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Meeting what a holiday. What does the word "Revelation" mean?

Among Orthodox holidays you can meet the feast of the Presentation. And for some, the question may immediately arise as to what the Candlemas is. What events gave rise to it? The Presentation of the Lord is one of the most revered Twelfth Christian holidays. Events related to the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary are venerated. The Feast of the Presentation is a non-transitory holiday, and it is customary to celebrate it on February 15th. The word "sr?tenie" from Church Slavonic is translated as "meeting".

The Day of the Presentation determined the point in time when the Old Testament met the New Testament - ancient world with the Christian world. All this happened thanks to one person, in the Gospel this has a special place. However, let's start in order. The Gospel of Luke says that the Presentation of the Lord took place exactly 40 days after the Nativity of Christ.

There is a very interesting fact associated with the answer to the question of what date the meeting is. In 528, there was a strong earthquake in Antioch, and many people died. Then in the same lands (in 544) an epidemic of pestilence arose, and people began to die by the thousands. In these days of terrible disasters, providence was revealed to one pious Christian, so that the people would celebrate the Feast of the Meeting more solemnly. And then on that day an all-night vigil (public service) and procession. And only then did these terrible disasters in Christian Byzantium stop. Then the Church, in gratitude to God, established the Meeting of the Lord to be celebrated on February 15 solemnly and reverently.

history of the holiday

At that time, the Jews had two traditions that were associated with the birth of a baby in the family. After giving birth, a woman was forbidden to come to the Jerusalem Temple for 40 days, if a boy was born, and if a girl, then all 80. At the end of the period, the woman in labor had to bring a cleansing sacrifice to the Temple. For a burnt offering and for the atonement of sins, they brought a young lamb and a dove. A poor family sacrificed another dove instead of a lamb.

On the 40th day, the parents of a newborn boy had to come with him to the Temple in order to perform the sacrament of consecration to God. And this was not a simple tradition, but the law of Moses, established in memory of the liberation of the Jews from slavery and the Exodus from Egypt. And now we come to the most important Gospel event, which will explain in detail what the Candlemas is.

Mary and Joseph arrived in Jerusalem from Bethlehem. In their arms was the Divine Infant. Their family lived in poverty, so they sacrificed two doves. The Most Pure Theotokos, despite the fact that Jesus was born as a result of an immaculate conception, nevertheless brought the required sacrifice with meekness, humility and great respect for Jewish laws.

Now, when the ceremony was completed and the Holy Family was about to leave the Temple, then an old man named Simeon approached them. It was a great righteous man. Taking the Divine Infant in his hands, he exclaimed with great joy: “Now you release Your servant, Master, according to Your word, in peace, for my eyes have seen Your salvation…”

Simeon

At the time of the meeting with the Infant Christ, Elder Simeon was over 300 years old. He was a very revered and respected man, one of 72 scholars who were commissioned to translate the Gospel from Hebrew into Greek language. On this Sabbath day, it was not by chance that he ended up in this Temple, because it was the Holy Spirit that brought him here.

Once, a very long time ago, Simeon began translating the book of the prophet Isaiah, he was very surprised when he read such words incomprehensible to his mind: “Behold the Virgin in the womb will receive and give birth to a Son.” Then he thought to himself that a virgin could not give birth, and he wanted to change the word "Virgo" to "Geno". Suddenly, an Angel from Heaven appeared and forbade him to do this, and also told him that until he saw the Lord Jesus with his own eyes, he would not die, and that the prophecy was true.

"Now let go"

From that moment on, he had been waiting for this moment for a long time, and finally the prophecy of the Angel came true - Simeon saw the Baby, who was born by the Immaculate Virgin. Now he could rest in peace. The church called Simeon the God-bearer, and he became famous as a saint.

Later, Bishop Theophan the Recluse wrote that from the moment of the Meeting, the Old Testament gives way to Christianity. Now this gospel story is mentioned every day in Christian worship - "The Song of Simeon the God-Receiver", or in another way - "Now you let go."

Simeon's predictions

Simeon, taking the Infant of the Most Pure Virgin in his hands, said to her: “Behold, because of Him they will argue among the people: some will be saved, while others will perish. And to You Yourself, weapons will pierce the soul, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.

What did he mean? It turns out that disputes among the people mean the persecution prepared for Her son, the opening of thoughts - the Judgment of God, the weapon that will pierce Her heart - the prophecy of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, because he died from nails and a spear that went through the mother's heart with terrible pain.

Icon of the Mother of God "Softening evil hearts"became a vivid illustration of Simeon's prophecy. Icon painters depicted the Mother of God standing on a cloud with seven swords stuck in her heart.

Prophetess Anna

Another an important event happened that day, and another meeting happened. The 84-year-old Elder Anna the Prophetess approached the Mother of God, as the townspeople called her. She worked and lived at the temple and was pious, as she was in constant fasting and prayer. Anna bowed to the Christ Child, left the Temple and began to tell all the townspeople the great news that the Messiah had come into the world. In the meantime, Joseph and Mary with the Child, having fulfilled everything that was supposed to be according to the law of Moses, returned to Nazareth.

Now it is clear what the Presentation is? After all, the Meeting is a meeting with the Savior. The names of the elder Simeon and Anna the prophetess are inscribed in the Holy Scriptures, they gave us an example, since with a clean and open heart received the Lord. After meeting with the Divine Infant Jesus, Simeon went to the forefathers.

Feast of the Presentation

The Presentation of the Lord is an ancient holiday in Christianity. IN IV-V centuries the first Sretensky sermons were delivered by the people, take, for example, the saints Cyril of Jerusalem, Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostom and Gregory of Nyssa.

Some are interested in the question of what date the Candlemas. IN church calendar an invariable place is occupied by the Feast of the Presentation, which is always celebrated on February 15th. But if the date of the Meeting of the Lord falls on Monday of the first week in great post, which can also be, then the festive service is postponed to February 14th.

Answering the question about what the Meeting is, first of all it must be said that this is a holiday dedicated to the Lord Jesus. In the first centuries it was the day of honoring the Virgin. Therefore, anyone who calls this holiday the Theotokos will also be partly right. After all, according to the structure of worship on this day, conversions in prayers and hymns to the Mother of God occupy a central position. This duality of the feast of the Candlemas also influenced the color of the clothes worn by the clergy during the service. White has become a symbol divine light, blue - the purity and purity of the Mother of God.

Candles. Candlemas

The tradition on the feast of the Candlemas to bless church candles came to Orthodoxy from Catholics. In 1646, Metropolitan of Kiev Peter Mohyla described this Catholic rite in great detail in his breviary, when a religious procession was arranged, which was a procession with torches. Thus the Roman Church diverted her flock from pagan traditions associated with the worship of fire.

In the Orthodox Church, Sretensky candles were treated with special reverence and reverence. These candles were kept throughout the year and used during home prayer.

The tradition of celebrating the Candlemas

As a result, the tradition of celebrating the Christian Orthodox Meeting mixed with pagan rites. With the meeting of Simeon with the Holy Family, another calendar analogy was found. The Day of the Meeting became a celebration of the meeting of winter with spring. People celebrate the Candlemas with all sorts of omens. For example, there are various sayings such as: “on Candlemas the sun turned to summer, winter turned to frost”, “on Candlemas winter meets spring”, etc. The first thaws or frosts were called Sretensky. On the Candlemas, signs tell whether the heat will come soon or whether it will be cold for a long time.

Having celebrated the Feast of the Presentation with festivities, the peasants began to prepare for spring. The cattle was sent from the barn to the paddock, the seeds were prepared for sowing, whitewashed trees, etc.

It is interesting that in the USA and Canada the Candlemas holiday is celebrated on February 2 and another well-known holiday is timed to coincide with it - Groundhog Day.

But in Chita region there is the city of Sretensk, named after this Great holiday.

In some other countries, Orthodox Youth Day is celebrated on this day, approved in 1992 by the heads of local Orthodox churches. This idea belongs to the World Orthodox Youth Movement "Syndesmos".

Plots of icons

The Icon of the Presentation illustrates the plot of the story from the evangelist Luke, where the Pious Virgin Mary gives her baby Jesus to the elder Simeon in the hands. Behind the Mother of God is Joseph the Betrothed, who carries a cage with two doves. And behind Simeon is Anna the prophetess.

One of the most ancient images can be found in the mosaic of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, which was created at the beginning of the 5th century. On it you can see how the Holy Virgin Mary with the Divine Infant in her arms goes to Saint Simeon, and at this time she is accompanied by angels.

The Orthodox Meeting in Rus' was depicted on two frescoes of the 12th century. The first is located in the St. Cyril's Church in Kyiv. The second icon of the Presentation is in Novgorod, in the Church of the Savior on Nerditsa. There is a rather unusual depiction of the Meeting on icons in medieval Georgian art, where instead of an altar, a symbol of sacrifice to the Lord is depicted - a burning candle.

The icon of the Blessed Mary "Softener of evil hearts" (in another way it has the name "Simeon's prophecy", "Seven-shooter") is associated with the events of the Candlemas. In this icon, sharp arrows pierce the heart of the Mother of God standing on a cloud, three arrows on one side and the other and one from below. But there is an icon where the Mother of God is pierced by a dagger, not arrows.

These icons symbolize the prophecy of the holy elder Simeon the God-Receiver, which he made after meeting with the Mother of God and her Child.

Believers always turn to these icons with prayer. When the heart is softened, not only their bodily, but also mental suffering is relieved. They know that if you pray before the image of the Virgin for your enemies, then the hostile feeling will gradually fade away and anger will disappear, giving way to mercy and kindness.

The Presentation of the Lord is one of the 12 main church holidays, which are dedicated to the events of the earthly life of the Savior and the Virgin. The Presentation of the Lord is not a moving holiday and always falls on February 15th. Translated from the Old Slavonic word "sretenie" means "meeting".

The holiday is established in memory of the meeting described in the Gospel of Luke, which took place on the 40th day after the birth of Christ.

Candlemas

On this day, the Church remembers an important event in the earthly life of Jesus Christ. According to the Old Testament law, a woman who gave birth to a male baby was forbidden to enter the temple of God for 40 days.

After this period, the mother came to the temple with the baby to offer the Lord a thankful and cleansing sacrifice. Holy Virgin Mary did not need to be cleansed, but out of deep humility she submitted to the precept of the law.

Icon "Simeon the God-bearer"

And when the Mother of God crossed the threshold of the temple with the baby in her arms, an ancient elder came out to meet her - by the name of Simeon, which in Hebrew means "hearing".

The Gospel of Luke says: "He was a righteous and godly man, looking forward to the comfort of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It was foretold to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he saw the Lord's Christ."

Simeon, according to legend, was one of 72 scribes who, at the behest of the Egyptian king Ptolemy II, translated the Bible from Hebrew into Greek. In the year when the Saint turned 360 years old (according to some sources, about 300 years old), the Holy Spirit led him to the Temple in Jerusalem.

By inspiration from above, the pious elder came to the temple at the time when the Most Holy Theotokos and the righteous Joseph brought the Infant Jesus there to perform the lawful rite.

Simeon realized that the prophecy had been fulfilled and the Infant in Mary's arms was the very long-awaited Messiah, about whom the prophets had been writing for hundreds of years, and now he could die in peace.

The God-bearer took the baby in his arms and, having blessed God, uttered a prophecy about the Savior of the world: “Now you release Your servant, Master, according to Your word in peace, for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to enlighten the Gentiles and glory your people Israel." The Church named him Simeon the God-Receiver and glorified him as a Saint.

The aged widow prophetess Anna, who lived at the Jerusalem temple, also testified to this. The words spoken by Simeon at the moment of the meeting became part of the Orthodox service.

Story

The Presentation of the Lord belongs to the most ancient holidays Christian Church and completes the cycle of Christmas holidays, but despite this, until the VI century, this holiday was not celebrated so solemnly.

The earliest evidence of the celebration of the Candlemas in the Christian East dates back to the end of the 4th century, and in the West - from the 5th century. Then the Meeting in Jerusalem was not yet an independent holiday, and was called "the fortieth day from Theophany."

Icon of the Presentation, painted in the 16th century

In these days of nationwide calamity, it was opened to one of the pious Christians to celebrate the celebration of the Presentation of the Lord more solemnly.

When on the day of the Meeting of the Lord an all-night vigil and a procession were performed, the disasters in Byzantium ceased. In gratitude to God, the Church in 544 established the celebration of the Presentation of the Lord more solemnly and included it among the main holidays.

The Feast of the Presentation has one day of forefeast and seven days of afterfeast. On the second day of the celebration, February 16, the Church celebrates the memory of righteous Simeon, whom she called the God-bearer, and Anna the prophetess - the Saints, whose personal spiritual feat, as you know, turned out to be directly connected with the events of the Candlemas.

essence

The clergy explain that the essence of the holiday is in the long-awaited and saving meeting, on this day two epochs met, marked by the two Testaments of God and man - the Old and the New.

In the face of Simeon, one of the best people the outgoing time, the Old Testament welcomed and worshiped the New Testament, which was to incarnate the Christ Child.
The Law of God, given to the Jewish people, meets with the new higher Law of Divine love, brought to the world by our Lord Jesus Christ.

In fact, the whole life of mankind before the coming of the Savior is a long and agonizing expectation of the joy of this meeting, the Meeting of the Lord. And this long-awaited day has come - humanity, in the person of Simeon, clearly recognized and firmly confessed that after many millennia of its self-willed excommunication from God, it had finally met its Creator.

After all, Simeon held in his arms the One Who, by His mysterious will, having transgressed the limits of eternity and omnipotence, “diminished” to the state of a helpless Infant, held God Himself.

This bright holiday is equivalent both for our Lord Christ and for the Virgin Mary.

Traditions

On this day, in addition to the festive liturgy in churches, a religious procession is sometimes held. People give thanks to heaven, and also take candles from the temple to their homes to light them while reading prayers.

According to custom, church candles are consecrated on the day of the Meeting of the Lord. This custom came to Orthodox Church from the Catholics in 1646. The people believed that candles consecrated on the Presentation of the Lord could protect the house from lightning and fire.

Fresco "The Presentation" of the 18th century

The people believed that on February 15, winter and spring meet, as evidenced by many sayings - "at the Candlemas, winter met spring," "on the Candlemas, the sun turned into summer, winter turned to frost."

According to the signs, if the weather is cold on the Presentation of the Lord, then the spring will be cold. If a thaw is expected, then wait for a warm spring. But, be that as it may, and the Meeting is always the joy of parting with winter and the expectation of a new fruitful year.

Latest winter frosts and the first spring thaws were called Sretensky.

Simeon's prophecy

The icon is associated with the event of the Meeting of the Lord Holy Mother of God, which is called "Softener of Evil Hearts" or "Simeon's Prophecy".

It symbolizes the fulfillment of the prophecy of the righteous elder Simeon: “Your own weapons will pierce your soul,” which he spoke after he took the Divine Infant in his arms and blessed Saint Joseph and the Most Pure Virgin Mary.

Just as Christ is pierced with nails and a spear, so the soul of the Most Pure One will be struck by a certain “weapon” of sadness and heartache when She sees the suffering of the Son.

Icon of the Meeting. Icon painter Andrey Rublev

This interpretation of Simeon's prophecy became the subject of several "symbolic" icons of the Virgin. All who resort to them with prayer feel how the sufferings of the soul and body are relieved.

The image "Softener of Evil Hearts" comes, presumably, from South-Western Rus', however historical information about him, or where and when she appeared, no.

Usually the icon is depicted Mother of God, whose heart is pierced by seven swords - three on the right and left, and one below. The choice of the image of the sword on the icon is not accidental, since in the human mind it is associated with the shedding of blood.

The number "seven" in the Holy Scriptures means the "fullness" of something, in this case- the fullness of all that grief, "sorrow and disease of the heart" that the Blessed Virgin suffered in Her earthly life.

The celebration of this image takes place on the Sunday of All Saints (on the first Sunday after Trinity).

Prayer

O long-suffering Mother of God, who exalted all the daughters of the earth, according to Your purity and the multitude of sufferings You have transferred to the earth, accept our many painful sighs and save us under the shelter of Your mercy. Otherwise, for refuge and warm intercession, don’t you know, but, as if you have boldness to the One who was born from you, help and save us with your prayers, so that we unstoppably reach the Kingdom of Heaven, even with all the saints we will sing in the Trinity to the One God, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

The material was prepared on the basis of open sources.

The Orthodox holiday "The Presentation of the Lord" is celebrated on the 40th day after the birth of Jesus Christ in memory of the fact that the Holy Virgin Mary brought Jesus Christ to the Jerusalem Temple on the 40th day after His birth.

Ever since the Jews were released from Egyptian captivity, the Law established that every first-born male was dedicated to God and must be brought to the temple on the 40th day after birth. According to the same Law, a woman who gave birth to a boy was considered unclean for 40 days, and after the birth of a girl - 80 days. At the end of this period of time, for her purification, each mother had to bring a burnt offering to the sanctuary, a one-year-old lamb - as a sign of recognition of God's supreme power and gratitude over herself, and a dove or turtledove - as a sacrifice for cleansing from sins. If a woman was poor and could not get a lamb, then she brought two turtledoves. And only after the sacrifice was the woman considered purified (Lev. 12:1-8). The Blessed Virgin Mary was consecrated Merry Christmas and did not need a rite of purification, but she, in humility before God, fulfilled the prescription of the Law and brought two turtle doves for sacrifice (Luke II: 23-24).

When the Virgin Mary, together with Joseph, brought Jesus to the temple, they were met there by the gray-haired old Simeon, who had been waiting for a meeting with the Lord for many years. As the Bible tells, many years before this meeting, Simeon was translating the Holy Scriptures from Hebrew into Greek. And when he saw the words “behold, the Virgin shall conceive and give birth to a Son” (Is., VII: 14), he decided that a mistake had crept into the text and instead of the word “virgin” there should be the word “wife”. However, as soon as he was about to correct this “mistake”, an angel of God appeared to him and told him that there was no error, and Simeon could personally verify the truth of this prophecy. He waited a long time for the fulfillment of his promise - as much as 300 years. And, finally, on the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he came to the temple, where Mary and Joseph brought the Infant Jesus. And it happened like this:

And he came by inspiration to the temple. And when the parents brought the Baby Jesus to perform a legal ceremony on Him, he took Him in his arms, blessed God and said: Now you release Your servant, Lord, according to Your word, in peace, for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to enlighten the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel. (Luke II:27-32)

Before his death, Elder Simeon announced that the Infant, whom he was finally destined to see, would go out “to serve the salvation of people.”

Second, the prophetess Anna met Jesus in the temple, as the Gospel of Luke also testifies:

There was also Anna the prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, from the tribe of Asher, who had reached a ripe old age, having lived with her husband from her virginity for seven years, a widow of eighty-four years old, who did not leave the temple, serving God day and night with fasting and prayer. And at that time she came up and praised the Lord and spoke about Him to all who were waiting for deliverance in Jerusalem. (Luke II:36-38)

Having done everything according to the law of the Lord, Mary and Joseph returned to Nazareth in Galilee (Luke II:39).

The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord was founded in Jerusalem in the second half of the 4th century. The first mention of it is given by the pilgrim S. Eteria in her diary, where she calls it "40 days after Theophany". His celebration is described as follows:

The fortieth day after the Epiphany is indeed celebrated with the greatest solemnity. On this day, there is a procession to the Church of the Resurrection, where everyone gathers for the Liturgy. It is corrected according to the prescribed orders with the greatest solemnity, as at Easter. All priests preach and so does the bishop. All of them explain the text of the Gospel, which says that on the 40th day Joseph and Mary brought the Lord to the temple (ch. 26).

From Jerusalem, the holiday spread to the entire East, but only from the 6th century. during the time of Emperor Justinian (527-565), it takes on a special significance. Emperor Justinian ordered that the Lord's Meeting of the Lord be considered a great holiday and solemnly celebrated in the whole empire. Therefore, in the divine services on this day, the Church prays several times for the emperor.

The feast of the Presentation of the Lord belongs to the twelfth feasts. Originally in the West, this holiday was the Lord's. Much later, it began to be considered the Mother of God with the name of the cleansing of the Blessed Virgin Mary or the Sacrifice of Jesus in the sanctuary. The new prescriptions of the Latin Church from the Second Vatican Council again placed the Meeting among the Lord's feasts. In the Eastern Church, the Presentation refers to the feasts of the Theotokos and sometimes also has the name of the Presentation of the Most Holy Theotokos.

Holiday traditions

On the day of the Meeting of the Lord, water and candles were consecrated in the churches of Ukraine. The candles consecrated for the Candlemas were called "thunder" because they were lit and placed in front of the images during a thunderstorm to protect people and cattle from thunder. The same candles were given into the hands of the deceased when reading the outgoing prayers. On the day of the Candlemas, when they came from the church, they lit the "tongue", "so that the spring high water does not damage the crops, and so that the frost of the trees does not freeze." From the name "loud candle" and the holiday itself, except for "Candlemas" or "Strichannya", was once called "Tomb".

When they blessed water in the church, the peasants collected that water in a new, not yet used vessel, brought it home and carefully took care of it. This water was attributed Magic force. According to folk legend, it is a healing water. She rubbed sore spots and believed that it would "help." Best of all, this water seemed to help from the "evil eye" - from the diseases that the "bad" eye entails.

According to folk beliefs, summer meets winter twice a year: on February 15 - on the day of the Meeting of the Lord and on January 22 - on the day of St. Anna. The people believed that before spring, Winter is an old woman, and Summer is a young girl. For the Feast of the Presentation old grandfather Frost leads Winter under her arms, she is bent, shaking and barely walking. The casing on the woman Zima is in patches, the boots are torn, and the mice gnawed holes in the scarf on the head, and from those holes White hair stick out. Zima carries a chipped ice basket in her hands, and an empty bag over her shoulder. And a cheerful and beautiful girl Summer, she has a wreath on her head, a shirt embroidered with flowers, a green skirt. Summer carries in her hands a sickle and a sheaf of rye and wheat.

At the meeting the old Winter and young Summer they argue among themselves - who should go further, and who should return? If it gets warmer in the evening - Summer outweighed Winter, and if it gets colder - Winter. “... But no matter how she (winter) butts there, and when summer smiles, the sun will shine, the wind will blow and the earth will wake up,” says Oleksa Voropay in the book “The Customs of Our People” about the meeting of summer with winter.

Among the people, many signs are associated with the Feast of the Candlemas, by which one can foresee the course of the whole year.

The divine essence of the holiday

The name of the holiday "The Presentation of the Lord" comes from the very event of the meeting of the Son of God and the Most Holy Theotokos with the righteous Simeon. IN spiritual sense this meeting is a symbol of the meeting of the Old and New Testaments.

The name of the gray-haired old man who met the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus in the temple is "Simeon", which means listening.

Simeon is an example of the Old Testament prophets who listened to the voice of God, understood and obeyed the will of God, prophesying and preaching the coming of the Messiah - the Son of God, who will bring fallen mankind New Testament Love and Mercy.

The Old Testament Church carries within itself the essence of the Law through the fear of God: you may not understand the laws, but you must fully comply, not stepping aside. It was faith in the One God, which was built on the fear of punishment, directing people with a slave mentality to the right life.

The New Testament Church in the image of the Most Holy Mother of God the Virgin Mary gives mankind saving faith in the image of Jesus Christ, which is above the Law, because it carries the very essence of the understanding of Love, Forgiveness, Mercy. A person must himself want to be saved, understand why he lives, and he, of his own free will, must do everything in his life in order to receive God's mercy. A person must accept God with his heart, and not just with a cold mind, get out of the state of slavery and regain the Image and Likeness according to which the Creator created us, becoming a real daughter or son of Light.

Features of the celebration in the Orthodox Church

On the 40th day after the Nativity of Christ, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord ends the Christmas cycle of holidays.

The spirit of the worship of the Meeting is the same as the spirit of the Nativity of Christ and Theophany: glorify the Theophany on earth and salute the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Mother of God. The little Child brought to the temple is God the Eternal, who gave the law to Moses on Mount Sinai: “Today He,” we sing on the stichera of lithium, “that once gave the law to Moses at Sinai, obeys for us the precepts of the law, because he had mercy above us... today Simeon takes the hands of the Lord of glory, whom Moses first saw in the dark when he gave him tables on Mount Sinai... Today, the Creator of heaven and earth is carried in the arms of the elder Simeon.

According to signs on February 15, they determined what spring would be like. The Orthodox Church on this day celebrates one of the twelve most important Christian holidays - the Presentation of the Lord. In Orthodoxy, this holiday is one of the twelve.

What is the feast of the Presentation of the Lord (February 15)?

The holiday was established by the church in memory of the fact that the Virgin Mary and Joseph the Betrothed on the fortieth day after the Nativity of Christ came with the baby to the Jerusalem temple to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord for their firstborn.

Righteous Simeon was in the temple at that time, who, because he doubted the words of the prophet Isaiah about the birth of the Savior from the Virgin, was appointed to live until he was sure of the fulfillment of the prophecy. Simeon was a pious and righteous man. According to his life, he is one of the 72 learned translators who were commissioned by the king of Egypt, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, to translate the Holy Scriptures from Hebrew into Greek. Translating the book of the prophet Isaiah and reading the words “Behold the Virgin in the womb shall receive and give birth to a Son,” the saint thought that this was a typo and instead of “Virgin” it should be “Wife.” Simeon decided to correct the text. But the angel of the Lord stopped his hand and promised him that he would not die until he was convinced of the truth of the prophecy. According to legend, Simeon lived for about 300 years. By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, on that day he came to the temple and when the parents brought the Baby Jesus, he spiritually saw in him the Savior of mankind, took Him in his arms and said: “Now you release Your servant, Master…”.

The future messiah in baby Jesus was also recognized by the widow-prophetress Anna, who lived at the Jerusalem temple.

The word "candlemas" is translated as a meeting. The Meeting is the meeting of humanity in the person of the elder Simeon with God.

The church holiday of the Presentation of the Lord (February 15) is one of the Lord's holidays that are dedicated directly to Jesus Christ, but in its content it is close to the feasts of the Theotokos.

February 15 Meeting of the Lord: traditions and rituals

In Rus', this day was considered the first meeting of spring. The people said: " Candlemas - winter met with spring and summer". According to folk beliefs, on February 15, winter fights with summer, who goes back and who goes forward. From this day until the end of winter.

On February 15, the peasants baked pies in the form of larks, which symbolized the end of the cold weather and the onset of the warm season, and also went around their homes with the icon of the Presentation of the Lord or the Savior. After the tour, all family members knelt down and prayed.

However, the Candlemas among the peasants was not considered a great holiday. IN popular consciousness its name was associated with the meeting of winter and summer. The children called out to the sun to rise faster and bring spring.

If the conjured sun really peeks out from behind the mountains before its sunset, then the children would bring the news to the village that the last frosts had passed. If the sun does not appear at all, then strict ones are expected).

Especially on this day, they took care of livestock, poultry, fruit trees and seed grain. It was believed that the wind on Candlemas shakes off evil spirits from the trees, which ensures the harvest of fruits. In this regard, there was a custom after Sretensky Matins to shake fruit trees with your hands. Even on this day, the housewives intensively fed the hens so that they would carry a lot of eggs.

Tombs - candles for the Presentation of the Lord on February 15

There was a custom to carry candles to the church for consecration on the Candlemas. These candles were called "thunders". This rite is associated with the Catholic tradition and originated from ancient custom the Roman church to make processions with lit torches or candles on the feast of the Candlemas.

The peasants from the church returned with a lit "thunder" and performed the ceremony of carrying bread and candles around the table. The people attributed to loud candles magical ability drive away evil spirit, lightning and thunder, rain and hail. Therefore, in a thunderstorm, in order to avoid a lightning strike, they lit a “thunder”. The Sretensky candle was given into the hands of a dying person to drive away demons. Also, with the help of her, feverish people were driven away - the demons of the disease in the guise of women. Having settled into a person, they began to shake him, break his bones and relax his joints.

Signs for the Meeting of the Lord (February 15)

What is the weather like at the Meeting - so will spring.
Thaw on this day - to early and warm spring.
Snowball at the Candlemas - the spring will be protracted and rainy.
The cold came on February 15 - the spring will be cold.
If it snows, then bread will be born.
Quiet and sunny weather - to a good flax harvest.
Drops in the Presentation - to the harvest of wheat, windy - to the harvest of fruits.
If on the eve of the Candlemas the sky is dotted with stars, then spring will bloom later than usual.

A person born on February 15 is driven by two passions - love and intransigence. He should wear sapphire and carnelian.

February 15 Meeting of the Lord: what can not be done?

On the Candlemas, any work is prohibited, except for those that serve people for the good. Making money is considered sinful. The exception is professions aimed at helping others. No need to drink alcohol, clouding human mind and making people addicted to bad habits.

There is a ban on household chores. Laundry and cleaning should be done on weekdays. On church holidays, it is customary to devote time to the Lord and prayers to find the righteous path and cleanse the soul. This is also the time to do good deeds and communicate with loved ones.

You can not swear and use swear words. Foul language is one of the deadly sins that destroys a person’s connection with the Higher powers and deprives him of protection and patronage.

IN old days on the days of church holidays there was a ban on washing, and all because the process of bathing brought a lot of trouble and took a lot of time. It was necessary to chop wood, heat a bathhouse and carry water. And since hard labour was not welcomed on holidays, they preferred to wash on the eve in order to meet a bright date pure soul and body.

Video: Meeting of the Lord. What is the meaning of the holiday?

The Presentation of the Lord is one of the 12 main church holidays that are dedicated to the events of the earthly life of the Savior and the Virgin. The Presentation of the Lord is not a moving holiday and always falls on February 15th. Translated from the Old Slavonic word "sretenie" means "meeting".

The holiday is established in memory of the meeting described in the Gospel of Luke, which took place on the 40th day after the birth of Christ.

CANDLEMAS
On this day, the Church remembers an important event in the earthly life of Jesus Christ. According to the Old Testament law, a woman who gave birth to a male baby was forbidden to enter the temple of God for 40 days.

After this period, the mother came to the temple with the baby to offer the Lord a thankful and cleansing sacrifice. The Blessed Virgin Mary did not need to be cleansed, but out of deep humility she submitted to the precept of the law.

And when the Mother of God crossed the threshold of the temple with the baby in her arms, an ancient elder came out to meet her - by the name of Simeon, which in Hebrew means "hearing".
The Gospel of Luke says: "He was a righteous and godly man, looking forward to the comfort of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It was foretold to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he saw the Lord's Christ."

By inspiration from above, the pious elder came to the temple at the time when the Most Holy Theotokos and the righteous Joseph brought the Infant Jesus there to perform the lawful rite.

Simeon realized that the prophecy had been fulfilled and the Baby in Mary's arms was the very long-awaited Messiah, about whom the prophets had been writing for hundreds of years, and now he could die in peace.

The aged widow prophetess Anna, who lived at the Jerusalem temple, also testified to this. The words spoken by Simeon at the moment of the meeting became part of the Orthodox service.

STORY
The Presentation of the Lord is one of the most ancient holidays of the Christian Church and completes the cycle of Christmas holidays, but despite this, until the 6th century, this holiday was not celebrated so solemnly.

In 528, under the emperor Justinian (527 - 565), Antioch suffered a disaster - an earthquake, from which many people died. This misfortune was followed by another. In 544, a pestilence appeared, which claimed several thousand people daily.
In these days of nationwide calamity, it was opened to one of the pious Christians to celebrate the celebration of the Presentation of the Lord more solemnly.

The Feast of the Presentation has one day of forefeast and seven days of afterfeast. On the second day of the celebration, February 16, the Church celebrates the memory of the righteous Simeon, whom she called the God-Receiver, and Anna the prophetess - the Saints, whose personal spiritual feat, as you know, was directly related to the events of the Candlemas.

ESSENCE
The clergy explain that the essence of the holiday is in the long-awaited and saving meeting, on this day two epochs met, marked by the two Testaments of God and man - the Old and the New.

In the person of Simeon, one of the best people of the passing time, the Old Testament welcomed and bowed to the New Testament, which was to be embodied by the Christ Child.
The Law of God, given to the Jewish people, meets with the new higher Law of Divine love, brought to the world by our Lord Jesus Christ.

Icon depicting the "Meeting". XII century. Georgian cloisonne enamel
In fact, the whole life of mankind before the coming of the Savior is a long and agonizing expectation of the joy of this meeting, the Meeting of the Lord. And this long-awaited day has come - humanity, in the person of Simeon, clearly recognized and firmly confessed that after many millennia of its self-willed excommunication from God, it had finally met its Creator.
After all, Simeon held in his arms the One Who, by His mysterious will, having transgressed the limits of eternity and omnipotence, “diminished” to the state of a helpless Infant, held God Himself.

This bright holiday is equivalent both for our Lord Christ and for the Virgin Mary.

TRADITIONS
On this day, in addition to the festive liturgy in churches, a religious procession is sometimes held. People give thanks to heaven, and also take candles from the temple to their homes to light them while reading prayers.

According to custom, church candles are consecrated on the day of the Meeting of the Lord. This custom came to the Orthodox Church from the Catholics in 1646. The people believed that candles consecrated on the Presentation of the Lord could protect the house from lightning and fire.

After the holiday, the peasants began a lot of "spring" things, including driving the cattle from the barn to the paddock, preparing seeds for sowing, whitewashing fruit trees. In addition to housework, festivities were, of course, held in the villages.
The people believed that on February 15, winter and spring meet, as evidenced by many sayings - "at the Candlemas, winter met spring," "on the Candlemas, the sun turned into summer, winter turned to frost."

The last winter frosts and the first spring thaws were called Sretensky.

Simeon's prophecy
The icon of the Most Holy Theotokos is associated with the event of the Meeting of the Lord, which is called "Softener of Evil Hearts" or "Simeon's Prophecy".

Just as Christ is pierced with nails and a spear, so the soul of the Most Pure One will be struck by a certain “weapon” of sadness and heartache when She sees the suffering of the Son.

This interpretation of Simeon's prophecy became the subject of several "symbolic" icons of the Virgin. All who resort to them with prayer feel how the sufferings of the soul and body are relieved.
The image "Softener of Evil Hearts" comes, presumably, from Southwestern Rus', but there is no historical information about it, or where and when it appeared.

Usually the icon depicts the Mother of God, whose heart is pierced by seven swords - three on the right and left, and one below. The choice of the image of the sword on the icon is not accidental, since in the human mind it is associated with the shedding of blood.

The number "seven" in Holy Scripture means the "fullness" of something, in this case - the fullness of all that grief, "sorrow and heartache" that the Blessed Virgin endured in Her earthly life.

The celebration of this image takes place on the Sunday of All Saints (on the first Sunday after Trinity).

PRAYER
O long-suffering Mother of God, who exalted all the daughters of the earth, according to Your purity and the multitude of sufferings You have transferred to the earth, accept our many painful sighs and save us under the shelter of Your mercy. Otherwise, for refuge and warm intercession, don’t you know, but, as if you have boldness to the One who was born from you, help and save us with your prayers, so that we unstoppably reach the Kingdom of Heaven, even with all the saints we will sing in the Trinity to the One God, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

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