Where to dispose of the old willow. Palm Sunday: what to do with last year's willows and fresh willow. What is usually done on Palm Sunday and what not to do

A week before Lazarus Saturday, merchants appear in the markets and in the passages with bunches of flowering willow branches. And the laity are wondering when to bless the willow on Palm Sunday.

When to bless the willow, on Saturday or Sunday

You can buy a bouquet of flowering willow any day of the week. But consecration in the temple endows willow with miraculous properties.

It is easier for residents of big cities to buy a small bouquet on the way home. But in this case, on Saturday evening (in 2018 it is March 31), before the start of the festive all-night service, it is necessary to bring twigs to the church and defend a prayer service. The priest will read special prayers, sprinkle the willow with holy water, and endow it with healing power.

If you defend the all-night vigil, for some reason it is not possible, then you can consecrate the willow on Palm Sunday, April 1, at the morning service.

Attention! Sometimes parishioners try to stand in the nearest row to the clergyman so that more water gets on their bouquet. Pushing and discontent arise. Under no circumstances should this be done! Only the presence of willow in the temple is important, it becomes consecrated from prayer, even if only one drop of holy water has fallen on it.

When to tear a willow on Palm Sunday

Citizens who do not have the opportunity to go to nature for willow usually buy it from merchants. It is better to do this from the second half of the week. So willow twigs will not have time to bloom much and will wait for the holiday in the best possible way.

Attention! Often, sellers, along with fresh bunches of willow, sell artificial twigs. Plastic willow is not consecrated in the church. Such flowers also have no value as a talisman.

If possible, it is better to cut willow branches yourself in a grove, forest or on the lake on Saturday before noon, and go to church in the evening of the same day. It is not necessary to collect huge armfuls of blossoming willow twigs. 5 - 7 branches are enough, this is just the case when not a quantitative, but a qualitative choice matters. On the branches there should be both already blooming seals, and very barely swollen buds. If you put the bouquet in water, which willows simply adore, then in a few days the branches will completely fluff.

According to a long-standing Russian tradition, it is allowed to go for willow on Sunday before sunrise, in order to have time to bring it to the temple by morning.

Note! No matter how the willow is acquired, the number of twigs should be counted. They must be an odd number. It is best to take as many branches as the number of people living in the house. If the number of family members is even, then add another branch.

What to do with willow, consecrated in the church

Having defended the service in the temple, and having consecrated the willow, the Orthodox bring it home. The bouquet is lowered into a vase of water and placed in a place of honor.

Attention! The consecrated willow cannot be distributed to strangers and relatives living separately. If someone asks to bless the willow for him, then you should take a separate bouquet for this person.

On Sunday, at the afternoon meal in honor of the Lord's Entry into Jerusalem, the willow is placed in the center of the table, symbolizing the recognition of the true faith. In the future, the willow bouquet takes its place in the red corner near the icons.

Before putting the willows into the water, they beat lightly on the back of all family members with twigs, with wishes of good health for the whole year. If something hurts in someone’s house, then they lead a willow twig over the sore spot, saying: “The holy willow has come - the disease has taken away.” There are many conspiracies for consecrated willow; village healers still use them in their rituals. However, church ministers believe that it is not the plant itself that gives healing power, but the true faith of a person in God's help.

With a consecrated willow from the temple, you can cleanse your home of negative energies. To do this, the branches are crossed among themselves, moistened in holy water and prayerfully sprayed all corners of the house, moving clockwise.

Orthodox people believe that the consecrated willow will protect against the machinations of evil spirits, help to easily endure or completely avoid all sorts of illnesses.

What to do with willow after Palm Sunday

After the holiday, the twigs are removed from the vase, tied with a red thread or ribbon, and kept by the icons until the next Palm Sunday.

You can leave the bouquet in the water. He will long delight the beauty and smell of the household. Perhaps willow twigs will take root, and then they can be planted near water bodies or in a personal plot.

Attention! Choosing the second option, you need to remember that willow is a very moisture-loving plant that requires frequent abundant watering.

In modern interiors, an unpretentious vase with a bouquet of willow does not always look appropriate. In this case, ikebana can be made from dried twigs in combination with other dried flowers. From willow, you can weave a wreath with the addition of details suitable for the decor of the room.

How and how much to store willow after the holiday

It is necessary to store the consecrated willow for a whole year until the next Palm Sunday. If the twigs were dried immediately after the holiday, then they will easily survive this time unchanged.

Twigs that are left in the water will fade and release leaves. You can dry them this way. If willow branches take root, then the right decision would be to give them a second life by planting them along the river. If the rods deteriorate and begin to rot (depending on the quality of the water), then they should be buried in the ground where animals do not run and people do not walk. Better under a tree in the garden or in the forest.

Important! Priests and Orthodox traditions do not allow the branches of the sacred plant to be thrown into latrines and landfills.

Where to put last year's willow

Willow, which protected the family throughout the year, deserves a special way of disposal. In no case should it be sent to the trash can!

You can get rid of last year's shrine in the following ways:

Burn at the stake along with last year's foliage collected on the site.
Send to free navigation on the river.
Bury in the ground in a quiet untrodden place.
Grind and add to livestock feed.
Take with you to the temple for the consecration of a new willow. The churches provide tables for last year's bouquets. The clergy will put the willow on fire in a common bonfire.
If in the house, God forbid, someone dies on the eve of Palm Sunday, then seals are cut off the willow and added to the pillow stuffing for the deceased. It is believed that such a ritual will help the deceased find his way to heaven.

How and when to bless willow on Palm Sunday depends on the capabilities of believers. It is better to do this on the eve of the holiday - on Lazarus Saturday. If this is not possible, then the trip to the temple can be rescheduled for Sunday morning.

The consecrated willow will become a talisman for the whole family, only if the believer who brought it to the temple with an open heart prays to the Lord during the service. Priests say that, first of all, on the sacred Day of the Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, Orthodox Christians should pray for their own souls and thank the Lord for the atonement of human sins through self-sacrifice. The willow is just a symbol of the holy day.

WHERE TO DO WILLOW AFTER PALM SUNDAY? Every time before Palm Sunday, Orthodox Christians have a question: what to do with last year's willow, which they kept all year? And when should you get rid of it? On the eve of the holiday or on Palm Sunday itself?

A few words about the holiday itself Palm Sunday is a holiday dedicated to the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. This is one of the last events in the life of Christ. And it happened a week before Easter - Bright Sunday. Why Palm Sunday? As Jesus entered the Holy City, people lined the path with freshly cut palm branches. This tradition was adopted in the East at the time of the meeting of important persons. In Russia, for lack of palm trees, willow is used. But on this day, not only willow and palm trees are consecrated in the church, but also branches of olive, boxwood, and laurel.

You can conduct a small ritual on Palm Sunday itself, before it or immediately after Palm Sunday. There are several options for getting rid of willow. Let the old willows through the flowing water into any body of water. Burn dried willow branches. In this case, the ashes must be poured out in a place where they will not stomp on it. You can throw the ashes into the river. If willows sprouted in water, they are best planted in a forest or near a river. Willows can be stored for several years. But at the same time, celebrate the holiday with fresh branches every year. If someone dies in the coming days, then the willow is placed in the coffin. Some older people collect willows to be laid with them in the grave. With a lit willow branch, you can cleanse the house, sanctify it by going around the house with this branch and prayer. Take them to the Church, where they are burned with prayer. Take it to the forest and leave it between the willow bushes. If there is a stove in the house, then last year's dried willow can be kindled for baking Easter cakes. With an old willow, symbolic ones sweep around the corners of the house, and then burn it, thanking for the service. The miraculous properties of the consecrated willow: Coming home from the church, with the consecrated willow, they lightly beat all the household members so that they are healthy. Do not forget about all the cattle. All living things absorb the power of spring and renewal. Willow protects the house from evil forces and spirits. Willow is planted in the garden if the house has a marriageable bride or a young guy. As soon as the willow is accepted, there will be a wedding.

Every time before Palm Sunday, Orthodox Christians have a question: what to do with last year's willow, which they kept all year? And when should you get rid of it? On the eve of the holiday or on Palm Sunday itself?

A few words about the holiday itself

Palm Sunday is a holiday commemorating the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. This is one of the last events in the life of Christ. And it happened a week before Easter - Bright Sunday. Why Palm Sunday? As Jesus entered the Holy City, people lined the path with freshly cut palm branches. This tradition was adopted in the East at the time of the meeting of important persons. In Russia, for lack of palm trees, willow is used.

But on this day, not only willow and palm trees are consecrated in the church, but also branches of olive, boxwood, and laurel.

There is a tradition to decorate large branches with sweets and fruits, as well as colored ribbons. Illuminated branches were installed at the head, near crucifixes, near fireplaces and hearths of stoves, as well as in animal stalls and other places. They can be installed simply in dry places or placed in a vase of water. Branches protect the house from the elements, diseases, quarrels.
So, a year has passed, tomorrow is Palm Sunday again, you need to consecrate fresh willows. And what to do with the old, last year's? And when should you get rid of them? The consecrated willow is no longer just tree branches, but a real shrine. You can't just throw it in the trash. It is believed that willow retains its magical properties until next spring.

You can conduct a small ritual on Palm Sunday itself, before it or immediately after Palm Sunday. There are several options for getting rid of willow.

Let the old willows through the flowing water into any body of water.

Burn dried willow branches. In this case, the ashes must be poured out in a place where they will not stomp on it. You can throw the ashes into the river.

If willows sprouted in water, they are best planted in a forest or near a river.

Willows can be stored for several years. But at the same time, celebrate the holiday with fresh branches every year.

If someone dies in the coming days, then the willow is placed in the coffin.

Some older people collect willows to be laid with them in the grave.

With a lit willow branch, you can cleanse the house, sanctify it by going around the house with this branch and prayer.

Take them to the Church, where they are burned with prayer.

Take it to the forest and leave it between the willow bushes.

If there is a stove in the house, then last year's dried willow can be kindled for baking Easter cakes.

With an old willow, symbolic ones sweep around the corners of the house, and then burn it, thanking for the service.

The miraculous properties of the consecrated willow:

Coming home from the church, consecrated with a willow, they lightly beat all the household members so that they are healthy. Do not forget about all the cattle. All living things absorb the power of spring and renewal.

Willow protects the house from evil forces and spirits.

Willow is planted in the garden if the house has a marriageable bride or a young guy. As soon as the willow is accepted, there will be a wedding.

On St. George's Day, cattle are driven out to the fields with willows. Then he will be healthy and fruitful.

It is believed that a willow can ward off thunder, hail and clouds, tilting it towards the clouds.

The willow reduced the destructive power of the fire by throwing it into the conflagration.

Willow buds were swallowed to get rid of fever, sore throat, and infertility.

Wells were lined with willows so that evil forces would not fall into the water.

Folk traditions associated with Palm Sunday

To this day, there are many signs and traditions associated with Palm Sunday. They are passed down from older to younger family members.

On the night of Palm Sunday, you can make conspiracies for headaches. To do this, the hair from the comb was dipped into water and the willow was poured with this water. The water will go into the ground along with the headache.

On Palm Sunday, the girls did a love spell on a willow. When pronouncing a spell, the willow was laid behind the icons. It is impossible to throw away the charmed branches.

You can “hit” with a willow only on the back, wishing health. If you were whipped on the back, this person wishes you sickness and evil, and it can come true.

Willow branches could only be cut from young trees. It is important that there are no damages and mossy bark on the trunks.

You can not pick branches from a willow tree if it has a hollow. It is also impossible to tear branches from a cemetery willow.

You can not tear the branches bent over the river. It is believed that mermaids sit on them at night.

Signs

If it was frosty enough on Palm Sunday, then a fairly good harvest of spring bread was expected.

If there were frosts on the night of Verbnoye, then there will be a good harvest of cabbage and cucumbers.

If there is a strong wind on Verbnoe, then the whole summer will be quite windy, there will be hurricanes and storms. And if the day is warm and quiet, this will be the summer.

What kind of wind in Verbnoye will be like this all summer.

If the sun shines on Palmnoye, there will be a rich harvest of cereals and fruits.

Knock on the body with a willow on Palm Sunday, you will be healthy all year.

Willow is the most tenacious tree. Stick a branch into the ground and a tree will grow. A tree gives a person the same vitality.

If you eat a bud of a consecrated willow, any business will be easily solved. Of course, you can use the "magic" properties of the willow only in extreme cases.

Think of your beloved on Verbnoe, and he will come to you.

If you plant a home plant on Palm Sunday, you will be rich. But if the flower withers, you will live in poverty all your life.

The energy of Palm Sunday helps to make all wishes come true.

What to do with willow?

How to collect willow? Tear several branches from small young trees. Do not cut off all the branches from one bush. But you need enough branches to put several pieces in each room, and in livestock buildings too. Take the branches to the church for consecration. If it is not possible to go to the temple, you can sprinkle willows with holy water at home.

Arrange the branches in vases. They do not need to be removed for two weeks. On Maundy Thursday, the branches were used as sprinkles: they were moistened with holy water and sprinkled on all corners of the house. And then the branches can be used in different ways: leave it until the next Palm Sunday, or immediately let it flow along the river.

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Palm Sunday, which we will celebrate this year on April 1, 2018, is just as well known as Easter, which is celebrated exactly one week later.

Of course, the main symbol of this event is willow. But how to properly consecrate the willow on Palm Sunday, where and how many willow branches you need to take and where to put them in the house - not everyone can answer these questions. And in general, why do we need willows on Palm Sunday? About everything - in order.

Where to put willow in the house
Signs associated with willow

Why willows: the history of the holiday

You can start with where the holiday came from, and why is it called that way? Almost 2,000 years ago, the Savior solemnly entered Jerusalem. He came in peace, and the symbol of this was the donkey on which Christ sat (after all, the conquerors of the city always entered on horseback). A huge number of people, imbued with the belief that he is the Son of God, enthusiastically rejoiced and rejoiced like never before in their lives.

They brought a huge amount of palm branches and laid them all over the path of Christ. The result was a whole path covered with branches. Of course, it was a special, solemn moment. Although exactly one week later the Savior will be executed, but he will rise again, which will finally prove his divine nature. That is why we celebrate Palm Sunday first, and exactly a week later - Easter.

Of course, there are no palm branches in our area yet, so we buy willows and decorate the house with them .. They begin to swell in March. That is why, whatever the date of the celebration in a given year, the willows always keep up.

This tradition appeared in Rus' a long time ago - so long ago that one cannot even name the approximate year when it began. After all, from ancient times, our ancestors with whole families went to willow groves, on the coasts of reservoirs, in forests and tore these branches. Of course, they are still being torn today, and most of us tend to simply buy willow branches, bring them home and put them in water so that they herald the arrival of spring to the whole family.

How to consecrate the willow and how many branches you need

You probably noticed that the willow buds are not the same in color and shape:

There are whitish, with gray shades. They are like lumps, quite soft to the touch. These are male kidneys, which are also called "seals".
And there are also female ones - they are elongated, less fluffy, and closer to gray-green in color.

Of course, you can take both of them, because the essence of the holiday is not what kind of willows you bring. But the number of branches matters. As with flowers, it is best to take an unpaired number of branches. At the same time, the total number is not so important - but you should not be greedy either. Try to take exactly as much as you need: yourself, family, friends, neighbors.

NOTE

On the eve of Palm Sunday, willow groves are subject to a real invasion - after all, people strive to collect as many branches as possible. Sometimes they leave the tree bare, and of course, this harms nature. Therefore, you should take this ritual more calmly: try to take a small amount of willow branches and not be excessively greedy.

But as for how to properly bless the willow, the answer is unequivocal: the branches should definitely be brought to the church. Many people do this on Sunday morning, directly on the day of the holiday (by the way, you can buy willow branches at the same time). And it would be more correct to come to the temple on Saturday evening, when the Vespers begin. According to tradition, the consecration of the willow takes place on this day. But of course, if you did not have time on Saturday, this is not a reason to abandon the tradition. Then the willow is consecrated on Sunday and brought into the house.

Where to put willow in the house

So, the branches are already at home, and of course we strive to put them in the water in the most prominent place. How to decorate a bouquet? And where is it traditionally placed? Special decorations are not required - after all, this is not a bouquet of flowers, but a symbol of the holiday. Therefore, several willow branches are tied into a simple bundle and placed in a vase on the table.

If the house has a kind of red corner - a quiet place where you are used to relaxing, being alone with your thoughts or praying, you can put a willow there. Usually, on a small shelf, believers put an icon, put church candles. You can also put a small vase with an odd number of branches there. By the way, believers keep them throughout the year - exactly until next spring.

NOTE

In any case, it is important to understand that willow is just a symbol of the holiday, just as painted eggs and Easter cake symbolize Easter. You may have only one branch in the house, or it may turn out that there is not one. But the main thing is sincere faith and a benevolent, festive mood of a person. After all, not faith for a symbol, but a symbol for faith.

Signs associated with willow

Of course, at first the branches are blessed in the church - after all, what are the branches for? That's right, this is a symbol of the holiday, uplifting and allowing you to kind of feel, get in touch with the ancient tradition. And here are some interesting beliefs that have come to us from time immemorial:

With the help of willow, treatment and general healing of the body were carried out. They took several kidneys, filled them with water. And then they drank the whole glass. You can just eat the kidneys.
A twig lightly hit a loved one - it is believed that this gives health and strength for the whole year.
After the holiday, they took part of the twigs, boiled them, and then bathed children in this water, and adults themselves are not forbidden to add a little willow decoction to the bath.
And if someone is sick in the house, you can put illuminated branches at the head of the bed - the person will feel better.

And in general, willow branches protect the house itself from troubles, intrusions of unnecessary people and other unforeseen events.

Firsthand: Archpriest Alexander Ilyashenko answers

So, with the appointment of willow for Palm Sunday, the position of the church is clear. This is a good symbol of the holiday, which reminds us of the Savior and his feat. And sometimes believers ask themselves not only the question of why willows are needed on Palm Sunday or how to consecrate them. Often people are interested: if a willow twig has taken root, is it possible to plant it on your site?

Here is what Archpriest Alexander Ilyashenko thinks:

Thus, of course, it is better for us to consecrate the willow and choose the right place in the house where to put it. But the most important thing is the person's faith, his sincere mood for the holiday. After all, any material object is a symbol that allows you to get in touch with a good tradition. And of course, the symbol exists for faith, but not vice versa.

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The main symbol of the great Christian holiday Palm Sunday is a consecrated willow, as well as willow branches with the first leaves that appeared on them. The consecrated willow in Rus' has always been credited with miraculous properties. It was believed that she helps to heal from diseases and drives away misfortune from home all year. But what to do with last year's willow?

Many Orthodox, especially those who are just beginning to comprehend religion, are interested in the question of what to do with willow after Palm Sunday. After all, the consecrated willow is not just branches, but already a shrine, which symbolizes the entry of the Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem.

Interestingly, since the birth of Christianity, the celebration of Palm Sunday or, as Catholics and Protestants call it, Palm Sunday has not changed. In Rus', at the very beginning of spring, and even in summer, it was difficult to find palm branches, which, according to the Jews, met Jesus Christ. Therefore, this symbol of the holiday in the Slavic territories was replaced by willow and willow branches, which are available in large quantities at the beginning of spring.

Every year, new branches of willow are consecrated in churches and temples, but what to do with willow from last year? First, we must remember that the twigs consecrated this year must be left at home for a whole year: until the next Easter. Branches decorate the house. You can arrange them in all rooms, put them in a red corner. Willow bouquets at home on Easter Eve remind us that the Bright Sunday of Christ will happen very soon.

Willow, illuminated during the holiday, will protect the house and its inhabitants from problems and hardships throughout the year. Willow twigs can also be used to perform various rituals to cope with diseases, conceive a child, and even influence the weather and elements. Secondly, before you engage in the arrangement of fresh willow, you need to understand where to put the willow from last year. Under no circumstances should you just throw it away!

When and how to get rid of last year's willow

A year later, on Palm Sunday, after the consecration of new branches, it is time to carry out certain rituals to get rid of old bouquets. There are several scenarios of action, from which you can choose the most convenient for a particular case:

1. You can simply collect all the branches that are at home and burn them. Ash from burned branches must be poured out in places where people will not walk on it. For example, a good place for baking is under a tree in your own garden or in the thicket of the forest. Also a good opportunity to get rid of the ashes is to pour them into the flowing river.

2. You can not burn the twigs, but simply collect them all together and float along the rib with a rapid current. It is important not to throw willow into stagnant water bodies, but to use rivers and streams for disposal, in which there is a current without fail.

3. It happens that a willow manages to germinate in a year. If it so happens that the branches have roots, then the best way to get rid of them is to land. Such trees should not be planted in one's own yard, because there is a belief that then someone will die in the house. It is best to plant sprouts in a forest or near a river.

4. You can also take last year's branches to the church. There they are burned with the reading of the appropriate prayers.

5. Alternatively, you can burn the branches in your own oven. At the same time, in the heat that will turn out, it is good to bake Easter cakes and pies.

These are the most suitable options for what to do with willow after Palm Sunday. The new willow has magical qualities that you can use for your own purposes.

Palm Sunday Traditions:

We already wrote about, but we also recall traditions.

* It is believed that a consecrated willow will bring health to a person if he is hit on the back with a bouquet.

* Willow can cure infertility. A woman needs to make a belt out of willow or eat a few buds that have already blossomed on Palm Sunday.

* If you spread the willow in the corners of the room, as well as near the front door, then it will protect the house from the penetration of evil spirits into it.

* Willow will help protect the house from fire and thunderstorms throughout the year.

* If you hang a willow in a barn, then the cattle will please you with health and offspring.

* Willow will also help in the performance of important matters. If you want to succeed in some very important matter, you can even swallow one bud of a consecrated willow.

* If a girl makes a wish on Palm Sunday to meet her fiancé, then it will definitely come true.

* If you plant a houseplant on this day, it will bring wealth. It is very successful on this day to plant such flowers as a money tree.