There are many religious holidays in the world. Each religion has its own rituals, traditions and ceremonies, accompanied by grandiose festivities.

The Ashura holiday symbolizes among Shiite Muslims the torment of the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad Imam Hussein, who was killed in the battle of Karbala, Iraq, in 680 AD. This is a national holiday in countries such as Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon ... In the photo: Afghan Shiites engage in self-flagellation with chains and blades during Ashura on December 27, 2009. (UPI / Hossein Fatemi)

Good Friday symbolizes the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death. Photo: Christians raise a crucifix with Salvador Zavala (center) as Jesus Christ during the "Way of the Cross" ritual in Chicago April 2, 2010. Thousands of people gather for the annual Good Friday ritual to walk the 2.4 km distance in the heart of the Mexican-American Pilsen community in Chicago. (UPI / Brian Kersey)

Vaisakhi is a Sikh festival, symbolizing the founding of the Khalsa order in Anandpur Sahib in 1699 by the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. Falling in mid-April in the Gregorian calendar, Vaisakhi marks the beginning of the harvest season. Pictured: One of the many moving platforms in the Vaisakhi parade on April 14, 2007. (UPI Photo / Heinz Ruckemann)

Kumbh Mela Festival - takes place every three years in four different cities of India (thus, in each city every 12 years). The festival lasts 42 days and attracts millions of people. People believe that by bathing in the sacred waters of the Ganges River, they will wash away their sins. Photo: Indian believers swim in the Ganges River at the Kumbh Mela festival in Haridwar April 14, 2010.

Every Muslim (if he is physically capable of doing this) must make the Hajj pilgrimage at least once in his life. The annual Hajj pilgrimage is the largest annual pilgrimage in the world with up to two million Muslims participating. Photo: Saudi officer Ghassan looks at Muslims who pray at the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad at the Great Mosque in Mecca on December 4, 2008. (UPI Photo / Mohammad Kheirkhah)

Purim is a holiday in honor of the liberation of the Jewish people from the oppression of the Persian Empire. On Purim, it is customary to publicly read the book of Esther, give food and drink, and give alms to the poor. Pictured: Little ultra-Orthodox in suits celebrate Purim in the Mea Shearim neighborhood of Jerusalem on March 5, 2007. (UPI Photo / Debbie Hilll)

Holi is a spring festival of Hindus and Sikhs, which is celebrated in countries such as India, Nepal, Sri Lanka. Indians throw colored powder at each other at the Banke Bihari temple in Mathura on March 10, 2009. (UPI Photo / Mohammad Kheirkhah)

An Indian boy wears paint after celebrating the Paint Festival in New Delhi on March 11, 2009. (UPI Photo / Mohammad Kheirkhah)

Baptism is a Christian holiday that marks the transition of the Lord into human form in the body of Jesus Christ. Photo: Orthodox Christians plunge into the water from the Jordan River on January 18, 2010. Hundreds of Orthodox Christians gathered for a religious holiday near the city of Jericho, where, according to legend, John the Theologian baptized Jesus Christ. (UPI / Debbie Hill)

The ancient ritual of Kaparot is always performed before the Jewish Day of Atonement for Sins, Yom Kippur. Photo: An ultra-Orthodox Jew carries a chicken over the head of a child with prayers in Jerusalem October 7, 2008. (UPI Photo / Debbie Hill)

Uraza Bayram symbolizes the end of Ramadan. Photo: Senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniye addresses an audience at a mass prayer in Gaza on September 30, 2008. (UPI Photo / Ismael Mohamad)

Iranian women in traditional costumes gather around a bonfire at a Sadeh religious ceremony west of the capital Tehran January 30, 2010. Sadeh means "one hundred" in Persian, which refers to the hundred days and nights remaining before the start of the new Persian year, which is celebrated on the first day of spring. (UPI / Maryam Rahmanian)

Christmas. A Palestinian boy lights a candle at the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, where, according to legend, Jesus Christ was born, in Bethlehem on December 20, 2009. (UPI / Debbie Hill)

Palm Sunday is a Christian holiday that always falls on the Sunday before Easter. Believers celebrate Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. Photo: Christians carry palm and olive branches during a Palm Sunday procession in Jerusalem on March 28, 2010. (UPI / Debbie Hill)

Rosh Hashanah is considered the eve of the Jewish New Year and falls on the seventh month of the Jewish calendar. Photo: Ultra-Orthodox worship at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's old city on September 22, 2006. (UPI Photo / Debbie Hill)

Easter is a Christian holiday that symbolizes the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Photo: A Russian Orthodox priest illuminates Easter cakes and eggs at the Peter and Paul Church in Moscow on April 3, 2010. (UPI Photo / Alex Natin)

World Youth Day is an event of the Catholic Church aimed at youth and organized by Pope John Paul II in 1986. Photo: Pope John Paul II waves to a crowd from his car in a square in Toronto on July 25, 2002. The event was attended by up to 300,000 pilgrims. (cc / cc / Christine Chew UPI)

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Judaism Christianity Islam Buddhism Holidays in religions of the world

Holidays of Judaism Passover (Passover) The main holiday of Judaism is Passover (Passover). On this day, believers remember the liberation of the people from Egyptian slavery and flight to the Promised Land. It is celebrated for 7 days. During the holiday, it is forbidden to eat leavened bread; instead, they eat matzo - bread made without yeast.

Festivals of Judaism Passover (Passover) The celebration begins with a feast held in accordance with strict ritual. All the dishes on the table have a symbolic meaning: bitter greens remind of the bitterness of slavery, a dish of grated apples, dates, nuts and wine in color resembles the clay from which the Jews made bricks for Egyptian houses.

Judaism Holidays Shavuot 50 days after Passover comes Shavuot - a holiday in memory of the gift of the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai. On this day, synagogues are decorated with flowers and green branches. The holiday is associated with the giving of the Torah, and therefore the teaching of Jewish traditions to children usually begins on Shavuot.

Judaism Holidays Shavuot During the holiday it is customary to eat dairy products and refrain from meat products. By tradition, a dish of milk and honey and curd cheesecakes are served at the festive table.

Holidays of Judaism Sukkot Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) is a Jewish holiday that is celebrated for seven days. According to tradition, at this time one should leave the house and live in a sukkah (tent, bush). This custom serves as a reminder of the wandering of the Jews in the Sinai Desert. According to another interpretation, the meaning of this custom is that a person remembers poverty, even when he is rich, and does not become proud.

Feasts of Judaism Sukkot In Sukkot, the ritual of "ascension of the lulav" is performed. Lulav is called both a leaf of a palm tree, included in a set of four plants, and all plants together. It is customary to bless all four types of plants, each of which symbolizes a certain type of people. On the eve of the Sukkot holiday, bazaars are organized where they sell lulavs, palm branches for the roof.

Holidays in Judaism Hanukkah Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday lasting eight days. According to legend, when Yehuda Maccabee and his soldiers cleansed the Temple, they could not find pure oil for the menorah lamp. After a long search, one small jug of pure oil was found. But there was so little oil in it that it could only last for one day of burning the menorah.

Holidays of Judaism Hanukkah Maccabees nevertheless decided to light the Menorah in order to consecrate the Temple. And a miracle happened: the butter lasted exactly eight days - the time it took to prepare new butter. In memory of this event, the holiday of Hanukkah began to be celebrated for eight days. On the first day, one candle is lit, on the second - two, and on the eighth day - all eight.

Holidays of Judaism Purim The merry holiday of Purim is associated with the memory of the miraculous deliverance of Jews from extermination, conceived by the villain Aman. This story is told in one of the biblical books. During the celebration of Purim, at the mention of the name of Haman, all those present begin to make noise, crackling with special rattles. On the festive table on this day, a special triangular cookie is served, which is called "Haman's ears".

The main Christian holidays are Christmas Easter Christmas (the birthday of Jesus) and the Resurrection of Christ - Easter are the main Christian holidays. Before them are fasts for many days. Fasting before Christmas is called Christmas, before Easter - Great. During fasting Christians do not eat meat and dairy foods, refrain from entertainment. These days remember the last days of Jesus Christ, which he spent in Jerusalem, his sermon, the Last Supper (dinner) with the disciples, at which the sacrament of the Eucharist was established (Great Thursday), the arrest and crucifixion (Good Friday).

Main Christian Holidays Christmas Easter Easter always falls on Sunday. Her worship is performed at night. It opens with a solemn procession around the church, followed by matins and liturgy. The whole next week is called Easter or light.

Christian Holidays Ascension Trinity Ascension is celebrated on Thursday 40 days after Easter. Ascension - this day is considered the birthday of the Christian Church. According to the Orthodox interpretation, on this day Christ ascended to heaven and sat down on the right side of God the Father. 50 days after Easter, the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles in the form of tongues of flame, they received the gifts of miracles and healing and began to preach the Gospel. In Russia, this holiday began to be called the Trinity.

Christian holidays Epiphany Christmas - December 25 (January 7), January 6 (19) - Epiphany (Epiphany). In ancient times, Christmas and Epiphany were celebrated together. The ancient common name for these festivals is Epiphany, since by celebrating the birth of Christ and his baptism, Christians celebrate the coming into the world of God.

The main holiday of Muslims is Eid al-Adha. As the Qur'an says, the Archangel Jabrail appeared to the prophet Ibrahim in a dream and gave him a command from Allah to sacrifice his only son Ismail. Ibrahim went to the valley of Mina to the place where Mecca is now, and began preparations. His son, being obedient to his father and God, did not resist. However, this turned out to be a test from Allah. When the sacrifice was almost made, Allah made it so that the knife would not cut. And then the angel Jabrail gave the prophet Ibrahim a ram as a substitute for the sacrifice. On these days, Muslims visit the mosque for festive prayer and generously distribute alms. The holiday lasts 3 days, during which it is customary to ask forgiveness from your loved ones for bad deeds, visit the graves of ancestors and relatives, visit friends, put on new clothes, treat guests, and give gifts. Holidays of Islam Eid al-Adha

Holidays of Islam Eid al-Adha On these days, Muslims visit the mosque for festive prayers and generously distribute alms. The holiday lasts 3 days, during which it is customary to ask forgiveness from your loved ones for bad deeds, visit the graves of ancestors and relatives, visit friends, put on new clothes, treat guests, and give gifts.

Holidays of Islam Uraza Bayram One of the major Islamic holidays Uraza Bayram is celebrated in honor of the end of the 30-day fast in the month of Ramadan. In our country, this post is called Uraza. For a whole month, Muslims during the daytime do not eat, drink, inhale aromas and smoke, refuse all pleasures in order to think only about God and godly deeds. On the holiday of Eid al-Adha, Muslims perform collective prayer in the mosque. After that, believers congratulate each other, give gifts, go to visit or invite to the festive table.

Holidays of Islam Uraza Bayram The holiday of Uraza Bayram lasts three days. At this time, it is also customary to visit parents, elders and sick people, visit cemeteries, remembering the dead.

Holidays of Islam Mawlid Mawlid is the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. It is accompanied by the reading of prayers and sermons in the mosque and houses of believers, solemn processions.

Buddhist Holidays Donchod Donchod is the most important Buddhist holiday celebrated on the full moon day of the second month of the lunar calendar. Buddhists believe that on this day, more than 2.5 thousand years ago, three events took place in different years: the birth of Buddha, his achievement of Enlightenment at the age of 36 and his departure to Nirvana at the age of 81.

Holidays of Buddhism Donchod The celebration of Buddha's birthday lasts a week. At this time, solemn prayers are held in the monasteries, processions and processions are arranged. The temples are decorated with paper lanterns and flower garlands. On the territory of temples, oil lamps are placed around sacred trees and stupas. Many take a vow to observe strict fasting and remain in silence for the entire 7 days. The Buddha statues are washed with sweetened water (or tea) and showered with flowers. After the end of the festive prayer service on Buddha's birthday, the laity arrange a meal for the members of the monastic community and present them with gifts.

Holidays of Buddhism Sagaalgan "Sagaalgan" - Buddhist New Year. Occurs on the first new moon after the entry of the Sun into the constellation Aquarius (no earlier than January 21 and no later than February 19). Buddhists live according to the lunar calendar, which does not coincide with the European one. During the 15 days of this holiday, a great prayer service dedicated to the 15 wonders of the Buddha is performed.

According to Buddhist tradition, the Buddha, before leaving for nirvana, summoned all animals to himself, but only Mouse, Cow, Tiger, Hare, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Chicken, Dog and Pig came to say goodbye to him. In gratitude, the Buddha gave each of these animals one year to rule, and the years were given in the exact order in which the animals came to the Buddha. This is how the famous 12-year "animal cycle" was born. Sagaalgan Buddhist holidays

Christianity Islam Judaism Buddhism Christmas Eid al-Adha Pesach Sagaalgan Baptism of Eid al-Adha Shavuot Donchod Easter Mawlid Sukkot Hanukkah Ascension Trinity Purim Holidays in religions of the world

Prepared by: Altapova Ilsia Iskhakovna, primary school teacher of the MBOU "Apaykina-Garinskaya NOSH", Arsky district of the Republic of Tatarstan

Introduction

Chapter No. 4. Major Buddhist Holidays

Chapter number 5. The main Jewish holidays

Conclusion

List of used literature

Introduction

Who are we? What is our past? How we lived and live in comparison with other nations, each nation ponders these questions. To answer them, it is necessary to more fully and qualitatively study your history, the history of other peoples.

I see the relevance of my topic in the fact that by studying the holidays and customs of different peoples, I will come into closer contact with the centuries-old history of peoples of different religions. Also, my work will help many to replenish knowledge about religious holidays and contribute to the development of interest in religion.

The purpose of my work: to get acquainted and study religious holidays of different nations.

To achieve this goal, I set the following tasks:

Collect historical information about religious holidays.

The main holidays in Christianity.

The main holidays in Islam.

Major holidays in Buddhism.

Major holidays in Judaism.

Summarize the materials and draw conclusions.

Chapter No. 1. History of religious holidays

By the history of their origin, many holidays and rituals of the peoples of the world are inextricably linked with religion, culture and spiritual heritage of a particular nationality.

Throughout the entire existence of mankind, these unique historical and cultural values \u200b\u200bwere born, improved and disappeared, but the overwhelming majority of them still managed to reach our days practically in their original form.

Speaking about the cultural heritage that has managed to pass through the centuries, reaching the present time, one should cite as an example the famous holidays and rituals of different peoples.

The most ancient of these holidays, in their origin, are directly related to paganism, which was once part of the very first universal concepts of man and the world, and later became the basis for all religions existing on the planet.

The religious holidays and rituals of the peoples of the world that have survived to this day began to take shape already in antiquity, when all-embracing paganism began to gradually recede into the background.

Every now known religion has its own holidays and rituals, which can be daily, weekly, annual.

Chapter number 2. The main Christian holidays

Major holidays in Christianity

All Christian holidays differ in the object of worship, in the degree of solemnity and in the time of their celebration. Holidays are celebrated throughout the year and have the following calendar sequence:

A holiday celebrated by Christians since the middle of the 4th century. According to an ancient Jewish custom dating back to the time of the patriarch Abraham (XX century BC), on the eighth day after the birth of the boy, a circumcision rite is performed over him and a name is given. Moreover, circumcision is a sign of God's covenant with Abraham and his descendants. As the Gospels narrate, on the eighth day after the birth of Christ, this ceremony was performed over the newborn, according to custom, and he was named Jesus (Luke 2:21). But already the first generation of Christians, having broken with Judaism, stopped performing the rite of circumcision, replacing it with the sacrament of Baptism - "spiritual circumcision", the performance of which is associated with the acceptance of a person into the bosom of the Church.

The holiday is established in memory of the Baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist described in the Gospels in the Jordan River (Matt. 3: 13-17, Mark. 1: 9-11, Luke 3: 21-22). The holiday was called the Epiphany (Greek Epiphany, Theophany), because during the Baptism of Jesus Christ a special appearance of all three persons of the Divine occurred: God the Father from heaven testified of the baptized Son and the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove, thus confirming the Word of the Father.

According to Christian doctrine, it was after Baptism that Jesus began to enlighten people, illuminating them with the light of truth. In addition, in the Baptism of Christ, humanity joined His Divine grace, having received in this sacrament cleansing with living water, leading to eternal life. Therefore, the acceptance of the sacrament of Baptism is a prerequisite for believers to belong to the Church (John 3: 5).

The feast of the Epiphany entered the church calendar in the middle of the 2nd century. and was first celebrated together with the Nativity of Christ (the Armenian Church still adheres to this tradition). In the 4th century, the celebration of Christmas was postponed to December 25, and the same date remained for the feast of the Epiphany - January 6.

In the tradition of the Eastern Church, the general celebration of the Epiphany lasts 12 days (January 2-14). The Sunday closest to the holiday is called the Week before the Enlightenment. On the eve of the holiday, a special service is performed - the royal hours and a strict fast is observed - the Epiphany Eve. On the first day of the holiday, the very event of the Epiphany is glorified - the Baptism of Jesus and the appearance of the three persons of the Divine. The second day of the holiday (January 7) is dedicated to the remembrance and glorification of John the Baptist as having performed the sacrament of the Lord's Baptism (Matthew 3: 14-15) - therefore it was named the Cathedral of John the Baptist.

For Western Christians, in the meaning of the Feast of the Epiphany, the memory of the appearance of the star to the Eastern Magi (or kings) after the birth of Christ comes to the fore as the first revelation of the coming of the Messiah given to the pagans. Therefore, the Feast of the Epiphany was also called Festum magorum (Feast of the Magi), or Festum regum (Feast of Kings) and is associated with the worship of the baby Jesus of the three wise men (three kings) - Caspar, Melchior and Belshazzar, and the Day of the Baptism of the Lord (Baptisma Christi) is celebrated on the first Sunday after Epiphany and ends the Christmas cycle. According to Western tradition, on the day of the Epiphany, not only the blessing of water is performed, but also incense and chalk, with which believers write the initial letters of the names of the Magi at the entrance to their homes: "K + M + B".

The holiday is established in memory of a significant event for Christians - the meeting (glorious meeting) in the Jerusalem Temple of the Infant Jesus with the righteous elder Simeon (Luke 2: 22-39). In the context of the gospel story, this event symbolizes the meeting of the Old and New Testaments.

Annunciation to the Most Holy Theotokos

The holiday, celebrated by Western Christians on March 25, and by Orthodox Christians on April 7 according to the new style (March 25 according to the Julian calendar), is established in memory of the message of the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary of the good news about the coming birth of the Son of God Jesus Christ and that She was chosen to become " blessed among women "- the Mother of the promised Messiah (Luke 1: 26-38). According to Christian theology, this event is the beginning of the divine redemption of the world - the Eternal Council of the Most Holy Trinity on the Incarnation to save people from their sins and give them eternal life. Therefore, for Christians, the feast of the Annunciation is of particular importance.

The Annunciation always falls either on the days of Great Lent, or on the week of Easter celebrations (Bright Week). Depending on this, the holiday each time has a special rite, provided for by the liturgical charter. According to the tradition of the Eastern Church, if the Annunciation coincides with the Sunday of fasting, then on this day the Liturgy is celebrated according to the order of Basil the Great, and on other days - the Liturgy of John Chrysostom.

The Annunciation was introduced into the Christian calendar in the 4th century, and from the 8th century it has been celebrated as a great holiday.

Great Lent, Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday), Holy Week and Bright Resurrection of Christ (Easter), Sundays after Easter - mid-February - May

In mid-February - early May, there are two stages of the Easter celebration: the pre-Easter period - Great Lent, and the celebration of the Bright Resurrection of Christ - Easter (from Hebrew Pesach - "passage") - the most important holiday of the Christian year, which is based on the Gospel story of the miraculous resurrection of Jesus Christ, crucified on the cross by the verdict of the Jewish court (Sanhedrin) and with the approval of the Roman governor Pontius Pilate (1st century A.D.) (Matt. 28: 1-10; Mark 16: 1-15; John. 20).

The holiday of the Resurrection of Christ is directly related to the Jewish holiday of Easter, which is established in memory of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt and is associated with the expectation of the arrival of the liberator of the chosen people - the Messiah. In accordance with the Gospels, Jesus Christ was crucified, died and buried on the eve of the celebration of Passover (Nisan 14 according to the Jewish calendar), and on the third day he rose from the dead. Christ's disciples and followers perceived His death as the atonement for the sins of the world, and the resurrection as a victory over the power of evil and the gift of eternal life by God. Like the Passover lamb slain in the name of the angel of death not to touch the firstborn of the Jews (Ex. 12), Jesus Christ, sacrificing Himself on the cross, gave people deliverance from eternal death and damnation - the inevitable consequences of human sin. Thus, both holidays glorify freedom: Jews offer thanks to God for saving them from death (when the angel of death "passed" their homes) and for liberation from the shackles of Egyptian slavery, and Christians rejoice at being freed from slavery to sin and death. Therefore, Christians call Easter "a holiday of holidays and a celebration of celebrations."

Both Jewish and Christian Easter originate from ancient agrarian holidays: a characteristic element of Easter celebrations in the tradition of Judaism is the baking of unleavened bread - matzo, from where the custom of baking for Christian Easter originated, and the tradition of giving eggs (which is also one of the obligatory dishes of the Jewish Easter meals) symbolizes not only the new life of the risen Christ, but also the arrival of spring.

Easter is not only the most important, but also the oldest of all Christian holidays. It was installed and celebrated already in apostolic times. The ancient Church under the name of Easter united two memories - about the suffering and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and devoted to its celebration the days preceding the triumph of the Resurrection of Christ and following it. Depending on the nature of the remembrance, each stage of the holiday had its own name - Easter of Suffering (or Easter of the Cross) and Easter of Resurrection. The first stage of the feast was celebrated with fasting and repentance, and the second with festive celebrations.

Thus, Easter is a mobile holiday that falls on a different date every year from March 22 to April 25. These numbers are determined by a special table, Paschalia, which indicates the dates of the celebration of Easter for many years to come.

Apart from Palm Sunday, there are 5 Sundays during Lent, and each of them is dedicated to a special memory. The first Sunday is the celebration of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. This holiday was established in Byzantium in the first half of the 9th century. in commemoration of the final victory of the Orthodox Church over all heretical teachings, and especially over the iconoclastic heresy, condemned by the Seventh Ecumenical Council in 787. The second Sunday is called the Week of Luminous Fasts. In the divine service on this Sunday, along with contrition for the sinful state of man, fasting is glorified as a path to inner spiritual cleansing and illumination. The third Sunday is called the Week of the Cross, as it is dedicated to the glorification of the Holy Cross and the spiritual fruits of the death of Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world. The fourth Sunday is dedicated to the memory of the Monk John Climacus (6th century), who in his work "The Ladder of Paradise" described the path of man's gradual ascent to spiritual and moral perfection. The fifth Sunday is dedicated to the remembrance and glorification of the Monk Mary of Egypt (V-VI centuries): according to church tradition, through repentance she reached such a height of perfection and holiness that she became like incorporeal angels.

Saturday of the sixth week of Great Lent, which is dedicated to the remembrance of the gospel narrative of the resurrection of Lazarus (John 11: 1-44), was called Lazarus Saturday. According to the teachings of the Church, by the resurrection of Lazarus, Jesus Christ revealed His divine power and glory and assured the disciples of His coming resurrection and general resurrection of the dead on the day of God's Judgment.

In Western tradition, Lent lasts 6 weeks. It begins on Wednesday, called "Ash", because on this day after the service, the ceremony of sprinkling ashes on the heads of believers is performed as a sign of compassion for Jesus Christ dying on the Cross, as well as repentance and contrition for the sins committed, for the sake of atonement for which Jesus made this Sacrifice. ... This is followed by six weeks of Great Lent. Five Sundays falling on this period are dedicated to the reminiscences of the gospel accounts of the last days of the earthly life of Jesus Christ. The first Sunday (In-oca-it) is dedicated to the memory of the forty-day stay of Jesus Christ in the wilderness (Mark 1: 12-15); the second (Reminiscere) - the remembrance of the transfiguration of Christ (Mark 9: 2-10); the third (Oculi) - the memory of the meeting of Jesus Christ with the Samaritan woman (John 4: 5-42); the fourth ("aetare)" is the remembrance of the healing of the man born blind (John 9: 1-41), and the fifth (Judica) is the remembrance of the resurrection of Lazarus (John 11: 1-45). All Sundays of Great Lent are equated in importance with the great feasts. Every Friday of Great Lent, a special procession, called the "Way of the Cross," and the worship of the Holy Cross are performed in all churches.

The Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday)

On the last Sunday before Easter, the feast of the Lord's Entry into Jerusalem is celebrated. It is based on the Gospel story of how Jesus Christ, before His martyrdom and resurrection, arrived in Jerusalem, where the people greeted Him, throwing palm branches before Him on the road. This event is described by all evangelists: Matt. 21: 1-11; Mk. 11: 1-11; Luke. 19: 29-44; Jn. 12: 12-19. On this day, the Church calls on believers to "open their hearts to receive Jesus Christ," as the inhabitants of Jerusalem once did.

A characteristic element of the holiday is a solemn procession with palm branches, which takes place in churches during services. Another name of the holiday is connected with the custom to consecrate palm branches on this day - "Week of fringes" (branches) or "Flower-bearing week". Since in Russia, palm branches were replaced by pussy willows, the name "Palm Sunday" was also attached to the holiday.

The first mention of the holiday is found in the writings of St. Methodius of Patarsky (III century), who compiled a lesson on the order of its celebration.

Lazarev Saturday and Palm Sunday are the transition from Holy Lent to Holy Week.

Holy week (week)

The last week of Great Lent, which is dedicated to the remembrance of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ, was called "Passion". In the early Christian communities at this time it was prescribed to eat only dry food, avoid entertainment, stop work and business in the courts, and release prisoners. All the services of the Holy Week are distinguished by the depth of experience and consistently "reproduce" the last days of the life and suffering of Jesus Christ. Therefore, during Holy Week, the days of the memory of saints are not celebrated, the commemoration of the dead and the sacraments of Marriage and Baptism are not performed (except in special cases). Each day of Holy Week is called "great". In Catholic churches, during Holy Week (up to and including Good Friday), it is customary to remove or hang all images of the Crucifixion with a purple cloth.

Bright Resurrection of Christ (Easter)

The Easter service is particularly solemn. Before it begins, all the lamps are lit in the temples, and the people in the temple stand with candles as a sign of special spiritual joy. Since the days of the apostles, Easter services have been performed at night. Like the ancient chosen people who were awake on the night of their deliverance from Egyptian slavery, Christians are also awake on the sacred night of Christ's Resurrection.

The service begins with a procession of the cross - a solemn procession around the church with a lantern, banners, the Gospel, icons of the Resurrection of Christ and the Mother of God, with the singing of the canon of Easter. Believers greet each other with the words "Christ is Risen!", To which the answer follows: "Indeed he is Risen!" At the end of the service, the consecration of artos (Greek "bread") is performed - a large prosphora with the image of the Cross or the Resurrection of Christ, which is then installed in the church on a lectern along with the icon of the holiday. Artos is a reminder that Jesus Christ through His death on the Cross and Resurrection became for Christians the true Bread of eternal life. On Bright Saturday, the artos is crushed and distributed to all believers.

In the first centuries, Western Christians had a custom to perform the sacrament of Baptism on Easter night. In the Western tradition, to this day, the consecration of water and the sacrament of Baptism are performed during the Easter service before the beginning of the liturgy.

The main Easter celebrations continue throughout the next week, called Bright Week, and end on the eighth day - Sunday (the second Sunday after Easter).

Weeks after Easter

According to the Gospel story, after the Resurrection, Jesus Christ stayed on earth for forty days, appearing to the apostles and teaching them the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. Therefore, the celebration of Easter continues for forty days.

From the second Sunday after Easter, the next stage of the Easter celebrations begins, called the Weeks (i.e. Sundays) after Easter. This period lasts 5 weeks, includes 5 Sundays and ends on Wednesday of the sixth week after Easter - with the celebration of the Passover.

The second Sunday after Easter symbolizes the "replacement" or "repetition" of the Easter day itself, which is why it was called Antipascha (Greek "instead of Easter"). This day is dedicated to the remembrance of the Gospel story of the appearance of Jesus Christ to the apostles on the eighth day after the Resurrection, and especially to the Apostle Thomas, who, by touching the wounds of Christ, made sure of the truth of His Resurrection (John 20: 26-29). In honor of this event, the second Sunday after Easter received another name - the Week of Thomas (in the popular language, the name Krasnaya Gorka was also assigned to this day).

Nine days after Easter ("Fomin Tuesday"), the East Slavic peoples celebrate Radonitsa - the day of remembrance of the dead, which is still of pre-Christian origin. During the time of Radonitsa, the ancient Slavs had a custom to have meals at the graves of their parents and close relatives. The custom of visiting the graves of relatives on Radonitsa continues to this day. On this day, funeral services (memorial services) are performed in churches.

The third Sunday after Easter was named the Week of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women. It is dedicated to the remembrance of the holy myrrh-bearing women, the righteous Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus - the secret disciples of Christ, who witnessed His death and Resurrection (Mark 15:43 - 16: 8).

On the fourth Sunday - the Week of the Paralytic - the healing by Jesus of the "paralyzed" patient, suffering from paralysis for 38 years (John 5: 1-14), is recalled. On Wednesday of the fourth week, Pentecost is celebrated - half time (25 days from Easter to the feast of Pentecost). On this day, an evangelical event is remembered when Jesus, in preparation for the Old Testament Feast of Tabernacles, taught in the Jerusalem Temple about His divine destiny (John 7: 1-13). On the Feast of Prepoloveniye, water is consecrated in churches.

The service of the fifth Sunday - the Week of the Samaritan Woman - is dedicated to the memory of the meeting of Jesus with the Samaritan woman, after which the Samaritan woman believed that He was the Messiah.

On the sixth Sunday - the Week of the Blind - the healing of the man born blind is remembered, which Jesus performed in Jerusalem in the third year of His earthly ministry, on the Feast of Tabernacles, or the renewal of the Temple (John 7: 2 - 10:22). On Wednesday of the sixth week, the Passover and the forefeast of the Ascension of the Lord are celebrated.

Ascension of the Lord (May - June)

The Feast of the Ascension is celebrated on the 40th day (Thursday of the sixth week) after Easter. As the Gospels say, after the Resurrection, Jesus Christ stayed on earth for another forty days. On the fortieth day, He led His disciples from Jerusalem towards Bethany, to the Mount of Olives. As they climbed the mountain, Jesus explained to the disciples the true meaning of His Resurrection and gave them a final blessing. Then Jesus, having promised his disciples to send the Holy Spirit, began to distance himself from them and ascend to heaven. The cloud that appeared covered Jesus and the disciples heard the voice of the heavenly messengers: "This Jesus, who ascended from you into heaven, will come in the same way as we saw Him ascending into heaven" (Mark 16: 15-20; Acts 1: 4-12 ).

The Ascension has been celebrated as a great holiday since the 4th century. It belongs to the number of mobile holidays and lasts ten days. The end (giving up) of the holiday is celebrated on Friday of the seventh week after Easter.

Seventh Sunday after Easter (May - June)

After the Feast of the Ascension, the seventh Sunday (week) after Easter is celebrated, with which the third, final part of the annual liturgical circle begins. The Eastern Church commemorates on this day the memory of the fathers of the First Ecumenical Council, which was held in Nicaea in 325 at the days of Pentecost. It was at this Council that a single date for the celebration of Easter was approved for the entire Ecumenical Church and the principle of Easter calculations used at present was determined.

On Friday, the seventh week after Easter, the end (giving) of the Feast of the Ascension is celebrated. Saturday of the seventh week, on the eve of the feast of Pentecost, was called Trinity parental Saturday, since according to the tradition of the Eastern Church, commemoration of the dead is performed on this day.

Holy Trinity Day (Pentecost) (May - June)

On the fiftieth day (on the eighth Sunday) after the celebration of Easter, the Day of the Holy Trinity (Pentecost) is celebrated. According to the book of Acts of the Apostles (2: 1-12), on the day of Pentecost - the Old Testament feast of Weeks (Deut. 16: 9-10; Num. 28:26) - the Holy Spirit first descended on the apostles, which was a sign of the fulfillment of the biblical prophecy (Joel 2:28) and the coming of a new messianic era. Just as the Jewish Pentecost (the giving of the Law to the Prophet Moses on Mount Sinai) represents the end of Easter history, so Christian Pentecost is the culmination of the Gospel Easter events, because on this day Jesus Christ sent the Holy Spirit to His followers. Just as the gift of the Law on Mount Sinai marked the beginning of the Jewish religion, the gift of the Holy Spirit began to spread the Christian message "to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1: 8).

The holiday was called the Day of the Holy Trinity, since according to Christian doctrine, from the moment of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, the third Hypostasis (Person) of the Triune God was revealed and the participation of the Three Persons of the Divine - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - in the salvation of man began in full.

The celebration of the Day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit was established back in the apostolic time, but the holiday officially entered the Christian calendar at the end of the 4th century, when at the Second Ecumenical Council in Constantinople (381) the Church adopted the Trinity dogma.

Christians have also preserved the Old Testament tradition of decorating churches and dwellings on the feast of Pentecost with tree branches, plants and flowers (Lev. 23: 10-17). In addition, the decoration of temples and houses with green branches resembles the sacred Mamre oak forest, where, according to the biblical tradition, the Triune God visited the Triune God under the guise of three pilgrims (Gen. 18: 1-16).

As a great holiday, Pentecost is celebrated for seven days. The Eastern Church celebrates the Day of the Holy Spirit on the Monday after Pentecost. On this day, a special service is performed, during which the Holy Spirit is glorified as the Third Person (Hypostasis) of the Most Holy Trinity. The festivities end on Saturday, when the pentecostal devotion is made.

Among the Slavic peoples, the holiday of the Trinity coincided in time with the Green Christmastide - a cycle of summer pagan festivals (mermaids) associated with the veneration of the spirits of vegetation. Over time, the name "Green Christmastide" was assigned to the holiday of the Trinity and is still preserved in many Slavic languages. In the ceremonies of one of these festivals - the semika, birch had a special meaning. Hence the custom arose to decorate churches and houses on the holiday of the Trinity with birch branches, and round dances around birches in the countryside.

The holiday is established in remembrance of the events associated with the birth of John the Baptist, which are described in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 1: 24-25, 57-68, 76, 80). According to the teachings of Judaism, before the coming of the Messiah, his predecessor should appear - the forerunner, who, in accordance with the prophecy of Malachi (Mal. 4: 5), is considered the prophet Elijah. In Christianity, the teaching about the herald of the Messiah - Jesus Christ - is associated with the image of the prophet John the Baptist, who renewed and continued the ministry of Elijah. As the Gospel tells us, Jesus himself called John "Elijah, who must come" (Matthew 11:14). When John was thirty years old, he began to preach in the Judean Desert and then around the Jordan River. He sternly denounced the vices of society and called for repentance, announcing the imminent coming of the Messiah. His appearance also matched the descriptions of the appearance of Elijah: he wore a camel-hair garment belted with a leather belt, and his food was locusts and wild honey (Mk. 1: 10-16). John's preaching was so strong that soon disciples began to gather around him, establishing a community of his followers, the Qumranites. John chose baptism as an outward sign of repentance and spiritual renewal - washing in water and immersion in it (hence the name - Baptist). Jesus also came to be baptized, whose dignity as the Messiah was proclaimed in John's sermon (Matt. 3: 14-15). Thus, John the Baptist paved the way for the ministry and teaching of Jesus Christ.

The tradition of glorifying John the Baptist in the days of his birth and martyrdom was formed even in the first Christian communities. Since the III century, the Feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist has already been widely celebrated by both Eastern and Western Christians - it was called "a bright celebration" and "the day of the Sun of Truth." At the beginning of the 4th century, the holiday was introduced into the Christian calendar.

The Apostles Peter and Paul are traditionally called "the first-highest" and are especially revered as disciples of Jesus Christ, who, after His death and Resurrection, began to preach and spread the teachings of the Gospel throughout the world.

This holiday was first introduced in Rome, the bishops of which, according to the teachings of the Western Church, are considered the successors of the Apostle Peter, and then spread to other Christian countries.

The holiday is especially celebrated by the Eastern Church. It originated in the 9th century in Constantinople and is associated with the tradition of annually taking out the surviving parts of the Lord's cross from the imperial palace and installing them for worship in the church of St. Sofia. At the same time, water consecration was performed. For two weeks, the shrine was carried around the city, performing divine services to consecrate the city's quarters and to ward off diseases. In the second half of the 12th century, the holiday was included in the church calendar. The Russian name of the holiday - "origin" instead of "removal" - appeared as a result of an inaccurate translation of the Greek name.

On the day of the holiday, during the service, the cross is carried out for worship in the middle of the church, and after the service, the procession and consecration of the water take place.

Popularly, this holiday was called the Honey Savior, because in time it coincided with the second cutting of honeycombs from the hives, which gave rise to the custom to consecrate honey in churches on this day.

The holiday is dedicated to the remembrance of the Gospel story of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ (Matt. 17: 1-13, Mark 9: 1-12, Luke 9: 28-36). As the Gospels describe, forty days before his death, Jesus, together with the apostles Peter, John and James, ascended to pray on Mount Tabor, and there His face was transformed, and His clothes became white. The prophets Moses and Elijah, who appeared, who personified the Law and the ministry of the prophets, spoke with the transformed Christ. A cloud overshadowed those conversing, from which the voice of God was heard: "This is my beloved Son; listen to him."

The Christian doctrine interprets this event as the discovery of the mystery of the Divine Providence for the salvation of man: in the Transfiguration, not only is the Deity of Jesus Christ himself revealed in glory, but also shown about the & ogra-e; life of all human nature, accomplished through His incarnation.

In Christianity, the consecration of fruits on the day of the feast of the Transfiguration has acquired a special symbolic meaning: in the Transfiguration of Christ is shown that new, transformed and blessed state that man and the world acquire by the Resurrection of Christ and which will be realized in the resurrection of all people. And all nature, which has fallen into disarray from the moment when sin entered the world through man, now, together with man, awaits the coming renewal.

In those countries where grapes do not grow (including Russia), the custom has been established to consecrate apples instead of grapes. Therefore, among the people, the holiday of the Transfiguration was also called the Apple Savior.

The holiday is dedicated to the memory of the death of the Mother of God and Her bodily ascension to heaven. The feast of the Assumption dates back to the first centuries of Christianity and in the IV century is already celebrated everywhere. Since 595, the holiday began to be celebrated on August 15 in honor of the victory won on that day by the Byzantine emperor Mauritius over the Persians.

The holiday is dedicated to the remembrance of the event described by the evangelists Matthew (Matthew 14: 1-12) and Mark (Mark 6: 14-29). According to the Gospels, John the Baptist was arrested for accusatory speeches against the ruler of Galilee Herod Antipas and beheaded at the instigation of Herodias, the wife of Herod. Even his disciples began to celebrate the day of the martyrdom of John the Baptist, who buried the body of the teacher in the Samaria city of Sebastia. In 362, by order of the Emperor Julian the Apostate, the pagans opened the grave of John the Baptist and burned his remains, but Christians managed to acquire some of these remains and transport them to Alexandria, where they are kept to this day as the greatest shrine.

The holiday is dedicated to the commemoration of the birth of the Mother of Jesus Christ - the Blessed Virgin Mary. The first mention of the celebration of the Nativity of the Virgin dates back to the second half of the 5th century. Around the same time, the holiday was included in the church calendar. The Nativity of the Virgin is one of the great holidays and is celebrated for 6 days - from 7 to 12 September.

The holiday was established to commemorate the acquisition in the 4th century of the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified by Queen Helena - the mother of Emperor Constantine.

According to church tradition, Helen visited the Holy Land with the aim of finding the burial place of Christ and the cross itself, on which He was crucified. As a result of the excavations carried out by Elena, the cave of the Holy Sepulcher was found and three crosses were discovered not far from it. The cross of Jesus Christ was determined when the sick woman who was added to it received healing. According to another legend, the deceased rose from contact with this cross, who was carried along the street for burial (hence the name life-giving cross). Helen sent part of the cross to Constantinople, and the main part was placed in the main church of Jerusalem. Above the cave of the Holy Sepulcher, the Church of the Resurrection of Christ was built, into which the shrine was transferred. To enable numerous pilgrims to see the cross of the Lord, the Bishop of Jerusalem, Macarius, raised or "erected" it over the heads of the worshipers, and from this raising - "raising", the name of the holiday originated. The Feast of the Exaltation began to be celebrated on September 14 - in memory of the consecration of the Church of the Resurrection, which was performed on September 14, 335. The eve of the holiday, called the Renewal of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Jerusalem, is also dedicated to the memory of this event.

For Christians, the cross is a symbol of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Celebrating this holiday, Christians are imbued with the consciousness that they honor this symbol, taking a vow to humbly bear "their cross", completely relying on the will of God.

Since the cross symbolizes suffering, fasting is observed on the Feast of the Exaltation. During the festive service, the cross is installed on the throne and then carried to the middle of the church for worship.

The holiday is especially celebrated by the Eastern Church and belongs to the category of the great. The holiday is based on the legend of the appearance of the Mother of God in the Blachernae Church in Constantinople in 910. During this appearance, the Mother of God spread a white veil (omophorion) over the believers and offered up a prayer for the salvation of the world from adversity and suffering. Since in Russia the Mother of God was considered the patroness of farmers, this holiday was widely celebrated in peasant life, incorporating many of the rites of the Old Slavic autumn festivals to mark the end of field work.

Cathedral of the Archangel Michael and other ethereal Heavenly Forces

The holiday is dedicated to the glorification of the Archangel Michael and all the heavenly powers, as well as the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist.

For the first time, this holiday was established at the beginning of the 4th century at the local Laodicean Council, which took place several years before the 1st Ecumenical Council. The Laodicean Council condemned the worship of angels as creators and rulers of the world and approved the forms and principles of their veneration, which have survived in the Christian tradition to the present day. In 787, the Seventh Ecumenical Council, held in Nicaea, finally defined the Christian doctrine of angels and introduced this holiday into the church calendar.

The holiday takes place in November, since it is the ninth month from March (from which the year began in ancient times), and nine is the number of Angelic ranks.

Subsequently, the Christian teaching about angels acquired a clearer structure. In the essay "On the Heavenly Hierarchy" St. Dionysius the Areopagite (5th - 6th centuries), the angels are divided into three categories (hierarchies), which, in turn, are also subdivided into three groups (faces). The first hierarchy includes seraphim, cherubim, and thrones; to the second - domination, strength and power; to the third - beginnings, archangels and angels. From the host of angels, Christian tradition singles out three archangels and venerates them as the leaders of all disembodied forces: Michael - the heavenly military leader (Greek archangel) and the guardian angel of all believers in Christ; Gabriel - the herald of God; and Raphael, the angel-healer. According to the Christian doctrine, from the moment of his baptism, God assigns a special guardian angel to each person to help in good deeds.

The holiday is based on the church tradition about the introduction of the Virgin Mary into the Jerusalem temple. According to this legend, the parents of the Virgin Mary, righteous Joachim and Anna, were childless until old age, but having received the promise of the birth of a child from above, they decided to consecrate him to God. This was in accordance with the generally accepted Jewish tradition to consecrate to God the first-born, who were given to the Jerusalem temple and brought up there until adulthood. Dedication to God consisted of the introduction of the initiate into the temple, where the rite prescribed by the Law was performed. The introduction of the Virgin Mary into the temple was performed in a solemn atmosphere when she was three years old. The priests of the temple and the high priest himself, who, according to legend, was Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, went out to meet the Virgin Mary. Placing her daughter on the first step of the temple, Anna said: "Go to the One who gave you to me." Without any outside help, the girl climbed the high steps of the temple and was received by the high priest, who even led her into the "Holy of Holies".

For Christians, not only the event remembered on this holiday is of great importance, but also the example set by the parents of the future Mother of God, having introduced their daughter to God from early childhood. Thus, they showed her the true path in life, which later led her to the fact that it was Mary who was chosen by God to carry out the plan to save humanity as the earthly Mother of Jesus Christ. Considering the act of Joachim and Anna as an example to follow, the Church encourages believers to educate their children from an early age in the spirit of Christian values \u200b\u200band virtues.

Feast of Christ the Almighty King - end of November

The Feast of Christ the Almighty Tsar was introduced into the calendar of the Roman Catholic Church by Pope Pius XI in 1925 and is celebrated on the last Sunday of the ordinary cycle (usually falling at the end of November) as a great holiday that completes the liturgical year. In 1925, the Church celebrated the 1600th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council held in Nicaea (present-day Iznik, Turkey) in 325 AD, which proclaimed the dogma of the consubstantiality of Jesus Christ to God the Father. This event formed the basis of the holiday: Jesus Christ is glorified as God, who is equal to the Father in everything and is the beginning and end of all creation; in glorifying the human nature of Christ, His headship over the Church, through which the union of man with God is realized, is especially emphasized. Celebrating this holiday, the Church calls on all Christians to believe in the inevitable victory of Christ over all the forces of evil, destroying the world, and the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth, based on love, goodness and justice.

The festive service, performed on this day, ends with a solemn procession and worship of the Holy Gifts (Body and Blood of Christ).

One of the great feasts of the Mother of God celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church. According to the Catholic doctrine, the Virgin Mary, by the special grace of God, at the moment of her own conception was free from the seal of original sin, that is, she was holy and immaculate from the first minute of her existence. This teaching was proclaimed as the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary on December 8, 1854 by Pope Pius IX, who established an annual holiday in honor of this event. “All believers,” wrote the Pope, “must deeply and constantly believe and confess that the Most Holy Virgin from the first minute of her conception was protected from original sin thanks to the special mercy of the almighty God, shown for the merit of Jesus Christ - the Savior of the human race.”

The Nativity of Christ is a great holiday established to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. In addition to the gospel stories about the Nativity of Christ (Matt. 1: 18-25; 2: 1-15; Luke 1; 2: 1-20), this event is vividly described in numerous apocrypha, legends and works of folk spiritual poetry.

The Nativity of Christ, in chronological order, takes the first place in the liturgical cycle dedicated to the earthly life of Jesus Christ, since the earthly incarnation of the Son of God, according to the teachings of the Church, is a necessary condition and the first step of human salvation. Christ, consubstantial with the Father in His Deity, thus becomes consubstantial with us in humanity and marks the beginning of a new creation, the New Adam, called to save and replace the old Adam with Himself. Therefore, the holiday of the Nativity of Christ is considered the second most important after Easter ("three-day Easter"), which underlines its close relationship with the mystery of Salvation.

In Western tradition, the Feast of the Nativity of Christ is preceded by a four-week period called Advent (Latin Ad-entus - advent). It starts on Sunday, which falls on one of the numbers between November 29 and December 3. Advent is divided into two calendar stages: the first - from the first Sunday to December 16, - which is devoted to reflections on the forthcoming Second Coming of Jesus Christ; and the second - from 17 to 24 December (Novena - nine days of the pre-celebration of Christmas) - which is a direct preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Christ and is dedicated to the memory of the First Coming of Jesus Christ into the world - the Incarnation. All Sundays of Advent are equated in importance with the great holidays, and if any other holiday falls on the Sunday of Advent, it is postponed to Monday. The first Sunday of Advent is considered the beginning of the church (liturgical) year. Every Advent Sunday is dedicated to a certain memory, which corresponds to the Gospel readings during the service: the first Sunday is dedicated to the coming coming of Jesus Christ at the end of time, the second and third to John the Baptist, who preceded the public ministry of Christ, the fourth to the events that immediately preceded the birth of the Son of Youth and a special place Virgin Mary in the mystery of the Incarnation. Like Great Lent, Advent is a time of intense repentance, which is emphasized by the modesty of the decoration of temples and divine services. In temples and in homes, wreaths of fir branches with four candles are installed, symbolizing the four weeks of Advent. On the first Sunday of Advent, one candle is lit on the wreath, on the second - two, on the third - three, and on the fourth - four. During the Advent period, the Church specifically calls upon believers to perform works of mercy.

On the eve of the holiday - the Eve of Christmas) (Latin Vigilia - the eve, the threshold), December 24, a strict fast is observed. Christmas services are performed three times: at midnight, at dawn and during the day, which symbolizes the Nativity of Christ in the bosom of God the Father, in the womb of the Mother of God and in the soul of every Christian. In the XIII century, from the time of St. Francis of Assisi, there was a custom to put up a manger in churches for worship, in which the figurine of the Infant Jesus is placed. December 24 is characterized by such an astronomical phenomenon as the shortest daylight hours and the longest night, and from December 25, which is the main day of the holiday and the day of the winter solstice, an increase in daylight hours begins. In the symbolism of Christmas celebrations, this is associated with the coming into the world of the God-man, who said: "I am the light of the world" (John 8, 12).

A characteristic element of the Christmas holiday is the custom of installing a decorated spruce tree in homes. This tradition originated among the Germanic peoples, in whose rituals the spruce - an evergreen plant - was a symbol of life and fertility. With the spread of Christianity among the peoples of Central and Northern Europe, the spruce decorated with multi-colored balls takes on new symbolism: it began to be installed in homes on December 24, when, according to the Western tradition, the day of Adam and Eve is celebrated as a symbol of the tree of paradise with abundant fruits. In the context of Christmas, the spruce already symbolizes the tree of paradise and eternal life, which a person regains through the New Adam - Jesus Christ, who came into the world for his salvation. In Russia, this custom spread in the 18th century.

The Gospel story that three wise men, who came to worship the Infant Jesus, presented Him gifts - gold, incense and myrrh (Matthew 2:11), formed the basis of the tradition of giving gifts to children and each other on Christmas days. And an important place in this tradition over time was occupied by the image of St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Mirlikia (IV century). The special veneration and wide popularity of this saint among the people, as well as the stories of the Life about the saint's caring attitude towards children and the poor, whom he even secretly helped, made him a hero of the people

Chapter # 3. Major Islamic Holidays

Major holidays in Islam

The important holidays of Eid al-Adha (holiday of sacrifice), Eid al-Adha (holiday of breaking the fast), Miraj (night of the Prophet Muhammad's ascension to heaven), Mawlid (birthday of the prophet) are considered generally accepted in Islam. All festive events are celebrated in accordance with the Muslim calendar.

Eid al Adha

Eid al-fitr (the holiday of breaking the fast) or Eid al-sagir (small holiday) is better known in our country under the Turkic names Uraza Bayram, Kuchuk Bayram or Sheker Bayram. Eid al-fitr marks the end of fasting in the month of Ramadan. It is called small, as opposed to Eid al-Kabir (great holiday), i.e. Kurban Bayram.

Great fasting during the month of Ramadan (or otherwise Ramadan), called in Arabic saum (in Persian - ruza, rose, in Turkic - uraza), is obligatory for all adults, healthy and ritually pure Muslims. Ritual purity (tahara) in Islam is very important when performing religious rituals. Tahara is not only reduced to maintaining external cleanliness and neatness, but in the religious-ethical, cult sense, it means liberation from everything that defiles. Those who are temporarily exempted from fasting or have broken it by accident should fast after the end of the month of Ramadan during the lost days. Voluntary fasts over and above the obligatory ones are recommended mainly in the months of Rajab, Sha'ban, Shawal and Muharram.

On the first day of the holiday, a special general prayer is performed in a large mosque or in the open air, followed by a festive meal. The poor are given "end of the fast alms" from each family member. Common rituals also include renewing clothes, mutual visits, presenting gifts, visiting the graves of relatives, and it is also customary to distribute sweets.

In Eid al-fitr, it is traditionally considered necessary to visit the graves of ancestors. People, mostly women, spend a lot of time in cemeteries, often staying overnight in special tents. They distribute food to the poor, decorate graves with palm leaves, recite the Fatiha and Ya Sin suras, or hire a person to read most or all of the Quran.<#"justify">Conclusion

Analyzing the results of my work, I came to the conclusion that the centuries-old history of holidays of different nations is very extensive, original and interesting. The past is always worthy of respect. A Chuvash proverb says: “Asun mariine an tunter” - “Don't ruin your father’s stove,” which means do not forget your past, your roots.

Each nation owns and keeps values, treasures of the past that were created throughout its centuries-old history. These are material monuments: cities and villages, monuments of architecture and art, traditions of folk art, labor skills and, of course, religious holidays. It is also nature, under the influence of which human culture develops. These are such enduring values \u200b\u200bof the people as its language, wisdom, art, its rules of life, its customs and holidays, fairy tales and legends, favorite dishes and clothes. Now in the present, our goal is to preserve the holidays and customs of our native people in order to pass them on to descendants in the future. The question arises: "How to do this?" It's very simple, you need to remember your roots, love your land, your people, be interested in its past and present, try to preserve those values \u200b\u200bthat have come down to us.

“… If people know and remember their history, then they also have a future. Such people will never disappear from the face of the earth, making, like others, their contribution to the treasury of world culture ”, - these are the words of the first President of the Chuvash Republic NV Fedorov.

Literature

Calend.ru

Islam: An Encyclopedic Dictionary. M., 1991.2.

Read more: http: //www.acapod.ru/2072.html#ixzz3JGMZVPBq more: http: //www.acapod.ru/2071.html#ixzz3JGLkvmmX

Message from the first President of the Chuvash Republic M.V. Fedorov - 2010

Danilov V.D., Pavlov B.I. History of Chuvashia (from ancient times to the end of the twentieth century): Textbook for educational institutions. Cheboksary: \u200b\u200bChuvash. Book. Publishing house.

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Planet Earth is inhabited by many different peoples and nations, differing from each other in traditions, religion, culture, language of communication, which cannot be said about rituals. They are mostly repeated among many peoples, causing surprise in complete or partial similarity. In their performance, the rituals have differences, but they carry the same meaning.

What is the connection between customs and religious characteristics of peoples?

Many religions are known, but Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism are considered the main and more widespread. Thanks to faith, liberation wars, enmity and conflicts between different peoples were fought. It would seem that such beliefs have nothing in common. But in reality, everything is not so simple.

Putting boundaries between peoples according to their religious affiliation, humanity moves away from the highest reason. It is no accident that the rituals of one nation have many features in common with the traditions of other nations. In most cases, the customs of African tribes are similar to Eurasian ones. There is a lot in common in wedding or funeral rituals, as well as in conspiracies, prayers, and communication between relatives.

Why are the rituals of different nations repeated?

The answer to this question should be sought in the distant past. The news has reached modern man that most of the peoples used to be counted among the pagans. People believed in various gods, in extraterrestrial civilizations that patronized humanity in the old days.

Higher powers bestowed on the ancestors many covenants, a baggage of knowledge aimed at teaching the right way of life. If there were violations of such rules, then the time came for retribution and punishment.

With the development of civilizations, the customs of the pagans gradually faded into the background, but this was not always the case. They were transformed in the culture of certain states, they were combined with a new religion.

It is worth noting that Muslim celebrations can be a copy of Christian ones. For example, the rituals of the Tatar people, whose religion Islam is considered, in many respects overlap with the traditions of the Russian people. Customs are passed on from one generation to another, improve, undergo modifications, even supplement or cancel some details. Taken together, the purpose of any rite clearly reflects its importance and relevance in our days.

Many traditions and rituals continue to exist today as they were.

Slavic rites and holidays

The traditions and customs of the Slavs have passed through long centuries, have undergone certain changes, but still survived, and today they continue to live and delight peoples. The most ancient rituals are related to paganism, which was considered necessary for humans. Indeed, according to such a religion, the destiny of the individual on earth was explained.

One of the oldest and famous rituals among different Slavic peoples is associated with the deity Makosh. The celebration was celebrated between October and November. The gatherings during this period were starting so that one could prepare for the winter season.

It was in the name of Mokos that folk festivals were organized. Representatives of the Slavic peoples worshiped this deity, performed a ritual of sacrifice, brought various gifts. People did everything in order for Makosha to provide her assistance in obtaining a rich harvest that was needed next year.

For the most part, the ceremonies of the Slavs were related to agriculture, since people in those days were engaged in their land and therefore the main thing for them was the harvest necessary for life.

Ancient rites and church holidays

To this day, the customs associated with visiting the graves of deceased relatives have been preserved. People go to the cemetery on church holidays such as Trinity, Radunitsa, and Dmitrievskaya Saturday. This is where the tradition of commemorating the departed began, while candles should be lit on their graves, food and drinks should be left.

Among the ancient rituals should be attributed to the current Christmastide, in honor of which people at home commemorate their dead relatives and friends. Holy Thursday is also relevant. In this case, a ritual related to purity is performed. On this day, it is necessary to clean the whole house, wash all family members. The essence of the tradition is that this is how the souls of dead people are purified and warmed.

Humanity also celebrates today an old Slavic holiday called Maslenitsa. This solemn event is in close connection with the commemoration, and therefore today, as in the old days, pancakes continue to be prepared, which are taken to the grave of deceased relatives, a commemoration ritual is performed.

In the process of celebrating Maslenitsa, fist fights were held in the air, and other open-air competitions were also accepted. Among the ancient Christian rituals, there was a commemoration of a deceased person. Customs such as weddings, baptism came to the modern world from the distant past.

Popular holidays and traditions associated with religion

With the retreat of paganism, holidays and rituals began to appear that absorbed teachings from religion. Any religion has its own special traditions, which are daily, weekly, and also annual. There are episodic rituals that are performed only once in a lifetime. Usually, they are related to such life processes as the birth of a child, marriage, or the death of a person.

Main traditions in Christianity

Among the important and basic customs in the Christian world, it is customary to consider such as birth, Baptism, marriage with an accompanying Wedding, death followed by a funeral service. The brightest and most important celebration in the Christian world is the bright holiday of Easter. This tradition ends with Lent.

Another colorful holiday is the Nativity of Christ, preceded by the Nativity Fast.

Main traditions in Islam

Every Muslim is obliged to recite a prayer called Namaz. A person must pray 5 times during each day, regardless of where he is staying. In the Muslim world, there are several major celebrations that have their own meaning. This is Eid al-Adha - the ritual of sacrifice, Eid al-Adha - the holiday of breaking the fast, including Miraj - the night on which the seer Muhammad is lifted to heaven, Mawlid - the birth of the prophet.

Solemn events are held according to the Muslim calendar.

The main traditions of Buddhism

This religion gives a special place to the death of a person. An unusual burial ritual is performed, which includes several stages in its organization. Here it is necessary to read prayers, illuminate the burial places, and also funeral a deceased person.

Vesak is important in Buddhism. This is a vivid solemn ceremony held on the occasion of the birth, enlightenment, and also the departure of Gautama Buddha from the world of the living.

The New Year is significant in Buddhism. He is more famous as Tsagan Sar. It is celebrated differently, depending on which school or direction. For Buddhists, such a celebration is associated with renewal, a new period in life. This festive event is held quite brightly and beautifully.

Main traditions in Judaism

Considering the important holidays and customs related to religion, it is worth noting the peculiarities of the traditions and celebrations of Jewish Jews. The main and significant day in Judaism is considered the day of God - Saturday, that is, Shabbat. According to tradition, one commandment out of ten is fulfilled.

During this time, you cannot work on the seventh day of the week. Shabbat is a very important ritual that is considered a fundamental part of the Jewish life process. There is a greeting for such a significant day - Shabbat Shalom.

Chupa is a beautiful holiday in Judaism, concerning the moment of marriage. The name of the festive event comes from the eponymous canopy, which serves for holding the wedding ceremony under it. At the same time, people sing songs, dance, carry out ancient rituals aimed at protecting and welfare of the newlyweds.

Passover is another important and interesting holiday, which in Russian means Easter.

Shavuot is a celebration organized to commemorate how God gave Moses the Ten Commandments from the Bible.

The world of traditions, rituals, holidays, confessions of different peoples coexisting on one planet is diverse and amazing.

GOU Pedagogical Academy

Scientific and Educational Center for Pedagogical Support

postgraduate education

Independent work No. 2

The main religious holidays and shrines of world religions.

Completed by: O. A. Postavneva

Primary school teacher

MBOU Lyceum №11

Checked by: With V. Laine

Moscow 2012

The clergy in Russia has always had a special place in the history of the country, has always had significant political power, although this influence cannot always be attributed to the direct activities of the church. Religious holidays in Christian Russia have centuries-old traditions.

Nativity of Christ Christmas is the day when Jesus Christ entered the world with love. This is a day of forgiveness, light feelings, a day when love triumphs  Baptism of the Lord The Baptism of the Lord is one of the most ancient and revered holidays among Christians. Jesus came to John the Baptist and asked to baptize him. But John disagreed, saying that it was "you must baptize me." To which Jesus replied that this is the Will of God. After the ceremony of baptism, the heavens opened, and God said that Jesus was his son, and a dove flew in from heaven as confirmation. After that, it is believed that Jesus himself and his disciples went to preach the word of God in different cities and countries. And the rite of Baptism itself became not so much a rite of purification, but a rite of communion with the sacrament of the Holy Trinity, and each who received the communion had to preach the Word of God in countries and regions.

Palm Sunday On the last Sunday before Easter, Christians celebrate the Lord's Entry into Jerusalem. The inhabitants of Jerusalem greeted Jesus as the King of heaven in human form. They greeted him with songs and palm branches. But since there are no palm trees in Russia, they were replaced with twigs of willow, which begins to blossom at this time. According to the Evangelists - John, Luke, Matthew, Mark - the entry of the Lord into Jerusalem symbolizes the entry of Jesus on the path of suffering, but in return brings the Kingdom of Heaven and delivers man from slavery to sin

 Easter Christ is Risen! Truly Risen! So, with joy in their hearts and with a bright soul, Orthodox Christians greet each other on the greatest Christian holiday - Easter. Easter - Bright Resurrection of Christ! Easter is the hope of all Orthodox Christians for resurrection and the eternal Kingdom of Heaven. Before Easter, Christians keep the longest - almost 50 days, and strict Great Lent. The meaning of Lent is the bodily and spiritual cleansing of a Christian before Easter. At Easter, the celebration date changes from year to year. The general rule for calculating the date for Easter is: “Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring.”  Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos The Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos is a special holiday. The Word of God came true and the Son of God became a man in the womb of the Virgin Mary. Archangel Gabriel, who brought the good news to the Virgin Mary, first asked her consent to give birth to the Divine Infant. By giving consent, the Virgin Mary became the savior of the world. Therefore, the veneration of the Most Holy Theotokos is so great. Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated on April 7

 Spas of Honey August 14 - First Spas, Spas of Honey, Spas on the Water. This is the first of three August holidays dedicated to the Savior, Jesus Christ, and the beginning of the Dormition Fast. The full church name of the first Savior is "The origin of the honest trees of the honest and life-giving Cross of the Lord." The emergence of this holiday is explained by the church as follows: because of the summer heat in August, Constantinople suffered from the spread of various diseases; therefore, from ancient times, it was customary to take out of the temple of St. Sophia to consecrate the city and prevent epidemics, a particle of the cross on which Jesus was crucified. Apparently, initially the holiday was called not "origin", but "pre-descent", that is, take-away. The first Savior was also called honey. It was believed that from this day on, bees cease to carry honey bribes from flowers. In addition, on August 14, religious processions to the water were performed everywhere.

 Forgiveness Sunday Forgiveness Sunday is the last day of Shrovetide. Great Lent begins the next day. Orthodox Christians on forgiveness Sunday repent of their sins, ask for forgiveness for offenses in front of each other. This rite is necessary in order to keep Great Lent with a pure soul, and then meet the Bright holiday of the Resurrection of Christ - Easter.

 Radonitsa Radonitsa falls on the 9th day from Easter. It is also called parental day. Radonitsa refers to special days of commemoration of the dead. It is on this day that you need to visit the cemeteries where your parents or relatives are buried. And in no case should you visit cemeteries on Easter, as many people do after hearing the stories of "educated" grandmothers. Easter is the joy of the resurrection of Christ, and Radonitsa is the sorrow for the departed, and at the same time the joy that they acquired eternal life. The main thing in the ritual of visiting the cemetery is prayer for the souls of the departed. And there is no need to leave food on the graves or, even more so, alcohol. Prayer is what to do in a cemetery

 Trinity The day of the Holy Trinity is celebrated on the 50th day from Easter. Therefore, it has a second name - Pentecost. On this day, Orthodox Christians remember the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, who gathered at that time in the upper room of Zion in Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit blessed the apostles for the priesthood and the building of the Church on earth. In addition, the Holy Spirit gave them strength and intelligence to preach the Word of God.

 Maundy Thursday On Maundy or Maundy Thursday during Holy Week, Christians remember the Last Supper, at which all the apostles gathered, headed by Jesus Christ. At the Last Supper, Christ, having washed the feet of his apostles, established the sacrament of the Eucharist or Holy Communion, thereby setting an example of humility and piety.

 Good Friday Good Friday is the saddest day for believers. On this day, Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross and died. Thus, he atoned for human sins. On this day, believers remember the suffering of Christ and hold lengthy services. All services are held in front of the Shroud in which the Savior was wrapped when he was taken down from the cross. Believers, praying and believing in the miraculous resurrection of Christ, observe a strict fast on this day.

 Shrovetide is a fun holiday that lasts a whole week. After Maslenitsa, Great Lent begins, which ends only on Easter. Shrovetide began, depending on the date of Easter, from February 3 to March 14. Although we inherited Maslenitsa from paganism, it fit well into the Orthodox religious calendar. There is nothing wrong with having fun and overeating before strict Great Lent. The most common meal on Shrovetide is pancakes. Round, ruddy, they symbolized the Sun, which appeared more and more in the sky and shone warmer and warmer. Therefore, the second meaning of Maslenitsa is the farewell to winter and the meeting of spring. The symbol of the wires of winter was the burning of the effigy of Winter

It should be remembered that there are no exact dates for the holding of Muslim religious holidays according to the Gregorian calendar. This is due to the fact that Islam lives by its own chronology - from the Hijra, and adheres to the lunar calendar, in connection with which Muslim holidays are "shifted" by 11 days every year. Moreover, the onset of Muslim holidays may differ from country to country, i.e., in Egypt, for example, Ramadan may start a day earlier or a day later than in the United Arab Emirates, due to different observation conditions (weather conditions, topography) behind the heavenly bodies.

Ramadan (Arabic رمضان, abjadiya 1091) or Ramadan (Tur. Ramazan) - the ninth month of the Muslim (lunar) calendar Fasting is also called "Ramadan", like the name of the month Fasting lasts one lunar month. From sunrise to sunset, Muslims abstain from food, drink, smoking, and other worldly pleasures and devote themselves entirely to prayers and good deeds. Representatives of other faiths should respect the religious feelings of Muslims and refrain from public eating, smoking, noisy entertainment - everything that can disturb the peace of mind of a believer and offend him. A defiant failure to comply with these basic rules may result in administrative or even criminal penalties. For a month, it is advisable to adhere to a conservative style of clothing: no bright colors, a tight-fitting and fairly closed dress. During Ramadan, restaurants and cafes are open, where non-Muslims can calmly quench their hunger and thirst in the daytime, smoke, without attracting the attention of others. This is a sign of respect for the guests of the city and all those whose religious beliefs differ from those of local residents. It is a tactful call for mutual respect.

Eid Al Fitr The month-long fasting ends with a three-day holiday of breaking the fast, ID AL FITR, better known in our country as "QURBAN BAYRAM". This is the time of festivities, visiting relatives and cemeteries, distributing gifts to loved ones and donations to the poor.

ID AL ADKHA is one of the most important Muslim holidays. Its celebration is associated with the Old Testament story, when the Prophet Ibrahim was ready to sacrifice his son Ismail to prove his devotion to the Almighty. God showed the lamb to the father instead of the son, and since then it has been the custom to sacrifice a pet in confirmation that the believer is ready to sacrifice everything in the name of God.

Laylat Al Qadr (Night of Destiny) is celebrated on one of the nights 10 days before the end of Ramadan. According to legend, on one of these nights, the first revelations of the Holy Quran were sent down to the Prophet Mohammed. Muslims believe that on this night the prayer can bring about positive changes in his destiny. At other times, the Almighty can only be disturbed by requests for peace, health and peace of mind. The holiday is not official and is not celebrated in any special way.

Raz Al Sanaa is the Islamic New Year. Celebrated on the first day of the month of Muharram. On this day, the Prophet Mohammed went from Mecca to Medina and laid the foundation for the Islamic chronology Uraza Bayram is the holiday of the end of fasting. It falls on the beginning of the month following Ramadan, that is, on the first Shawval, the tenth month of the Muslim lunar calendar, and is called the feast of Fitr. From the name of this holiday, it follows that a devout Muslim after the end of the fast is obliged to make a fitr to the representative of the clergy - that is, an offering in kind or in cash. A portion of this offering is later distributed among the poor members of the community. The holiday lasts three days and is accompanied by visiting, refreshments. Kurban-bairam - the day of sacrifices, is celebrated seventy days after the end of the Uraza fast. He connects with the biblical tradition of the prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), who wanted to sacrifice his son Ismail (Isaac) to God. At the last minute, God took pity on the unfortunate man and sent the archangel Jabrail (Gabriel) with a lamb and saved Ibrahim's son. In memory of this day, every Muslim is obliged to make a sacrifice (qurban), that is, to slaughter a sheep, cow, camel, horse while reading the appropriate prayer ... Mavlyud is Muhammad's birthday. This holiday is celebrated on the 12th of Rabi Al-Awal. It is accompanied by the reading of prayers and sermons in mosques and houses of believers, food and offerings to the clergy. Friday is a day of rest for Muslims, it has the same meaning for them as Sunday for Christians and Saturday for Jews. On Friday, large solemn midday services are held, people wear festive clothes. In addition to these major holidays, each nation in each region of the traditional spread of Islam has its own specific rituals and rituals passed from generation to generation.

JEWISH HOLIDAYS IN ISRAEL

Jewish holidays, rooted in antiquity, are widely celebrated in modern Israel in both traditional and modernized forms. They leave a serious imprint on all aspects of national and state life, their influence is felt everywhere: in the family, at school, in the army, in the synagogue. The holidays are the milestones that the people of Israel use to measure the cycles of the year.

Shabbat is a weekly Sabbath day of rest, when the whole family gets together and the majority of Israel's population spends their leisure time in communication with family and friends. Public transport does not work on this day, all businesses and institutions are closed, the activities of the public services sector are limited only to vital functions, and a significant part of the soldiers are on leave. Many families use Saturday for relaxing on the seaside, walking in the bosom of nature, excursions around the country. Religious citizens spend Saturday with their families and in the synagogue. They refrain from traveling and even walking outside their city or village, do no work, and do not turn on (or turn off, if it was on) electricity.

Rosh Hashanah - the Jewish New Year, as a religious holiday that sanctifies the beginning of the year, is repentance on the eve of the approaching Judgment Day and prayer that the coming year will be successful and fruitful. The most solemn moment of the holiday is the blowing of the horn (shofar) during the synagogue service. According to the established custom, special dishes are prepared for the New Year's meal. The Rosh Hashanah Liturgy includes prayers of repentance. On government correspondence, in newspapers, and on radio broadcasts, the "Jewish date" appears first. New Year's greetings in Israel are also sent before Rosh Hashanah, and not in the last days of December, as is customary in Western countries.

Yom Kippur, which occurs 8 days after Rosh Hashanah, is the day of atonement for sins, Divine judgment and self-purification. This is the only day on which the Bible instructs a person not to do anything other than pondering his transgressions and sins. The entire nation of Israel prays for forgiveness, longs for reconciliation between man and God, and declares its desire to correct the committed bad deeds for the sake of peace and harmony among people. All activity and all movement in the country freeze for 25 hours; places of entertainment are closed; neither television nor radio works - not even news is broadcast; all highways and roads are empty. All this involuntarily brings to mind the Yom Kippur War of 1973, when Egypt and Syria unexpectedly attacked Israel on Yom Kippur.

Five days later, Sukkot comes, known in the Bible as the Feast of Tabernacles. Sukkot is one of the three ascent holidays: until 70 AD. e. there was a Jerusalem Temple, all the people climbed to it three times a year. The Bible decides to celebrate Sukkot in memory of the time when the Jews who left Egypt (in the 13th century BC) lived in the desert in huts (booths). Sukkot is also the time when the people give thanks to God for the abundant harvest sent down to them.

Hanukkah begins on the 25th of the month of Kislev, which usually coincides with December. This holiday reminds of the joy of the Jews, in 164. BC e. defeated the powerful Greek army under the leadership of the Macabeans, but most importantly - about the triumph of the Jewish spirit over the Hellenic idolaters.

Makha Pucha is one of the main holidays celebrated in memory of an event in the life of the Buddha, when 1250 followers of his teachings from different parts of the world - monks of arahants (enlightened), without negotiating and without being invited, simultaneously came to the Veluwat temple in India to listen to instructions Buddha. On this day, they especially try to do good deeds, help those in need, donate vestments, money and necessary items to monasteries.

Visakha Pucha (Vesak) - Buddha's birthday. Formally, the date of the Buddha's birthday was set at the World Buddhist Conference only in 1950. Therefore, according to tradition, this holiday is associated not only with the birth of Buddha, but also with his enlightenment and departure to nirvana. During the celebration ceremony, the 8 commandments of Buddhism are especially remembered: do not kill, do not steal, do not commit adultery, do not indulge in dirty talk, do not take harm inside yourself (alcohol, dope), refrain from excessive gluttony, refrain from sensual temptations, refrain from excessive luxury. It is considered a special virtue to bring joy to the unfortunate on this day. Therefore, in addition to helping those in need and gifting them, an indispensable part of the ceremonies is the release of birds and animals from their cages.

Asalkha Pucha (Asanha) - celebrated in memory of the Buddha's preaching and the acquisition of the sacred Sangha (text of the rules).

Pavarana - Celebrated to mark the end of the rainy season in Southeast Asia. Tradition says that on this day Buddha taught the monastics the art of silence, and they all remained silent for three months. On this day, it is customary to ask for forgiveness from everyone who, over the long period of the vassa season (the rainy season, but not according to the real weather, but according to the Buddhist calendar), have been injured and injured.

Anapanasati is the last major Buddhist festival of the year to commemorate how the Buddha encouraged his disciples to follow solitude and meditation.

Songkran. This holiday falls in mid-April and lasts 3-5 days. The holiday symbolizes the celebration of water as a pure element. Traditionally, people gather on the banks of rivers or on sea beaches and pour water over each other. On these days, monks are presented with gifts with an indispensable gift - eau de toilette. The atmosphere of the holiday is characterized by unusual fun. Also, the central ceremony of the holiday is the release of fish into the reservoirs for breeding.

Loy Krathong. Symbolizes the worship of the sacred footprints of the Buddha, left on the banks of the Namada River in India. The festival is one of the most colorful in Thailand. In the evening, specially made wreaths of flowers, decorated with lighted candles, are launched on the water. Fiery lanterns flying upward are also released into the sky. The people also associate this festival as a holiday of lovers - many, launching kratongs (wreaths) on the water, make plans for their beloved and ask the Buddha to send mutual love and fidelity.

Ulambana. This festival is more typical of countries with the Mahayana tradition, but is also celebrated in Burma and Thailand. It is believed that on this day the gates of hell are open and the demons have the power to go out and come down to earth to tempt the righteous. Believers go to cemeteries, commemorate their dead, leaving food, flowers and lighted candles and incense behind. The Dalai Lama's birthday is celebrated in Tibet on July 6th.

Sagaalgan, New Year. The Chinese, Tibetans, Mongols, Vietnamese, Buryats and Tuvans celebrate the arrival of the New Year on the 1st spring new moon according to the lunar calendar. Since the Lunar year is about a month shorter than the Solar year, the New Year's onset does not have a fixed date and can fluctuate within a month and a half (from the end of January to the first ten days of March). Calculate this date in advance using astrological tables.

Noah's Ark of Humanity

Israel, Haifa This is the only place on Earth where the shrines of the three world religions are located in close proximity to one another. And one of the few - where representatives of different cultures coexist in a single space for centuries. It is here that you can personally see their "living life", and not its reflection found in the museum exposition.

To see it, you need to climb a modest mountain, from the top of which you will at once open four thousand years of world history. They will be revealed not in a dead stone, but in the center of a seething life Jerusalem holds a special place in the hearts of Jews, Muslims and Christians. Here are the main shrines of Judaism - the Wailing Wall and the Temple Mount; Christianity - Church of the Holy Sepulcher; Islam - Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque.

In the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in the city of Turin, the center of the Italian province of Piermont (the city is also famous for the FIAT plant and the Juventus football club). At the cathedral, the Chapel della Sacra Sindone, the Chapel of the Holy Shroud, is opened, and it is there that one of the most mysterious shrines of the Christian world is kept.

KAAB. At the Al-Haram Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The Kaaba, the main sanctuary of Islam, is now a cube of four stone walls (human height), into one of which there is an Eswad - “Black Stone” (16.5x20 cm) set in silver. Inside the Kaaba are the lists

ROCK OF SANTA (Holy Staircase) A stone's throw from the Roman Cathedral of San Giovanni in Laterano. A rather steep staircase with 28 steps is located in the preserved part of the Lateran Palace, it leads to the "Sancta Sanctorum" ("Holy of Holies") - the papal chapel, built in 1278.

PERSONAL THINGS OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMED IN Istanbul, in the treasury of the Topkapi Palace, in the Pavilion of the Holy Protection. In addition to the personal belongings of the prophet, some other Islamic shrines are kept there. The main shrine of Topkapi is the cover (or cloak) of the prophet, which visitors can see only through the open doors of the hallway - the entrance to the room is strictly prohibited. But two sabers of Muhammad, his tooth, footprint and a few hairs from his beard (!) Can be seen from a closer distance.

EMERALD BUDDHA At the Wat Phrakeu monastery complex, located on the territory of the Royal Palace in Bangkok. The famous Emerald Buddha is small in size: its height is 66 cm, the distance between the knees is 48 cm. But the size does not matter here - all the same, this statue is considered the most sacred in Thailand. It is interesting that Buddha is dressed up from season to season: in the summer he is dressed in a crown and jewelry, in the cold - in a golden cape, and in the rainy season - in a golden monastic cloak.

Wailing Wall In Jerusalem, near the Temple Mount. The Wailing Wall, it is the Western Wall, it is the Maaravi Cauldron - the main Jewish shrine, the only surviving wall of the Second Jewish Temple. A fairly impressive section of the visible part of the wall is 57 m long and 19 m high.

ASHES OF BUDDHA In the Chinese temple Famen, located literally some 117 kilometers from the ancient capital - Xi'an. The remains of the Buddha from Famen are a small bone of the phalanx of a finger 4.03 cm long and weighing 16 grams.

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