Trinity Orthodox holiday. The history of the holiday Trinity

This happened on the tenth day after the Ascension of Jesus Christ. Jerusalem was festively decorated, many guests from all over the world flocked to the great Jewish holiday. The city rejoiced. Only the disciples of Christ kept to themselves: they prayed to God. On the morning of that day, in the house where they were praying, a strange sound was heard, reminiscent of a noise strong wind, and after some time tongues of flame appeared above the heads of those present. A moment ago, scared and weak, they instantly gained wisdom and strength. The disciples of Christ also received the opportunity to openly glorify God in all languages ​​that were previously incomprehensible to them. They gained the gift of performing miracles and healing the sick with God's help. And they received all this from the Holy Spirit who came upon them on that great day.

A crowd gathered around the disciples of Jesus, and they - the apostles, (that is, ambassadors, messengers) preached the teachings of the Son of God and glorified Jesus. Many then believed in Christ as God and were baptized. From that day - the day of the descent of the Holy Spirit - the Christian faith began to quickly spread throughout the world, the apostles preached the Teachings of Christ throughout the entire earth and talked about his suffering for people and the resurrection from the dead.

The descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles is celebrated by the Orthodox as the day of the Holy Trinity. It is one of the most important Christian holidays, one of the twelve. The very concept of the Trinity personifies the image of God, one in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. The second name of the holiday is Pentecost, due to the fact that it occurs on the fiftieth day after Easter.

I wonder how beautiful this one is Orthodox holiday in Rus' they began to celebrate only three hundred years after the rite of baptism, which led the country to Orthodoxy.

History of the holiday Trinity before Christianity

As has often happened in history, new religion did not reject old customs, but attracted old rituals to her side, “dressing them in new clothes.” It is known that in pre-Christian Rus' the Slavs celebrated the arrival of summer pagan holiday Triglav or Semik. And here there was a “trinity” of its own. According to pagan Slavic beliefs, everything (and everyone) on Earth was ruled by three gods: Svyatovit - the god of gods, the keeper of light, the god of war and victory; Svarog - creator of the Universe; Perun is a warrior and defender of the truth.

Pentecost (Trinity) is celebrated seven weeks (on the 50th day) after Easter.

Orthodox Christians celebrate Holy Trinity Day in 2017 on June 4

The holiday received its name because this event took place on the Old Testament holiday of Pentecost, which was celebrated after the Jewish Passover on the 50th day. And the name is explained by the fact that the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles revealed “the perfect activity of the third Person of the Most Holy Trinity, and the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ about the Triune God and the participation of the Three Persons of the Divine in the Economy of the salvation of the human race reached complete clarity and completeness.”

Feast of the Holy Trinity established by the apostles. After the day of the descent of the Holy Spirit, they began to annually celebrate the Day of Pentecost and commanded all Christians to remember this event. The Holy Church exalts general praise to the Most Holy Trinity and encourages people to chant “the Father without beginning, and the Son without beginning, and the Co-essential and Most Holy Spirit” - “the Trinity Consubstantial, Equivalent and Without Beginning.”

From ancient times, the Day of Holy Pentecost was considered the birthday of the Church of Christ the Savior, “created not by the futility of human interpretations and speculations, but by Divine grace.”

For centuries, this holiday has united sincere joy, fun, and a deep prayerful mood. God is Love, and Love contains everything. Even during His life on earth, the Lord told His disciples many times that He would never leave people.
He gathered believing people into His big family, which he called His Church, and said: “I will create My Church, and the gates of hell will never prevail against It.” We are all members of this Church.

Traditions of celebrating Pentecost in Rus'

Trinity is a very beautiful holiday. Houses and temples are decorated with branches, grass, and flowers. And this is no coincidence. Greenery and flowers symbolize life. This is how people express joy and gratitude to God for reviving them through baptism into a new life.

Historically, birch branches were used to decorate temples and houses. This tree is considered blessed in Rus'. It is not without reason that many poems and songs are dedicated to him. The holiday of Trinity without a birch is the same as Christmas without a tree. But Russia big country, with different climatic conditions, apparently, this can explain the fact that in some areas the holiday trees were oak, maple, and rowan. The holiday is noisy and fun. In the morning everyone rushes to the temple for the festive service. And after it they organize folk fun with round dances, games, and songs. Loaves were definitely prepared. They invited guests to a festive dinner and gave each other gifts. Fairs were held in some areas.

Long before the advent of Christianity Slavic peoples celebrated Green Week. It marked the end of spring and the beginning of summer. Some have survived to this day pagan rituals and fortune telling, which are carried out on the holiday of Trinity. The customs of ancient times are based on the renewal of life - this is the time when the first leaves appear on the trees and flowers bloom. And for the holiday of Trinity, churches and houses were decorated with greenery - a symbol of growth and renewal Christian faith.

Trinity or Pentecost?

Trinity Day is one of the have the most beautiful holidays in Orthodoxy. It always falls at a time when the first leaves on the trees begin to bloom. Therefore, on this holiday, people decorate houses and churches with green branches of birch, maple, and rowan.

Trinity Sunday does not have a fixed date of celebration. It is scheduled for the fiftieth day after Easter. The Bible says that it was on this day that the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles. The disciples received the ability to preach the word of Christ. Therefore, this holiday is otherwise called Pentecost or the Descent of the Holy Spirit.

Only in the 14th century did they begin to celebrate the Trinity holiday in Rus'. The customs and traditions on this day have been observed since ancient times. The founder of the holiday was St. Sergius of Radonezh.

Old Testament holiday

Pentecost is a Jewish holiday that is celebrated on the 50th day after. According to legend, on this day the people of Israel received the Law of Sinai. Traditionally, in honor of the celebration, entertainment for the people, mass celebrations, and sacrifices are organized.

He did not give the Law of God to his people. This happened on the fiftieth day after the exodus of the Jews from Egypt. Since then, Pentecost (or Shavuot) began to be celebrated every year. In Israel, on the same day, the festival of the first harvest and fruits is celebrated.

When did the Trinity appear in Christianity? The customs and traditions of the celebration originate from the Old Testament Pentecost.

Orthodox holiday

The apostles retired to celebrate the Jewish Pentecost. The Savior, before his martyrdom, promised them a miracle - the coming of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, every day they gathered in one of the Zion upper rooms.

On the 50th day after the Resurrection, they heard a noise that filled the small space of the house. Flames appeared and the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles. He showed them three hypostases - God the Father (Divine Mind), God the Son (Divine Word), God the Spirit (Holy Spirit). This trinity is the basis of Christianity, on which the Christian faith firmly stands.

People who were not far from the upper room heard a strange noise - the apostles were speaking different languages. Jesus' disciples received amazing abilities - to heal, prophesy and preach in different dialects, which allowed them to carry the word of God to all corners of the world. The apostles visited the Middle East, India, and Asia Minor. We visited Crimea and Kyiv. All the disciples except John accepted martyrdom- were executed by opponents of Christianity.

There is only one God. The customs of the church holiday began in the morning. The whole family went to church for worship. After which people returned home. They held a gala dinner, went to visit, congratulated friends on the bright holiday, and gave gifts.

Slavic holiday

In our country, the holiday of the Trinity began to be celebrated only 300 years after the baptism of Rus'. Before this, the Slavs were pagans. But even today there are rituals and signs that originated in those times.

Before Trinity, this day was considered the border between spring and summer. Its name is Semik (Green Week), or Triglav. According to pagan religion, three deities ruled all humanity - Perun, Svarog, Svyatovit. The latter is the keeper of light and human energy. Perun is the defender of truth and warriors. Svarog is the creator of the Universe.

In Semik, people held merry celebrations and danced in circles. Houses were first decorated with greenery, from which medicinal tinctures and decoctions were then prepared.

Thus arose from pagan celebration religious holiday- Trinity. The customs and signs of those ancient times are still relevant among the people. For example, the greenery that was used to decorate the church on Pentecost was taken home and dried. It was sewn into canvas bags. This sachet served as a talisman for the home.

Celebration traditions

How is the holiday of Trinity? The customs of most holidays begin with cleaning the house. Only after the room was sparkling clean did the women decorate the rooms with green branches and flowers. They are a symbol of fertility and wealth.

The housewives were cooking festive table- they cooked pies and gingerbreads, cooked jelly. There is no fasting on this day, so Orthodox Christians are allowed any food. In churches, the Divine Liturgy is celebrated on Trinity Sunday, and immediately after it, the evening liturgy. During it, kneeling prayers are read. The clergy ask for the granting of grace to all those present, for the sending of wisdom and reason to the believers.

After the service, people sit down at the festive table, invite guests, give gifts and congratulate each other. According to tradition, it was customary to get married on this day. It was believed that if the matchmaking took place on Trinity and the wedding on Pokrov, a happy life awaited the young family.

How is Trinity celebrated in other parts of the world? Traditions, customs, rituals different countries unites festive worship. And in England, religious processions are even held on this day. In Italy, rose petals are scattered from under the ceiling of a church. In France, trumpets are blown during worship, which symbolizes the descent of the Holy Spirit.

Folk customs for Trinity

By folk legends, mermaids wake up on Pentecost. In this regard, the villagers have several customs.

• In the villages they made a stuffed mermaid and danced around it during festivities. Then it was torn into small pieces and scattered across the field.
• Before going to bed, women ran through the village with a broom to protect themselves from mermaids.
• One girl was dressed as a mermaid, taken to a field and thrown into a grain harvest. After which everyone fled to their homes.

What other folk practices are the Trinity famous for? Traditions, customs, rituals were to ward off evil spirits from the gate of the house. According to legend, on this day the merman woke up and country people they burned fires along the shore to ward off evil spirits.

Much attention was paid to decorating the house. Only branches of maple, birch, rowan, and oak could protect people and give them strength and health.

Another custom was to water the branches and flowers that were in the temple with your tears. Girls and women tried to cry harder so that drops of tears would fall on the greenery. This method helped the ancestors get rid of the summer drought and autumn crop failure.

First day

All holiday events divided into 3 days. The first was called Green Sunday. On this day, icons were decorated with birch branches, and a special prayer was said for Trinity.

Folk festivities were held in forests and fields. People danced, played, and sang songs. The girls wove wreaths and lowered them down the river. Such fortune-telling helped to find out what fate awaited in the coming year.

People remembered their deceased relatives. In the cemetery they swept crosses and monuments with a birch broom to ward off evil spirits. They left treats for the deceased at the graves. That night, according to folk tales, people had prophetic dreams.

Second day

Feast Monday is the second day of the celebration of Pentecost. People were rushing to church in the morning. After the service, the priests walked through the fields with blessings. This was done in order to protect the crop from drought, rain and hail.

The third day

Girls celebrate God's Day most of all. They organize celebrations, games, and fortune telling. By folk tradition, a fun activity is being held - “Drive Poplar”. Most beautiful girl dressed up, decorated with greenery and wreaths - she played the role of Poplar. Then the youth took Topolya home, and each owner gave her a delicious treat or gift.

Holiday symbol

There is still a ritual of curling a birch tree. During the process, the girls made wishes good health to his mother and other relatives. Or, while curling the birch tree, they thought about the young man they loved - thus tying his thoughts and thoughts to themselves.

During the festivities, a small birch tree was decorated with ribbons and flowers were flown into it. After round dance chants, they cut it down and began a triumphal procession through the village. An elegant birch tree was carried around the entire village, attracting good luck to its residents.

In the evening, the ribbons were removed from the tree and a traditional sacrifice was performed. The branches were “buried” in the field, and the birch itself was drowned in a pond. So people asked for a bountiful harvest and protection from the spirits.

Early dew was collected on Trinity Sunday - it was considered a strong medicine against illnesses and illnesses. Such rituals existed among our ancestors. Some of them can still be found today. What can't you do on Trinity Sunday?

What is forbidden to do on Pentecost

On this holiday, it was strictly forbidden to work in the garden or around the house. Therefore, zealous housewives carried out general cleaning before Trinity. And on the holiday itself they only decorated the house and prepared a rich meal.

What other prohibitions exist? What not to do on Trinity Sunday? All home repairs are best left for another day. You can't sew. Do not wash, cut or dye your hair.

On this day you cannot think about bad things or talk about someone in a negative way. It is forbidden to swim - otherwise the disobedient person will die in the near future (according to one version, he will be tickled by mermaids). And the one who remained alive after swimming on Trinity Sunday was declared a sorcerer.

You should not be offended or swear on this day - Trinity is a bright holiday. Signs and customs (what you can’t do and what you can do) - it all comes down to prayer and kind words. Trinity is a holiday of renewal of life, so you should surround yourself only with positivity on this day.

Parents' Saturday

The day before Trinity began, people went to the cemetery and commemorated their deceased relatives.

Since ancient times in parent's Saturday a funeral dinner was being prepared - cutlery was set out for the deceased. The deceased was invited to a meal.

On this day the bathhouse was heated. And after the whole family had washed, they left water and a broom for the deceased.

On Trinity Parents' Saturday they remember suicides and ask for repose for their souls. It is read on Trinity. But the Holy Church claims that this is a delusion - suicides will not be able to find peace after death. Therefore, only in home prayer can you ask for them.

Signs for Pentecost

The Trinity is rich in beliefs and signs. The customs and traditions of the holiday carry many centuries-tested omens.

1. Rain on Pentecost means an abundance of mushrooms and close warmth.
2. If the birch is fresh on the third day after the holiday, it means wet haymaking.
3. They get married on Trinity, they get married on the Intercession - for love and harmony in the family.
4. To attract wealth into your home, you need to place several
5. The heat on Trinity means a dry summer.

The entire week of celebration was called Rusal Week. Thursday was considered especially important - on this day the mermaids tried to lure people into the water. Therefore, in the evenings people tried not to leave the house. Swimming was prohibited for the entire week. And you should definitely carry wormwood with you - this herb repels evil spirits.

Nowadays, the Trinity holiday is celebrated in nature, with songs and fun. Customs and signs of ancient times become irrelevant and gradually disappear. But people still decorate their homes with greenery so that peace, tranquility, happiness, health and prosperity reign in it. And the girls carry wreaths to the reservoirs and, holding their breath, set them afloat: wherever the wreath floats, wait for the betrothed from there, and if it washes up to the shore, you know it’s not your destiny to get married this year...

The color of the Trinity holiday is emerald green. This is the shade of fresh, lush grass or foliage that has not had time to get tired and absorb the heavy dust of the city. The churches glow from the inside like an emerald cloud - hundreds of birch branches are carried by parishioners, the floor of the church is densely covered with grass, the musty smell of June is intensified by the rays of the sun from the church windows, mixed with subtle notes of incense and wax candles. The candles are no longer red, but honey-yellow - “Easter is given away.” Exactly 50 days after the Resurrection of the Lord, Christians celebrate the Holy Trinity. Great Holiday, beautiful Holiday.

… Fifty days after the Passover, the Jews celebrated the day of Pentecost, dedicated to the legislation of Sinai. The apostles did not take part in mass celebrations, but gathered together with the Mother of God and other disciples in the house of one person. History has not preserved evidence of his name and what he did, we only know that it was in Jerusalem... It was about three o'clock in the afternoon according to Jewish time (about nine o'clock in the morning according to modern account). Suddenly, from heaven itself, from above, an incredible noise was heard, reminiscent of the howl and roar of a rushing strong wind, the noise filled the entire house in which the disciples of Christ and the Virgin Mary were located. People began to pray. Tongues of fire began to play between people and began to dwell for a moment on each of the worshipers. So the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit, with which they received the amazing ability to speak and preach in many languages, previously unknown to them... The Savior’s promise was fulfilled. His disciples received special grace and gift, power and ability to carry the teachings of Jesus Christ. It is believed that the Holy Spirit descended in the form of fire as a sign that it has the power to scorch sins and cleanse, sanctify and warm the soul.
On the occasion of the holiday, Jerusalem was full of people; Jews from different countries converged on the city on this day. A strange noise from the house where the disciples of Christ were, caused hundreds of people to run to this place. Those gathered were amazed and asked each other: “Are they not all Galileans? How do we hear each of our languages ​​in which we were born? How can they speak with our tongues about the great things of God?” And in bewilderment they said: “They got drunk on sweet wine.” Then the Apostle Peter, standing up with the other eleven apostles, said that they were not drunk, but that the Holy Spirit had descended on them, as was predicted by the prophet Joel, and that Jesus Christ, who had been crucified, had ascended into heaven and poured out the Holy Spirit on them. Spirit. Many of those who listened to the sermon of the Apostle Peter at that moment believed and were baptized. The apostles initially preached to the Jews, and then dispersed to different countries to preach to all nations.

So Saint Andrew, who is also called Andrew the First-Called, went preaching the Word of God to eastern countries. He passed through Asia Minor, Thrace, Macedonia, reached the Danube, passed the Black Sea coast, the Crimea, the Black Sea region and along the Dnieper rose to the place where the city of Kyiv now stands. Here he stopped at the Kyiv Mountains for the night. Rising in the morning, he said to the disciples who were with him: “Do you see these mountains? On these mountains the grace of God will shine, there will be a great city, and God will build many churches.” The apostle climbed the mountains, blessed them and planted a cross. After praying, he climbed even higher along the Dnieper and reached the Slavic settlements where Novgorod was founded.

Miraculously, the Apostle Thomas, who believed in Christ, reached the shores of India. To this day, in the southern states of this country, Kerala and Karnataka, there live Christians whose ancestors were baptized by St. Thomas.

Peter visited various regions of the Middle East, Asia Minor, and later settled in Rome. There, according to a very reliable tradition of the late 1st and early 2nd centuries, he was executed between 64 and 68 AD. According to Origen, Peter, at his own request, was crucified upside down, since he considered that he was unworthy to undergo the same the execution that the Lord suffered.

While enlightening the nations with the teachings of Christ, the Apostle Paul also undertook long journeys. In addition to his repeated stays in Palestine, he preached about Christ in Phenicia, Syria, Cappadocia, Lydia, Macedonia, Italy, the islands of Cyprus, Lesbos, Rhodes, Sicily and other lands. The power of his preaching was so great that the Jews could not do anything to oppose the power of Paul’s teaching; the pagans themselves asked him to preach the word of God and the whole city gathered to listen to him.

That grace of the Holy Spirit, which was clearly taught to the apostles in the form of tongues of fire, is now in Orthodox Church served invisibly - in its holy sacraments through the successors of the apostles - the shepherds of the Church - bishops and priests.

The holiday of Christian Pentecost contains a double celebration: both in the glory of the Most Holy Trinity, and in the glory of the Most Holy Spirit, who descended on the Apostles and sealed the new eternal covenant of God with man.

On the Feast of the Holy Trinity, established at the end of the 4th century, after in 381 church cathedral In Constantinople, the dogma of the Trinity - the Trinitarian God - was officially adopted, we are talking about another important aspect of the Christian faith: the incomprehensible mystery of the trinity of God. God is one in three persons and this mystery is incomprehensible to the human mind, but the essence of the Trinity was revealed to people on this day.

By the way, for a long time Christian artists did not depict the Trinity, believing that God can only be depicted in the person of Jesus Christ - the son of God. But not God the Father, not God the Holy Spirit should not be written... However, over time, a special iconography of the Holy Trinity was formed, which is now divided into two types. The Old Testament Trinity is familiar to each of us from the famous icon of Andrei of Radonezh (Rublev), on which God is depicted in the form of three angels who appeared to Abraham. The icons of the New Testament Trinity are images of God the Father in the form of an old man, Jesus Christ as a youth in his bosom or an adult husband, according to right hand from him, and the Spirit - above them in the form of a dove.

In Rus', they began to celebrate Holy Pentecost not in the first years after the baptism of Rus', but almost 300 years later, in the 14th century, when St. Sergius Radonezh

In our country, this holiday has merged with the Slavic national holiday Semik, having absorbed many pagan rituals associated mainly with the veneration of the spirits of herbs, trees and flowers. Therefore, on Trinity Sunday it was customary to decorate houses with greenery and conduct round dances around the birch tree.

In the last week before Trinity, on Thursday, at peasant houses cooking began - they baked pies, flatbreads, kurniks, scrambled eggs, noodle pancakes, crackers, cooked soup from poultry. Then they went into the forest with these dishes, spread tablecloths under the trees, ate and drank beer. Choosing a branchy birch tree, the youth divided into pairs and curled wreaths without breaking off the branches from the tree.

On Trinity Day they went into the forest again to develop wreaths. Each couple, finding their wreath, judged their future happiness, which depended on whether the wreath had withered or not, faded or was still green...

Many rituals were associated with wreaths. Probably the most famous of them, when they threw wreaths into the river, guessing their fate by their movement: I’ll go to the Danube, to the river, I’ll stand on the steep bank, I’ll throw the wreath on the water, I’ll go further away and see if my wreath is drowning water? My wreath sank, my dear one remembered me: “O my gentle light, O my friendly light!”

The day after Pentecost, which is always celebrated on Sunday, the Church glorifies the third person of the Holy Trinity - the Holy Spirit. From this day until the next holiday of Holy Easter, they begin to sing the troparion to the Holy Spirit “To the King of Heaven...” From this same moment, prostrations to the ground are allowed for the first time after Easter.

... The Divine Service on the Feast of Holy Pentecost is touching and beautiful. The temple is decorated, the priests are dressed in green vestments, the smell of grass and fresh greens, the choir “... renew in our hearts, O Almighty, the true, right Spirit,” sounds solemnly and brightly, the parishioners are reading on their knees special prayers Saint Basil the Great. And it’s a juicy early summer outside - a reminder of that beautiful and deep “summer of the Lord” that Jesus Christ promised the righteous.

One of the largest and most revered holidays in Christianity is the holiday of the Trinity, but few people know and understand what kind of holiday this is and what the name Trinity, which is also used in ordinary life Christian.

Trinity Holiday - what is it?

The holiday of Trinity (another name for Pentecost) is dedicated to the memory of the descent of the Holy Spirit to Earth. It was on this day that the Lord God appeared to the world in his third hypostasis of the Holy Spirit, descending to Earth and appearing in this third hypostasis before the disciples of Christ, i.e. essentially in front of his disciples, since in Christianity the Holy Spirit, Christ and God are one whole entity.

Why is the holiday of Trinity called Pentecost?

Icon. Andrey Rublev. Trinity. Around 1422-1427

Minimum symbols: three angels (Trinity), a cup (Atoning sacrifice), a table (the Lord's table, the Eucharist. Of the recognizable realities - an oak tree (Mamre), a mountain (here is the sacrifice of Isaac, and Golgotha) and a building (Abraham's house? Church?) .

The answer to this question is very simple.

The descent of the Holy Spirit to Earth and the appearance of Christ to his disciples occurred exactly on the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Christ (Easter) or on the 10th day after the Ascension of Christ (Ascension).

This is where the name of this holiday came from - Pentecost. At the same time, this holiday of Pentecost should not be confused with another Jewish holiday, bearing exactly the same name Pentecost and celebrated on the same day, but dedicated to another event - the holiday in memory of the Sinai legislation (the holiday of Moses receiving the commandments of the Lord on Mount Sinai).

How did the Holy Spirit appear on Earth? The appearance of the Holy Spirit happened unexpectedly and was present at this limited quantity

of people. On the tenth day after Christ’s ascension into heaven, the Jews, as always, celebrated their ancient and great holiday

in memory of the Sinai legislation. On this day all the apostles together with and with other disciples of Christ and other believers they were in the same upper room in Jerusalem. “It was the third hour of the day, according to the Jewish clock, that is, in our opinion, the ninth hour of the morning. Suddenly a sound came from heaven, as if from a rushing strong wind, and filled the whole house where the disciples of Christ were. And they appeared tongues of fire and rested (stayed) one on each of them. Everyone was filled with the Holy Spirit and began to glorify God in different languages ​​that they did not know before.”

So the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles as a sign that He gave the apostles the ability and strength to preach Christ’s teaching to all nations; He descended in the form of fire as a sign that he has the power to scorch sins and cleanse, sanctify and warm souls.

In Jerusalem at that time there were many people who came from different countries for the holiday. The apostles came out to them and began to preach in their native languages. The sermon had such an effect on those listening that many believed and began to ask: “What should we do?” Peter answered them: “Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, then you too will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Those who believed in Christ willingly accepted baptism; there were about three thousand of them that day. This is how the Church of Christ began to be established on earth.

It was on this day that the beloved children of the Lord, united with Him by the Holy Spirit, came out of the walls of the Zion Upper Room to fearlessly preach Christ’s teaching about love.

Why did the Holy Spirit descend to earth?

The main reason why the Holy Spirit descended to earth was to motivate the disciples to build the Church of Christ: “...for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of ministry, for the building up of the Body of Christ.” It is for this reason that Pentecost is considered the birthday of the Christian Church.

How is the Feast of Pentecost celebrated?

On Pentecost in churches immediately after Divine Liturgy Vespers is celebrated in remembrance of the descent of the Comforter Spirit on the holy apostles. During the service, kneeling prayers are read for the sending down to us of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of wisdom, the Spirit of reason and the fear of God.

The Church prays for the granting of the grace of the Holy Spirit to all those present, as well as to previously deceased relatives in the flesh, so that they too may become participants in the Kingdom of Glory in the land of the living - “not a single one is clean before God from filth, even if there is only one day in his life” ( kneeling prayer after “Grant, O Lord, this evening”).

On this day, Orthodox Christians decorate their houses and churches with green birch branches and flowers. This custom comes from the Old Testament Church, when houses and synagogues were decorated with greenery on Pentecost in memory of how everything bloomed and turned green at Mount Sinai on the day when Moses received the tablets of the law.

Zion Upper Room, where the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles, at that time, general custom, was also decorated with tree branches and flowers. On the feast of Trinity, the appearance of the Trinity to Abraham in the Mamvrian oak grove is also remembered, so the temple decorated with greenery also resembles that oak grove. And the flowering branches also remind us that under the influence of God’s grace human souls blossom with the fruits of virtues.

What does the word Trinity mean in the Bible?

The very word “Trinity” is of non-biblical origin and was introduced into the Christian lexicon only in the second half of the 2nd century, two hundred years after the ascension of Christ, by Bishop Theophilus of Sioia.

In his treatise “Against Autolycus,” Theophilus wrote: “The three days [of creation], which were before [the creation of] the luminaries, are images of the Trinity: God, His Word and His Wisdom.” This work has survived to this day only in one manuscript of the 11th century and was probably written no earlier than 180 AD. e., since it mentions the death of Emperor Marcus Aurelius.

Neither in the Old nor in the New Testaments is the concept of “Trinity” directly used, and according to biblical scholars, there are only isolated hints in Scripture indicating the trinity of God, but nothing more.

Doctrine of the Trinity

Non-canonical icon.

Holy Trinity with angels and saints. Master from Messkirch, early 16th century.

The doctrine of the Triune God comes down to three points:

1) God is trinity and trinity consists in the fact that in God there are Three Persons (hypostases): Father, Son, Holy Spirit.

2) Each Person of the Holy Trinity is God, but They are not three Gods, but are one Divine being.

3) All three Persons differ in personal, or hypostatic, properties.

All three Persons of the Holy Trinity have the same Divine dignity, between them there is neither elder nor younger; just as God the Father is true God, so God the Son is true God, so the Holy Spirit is true God. Each Person carries within itself all the properties of the Divine.

They differ only in that God the Father is not born from anyone and does not come from anyone; The Son of God is born from God the Father - eternally (timeless, beginningless, infinite), and the Holy Spirit comes from God the Father.

How to understand the dogma of the Trinity?

Any educated Christian is well aware that the main dogma and cornerstone christian church is the dogma of the Holy Trinity, and without its correct understanding there is neither faith nor the Christian Church.

The dogma of the Trinity tells believers the following: God is one in essence, but threefold in persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Trinity is consubstantial and indivisible.

In other words, there is a God who has three essences, none of which is the main one and none of them can be divided.

Believers must clearly understand that the dogma of the Holy Trinity is incomprehensible, it is a mysterious dogma, incomprehensible at the level of reason. For the human mind, the doctrine of the Holy Trinity is contradictory, because it is a mystery that cannot be expressed rationally.

It is no coincidence that Pavel Florensky called the dogma of the Holy Trinity “a cross for human thought.” In order to accept the dogma of the Most Holy Trinity, the sinful human mind must reject its claims to the ability to know everything and rationally explain, that is, in order to understand the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity, it is necessary to turn away from its own thinking.

Since when is the holiday of Trinity celebrated?

Christian Pentecost as a holiday of the Holy Trinity has been celebrated since the 4th century, when at the Second Council of Constantinople the dogma of the Trinity was finally approved, in which one God began to officially exist in three persons - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion

The Feast of Trinity is not only a celebration of the appearance of the third Person of the Divine visibly, but also the birthday of the Church of Jesus Christ. The Bible says that the day will come when God will complete the formation of His Church here on earth, and She will be taken out of the earth to be with God forever. This moment is also called the second coming of Christ or the rapture of the Church, when God will return for those in whom His Holy Spirit lives.

Signs for Trinity

There are many signs and superstitions regarding things that should not be done on this day.

So, it is better not to set a wedding day on Trinity. Allegedly, those who tied the knot on this day will have an unlucky fate. family life. It’s better to get wooed on Trinity and prepare for the wedding.

The ancient Slavs believed that on the day on which Christians later designated Trinity, fairy-tale creatures - Mavkas and mermaids - appeared. Therefore, you shouldn’t walk alone in forests and fields, because they can take a lonely traveler with them and tickle you to death.

According to ancient beliefs, it was forbidden to swim, because mermaids would definitely drag you to the bottom. There is a superstitious legend that there will definitely be a drowned person on Trinity Sunday, so you should avoid any bodies of water and not tempt fate. One of the largest and most revered holidays in Christianity is the holiday of the Trinity, but few people know and understand what kind of holiday it is and what the name Trinity means , which is also used in the ordinary life of Christians.

From time immemorial, it was considered a bad omen to play weddings on Trinity Sunday.

How to celebrate Trinity (Pentecost)

On Pentecost, houses, apartments and churches are decorated with greenery and flowers, as well as birch branches, because the birch tree was the main symbol of this holiday in Rus'.

Before Trinity, it is customary to clean up the house and visit the cemetery to pay tribute to the deceased.

On the morning of Trinity Sunday, people go to church and consecrate birch branches, greenery and flowers. It is generally accepted that greenery illuminated on Trinity Day can be stored throughout the year - in Rus', greenery blessed on this day replaced people with a talisman that protected their home from evil spirits and troubles.

On Trinity Sunday, girls often wondered about their future groom.

How to tell fortunes about the Trinity

Of course, the church does not welcome fortune telling, but this tradition has been going on since ancient times.

It is customary to guess on Trinity from Thursday to Sunday.

The most common method for Trinity is fortune telling with wreaths - with their weaving and then floating on water.

On this day, irresponsible Christians tell fortunes using other objects - rings, chains, etc.

Fortune telling by wreath consisted of the girl weaving a wreath and making a wish for the groom, after which she went to the river and tilted her head to throw the wreath into the water.

Ideas based on the behavior of the wreath and fortune telling about the betrothed:

If the wreath floated calmly, then its owner expected a calm year

If the wreath floated under water or sank, then the girl had to be afraid of illness, death of loved ones or other troubles

If the wreath unraveled, then this promised the girl separation from her beloved

If the wreath quickly floated away, then this promised the girl a groom from the far side

A wreath stuck near the shore meant that there was no need to wait for the groom until the next Pentecost.

Films on the theme of the Trinity holiday

Not many films have been made about the Trinity, but nevertheless on the Internet you can find the following films:

Film by Metropolitan Hilarion “Trinity”;

Film "Holy Trinity"

Genre: Documentary