Strange religious holidays. Church holidays: dates, explanations and traditions

There are many different religions in the world and they all have a large number of their religious holidays. Each religion has its own rituals, traditions and rituals, accompanied by grandiose festivities.

The Ashura holiday symbolizes for Shiite Muslims the torment of the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, Imam Hussein, who was killed in a battle in Karbala, Iraq, in 680 AD. It is a national holiday in countries such as Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon... In the photo: Afghan Shiites are engaged in self-flagellation with chains and blades during Ashura on December 27, 2009. (UPI/Hossein Fatemi)

Good Friday symbolizes the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death. Photo: Christians raise a crucifix with Salvador Zavala (center) as Jesus Christ during the Way of the Cross ritual in Chicago on April 2, 2010. Thousands of people gather for the annual Good Friday ritual to walk the 2.4 km course at the Pilsen Mexican-American community center in Chicago. (UPI/Brian Kersey)

Vaisakhi is a Sikh holiday commemorating the founding of the Khalsa order at Anandpur Sahib in 1699 by the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. Falling in mid-April in the Gregorian calendar, Vaisakhi marks the beginning of the harvest season. Pictured: one of the many moving floats at the Vaisakhi parade on April 14, 2007. (UPI Photo/Heinz Ruckemann)

Kumbh Mela festival - takes place every three years in four different cities of India (thus, in each city once every 12 years). The festival lasts 42 days and attracts millions of people. People believe that by bathing in the sacred waters of the Ganges River, they will wash away their sins. Pictured: Indian worshipers bathe in the Ganges River at the Kumbh Mela festival in Haridwar April 14, 2010.

Every Muslim (if he is physically able to do this) must make the Hajj pilgrimage at least once in his life. The annual Hajj pilgrimage is the largest annual pilgrimage in the world, with up to two million Muslims participating. Photo: Saudi officer Ghassan looks at Muslims who pray at the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad in the Great Mosque in Mecca December 4, 2008. (UPI Photo/Mohammad Kheirkhah)

Purim is a holiday in honor of the liberation of the Jewish people from the oppression of the Persian Empire. On Purim, it is customary to publicly read the book of Esther, give food and drink, and give alms to the poor. Photo: Little ultra-Orthodox people in costumes celebrate Purim in the Mea Shearim neighborhood of Jerusalem on March 5, 2007. (UPI Photo/Debbie Hill)

Holi is the spring festival of the Hindus and Sikhs, which is celebrated in countries such as India, Nepal, Sri Lanka. Indians throw colored powder at each other outside the Banke Bihari temple in Mathura on March 10, 2009. (UPI Photo/Mohammad Kheirkhah)

An Indian boy wearing paint after celebrating the New Delhi Color Festival on March 11, 2009. (UPI Photo/Mohammad Kheirkhah)

Epiphany is a Christian holiday that marks the transition of the Lord into human form in the body of Jesus Christ. In the photo: Orthodox Christians plunge into the water from the Jordan River on January 18, 2010. Hundreds of Orthodox Christians gathered for a religious holiday near the city of Jericho, where, according to legend, John the Theologian baptized Jesus Christ. (UPI/Debbie Hill)

The ancient Kaparot ritual is always performed before the Jewish day of atonement, Yom Kippur. Pictured: An ultra-Orthodox Jew carries a chicken over a child's head to pray in Jerusalem on October 7, 2008. (UPI Photo/Debbie Hill)

Uraza Bayram symbolizes the end of Ramadan. Pictured: Hamas senior leader Ismail Hanieh addresses an audience at a mass prayer in Gaza on September 30, 2008. (UPI Photo/Ismael Mohamad)

Iranian women in traditional costumes gather around a bonfire at a Sadegh religious ceremony west of the capital Tehran January 30, 2010. Sadeh means "hundred" in Persian, which refers to the hundred days and nights left before the beginning of the new Persian year, which is celebrated on the first day of spring. (UPI/Maryam Rahmanian)

Christmas. A Palestinian boy lights a candle at the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, where Jesus Christ is said to have been born, in Bethlehem December 20, 2009. (UPI/Debbie Hill)

Palm Sunday is a Christian holiday that always falls on the Sunday before Easter. Believers celebrate the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Pictured: Christians carry palm and olive branches in a Palm Sunday procession in Jerusalem on March 28, 2010. (UPI/Debbie Hill)

Rosh Hashanah is considered the Jewish New Year's Eve and falls on the seventh month of the Jewish calendar. Photo: ultra-Orthodox pray at the Western Wall in the old city of Jerusalem September 22, 2006. (UPI Photo/Debbie Hill)

Easter is a Christian holiday that symbolizes the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Photo: A Russian Orthodox priest illuminates Easter cakes and eggs at the Peter and Paul Church in Moscow on April 3, 2010. (UPI Photo/Alex Natin)

World Youth Day is an event of the Catholic Church aimed at youth and organized by Pope John Paul II in 1986. Pictured: Pope John Paul II waves to a crowd from a car in a plaza in Toronto on July 25, 2002. Up to 300,000 pilgrims attended the event. (cc/cc/Christine Chew UPI)

Introduction

Chapter No. 4. Major Buddhist Holidays

Chapter number 5. Major Jewish holidays

Conclusion

List of used literature

Introduction

Who are we? What is our past? How we lived and live in comparison with other peoples, every nation thinks about these questions. To answer them, it is necessary to more fully and qualitatively study our own history, the history of other peoples.

I see the relevance of my topic in the fact that by studying the holidays and customs of different peoples, I will come into closer contact with the centuries-old history of peoples of different faiths. Also, my work will help many to replenish knowledge about religious holidays and contribute to the development of interest in religion.

The purpose of my work: to get acquainted and study the religious holidays of different peoples.

To achieve the goal, I set the following tasks:

Gather historical information about religious holidays.

The main holidays in Christianity.

Major holidays in Islam.

Major holidays in Buddhism.

Major holidays in Judaism.

Summarize the materials and draw conclusions.

Chapter No. 1. The history of religious holidays

The history of their origin, many holidays and rituals of the peoples of the world are inextricably linked with the religion, culture and spiritual heritage of a particular nation.

Throughout the existence of mankind, these unique historical and cultural values ​​were born, improved and disappeared, but the vast majority of them still managed to reach our days almost in their original form.

Speaking about the cultural heritage that has managed to pass through the centuries, reaching the present day, one should cite as an example the well-known holidays and rituals of different peoples.

The most ancient of these holidays in their origin are directly related to paganism, which was once part of the very first universal ideas about man and the world, and later became the basis for all religions existing on the planet.

The religious holidays and rituals of the peoples of the world that have survived to this day began to take shape already in antiquity, when the all-encompassing paganism began to gradually recede into the background.

Each now known religion has its own holidays and rituals, which can be daily, weekly, annual.

Chapter number 2. Major Christian holidays

Major holidays in Christianity

All Christian holidays differ in the object of glorification, in the degree of solemnity and in the time of their holding. Holidays are celebrated throughout the year and have the following calendar sequence:

A holiday celebrated by Christians since the middle of the 4th century. According to an ancient Jewish custom dating back to the times of Patriarch Abraham (XX century BC), on the eighth day after the birth of a boy, a circumcision ceremony is performed on him and a name is given. At the same time, circumcision is a sign of God's covenant with Abraham and his descendants. According to the Gospels, on the eighth day after the birth of Christ, according to custom, this ceremony was performed on the newborn and he was named Jesus (Luke 2:21). But already the first generation of Christians, breaking with Judaism, ceased to perform the rite of circumcision, replacing it with the sacrament of Baptism - "spiritual circumcision", the performance of which is associated with the acceptance of a person into the bosom of the Church.

The holiday is established in memory of the Baptism of Jesus Christ described in the Gospels by John the Baptist in the Jordan River (Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22). The holiday was called Theophany (Greek Epiphany, Theophany), because during the Baptism of Jesus Christ, a special appearance of all three persons of the Godhead took place: God the Father from heaven testified of the baptized Son and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove descended on Jesus, thus confirming the Word of the Father.

According to Christian doctrine, it was after Baptism that Jesus began to enlighten people, illuminating them with the light of truth. In addition, in the Baptism of Christ, mankind partake of His Divine grace, having received in this sacrament the cleansing of living water, leading to eternal life. Therefore, the acceptance of the sacrament of Baptism is an indispensable condition for believers to belong to the Church (John 3:5).

The feast of the Epiphany entered the church calendar in the middle of the 2nd century. and was first celebrated along with the Nativity of Christ (the Armenian Church still adheres to this tradition). In the 4th century, the celebration of Christmas was moved to December 25, and the feast of the Epiphany was followed by the same date - January 6.

In the tradition of the Eastern Church, the general celebration of the Epiphany lasts 12 days (January 2-14). The Sunday closest to the holiday is called the Week before the Enlightenment. On the eve of the holiday, a special service is performed - the royal hours and a strict fast is observed - Epiphany Christmas Eve. On the first day of the holiday, the very event of the Epiphany is glorified - the Baptism of Jesus and the appearance of the three persons of the Godhead. The second day of the holiday (January 7) is dedicated to the remembrance and glorification of John the Baptist as having performed the sacrament of the Baptism of the Lord (Matt. 3:14-15) - therefore it was called the Cathedral of John the Baptist.

For Western Christians, in the meaning of the feast of the Epiphany, the memory of the appearance of a star to the Eastern magi (or kings) after the birth of Christ as the first revelation of the coming of the Messiah given to the pagans comes to the fore. Therefore, the feast of the Epiphany was also called Festum magorum (Feast of the Magi), or Festum regum (Feast of the Kings) and is associated with the worship of the baby Jesus by the three Magi (three kings) - Caspar, Melchior and Belshazzar, and the Day of the Baptism of the Lord (Baptisma Christi) is celebrated on the first Sunday after the feast of the Epiphany and completes the Christmas cycle. According to Western tradition, on the day of the Epiphany, not only the consecration of water is performed, but also incense and chalk, with which believers write the initial letters of the names of the Magi at the entrance to their homes: "K+M+V".

The holiday was established in memory of a significant event for Christians - the meeting (glorious meeting) in the Jerusalem Temple of the Infant Jesus with the righteous elder Simeon (Luke 2:22-39). In the context of the gospel story, this event symbolizes the meeting of the Old and New Testaments.

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The holiday, celebrated by Western Christians on March 25, and by Orthodox Christians on April 7 according to the new style (March 25 according to the Julian calendar), is established in memory of the message of the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary about the coming birth of the Son of God Jesus Christ and that She was chosen to become " blessed among women" - the Mother of the promised Messiah (Luke 1:26-38). According to Christian theology, this event is the beginning of the divine redemption of the world - the Eternal Council of the Most Holy Trinity on the Incarnation to save people from their sins and grant them eternal life. Therefore, for Christians, the feast of the Annunciation is of particular importance.

The Annunciation always falls either on the days of Great Lent or on the week of Easter celebrations (Bright Week). Depending on this, the holiday each time has a special rite, provided for by the liturgical Charter. According to the tradition of the Eastern Church, if the Annunciation coincides with the Sunday of Lent, then on this day the Liturgy is performed according to the order of Basil the Great, and on other days - the Liturgy of John Chrysostom.

The Annunciation was introduced into the Christian calendar in the 4th century, and has been celebrated as a great holiday since the 8th century.

Great Lent, Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday), Holy Week and Holy Resurrection of Christ (Easter), Sundays after Easter - mid-February - May

Two stages of the Easter celebration fall in mid-February - early May: the pre-Easter period - Great Lent, and the celebration of the Holy Resurrection of Christ - Easter (from Hebrew Pesach - "passing") - the most important holiday of the Christian year, which is based on the gospel story of the miraculous the resurrection of Jesus Christ, crucified on the cross by the verdict of the Jewish court (Sanhedrin) and with the approval of the Roman governor Pontius Pilate (1st century AD) (Matt. 28:1-10; Mk. 16:1-15; Jn. 20).

The feast of the Resurrection of Christ is directly related to the Jewish holiday of Easter, which is set in memory of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt and is associated with the expectation of the arrival of the liberator of the chosen people - the Messiah. According to the Gospels, Jesus Christ was crucified, died and was buried on the eve of the celebration of Passover (Nisan 14 according to the Jewish calendar), and on the third day he rose from the dead. The disciples and followers of Christ perceived His death as atonement for the sins of the world, and the resurrection as a victory over the power of evil and the gift of eternal life by God. Like the Paschal lamb, slain so that the angel of death would not touch the firstborn of the Jews (Ex. 12), Jesus Christ, by sacrificing himself on the cross, gave people deliverance from eternal death and damnation - the inevitable consequences of human sin. Thus, both holidays glorify freedom: the Jews give thanks to God for saving them from death (when the angel of death "passed by" their homes) and for liberation from the shackles of Egyptian slavery, while Christians rejoice at the liberation from the slavery of sin and death. Therefore, Christians call Easter "the feast of feasts and the triumph of celebrations."

Both Jewish and Christian Easter originate from ancient agrarian holidays: a characteristic element of Easter celebrations in the tradition of Judaism is the baking of unleavened bread - matzah, from where the custom of baking on Christian Easter came from, and the tradition of giving eggs (which are also one of the obligatory dishes of the Jewish Easter meal) symbolizes not only the new life of the risen Christ, but also the arrival of spring.

Easter is not only the most important, but also the most ancient of all Christian holidays. It was established and celebrated already in apostolic times. The ancient Church, under the name of Pascha, combined two memories - about the suffering and Resurrection of Jesus Christ and devoted to its celebration the days preceding the triumph of the Resurrection of Christ and following it. Depending on the nature of the memory, each stage of the holiday had its own name - Pascha of Suffering (or Easter of the Cross) and Easter of the Resurrection. The first stage of the holiday was marked by fasting and repentance, and the second - by festive celebrations.

Thus, Easter is a movable holiday, falling each year on a different date between March 22 and April 25. These numbers are determined by a special table, Paschalia, which indicates the dates of the celebration of Easter for many years to come.

Apart from Palm Sunday, there are 5 Sundays during Lent, and each of them is dedicated to a special memory. On the first Sunday, the feast of the Triumph of Orthodoxy is celebrated. This holiday was established in Byzantium in the first half of the 9th century. in memory of the final victory of the Orthodox Church over all heretical teachings, and especially over the iconoclastic heresy, condemned by the Seventh Ecumenical Council in 787. The second Sunday is called the Week of Luminous Fasts. In the divine service of this Sunday, along with contrition for the sinful state of man, fasting is glorified as a path to inner spiritual purification and illumination. The third Sunday is called the Week of the Cross, as it is dedicated to the glorification of the Holy Cross and the spiritual fruits of the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross as the Savior of the world. The fourth Sunday is dedicated to the memory of St. John of the Ladder (VI century), who in his work "The Ladder of Paradise" described the path of a person's gradual ascent to spiritual and moral perfection. The fifth Sunday is dedicated to the remembrance and glorification of the Monk Mary of Egypt (5th-6th centuries): according to church tradition, through repentance she reached such a height of perfection and holiness that she became like incorporeal angels.

The Saturday of the sixth week of Great Lent, which is dedicated to the remembrance of the gospel story of the resurrection of Lazarus (John 11:1-44), was called Lazarus Saturday. According to the teaching of the Church, by the resurrection of Lazarus, Jesus Christ revealed His divine power and glory and assured the disciples of His coming resurrection and the general resurrection of those who died on the day of God's Judgment.

In the Western tradition, Lent lasts 6 weeks. It begins on Wednesday, called "Ash", because on this day, after the service, the ritual of sprinkling the heads of believers with ashes is performed as a sign of compassion for Jesus Christ, who is dying on the Cross, as well as repentance and contrition for the sins committed, for the sake of atonement for which Jesus made this Sacrifice . This is followed by six weeks of Lent. The five Sundays that fall during this period are dedicated to the memories of the gospel narratives about the last days of the earthly life of Jesus Christ. The first Sunday (In-oca-it) is dedicated to the remembrance of the forty-day sojourn of Jesus Christ in the wilderness (Mark 1:12-15); the second (Reminiscere) - the remembrance of Christ's transfiguration (Mark 9:2-10); the third (Oculi) - the memory of the meeting of Jesus Christ with the Samaritan woman (John 4:5-42); the fourth ("aetare) - the memory of the healing of the blind man (John 9:1-41), and the fifth (Judica) - the memory of the resurrection of Lazarus (John 11:1-45). All Sundays of Great Lent are equated in their significance with great holidays. Every Friday of Great Lent, a special procession called the "Way of the Cross" is performed in all churches, and the veneration of the Holy Cross is performed.

Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday)

On the last Sunday before Easter, the feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem is celebrated. It is based on the gospel story about how Jesus Christ, before His martyrdom and resurrection, arrived in Jerusalem, where the people greeted Him, throwing palm branches in front of Him on the road. This event is described by all the evangelists: Matt. 21:1-11; Mk. 11:1-11; OK. 19:29-44; In. 12:12-19. On this day, the Church calls on believers to "open their hearts to receive Jesus Christ," as the inhabitants of Jerusalem once did.

A characteristic element of the holiday is a solemn procession with palm branches, which takes place in temples during worship. With the custom to consecrate palm branches on this day, another name for the holiday is also connected - "Week of Vay" (branches) or "Flower-bearing Week". Since in Russia palm branches were replaced by willows, the name "Palm Sunday" also stuck to the holiday.

The first mention of the holiday is found in the writings of St. Methodius of Patara (III century), who compiled a teaching on the order of its celebration.

Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday are the transition from Holy Fortecost to Holy Week.

Holy Week (week)

The last week of Great Lent, which is dedicated to the remembrance of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ, was called "Passionate". In the early Christian communities, at this time it was prescribed to eat only dry food, avoid entertainment, stop work and cases in the courts, and release prisoners. All services of Holy Week are distinguished by the depth of their experiences and consistently "reproduce" the last days of the life and suffering of Jesus Christ. Therefore, during Holy Week, the days of remembrance of the saints are not celebrated, the remembrance of the dead and the sacraments of Marriage and Baptism are not performed (with the exception of special cases). Each day of Holy Week is called "great". In Catholic churches, during Holy Week (up to and including Good Friday), it is customary to remove or hang with a purple cloth all images of the Crucifixion.

Holy Resurrection of Christ (Easter)

The Easter service is notable for its special solemnity. Before it begins, all the lamps are lit in the temples and the people in the temple stand with candles as a sign of special spiritual joy. Since the time of the apostles, the Easter service has been celebrated at night. Like the ancient chosen people, who were awake on the night of their deliverance from Egyptian slavery, Christians are also awake on the sacred night of Christ's Resurrection.

The service begins with a procession - a solemn procession around the temple with a lantern, banners, the Gospel, icons of the Resurrection of Christ and the Mother of God, with the singing of the canon of Easter. Believers greet each other with the words "Christ is Risen!", to which the answer follows: "Truly Risen!". At the end of the service, the consecration of the artos (Greek "bread") is performed - a large prosphora with the image of the Cross or the Resurrection of Christ, which is then installed in the church on the lectern along with the icon of the holiday. Artos is a reminder that Jesus Christ, by His death on the Cross and Resurrection, became for Christians the true Bread of eternal life. On Bright Saturday, the artos is crushed and distributed to all believers.

In the first centuries, Western Christians had a custom to celebrate the sacrament of Baptism on Easter night. In the Western tradition, to this day, the consecration of water and the sacrament of Baptism is performed during the Easter service before the start of the liturgy.

The main Easter celebrations continue throughout the following week, called Bright Week, and end on the eighth day - Sunday (the second Sunday after Easter).

Weeks after Easter

According to the gospel narrative, after the Resurrection, Jesus Christ stayed on earth for forty days, appearing to the apostles and teaching them the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. Therefore, the celebration of Easter continues for forty days.

From the second Sunday after Easter, the next stage of Easter celebrations begins, called Weeks (i.e., Sundays) after Easter. This period lasts 5 weeks, includes 5 Sundays and ends on Wednesday of the sixth week after Easter - the celebration of the Passover of Easter.

The second Sunday after Easter symbolizes the "replacement" or "repetition" of the Easter day itself, which is why it was called Antipascha (Greek "instead of Easter"). This day is dedicated to the recollection of the gospel story about the appearance of Jesus Christ to the apostles on the eighth day after the Resurrection, and especially to the Apostle Thomas, who, by touching the wounds of Christ, was convinced of the truth of His Resurrection (John 20:26-29). In honor of this event, the second Sunday after Easter received another name - the Week of Thomas (in the folk language, this day was also called Krasnaya Gorka).

Nine days after Easter ("Fomin Tuesday"), the Eastern Slavic peoples celebrate Radonitsa - the day of commemoration of the dead, which is still of pre-Christian origin. The ancient Slavs had a custom during Radonitsa to have meals on the graves of their parents and close relatives. The custom to visit the graves of relatives on Radonitsa is still preserved today. On this day, funeral services (requiem services) are performed in temples.

The third Sunday after Easter is called the Week of the Holy Myrrh-bearing Women. It is dedicated to the memory of the holy myrrh-bearing women, the righteous Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus - the secret disciples of Christ, who were witnesses of His death and Resurrection (Mark 15:43 - 16:8).

On the fourth Sunday - the Week of the Paralytic - Jesus heals the "paralytic" - a sick man who suffered from paralysis for 38 years (John 5:1-14). On Wednesday of the fourth week Mid-Pentecost is celebrated - half the time (25 days from Easter to the feast of Pentecost). On this day, the gospel event is remembered, when Jesus, on the eve of the Old Testament Feast of Tabernacles, taught in the Jerusalem Temple about His divine destiny (John 7:1-13). On the feast of Mid-Middle Day, the consecration of water is performed in churches.

The service of the fifth Sunday - the Week of the Samaritan Woman - is dedicated to the memory of the meeting of Jesus with the Samaritan woman, after which the Samaritan woman believed that He was the Messiah.

On the sixth Sunday - the Week of the Blind - we remember the healing of the blind man, which Jesus performed in Jerusalem in the third year of His earthly ministry, on the Feast of Tabernacles, or the renewal of the Temple (John 7:2 - 10:22). On Wednesday of the sixth week, the Giving of Pascha and the feast of the Ascension of the Lord are celebrated.

Ascension of the Lord (May - June)

The Feast of the Ascension is celebrated on the 40th day (Thursday of the sixth week) after Easter. According to the Gospels, after the Resurrection, Jesus Christ stayed on earth for another forty days. On the fortieth day He led His disciples from Jerusalem towards Bethany, on the Mount of Olives. As they climbed the mountain, Jesus explained to the disciples the true meaning of His Resurrection and gave them the final blessing. Then Jesus, having promised the disciples to send the Holy Spirit, began to move away from them and ascend to heaven. A cloud that appeared covered Jesus and the disciples heard the voice of the heavenly messengers: “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as we saw Him go into heaven” (Mark 16:15-20; Acts 1:4-12 ).

Ascension as a great holiday has been celebrated since the 4th century. It is one of the mobile holidays and lasts ten days. The end (giving away) of the holiday is celebrated on Friday of the seventh week after Easter.

Seventh Sunday after Easter (May - June)

After the Feast of the Ascension, the seventh Sunday (week) after Easter is celebrated, from which the third and final part of the annual liturgical circle begins. The Eastern Church celebrates on this day the memory of the fathers of the First Ecumenical Council, which was held in Nicaea in 325 on the days of Pentecost. It was at this Council that a single date for the celebration of Easter was approved for the entire Ecumenical Church and the principle of Easter calculations that are currently used was determined.

On Friday of the seventh week after Easter, the end (giving away) of the Feast of the Ascension is celebrated. Saturday of the seventh week, on the eve of the feast of Pentecost, was called the Trinity Parental Saturday, since, according to the tradition of the Eastern Church, the dead are commemorated on this day.

Holy Trinity Day (Pentecost) (May - June)

On the fiftieth day (eighth Sunday) after the celebration of Easter, the Day of the Holy Trinity (Pentecost) is celebrated. According to the book of the Acts of the Apostles (2:1-12), on the day of Pentecost - the Old Testament feast of Weeks (Deut. 16:9-10; Numbers 28:26) - the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles for the first time, which was for the disciples of Jesus a sign of the fulfillment of the biblical prophecy (Joel 2:28) and the coming of a new messianic age. Just as the Jewish Pentecost (the giving of the Law to the prophet Moses on Mount Sinai) represents the end of the Paschal story, so the Christian Pentecost is the culmination of the gospel Easter events, since on this day Jesus Christ sent the Holy Spirit on His followers. Just as the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai marked the beginning of the Jewish religion, so the giving of the Holy Spirit began the spread of the Christian message "to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

The holiday was called the Day of the Holy Trinity, because, according to Christian doctrine, from the moment the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles, the third Hypostasis (Person) of the Triune God opened and the participation of the Three Persons of the Godhead - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit - in the salvation of man began in full.

The celebration of the Day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit was established back in apostolic times, but officially the holiday entered the Christian calendar at the end of the 4th century, when at the Second Ecumenical Council in Constantinople (381) the Church adopted the dogma of the Trinity.

Christians have also preserved the Old Testament tradition of decorating temples and dwellings with tree branches, plants and flowers on the feast of Pentecost (Lev. 23:10-17). In addition, the decoration of temples and houses with green branches resembles the sacred oak forest of Mamre, where, according to biblical tradition, the Triune God under the guise of three wanderers visited Patriarch Abraham (Gen. 18:1-16).

Being a great holiday, Pentecost is celebrated for seven days. The Eastern Church celebrates the Day of the Holy Spirit on the Monday after Pentecost. On this day, a special divine service is performed, during which the Holy Spirit is glorified as the Third Person (Hypostasis) of the Most Holy Trinity. The celebrations end on Saturday, when the feast of Pentecost is celebrated.

Among the Slavic peoples, the feast of the Trinity coincided in time with Green Christmas time - a cycle of summer pagan festivities (mermaids) associated with the veneration of the spirits of vegetation. Over time, the name "Green Christmas time" was attached to the feast of the Trinity and is still preserved in many Slavic languages. In the rites of one of these festivities - semika, birch had a special meaning. Hence the custom arose to decorate churches and houses on the feast of the Trinity with birch branches, and in the countryside, dance around the birch trees.

The holiday is set to commemorate the events associated with the birth of John the Baptist, which are described in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 1:24-25, 57-68, 76, 80). According to the teachings of Judaism, before the coming of the Messiah, his predecessor must appear - the forerunner, who, in accordance with the prophecy of Malachi (Mal. 4:5), is considered the prophet Elijah. In Christianity, the doctrine of the forerunner of the Messiah - Jesus Christ - is associated with the image of the prophet John the Baptist, who resumed and continued the ministry of Elijah. According to the Gospel, Jesus himself called John "Elijah, who is to come" (Matt. 11:14). When John was thirty years old, he began to preach in the Judean wilderness, and then in the vicinity of the Jordan River. He severely denounced the vices of society and called for repentance, announcing the imminent coming of the Messiah. His appearance also corresponded to the descriptions of Elijah's appearance: he wore a garment made of camel's hair, girded with a leather belt, and locusts and wild honey served him as food (Mark 1:10-16). John's sermon was so strong that soon disciples began to gather around him, founding a community of his followers - the Qumranites. John chose baptism as an external sign of repentance and spiritual renewal - washing in water and immersion in it (hence the name - the Baptist). Jesus also came to be baptized, whose dignity as the Messiah was proclaimed by John in his sermon (Matthew 3:14-15). In doing so, John the Baptist paved the way for the ministry and teaching of Jesus Christ.

The tradition of glorifying John the Baptist on the days of his birth and martyrdom was established even in the first Christian communities. Since the 3rd century, the Feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist has already been widely celebrated by both Eastern and Western Christians - it was called the "bright celebration" and "daylight day of the Sun of truth." At the beginning of the 4th century, the holiday was introduced into the Christian calendar.

The apostles Peter and Paul are traditionally called the "prime" and are especially revered as disciples of Jesus Christ, who, after His death and Resurrection, began to preach and spread the teaching of the Gospel throughout the world.

This holiday was first introduced in Rome, whose bishops, according to the teachings of the Western Church, are considered the successors of the Apostle Peter, and then spread to other Christian countries.

The holiday is especially celebrated by the Eastern Church. It originated in the 9th century in Constantinople and is associated with the tradition of annually taking out of the imperial palace the preserved parts of the cross of the Lord and setting them up for worship in the church of St. Sofia. At the same time, water sanctification took place. For two weeks, the shrine was carried around the city, performing divine services to consecrate the quarters of the city and to ward off diseases. In the second half of the 12th century, the holiday was included in the church calendar. The Russian name of the holiday - "origin" instead of "carrying out" - appeared as a result of an inaccurate translation of the Greek name.

On the day of the feast, during the service, the cross is carried out for worship in the middle of the temple, and after the service, the procession and the blessing of the water.

Among the people, this holiday was called the Honey Savior, because it coincided with the second cutting of honeycombs from beehives, which gave rise to the custom to consecrate honey in churches on this day.

The holiday is dedicated to the remembrance of the gospel story of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ (Matthew 17:1-13, Mark 9:1-12, Luke 9:28-36). As the Gospels describe, forty days before his death, Jesus, along with the apostles Peter, John and James, went up to Mount Tabor to pray, and there His face was transformed, and His clothes became white. The appeared prophets Moses and Elijah spoke with the transfigured Christ, who personify the Law and the ministry of the prophets. A cloud overshadowed the conversers, from which the voice of God was heard: "This is My Beloved Son; listen to Him."

Christian doctrine interprets this event as the revelation of the mystery of Divine Providence for the salvation of man: in the Transfiguration, not only the Divinity of Jesus Christ himself is revealed in glory, but also the deification of all human nature, accomplished through His incarnation, is shown.

In Christianity, the consecration of fruits on the day of the feast of the Transfiguration has acquired a special symbolic meaning: the Transfiguration of Christ shows that new, transfigured and grace-filled state that man and the world acquire by the Resurrection of Christ and which will be realized in the resurrection of all people. And the whole of nature, which has fallen into disarray from the moment when sin entered the world through man, now, together with man, awaits the coming renewal.

In those countries where grapes do not grow (including Russia), a custom has been established to consecrate apples instead of grapes. Therefore, among the people, the holiday of the Transfiguration also received the name Apple Savior.

The holiday is dedicated to the memory of the death of the Mother of God and Her bodily ascension to heaven. The Feast of the Dormition dates back to the first centuries of Christianity and was already celebrated everywhere in the 4th century. Since 595, the holiday began to be celebrated on August 15 in honor of the victory won on this day by the Byzantine emperor Mauritius over the Persians.

The holiday is dedicated to the memory of the event described by the evangelists Matthew (Matt. 14:1-12) and Mark (Mark 6:14-29). According to the Gospels, John the Baptist was arrested for diatribes against the ruler of Galilee, Herod Antipas, and beheaded at the instigation of Herodias, Herod's wife. It was his disciples who began to celebrate the day of the martyrdom of John the Baptist, who buried the body of the teacher in the Samaritan city of Sevastia. In 362, by order of Emperor Julian the Apostate, the pagans opened the tomb of John the Baptist and burned his remains, but the Christians managed to acquire some of these remains and send them to Alexandria, where they are kept to this day as the greatest shrine.

The holiday is dedicated to the memory of the birth of the Mother of Jesus Christ - the Blessed Virgin Mary. The first mention of the celebration of the Nativity of the Virgin refers to the second half of the 5th century. Around the same time, the holiday was included in the church calendar. The Nativity of the Virgin is one of the great holidays and is celebrated for 6 days - from 7 to 12 September.

The holiday was established to commemorate the acquisition in the 4th century of the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified by Queen Elena, the mother of Emperor Constantine.

According to church tradition, Elena visited the Holy Land precisely in order to find the burial place of Christ and the very cross on which He was crucified. As a result of the excavations carried out by Elena, the cave of the Holy Sepulcher was found and three crosses were found not far from it. The cross of Jesus Christ was determined when the sick woman who venerated it was healed. According to another legend, from contact with this cross, the deceased was resurrected, who was carried along the street for burial (hence the name of the life-giving cross). Helena sent a part of the cross to Constantinople, and its main part was placed in the main church of Jerusalem. Above the cave of the Holy Sepulcher, the Church of the Resurrection of Christ was built, into which the shrine was transferred. To enable numerous pilgrims to see the cross of the Lord, Bishop Macarius of Jerusalem raised, or "raised" it over the heads of those praying, and from this raising - "exaltation", the name of the holiday came about. The Feast of the Exaltation began to be celebrated on September 14 - in memory of the consecration of the Church of the Resurrection, which took place on September 14, 335. The eve of the holiday, called the Renovation of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Jerusalem, is also dedicated to the memory of this event.

For Christians, the cross is a symbol of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Celebrating this holiday, Christians are imbued with the consciousness that they honor this symbol, taking a vow to humbly bear "their cross", relying entirely on the will of God.

Since the cross symbolizes suffering, fasting is observed on the Feast of the Exaltation. During the festive divine service, the establishment of the cross on the throne is performed and then it is carried out to the middle of the temple for worship.

The holiday is especially celebrated by the Eastern Church and belongs to the category of great ones. The holiday is based on the legend of the appearance of the Mother of God in the Blachernae Church in Constantinople in 910. During this apparition, the Mother of God spread a white veil (omophorion) over the believers and offered up a prayer for the salvation of the world from adversity and suffering. Since in Rus' the Mother of God was considered the patroness of farmers, this holiday was widely celebrated in peasant life, incorporating many of the rites of the ancient Slavic autumn festivities to mark the end of field work.

Cathedral of the Archangel Michael and other disembodied Heavenly Powers

The holiday is dedicated to the glorification of the Archangel Michael and all heavenly powers, as well as the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist.

For the first time this holiday was established at the beginning of the 4th century at the local Council of Laodicea, which took place several years before the First Ecumenical Council. The Council of Laodicea condemned the worship of angels as creators and rulers of the world and approved the forms and principles of their veneration, which have been preserved in the Christian tradition to this day. In 787, the Seventh Ecumenical Council, held in Nicaea, finally determined the Christian doctrine of angels and introduced this holiday into the church calendar.

The holiday takes place in November, since this is the ninth month from March (from which the year began in ancient times), and nine is the number of Angelic ranks.

Subsequently, the Christian doctrine of angels acquired a clearer structure. In his essay "On the Heavenly Hierarchy" St. Dionysius the Areopagite (V - VI centuries) angels are divided into three categories (hierarchies), which, in turn, are also divided into three groups (faces). The first hierarchy includes seraphim, cherubim, and thrones; to the second - domination, strength and power; to the third - beginnings, archangels and angels. From the host of angels, the Christian tradition singles out three archangels and honors them as the leaders of all incorporeal forces: Michael, the heavenly commander (Greek archangel) and the guardian angel of all believers in Christ; Gabriel - the herald of God; and Raphael, the healing angel. According to Christian doctrine, from the moment of his baptism, God assigns a special guardian angel to each person to help in good deeds.

The holiday is based on a church tradition about the introduction of the Virgin Mary into the Temple of Jerusalem. According to this legend, the parents of the Virgin Mary, the righteous Joachim and Anna, were childless until old age, but having received a promise from above about the birth of a child, they decided to dedicate it to God. This was in accordance with the generally accepted Jewish tradition of dedicating the firstborn to God, who were given to the Jerusalem temple and brought up there until adulthood. The consecration to God consisted in the introduction of the initiate into the temple, where the rite prescribed by the Law was performed. The introduction of the Virgin Mary into the temple was performed in a solemn atmosphere, when she was three years old. The priests of the temple and the high priest himself, who, according to legend, was Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, came out to meet the Virgin Mary. Putting her daughter on the first step of the temple, Anna said: "Go to the One who gave you to me." Without any outside help, the girl climbed the high steps of the temple and were received by the high priest, who even led her into the Holy of Holies.

For Christians, not only the event remembered on this holiday is of great importance, but also the example set by the parents of the future Mother of God, having introduced their daughter to God from early childhood. Thus, they showed her the true path in life, which subsequently led her to the fact that it was Mary who was chosen by God to complete the plan of the salvation of mankind as the earthly Mother of Jesus Christ. Considering the act of Joachim and Anna as an example to follow, the Church calls on believers to educate their children from an early age in the spirit of Christian values ​​and virtues.

Feast of Christ the Almighty King - end of November

The Feast of Christ the Almighty King was introduced into the calendar of the Roman Catholic Church by Pope Pius XI in 1925 and is celebrated on the last Sunday of the ordinary cycle (usually falling at the end of November) as a great feast that ends the liturgical year. In 1925, the Church celebrated the 1600th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council, held in Nicea (modern Iznik, Turkey) in 325, which proclaimed the dogma of the consubstantiality of Jesus Christ to God the Father. This event formed the basis of the holiday: Jesus Christ is glorified as God, who is equal to the Father in everything and is the beginning and end of all creation; in the glorification of the human nature of Christ, His headship over the Church is especially emphasized, through which the unity of man with God is realized. Celebrating this holiday, the Church calls all Christians to faith in the inevitable victory of Christ over all the forces of evil that destroy the world, and the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth, based on love, goodness and justice.

The festive service celebrated on this day ends with a solemn procession and veneration of the Holy Gifts (the Body and Blood of Christ).

One of the great feasts of the Theotokos celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church. According to Catholic doctrine, the Virgin Mary, by the special grace of God, already at the moment of her own conception was free from the seal of original sin, that is, she was holy and immaculate from the first minute of her existence. This doctrine was proclaimed as the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary on December 8, 1854 by Pope Pius IX, who established an annual holiday in honor of this event. “All believers,” wrote the Pope, “should deeply and constantly believe and confess that the Blessed Virgin from the first minute of her conception was protected from original sin thanks to the special mercy of the almighty God, manifested for the sake of the merit of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race.”

Christmas is a great holiday established to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. In addition to the gospel stories about the Nativity of Christ (Matthew 1:18-25; 2:1-15; Luke 1; 2:1-20), this event is vividly described in numerous apocrypha, legends and works of folk spiritual poetry.

The Nativity of Christ, in chronological order, occupies the first place in the liturgical cycle dedicated to the earthly life of Jesus Christ, since the earthly incarnation of the Son of God, according to the teachings of the Church, is a necessary condition and the first step in the salvation of man. Christ, consubstantial with the Father in His Divinity, thus becomes consubstantial with us in humanity and marks the beginning of a new creation, the New Adam, called to save and replace the old Adam with Himself. Therefore, the feast of the Nativity of Christ in its significance is considered the second after Easter ("three-day Easter"), which emphasizes its close connection with the mystery of Salvation.

In the Western tradition, the feast of the Nativity of Christ is preceded by a four-week period called Advent (lat. Ad-entus - advent). It starts on a Sunday that falls on one of the numbers between November 29th and December 3rd. Advent is divided into two calendar stages: the first - from the first Sunday to December 16 - which is dedicated to reflections on the coming Second Coming of Jesus Christ; and the second - from December 17 to December 24 (Novenna - nine days of the pre-celebration of Christmas), - which is a direct preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Christ and is dedicated to the memory of the First Coming of Jesus Christ into the world - the Incarnation. All Sundays of Advent are equal in importance to the great holidays, and if any other holiday falls on the Sunday of Advent, it is transferred to Monday. The first Sunday of Advent is considered the beginning of the church (liturgical) year. Every Sunday of Advent is dedicated to a certain memory, which corresponds to the gospel readings during the service: the first Sunday is dedicated to the coming coming of Jesus Christ at the end of time, the second and third - to John the Baptist, who preceded the public service of Christ, the fourth - to the events immediately preceding the birth of the Son of Yuozhy and a special place Virgin Mary in the Mystery of the Incarnation. Like Great Lent, Advent is a time of increased repentance, which is emphasized by the modesty of the decoration of churches and services. Wreaths of spruce branches with four candles, symbolizing the four weeks of Advent, are set up in churches and homes. On the first Sunday of Advent, one candle is lit on the wreath, two on the second, three on the third, and four on the fourth. During the Advent period, the Church especially encourages believers to do works of mercy.

On the eve of the holiday - Christmas Eve) (lat. Vigilia - eve, eve), December 24, a strict fast is observed. Christmas services are performed three times: at midnight, at dawn and during the day, which symbolizes the Nativity of Christ in the bosom of God the Father, in the womb of the Mother of God and in the soul of every Christian. In the 13th century, from the time of St. Francis of Assisi, there was a custom to exhibit mangers in churches for worship, in which the figure of the Infant Jesus is placed. December 24 is characterized by such an astronomical phenomenon as the shortest daylight hours and the longest night, and from December 25, which is the main day of the holiday and the day of the winter solstice, the increase in daylight hours begins. In the symbolism of the Christmas celebrations, this is associated with the coming into the world of the God-Man, who said: "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12).

A characteristic element of the Christmas holiday is the custom to install a decorated spruce tree in houses. This tradition originated among the Germanic peoples, in the rituals of which spruce - an evergreen plant - was a symbol of life and fertility. With the spread of Christianity among the peoples of Central and Northern Europe, a spruce decorated with multi-colored balls acquires a new symbolism: they began to install it in houses on December 24, when, according to Western tradition, the day of Adam and Eve is celebrated, as a symbol of the tree of paradise with abundant fruits. In the context of Christmas, spruce already symbolizes the tree of paradise and eternal life, which a person regains through the New Adam - Jesus Christ - who came into the world for his salvation. In Russia, this custom spread in the XVIII century.

The gospel story that the three wise men, who came to bow to the Infant Jesus, offered Him gifts - gold, frankincense and myrrh (Matt. 2:11), formed the basis of the tradition of giving gifts to children and each other on Christmas days. And over time, an important place in this tradition was occupied by the image of St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra (4th century). The special veneration and wide popularity of this saint among the people, as well as the stories of the Life of the saint's caring attitude towards children and the poor, whom he even secretly helped, made him a hero of the people.

Chapter No. 3. Major Islamic Holidays

Major Holidays in Islam

The important holidays of Eid al-Adha (the feast of sacrifice), Uraza-Bayram (the feast of breaking the fast), Miraj (the night of the ascension of the prophet Muhammad to heaven), Mawlid (the birthday of the prophet) are considered generally accepted in Islam. All festive events are celebrated in accordance with the Muslim calendar.

Eid al Adha

Eid al-fitr (holiday of breaking the fast) or Eid as-saghir (small holiday) is known to us more under the Turkic names Uraza-bayram, Kuchuk-bayram or Sheker-bayram. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the fast in the month of Ramadan. It is called small as opposed to Eid al-kabir (great holiday), i.e. Kurban Bayram.

A big fast during the month of Ramadan (or otherwise Ramadan), called in Arabic saum (in Persian - ruza, rose, in Turkic - uraza), is obligatory for all adult, healthy and ritually pure Muslims. Ritual cleanliness (tahara) in Islam is very important when performing religious rites. Tahara not only comes down to maintaining external cleanliness and neatness, but in a religious, ethical, cult sense, it means liberation from everything that defiles. Those who are temporarily exempt from fasting or break it by accident must fast after the end of the month of Ramadan during the lost days. Voluntary fasts beyond the obligatory ones are recommended mainly in the months of Rajab, Shaban, Shawwal and Muharram.

On the first day of the holiday, a special common prayer is performed in a large mosque or in the open air, followed by a festive meal. The poor are given "alms for the end of the fast" from each family member. The generally accepted rituals also include the renewal of clothes, mutual visits, the offering of gifts, visiting the graves of relatives, it is also customary to distribute sweets.

On Eid al-Fitr, it is traditionally considered necessary to visit the graves of ancestors. People, mostly women, spend a lot of time in cemeteries, often staying overnight in special tents. They distribute food to the poor, decorate graves with palm leaves, recite Surah Fatiha and Ya Sin, or hire a person to recite most or all of the Quran.<#"justify">Conclusion

Analyzing the results of my work, I came to the conclusion that the centuries-old history of the holidays of different peoples is very extensive, original and interesting. The past is always worthy of respect. The Chuvash proverb says: “Asun mariine an tunter” - “Do not ruin your father’s oven”, which means do not forget your past, your roots.

Each nation owns and keeps values, treasures of the past, which were created throughout its centuries-old history. These are material monuments: cities and villages, monuments of architecture and art, traditions of folk art, labor skills and, of course, religious holidays. This is nature, under the influence of which human culture develops. These are such enduring values ​​of the people as their language, wisdom, art, their rules of life, their customs and holidays, fairy tales and legends, favorite dishes and clothes. Now in the present, our goal is to preserve the holidays and customs of our native people in order to pass them on to their descendants in the future. The question arises: "How to do it?" It's very simple, you need to remember your roots, love your land, your people, be interested in its past and present, try to preserve the values ​​that have come down to us.

“... If a people knows and remembers its history, then it also has a future. Such a people will never disappear from the face of the earth, making, like others, their contribution to the treasury of world culture,” these are the words of the first President of the Chuvash Republic N.V. Fedorov.

Literature

Calend.ru

Islam: Encyclopedic Dictionary. M., 1991. 2.

Read more:http://www.acapod.ru/2072.html#ixzz3JGMZVPBq more:http://www.acapod.ru/2071.html#ixzz3JGLkvmmX

Message of the first President of the Chuvash Republic Fedorov M.V.-2010

Danilov V.D., Pavlov B.I. History of Chuvashia (from ancient times to the end of the twentieth century): Textbook for educational institutions. Cheboksary: ​​Chuvash. Book. Publishing house.

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Throwing your child off the fifth floor? Or cut your skull into pieces so that the blood interferes with your vision? In various religious traditions, such phenomena are not only possible - they are obligatory, and their failure to do so makes the apostate an outcast in the eyes of the community. What other strange religious holidays exist in the world?

Fly baby!

Throwing a child from the roof of a high temple is customary in India. Everything seems possible in this mysterious country! Therefore, one should not be particularly surprised at the dropping of babies, especially since there is a specific, but “logical” explanation for everything.

Only once a year in the city of Solapur in the southwest of India (Karnataka) is a terrifying, in the European view, action. The local priest rises to the roof of the temple, located at a height of about 15 meters from the ground. Then he takes a child up to a year old by the leg and throws him down, where the baby is caught on a stretched canvas - a kind of Indian analogue of a fire device for saving falling people. At the same time, the parents of the young stuntman are not only not against the operation being performed - they are happy to watch this spectacle! Indeed, according to local belief, after the flight, the child will grow up strong and healthy.

Every year, hundreds of families are brought from all over India to perform the ritual of their babies. All of them dream of giving their offspring strength, luck and happiness, which are sent down as a result of the ceremony. At the same time, the children scream in fear of the bearded priest, but at such an age they still do not understand how the ceremony will have a beneficial effect on them.

It is possible to judge such a truly strange "holiday" in different ways. One of the eyewitnesses of the ceremony expressed a rather categorical opinion: “Of course, this is stupid, and some rituals of people living in such places are surprising, and it is simply impossible to find explanations for these things. It also makes no sense to say that they feel sorry for their babies: let them do what they want. Apparently, they were also thrown down in childhood and at the same time they were caught very badly, judging by the ideas that sit in their heads.

Among the reviews, naturally, exclamations of concern for the condition of the kids predominate. Calms only the following surprising fact. It's hard to believe, but in the five centuries of the existence of the tradition, not a single baby has been harmed! Which is not surprising - India is the same ... But there is another custom in the world associated with flights from great heights. This custom, perhaps, is even more ancient, and there were no victims - at least fatally - during all this time! The only exception is the fatal outcome associated with the visit of the English Queen ...

Prehistoric Rope Jumpers

Rope jumping is jumping on an elastic rope from high objects, usually bridges. This phenomenon is new, but few people know that such jumps have existed in "wild" cultures for hundreds, if not thousands of years. True, they are not caused by the desire for thrills, but by the challenge of the harvest!

Far in the Pacific Ocean is the New Hebrides archipelago, which includes the island of Pentecost, the Republic of Vanuatu. The nearest mainland, Australia, is 1200 km away from the island, so Pentecost is a real Oceania. The first European, the French navigator Louis Antoine de Bougainville, entered the territory of the island only in the second half of the 18th century. Prior to this, local tribes existed autonomously and in their religious rites proceeded from intuition and a specific understanding of the relationship between nature and ritual.

So, a special ritual called “naghol” is practiced on the island. Its purpose is to call for a harvest of local yam vines, the tubers of which are eaten. Every year between April and May, the men of the tribe build special structures of sticks and vines that reach a suitable degree of maturity, and jump from them, tying their feet to a long vine. Since it has very weak shock-absorbing properties, the jumper must touch the ground. However, this is the meaning of the ritual: the earth must be touched as tightly as possible, but so as not to get injured or cripple. Only in this case, the harvest, according to the faith of the islanders, will be plentiful. But the most amazing thing is the flight height, which reaches several tens of meters!

In 1906, Pentecost passed into the Anglo-French possession. One day, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain decided to visit the island and personally see the dangerous action. However, she arrived in July, when the vines ripen and completely harden, losing the last remnants of elasticity. Elizabeth II insisted on the ceremony and soon regretted it, because the liana on the feet of the local jumper broke off, and he crashed to death right in front of the queen! Although before that, none of the men of the tribe had received any serious injuries ...

But if in the first two described cases - Indian and oceanic - it is scary for the direct participants in religious "festivities", now it is the turn to worry about the lives of photographers who heroically, at the risk of their lives, provide us with their reports on the Shiite holiday of Ashura.

Bloody Avengers, or All Shahsey-Vakhsey!

Sunnis and Shiites are the two main branches in the Islamic world. Shiites are in the minority and make up less than 10% of Muslims. The division within Islam occurred already in the first century after the preaching of Muhammad. In the struggle for influence over Muslims in 680, the assassination of Imam Hussein took place, whose followers began to be called Shiites. Actually, ashura is the annual holiday of commemoration of Imam Hussein, during which the Shiites, as a sign of grief and mourning, cut the skin on their heads with sharpened swords and knives. In the Persian tradition, this rite is also called by the name of the imam "Shahsey-Vakhsey".

Imam Hussein ibn Ali is the second son of Ali ibn Abi Talib and the grandson of Muhammad. He was famous for his efforts to establish the norms of Sharia (trampled by the ruling Umayyad party) as fundamental in the Muslim world and taught about the non-national character of Islam. However, the army of Caliph Yazid Hussein with his relatives and closest followers was surrounded and killed. Moreover, the winners showed themselves from the most cruel side, mercilessly destroying not only combat-ready men, but also defenseless women and babies. This day, the 10th day of the Muslim lunar month of Muharram, became a memory of Ashura.

Historical science has brought us the story of an eyewitness to the celebration of ashura in Istanbul at the beginning of the 12th century: “Imagine terrible-looking, emaciated people in long, to the toe, white robes, with uncovered heads, holding naked daggers in their hands. There are very, very many, probably several hundred. Waving their sharp daggers, they slashed their bodies with them, hitting heads, faces, chests, and blood flowed like a river, staining their white clothes red. This detachment of people with daggers was followed by a large group of religious fanatics who tortured themselves with heavy chains.

Today ashura is celebrated with bloody processions in the countries of the Islamic world, where Shiites are traditionally represented. These are Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bahrain, Lebanon, as well as Azerbaijan and Tajikistan. Photos and videos with blood-curdling shots of bloody Shiites on this day can be seen on many TV channels. The followers of Imam Hussein beat their chests as a sign of readiness to give their lives for Islam and inflict numerous wounds on themselves.

death cult

Religion opens up to man the perspective of eternity, which is necessarily connected with death. We are all mortal, and, sad to say, the fate of all who read this article is to die... Different religions solve the problem of death in different ways. Many pagan cults either "theatricalize" the process of death, when adepts go through it symbolically, or directly practice human sacrifice.

In Tibet, tantric sectarians still perform the nauseating “Hod ceremony,” which means “dismemberment” in Sanskrit. For more than one century, the participants in the action gathered in a place where relatives left the corpses of the dead to be torn to pieces by animals. The Tantrics dismembered the half-decomposed remains and put them on like clothes. After that, they performed a terrifying "dance of death" - they imitated monstrous pain and imagined how evil demons devoured them. In a word, they “reconstructed” in the present their future fate - death.

The "actors" themselves do not see anything wrong in such a performance, since, in their opinion, it allows them to "get used" to the dead, and then be reborn to life. True, it is unlikely that you will be able to see the macabre dance of death, because this religious group performs the ceremony with great precautions away from the eyes of the uninitiated.

Real death was practiced by the ancestors of modern Mexicans, the Maya. They performed bloodletting regularly, but they mostly sacrificed captives from neighboring tribes. There is even an opinion that wars were unleashed mainly for one purpose - to capture prisoners for their ritual murders. The priests cut out the heart of the victim with a knife carved from solidified lava, and sprinkled the temple altar, usually located on top of the ziggurat, with blood. And how else to continue the course of the sun across the sky, if without human blood it stops at night ...

Ninth Ava

The religious tradition of Judaism is one of the most interesting and extraordinary in the world. On Saturday, the day of God's rest from work, it is not customary for the Jews not only to work, but also to do things that can at least pass for "work" at least to a minimal extent. In Israel, on Saturday, elevators stop at every floor because it is forbidden to press the call button. It is not customary to light a fire, so candles are lit in advance, on Friday evening. Many Orthodox Jews even require their banks to block their accounts on the Sabbath...

But there are special holidays on which it is forbidden to perform even pious deeds! So, on Yom Kippur, or "Judgment Day", the Torah instructs a person not to do anything except analyze their actions and thoughts. On this day, all institutions and enterprises are closed, transport, radio and television do not work.

The most forbidden holiday of the Jewish calendar is the Ninth of Av. On this day, they do not eat anything, do not drink, do not wear leather shoes. The ninth of Av is the only day of the year when a Jew is not only not obliged, but also has no right to study the Torah, since the study of scripture is considered a source of joy, unacceptable in mourning.

And grief is connected with the time when Moses approached the promised land, but was afraid to enter it under the pressure of the people, who were afraid of the unknown. Moses sent twelve envoys there, according to the number of the tribes of Israel, and ten of them (apparently out of a desire to possess Palestine alone) told that the country was "fortified to the sky" and inhabited by giants, against whom the Jews are "small as grasshoppers." The people did not listen to the two truthful scouts and all night - in fact, the Ninth of Av - wept in condemnation of God. To which God was angry and sent his people back to the desert, so that only their children would return to the promised land, but not themselves. Since then, it has become customary that the Jews regain the promised paradise on earth as a result of wars, although they could receive it immediately and without any effort ...

Do not understand - respect!

What would you like to say in conclusion? Human nature is designed in such a way that we tend to condemn what we do not understand. Surely the tradition of immersion in the Epiphany Jordans will seem to many southern peoples as wild as to us - throwing children from the roof of the temple. Therefore, I call for restraint in assessing the various traditions of the peoples of the world and wish everyone well - for each of his ...

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Easter, or the Bright Resurrection of Christ, is the first and most important holiday of the entire New Testament Orthodox Church. It occupies a leading place among the twelve movable holidays. This day is a remembrance of the gospel events that became the basis of all Christian teaching.

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Nativity

Celebrated by the Orthodox Church on January 7th. According to church tradition, God promised a Savior to Adam, who sinned in Paradise. His imminent appearance was predicted by the Old Testament prophets, since before the birth of Jesus Christ, the Jews had already forgotten about their Creator. Many of them betrayed the church and began to worship pagan gods.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Celebrated by Orthodox Christians on September 21st. Righteous Joachim and Anna were the parents of the Most Holy Theotokos or the Virgin Mary. They grieved all their lives because they could not have children. They believed that this was God's punishment for the sins committed. However, even in old age they did not lose hope and prayed every day. Finally, the Lord had mercy on them.

Baptism

It is perhaps the most important Christian holiday. This holiday has been held since January 18. Since that time, the Orthodox have been celebrating Epiphany Christmas Eve, which means adhering to strict fasting and preparing for another holiday - the Epiphany of the Lord.

At the Baptism of the Lord, the Most Holy Trinity appeared to the world: “God the Father spoke from heaven about the Son, the Son was baptized from the holy Forerunner of the Lord John, and the Holy Spirit descended on the Son in the form of a dove.”

On Epiphany Christmas Eve, after the service, solemn processions are made to the holes in the reservoirs, they are consecrated, and those who wish can swim. As a rule, bathing is a three-time immersion in water with your head. At the same time, the believer is baptized and says "In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit!"

Holidays in various religions perform a special function for both believers and secular people. For a religious person, such a day is special, as it reminds of some significant event. As for those who prefer to believe in the Almighty in their souls, holidays are also important for such people. After all, they help to escape from everyday worries, to take a break from labor stress for a while.

Orthodox Christmas Traditions

At all times, religious holidays have played a special role. One of the most important solemn days for representatives of different religions is Christmas.

In Orthodoxy, this bright day is celebrated on January 7th. The day when there is an intensive preparation for the holiday is Christmas Eve. According to the strict rules of the Orthodox Church, believers must refuse food until the first star appears. Christmas is preceded by Lent.

What is the most important religious holiday? It is difficult to answer this question. Each of these days has a special mood. And as for Christmas, according to popular beliefs, on the night before Christmas, two forces fight - good and evil. One invites people to carol and celebrate the birth of the Savior, and the second invites the witches to the Sabbath. Once upon a time, this evening, a carol went around the yards - disguised young people in masks of animals. They called the owners of the house, not sparing beautiful words. Of course, such traditions had nothing to do with church ones.

Traditions for Holy Evening

This religious holiday is celebrated differently in different countries. For example, in Ukraine, the celebration begins on Holy Evening, Christmas Eve. Before this, the church also prescribes fasting. One of the distinctive traditions is a dish called "kutya". This is wheat or rice porridge, to which dried fruits, honey, poppy seeds, raisins are added. In total, 12 different Lenten dishes should be served on Holy Evening. On Christmas itself, people hardly went to visit. Only adult married children (with daughters-in-law or sons-in-law) could visit elderly parents - take "grandfather's dinner."

Do Muslims have Christmas?

And what about the celebration of Christmas in Muslim countries? For many, this question is very interesting. Of course, none of the Muslim theologians calls for celebrating this religious holiday. Moreover, Muslims have their own "analogue" of Christmas - the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. It is celebrated on the 12th day of the third month of the Muslim calendar, and falls on different holidays every year. However, since Jesus Christ is also considered a prophet within this religion, Muslims congratulate their neighbors and close Christians on this holiday.

Major Muslim holiday

Eid al-Adha is one of the most important religious holidays of the year for all Muslims. It begins 70 days after the end of the Ramadan fast and lasts 3-4 days. The main tradition of this holiday is the sacrifice of a lamb. takes place on each day of the feast. Solemn dishes are prepared from the meat of the animal, which are eaten at the meal, or distributed to the poor.

Christmas in the Catholic Church

In many countries, Christmas is both a national and a religious holiday. In the Catholic tradition, Christmas is celebrated according to the Gregorian calendar, from January 25 to January 1. This bright day is preceded by the period of Advent - fasting, during which believers confess in churches. On the eve of Christmas, a special Mass is laid in Catholic churches, which begins exactly at midnight. Christmas trees are set up and decorated in homes during Christmas. This tradition first originated among the Germanic peoples, who considered spruce a symbol of wealth and fertility.

Easter customs

One of the most ancient religious holidays in Russia is Easter. It is one of the most important and celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is believed that almost all the traditions of this holiday first appeared in worship. And even folk festivals are always associated with one of the main traditions - breaking the fast after Lent.

One of the main traditions at Easter is the special greetings. Among Orthodox believers, it is customary to christen - to express greetings with the words "Christ is Risen!", "Truly Risen!". The words are followed by a threefold kiss. This tradition has been going on since the time of the apostles.

Basic rituals for Easter

During Holy Saturday and immediately after the Easter service, the consecration of Easter cakes, eggs, and all food that was prepared for the festive table takes place. Easter eggs symbolize the birth of the Savior. There is a legend according to which Mary Magdalene brought an egg as a gift to the Roman emperor Tiberius, symbolizing the resurrection of Christ. The emperor, however, doubted the history of the resurrection of Christ. He said that just as white eggs cannot turn red, so the dead cannot be resurrected. At that moment, the egg turned red. Despite the fact that today eggs are dyed in different colors, the predominant shade is traditionally red, symbolizing life and rebirth.

One of the traditions in the pre-Easter week is the preparation of the so-called Thursday salt, which has excellent healing properties. To do this, on Maundy Thursday (the last Thursday before the celebration of Great Easter), put ordinary salt in the oven or oven for 10 minutes. Then she is consecrated in the church. According to beliefs, salt is not only able to heal diseases, but also to keep peace in the family, to get rid of the evil eye.

Nativity of the Virgin - September 21

One of the major religious holidays for Orthodox believers is the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This holiday is celebrated on September 21, and it was established by the church in the 4th century. On this day the days become shorter and the nights longer. Depending on the weather that was on the day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, people determined what autumn would be like and made assumptions about the upcoming winter. For example, it was believed that if on this day the birds rose high into the sky, then the winter would be cold. If the weather was clear, it was believed that it would last until the end of October.

On this religious holiday, it was not allowed to quarrel. It was believed that quarrels against the Mother of God especially anger the Lord, because they upset the Virgin Mary. Drinking wine on this day is not allowed. Whoever drinks on this day will suffer for a whole year. On September 21, it is also customary to treat all women with respect, remembering the original spark of God in every person.

There were also special traditions on this Orthodox religious holiday. Usually newlyweds were visited on the Mother of God, they were taught to avoid life's mistakes. The hostess baked a festive cake and treated the guests.

Young people also visited their parents on this day. They dressed in beautiful clothes, took a baked pie with them and went around the village. The young wife attached a ribbon with the letters “R” and “B” (“Nativity of the Virgin”) to her hair, which was supposed to protect her and her family from the evil eye. In the event that the ribbon was untied, it was believed that someone envied the young, did not wish good.

Epiphany is one of the most important religious holidays of the year. It is celebrated on January 19th. The main tradition on this day is the blessing of water in temples. Once there was an opinion that any tap water on this date becomes holy. However, the clergy emphasize that in any case, the water must be blessed in the church. This water can heal wounds and diseases. She is placed in a corner of the dwelling so that the whole year there will be order and peace in the house. It is also necessary to remember that holy water can lose its beneficial properties if, when typing or using it, a person swears with someone.