Ascension- This is one of the biggest Christian holidays, which is celebrated on the fortieth day after Easter. It goes without saying that this holiday does not have a specific day of celebration, since it is tied up with Easter. But, nevertheless, a lot of signs and superstitions are connected with the feast of the Ascension of the Lord. Many of these signs are associated with agricultural work, but there are also those that relate to people.

Season

On Ascension, spring gives way to summer. folk omen that after Ascension passes, you can no longer be afraid of changeable spring weather. There won't be any cold weather. Live and enjoy the summer weather. You can safely swim in the reservoirs without worrying about getting sick.

If you braid birch branches

You will curl a birch on Ascension - you will find out how life will turn out. Birch is a very delicate tree. Previously, on Ascension, several branches of birch were braided into a braid and watched how the tree would behave. This was done in order to find out whether a seriously ill person would survive or not, and the girls, thus, wondered if they would get married this year or if they would still have to be like girls. If ten days before the Trinity, the birch branches woven together do not wither, then the person who is very seriously ill will definitely recover. Well, if the birch scythe wilts, then you need to prepare for the worst.

bread ladders

Bread ladders to Ascension - a direct path to the bosses. Previously, everyone knew that on the holy feast of the Ascension, it was necessary to knead the dough and bake ladders of seven steps. Such ladders were kept at home behind the icon, so that no one in the family would get sick. In addition, some people guessed with the help of bread ladders. They were consecrated in the church, and then thrown off the roof. If the ladder remained intact, then the person is simply a saint. And the more it is damaged, the more sins a person has. And there is one associated with such a ladder. This ritual will help a person to rise through the ranks as far as the ambition of a person is enough. To do this, they take the baked ladder in their hands, bring it very close to their lips and read a special plot. After that, the ladder must be eaten before the sun sets. If you know special words, then the ladder will definitely help, and very soon a new appointment awaits you.

Prayer

What you ask for in prayer on Ascension, it will come true. This sign is connected with the fact that on this day Jesus Christ directly communicated with people before ascending to heaven. On that day, people had a unique opportunity to touch the Lord, turn to him and ask for what worried them. Since then, every person has such an opportunity every year on this day. The only thing that people cannot afford is to touch Jesus, but the fact that he hears everyone and will definitely help is true. Just do not ask for big money and wealth for yourself - your request will be ignored. The only exceptions are those cases when money is needed for treatment, or a person is generally poor. But you get exactly as much as you need, and not a penny more.

If the hen laid an egg

An egg laid on Ascension will take away all troubles from the house. City dwellers are not interested in this sign. Of course, who keeps chickens in the apartment on the balcony? But the villagers know about this sign very well. Old people say that on this day nothing can be done around the house - there will be no luck for a whole year. Not every chicken lays eggs on this holiday. Therefore, if someone has a chicken laid that day, such an egg is not eaten. Above it, you need to read out any conspiracy from enemies, of which there are a lot, and put it in the attic of your house. It is believed that no one can harm you and your entire family. Even if your ill-wishers turn to a strong, knowledgeable witch for help, all her efforts will be in vain. As long as the Ascension Egg is in your attic, you are safe.

If it rains

If on Ascension it's raining, then expect a crop failure and a pestilence of livestock. Such a sign really exists. Moreover, among the people it is believed that if immediately the next day after the Ascension comes good weather, and such weather will last for a week, then the sign is one hundred percent true. But if it also rains in the next three days, then perhaps your crop will not suffer so much. In order to smooth out the influence of this sign, in the old days, young girls gathered together in one hut and fried eggs. The most important condition is that none of the representatives of the opposite sex should have been present at this action. So the girls got together, fried eggs. While the cooking was going on, they sang songs, read prayers, and then walked through the fields and gardens with a frying pan. They went around all the fields and gardens, and everywhere after the round they threw part of the fried eggs into the ground. It was believed that by such actions the girls weakened the influence of this sign, so that the harvest was, and the cattle were healthy.

big church holiday considered the Ascension of the Lord. Rites and rituals are performed on this day by many people. This tradition has passed to us from our ancestors. The holiday is celebrated on the fortieth day after Easter. Always falls on a Thursday. From the very morning in all Orthodox churches solemn liturgies are served.

The holiday reminds of joyful gospel event- the ascension of Christ to heaven. After his miraculous resurrection, Jesus remained on earth for forty days. He communicated with the martyrs and the righteous, instructing them on the true path. After forty days, Christ ascended into Heaven. He led his disciples to the Mount of Olives, where he blessed them with a righteous life and the creation of his church on earth. At the top of the mountain, Jesus ascended into heaven.

It is believed that on this day the last meeting of the disciples with the Savior took place. No one else saw Christ on earth in bodily form. According to legend, at lunchtime, the heavens opened above the domes of the church, and a staircase arose, along which the entire heavenly host (angels and archangels) descended. After the first strike of the church bell, together with Christ, they ascended to heaven. Only the righteous could see this miracle.

Ascension celebrates not only the events of many years ago, but also the fact that life has conquered death.

Ascension of the Lord: conspiracies and rituals

By popular belief Everything you ask for on this day will surely come true. This is due to the fact that on Ascension the Lord was still on earth and communicated with people before going to heaven.

They believed that an egg laid by a chicken on this day would be able to protect the family from all evil. They do not eat it, but read a prayer over it from enemies, corruption and evil.

Then they take it to the attic and leave it there. It is believed that if someone wants to harm you, then he will not succeed. Even if the enemies decide to turn to the witch for help.

On the Ascension of the Lord, you can not do any housework, as well as work on land. On this day, you need to visit guests or invite loved ones to your home, commemorate deceased relatives. Our ancestors baked pastries in the form of ladders, or decorated the top of the pies with crossbars, of which there should be no more than seven.

It was customary to go to the cemetery. A festive cake was crumbled here. It is especially good if the birds eat the crumbs.

The Slavs performed many rituals to increase the fertility of the land. From the very morning the peasants prayed to God, asked for the welfare of the people. Often prayers were held near the rye field. The women went to their fields to "see Christ off." There they ate eggs, pancakes and pancakes. Then, with the words “Horn, horn, grab Christ by the leg,” they threw a loaf-ladder up. This was done in order for the rye to grow well.

To have a good harvest, go to the field or to your land plot and there they held a feast. The crumbs from the table spilled onto the ground. You can still conduct a simple ceremony for a rich harvest today. It is necessary to take a birch twig, tie it with bright ribbons, stick it in the middle of the garden with the words:

“Just as a birch tree grows well, so my crops will grow, pour juice. As there are many leaves on a birch tree, so my harvest will be rich. Exactly".

The girls braided birch branches into braids. It was believed that if the branch did not wither before Trinity, then this year you would get married. And if it fades, then another year to sit in the girls.

In Rus', they celebrated the transition of spring into summer. It was believed that by this time spring was in full bloom, and it gave way to summer. In the evening it was customary to burn ritual bonfires. The youth led round dances, sang songs, danced.

According to our ancestors, "Voznesenskaya" dew has healing properties. It was collected and given to drink to seriously ill patients, and they also wiped wounds so that they healed faster. Girls washed themselves with dew to become even more beautiful and get married as soon as possible.

If it rains on the holiday, then the summer will be wet. Crimson sunrise - to a thunderous summer.

Ascension of the Lord: prayer for the fulfillment of desire

On this bright holiday, every believer has unique opportunity pray to God and ask to fulfill cherished desire. Do not ask for wealth, the Lord does not heed your requests. He can help if money is needed for treatment. It is important that the thoughts are pure, and the fulfilled desire could not harm anyone.

You can pray to the Lord in your own words. You can also read a special prayer to Jesus Christ. Read the Lord's Prayer first.


On this day, the figure of a lamb appears in the clouds in the east.
(Old Devonshire belief).

Artem Chebokha.

If an egg laid on Ascension Day is hung under the roof, it will protect your house from all harm. (At the beginning of the XYI century, it was distributed throughout Britain).


John Chapman.

Heavy rain on Ascension portends crop failure and disease, especially in livestock. If this sign is destined to come true, then after the Ascension, good weather will be established and will last until the day of St. Michael.


Johann Baptist Sellenati

AT folk calendar the day of the Ascension of the Lord was the day of memory of deceased parents and ancestors. In order to propitiate them, as well as the field spirits, believers baked pancakes, boiled eggs, fried eggs and ate all this at home and in the field, in between work, since the Feast of the Ascension coincides with the height of field work.


Albert Ritzberger. Lunch in the field.

In memory of the Ascension of the Lord, they baked pies with green onions, and most importantly - bread "ladders" (in the Yaroslavl province) - large oblong pies, the upper crust of which was laid out across the crossbeams (no more than seven, since it was believed that there were seven heavens). These pies were brought to the church, and prayers were performed over them, after which one part of them was given to the parable, and the other to the poor. These pies were also called ladders, ladders.


Anders Zorn.

Previously, these pies and ladders were taken to the bell tower and thrown down to the ground. At the same time, of course, they wondered which of the seven heavens the fortuneteller was destined to fall into. When all seven steps remained intact, this indicated to the fortuneteller a direct path to heaven, and vice versa: if the ladder was broken into small pieces, it thereby revealed terrible sinner, which was not suitable for any of the heavens. Later, fortune-telling was simplified to the point that the ladders were thrown directly on the floor, near the oven in which they were baked.


Ilya Alexandrovich Kaverznev.

But usually after dinner the men, women and girls went to the fields. There, at his field, praying on all four sides, he threw a ladder up, saying: "So that my rye grows as high." After that, the ladders were eaten. In the Vologda province, along with the "ladders", they also baked special cookies - juicy with oatmeal, called Christ's wrappers (this is how peasant shoes were called).


Isaac Ilyich Levitan.

In the Yaroslavl villages, “the youth endured and placed decorated birch trees on the borders of the fields, where they stood until the end of the harvest. They had fun around them, threw boiled eggs, rolled around and said: “Ugly, rye, clean and high!” Girls and teenage girls of the Kaluga province in a crowd went to the field with food supplies and there they cooked scrambled eggs in rye, when they ate it, they threw spoons up, saying: “How high the spoon flies, so high the rye would be.”


Yartsev G.F.

In the Yaroslavl province, girls with ready-made scrambled eggs, tied in a scarf, went around all the village fields (guys were by no means allowed). When they ate the votive food, the girls began to roll on the grass and say: “Grow, grass, to the forest, and rye to the barn.” Near Moscow, young people with eggs and pancakes went to the fields; each one found his strip, tossed the egg three times, then broke it, bit off a piece from the egg and from the pancake, and buried the rest in the strip, while saying: “Christ, you will fly to heaven, pull our horn by the spikelets.”


Some signs and rituals associated with the cuckoo were timed to coincide with the Ascension. As a rule, on the eve of the Ascension, the corn begins to ear and the cuckoo falls silent, which is why the people said: “The cuckoo choked on a corn ear”; “And I would be glad to have spring in Rus' for centuries to come, and Ascension Day will come, it will cuckoo, it will fill with a nightingale, it will be removed in the bosom by summer.”


Arkady Rylov.

On Ascension, the rite of "baptism and burial of the cuckoo" was performed, which lasted from one to three days. It was a purely girlish rite, none of the outsiders was supposed to know the place of "baptism" and burial of the cuckoo. They made a cuckoo from a bunch of grass "cuckoo's tears", giving it a humanoid appearance, sometimes they just took a branch, a bouquet, a wreath for this purpose, sometimes they sewed a rag doll. A cuckoo-doll made of rags or grass dressed up in a girl's outfit (dress, shirt, scarf), decorated with ribbons, colored patches, beads.


Makovsky Konstantin Egorovich.

The "baptism" of the cuckoo took place under a birch, the doll was planted on a branch or placed under a tree, covered with a scarf and crossed three times. The girls kissed, exchanged crosses, drills, scarves, then ate the eggs, and the shells were hung on the branches of trees and bushes. The so-called kumleniya was accompanied by special "kumite songs".


Oleg Gurenkov. Cuckoo's funeral.

They buried the cuckoo either on the same day after kumleniya, or the next day, or even a day later. If a cuckoo from grass was buried in the ground, then one or two girls did it in a secret place; if the cuckoo was left on a tree, then here all the participants in the ceremony arranged a common feast, sang cheerful songs, after which they went home.


Orlovsky Vladimir Donatovich.

The Ascension of the Lord is considered the last spring holiday. “The spring of the Ascension to heaven ascends - the bright one asks to rest in paradise!”


Artem Chebokha.

This year Ascension fell on May 17th. On this day, it is customary to attend church services, during which priests serve in white robes.

Ascension of the Lord: what not to do on this day

You can not do housework and other work. This day is best spent in a quiet family circle.
On Ascension, you need to keep peace and tranquility in your soul. Try not to quarrel with loved ones.
On this day, the phrase “Christ is Risen” cannot be pronounced, since on the Ascension Day the Shroud is taken out of the temples. In the Ascension of the Lord, you can’t think about the bad. Instead, they are advised to remember deceased relatives.

In the old days, it was forbidden to spit and throw garbage on the street, since "you can get into Christ, who comes to houses under the guise of beggars."

There are many signs and superstitions associated with the Ascension Day. It is believed that after May 17 (namely, on this date the holiday fell this year), you can no longer be afraid of cold snaps - a full-fledged summer is coming. It is also believed that from this date it is already possible to safely swim in rivers and lakes and not be afraid to get sick.

Our ancestors believed that if a chicken laid an egg on that day, it should be hung under the roof of the house and it would protect the inhabitants from troubles and misfortunes. If the weather is good for Ascension, then it will last until St. Michael's Day (November 21). If the holiday turned out to be rainy, there will be many diseases in livestock and crop failure.

If you swim in the river that day, your health will be strong. Hearing the croak of a crow is a good sign.
If you hear the chirping of a magpie, this is for money, but you need to pronounce a special conspiracy so that it brings good to the house.

Beliefs in the Ascension of the Lord

On Ascension, birch branches were woven to find out the fate of a sick person. Several of them were braided, and there are 10 days before the Trinity, the branches are alive and do not wither, then the hidden person will get better, if not, you should prepare for the worst. In the same way, the girls guessed at the future marriage.

In the old days, a fire was kindled on Ascension in the evening, which symbolized the onset of the passage and the flowering of nature. They led a “spikelet” or round dances, the first “cumenia” at green Christmas time.

Dew on this day was considered healing, and medicinal properties grasses intensified and persisted until the onset of Ivan Kupala (the night of July 6-7).

In the forty days between Easter and Ascension, the poor and sick people were especially revered. It was forbidden to throw garbage and spit on the street, because "you can fall into Christ, come to houses under the guise of beggars."

Earlier on Ascension, special pancakes were baked, which they called "God's wrapping", "granddaughters", "Christ's bast shoes". In some regions, housewives treated home-made cakes with cottage cheese filling, the edges of which were bent in the form of steps. It was customary to visit relatives and friends. In the old days, this was called "walking at a crossroads." The guests presented the hosts with ladders baked from wheat dough with honey and with sugar patterns.

There is a belief that from the day of Easter until the Ascension, the doors of heaven and hell are open. And that before the Feast of the Ascension, all sinners can rejoice and have fun with the righteous.

This holiday does not have a clear date, as it is always counted from Easter (after forty days). As can be understood from the name of this day, it is on him that the end of the service of Jesus Christ and his further ascension to heaven falls.

Signs on no wonder attract so much attention. There is a belief that nothing will pass in vain on this day, and everything will respond in the future. Therefore, the question, what are the signs on the Ascension of the Lord, has always been asked with special trepidation, because this day may determine how the whole future course will turn out.

Folk omens for Ascension

People began to notice that after the onset of the Ascension, you can no longer beware of abrupt change weather conditions and you can slowly begin to enjoy the first summer warmth.

Also well-known omen is the curling of birch branches. She has ancient origin and to our time it has reached through many generations. So, birch has always been considered a delicate tree, and it is rare that branches broken off from it do not dry out for several days. If only a few cut branches are placed near the patient or woven into the girl's braid, and after ten days they do not wither, then the patient will gain health, and the girl will most likely get married soon.

So that no one gets sick, bake a small ladder of bread on Ascension. It is important to note that it should have seven steps. Then dedicate it and place it behind the icon. This is to keep the family safe. various diseases for the whole next year.

What signs are associated with the weather on Ascension?

Almost all signs of Ascension, unless it is raining, are positive. But in the event that it still rains, then crop failure and constant diseases of livestock should be expected. But there is one amendment: if it lasts three days, then perhaps this sign will lose its prophetic power. Also, in order to weaken the influence of this sign, often, girls gathered in one hut and fried eggs. At the same time, they both sang songs and read. Then with this scrambled eggs it was necessary to go around the gardens, scattering it. It is important that no males be present during this process.

At the same time, if the weather is pleasant after Ascension, it is believed that it will last at least a week.

Conspiracies for the Ascension

On the Ascension of the Lord, not only signs were popular, but also conspiracies. Of course, many will say that it came from paganism. But if something works, then people use anything.

The most popular was a conspiracy that should help in career growth. It is worth noting that it refers to the baked stairs mentioned above. So, such a ladder should be eaten before sunset and washed down with holy water. As a result, in professional field you should be lucky all next year.

There is also a conspiracy for health. During the song of the nightingale, you need to have time to say the following: “The nightingale sings, she praises God, the body heals."

Signs that you can not do on the Ascension of the Lord

Interestingly, it will take about whether it is possible to go to work that day, but it is definitely undesirable to do anything about the housework. This can lead to permanent failures for the whole next year.

It is believed that on this day you can ask the Lord for something and, most likely, receive it. But do not ask for money and wealth, as this will also lead to failure. If there is no urgent need, then it is better to avoid any financial transactions on this day.