner (oh) in the past, leave all troubles and problems in order to come to you with a pure heart and bright thoughts! In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen"

Bell ringing has magical power in Ascension.

If you accidentally hear the ringing of a church bell, then cross yourself three times and say a conspiracy to yourself:

“Heard the bell (a), became happy (a), drove away failures (a), took luck (a). The Lord is my witness! Amen".

If you live far from the temple, then you can simply ring the little bell yourself, saying the following words of the conspiracy:

“With a bell song, with a bell ringing, I convene the Angels, I invite the Archangels. You, holy servants, deliverers from troubles, shelter me, take me under guardianship. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen".

RITE FOR THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD, FOR PROMOTION ON THE SERVICE LADDER

Anyone who passionately desired promotion, came to the Ascension to the healer, who took a fee from the visitor and gave him in return a charmed “ladder” baked from dough.
I will teach you how to prepare such a "ladder" and what plot you need to read over it. Who knows, if not you, then maybe your children will find it useful. Below are two options, choose the one you like best (their recipe is very similar, but the spelling words are different).

Attention! This is only your "ladder" and do not give it to others! If members of your family ate it by accident - please, but do not specifically feed them with this charmed goodies.

Option 1.
Hazelnuts - 120 g, flour - 1½ cups, crushed sugar or powdered sugar - ½ cup, egg - 1 pc., juice of 1/4 lemon, vanillin - to taste, holy water.
Mix the toasted ground nuts with vanilla, flour, sugar and egg yolk. Add holy water, but so that the dough is not very steep. Knead it and roll out a layer 1–1.5 cm thick. Then cut the layer into strips, which are laid on a baking sheet sprinkled with flour, so that a “ladder” is obtained from them. Lubricate the "ladder" with glaze and bake until cooked.
When you knead the dough, read this plot:

True Christ, King of Heaven,
Rising in His glory.
Lord, I sing to You
Stepping on the ladder of glory
that brought you
To the throne of the Kingdom of Heaven.
God bless this bread.
Who will eat this bread
Who will drink it with holy water,
That Your patronage
Find it everywhere.
Fate will not offend that person,
Judge won't judge
The cunning will not cheat
Fast will not run around
Every door will be opened to him
Every head will bow to him.
King David himself helps me,
He blesses my stairs
Michael the Archangel confirms my words.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.
When the charmed "ladder" is ready, eat it with holy water.

Option 2. The recipe for a "bread" ladder, which gave good luck and career success.

To prepare it, you need to prepare such a dough: flour - one and a half glasses, half a glass of sugar or powdered sugar, nuts - a quarter of a glass, one egg and lemon juice - 2 tbsp. spoons, vanillin - to taste and consecrated water. The nuts must be ground and fried, mixed with vanilla, sugar, yolk and flour, pour in so much holy water to make a not very tough dough, knead and roll out the layer 1.5 cm thick. Then it must be cut into strips and put on a baking sheet, pre-dusted with flour: you should get a ladder. It must be smeared with glaze and baked in the oven at a temperature of 200 degrees until cooked.

However, I would like to note that during the kneading of the dough it is necessary to say the following conspiracy: "In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, strengthen and mold the dough, and you, Lord, bless and give me happiness. I am waiting for your patronage, and my submission to you. Give me happiness and health, so that there is a bright share. Now and forever and forever and ever. Amen".

When the ladder is ready, you can eat it - you will succeed.

These cookies should be eaten before sunset. Do not tell anyone about the ritual - neither your own nor someone else's.

Prayer to the Ascension of the Lord

Lord Jesus Christ, our God, who descended from the heavenly heights for our salvation and nourished us with spiritual joy on the holy and bright days of Your Resurrection, and again, after completing Your earthly ministry, ascended from us to heaven with glory and sat at the right hand of God and the Father!

On this “clear and all-bright day of the Divine ascension to heaven” of Thy “the earth celebrates and rejoices, the sky also rejoices in the Ascension of the Creator of creation today”, people praise unceasingly, seeingly erring and fallen nature on Thy frame, Savior, earthly and ascended to heaven, The angels rejoice, saying:

The Ascension of the Lord is one of the main church holidays, celebrated annually on the fortieth day after Easter, which always falls on Thursday and in 2018 falls on May 17.

The Church on this day remembers the gospel events associated with the last moment of Jesus' stay on earth after his Holy Resurrection - at this time the Savior completes the work for which he came to earth and ascends to his Father.

history of the holiday

According to the gospel tradition, the history of the Feast of the Ascension begins from the moment when the Lord ascended to heaven, showing people the way to the future resurrection. But why didn't Christ disappear after saying goodbye to the apostles, didn't melt into a cloud, but commanded the disciples to go out to the Mount of Olives and see him return to heaven?

The disciples forgot about earthly affairs and problems and looked with delight into the sky at the Savior. They rejoiced in His return to the Father. Therefore, the Ascension does not symbolize the departure or termination of relationships, it is a call for a personal, humble ascent to God, following Christ, into His Kingdom! This is the meaning and joy of this great holiday.

Since ancient times, there has been a tradition of baking juicy and special rye pancakes with filling called “Christ on the path” for a festive dinner. In finished form, they resembled peasant shoes, which is why they were also called “God's wrapping”, “onuchki”, “bast shoes”. The Orthodox believed that during the 40 days of his stay on earth, Jesus wore out his shoes, so a new thing was baked for him.

The Ascension of the Lord is considered a memorial day. On this day, our grandmothers baked funeral bread-ladders from three types of dough: rye, unleavened or yeast. These loaves were brought to the church, to the cemetery and distributed to those in need.

Our ancestors believed that on Ascension Christ walks the earth in beggarly clothes. Therefore, on this day, you need to give generous alms and not turn away from the poor.

The main folk signs of the weather associated with the feast of the Ascension of the Lord

For example, the main folk signs on the Ascension of the Lord about the weather are associated with rain. It is believed that if it rains on this holiday, then you should not expect a good harvest. Heavy rain with a thunderstorm predicts a cold summer, and a fine "blind" rain predicts a mushroom autumn. But the beautiful rainbow on the Ascension is a favorable sign that promises prosperity and well-being to all Orthodox.

Signs sacred with the Ascension of the Lord

Our ancestors believed that if a chicken laid an egg on that day, it should be hung under the roof of the house and it would protect the inhabitants from troubles and misfortunes.

If the holiday turned out to be rainy, there will be many diseases in livestock and crop failure.

If you swim in the river that day, your health will be strong.

Hearing the croak of a crow is a good sign.

If you hear the chirping of a magpie, this is for money, but you need to pronounce a special conspiracy so that it brings good to the house.

Beliefs in the Ascension of the Lord

On Ascension, birch branches were woven to find out the fate of a sick person. Several of them were braided, and there are 10 days before the Trinity, the branches are alive and do not wither, then the hidden person will get better, if not, you should prepare for the worst.

In the same way, the girls guessed at the future marriage.

In the old days, a fire was kindled on Ascension in the evening, which symbolized the onset of the passage and the flowering of nature. They led a “spikelet” or round dances, the first “cumenia” at green Christmas time.

Dew on this day was considered healing, and the healing properties of herbs were enhanced and preserved until the onset of Ivan Kupala (the night of July 6-7).

In the forty days between Easter and Ascension, the poor and sick people were especially revered. It was forbidden to throw garbage and spit on the street, because "you can fall into Christ, come to houses under the guise of beggars."