According to the Orthodox calendar, the Day of the Holy Spirit is usually celebrated on the day after Pentecost (). The holiday is dedicated to the glorification and remembrance of the descent of the Holy Life-giving Spirit on the disciples of the Savior. The date of this holiday is variable, like Trinity, and always falls on Monday.
In the folk tradition of the Eastern Slavs, Mother Earth was considered the birthday girl on Spiritual Day. In tsarist Russia, as in Russia, it was strictly forbidden to work on this holiday. In modern Russia this day is always a working day.
Church traditions
The Orthodox name of the holiday is Holy Spirit Monday.
In churches, the service in honor of the glorification of the Holy Spirit opens with vespers, performed after the liturgy of Trinity Day, and continues on Monday. During the service, three special prayers of St. Basil the Great are read. During their reading, those praying for the first time since Lent kneel.
After the service, the symbol of the Trinity is taken out of the churches - consecrated and decorated birch trees. Parishioners carefully break off the pre-sanctified birch branches to take them home and place them next to the icons. Spiritual Day according to the church calendar is the beginning of All Saints Week, that is, the week of all Saints.
Folk traditions
Among the people, the holiday is called: Day of the Holy Spirit, Name Day of the Earth, Birthday Earth, Day of the Spirit, Spirits Day, Farewell of the Mermaids, Ivan da Marya, Rusalnitsa.
The Eastern and Western Slavs had beliefs that on this particularly significant day the Earth was created, and therefore the earth had a legitimate birthday on Spirits Day. According to folk centuries-old observations of Spirits, the day is often directly related to thunderstorms, and by its weather one can judge the weather for the rest of the summer.
Spiritual Day in the church calendar is designated as the beginning of All Saints Week, in other words, the week in which all Saints are venerated.
The legends of pre-revolutionary Tsarist Russia describe that on the supper of the Spiritual Day, the Holy Spirit descends to the earth, appearing in dwellings and spilling over the fields. It was believed that one should not disturb the earth on this day: plowing, harrowing, sowing, digging, planting, driving stakes, because Mother Earth was pregnant and was bearing a harvest. They believed that before dawn she reveals her secrets on Spiritual Day. Some, having prayed to the Holy Spirit, went to “listen to the treasures”, putting their ear to the ground, but underground and above-ground secrets could only be revealed to pious people and, of course, first of all to the righteous.
In many areas, on the day of Spirits, a procession of the cross went around the fields. In the Vyatka province there was a special custom of the “Women's holiday”, during which it was customary to feed the earth. This was done by married women, most often older ones. They went to the field, there they spread tablecloths on the ground, laid out food and began the meal, during which they carried some of the food they brought across the fields with songs. It was the eldest of them who had to “feed the landling”: she would shallowly bury pieces of food into the soil with her hands and say: “Give us a harvest, birthday Earth!”
On Monday, immediately after Trinity, Orthodox believers celebrate Spiritual Day. This year the date of this holiday falls on May 28. Another, more popular name for this church holiday is “Name Day of the Earth.” On this day, liturgies are held in churches in honor of an important event: the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles.
Church holidays are always associated with strict prohibitions, and this is no exception. On Spiritual Day in 2018, the list of things not to do will not be as impressive as on other holidays. On this day, according to the New Testament. The Holy Spirit descended on the apostles in the form of fiery rays. They suddenly spoke different languages and began to understand these languages. After this event, the apostles carried the word of God throughout the world.
Descent of the Holy Spirit
Before you find out what you can’t do on Spiritual Day in 2018, you need to understand what kind of holiday it is. Believers celebrate on this day the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles. This is a continuation of the Trinity, therefore, the traditions of the days are very similar in many ways.
People also call this holiday the Name Day of the earth. On Spiritual Day you cannot work on the earth, because this is considered a great sin. On this Monday, we must take care of the earth and show it our reverence and respect.
What not to do
The specific list of what you should not do on Spiritual Day in 2018, customs, is quite short. Almost all prohibitions here will be related to land. You cannot work on it, plant anything, weed, dig, or harrow. It is better to postpone all work that is somehow connected with the ground. ?
Also on this day you should try to give up all housework. Just like on Trinity Day, you cannot sew, knit, clean, or wash. You are allowed to cook food. These are the main prohibitions, what you cannot do on Spiritual Day 2018. The list of things to do is much more extensive and exciting. 
What you can do on Spiritual Day (May 28, 2018):
* Stock up on herbs and flowers. Plants collected and dried on this day have healing properties. Because it was believed that fire comes from the sky and destroys all evil spirits. It was from the herbs collected during this period that the healers prepared a special herbal powder to exorcise demons.
* Feed the earth. Spiritual Day in many villages was considered a women's holiday. It was customary for the married women of the village, including the oldest representative, to gather on the outskirts. A tablecloth was laid there, right on the ground, the women sang, had fun, and danced in circles. This ritual was meant to show respect and reverence for the land.
* Wash away your sins, but not by swimming in open reservoirs (this, by the way, cannot be done for three days after Trinity and on Trinity itself), but with well water. This custom was especially widespread in the Kaluga province. You had to throw a coin into the well, pray, and then wash your face with this water. In this territory it was believed that this way one could wash away one’s sins on Spiritual Day.
* Bring home blessed birch branches from church. They were placed in the house as protection from evil forces. When the branches dried out, they were necessarily stored in a secluded corner.
* Listen to treasures. Since on this day people worship the earth, it revealed its secrets to some. After evening prayer, people put their ears to the ground and listened to see if she would reveal her secrets to them.
Spirits Day 2018: what you can’t do or can do will not affect the weather-related omen in any way. In particular, what the weather will be like on Spiritual Day, it will be like this all summer. Happy holiday and only sunny weather!
Mother-Cheese-Earth - Heavenly Goddess-Patron of the Earth (or Midgard-Earth, as the planet Earth was called among the Slavic-Aryans). Goddess of fertility and good harvest. Before sowing, all people bring generous Gifts and Requirements to the Goddess. These Gifts are bloodless sacrifices and consisted of beautiful flowers, the best seeds, fruits and vegetables. The worshipers asked that everything that went into the fire come in abundance. At this time, fruits and vegetables are planted en masse in the prepared soil, and grains are also sown.
Priests and Priestesses serving Mother Raw Earth carried Gifts to the Sacred Burning Altar, so that with that fire the offerings would rise to Heaven, to the Halls of the Goddess.
Forever, the Mother of Cheese, the Earth, will remain a mother for the people who live on it, who will invariably bequeath to the next generations love and respect for their native land. People cannot live without their nurse; since ancient times she has been growing bread and feeding her people, holding back storms and blizzards, stopping the evil one. The land without an owner-farmer is orphaned, just like a plowman without her, like without a soul in his body. The beneficial rays of the sun and abundant rains awaken the fertility of the earth, it grows grass and trees, providing food for people and animals.
Over the centuries, such obvious natural manifestations have become myths about the marriage of Earth and Heaven, with Heaven personifying male influence and Earth viewed as female.
In winter, the Earth is barren from the cold, with the arrival of spring, the Sky embraces it and caresses it like a wife, warms it with the hot sun, saturates it with warm rains, and the Earth is “accepted as its own race.” In the words of the people, “It is not the Earth that gives birth, but Heaven,” that is, the earth cannot produce a harvest without heavenly beneficial influence.
According to the Slavs who lived in the south, the earth is flat and has the shape of a circle, and along the edge the vault of heaven joins it. The earth is held by the buffalo on one horn, and earthquakes occur when he gets tired and throws the earth onto the second horn. After creation, the earth was level, and mountains and hills were created when rivers and seas were created. The underground world is structured similarly to the upper one: people live, animals live, plants grow.
Among the Western Slavs, the patroness of the Earth was the Maiden-Zemina. On the holiday, to present gifts for her, beer was brewed and bread was baked: “Zemina... bloom with rye, wheat, barley and all kinds of cereals.”
In his narrative, the ancient Roman historian Tacitus describes the life of the Slavs - the inhabitants of the island of Rügen: the Slavs worship the goddess of the earth, they are sure that she comes to them and takes part in the lives of people. In the virgin forest there is a sacred chariot, which only the priest is allowed to touch. He knows when the goddess condescends and reverently sees off the chariot pulled by cows.
The goddess Zimina also had a male image - the god Zemennik (Potrimp). This is a cheerful god of fertility in a green wreath. A full vessel with grain was left for him on the altar; his sacred snake slept in another vessel; it had to be fed with milk. In the fall, after the harvest, they feasted as a sign of veneration of the god Zemennik. Traveling people told how this holiday took place. The people gather in one special public place, where there are tables covered with grass, bread is placed on top and vessels with beer are placed. They also bring livestock and poultry, and sacrifice them in pairs to God, saying words of thanksgiving to Zemennik and requests for protection from enemies, fire and deadly diseases. The meat of the animals is cooked, a piece is cut off from each, thrown under tables, benches, corners in the house with the words of a heartfelt request for Zemennik to taste it, then they eat what has been prepared, the celebration continues.
Raw Earth Mother's Day
In the beliefs of the nature-worshipping Slavs, the Earth is represented as a living creature similar to man. Green lush vegetation - herbs, flowers, shrubs - this is hair; bones are stone rocks (“rock”, “skeleton” - consonant); the roots of the trees are veins, and the blood of the earth was the underground waters.
Like a true woman, she gives birth to earthly fruits, feeling not only maternal happiness.
She groans with suffering in a storm, shudders with fear and gets angry during earthquakes. Drinks rainwater when thirsty and dies during drought. He goes to bed in the frosty, cold winter, covering himself with a blanket of snow. And waking up with the first breath of spring, he laughs with the sun and gives people beauty and grace.
From her, like a real mother, a person seeks her affection and support. As it is said in fairy tales: when a hero clings to the ground, he is filled with fresh strength; and when struck on the ground by a spear, those destroyed will return to life; the earth will absorb the black blood of the serpent.
Our ancestors knew that if you do not honor Mother Earth, she will not provide you with bread. If you don’t bow to the earth like your own mother, she won’t rest in peace - she’ll lie like a weight on the lid of the coffin.
On a long journey you need to take a handful of your native land with you, otherwise you won’t see a more native side.
On the 10th of May (May) the Slavs celebrate the name day of the Earth
All agricultural work is forbidden: yelling, loosening the earth with a harrow, digging, using any tools; you cannot disturb the Earth, it rests from work.
At the beginning of the festival, grain is thrown into the prepared ground, watered with beer, addressing the words towards the east:
“Mother Cheese Earth! Quiet all unclean reptiles from love spells, turnovers and dashing deeds.”
Trinity is the day of Pentecost. It is called this way because the date is calculated by adding 50 calendar days to the date of Easter. And Spiritual Day is celebrated on the 51st day from the Resurrection of Christ. This year it will be easy to calculate the dates. Easter will be in 2018 on April 8 (according to the Orthodox calendar) and April 1 according to the calendar followed by Catholics and Protestants.
This means that Orthodox Trinity will be on May 27, and Spiritual Day will be on May 28. In many countries, this day is considered a day off, because working on this major church holiday is prohibited. Invariably every year, Spiritual Day falls on Monday, although the exact date varies. It’s very easy to calculate what date Spirits Day is in 2018, but what is it and what traditions and rituals are it different from?
What is the holiday in honor of?
So, among the people the holiday is called Spirits Day, but according to the church charter it is correct to call it the Day of the Holy Spirit. This is a holiday with a moving date, it depends on Trinity and Easter. What is important to remember: it is strictly forbidden to work on a holiday. If in your country of Spirits the day is not an official day off and you have to go to work, then at least try to refrain from doing housework.
Important! What the weather will be like on the holiday described will tell you what the first month of summer will be like. If it rains and is cloudy, then summer will be rainy. And, accordingly, vice versa.
In Rus' it was believed that on the holiday described, the Earth itself is the birthday girl. It was said that she was created on this day. Therefore, you should not tear off plants or engage in any kind of land work. It is recommended to spend the holiday in nature, but giving goodness and radiating love.
Prohibitions on Spirits Day
May 28 is Spiritual Day in 2018, what date is it and this year it coincides with Children's Day. It is symbolic, because you will have a double reason to spend the day with your family and pay attention to those people who are especially dear to you. But folk signs, just like church traditions, have certain prohibitions for this day. They should be remembered.
We have already mentioned that it is said that on Spiritual Day the earth is the birthday girl. It is believed that she bears the harvest. Therefore, under no circumstances should you:
Touch the ground;
Stick sticks into it, weed;
Sow;
Harvest from the earth;
Dig;
Signs and customs for Spiritual Day (folk):
Feed the earth. Moreover, only those women who were already married did this. We need to get together and go to the field for a picnic. Take a lot of food with you and spread the bread under the top layer of soil, saying that these are gifts from the earth.
Look for treasures. It was believed that if you get up early in the morning on this holiday (and we remind you that Spiritual Day in 2018, what date will it be - May 28) and put your ear to the ground, you can hear treasures. True, the earth will reveal its secrets only to the righteous.
Summer has already arrived, so you can safely go barefoot on this day. Moreover, you can not only walk barefoot, but also go on a picnic and eat and drink on the ground. This is not only pleasant, but will also bring good luck.
Collection of herbs and flowers. You, of course, already know that on Trinity Sunday it is imperative to collect medicinal herbs, because they have healing powers. On Spiritual Day, such gathering can also be done. Especially on this day, folk healers actively prepare various herbal mixtures “to exorcise demons.”
Wash away sins using water from a well.
Spiritual Day in 2018, what date it will be, you can now calculate yourself. 51 calendar days are added to Easter Day.
Orthodox Christians are preparing to celebrate one of the most important holidays - Holy Trinity Day (Trinity, Pentecost), and after him - Whit Monday.
When is Trinity celebrated in 2018?
In 2018 Day of the Holy Trinity noted on Sunday, May 27. Trinity is celebrated on the 50th day after Easter, hence the second name - Pentecost. In Orthodoxy, Trinity is one of the twelve (twelve most important besides Easter) holidays.
Trinity precedes Trinity Parents' Saturday- the day when it is customary for Orthodox Christians to go to the cemetery to remember their deceased loved ones, and in churches they commemorate all dead Christians. In 2018, Trinity Saturday falls on May 26.
History of the holiday Trinity
This Christian holiday, as the name suggests, glorifies the Holy Trinity - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The name Pentecost goes back to the Gospel parable about the descent of the holy spirit on the apostles on the fiftieth day from the Resurrection of Christ. The holiday has biblical roots - on the 50th day after the Jewish Passover (Passover) God through Moses (Moshe) gave the Ten Commandments to the Jews on Mount Sinai. Thus, the Christian Trinity embodies the connection between the Old and New Testaments.
Trinity: folk traditions and signs
In the Slavic tradition, Trinity is a holiday associated with the final farewell of spring and the beginning of summer, and therefore with greenery, herbs, trees, primarily with the main Russian tree - the birch. It is with young birch trees and birch branches that it is customary to decorate homes, churches and graves of loved ones on Trinity Sunday.
The days before and after the end of Trinity in Rus' were called “green” or “mermaid” week.
It was accepted on Trinity go to cemeteries and leave food and even clothing for the dead. This ritual was believed to ward off death.
It was considered a good omen for Trinity decorate your home with birch branches- they were placed in vases, placed behind icons, even scattered on the floor. It was believed that the birch tree “attracts” good luck and a good harvest.
It was also accepted on Trinity woo. People said:
It was believed that matchmaking on Trinity Sunday is the key to a long and happy life for a future family.
It was also customary to organize folk festivals on Trinity festivities with a treat, this was considered an excellent way to appease the land for the sake of the future harvest.
Rain was considered a good omen for Trinity: it promised a lot of mushrooms and berries, the absence of drought and frost, which means a rich harvest.
Fortune telling for Trinity
It was nice to make fortunes on Trinity, mostly girls did this - they made wishes for their future fate and marriage.
Fortune telling, girls on the eve of Trinity “curled” birch trees in the forest or grove - they wove braids from birch branches. The “perm” that survived until Trinity was considered a sign of imminent marriage.
The girls also told fortunes about wreaths - they wove them from field herbs and flowers and floated them on water. It is best if the wreath itself fell into the water from the bowed girl’s head. Wherever he sailed, the matchmakers will come from there. There was a wreath left by the shore - to sit in girls for a year, but if you drowned, expect trouble.
Trinity 2018: what not to do
On Trinity Sunday, the land was considered the birthday girl, so any work in the field, garden and house was prohibited, with the exception of cooking and caring for livestock.
Women were also prohibited from all female handicrafts, especially those involving the use of sharp metal devices: sewing, knitting, spinning, cutting fabric, etc. was prohibited.
Men were also prohibited from working with iron tools: they were not allowed to dig, harrow, mow, chop wood, etc.
It was also forbidden to disturb the earth by planting plants in it or, conversely, digging them up.
In addition, the prohibitions concerned water - at this time it was the “mermaid” week, and the villagers were afraid of the pranks of the water evil spirits walking the earth at that time.
Thus, it was forbidden to wash, rinse clothes in ponds, swim and even wash. There were especially strict prohibitions regarding bathing - it was believed that a merman awakened by mermaids could drag the disobedient person to the bottom.
Spirits Day 2018
Monday immediately after Trinity is called Whit Monday. In 2018, Spiritual Day falls on May 28. On Spiritual Day, the earth is also considered a birthday girl; like on Trinity, you cannot work on it. Bans on bathing, laundry and bathing also remain in effect.
On Spiritual Day, it was customary to “feed” the earth - to arrange something like modern picnics, laying tablecloths on the ground. At the same time, women, in order to “feed” the earth, placed part of the food directly on the ground. It was believed that this makes the land fertile.
In addition, on Spiritual Day people “listened to the earth.” To do this, it was necessary to put your ear to the ground somewhere in an open field in the pre-dawn hour. It was believed that those who know how to listen, the earth can tell its secrets and even reveal where it hides treasures.
