Folk signs for August 28th. Orthodox Christians celebrate the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary - the main prohibitions and traditions of the day. What is prohibited on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

August 28 marks one of the greatest Orthodox holidays - the Assumption Holy Mother of God. Christians on this day remember the earthly life of the Mother of God and the bright transition to heaven. Before celebrating this bright day, believers observe a two-week period (from August 14 to 27). During fasting, they refuse fast food and spend all their free time in prayer.

The word “dormition” is translated into Russian as “death.” And although for many people it seems absurd to celebrate such an event, because for most it is associated with melancholy and heartache, deeply believing Christians know that this is just a transition from earthly life to heavenly life. People need to fear not death, but the actions that filled their earthly existence.

The Dormition has been celebrated since ancient times. In the 4th century, the Byzantine emperor Flavius Mauritius dedicated the celebration of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the day of his victory over the Persians, making this event one of the most significant church holidays.

Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary: the history of the holiday

After the death and Resurrection of Jesus, the Mother of God was in Jerusalem. During the Great Persecution of Christians, She moved to Ephesus, where she often visited righteous Lazarus and Mount Athos, which she blessed to preach the word of the Gospel.

Shortly before her death, the Mother of God again arrived in Jerusalem. Here She constantly prayed and visited places associated with important life events of the Savior. One day, Archangel Gabriel appeared before her, who informed Her that in three days She would leave the earth and ascend to heaven to Her Son.

Before her death, the Mother of God bequeathed all of Her modest property to Her servants - widows. After her death, she ordered herself to be buried in Gethsemane next to her parents.

On the day of the Assumption, almost all the apostles gathered in Jerusalem to bid farewell to the Mother of God. During Her departure, Christ himself, surrounded by numerous angels, appeared before Her. Our Lady turned to him in prayer and asked him to bless all those who honor Her memory. She gave her soul into the hands of the Lord in joy and grace.

For three days and for three nights the apostles stayed at the tomb of the Mother of God, singing psalms. On the third day, consolation came to them from the Great Image of the Mother of God and Her words, calling on everyone to rejoice, because now She will always be with everyone. After a consoling saying, the body of the Mother of God left the earth and was ascended to heaven.

August 28: traditions and customs of the day

From August 28, the beginning of autumn actually begins and the young Indian summer begins (by). Therefore, on this day they predicted the weather for the old Indian summer, which began on the 14th and ended

For farmers this holiday was significant. It was the end of the summer harvest season. On this occasion, a large “Assumption” feast was organized in the villages. Each resident brought drinks and treats from home, which were pre-blessed in the temple. Also, ears and seeds of various breads were brought to the church for blessing and consecration. They left a handful of uncut ears of corn in the field, tied them with ribbon and said: “ God grant that next year there will be good harvest " The last compressed sheaf was stored in many places until the New Year. They called him “the birthday boy,” dressed him in a sundress and carried him to the feast.

Celebrations began in the evening. In the morning everyone worked in the field. On the Assumption they helped those in need with harvesting. The whole world helped hardworking families who did not have time to harvest on their own. But the peasants did not like lazy people. They believed that they themselves were to blame for their troubles.

There is a belief that from this day on the sun begins to fall asleep: it does not shine as brightly as in the middle of summer, and it warms less. It's getting colder every day. Migratory birds are preparing to fly south.

The time for weddings and youth gatherings had begun. The girls were looking for suitors. It was believed that if you don’t look after the Dormition, you will spend the winter as a girl. The women took up needlework.

On the Assumption, it was customary to pickle cucumbers. People said: “On Assumption, pickle cucumbers and chop cabbage”.

Our ancestors have long loved pickled, salted and soaked vegetables and fruits, as well as a variety of marinades. For centuries they carefully collected recipes and knew the secrets of successful pickling of cucumbers.

Firstly, you need to be careful when choosing the variety of cucumbers. All varieties are divided into salad, universal and canned. Canned varieties have thin skin and high sugar content. These cucumbers turn out to be the most delicious, because the brine easily penetrates inside. Preference should be given to fresh raw materials. The fresher the vegetables, the tastier the product.

Secondly, an important component for preparing preparations for the winter is water. A spring or well is best suited. But tap water is not always suitable. Soft cucumbers will lose their elasticity, and hard ones will add an unnatural metallic taste to the pickles.

Thirdly, the spices that will be used during pickling are also important. In Rus' they used garlic, dill, horseradish (enhances the taste), parsley (makes the taste spicy), mint (makes the taste fresher). Dill was used with soft green seeds. It is the most fragrant. Preference was given to fresh spices.

The ideal container for pickling is Oak barrel. Barrel cucumbers are more flavorful. Store the barrel of cucumbers in a cool and dry place. If a moldy film appeared on the surface of the brine, it was removed and the brine was sprinkled with mustard powder.

August 28: signs of the day

If the young Indian summer is warm, then expect bad weather in the old one.
If a rainbow appears on Assumption, then autumn will be warm and protracted.
If there are a lot of cobwebs, the winter will be frosty and clear.
After sunset, fog appears near the ground, which dissipates by dawn – to the rain.
Wildflowers smell stronger than usual - a sign of bad weather.
The dream from August 27 to August 28 is prophetic. It may come true on the twenty-fourth day. A dream seen on the afternoon of August 28 will come true, but not soon. It does not pose any danger.

People born on August 28th are practical and resourceful. Their willpower and diligence can be envied. They should wear sphalerite and diamond.

Video: church calendar for August 28

The Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary is widely celebrated by both Catholics and Orthodox Christians. This is one of the 12 most important holidays after Easter celebrated by the Orthodox. This significant date ends the two-week Assumption Fast, lasting from August 14 to 27.

In this topic:

This holiday is dedicated to the transition of the Ever-Virgin to another world; this is not a sad commemoration, but a joyful holiday, marking the meeting of the Mother of God with her son in heaven. All signs for the Dormition on August 28 are associated with love for Mother Earth, with the desire to help neighbors and the church.

history of the holiday

First mentions of this holiday date back to the 5th century. Before this, the Assumption of the Virgin Mary was not celebrated in any way. Moreover, the Gospel says nothing about her death. People learned the now well-known story of her last hours of life on earth from the apocrypha.

They say that Mary learned about her upcoming meeting with her son from the archangel when she lived in Jerusalem. He warned that in 3 days she would have to ascend to heaven. She mentally prepared herself for death and turned to God with prayers so that he would give her the opportunity to see the disciples of Christ. Her prayers were heard, and the apostles were carried on clouds to Jerusalem. After saying goodbye to them, she died and was buried. The apostles carried her to a cave and closed the entrance with a stone. And when they came to the burial place at the request of Thomas, who did not have time to say goodbye to her, there was no one in the cave.

According to another version, the Mother of God did not die, but was taken by Jesus Christ and the angels to heaven during her lifetime.

Folk signs

The special energy of this bright day led to the appearance of the following signs:

You are allowed to tell fortunes using wax and sand. The energy of nature is at high level, so this is how you can find out the future.
On August 28, it is forbidden to work; you can only pick apples and other crops, and women can pickle cucumbers.
In memory of the Blessed Virgin Mary, you need to treat the poor and give alms. Part of the harvest is taken to the church.
Since mother earth was associated with the image of the Virgin Mary, Orthodox holiday Her Assumptions did not stick anything into the ground, did not walk on it with bare feet, so as not to desecrate it or cause wounds. However, there is a logical explanation for the sign. If you walk on August 28, when it is no longer hot, with bare feet on the cold ground, you can easily catch a cold and become seriously ill.

Among other things, this holiday is the starting point for Indian Summer, which lasts until September 11. The first 3 days were called young Indian summer; their weather predicted the air temperature in mid-autumn.

Based on the weather that prevailed on the Feast of the Assumption, they judged the coming autumn and winter. The most common signs are:

Quiet, warm weather foreshadowed a calm winter without severe frosts and violent snowstorms. Moreover, good weather promised a bountiful harvest for next summer.
The rainbow on the Assumption was an omen of a warm autumn.
A warm sunny day warned of a cool Indian summer.
A large amount of cobwebs means heavy snow and frost in winter.
The dew appearing on the grass is a symbol of the tears with which the earth mourns the departed Virgin Mary.

Traditions of the people

The Dormition also played a role in the formation folk traditions. Before this holiday came, it was necessary to have time to get married. After August 27 this year, matchmakers were no longer accepted. This holiday was a measure for many agricultural works:

3 days before the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, winter crops were sown. Superstitious peasants believed that on this day the earth gratefully accepts all the seeds and gives them the opportunity to sprout together on time. If they didn’t have time, then they finished work 3 days after the holiday.
From this day on, they began digging potatoes.
A ritual was performed to consecrate the ears and seeds.
Girls who were already 15 years old wore a woolen skirt to symbolize their entry into adulthood.

We had a general party

An interesting custom is the women's request to the earth to return to them the strength spent on growing crops during the summer. To do this, they wrapped their sickles with straw left over from the harvest, and they themselves rolled on the ground in the field. These actions were explained by the unity of perception of the earth and the Mother of God.

The Orthodox holiday was organically combined with Obzhinki, which came from pagan times. Women decorated the reaping sheaf (the last one specially left in the field) and carried it to the settlement in the form of a woman. To do this, elements of women's folk costume were put on the sheaf to give it a resemblance to a woman - a mother. The whole action was accompanied by ritual songs.

It was widely believed that a field that was completely harvested and plowed for the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary would produce an additional harvest the following year.

On this Orthodox holiday, the girls went into the forest to get viburnum. To tell fortunes who would get married first, when they entered the forest, they raced to the bushes. The one who comes running first will get married first. The collected viburnum was brought to cook delicious dishes. Bunches of berries were hung around the rooms to protect against dark forces.

After that, everyone had fun together at a feast, which the whole village contributed to. The traditional treats at such feasts were cabbage soup and pies. In some places, sheep were slaughtered. In some places, rooster dishes and vodka were an obligatory element of the feast. Everyone was invited to the table, even the poorest who could not participate in the fundraiser.

Prohibitions on the Assumption

The signs used by the people for August 28 not only taught what needed to be done on this day, but also imposed prohibitions on certain actions.

A complete ban on sewing, cleaning, washing.
Moderation must be observed at the festive table; gluttony is a sin.
Girls are not allowed to cut their hair; signs say that this will bring tears to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
It is forbidden to offend loved ones or speak badly about others.
It is not allowed to light fires or stoke stoves. These actions are believed to lead to illness and trouble.

There are also prohibitions regarding walking on the ground with bare feet and sticking sharp objects into the ground. They were mentioned above. In general, there are not many forbidden signs, but their observance was a mandatory guarantee of health and prosperity for all families.

Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the main holidays in the Orthodox Church. After the ascension of Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary, who lived in Ephesus, prayed to meet her son as soon as possible. One day, during prayer, Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Mother of God and said that in three days she would meet the Lord.

Before the Dormition, all the apostles gathered near her bed. The Lord himself appeared to take her soul. The apostles buried the body of the Mother of God in a cave and remained in prayer for three days. When they decided to open the grave to console the late Apostle Thomas, the body of the Virgin Mary was not found. Then everyone was convinced that she had ascended to heaven. On the same day, the Blessed Virgin appeared to the apostles and said: “Rejoice! I am with you all the days.”

On Dormition, like on any other Orthodox holiday, it is customary to go to church for a service. You also need to light a candle, remembering all your family and friends, and pray for the children. In addition, it is customary to treat the poor with food and prepare twists for the winter.

On this day the people celebrated end of the harvest (“dozhinka”). From the last remaining ears of corn in the field, the reapers made a “goat” - they tied them into a bundle like a hut and put a piece of bread sprinkled with salt inside. The women turned to God with gratitude for the successful completion of the harvest, and then wondered: the eldest of them sat on the ground with her back to the “goat”, the rest handed her sickles, and she threw them back over her head. The closer the sickle was to the “goat,” the happier the future awaited its owner. A sickle stuck into the ground foreshadowed misfortune.

Niva was planted

Suffered from suffering

Flexible backs

Sharp sickles.

God bless,

Until the New Year.

A handful of uncut ears of corn left on the field were “curled into a beard” - tied with a ribbon, saying: “God grant that there will be a good harvest next summer!” This “beard” was intended for Veles, the patron of livestock, or Elijah the Prophet, or Nicholas the Wonderworker. It was believed that along with the uncut ears of grain, the fruiting power of the grain remained on the field, which would be useful for future harvests.

The last, “dozhin’s” sheaf was dressed up in a sundress or wrapped in bright scarves and carried to an honest feast, which was organized by sharing. He was called the birthday boy and was kept until the New Year, attributing to him magical power. Sick animals were treated with straw from this sheaf, and grain was poured into a sieve, starting a new sowing.

Tired reapers lay down in the field on the last compressed strip and asked the earth to return their spent strength:

Niva, Niva,

Give my strength to another field.

I pinched you, I lost my strength!

The reapers returned home, wearing wreaths woven from ears of corn on their heads. It was considered particularly lucky to find a “stubble queen” - an ear with very large grains, and a “knotweed” - a double ear.

The end of field work was celebrated with a feast with the obligatory baking of loaves from the flour of the new harvest.

This day - deadline departure of swallows. Cold mornings begin.

Signs.

The young Indian summer begins, and the sun goes to sleep.

If the young Indian summer is bad, expect bad weather in the old one.

On Assumption, the water is quiet—autumn and winter are quiet.

Pickled cucumbers are good for Assumption!

The custom of celebrating the Feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary dates back to apostolic times. After the Resurrection of the Savior, his disciples during meals were sure to leave one unoccupied place and a piece of bread at the table. And when, on the third day after the Dormition (death) of the Mother of God, they began to offer prayers in the name of the Lord, suddenly “the Most Holy Theotokos appeared in the air.” After this miraculous event, the holy apostles began to eat one part of the bread before the meal in the name of the Lord, and the other after the meal in the name of the Mother of God.

The apostolic custom in the popular consciousness and everyday life was transformed into another widespread custom in Rus' and dedicated to the Dormition - the consecration of bread. After all, on August 28, the harvest ended, and in the churches, like an Easter cake, the first freshly baked loaf from the flour of the new harvest was blessed.

In different regions of Russia, the day of the end of the harvest was called differently: “goszhinki”, “spozhinki”, “dozhinki”. He was called “Mistress” after the name of the Virgin Mary, because Mary means mistress, mistress. They called it “Spozhinki”, keeping in mind the mown field - “reaper”, and the last compressed sheaf was considered “Dozhinka”. They also called him the birthday boy, dressed him in a sundress and a kokoshnik, carried him to the village with songs, placed him under the icons and started a cheerful “pool”, celebrating the Dormition and saying goodbye to the summer. After all, with “Assumption the sun falls asleep, autumn begins.”

And since there were those among the feasters who had not yet sifted out the winter crops, they would have time, they say: “Winter this three days before the Dormition and three after,” they did not forget, knocking over a glass or two, and looking at the sky, noting: “ If a rainbow appears on the Assumption, it means a long and warm autumn,” and “if the crane flies away before the Assumption, then it will be frosty on Intercession (September 14), and if not, then the frost will be later.”

From the Assumption, village beauties began to look for suitors. Because “if you don’t have time to look after the Dormition, you’ll spend the winter as a girl.” But it was customary to send matchmakers 2 weeks after the holiday.

However, elderly housewives had no time to think about matchmaking their daughters at the Assumption. It was necessary to prepare for the third Savior - the Bread Savior.

And for this purpose, they also put out the dough in the evening so that early in the morning they could bake a loaf from the “new” flour, and not just any kind, but to everyone’s surprise. Of course, every housewife had her own special secret, but she couldn’t do without traditional bread baking techniques. As, indeed, without the Russian stove. After all, you can’t bake real bread in the oven. But the breads turn out excellent.

The Assumption Fast was coming to an end - the Meat-Eating began, and with it came the time for weddings. The young men also tried to have time to woo the girls they liked before August 28, since this was the last opportunity this year to ask for their hand in marriage.

We noticed that autumn was gradually coming into its own by August 28, because swallows were flying to warmer climes. It was customary to do homemade preparations on this day and, in particular, pickle cucumbers. They tried to sow winter crops either three days after the Assumption, or three days after the holiday. Also on August 28, they began to harvest potatoes from the fields.

In the Orthodox and Catholic churches, the Feast of the Assumption is equally dedicated to the Mother of God - her death. The New Testament says that Christ, having already been crucified on Calvary, instructed the Apostle John to take care of his mother. And after the resurrection and then the ascension of Christ into heaven, Mary actually lived for a long time in the house of John in Jerusalem, often going to Calvary to pray. One day an angel appeared to her and said that she would die in 3 days. On the day of Mary's death, the apostles came. They put her in a tomb and walled the cave with stone. Only the Apostle Thomas, who asked the other apostles to open the tomb, did not have time to say goodbye to Mary. And when they did this, they saw that Mary was no longer inside - only funeral clothes lay in the coffin. On the same day, the Mother of God herself appeared to the apostles along with the angels, and the disciples realized that she had ascended to heaven.

The Feast of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary on August 28 began to be celebrated during the period of early Christianity. In the 6th century it was already celebrated everywhere. Officially, the first date is considered to be 582. Orthodox Church classifies the Dormition as one of the twelve feasts - the 12 most important holidays after Easter. The Assumption is preceded by a fairly strict Assumption Fast lasting 2 weeks.

The Slavs associated the Mother of God with Mother Earth, and therefore many corresponding rituals were performed on this day. It was forbidden to walk on the ground barefoot or stick sharp objects into the soil on this day. Therefore, they usually did not work for the Assumption. The holiday was also called Dozhin, since by this time they managed to squeeze all the bread. Mostly women took part in the harvest, and therefore the time after the Dormition in the old days was called Indian Summer - this time lasted until Ivan Lent (September 11). A custom was widespread on August 28, according to which women rolled on the ground, tied straw around sickles and asked the stubble to return to them all the strength that had previously been spent on harvesting. Then they took the last sheaf and dressed it in a sundress and kokoshnik, singing and heading to the village with the sheaf.

It was customary to consecrate ears and seeds on the Dormition, August 28th. After this, people pooled together to organize feasts, treat the poor and beggars, bake pies, roast sheep, and cook cabbage soup. This was also the time for preparing homemade preserves - pickling cucumbers and fermenting cabbage. Subsequently, they prepared pickles and cabbage soup, and ate it all with potatoes and bread.

Folk signs for August 28

If you plow the land before the Dormition, you will have time to reap another hay.
A rainbow appeared in the sky - a sign that autumn will be warm
Good weather – Indian summer will be cool
A lot of cobwebs are a sign on August 28 that the winter will be frosty and with little snow.

On Tuesday, August 28, Orthodox world celebrates one of the most important unbearable holidays with a constant date - the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. And even though on this day the Mother of God passed away into another world, one should not be sad about this - the holiday, on the contrary, symbolizes the joy and happiness of Mary’s reunion with her Son.

On this day, clergy dress in blue clothes, symbolizing heaven and the enlightenment of every believer, and solemn services are held in churches. Orthodox Christians offer prayers and words of gratitude to the Virgin Mary, who gave the Son of God to this earth and protects all believers from troubles and enemies.

Today ended the two-week Dormition Fast, with which believers prepared for the holiday following the example of Mary herself - she learned about her death in advance, and in preparation for the meeting with her Son and Father, she fasted and prayed reverently, cleansing her soul and body before ascending to heaven.

By the way, in the tomb where the body of the deceased Mary was placed, a few days later it was not found - the mother, following the example of her son, went to heaven not only with her soul, but also with her bodily shell.

On this day, people begin the young Indian summer and the wedding season - tomorrow you can send matchmakers and plan a celebration for the fall.

Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary on August 28 - what can and cannot be done on the holiday

On this day, you must definitely go to church, pray to the Mother of God for your loved ones, relatives and, most importantly, for your children. You can’t be greedy - give a treat to the poor and needy on the street, help the suffering.

The holiday fell on Tuesday, which means the fast is really over - you can eat whatever you want. True, doctors do not advise overdoing it, because after prolonged abstinence you can harm your body.

On the Assumption, like any other church holiday, there are a number of strict prohibitions:

- today you cannot walk barefoot on the ground - dew is the tears of the Mother of God, and therefore it is worth showing respect to it. Walking barefoot can get you into trouble;

- Be sure to wear comfortable shoes. Calluses rubbed today will bring difficulties and trials into life;

- Girls are not allowed to cut their hair. This will cause tears and sadness to Mary, who patronizes all pullets from heaven;

- you can’t quarrel with family and friends, and even with strangers;

- you cannot wish evil, because all the curses on this day will turn against you;

— you cannot use prickly or cutting objects, so as not to cause terrible diseases. On this day, bread is broken by hand, and food is not cooked;

— as on any important church holiday, you cannot engage in heavy physical labor or handicrafts.

What to do this day? Festive table, communication with family and friends, games with children. The day should be spent as family and as peacefully as possible, so that throughout the next year there will be only joy and happiness in your home.

Signs for the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Say goodbye to the Assumption, and welcome autumn - it is with the Assumption that the Indian summer begins, which will last the entire next month, and maybe longer. On this day you can bring ears of the new harvest to church for blessing, so that the winter will be satisfying and the sky will continue to favor your work.

Our ancestors believed that from this day on we could go into the forest to pick up mushrooms and nuts, which we stored for the winter. At the same time, it is better not to go alone into the forest on the holiday itself, because evil and insidious spirits have awakened there, wanting to drag in and confuse the lonely traveler.

We also monitored the weather that day.

What an Assumption - such is autumn.
A rainbow appears in the sky - autumn will be warm.
Good weather - Indian summer will be cool.
Lots of cobwebs - winter will be frosty and with little snow.