Holidays in January. Church holidays in January

Holidays are an integral part of our social life, many of which concern us personally, our loved ones and friends. Holidays and special days are dedicated to many phenomena of human existence on earth. Our profession, work, love, children, recreation, medicine, the world around us - everything has its own holiday in the Russian and world calendar.

Along with public holidays, which are closely integrated into our lives, church and Orthodox holidays are of particular importance for many. After all, the spiritual component of our life is much more important than the physical one. The most necessary things for us are love, joy, happiness, peace of mind and peace - all these feelings are directly related to our soul.

Almost every day the church celebrates some important Orthodox holiday - be it the historical day of the life of Christ on Earth, the life and work of his disciples and followers. Of course, every church holiday is important for a believer.

However, many Orthodox church dates are not as common as state dates, and in order to learn about them, you need to be really interested and imbued with it. We have compiled a calendar of church holidays for you in January. Find out on what day in January an important historical religious event took place.

Interesting

Venerable Elijah of Murom (miracle worker of Murom) - January 1

Remarkable strength and military feats are only one side of the personality of the epic hero. Not everyone is aware of the other, mostly people are believers, religious. Ilya Muromets was not an ordinary person. On January 1, the memory of St. Elijah of Murom is celebrated.

Interesting Russian holidays by month 2019 Church holidays by month 2019 Calendar of Orthodox Church holidays for January 2019

Holy Martyr Boniface - January 1

There are people of God in the Orthodox Church that few are familiar with. However, this makes their strength no less than that of the famous miracle workers. One of the little-known ascetics is the holy martyr Boniface, whose Memorial Day falls on January 1.

Interesting Russian holidays by month 2019 Church holidays by month 2019 Calendar of Orthodox Church holidays for January 2019

Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt - January 2

And after death, turning to some saints, people pronounce the appropriate “father”, “father”. Likewise, the holy righteous John of Kronstadt is often called “father.” Orthodox Christians celebrate his memory every year on January 2.

Interesting Russian holidays by month 2019 Church holidays by month 2019 Calendar of Orthodox Church holidays for January 2019

Saint Peter Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia, wonderworker (1326) - January 3

Most of us know little about some of the saints who held the priesthood. Meanwhile, among them were our compatriots. An example is St. Peter, Metropolitan of Moscow and all Russia, who lived in the XIII - XIV centuries. AD His memorial day, namely the day of his death, is celebrated by the Orthodox Church annually on January 3.

Interesting Russian holidays by month 2019 Church holidays by month 2019 Calendar of Orthodox Church holidays for January 2019

Holy Great Martyr Anastasia the Pattern Maker - January 4

Representatives of the fair sex who profess Orthodox Christianity especially venerate the so-called female saints. Matrona of Moscow, Ksenia of St. Petersburg, Great Martyr Catherine, Paraskeva - there are a lot of them. Saint Anastasia, of course, also belongs to this host.

Interesting Russian holidays by month 2019 Church holidays by month 2019 Calendar of Orthodox Church holidays for January 2019

Christmas Eve - January 6

The most important night of the year is considered to be Christmas Eve, the evening before Christmas. The last day of the Nativity Fast is called Christmas Eve, because the charter on Christmas Eve is to eat juice. Sochivo is prepared from wheat and rice grains.

Interesting Russian holidays by month 2019 Church holidays by month 2019 Calendar of Orthodox Church holidays for January 2019

Traditions and history of the Christmas holiday

January 7 marks the great twelfth holiday - the Nativity of Christ. This is a day of reconciliation, kindness, peacefulness, a day of glorifying Christ. There was no holiday more fun and more free in Rus' than the Nativity of Christ.

Interesting Russian holidays by month 2019 Church holidays by month 2019 Calendar of Orthodox Church holidays for January 2019

Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary - holiday January 8

The day after Christmas, January 8, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Council of the Blessed Virgin Mary. January 8 is the day when the entire Orthodox world remembers the Virgin Mary as the mother of Jesus Christ: the son of God, the Savior of mankind, the Messiah.

The main Orthodox (or “divine”) holiday in January is traditionally the Nativity of Christ. This is the only church holiday that is marked in Russia as an official day off - officially on January 7th of each year we rest precisely because of Christmas, and not because of the New Year and the holidays associated with it. Slightly inferior in importance to Christmas is another January holiday - Epiphany. This day is celebrated more and more actively in Russia, and more and more people in the Epiphany Jordans consider it obligatory to swim in January. What Orthodox holidays are celebrated in January 2018 in Russia - we remind you what date Christmas is celebrated, what date Epiphany is celebrated, what other holidays are included in the church calendar for January.

What date is Christmas in 2018

Until 2100, the date of Christmas among Orthodox Christians remains the same - Jan. 7 according to the Gregorian calendar.

This day corresponds to December 25 according to the Julian calendar, that is, Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on the same date as Catholics, as well as other representatives of Western Christian denominations. And formally, Christmas should be considered a December holiday. However, of course, since in the world we use a slightly different calendar, for now there is a 13-day difference, and according to our usual calendar we celebrate Christmas on January 7th. The difference of 14 days will occur after 2100, and then Christmas will be on January 8, but, of course, most of us simply will not live to see this event.

The essence of the Christmas holiday is known to everyone, even children. This is the day when the long-awaited predicted Savior, or Christ, came into the world. He became Jesus, the son of the Virgin Mary, who learned about this event nine months before the birth of the child - on the Annunciation, when an angel descended about it to her.

Christmas is traditionally a day of reconciliation, kindness and peacefulness. This is a good family holiday, quiet and calm. The day when it is customary to rejoice at the birth of Christ by gathering with family.

Christmas time in 2018

Starting from Christmas (to be precise, from Christmas Eve on the evening of January 6) and until Epiphany (until January 19), the Orthodox celebrate Christmastide, that is, holy days.

How exactly Christmastide should be celebrated, the opinions of the church and ordinary people differ slightly. Holiday weeks are popularly closely associated with pagan rituals, primarily with fortune telling. As in the case with, the church was not able to completely get rid of pre-Christian Russian customs. Girls still love to guess at Christmas time about their future fate. It is believed that it is on these days that the results of fortune telling are most accurate.

Of course, the Orthodox Church does not particularly welcome this, considering fortune telling an activity alien to the Christian faith.

For the church, Christmastide is the holy days between Christmas and Epiphany, in the middle of which the New Year is celebrated (what in Russia is called the Old New Year - January 13). Correct behavior these days is considered to be refusal of any work in the evening. Evening is the time for the events celebrated on these days, Christmas and Epiphany, and it is a time for reflection on the essence and meaning of these holidays.

What date is the Circumcision of the Lord in 2018

Like Christmas, the great feast of the Circumcision of the Lord, has a constant date and is celebrated every year on the same day - January 14.

As was customary for all Jewish children, Jesus was circumcised on the seventh day after his birth. That's when he got his name.

The main meaning of the Feast of Circumcision is that it teaches that any person is obliged to follow Divine regulations. And if such an institution, which became a tradition, for the people of Jesus was the circumcision of boys, even the Savior unquestioningly followed it, giving an example to all of us.

What date is Epiphany in 2018

The Epiphany is otherwise called Epiphany; it is one of the most important Christian holidays.

Since the ritual of baptism, or conversion, is closely associated with water, it is water that becomes an important symbolic phenomenon on this day. The evening before, on the evening of January 18, on Epiphany Eve, in Russia, according to tradition, special ice holes are cut down - Jordan (in honor of the Jordan River, in which Christ was baptized), into which everyone plunges. It is believed that all water at the Epiphany becomes holy. It is customary to store water on this day for the entire next year. If during the year a person needs holy water, he can use the one collected at Epiphany.

The best place to prepare holy water on this day is the Temple. However, if there is no opportunity to visit the church, it is allowed to draw water from any body of water; it is also holy.

Calendar of Orthodox holidays for January 2018

We celebrated the most important Orthodox, or divine holidays of January. On other days of the month, holidays and memorable dates are also celebrated, the most important of which are:

• 01.01 – memory of St. Elijah of Murom, Pechersk;
• 02.01 – celebration in honor of the Novodvorskaya Icon of the Mother of God;
• 03.01 – memory of St. Peter, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia, Wonderworker;
• 04.01 – memory of the Great Martyr Anastasia the Pattern Maker;
• 05.01 – memory of St. Paul, Bishop of Neocaesarea;
• 06.01 – memory of St. Nicholas the monk;
• 07.01 – Christmas;
• 08.01 – Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary;
• 09.01 – memory of the first martyr and archdeacon Stephen;
• 10.01 – memory of the Apostle Nikanor of the 70th;
• 11.01 - memory of the martyrs of 14,000 infants killed by Herod in Bethlehem;
• 12.01 – memory of St. Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow;
• 13.01 – memory of the Venerable Melania the Younger (of Rome);
• 14.01 – Circumcision of the Lord;
• 15.01 – memory of St. Sylvester, Pope of Rome;
• 16.01 – memory of the prophet Malachi;
• 17.01 – Council of the 70 Apostles;
• 18.01 – Epiphany Eve (Epiphany Christmas Eve);
• 19.01 – Holy Epiphany (Baptism of the Lord);
• 20.01 – Cathedral of the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord;
• 21.01 - memory of the Venerable Elijah of Egypt, the hermit;
• 22.01 – memory of St. Peter, Bishop of Sebastia of Armenia;
• 23.01 – memory of St. Gregory of Nyssa, Bishop of Nyssa;
• 24.01 – celebration in honor of the Yelets Icon of the Mother of God;
• January 25 – memory of the martyr Tatiana and those who suffered with her in Rome;
• January 26 – memory of the martyr Peter Absalomite (Aniysky);
• January 27 – memory of Equal-to-the-Apostles Nina, enlightener of Georgia;
• 28.01 – memory of St. John Kushchnik;
• 29.01 – worship of the honest chains of the Apostle Peter;
• 30.01 – memory of St. Anthony the Great;
• 31.01 – memory of the Venerable Markian of Cyrus.

Almost our entire life consists of numerous holidays and working days. And the life of an ordinary Orthodox person is especially rich in various vows and holidays. But still, unlike the infidels, the Orthodox must each time especially adhere to a certain way of behavior. And these days are completely regulated by Orthodox calendars, where almost all holidays and even days of fasting are marked.

In our article you can learn a lot of interesting things about Orthodox holidays and fasting in the future 2018. If you decide not to lose sight of some events from your real spiritual life, then it’s time to look at next year’s calendar and start living with faith in your soul. Any Orthodox holidays in January next year

So, the year will begin with the Holy holiday - Christmas Eve, which will also take place on January 6th. This is one of the most important days after the last period of fasting. It is on the day of Christmas Eve that one is not allowed to leave the state of fasting until the first star appears in the sky. After another and very long fast, every Orthodox Christian can return to regular food. But here a sharp transition from light food to a heavier form is not appropriate, so addiction will have to take place only gradually.

As soon as dusk comes, all family members will have to gather at the festive table and then enjoy dinner from Sochi. This dish is prepared according to a special recipe and contains the following ingredients:

1) soaked grains of wheat or rice;

5) dried fruits.

From January 6 to January 19 of the same year, Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmastide. This is the only moment for joy and constant fun. It is at this moment that girls begin to guess about their betrothed. But they are also trying to look into the distant future. And yet such a tradition is not very soluble in the church.

And now on January 7, 2018, we can celebrate the Nativity of Christ. This is one of the most popular and even worldwide holidays. According to the Holy Scriptures, Jesus Christ himself was born on this day. This holiday requires careful preparation. He should be celebrated together with other family members. Children especially look forward to this holiday, as this is where they make a wish. But sometimes the cherished wish of many children especially comes true. And all this thanks to the great hope that a miracle will appear. And who might have it more?

January 14 is a holiday dedicated to the Circumcision of the Lord. This is another of the great Orthodox Christian holidays. It has been celebrated since the time of the New Testament and is ready to tell about the incident of past times that previously occurred in the life of our prophet Jesus Christ. For a long time, this same tradition has dared to carry no less significance than the sacrament of Baptism itself.

On January 18 of the same year, the Orthodox will celebrate Epiphany Eve. In another way it means the Eve of Epiphany. It is the day before Epiphany that you should not eat before dusk. But it will be possible to break the fast during Christmas Eve, and eating juice with juice is perfect here.

January 19 of next year will take place - the Baptism of the Lord, or in other words, Epiphany. This is also one of the main events in the life of the prophet Jesus Christ. It was at this very time that the Son of God was baptized in the waters of the Jordan by John the Baptist.

The best calendar for January 2018

Thus, almost all Orthodox holidays were scheduled in the church calendar, which also contains absolutely all the necessary dates. With it, you will never miss a single holiday, and you will not even miss the chance to post another post. For example, all multi-day and even one-day Orthodox fasts will take place in the first month of 2018. The holiday - Holy Week of the Nativity - is one of the great days that helps to restrain oneself from hearty food.

This is also one of the final periods, which consists of the strictest and even longest fasts of the year. During this week, you must adhere to the strictest rules and completely limit yourself in nutrition. All this time will have to be spent in prayer, as well as in repentance.

Female and male names (how to name boys and girls in December)

Name days in January:

1 – Boniface, Gregory, Ilya, Timofey.

2 – Anton, Daniil, Ivan, Ignatius.

3 – Leonty, Mikhail, Nikita, Peter, Procopius, Sergei, Feofan.

4 – Anastasia, Dmitry, Fedor, Fedosya.

5 – Vasily, David, Ivan, Makar, Naum, Nifont, Pavel, Theoktist.

6 – Evgenia, Innocent, Claudia, Nikolai, Sergei.

8 – Augusta, Agrippina, Alexander, Anfisa, Vasily, Gregory, Dmitry, Efim, Isaac, Konstantin, Leonid, Maria, Mikhail, Nicodemus, Nikolai.

9 – Antonina, Luka, Stepan, Tikhon, Fedor, Ferapont.

10 – Agafya, Alexander, Arkady, Vavila, David, Efim, Ignatius, Joseph, Leonid, Nikanor, Nicodemus, Nikolai, Peter, Simon, Theoktist, Yakov.

11 – Agrippina, Anna, Varvara, Benjamin, George, Evdokia, Euphrosyne, Ivan, Lavrenty, Mark, Markel, Matrona, Natalia, Theodosius.

12 – Anisya, Anton, Daniil, Irina, Lev, Makar, Maria, Fedora, Fedosya.

14 – Alexander, Vasily, Vyacheslav, Gregory, Ivan, Mikhail, Nikolai, Peter, Platon, Trofim, Fedot, Emilia, Yakov.

15 – Vasily, Gerasim, Kuzma, Mark, Modest, Peter, Seraphim, Sergei, Sylvester.

16 – Gordey, Irina.

17 – Alexander, Andronik, Archippus, Athanasius, Anisim, Aristarchus, Artemy, Athanasius, Denis, Efim, Karp, Clement, Kondraty, Luke, Mark, Nikanor, Nikolai, Pavel, Prokhor, Rodion, Semyon, Silouan, Stepan, Timofey, Trophim, Thaddeus, Theoktist, Philemon, Philip, Jacob.

18 – Apollinaria, Gregory, Eugenia, Joseph, Lukyan, Matvey, Micah, Roman, Semyon, Sergei, Tatyana, Thomas.

19 – Feofan.

20 – Athanasius, Vasily, Ivan, Paphnutius.

21 – Anton, Vasilisa, Victor, Vladimir, Dmitry, Georgy, Gregory, Evgeny, Emelyan, Ilya, Mikhail, Sidor, Feoktist, Julian.

22 – Antonina, Zakhar, Nikander, Pavel, Peter, Philip.

23 – Anatoly, Gregory, Zinovy, Makar, Pavel, Peter, Feofan.

24 – Vladimir, Mikhail, Nikolai, Stepan, Terenty, Fedor, Feodosius.

25 – Eupraxia, Makar, Peter, Savva, Tatyana.

26 – Athanasius, Maxim, Nicephorus, Nicodemus, Pakhom, Peter, Jacob.

27 – Agnia, Adam, Andrew, Aristarchus, Benjamin, David, Eremey, Ivan, Ilya, Joseph, Isaac, Makar, Mark, Moses, Nina, Pavel, Paphnutius, Savva, Sergei, Stepan.

28 – Varlam, Gabriel, Gerasim, Elena, Ivan, Maxim, Mikhail, Pavel, Prokhor.

29 – Ivan, Maxim, Peter.

30 – Anton, Antonina, Victor, Georgy, Ivan, Pavel, Feodosius.

31 – Alexander, Afanasy, Vladimir, Dmitry, Evgeny, Emelyan, Ephraim, Hilarion, Kirill, Ksenia, Maxim, Maria, Mikhail, Nikolay, Sergey, Feodosia.

Church Orthodox holidays in January

Venerable Elijah of Pechersk

On the first day of the year, the church celebrates the memory of St. Elijah of Pechersk, nicknamed Chobotok. Ilya was a native of the city of Murom, and popular legend identified him with the famous hero Ilya Muromets, about whom Russian epics told.

The Savior was born during the reign of Emperor Augustus in the city of Bethlehem. During the census, everyone had to be in the place where his family originated. Arriving in Bethlehem, the Virgin Mary and the Righteous Joseph did not find any vacancies in hotels and stopped outside the city in a cave intended for keeping livestock. At midnight, the news of the birth of the Savior from the jubilant Angels came to the shepherds, who came to worship the God-Man. The holiday in honor of this event was established in apostolic times, but before the 4th century. it was connected with the celebration of Epiphany.

Having learned from the Magi about the birth of a new King, Herod ordered the killing of all babies under two years of age, hoping that among them would be the Infant of God, in whom he saw his rival.

On this day, according to the Old Testament law, the Lord accepted circumcision, established for all male infants as a sign of the Covenant of God with the forefather Abraham and his descendants.

On the same day, the memory of the Archbishop of Caesarea of ​​Cappadocia is celebrated.

Vasily lived in the 4th century and received an excellent education in Constantinople and Athens. Returning to Caesarea, he taught rhetoric, then was baptized and embarked on the path of ascetic life. Together with his friend Gregory the Theologian, he retired to the desert to devote his life to God. Subsequently, the saint was ordained a presbyter; during the reign of Emperor Valens, a supporter of the Arians, he became an archbishop and made great efforts to protect his flock from heresy. He compiled the rite of the Liturgy, wrote Conversations on the Sixth Day, on the psalms, as well as a collection of monastic rules.

January 15 is the day of the repose (1883) and the second discovery of the relics (1991) of one of the most beloved Russian saints among the people -. Having taken monastic vows at the age of 27, the monk labored in the Sarov monastery or in the forest desert until the end of his life. For his feat of prayer, he was honored with repeated visits from the Queen of Heaven. The Monk Seraphim went to the Lord during prayer in front of the icon of the Mother of God. The monk was canonized as a saint in 1903. After the October Revolution, the saint’s relics disappeared and were discovered only in 1991, in the storerooms of the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism, which was located in the building of the Kazan Cathedral in Leningrad.

January 17 – Council of 70 apostles of Christ, chosen by the Lord to preach the Gospel to the whole universe.

These apostles are commemorated separately throughout the year, and this holiday was established in order to show the equality of each of the seventy and thereby prevent disagreements in their veneration.

January 19 is celebrated - the twelfth holiday established in honor of the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ in the waters of the Jordan River and in honor of the appearance of the Holy Trinity during this event. The Father spoke from heaven about the Son, the Son was baptized by the holy Forerunner of the Lord John, and the Holy Spirit descended on the Son in the form of a dove. The next day, the Council of the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John is celebrated - the one who served the cause of the Baptism of Christ, laying his hand on the head of the Savior.

On January 24, we remember St. Theodosius the Great, who became the founder of cenobitic monasteries. He was born at the end of the 5th century. in Cappadocia. The saint lived for about 30 years in the Palestinian desert, remaining in fasting and prayer. Those who wanted to live under his leadership constantly came to him; as a result, a communal monastery, or Lavra, arose, which existed according to the charter of Basil the Great.

The memory of the holy martyr Tatiana is celebrated on January 25. Tatiana, the daughter of the Roman consul, refused marriage, wanting to devote her life to the Lord. She was installed as a deaconess in one of the Roman temples and served God, caring for the sick and helping those in need. During the reign of Emperor Alexander Severus (between 222 and 235), Tatiana accepted martyrdom for Christ, refusing to sacrifice to the pagan gods and enduring terrible torture.

On January 27, the church remembers the enlightener of Georgia. She was born around 280 in Cappadocia into a noble, pious family. One day Nina saw in a dream the Most Holy Theotokos, who handed her a cross made of vines and sent her with apostolic service to Iveria (Georgia). Nina came to Georgia in 319 and made a lot of efforts to educate this country - five years later Christianity was established in Georgia.

January 30 is the day of remembrance of the famous ascetic, founder of desert living, called the father of monasticism. Anthony was born in Egypt in 251. After the death of his parents, who instilled in him love for God and piety, he began an ascetic life. He had to fight with the most difficult temptations and attacks of evil spirits, but with God's help he overcame the tricks of the devil and went into the depths of the Thebaid desert to serve the Lord in complete solitude. The saint spent 85 years in desert solitude; his example was followed by many of those who wanted to spend their lives in ascetic deeds for the sake of the Lord.

People work non-stop all year long. Cities are filled with endless bustle, everyone is in a hurry somewhere, doing something. Everyone is busy with their own business. The long-awaited break for every person is the summer vacation and, of course, the holidays in January. The second month of winter has a lot of days off. Not only all children, but also adults all over the world look forward to these joyful holidays. The New Year holidays in January provide an opportunity for millions of people to spend some quality time with their loved ones.

New Year's favorite

A fabulous and desired holiday occurs on the night of December 31 to January 1. With the advent of the New Year, people believe that all troubles and sorrows will be left behind. And only joy, happiness and prosperity await them ahead. All countries differ in their ways of celebrating this wonderful holiday.

Due to continental time zones, everyone experiences the New Year differently. However, everywhere - with joy and smiles. Tangerine-candy holiday on January 1, saturated with magic... After all, it is on this night that children receive their long-awaited toys and candies from Father Frost and the Snow Maiden. On New Year's holidays in January, a Christmas tree is traditionally installed in the main square of the country. As usual, it is the main attribute of the winter holiday. People set festive tables with all sorts of goodies and decorate their homes with garlands. Most people prefer to celebrate such an important holiday at home with their family. On New Year's Eve, millions of people, holding their breath, count down the last 60 seconds of the outgoing year along with the chimes. And with filled glasses of champagne they greet the new year. The next day - January 2 - is considered a non-working day.

The greatest church holidays in January

• Christmas Eve before Christmas - January 6th.
• The Nativity of Jesus Christ is January 7th.
• Saint Basil - January 13.
• Epiphany - January 19.

Holidays in January in Russia follow one another

The next celebrated holiday after the New Year is Christmas Eve. The Holy Evening is celebrated annually on January 6th. This day ends the Nativity Fast. 12 Lenten dishes are set on the table. The food prepared varies, but the same ones are kutia, uzvar, Lenten dumplings and pastries. However, according to Orthodox traditions, you can sit down to eat only in the evening, after the first star appears in the sky. The main food on Christmas Eve is kutia, which is where the meal begins.

Kutia is a ritual porridge cooked from wheat (some are prepared from rice or barley grains) with the addition of various sweet additives. It could be raisins, crushed poppy seeds, berry jam, nuts. A large number of such ingredients in kutia is welcomed, as it is a symbol of prosperity and heavenly life. According to tradition, after a meal in the family circle, children went to “carry supper” to close relatives, as well as to their godparents and godfathers. After tasting a spoonful of kutya, the adults presented the children with gifts. Young people and men without families went to sing carols. Most people go to church for midnight service. On the night of January 6-7, the holiday is celebrated in all churches. The Divine Liturgy takes place.

Birth of the Son of God

January 7 is a holiday celebrated by all Orthodox believers, the Nativity of Christ. The birth of Christ took place, according to the Old Testament, in 5508 from the creation of the world, in the city of Bethlehem.

Like all holidays, Christmas has its own celebration traditions. On this day, a table rich in meat dishes is set. It is also possible that alcoholic beverages will be present on the table.

It is advisable to spend this day in a cheerful and noisy company, since, according to beliefs, you should not be alone on such a divine holiday. On Christmas evening, it is customary to visit parents and go to godfathers. Twelve days after Christmas last Christmastide - holy days on which it is customary to perform merciful deeds.

Sowing at St. Basil's

Now on the night of January 13-14, the New Year is celebrated. This is due to the fact that during the transition from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, the date of the well-known holiday shifted. But this has not stopped people since the beginning of the last century from celebrating this event in compliance with all traditions. For a long time in Rus', January 13 was celebrated as Vasily's Day, in honor of Vasily the Great. The holiday was associated with sowing; farmers thus coaxed the future harvest. This ritual has been preserved to this day. On the Generous Evening of January 13, dressed-up youth and children went to give generously, for which they received delicious gifts from the owners. Carol singers were invited into the house and seated at a rich festive table. Children were treated to sweets, gingerbread and nuts, and relatives could also give small coins.

Early in the morning of January 14, boys no older than twelve went to the houses of relatives and neighbors. They asked permission and, having received consent, sprinkled the owners and their homes with seeds of wheat, rye, oats and barley, saying or chanting shchedrovki and sowing seeds. Shchedrovki are good-natured wishes in poetic or song form, performed for the owners during the Christmas holidays in January. In Russia and beyond, it is customary to perform generosity only for girls, but, on the contrary, boys must sow. A good sign on this day will be a visit from a man, since girls, according to popular belief, do not bring happiness. Seeds scattered in the house should not be thrown away, but must be carefully collected away from the threshold and stored until the next harvest.

Mysterious rite of Baptism

Winter holidays in January are celebrated everywhere surrounded by the closest people. The greatest holiday - the Epiphany of the Lord - is no exception. On this day, during the baptism of the Lord on the Jordan River, the Holy Trinity appeared, and the Holy Spirit descended on Christ in the form of a fluttering dove. At Epiphany, people with families visit churches and places with blessed water in order to collect it for themselves and their relatives. As before Christmas, Christmas Eve is celebrated the day before Epiphany; strict fasting is observed on this day.

On the eve of the holy holiday, it is customary to do a general cleaning of the home, thereby ridding the house of excess garbage and freeing up corners for cleaning. From January 18 to 19, a special rite is performed in all Orthodox churches - the Great Blessing of Water. The water consecrated on January 19 is called Jordanian. Holy water, drunk on an empty stomach, has miraculous powers, helps to cure diseases and cleanse the soul. People sanctify their homes with water brought from the temple, sprinkling every corner of their house. Surprisingly, Epiphany water does not spoil or go rotten for a whole year, maintaining its miraculous properties.

Holy water washes away all sins

Holidays in January carry special magical power. Thus, the main event of Epiphany Day is swimming in consecrated reservoirs. This tradition was revived in Russia after the abolition of communist principles. For many years now, on Epiphany Eve or early in the morning of January 19, men have gone to the pond. According to Christian customs, a cross-shaped hole is cut in the reservoir. In this case, an ice cross is erected next to the ice hole and sprinkled with beet kvass.

After which a clergyman is invited to consecrate the reservoir. On this holiday, believers can, as it is believed, wash away their earthly sins and be reborn by plunging into sacred water three times. For the holiday, special crosses are baked from sweet dough, pancakes with honey and various meat dishes are placed on the table. There is a belief that the heavens open at Epiphany, and all prayers and supplications on this day will certainly be heard.

Last day of the month - Jeweler's Day

January 31 is the jeweler's holiday. This international holiday is celebrated all over the world. Jeweler is one of the oldest professions, capable of always feeding its owner. After all, as you know, beautiful jewelry has always been in great demand.