Feast of the Holy Mother of God when. Nativity of Our Blessed Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary

As the Bible says, in one Jerusalem family, wife Anna and her husband Joachim were unable to conceive a child. Their family was Orthodox; they asked God for a daughter or son for a long time. One day, a miracle happened, God had mercy, and Anna finally became pregnant. Before her long-awaited pregnancy, Joachim had a vision: he saw the Archangel Gabriel. The Archangel warned the future father that he and his wife would soon have a daughter, and that her name would be Mary. Mary will have to give salvation to the whole world.

When the Mother of God was born, in the fourth year of her birth, her parents gave the girl as a servant in the temple, as the Archangel Gabriel bequeathed to them. Mary served the Lord, did not commit sins or atrocities, and was chosen by Him to give birth to the Son of God. After the birth of Jesus Christ, Mary prayed until the end of her days for all people and asked the Lord to have mercy on them. The appearance of the Mother of God is the embodiment of purity and a bright soul.

What can you do

Since the Nativity of the Virgin Mary is a church celebration and does not imply the observance of Fasts, on this day it is not forbidden to eat any food, have fun and relax. Many people are interested in whether it is possible to have a wedding on this holiday. The answer is yes. Moreover, the Mother of God is considered the patroness of the hearth and female happiness. If the wedding falls on September 21, this will be an additional amulet for creating a strong union.

It is imperative to pray to the Mother of God on the feast day for the health of children and mothers. If there is no child in the house yet, and difficulties arise with conception, be sure to ask the Most Pure Virgin Mary for help. Maria will hear calls for help and help solve difficulties. You can go to church and light a candle for your whole family to live in health and peace.

What not to do

On the Birthday of the Mother of God it is prohibited:

use foul language and swear with loved ones, shout at children;
abuse alcohol;
to be rude and offend parents and the elderly;
do hard work.

If beggars or lepers ask for alms, you need to give them some money. Refusal can threaten a woman with infertility or failure in family life.

Signs and traditions

Since in Rus' all church holidays were intertwined with Slavic ones, the onset of the autumn season - Autumn - was celebrated on the Birth of the Virgin Mary. Most of the harvest had already been collected from the fields and they thanked the Lord and nature for it. They always asked for a warm, snowy winter and an early spring.

In the morning, women went to streams and rivers to wash themselves before sunrise and met Osenina there. They brought jelly and pottery to the reservoirs, and tried in every possible way to appease Mother Nature.

For young girls, this time was spent holding gatherings. Future grooms were invited to get-togethers, served tea and treats, and the guys got married.

On the Birthday of the Mother of God, they tried to burn all the rubbish in the house. It was believed that this removes the evil eye.

There were many signs about Osenina. All of them are mainly associated with the onset of autumn and preparation for winter. Here are some:

if the weather is warm, winter will also be good;
onion day - dig up all the onions from the ground;
you need to bury a fly or midge in the ground - insects will not bite;
if there is dew on the grass, it means frost is approaching;
if there are no stars in the sky, the winter will be cold;
if the wind blows on this day, it means there will be little snow in the winter.

How to celebrate

The birth of the Virgin Mary is an excellent occasion to gather the whole family around the round table. They invite parents, grandparents, and children to their place for lunch or dinner. A young family invites all their relatives to visit. Housewives bake pies and prepare various dishes.

If the meeting with relatives took place in a warm atmosphere, then life will be cloudless and happy. Crumbs are not thrown away from the table, but given to birds or animals.

The Birth of the Savior marks the beginning of a new period in life, so if there are candles in the house, you can illuminate the corners so that all litigation goes away. If there are no candles, light a splinter and extinguish it, then light it again. This ritual suggests that difficulties are in the past, and only a successful future awaits.

What can you cook

First of all, bread is baked. If possible, oatmeal is used for cooking, but if it is not available, then regular flour will do. Guests and household members are treated to fresh bread. The leftover bread is dried on crackers and stored at home. If someone close to them is sick or morally depressed, they give him a cracker and lighted water. The patient will definitely get better.

The Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is considered very tender and sensitive. It is on this day that the birth of the Virgin Mary, who became the mother of Jesus Christ, is celebrated.

Like every year, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated on September 21. According to the previous calendar, it fell on September 8th. It is also common among people to call this holiday the Most Pure One. On this holiday, it is not advisable to gossip, quarrel, deceive, or slander. It’s better to forget and let go of all your grievances that are lurking.

You need to listen to the advice:

Be sure to fast, you can’t eat meat or drink wine;
It is not allowed to quarrel with relatives and others, you need to try to solve problems peacefully;
you should not get carried away with physical labor, you should reschedule all work related to the garden;
crumbs left on the table after dinner should not be swept onto the floor;
uneaten bread is given to animals;
on this day there should be only pure thoughts;
you cannot raise your voice to your loved ones - this is a great sin;
You cannot wish harm on others.

On the Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, you must follow the rules

Christians know Mary not only as the Mother of God and Mother of God, but also consider her to be a “person of prayer”, a protector of children and women before God. That is why the female sex especially needs to remember the holiday. If it’s not too much trouble, you should definitely visit the church and attend the service. You need to pray for your children and your family, and be grateful for every day you live. The Lord and Our Lady should also be thanked.

Prayer on this day is the most powerful; they say that only those who share their worries with the Virgin Mary get a feeling of lightness. In the past, girls prayed very carefully in order to get married well. And you must not forget to set the table on this day. The parents were confident that the more hospitable they were, the richer the harvest would be. Food must be lean; cooking meat dishes, dairy is prohibited. And of course there is a ban on alcohol.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to visit someone this holiday. If your parents are in another city, then you need to visit them. It is considered a good omen to meet the sunrise by the river. For married girls, this is a chance to put off old age until later, and for unmarried girls, this is a sign of early marriage. And yet, you need to wipe your face with water from the river.

Beliefs for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

good weather - warm autumn;
The Most Pure One has come - the tree is clean, the Intercession will come - the tree is bare;
if it rains in the morning, it can last another 40 days and bring with it a frosty winter;
the winter will have little snow if the morning sun dries the dew;
If the dew dries before lunch, then a snowy winter awaits.

The Origin of the Feast of the Virgin Mary

Once upon a time, Anna and Joachim lived in Nazareth. They didn't have children, and they were very worried about it. Children among Jews were considered a blessing, and for families without children, priests could refuse to accept gifts. However, this is what happened to Joachim, when he brought gifts to the temple, they were rejected by the priest. When Anna learned about this, she began to cry. At that moment an angel stood over Anna and said:

“You will conceive and give birth to a Daughter, blessed above all. Through Her, all earthly peoples will receive God's blessing. Through Her, Salvation will be given to all people. Her name will be Mary."

And an angel also came to Anna’s husband and said that he would become a father. Indeed, after 9 months a girl is born, who in the future became hope for the people.

In 2018, Orthodox Christians celebrate the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on September 21. The date does not change from year to year. The Nativity of the Virgin Mary is the first great holiday of the church year (the last is the Dormition of the Virgin Mary). the site talks about the history, meaning and traditions of the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, what you can eat and what you cannot do on this day.

Anna Zaikova

What is the Nativity of the Virgin Mary?

On September 21 (September 8, old style), Orthodox Christians celebrate a very important event - the birth of the Most Holy Theotokos, the mother of Jesus Christ. The Virgin Mary was born into the family of righteous parents Joachim and Anna.

The Nativity of the Virgin Mary is described not in the Gospel, but in the Proto-Gospel of James, written in the 2nd century. Christians began to celebrate this event as a separate holiday only in the second half of the 5th century. The magazine reports this: Thomas ».

On the Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, believers go to church services, try to confess and receive communion.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary: folk traditions

The Nativity of the Virgin Mary in the popular consciousness was connected with the holiday of Autumn. The meaning of this event is this: field work is completed, summer is leaving, life is moving into the next stage.

Autumn was celebrated on September 21, the day of the autumnal equinox. Early in the morning, women went to the banks of reservoirs to meet Mother Osenina with oatmeal bread and jelly: they had a meal, sang songs, danced and played, reports pravmir.ru. The image of Osenina merged with the image of the Most Holy Theotokos, so they addressed her like this: “Most Pure Mother of God, deliver me from toil and harassment, take me away from others, sanctify my life and existence!”

What can you eat for the Nativity of the Virgin Mary 2018?

September 21 in 2018 is Friday, a fast day. In honor of the Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, believers can eat fish. But fasting people should not eat meat, dairy products and eggs.

Mikhail Khaustov

What should you not do on the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary?

The Church advises not to get carried away by various beliefs and signs on the Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. For example, they write on the Internet that if a woman refuses to give alms on September 21, this may threaten infertility or failure in family life. In Orthodoxy, such signs are considered superstitions.

There is a widespread but incorrect opinion that on Orthodox holidays (including the Nativity of the Virgin Mary 2018) it is forbidden to work in the garden, sew, or clean. This is wrong. It is recommended to devote the holiday to God and communication with loved ones, but if this is not possible, they will not condemn the person.

On the Orthodox holiday of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, there is no need to swear, envy, or quarrel with others.

The church advises on Orthodox holidays (as well as on other days) to refrain from conspiracies, occult and magical rituals. The church views this clearly negatively.

And finally, you should not abuse alcohol. An Orthodox holiday is an occasion for prayer, spiritual communication with God, and not for a stormy holiday.

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the full name of the holiday that the Orthodox Church celebrates on September 21.

As you know, this holiday is one of the twelve (twelve most important holidays after Easter).

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary means the triumph of faith over illnesses and failures, the appearance to the world of the mother of Jesus, the son of the Lord, the birth of the greatest woman in all history, for her appearance was a miracle, as well as the appearance of her son, Christ.

This day is considered a joyful event, families go to church services together and do not take on hard work. We invite you to find out what you can do on this day and what you should abstain from.

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

The Nativity of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary is the most important church holiday, which in Orthodoxy is one of the twelve. The holiday was established by the Church in the 4th century. Let us recall what the legends say about the divine holiday of September 21.

In the Galilean city of Nazareth lived an elderly couple - Joachim and Anna. They were very pious and righteous, but for many years they could not have children. One day, on a great holiday, Joachim brought gifts to the Lord God to the Jerusalem Temple. But the priest did not want to accept the gifts because he was childless, and children were considered a blessing from God. Upon learning of this, Anna began to cry. Seeing a nest in the garden in which little chicks were squeaking, she thought: “Even birds have children, but we do not have such consolation in old age.” Then an angel appeared to her and said: “You will conceive and give birth to a Daughter, blessed above all. Through Her, all earthly peoples will receive God's blessing. Through Her, Salvation will be given to all people. Her name will be Mary." With the same news, an angel appeared to Joachim. Nine months later, Anna had a daughter. The birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary motivated Joachim to offer great gifts and sacrifices to God. He received the blessing of the high priest, the priests and all the people because he was worthy of God's blessing. The Church calls Joachim and Anna Godfathers, because Jesus Christ was born from their Most Holy Daughter, the Virgin Mary.

Since then, the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary on September 21 has always been celebrated by believers with great trepidation.

Customs of the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary - what can and should be done on this day

Christians have long turned to the Mother of God, who became the unifying principle between God and the human race, and asked her for protection and blessings.

The feasts of the Mother of God are celebrated magnificently in places where churches were consecrated in her honor. Temple (throne) holidays usually take place with a divine service and a meal following it. Dinners are always held where all relatives gather around a round table.

This holiday is also traditionally considered a women's holiday, when a woman is honored as a continuator of the family. He obviously inherits the ancient Aryan holiday of Mothers in Birth, when our ancestors expressed gratitude to the guardians of the fields and the harvest, the grandfathers.

Women who have no children throw a dinner and invite the poor - “so that the Virgin Mary may pray for their children.” Women also order services in the church, and after the service they invite people to their place for lunch. They say that prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary of expectant mothers for the health and happiness of the children they are expecting have special power on this day.

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated as a holiday of true joy. Therefore, on these days they did not work, did not fast, and after prayer in the temple, they gathered cheerful feasts.

Also, the holiday has long been the deadline for preparing a “magic” potion. It was believed that love herbs collected between the First (Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - August 28) and the Second Most Holy Feasts had the special property of attracting a guy to a girl (a man to a woman) and vice versa.

From the day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, it was possible to send matchmakers to girls. Also on this day it is good to have a wedding and visit families for a feast.

Since ancient times, also on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, women tried to go to the pond early in the morning. It was believed that if a woman washed her face with water before sunrise on this day, her beauty would remain until old age. And for good health, children were doused with water on the doorstep.

Also on this day, onion week began - housewives removed this vegetable from the beds. And by the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the owners tried to collect the entire harvest; at this time, beekeepers began to prepare the bees for wintering - cleaning the hives.

It usually gets colder at this time, so before the Second Most Pure Day the potatoes should have been completely dug up and the ground sown with rye.

What not to do on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Do not engage in heavy physical labor: leave housework, gardening and gardening for later;

When you sit down with the whole family at the table, you cannot sweep crumbs onto the floor. If there was bread left after a meal, it was given to domestic animals.

You should also not quarrel with loved ones or conflict with others (if the situation is close to critical, try to resolve any controversial issues peacefully);

On the day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, you should have pure thoughts. Don't raise your voice to people close to you - it's a sin. You also cannot wish harm on others or think badly about someone.

On this day, fasting is observed: meat and alcohol are not allowed.

Signs and proverbs of the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary:

The First Most Pure One came - she put a necklace on nature, the Second Most Pure One came - she took the unclean mosquito, the Third Most Pure One came - the oak grove became leafless.

The Most Pure One came - the tree was clean, but the Intercession came - the tree was bare.

Preclean - clean potatoes.

The Most Pure One came and the unclean One brought matchmakers.

The Dormition sows the rye, and the second one waters it with rain.

If the weather is sunny on the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, then the autumn will be warm and clear, without heavy rains. If the sky is gloomy on this day, then the autumn cold will come with rain.

If a girl washes herself towards the east of the sun, then she will definitely be wooed this year.

To avoid “evil eyes”, slander and illness, burn old clothes and shoes on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

How to celebrate the Nativity of the Virgin Mary

Starting from the sixth century, the Nativity of the Virgin Mary began to be celebrated as a great holiday. On this day, believers in festive clothes come to churches, where solemn services are performed. All believers glorify the wonderful day when the Lord gave people hope of the Savior coming into the world. Also for the holiday, special bread was baked with the letters “P” and “B”, which meant “Nativity of the Virgin Mary”. Festive bread was distributed to all family members, placed under icons, where they were kept until the Nativity of Jesus Christ. It was believed that the bread could help a sick person, so they were given to everyone who was sick.

On this bright holiday, Orthodox people rush to churches to pray to the Mother of God. Therefore, the main thing that you should definitely do is go to church on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Also, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on September 21, 2018 is a great chance to ask for forgiveness from your parents. You definitely need to pray for their health on this holiday.

In every family, it is customary to set a large table in honor of this holiday. Our ancestors believed that the more richly the housewife prepared for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the more generous the harvest would be for the next year. Therefore, do not forget to pay tribute to nature by placing a basket of apples, pears, plums and grapes on the table. If the harvest was large, this holiday used to be celebrated for two whole weeks.