Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, the history of the holiday, signs. On what date is the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord celebrated?
At the end of September, the Orthodox around the worldcelebrate one of the main Christian holidays of the year - the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord. This festive day symbolizes the victory of good and light over evil forces. In fact, Christians managed to turn the cross on which Jesus was crucified, from the symbol of death to the symbol of life and resurrection. The full name of the holiday sounds like the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and the Life-giving Cross and is explained by the history of its origin. About what exactly the number of Orthodox will celebrate the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord in 2016, as well as about the traditions, history and signs of this holiday, and will go further.
On what date are celebrated the Exaltation of the Cross in Russia in 2016?
The Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord refers toholidays with a fixed date. Consequently, every year, both Orthodox and Catholics celebrate its specific number. True, these numbers vary depending on the hierarchy. Nevertheless, this church holiday and the Catholics, and the Orthodox celebrate in September. What number is celebrated for the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord in Russia in 2016? As in other Orthodox countries, in Russia in 2016 this holiday will be celebrated on September 27. But Catholics of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord are celebrated two weeks earlier - on September 14.
The history of the origin of the church holiday of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord
Christianity is one of the few religions in whichbelievers learn to accept and ability even in negative things to see positive. This rule is perfectly traced in the history of the origin of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord. As is known, originally the cross was a symbol of Jesus' death, an instrument of his tortures and immense suffering. But gradually the cross became a symbol of rebirth and healing, which today every believer wears on his chest. How did this happen? The answer to this question lies in the history of the origin of the Feast of the Holy Cross.
The fact is that the miraculous properties of the cross,on which Christ was crucified, became known immediately after his death. That's why the enemies of Jesus and his followers have done a good job, so that he does not fall into the hands of believers. The cross was hidden in a tomb, which was razed to the ground, and then a pagan temple was erected at the burial site. When years later the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great Elena went in search of a Christian relic, she spent much time and effort to find the burial place of the cross. When she still managed to find the temple, she ordered him to destroy: in place of the ruins, a tomb was uncovered, in which three crosses were found at once. To determine which one was genuine, the crosses were applied in turns to a seriously ill woman who was completely healed after touching the Life-giving Cross. Another version of the cross, on which Jesus was crucified, revived the life of the deceased.
People's Signs of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
With the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, thea lot of people's customs and traditions. In the old days before the start of this holiday, it was necessary to have time to remove the whole crop and prepare the fields for the beginning of the cold weather. It was believed that on this day you can not go to the forest, because there was a storm of evil forces raging there. Perhaps this national sign was due to the fact that the holiday of the Exaltation of the Cross coincided with the time when many animals began to prepare for the winter, for example, snakes. In addition, according to the weather on this day, our ancestors determined what the summer will be next year: if the north wind was blowing on the Holy Cross, then summer predicted to be hot.
Traditions and icons on the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
With the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, themany traditions and icons. For example, on this day should always visit the temple and service. If you can not get to the morning service, you should at least come to church and pray. According to the history of the holiday on this day it is worth to adhere to the basic Christian traditions and rules, and if possible pray the icon of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord. As in other church holidays on the Exaltation, one can not work physically, swear and remain in a bad mood. Also our ancestors believed in a sign that on this day it is not necessary to start new business, as they are sure to be a failure.
