Clean Thursday: signs and customs, the history of the holiday. Clean Thursday - signs and customs

Many people know that before Easter they celebrate an important day of the week, which is called Maundy Thursday. Such an event is not distinguished by its brightness, but, at the same time, it is considered a rather significant event for Orthodox Christians. This holiday is very important for many, so it cannot be said that it is a simple holiday.

The importance of this day is endowed with special signs, which we will talk about later, but first of all I want to know what to do on Maundy Thursday? For example, on this significant day, you need to forever give up your fears and any worries. Bad and sinful thoughts, as well as selfish goals should forever remain in the past. After all, it is impossible with “this” to enter into the Bright Day of Easter. But how, to separate from such problems, because sometimes it is not so easy and what needs to be done for this?

Such a Thursday is considered a special day, it is endowed with unusual magical powers, and also has its own customs and traditions, which have deep roots of their origin. It is not for nothing that people with great responsibility carry out some signs that have long been born.

washing

Waking up early in the morning on this day, you need to wash your face “from silver”, that is, from any silver dish, even if it is a simple spoon. When performing such actions, it is believed that a person will not get sick all year. Sick people should be washed with borrowed silver coins. It is believed that a stolen or borrowed coin leads to a quick recovery.

Cleaning

Of course, almost everyone knows that on this Great Day there is a general cleaning of the house. Wash the floor well and wash all the corners. The fulfillment of such an Orthodox task leads to purification. They take out all the rubbish, old trash, it is necessary to remove all the cobwebs and clean all the corners in the house.

If any thing has lain for a whole year, then it must be given to the poor or needy people. This procedure removes negativity from the house. Frees from evil spirits and removes negative energy.

Even in the old days, they noticed that in a house in which it is littered, various quarrels, contentions and squabbles very often occur. This happens due to the accumulation of negative energy, which allows bad thoughts to arise. As a result, bad words and intentions appear. People begin to swear and think badly of each other, resulting in discord.

Bathing

It is believed that it is necessary to swim just before the sun rises. In order to be in good health and achieve success in everything, you need to properly cleanse the body. Indeed, in the morning, even the water that is considered simple is endowed with special power.

Before you start bathing, you must definitely read a prayer, you can do this to yourself or out loud, then repent, thank for everything that a person has at the moment. While bathing, it is necessary to imagine how the water takes away with it all the negativity that is washed off the body. Many do such procedures at home in the bathroom. To do this, they stand under the shower and imagine how all the negativity goes away along with dirty water. Then they are poured over with cool water from a ladle.

The main custom of Maundy Thursday

This custom includes baking the well-known Easter cakes. Previously, dough was put in the morning, and then prayers were read in the late afternoon and the housewives started baking. Fast-acting yeast is currently available, so the dough does not have to be made early in the morning. It needs less time to ferment. But be that as it may, baking should be done in the evening of this day. Therefore, everyone decides for himself when it is convenient for him to knead the dough.

This custom is fraught with special secrets. After all, it is not in vain that this day was chosen for baking. The fact is that it is by the resulting Easter cakes that they judge how a given year will pass for a person, that is, if they turned out beautiful, lush, ruddy, then the year promises joy, prosperity, and if not, then the year will be unsuccessful.

Signs of a special day

One of the surest signs is a “deep” cleaning of the entire home. In the old days they said that there would be no purity, there would be no good. Based on what, you can not celebrate Easter without cleaning the house. In addition, cleaning is carried out until Great Pure Thursday. Because the rest of the days are spent in prayer, being in strict fasting.

Also, the beliefs of the people, which have been noticed for years, say that on this day it was impossible to give anything from one's own house. Since it was believed that you give away your wealth and well-being.

On this special day, a candle must be brought from the church, which will protect the health of all family members living in this house. Also, many knowledgeable people prepare special salt, for this they take simple salt and bake it in the oven or any oven. After that, it is taken to the church and illuminated there. Such salt will have healing power, which will help in getting rid of certain diseases.

From time immemorial in Russia, on such a day, they brought a candle from the church, went up to the attic and called on otherworldly forces in order to find out what year promises them, that is, rich and fertile or meager and poor. As people thought, this place where the brownie lived was special, and if a person saw a shaggy brownie, then the year promised to be rich, but if the opposite is true, that is, the brownie was bald, then the year will be hungry.

Not infrequently, many daredevils went to the forest to find out from the goblin about their future. To do this, it was necessary to climb an aspen or a birch, since it was believed that the aspen is a cursed tree, and the birch is closely associated with dead souls. After that, they took off their cross and called the "forest spirit", which appeared and answered the questions posed to him. Many people were afraid to go to the forest that day, but the brave men received answers to all their questions.

You can, of course, not believe in the ancient signs of our ancestors, but as folk wisdom says, they accumulated over the years and were not fictional, but real. After all, many people, turning to signs, could make sure, and then find out if the goblin told them the truth. Clean Thursday is still considered an important holiday by Orthodox Christians, who with full responsibility fulfill many of the customs that came to us from their ancestors.

The history of Maundy Thursday is connected with the Last Supper. Jesus, having gathered his disciples, washed their feet, showing that the humility of a true Christian should be unlimited. It is also a symbol of spiritual and physical purification. Part of it is the obligatory visit to the temple - believers must pray and confess.

From this day until the Resurrection of the Lord, everything is dedicated to the memories that he experienced on earth.

What should be done on Maundy Thursday?

As mentioned above, even before sunrise, Christians tried to “purify themselves” with water - they swam in a river, a lake, or poured themselves in a bathhouse in order to be healthy for a whole year.

Also, earlier on this day, many were made for the Easter table. To do this, they took a harvest of salt, wrapped it in a rag and put it in the oven. When the rag burnt, the salt was collected and stored throughout the year.

On Maundy Thursday, people tried to bring a candle home from the church so that it would not go out. For this, special lanterns were made of colored paper or glass. With the flame of a passionate candle, they burned a cross in the house on a scum - from all evil spirits. They lit this candle and in case of serious illnesses of people or livestock, as well as in difficult childbirth, they gave it to the hands of the dying.

Let us dwell on this tradition of Maundy Thursday in more detail. There is a belief: if you want, by all means, swim before sunrise on Maundy Thursday. It is believed that, indeed, this morning the water acquires wonderful. This water can wash off accumulated over the year.

Therefore, it is advised at dawn, but a shower or with soapy foam is also welcome.

It is believed that not only is happening, but also the soul, as water acquires cleansing and protective properties that can wash away the accumulated negativity and illness. It is important to have bright, joyful thoughts during the procedure.

Money omen on Maundy Thursday

It has long been believed that if all available are counted three times, then during the year the family will live in abundance. According to popular beliefs, money counting should be done early in the morning, at noon and at sunset. This should be done in secret not only from strangers, but also from all your household members. Only then will the performance of this ancient rite be useful.

What can not be done on Maundy Thursday?

Orthodox people have a list of actions prohibited on Maundy Thursday. All because this day is associated with the cleansing of the body, soul and housing from dirt. And those who, on Maundy Thursday, littered the house with mud, will live in mud and quarrels all year long.

On Clean Thursday, you can’t give anything of value from home and you can’t, because well-being can be transferred along with values.

Every year Maundy Thursday falls on a different date depending on when Christians celebrate Easter. It is known for sure that this is the last Thursday before Easter, it always takes place as part of the Great or Holy Week. What are the customs for Clean Thursday 2018 and what signs must be taken into account on this day?

This year, Orthodox believers will have Holy Thursday on April 5, because Easter falls on April 8. It is worth preparing in advance for this day, because there are many rituals, customs and traditions that have been preserved for Maundy Thursday, the implementation of which can improve all areas of human life. Unless, of course, you try and know in advance what to ask the higher powers.

What rituals to perform

Why did this particular day of Holy Week get such a name? All due to the fact that it is on Thursday that you need to bring your body, soul, and also your house into a good, clean state in every sense of the word. The soul is cleansed by prayers and repentance, the body is cleansed by fasting and water, and the house is cleansed by cleaning. For cleaning the house and for your own body, there are certain rituals of Maundy Thursday that will help strengthen health and other areas of human life. You can also cook.

Clean Thursday includes mandatory swimming in open water. If this is not possible, then before sunrise you just need to take a contrast shower. It is imperative that on Clean Thursday you need to complete all the cleaning and laundry in the house, because it will no longer be possible to do this until the Red Hill holiday, to which there is still more than a week left from Good Friday.

In order to attract good luck to your home on Clean Thursday, you need to add a little trifle to the water for washing windows and doorways. Wash windows, saying that money should be kept in the house and not transferred this year. After cleaning, pour water under the tree, and put the change in a cloth bag and store it in a red corner.

As for signs, which it is simply impossible not to mention during this story, fortune-telling for the next year should be noted. Get up early in the morning and look out the window. Depending on what you see, you can make predictions for this year. The old woman promises failure, especially if she is with an empty bag or bucket. If a man catches your eye first, it is fortunate and good luck. If the family is for family well-being. To see a child means that she is studying a lot this year, a young woman promises happiness in the family.

What not to do in:
During the church service on Maundy Thursday evening, you cannot sit. Because the Divine Liturgy is called "passion" or "great standing".
The service must stand with lit candles, and then bring them home. If the candle does not go out along the way, then at home you need to light all the lamps from it - this will ensure happiness and prosperity throughout the year.
You can not eat any products of animal origin on this day, because Lent continues.
It is imperative to complete the general cleaning in the house, because, from Good Friday, it will no longer be possible to clean the house. If the house is dirty on Maundy Thursday, then it was believed that throughout the year there would be dirt and quarrels in the house.
Dirty water after cleaning must be poured outside the house so as not to accumulate negative energy. It is best to pour the water in a place where nothing grows.
Do not leave unwashed dishes, unwashed linen in the evening.
Until the whole house is cleaned, on Maundy Thursday you can’t start cooking Easter cakes and coloring eggs. Although, after cleaning is completed on this day, it is possible and even necessary to prepare a festive table.

Signs on Clean Thursday, apparently, are quite extensive. If you don't try hard enough in advance, you won't be able to do everything. I would like to remind you that cleaning the house, doing a lot of laundry, before Maundy Thursday is possible during the entire beginning of Holy Week. If everything is planned correctly, starting with Holy Monday, then before Good Friday, it will definitely be possible to do a lot.

Pure Thursday is also called Great or Holy Thursday. On this day, active preparations for Easter begin. On Maundy Thursday, there are a number of customs that should be followed, but there are also things that are not advisable to do.

How to start the day right?

Clean Thursday is clean enough to wash off all the dirt. And we are talking not only about the body, but also about the soul and thoughts. On this day, it is customary to bathe on Wednesday night or early in the morning, before sunrise. It is believed that water today has special powers, as for baptism, therefore it is able to cleanse the soul from sadness. And you need to ask God to make all diseases go away with water.

Why Thursday? This must have happened because of the custom of baptizing people on the eve of Easter - on Holy Saturday. Haircut and washing in ancient times were considered a lot of work, and you can’t work on holidays, so that’s how the preparation took place.

In the morning on a holiday, you need to go to church to confess and take communion. After all, the preparation of Easter cakes and Easter cakes is allowed only with a pure soul and thoughts. You need to take a candle from the temple with you so that it keeps comfort and protects family members.

holiday house cleaning

You need to “bath” not only yourself, but also the house. It is advisable to wash the floors on this day from the farthest corners to the threshold, and dirty water should be poured as far as possible from the home. So you will remove all the negativity from your shelter. After Thursday, cleaning is no longer possible. It is believed that on Maundy Thursday during cleaning you can find long-lost things.

You can make "Thursday salt", which will protect the house all year round. To do this, after bathing, family members should throw a handful of salt into a bag and bake it. Previously, such salt was added to water when washing floors, and used as a "cure" for diseases. She was believed to have healing powers.

On this day, you need to keep fasting, because Holy Week has not yet ended. And this is the most strict and important post in the Orthodox faith.

What is forbidden to do?

You can’t try holiday dishes yet, drink alcohol too. Also, one should not allow bad thoughts to fast, give in to despondency and get angry, swear and be offended. It is believed that Easter cakes cannot be tasted until Sunday, even for those who do not fast.

You can’t cook Easter cakes and paint eggs before they’ve cleaned the house. Cooking Easter cakes is a serious ritual. Not only the heart should be clean, but also the house in which the treat is prepared.

Do not leave dirty dishes or soak laundry on Friday night. It is believed that whoever littered the house with dirt will live in quarrels all year.

But at the same time, you can’t do cleaning to the detriment of visiting the temple or praying. Everything should be in time: if you cleanse your soul, you can also cleanse your house.

On this day you can not borrow or lend money. And in general, it’s better not to give anything from home, even salt to a neighbor. It is better to refuse, because it is believed that in this way a person gives wealth and well-being.

Maundy Thursday is the fourth day of Holy Week before Easter. In 2018, it will be on April 5 .. This must be done carefully, looking into every corner. People believed that in this way, all unclean spirits could be driven out of housing, and then the family would live a whole year in joy, health and happiness. After cleaning, women can start cooking Easter cakes.

Thursday is the last day before Christ's Resurrection, when all preparations for the holiday must be completed. On other days, the church does not recommend cleaning.

Clean Thursday how to clean an apartment correctly: events on this day, behind the Gospel

On Clean Thursday, following the Gospel, the Last Supper was held on the eve of Jewish Passover. In those days, it was customary to wash your feet before dinner, this was done by a servant. But that evening no one came to Jesus and the disciples. Then the Son of God took off his outer clothing, and each of those present performed this ritual. Thus, the Savior wanted to teach his brothers humility and love for one another. After that, He said that one of you would betray me. Taking the bread, the Lord said that it was His body, and the grape wine was His blood. And he treated all his students.

During the Last Supper, Jesus performed the Communion ceremony. He was recognized by Catholics, Protestants, and Christians.

Clean Thursday how to clean the apartment correctly: traditions and rituals on this day

In Russia, it was customary on Maundy Thursday to wake up before sunrise, wash, or even bathe in rivers or other bodies of water, this was considered a small baptism. Thus, people were cleansed not only bodily, but also spiritually.

On Thursday, all the housewives cleaned their houses. They washed windows, floors, wiped dust everywhere, looked into every corner so that there would be no dirt left anywhere. All soiled linen had to be washed, so that everything would be clean by Easter. The owners tidy up the yard and garden. If the cleaning was done carefully, then the whole year there will be order and idyll in the family. From Good Friday until the end of Holy Sunday, it was forbidden to clean up, no matter what to litter the eyes of Jesus lying in the tomb.

Having finished all the cleaning, the housewives proceeded to the main process - baking Easter cakes. It was believed that before kneading the dough, it is necessary to read a prayer and ask the Lord for help. The dough was not to be shown to anyone. While the cake was in the oven, it was forbidden to speak loudly and think about the bad, so that the pastry would rise and turn out well.

On this day, it is customary to go to church to take communion before the Easter holiday. Our ancestors also brought heather and juniper into the house after the service. They were hung on the door to keep the house out of trouble.

Clean Thursday how to clean the apartment correctly: signs

Signs on Maundy Thursday

1. In order to have money in the house, they need to be counted three times: before sunset, at lunchtime and after sunset.

2. In order for the hair to be lush, healthy, and grow faster, you need to cut the ends.

3. Whoever has dirt in his house after Maundy Thursday will spend the whole year in quarrels.

4. In order to attract the betrothed, you need to leave a thing for him in each room, and put new shoes with socks towards the house.

5. After cleaning, dirty water must be poured outside the house.

6. Do not leave dirty dishes and soaked laundry.

7. If the cake is baked well, then the whole year will be good, but if it has not risen, then the whole year will be bad.

8. Bathe before sunrise - and you will be healthy for a whole year.

9. On Maundy Thursday, you can find a long-lost thing.