When is the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin. Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary: history, traditions and signs of the holiday

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The feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a very important event in the Orthodox Church. We celebrated this holiday for a week. They prepared a variety of dishes, cleaned the house, waiting for the arrival of dear guests. The work on the land plots was completed, so you could afford to have a good rest.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin

The Holy Scripture does not mention the birth and life of the Virgin Mary. We learn about her life path from the words of believers, who were passed down from generation to generation. It is from the sacred records that we discover the secrets of the birth of a woman who went through many torments, faithfully served God and gave all of herself for the birth and upbringing of the son of God and the savior of all mankind.

The parents of the Virgin Mary were deeply religious, humble and merciful people. Father - Joachim was of royal origin, and mother - Anna, was brought up in the family of a clergyman, deeply honored all religious traditions, customs and rituals. Parents strictly adhered to the basic commandments of God and often brought gifts to the church.

Despite this, for a long time, they could not have children, which at that time was considered a huge sin, bearing their heavy life cross until a respectable age, never tired of asking God for mercy on their sinful souls.

The father, once again, having come to the temple of God, and having made a sacrifice, was expelled by the clergyman as a childless person. He felt peace and a sincere desire to turn to God with a sincere prayer for a desired, long-awaited child.

Secluded, he tirelessly called out to the Creator of the World, his prayers were so pure and intimate that they were immediately heard, and as a reward for devotional service, he became the chosen one from all people living on Earth, to give birth to a daughter who will save the whole world.

Joachim and Anna made a promise to fulfill the will of the Creator and raise the child, in all the strictness of religious rites, knowing about her mission and destiny on Earth - to become the Mother of the Savior of mankind.

The Orthodox Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos marked the beginning of a new period in the life of all people on Earth.

Icon "Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary"

The life path of the Mother of God was not easy, she experienced a lot of grief, suffering and torment, seeing how the only, beloved son crucified on Christ, in whom she invested all her knowledge, soul and heart, dies. Not many people can stand this.

Having worthily passed all the trials of life, she did not regret for a moment that she devoted her whole life to God. She treated all people with love and always prayed for the remission of their sins and the granting of God's mercy and forgiveness. With her righteousness, life aspirations and wisdom, as well as her unshakable desire to give herself entirely to the service of God, this woman became the protector of all people living on Earth.

One of the basic life truths of all mankind is the birth of healthy, happy children - the successors of the family. But not every young family is given the opportunity to have children, so many turn to the icon of the Birth of the Mother of God with prayers, with requests for the birth of a new life. After all, conception itself is a miracle that happened to the mother of the Virgin Mary.

The main thing is not to lose hope and believe in the miracles of the Lord. It is on this Great Holiday that young girls pray for the creation of a new family and the opportunity to have healthy children, mothers - for the health of their children, for the healing of relatives and friends from ailments and diseases.

On the Icon of the Birth of the Most Holy Theotokos, the moment of the birth of the future mother of Jesus Christ is depicted. All those who pray before this icon for the salvation of a sinful soul and repentance for violating the Commandments of God are granted forgiveness.

In Orthodoxy, in honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, the following icons were created:

• The clay icon of the Birth of the Mother of God is known for its miraculous properties, which healed many lost souls. It helps women recover from gynecological diseases and infertility;
• St. Isaac's Icon of the Birth of the Mother of God - was seen by people between the branches of a weeping willow, on the banks of the river. The inhabitants of the nearby village moved it to the temple, and over time, in the place where they found it, they built a new temple, which still exists today. She was the protector of babies and small children;
• The Lukian Icon of the Birth of the Mother of God is named after the monk Lucian, who first saw it, built a new church and created a monastery on this site. It is famous for its miraculous, healing qualities and protects against infantile ailments.

Here is the text of the prayer:

“Hey, our Tsaritsa Preblagaya, Our hope is indestructible and the Intercessor is invincible! Do not turn Your face away from us, for the multitude of our transgressions; but stretch out to us the hand of Thy motherly mercy, and work with us a sign for good. Show us Your rich help and prosper in every good deed; turn us away from every sinful undertaking and the evil mind.”

Service of the Nativity of the Virgin

September 21 The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a great Orthodox holiday for all believers. They prepare for it very carefully, adhering to all church rites and canons.

The service in the church begins before sunrise, all women light candles and write requests, placing them near the icon. During the service, they sincerely pray and ask for health for children and loved ones, harmony in family relationships, well-being in the family, a cure for many ailments and the opportunity to give birth to a healthy child.

It was considered for granted that on this day to help the vulnerable segments of the population by distributing food (bread and pastries baked in advance, various types of cereals, vegetables and fruits grown by one's own hands).

There are many signs that are passed down from generation to generation:

• Before this holiday, practically on all land plots they tried to harvest the entire grown crop, thus ending the agricultural season;
• Our ancestors noticed that if a woman has time to swim before the first rays of the sun, then beauty will not leave her until old age;
• On the day of the Nativity of the Virgin , girls prepared for weddings, read prayers for a future happy family life, for the birth of healthy first-born children and glorified the Most Holy Theotokos;
• The newlyweds met relatives: the young wife tried to show her best culinary dishes, and her husband showed the animals grown throughout the year.

The Lord is always with you!

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which believers celebrate on September 21, is one of the most revered days of memory in Christianity. It is declared a holiday and timed to coincide with the birthday of the Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary. Among the people this day is also known as Oseniny, Aspasov's day, Spozhka, Pasikov's day.

1771-1773 Francisco Goya. Birth of the Mother of God. Fresco

The meaning of the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Blessed Virgin Mary was born at a time when the moral decline of mankind reached its lowest limits and the need for the correction of the faith was proclaimed more and more loudly by the best minds of mankind. As a result, the Virgin Mary was chosen by the Savior worthy to become the Mother of God and incarnate the Son of God in the guise of human nature.

The Nativity of the Mother of God brought mankind closer to the Kingdom of God on earth, the knowledge of virtue and immortal life, and the Most Holy One herself is not only the Mother of the Lord, but also the merciful Intercessor of believers.

Church of the Nativity of the Virgin in Chkalovsk, Russia

Nativity of the Virgin - date of celebration

For different areas of Christianity, the dates of the celebration are different, which is associated with the use of different calendars. The Orthodox celebrate the Nativity of the Virgin on September 21st. Catholics and Anglicans celebrate the Mother of God day on September 8th. Accordingly, the day of Conception is celebrated on December 22 and 9, that is, the difference between these celebrations is exactly 9 months.

It is worth noting that in some sources there is information that Mary was born without a father ahead of schedule, 7 months after conception, but this version is not considered correct, since it has no evidence.

Most other churches also celebrate the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on September 8, but some rites differ in the shift of the date. For example, for Coptic Christians it is May 9th.

Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin in the town of Kozelets, Chernihiv region, Ukraine

History of the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Blessed Virgin Mary is known as the mother of Jesus Christ. In addition, she is the patroness of children, women in childbirth and marriageable girls. Her image can often be found both in Orthodox religious art and Catholic. In some cases, her popularity surpasses all other saints, including Jesus Christ. This is due to the fact that the image of St. Mary is more understandable to the people. She is considered an intercessor of people, a deliverer from grief and sorrow, a healer and helper.

On the day of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, her birth is celebrated. And although there is practically no information about this event, the scriptures still contain some information that indicates that a great event was sent down from above.

Mary's parents are the righteous Joachim of Nazareth in Galilee and Anna and Bethlehem. They were married for 20 years, but were barren, and therefore did not know true happiness. Internal experiences due to the lack of descendants and the condemnation of people forced Joachim to leave the desert, where he prayed for 40 days and nights. His wife, Anna, also asked the Lord to grant her and her husband a child. Finally, God heard their prayers and sent angels who informed them of the upcoming joy: Anna would conceive a child and give birth to a daughter, Mary.

Arriving in Jerusalem, Joachim and Anna met at the Golden Gate, which became a symbol of the Immaculate Conception. This day is also celebrated in Christianity. When a daughter was born, happy parents gave her the name that the Lord indicated - Mary. They also made a vow that they would give the child to the service of the Almighty. The family found peace and happiness, and Mary's birthday later became a great Christian holiday.

Establishment of a holiday

When the feast of the birth of the Virgin was first established is not known for certain. However, there are references to it as early as the 5th century, although there is no true evidence for this. That is why the period of the introduction of the holiday is considered to be the beginning of the VI century, which is associated with the Cathedral of Ephesus. It originated in the Greek Church and then spread to Rome and other areas. The birth of the Mother of God is mentioned in hymns dating from 536-556.

Until the 12th-13th centuries, only single references to celebrations in honor of the Nativity of the Virgin were found in Western sources of the Latin rite. This day was included in the rank of obligatory church holidays only after the Council of Lyons in 1245. Today, for the Latin rite, this day is one of the most important Christian celebrations with obligatory fasting and special services.

How Christmas is celebrated

Dishes for the holiday. Wednesday and Friday are fast days all year round. If the feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God falls on one of these days of the week, then meat dishes are prohibited - fish, mushroom, vegetable and fruit dishes are served. If the holiday does not fall on Wednesday or Friday, then they prepare a plentiful feast and serve everything. Mistresses bake all kinds of loaves, pies -,; pies - for example - and treat them to household members and guests of their home.

Another feature of this day is that the housewives prepared small ones with the letters R.B., distributed them to their loved ones and used them to treat ailments. Dried bread was washed down with holy water to drive away the disease. Simply prayers to the Holy Mother of God can also grant healing, as she brings deliverance from torment and ailments, helps people cope with any misfortune.

Give to the poor. You also need to dress those who ask in order to earn the mercy and patronage of the Holy Mother of God. The crumbs of the festive cake were not thrown away, but collected and treated as a barn in order to protect their household from harm and misfortune, and to give livestock and poultry health and fertility.

Greeting card for the Day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

How do Catholics celebrate?

For Catholics, Holy Mary is a special church image, and therefore the days of the Conception and the Nativity of the Virgin are celebrated solemnly. In churches, a festive service is performed, in particular, the troparion "Your Nativity, Virgin Mother of God", which is also included in the program of worship for Orthodox Christians, is sung. People offer prayers to Mary and the Lord, ask for well-being for their family, deliverance from grief, commemorate the dead, rejoice at the birth of the Virgin.

folk traditions

What to do on holiday. On this holiday, believers are required to observe the purity of their souls, pray and fast, do good, help with the word and warmth of their souls. help your neighbor with a word and warmth of the soul.

According to folk traditions, women were supposed to celebrate the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin by the water, by a lake or river. According to beliefs, by washing with water before sunrise on this day, women prolong their youth, and the girls bring the wedding closer.

On the day of the Nativity of the Virgin, it is customary to visit or take them at home with a festive cake. Previously, on this holiday, parents and relatives went to the newlyweds to check how they arranged their life and cope with the household. The pie baked by the young wife was tasted by the guests, and if they liked it, she was given a gift. If the dish failed, the husband was given a whip and forced to eat the cake himself.

The newlyweds also went to visit their relatives. They dressed in smart clothes and took special treats with them. Under the belt, the wife tied a ribbon with the letters R.B. to protect herself and her husband from the evil eye. When the ribbon was untied, someone wished them harm.

Another rite of the Theotokos Day is the petition of the Virgin for mercy. To do this, it was necessary to put a candle in the church, on which they put a note with requests. What petitions were affected by the fire, those were heard by St. Mary.

Harvest ends in September. The Virgin Mary is thanked for the generous gift of the land, since the Mother of God is considered the patroness of agriculture and is often identified with mother earth.

What not to do on a holiday. If the holiday falls on Wednesday or Friday, then you can not eat meat and non-lean food.

It is better to give up physical activity, housework, do not quarrel with people around you, do not judge or condemn, avoid quarrels and foul language. You can't drink alcohol.

Folk omens

September 21 is also known as the autumnal equinox. Therefore, on this holiday, you can predict the weather, not only for autumn, but also for winter:

✔ First of all, we watched what the weather was like on a given day. If there was fog in the morning, then rainy autumn should be expected.

✔ They looked at the dew - how snowy the winter will be: the sooner the sun dries the dew drops, the less precipitation should be expected.

✔ On a clear day, there will be a warm, fine autumn, and on a rainy day, a snowy, fierce winter, which should be expected in a month and a half.

✔ Stars can also predict the future. Clear skies and bright stars are a sign that frosts will come early, but snow should not be expected soon.

✔ You could also learn a lot from the behavior of birds on the Mother of God day. For example, if they fly high in the sky, the autumn will be warm and lingering. When the birds gather in groups and search for food near the ground, you need to prepare for frosts and early winter.

The Day of the Nativity of the Most Pure Mother of God is a great holiday for both Orthodox and Christians of the Western Rite. It is celebrated equally solemnly, with thanksgiving and glorifying the Mother of God and the Lord prayers. This day should be devoted to attending church and your family, so that peace and grace reign in the house for the next year.

Anna and her husband Joachim, residents of Jerusalem, had no children for a long time. The couple was righteous, and God had mercy on them - he gave them a daughter. Before her conception, the angel Gabriel came to Joachim and said that the Lord would give them a child, because he had heard their prayers, they would have to name their daughter Mary. The angel said that salvation would be given to the world through her.

The feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated on September 21 in a new style. It is also called the Second Pure One. The holiday also has 1 pre-holiday day and 4 post-holiday days. This is a permanent holiday date, which means the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and other years is celebrated on September 21.

Mary spent the first three years of her life in her parents' home, after which she was sent to the temple according to the vow that Anna and Joachim made to the Lord. There the Blessed Virgin served God, knowing no sin, and therefore she was chosen by Him for the birth of His Son. Having become the Mother of the Savior, she continued to pray for all people, Her soul remained pure and bright.

Customs and Traditions of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

It has long been considered that this is a holiday for all women and mothers. On this day, they thank the Most Holy Theotokos for the possibility of procreation, for the birth of the Son of God by Her.

What prayer to read before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos?

The celebration of the Birth of the Virgin Mary is a gratitude to God for salvation and the opportunity to get rid of sin. Believers, putting on their festive clothes, go to church to sing praises to the Lord, thank Him, pray to the Mother of God, put a candle to Her. On this day, you can contact her with your troubles, requests, anxieties. The appeals made to Her on this holiday will be heard. However, the Mother of God on other days never ignores those who pray to Her, rejoicing that people turn to her. Prayers are read before the icon, asking not only for themselves, but also for others.

Prayer to the Mother of God:

“O Holy Mother of God! Look with mercy on the prayers of us, Thy sinful and humble servants, and implore God, Thy Son, may He grant us and all who flow to You, health of the soul and body and all that is needed for eternal and temporal life, may we forgive any sin of the free and involuntary; may he deliver us from all sorrows and illnesses, and misfortunes, and all evil conditions. To her, our Tsarina Preblagaya, Our hope is indestructible and Intercessor invincible! Do not turn Your face away from us, for the multitude of our transgressions; but stretch out to us the hand of Thy motherly mercy and create with us a sign for good. Show us Your rich help and prosper in every good deed; turn us away from every sinful undertaking and the evil mind, let us glorify Your Most Honorable Name and worship Your honest image, and magnify God the Father, and His Only Begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit with all the saints, forever and ever. Amen"

Make a wish in front of the icon of the Mother of God. How to ask the Mother of God for well-being for your family and yourself?

Women asked the Mother of God for well-being for their home, family members. They placed candles for Her, the bottom of which was wrapped in advance with pieces of paper with written wishes. When the candle burned, they looked at which edge would be burned first - the desire written there would come true. The completely burnt paper meant that the Mother of God had heard all the requests. The best gift for the Most Holy Theotokos is the faith of people, the purity of their souls, the ability to love.

Bread from all diseases for the Nativity of the Virgin

On this holiday, housewives bake bread with the first letters of its name - "The Nativity of the Virgin" for each family member. They were kept until the Nativity of Christ under images. When one of the family members fell ill, they were given bread with holy water, which is consecrated on the feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God. Sometimes, for treatment, they were crushed into holy water and given to drink it.

What can you eat on the feast of the birth of the Virgin?

This day falls on a fast, but you can eat fish on a holiday. Cooked dishes were treated to loved ones and, of course, the poor. Women should give alms in the form of food and money so that God would give them children and family well-being. He punishes women who are begging for alms with barrenness.

Tables on this day are laid generously. It is believed that this is gratitude to nature for giving a rich harvest. They bake pies with different fillings, set the table with gifts of the earth. The holiday is celebrated for a long time - from several days to two weeks, depending on how the harvest was - rich or poor.

Is it possible to get married on the Nativity of the Virgin?

From this holiday begins the wedding season. All the summer things are done, you can devote time to the celebration. Nature begins a new round of its life, which means it's time to start a family.

How to ask the Mother of God for the conception and birth of a child?

On the Nativity of the Mother of God, the childless turn to Her with a prayer, asking for the onset of pregnancy, easy childbirth, and the birth of a healthy baby. They read such a prayer near Her image:

Prayer to the Mother of God for the birth of a baby:

“Oh, Most Pure and Blessed Virgin, asked of God by holy prayers, consecrated to God, beloved by God, and for purity for the sake of your soul and body by the Mother of the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, chosen. Who will not please You or who will not sing of Your glorious Nativity, for Your Birth is the beginning of our salvation. Accept from us, unworthy, praise to you and do not reject our prayer. We confess your greatness, we fall down to You in tenderness and ask the child-loving and merciful Mother quickly in intercession: ask Your Son and our God to give us sinners, sincere repentance and a pious life, and the opportunity to live pleasing to God and our souls useful. O Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of heaven and earth, look graciously on Your servants who have not yet been able to give birth to offspring and, through Your omnipotent intercession, grant them healing from infertility. O Mother of God and the Nourisher of our life, wake us to help and save the faithful children of the Holy Church, hear our prayers, heal the sick, quench sorrow, direct courage for good. Meanwhile, we humbly resort to You and ask: ask the All-Merciful Lord God for forgiveness of all our sins, voluntary and involuntary, for our suffering fatherland, salvation, peace, silence and piety. And everything that is so necessary for our life and salvation, ask us of Your Son, Christ our God. You are our hope at the hour of death, grant us a Christian death, and the inheritance of the eternal and inexpressible blessings of the Kingdom of Heaven. With all the saints, we tirelessly ask you for intercession and glorify the one True God, worshiped in the Holy Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen"

Or this prayer:

Prayer to the Virgin Mary for the birth of a baby:

“O my Most Holy Lady Theotokos, my indestructible hope, accept these prayers with great hope and faith in Your immeasurable mercy, have mercy on the servant of God (name) and grant me healing from my infertility and the opportunity to conceive a child from my husband”

How to charge your home with good luck and prosperity in the coming year?

The Nativity of the Virgin is celebrated hospitably. It is customary to visit friends and relatives.

A young family invites parents to visit them, treats them with goodies, boasts of their household. Not only parents come - the house is visited by grandfathers, grandmothers, elders. The young hostess should please the guests with a delicious pie, cooked with her own hands. If the dish turned out to be delicious, she is presented with a gift. If not, they give instructions, advice on how to become a good housewife. At the table, the old people tell the young about signs and rituals. If a couple fulfills them and listens to the recommendations of the older generation, their life develops friendly and cloudless. The crumbs left from the eaten pie are scattered around the barn so that the cattle do not get sick, are not destroyed by wandering animals, and the harvest is not spoiled by birds.

Be sure to visit your parents. They go to them in the evening, not empty-handed, but with delicious treats. So that the couple is not afraid of a bad eye, the wife ties a braid with embroidered letters “P” and “B” on her clothes. If she gets untied from her clothes, untied, this is a sign of envy from others.

It is believed that with the birth of the Virgin, a new life begins. In order for the year to be prosperous and successful, the fire was renewed in the old days. Everyone in the hut had a torch that was always on fire. On the Nativity of the Virgin, it was extinguished, and then lit again. It was believed that this would help to leave behind sorrows and illnesses, and take only good health and joy into a new life.

Rite of protection of children from diseases and troubles

In the old days, people kindled bonfires and burned worn out shoes and clothes in them. This protected them from damage, disease and adversity. It was customary to pour water on children when they crossed the threshold.

On this day, the Second Autumn and the autumn day of the equinox are celebrated. The holiday is associated with the entry of autumn into its own rights. From early morning, women go to the reservoirs to meet Osenina. They took treats with them - jelly, oatmeal bread. Osenins are dedicated to gratitude to nature for the harvest. In order not to lose beauty to the very gray hairs, women washed themselves before the sun rose. The girls did this so that the groom would marry. Two holidays merge into one, although they have different origins.

The owners of apiaries removed the hives from them so that the bees would not freeze. They were fed with sugar.

Onion week begins with a holiday. The vegetables were removed from the fields and gardens, and the time for gatherings began for the girls. Young people came to them, brought refreshments, sang songs.

Read the rest of the articles about the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. And about all the Orthodox holidays all the information.

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In the Orthodox Church on September 21, the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated. But this is a significant day not only for visiting the temple. Since ancient times, September 21 has been associated with folk signs and rituals that were performed annually on this date. Some of them have long been forgotten, but, nevertheless, certain observations can be very useful.

history of the holiday

Joachim and Anna, the future parents of the Most Holy Theotokos, lived in Nazareth. Being righteous Christians, they prayed to God for a long time for children. After a while, when Joachim was in the desert, and his wife was alone in the house, an angel appeared to them at the same time. He told the spouses that Anna would be able to conceive a child, the Virgin Mary, through whom salvation would come to people, and she would be known all over the world. Immediately after that, they met at the Golden Gate in Jerusalem. Embracing, the couple already knew that they would have a daughter.

Just 9 months after conception, on September 21, the Virgin Mary was born. For only three years she lived in her parents' house, after which, according to the vow given to God, she was sent to the temple. On this day, Christians all over the world celebrate the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

What to pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary?

Since ancient times, the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary has been considered a holiday for all women and mothers. On this day, you should put on your best clothes and go to the temple for service. Here the Virgin Mary is thanked for the birth of the Son of God.

On the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, signs will surely come true, and prayers will be heard. Requests, worries, troubles - this is what people turn to the Virgin Mary with. Women have always prayed for the well-being of their home, for the health of their children. They turned to the Mother of God not only for themselves and their families, but also for other people.

A festive candle was always lit in the temple, celebrating the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos on September 21. Signs associated with this were the following. A piece of paper with a request was tied to the end of the candle. When it completely burned down, it meant that the Mother of God had heard all the prayers. On this day, women must necessarily give alms, food and money, so as not to become barren.

Folk rites and customs

On this September date, the 21st, the Second Autumn is celebrated according to the folk calendar. They came just at the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Signs and rituals that were carried out on this date by our ancestors have been preserved in some regions to this day.

Until September 21, almost the entire crop was harvested from the fields. Beekeepers used to hide their hives to keep the bees from freezing. Onion week has begun. Not only onions were harvested from the fields, but also the remaining vegetables. There was a saying among the people: "The Prechista will come, it will become clean, clean." From that day on, evening gatherings began in the houses.

After that, in the early morning, women went to the reservoirs with oatmeal bread and jelly. There they sang songs and thanked the Blessed Virgin Mary for the harvest, meeting autumn at the same time. The bread was broken into pieces and distributed to the cattle.

After the rituals on the banks of the reservoirs, everyone went to visit the newlyweds.

Holiday 21 September. Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary: family signs

On this day, parents, village elders and other relatives visited the young. Since the Most Holy Theotokos fell on this date, signs on the bride were necessarily taken into account. The hostess greeted the guests with a cake. If it was tasty, she was praised. If the pie failed, the young mistress began to teach the mind. There were also other dishes on the festive table, which were appreciated by the guests. The owner showed visiting relatives his buildings and cattle. He was praised or taught for this, like his wife.

Also on September 21 (Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos), signs related to the future life of the spouses. In the evening they went to their parents. From the evil eye, the wife tied a braid with embroidered letters “P”, “B” on her sleeves. If she was lost or untied, it meant that there were envious people nearby.

From the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, a new life began. It was customary to extinguish the old candle in the house, and light a new one.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin: signs of folk weather forecasters. What will the winter be like?

It is known that people have always followed the changes in the weather outside the window and already in the summer they knew what kind of winter they should expect. On the autumn holiday of September 21, the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, signs indicated the following:

• if the day turned out to be clear, then such weather will continue until the end of October;
• if it is foggy in the morning, rainy weather should be expected;
• if the fog disperses unexpectedly quickly, the weather will be changeable;
• if it started to rain in the morning, it will pour for another 40 days, and the winter will be cold;
• if the bright sun in the morning quickly dries the dew on the grass, you should not expect a lot of snow in winter.

On this date, it was not allowed to work, but the day should be devoted to spiritual reflection and prayer.

How to protect children from troubles and illnesses?

Family and children are the main thing that women addressed in prayers to the Virgin Mary. For their well-being, folk traditions were performed on the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. Signs confirmed that in order to cleanse children from damage, they took off their old torn clothes and shoes and burned them on this day. All hardships and failures had to go with the fire. After that, when the children crossed the threshold, they were doused with water from head to toe.

Our ancestors glorified the Mother of God and prayed to her, they believed in signs and honored the customs of their people. This helped them keep their families, children, and home out of harm's way and reap a good harvest. Do not forget about the customs and rituals of the ancestors today.

Nativity of the Virgin- an important church holiday, one of the twelve. The Nativity of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary is celebrated on September 21 (New Style or September 8 according to the Old Style). The Nativity of the Virgin on September 21 is celebrated, in addition to the Russian Orthodox Church, also by the Jerusalem, Georgian and Serbian; September 8 is celebrated by the Catholic Church, the Greek Church and a number of other local Orthodox churches. The feast of the Nativity of the Virgin was established by the Church in the 4th century.

History of the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

A righteous and pious married couple, Joachim and Anna, lived in the city of Nazareth. Their whole life was imbued with love for God and people. Joachim and Anna lived to a ripe old age, but had no children, which made them very sad. Despite their old age, Joachim and Anna did not stop asking God to send them a child. At the same time, they made a vow - to dedicate the baby to the service of God.

Every Jew at that time hoped that through his offspring he could become a participant in the kingdom of Christ the Savior. Therefore, every Jew who did not have children was contemptible by others, since this was considered a great punishment of God for sins.

One day, Joachim brought gifts to the Lord God in the Jerusalem temple, but the high priest did not want to accept these gifts, since Joachim was childless. At this time, Anna, who was at home, also heard that the high priest in the temple refused to accept their gifts. Anna also learned that her husband Joachim, grieving and weeping, had gone into the desert, and she herself wept.

After that, Anna went to her garden, and sitting under a laurel tree, sighed and, looking at the sky with eyes full of tears. At the top of the tree was a nest in which little chicks squeaked. Anna thought: "Even birds have children, and we have no such comfort in old age." Suddenly, the archangel Gabriel appeared before her, saying: “You will conceive and give birth to a Daughter, blessed, above all. Through Her, God's blessing will be received by all the peoples of the earth. Through Her, Salvation will be given to all people. Her name will be Maria.

At the same time, an angel appeared in the desert to Joachim. He said: “Joachim! God has heard your prayer, and He is pleased to give you His grace. Your wife Anna will conceive and give birth to your Daughter, who will be the joy of the whole world. Here is a sign for you that I am telling you the truth: go to the temple in Jerusalem, and there, at the Golden Gate, you will find your wife Anna, to whom I said the same thing.

Shocked, Joachim hurried to Jerusalem to the temple. There Joachim saw Anna praying to God at the Golden Gate and told her about the angel. Anna also told Joachim about what she had seen and heard about the birth of her Daughter, Mary. Having prayed to God, the couple returned to their home.

For patience, great faith and love for God and for each other, the Lord sent Joachim and Anna great joy. After 9 months, Anna gave birth to a daughter, Maria. Heaven and earth rejoiced about the Nativity of the Mother of God. On the occasion of the birth of Mary, Joachim brought great gifts and sacrifices to God, received the blessing of the high priest, the priests and all the people for being worthy of God's blessing. Then Joachim arranged a big feast in his house, where everyone rejoiced and praised God. The Holy Church calls Joachim and Anna the Fathers of God, because the Savior, Jesus Christ, was born from their Blessed daughter Mary.

While glorifying the Nativity of the Most Pure Mother of God, which delivered from the infertility of her parents, we must strive to be resolved from the infertility of our souls, so that we not only praise the glorious Nativity of the Mother of God with our lips, but also in fact try not to become rich in ourselves, but in God, to grow rich, bearing the fruit of holiness and eternal life. We must pray to the Mother of God to help us get rid of spiritual barrenness, from the daily sowing of the deeds of spiritual death, and as She herself constantly composed the words (Luke 2:19) of life in her heart, so she would plant in our hearts the seeds of the word of God, which, growing, gave fruit, if not a hundred, sixty, thirty times (Matt. 13:8), then at least enough to get rid of hunger and spiritual thirst, which will torment and burn us like the flames of hell (Luke 16:24).

Nativity of the Virgin - Video from the series "Summer of the Lord"

The Nativity of the Mother of God, akin to us, is now celebrated brightly, and the whole world is called to this joy.

Temples of the Nativity of the Virgin in Kashin

In the city of Kashin there were two churches in honor of the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin.

The first church of the Nativity of the Virgin was built in 1690, popularly called "in the swamp." The temple was single-domed, in the 19th century it underwent minor changes. In 1872, the merchant Zyzykin ennobled the territory near the temple and opened a garden on the site of a marshy swamp. In 1929, the temple was destroyed, in 1930 services were stopped, and in 1936 it was finally demolished.

The second Church of the Nativity of the Virgin was built in 1785, popularly called "on Chistye Prudy", which, before the official renaming, were called Pogany Ponds after the name of the former Poganaya Sloboda located here (due to the production of whitewash). The church was one-storey, had a wide south aisle. In 1929, it was also ruined; since 1935, the building housed a shoe-finishing factory. In 2012, the building was transferred from an architectural status to an ordinary civil building and adapted for a 3D cinema.

Troparion of the holiday Nativity of the Virgin

Thy Nativity, Virgin Mother of God, joy to proclaim to the whole universe: from Thee, the Sun of Truth, Christ our God, has risen, and breaking the oath, giving a blessing, and abolishing death, giving us eternal life.

Kontakion of the Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin

Joachim and Anna of the reproach of childlessness, / and Adam and Eve are freed from mortal aphids, Most Pure, in Your holy birth. / That is what Your people celebrate, the guilt of transgressions has been delivered, / always call Thee: / barren fruits gives birth to the Mother of God and the Nurse of our life.

Sources:

Metropolitan Anthony of Surozh, Sermons;

Saint Thaddeus (Uspensky), Sermon of the shepherd on the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, 1928;

Seraphim Slobodskoy, Law of God.

"Kashin Orthodox", since 2010 from R.Kh.