What to do on Maundy Thursday. Signs for Maundy Thursday - prohibitions and recommendations

The celebration of Maundy Thursday falls during Holy Week. This is an unusually great church holiday, bringing incredible energy and strength.

According to church canons, the holiday must be celebrated with great joy and good mood.

Preferably on this day:

• Start the day by taking a shower or bath. According to customs, negative energy is washed away from a person with water, he is spiritually cleansed and accepts the mercy of God. Along with the water, the sins a person has committed during the year are also forgiven.
• After taking a bath, it is advisable to clean your home by cleaning. It is necessary to cleanse not only the body and thoughts, but also the room in which a person lives. When cleaning an apartment or house, a person sweeps out all the negativity, anger and unpleasant emotions from the home. It is imperative to wash the windows and floors. Pay special attention to doors. Streams of negative energy flow through them. If there is sacred water in the house, sprinkle the door with a cross. It is worth remembering that after cleaning, it is advisable not to clean the house for six days.

  And especially not to sweep or wipe away dust. Energy released on a church holiday can leave the home. Cleaning is necessary in order to celebrate the great holiday of Easter in cleanliness and reliability. Don't neglect cleaning.

• A visit to the church is a must. If possible, defend the service. But if the opportunity is not provided, you can simply approach the priest and ask him to bless you and forgive you for your sins and bad deeds.
• It is necessary to devote free time to cleaning, cleaning the room and reading the Holy Scriptures.

It is quite important to visit church on a holiday. Go through the procedure of anointing in the temple. This is usually done using aromatic peace oil.

The anointing is performed by a church minister. He rubs oil on the person's forehead while reciting prayers. After this, the blessing of God falls on the person.

It is prohibited to eat foods that have not undergone heat treatment. But you can cook. This is especially true for holiday dishes that will be prepared for Easter.

You can start kneading the dough for Easter cakes. According to traditions, you must first clean the house and only then do the cooking, otherwise the dough for the Easter cakes may not rise.

Customs and signs

Maundy Thursday is distinguished by an abundance of customs and signs. It is customary to follow them for the correct conduct of the holiday.

The most common customs are:

• Cleaning home windows. It is not easy to wash with plain water. Do not use household cleaning products. To prepare special water for washing windows, you need to put a few coins in a bowl of water.

  This is done so that there is never a lack of money in the house, the family lives in prosperity and prosperity. When placing coins in a vessel, you need to ask God for well-being. Leave the coins in the water for several minutes.

  After that, start washing the windows. After washing, the water must be added to the ground (poured under a tree). Any tree will do. It should be alive and strewn with greenery. The remaining coins must be placed in a secret place. The coins will serve as a talisman for your home.

• For spiritual cleansing, it is advisable not to consume water and heat-treated food before sunset. Only red church wine and bread are allowed. The bread must be lean and contain no eggs. It is difficult to survive for a day, but it is quite possible. By not eating food all day, a person expresses respect for the holiday and the Creator of life on Earth. Fresh vegetables are allowed.
• For financial well-being, you need to count your money three times: morning, afternoon and evening. You need to do this alone. It is imperative to hide the fact of the recount from strangers.
• It is necessary to collect ordinary table salt of any grind from three different houses. Burn all the salt in the oven. It is healing. Can heal from various diseases. Can be added to food for illnesses.
• Liquid infused with silver on this day is also healing water. To prepare it, you need to put an object made of silver in water and wait several hours. The water can then be consumed as food.

Thanks to special signs, you can “look a little into the future.” Since fortune telling directly on this day is prohibited, following signs is an excellent way to protect yourself from many situations.

The most common signs associated with meeting people:

• If the first person a person meets on the street is an elderly woman, then the person should prepare for unpleasant news and problems of various kinds.
• When meeting older people with an empty bucket or bag, it is better to let them go ahead. If this is not done, the person may have financial problems.
• A man of any age with a dog symbolizes happiness and prosperity. It is possible that a long-cherished wish may come true.
• When meeting a child, you should prepare for the educational process.
• Meeting a young and attractive woman means banal female happiness, good luck in your personal life and well-being in an already created family.

To believe or not in signs and customs is a purely individual matter. But even if you don’t believe in them, you shouldn’t neglect all the necessary actions and don’t go against church rules.

What not to do

Maundy Thursday is called a church holiday of cleansing from bad thoughts, negativity and sins.

On this greatest day it is highly undesirable:

1. Conduct rituals related to fortune telling and prediction. According to the Holy Scriptures, all fortune-telling is bad luck and you can guess your destiny. The Church does not welcome such actions and views them extremely negatively. This may even be regarded by church officials as a sin. Therefore, you should not anger God once again and tempt your fate. Especially on this day.
2. It is not advisable to swear, especially using swear words.
3. You can't wish harm on other people.
4. On this day you cannot have fun or celebrate any related holidays. You can't sing or dance.
5. You can't give in to love pleasures. This is especially true for spouses in a church marriage.

Maundy Thursday is a great church holiday. Its customs and traditions should be observed. And then peace and prosperity will reign in your home.

Related Posts

Pure Four is the fourth day of Holy Week. This day is associated with a lot of troubles and tasks that must be completed during the day. What exactly should you do on Maundy Thursday before Easter? Consider the mandatory list of things to do, in their priority order, so that you don’t forget anything and properly prepare yourself and your home for the bright holiday of Easter.

Briefly about the meaning of Maundy Thursday

To understand why one should do what can already be called a tradition on Maundy Thursday, one should turn to the history and meaning of this holiday.

During the service in the temple on this day, they remember the Last Supper, during which the Savior of mankind predicted that he would be betrayed by one of his disciples, and also established the Sacrament of Baptism, dividing bread (from my flesh) and wine (from my blood) between apostles. Also, at the Last Supper, Jesus washed the feet of each apostle, showing an example of virtue, humility and selflessness. Partly, it is because of this act (washing the feet) that Maundy Thursday is usually called Clean Four.

It is believed that on Maundy Thursday one must not only cleanse one’s soul with prayers and the ritual of washing, but also put one’s home in order. Any action on this day should be treated as a step towards complete healing of the soul from evil, and all actions should be performed with joy and reading prayers.

What to do on Maundy Thursday

Since the day ahead is troublesome, you should wake up early. The first thing after waking up is to wash your face or bathe with soap; it is believed that water on Maundy Thursday (especially in the early morning) is endowed with healing powers. With its help, as with Epiphany water, you can heal ailments, strengthen your immune system, and attract good luck to your life.

When all bath procedures are completed, you need to begin general cleaning of the house, yard and barn (if we are talking about private housing). One of the signs says that you need to wash windows and frames with water charged with money: to do this, you need to immerse coins in a basin of water, and then wash every corner of the window, every crevice with such water, so that wealth can easily enter the house and not leave it. .

In addition to the fact that you need to wash the windows and frames, you should take care of every corner of the house: remove junk from cabinets and shelves, throw out spoiled food from the refrigerator, wipe off dust, polish the floor. If there are any unfinished repairs in the house, then on Maundy Thursday they must be completed.

After cleaning, the housewives began cooking. They should be baked on Maundy Thursday; it is believed that they will not spoil until Easter and will remain fresh and soft. You should knead the dough and read a prayer, then the traditional Easter treat will turn out lush, tender and very tasty. Also, you should go to the store and buy food for the festive table for Easter, be sure to buy eggs for coloring.

If we talk about chores in the kitchen, then it is worth mentioning such a tradition as preparing Thursday salt. Despite the fact that it is usually prepared in monasteries, some housewives also want to have such salt in the house for personal use. It is believed that Thursday salt is endowed not only with healing powers, but also with magical powers. Therefore, it is used both to treat ailments and to remove damage, the evil eye, and for love spells. But such use of salt is not welcomed by the church, since it is all considered relics of paganism (except, of course, for the use of salt for medicinal purposes).

And the final important thing on Maundy Thursday is visiting the temple. It is advisable to take communion and confession in church. This is necessary in order to completely cleanse the spirit and body, because only on Maundy Thursday can one pray for all sins, even mortal ones.

What is forbidden to do on Maundy Thursday

Many prohibitions on this day are directly related to what must be done. For example, you should not leave your house uncleaned. It is believed that if you are lazy and do not put your house in order, then quarrels and misunderstandings will reign there for a year. You can't even start cooking until the house is cleaned. That is why the sequence of actions on Maundy Thursday is as we described above.

In addition, despite the fact that on this day it is customary to prepare treats for the Easter table, you cannot try the dishes, because Lent continues, and breaking it means undoing all your efforts in the past. In addition, Holy Week is the strictest week of fasting. Of course, if a person cannot fast due to health reasons, he is allowed to relax.

Also, in Pure Fours you cannot lend anything, since financial well-being can leave the house for the whole year. It’s not just money you can’t lend, this also applies to any things or objects.

According to the church canon, on Maundy Thursday one must pray intensely, and therefore the church recommends not to get too involved in worldly affairs if they interfere with prayers.

Knowing what you can do on Maundy Thursday, you can adequately prepare for Holy Easter, because this is almost the final stage.

Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are special times. Therefore, many people are interested in what they do on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday
what you can do after Maundy Thursday on Friday, what people do on such days, and what folk signs and customs exist.

Initially, all traditions were associated with the most important events in the life of Christ, which occurred precisely at this time. After all, the days of Holy Week were the last in Christ’s earthly life.

And of course, in the popular perception they acquired special significance, especially two days - Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. It is known that on Thursday the Savior washed the feet of his disciples, and the very next day on Friday he was betrayed and crucified. That is why remembering Jesus is the basis and the very essence of these days of remembrance.

Among the things that are customary to do on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, one can name a variety of activities. Usually believers clean up the house, bake Easter cakes, and paint eggs. That is, you need to have time to fully prepare for the main Christian celebration - the holiday of Easter.

Maundy Thursday is the main day when people try to get ready for Easter. And as often happens, preparation for the holiday itself turns into a celebration.

Water procedures

What they do on Maundy Thursday is all the pleasant chores around the house, painting eggs, baking Easter cakes, and most importantly, taking a bath. Or at least a bath.

Why did this tradition start at all? In general, this day is called clean because, according to legend, Christ washed the feet of his disciples during supper.

That is why for several centuries many people have been striving to get into the bathhouse and undergo a pleasant cleansing procedure. And also - to restore perfect order in the house so that not a single speck of dust overshadows the celebration. But this is far from the only popular sign on Maundy Thursday before Easter.

Of course, the most important thing to do on Maundy Thursday is to take a thorough swim before sunrise. This folk sign goes back to the time of Christ. It is believed that on the last day of his earthly life he celebrated the Last Supper with 12 disciples and personally washed the feet of each of them. It was a sign of special affection, love and service to people.

Of course, since then people have managed to create their own little rituals: for example, it is believed that it is better to wash your face using silver dishes. Or at least, put the silver item in a vessel with water overnight, from which you can wash your face the next morning. This procedure will help maintain youth and beauty throughout the year.

Bring beauty

On this day in Rus', all people tried to tidy up their hair so that their hair would look neat and beautiful on Easter. There were also such interesting customs:

1. Often ladies specially cut off at least a symbolic topknot of their hair, since there was a belief that after this they would grow much faster and become thicker.
2. If the baby was not yet one year old, then they tried to cut their hair for the first time on Maundy Thursday. This gave strength and health to the baby and made his parents happy.

By the way, people still have traditions that if you get your hair cut on this day, your hair will be thick and beautiful - so girls can take note of this. This is quite consistent with the special sensations that can be obtained on Maundy Thursday.

After all, if you are supposed to put the house in complete order and take a proper bath, then why not dye your hair or visit a cosmetologist? It is better to prepare for the wonderful spring holiday of Easter in advance.

THIS IS INTERESTING

There is another interesting belief. If you want your skin to be youthful and your hair to become thick and silky, just put a silver coin in the water you use to wash your face overnight. You can also take soap or shampoo outside at night (you can also put it outside the window) so that it is recharged and can transfer its energy when washing and bathing.

Along with the question of whether it is possible to cut your hair on Maundy Thursday, ladies are also interested in whether it is possible to dye your hair or cut your nails on this day. Such actions are not forbidden - any cosmetic procedures, trips to a beauty salon and other pleasant chores can be planned for this day.

True, there is one delicate point here that it is better for believers to keep in mind. Creating earthly beauty is very good, but you shouldn’t forget about heavenly beauty either. The fact is that after Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Saturday are coming, and these are the most sorrowful days. After all, on Friday the Savior was betrayed and crucified, and then his lifeless body ended up in the tomb until his resurrection on Easter.

The most important thing is order in the house

And what else you need to do on Maundy Thursday is to thoroughly clean the house. This is not only an ancient folk custom, but also a sign of good luck. It is believed that if the house is in complete order, then the year will be successful, because all household members will feel a wave of freshness, cleanliness and order. Although, of course, you can start cleaning on some other day: there are no strict prohibitions here.

Bake Easter cakes and color eggs

On this day they bake Easter cakes and paint eggs. It is believed that Good Friday and Saturday are not entirely suitable for this, because these are days of remembrance of the Savior. Well, on Sunday itself it’s already somehow inconvenient: a holiday has arrived, but the table is empty. Although, if circumstances do not allow, you can do pasochki and eggs on any other day, including Easter Sunday.

Tell your fortune

Since this day sets up positive emotions of renewal and good changes, it is useful to know what to do to attract material well-being. Folk rituals on Maundy Thursday help you tune in to the wave of luck and mentally bring your well-being closer:

1. First of all, the sign says that on Maundy Thursday you need to count all the money in the house three times: at dawn, at lunch and at sunset.
2. On Wednesday evening, you can put a silver coin in a vessel with water. The next morning they wash their face with this water and keep the coin in their wallet - it will bring good luck throughout the year.
3. You can also take 12 of any coins, throw them into a bucket of clean water and mentally wish yourself wealth, imagining how your dream has already come true.
4. By the way, you can wash windows and doors (that is, all openings) with this water - then you will have money all year round.
5. Imagining yourself to be rich, on Maundy Thursday you can wash your face with clean water in the morning - this should be done before sunrise.
6. Finally, the most interesting sign about Maundy Thursday is associated with a change in the situation in the apartment. If you rearrange the furniture, the whole year will be prosperous. After all, the holiday is a symbol of renewal. Therefore, it is better for the owners to try to get on exactly this wave: cleaning and changing the scenery will do their good deed.

Tell fortunes for the groom

According to popular beliefs, an unmarried girl should clearly imagine the image of the desired man (perhaps this is a specific or imaginary person). Having tuned in and believing in the fulfillment of your dream, your desire is reinforced by the following rituals:

1. They take ordinary soap and, calling the name of their loved one, say: “(Name) sticks to me like soap.”
2. After cleaning the house is finished, it is better to put your wardrobe in perfect order. And be sure to leave room... for men's clothing. This symbolic gesture allows you to imagine those days when your loved one will be nearby: the girl invites him into her life.
3. You can take the seed of any plant and plant it in a flower pot. A folk sign says that if a flower planted on Maundy Thursday sprouts quite quickly, then you won’t have long to wait until marriage.
4. But if a girl has been looking for her happiness for a long time, but has not yet met her betrothed, she must paint the eggs herself, bake Easter eggs and distribute them to everyone who needs them.

And it’s better to say this prayer while looking in a new mirror. They also buy it on Thursday, but you don’t need to take change:

JUST AS THE WHOLE WORLD LOOKS IN THE MIRROR, LOOKS AT ITS REFLECTION, SO THE GUYS WOULD LOOK AT ME, WOULD HAVE MERCY AND KISSED ME, AND VICING TO MATCH ME. IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. AMEN.

And here are the conspiracies. Like prayers, they are said only in solitude. These words are spoken before the sun rises.

They wake up on Thursday, wash themselves with water (it can be recharged with silver by placing a ring or other object at night) and say:

AS CLEAN THURSDAY IS LIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL, SO WILL THE Servant of God (NAME) BE BEAUTIFUL FOR EVERYONE. AMEN.

And this conspiracy is specifically intended for a widow. You need to wake up early and wash your face, placing a basin next to the door frame, and say the following words:

JUST AS ALL PEOPLE GRAB ON THIS BRACKET, THEY WOULD GRAB ON ME, THE WIDOW. THEY DID NOT BREAK UP WITH ME. WAS A WIDOW - BECOME A BRIDE. THERE IS A PLACE FOR A GOOD MAN NEAR ME, THE Servant of GOD (NAME). KEY, LOCK, TONGUE. AMEN. AMEN. AMEN.

And finally, the simplest version of the conspiracy:

MY FRIENDSHIP, CUMMY, WITHOUT BAD HABITS, APPEAR!

NOTE

If prayers can be said on any day and at any moment, as the heart dictates, then in the case of conspiracies there is an important condition. It is believed that they cannot be read in a state of even slight intoxication, as well as during the monthly cycle.

What you can do on Maundy Thursday: Thursday salt

Here is another interesting answer to the question of what to do on Maundy Thursday before Easter. There is a folk custom - making Thursday salt.

According to folk legends, this salt has very beneficial properties:

• protects a person from the evil eye, negative thoughts and views of envious people;
• protects health;
• helps to save your household;
• helps to avoid unpleasant events;
• charges with strength for a whole year.

Interestingly, the tradition of preparing the product has existed for several centuries. The first mentions of it that have reached us date back to the 16th century. Initially, salt was prepared in the Moscow region and the Volga region, from where the custom spread throughout the country, right up to Siberia.

The beneficial properties of this unique powder are explained by the special energy of Maundy Thursday. The fact is that this particular day was the last in Christ’s earthly life - on Friday he would be betrayed and crucified on the cross. In the evening, the Savior arranged a meal with the disciples, where they ate bread and drank wine.

That is why salt prepared at such moments can acquire a special beneficial charge. And thanks to its pure energy, it will protect its owner from damage and the evil eye. And the year will turn out to be successful - the main thing is just to tune in to a positive wave. It’s also useful to know how to prepare and use Thursday salt.

The classic recipe involves calcining the salt in a Russian oven (it is first mixed with rye bread crumbs or kvass grounds). Moreover, they heat it for several hours until the powder darkens and turns into a stick.

Of course, today almost no one has Russian stoves, but Thursday salt is quite possible to prepare in modern conditions. The technology is very simple - several interesting recipes are discussed below.

Classic Thursday salt recipe

The classic version uses rye bread (crumb only) or grounds from homemade kvass. They work like this:

1. The salt is ground again in a mortar.
2. The crumb or grounds are taken in the same quantity and mixed with salt (the crumb is pre-soaked).
3. Then they are calcined in a frying pan in the same way. True, this time it will take a little more time - after all, the moisture will first evaporate, and then the mixture will heat up.

With fragrant herbs

Regardless of the specific recipe, you need to immediately remember the general rule. Only coarse salt is taken, without any additives. Extra, iodized, marine and other types are not used. We proceed this way:

1. The rock salt is coarsely ground and crushed in a mortar - you need to ensure that you get a homogeneous powder.
2. Add lemon balm, oregano, thyme, mint and any other herbs you like to the mortar.
3. Now we put this whole mixture on a very hot, perfectly dry frying pan (or on a baking sheet, oven temperature +220 o C).
4. Calcinate until the crystals acquire a distinct black tint.

By the way, seasoning soup or other dishes with this salt is a pleasure. The pleasant aroma of herbs will give the food delicate flavor tones. But you shouldn’t be afraid of blackness: the salt itself is sodium chloride, which does not decompose even after heat treatment.

That is why overheated salt does not lose its taste. The impurities simply burn, and the herbs (in this recipe), of course, become charred and turn into pure carbon - soot.

With cabbage leaves

Another recipe for preparing Thursday salt in modern conditions is based on cabbage leaves. The technology is like this:

1. Take a regular head of white cabbage and remove the dirty top leaves.
2. Clean large leaves, tightly adjacent to each other, are separated from the head of cabbage.
3. Now they need to be finely chopped with a knife and mixed with approximately the same amount of salt.
4. Next, reheat according to the described scheme.

NOTE

Regardless of the recipe you choose, you also need to know when to prepare Thursday salt in 2018. All work must be done on the night of Thursday (April 5), since the treasured powder should already be completely ready by sunrise.

One thing is clear today: the most important thing is a person’s sincere faith in good changes. Every person has the ability to have a positive outlook on life and believe in miracles. And if Thursday salt helps in this noble cause, then it must be prepared on the most cherished day of the year.

5 folk signs for Maundy Thursday

Each of us at least once, but still paid attention to certain signs. It is all the more interesting to think about what messages fate has prepared on the special day of Maundy Thursday, which happens only once a year. Here are some interesting folk signs:

1. There has long been an interesting custom: coins and other symbolic objects were placed in pasochki when baking. Whoever pulls out what will get the corresponding events in the coming year.
2. Housewives carefully monitored how the dough rose and whether they were able to bake good Easter cakes. If everything went well, it means the year will be successful.
3. Borrowing, borrowing, giving away some things from home (even for a while) was considered a bad sign. It is better not to do this on Maundy Thursday, but to be patient a little and choose another day for this - after all, along with the good you give away, you can also lose good luck.
4. And here is another interesting sign: on this day it is very important who you see first on the street. If people are young, it’s a good sign. If it’s an old woman, perhaps fate is warning about some event that is better to pay attention to.
5. It is believed that it is better to attend a service and bring a candle from it. It can burn throughout the day and charge the house with its miraculous power. This candle serves as a good talisman against illnesses and unwanted events.

What to do on Good Friday

On this day, believers strive to attend the service, which consists of three parts:

1. First in the morning they read the Gospels - passages of Holy Scripture describing the suffering of Christ.
2. Then they perform it, serving as an image of the matter on which the Savior’s body was placed.
3. After this, Matins of Holy Saturday is served in the evening, since the new day traditionally begins in the evening.

During the Gospel readings, those gathered in the temple listen to how Christ talked with his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane and said goodbye to them, about his sorrowful prayer, about the betrayal of Judas and being handed over to the soldiers, about the court of the Sanhedrin, the conversation with Pilate and the mockery of Herod.

What can you do on Friday after Maundy Thursday?

For a long time in Rus' on Red Friday they tried to follow very strict rules, for example:

• do nothing around the house;
• do not sew or cut fabric;
• do not cook anything, do not light a fire;
• do not work on the ground, do not dig, etc.

It is advisable to complete all preparations for the Easter holiday on Maundy Thursday, so that on Good Friday nothing distracts from prayers and services. Those who follow the strictest rules of Lent do not even wash on this day.

On Good Friday, the strictest requirements for fasting are imposed - the intake of food and even water is completely excluded until the removal of the shroud. After this, only bread and water are allowed.

However, it is quite clear to what extent the lifestyle of modern man has changed. Sometimes we simply have no choice: we need to go to work, dress and feed our children, help our family, cook dinner, etc.

Therefore, everyone acts in accordance with the circumstances. The corresponding commentary is given by many representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church, for example, Archpriest John Makarenko.

Signs for Good Friday

In Rus', on this day they often baked baked goods, for example, a bun in the shape of a cross. It was believed that such bread would never become moldy. And sailors took buns on long voyages and believed that they would be the ship’s talisman and protect them from maritime disasters.

There was one more custom that each of us can add to our collection of good deeds. Rich people certainly treated their loved ones, acquaintances and even ordinary passersby with baked goods, milk, cottage cheese or eggs.

Another interesting custom is that believers tried to bring 12 burning candles from the church, with which they stood at the service. These candles were carried lit and placed in any part of the house. They needed to burn out to the end. It was believed that throughout the year (12 months) there would be peace and prosperity in the house.

As for the popular signs of Good Friday, interesting beliefs have survived even to this day:

1. If you bake a loaf of bread (including Easter cake) on this day, it will not mold for many days. And besides, it can charge a person with healing energy that saves from various diseases.
2. If you go to church on Friday and consecrate a silver ring, it will serve as an amulet against accidents and help protect your health.
3. On this day, you should not pierce the ground with an iron (shovel, pitchfork, etc.) - such an action is considered a bad sign that can lead to adverse consequences.
4. If the baby is already approaching the age when it is customary to wean, then it is better to do this on Good Friday. Then the child will grow up strong and healthy.
5. If you are thirsty on Good Friday, no drink will harm you for a whole year.
6. If the rings are blessed on Good Friday, they will protect the wearer from all diseases.
7. If you sow parsley on Good Friday, it will yield a double harvest.
8. If it is cloudy on Good Friday, then the bread will be covered with weeds.
9. And there is also an interesting observation: if on Friday night it is so clear that you can see the entire starry sky, then the harvest this year will be good, and the wheat will be grainy.

On Maundy Thursday and Good Friday after it, they do almost any work that circumstances require and conscience allows. The Church does not impose any strict prohibitions, but advises to refrain from the usual fuss and delicious food. After all, the Savior is worthy of us paying tribute to him at least once a year.

In addition, there are only a few days left until the most important Christian celebration - Easter. And very soon we will say: “Christ is risen! Truly risen!”

Maundy Thursday is the fourth day of Holy Week. In 2018 it falls on April 5th. There are many signs, customs and traditions associated with this day. We tell you what you need to do on April 5 to attract money, happiness and health into your home.

Traditions and customs on Maundy Thursday

Count money

According to the old tradition, on Maundy Thursday you need to count all the money in the house three times during the day. This should be done early in the morning, at noon and at sunset. You need to count money on Maundy Thursday in secret, without strangers. Only then will the ritual work and the family will live in abundance.

Take a swim

To be healthy all year round, on Maundy Thursday you need to swim before sunrise. It is believed that this can wash away sins. On Maundy Thursday you need to take a steam bath or take a bubble bath. Water on this day acquires protective properties, so it can “wash away” illnesses and negativity.

On the night before Maundy Thursday, you need to put a silver item in a vessel with water. It is believed that if you wash your face with this water on April 5, the evil spirits will not touch you.

Anna Zaikova

Do some general cleaning

If you do some general cleaning on Maundy Thursday, you will have a lot of joy in your life. There is a popular belief that if you do a thorough cleaning of your home on Maundy Thursday, you will find your favorite things that were lost.

Throw away unnecessary things

Cleansing your body and soul on Maundy Thursday can begin with cleaning your personal space. All unnecessary things should be thrown out of the apartment - clothes, household appliances, old furniture, dishes with cracks. According to legends, problems and troubles will leave the house along with the trash.

Take communion

To cleanse yourself of sins and bad thoughts, you should go to church for confession and receive communion.

Conspiracies on Maundy Thursday

For money

Before cleaning, you need to put a coin in a bucket of water. If you wash your windows and doors with this water, your cash income will increase throughout the year. After cleaning, remove the change from the water and put it in the far corner of the apartment for a week. The water needs to be poured away from the house, where nothing grows.

Soap to attract a man

You need a bar of handmade soap that includes natural ingredients. On the morning of Maundy Thursday, go to the bathhouse (preferably from sunrise to ten in the morning) and wash yourself with this soap. It is believed that it should not be shared with other people.

Cleaning the house on Maundy Thursday should be done with the same soap. During such cleaning, the ancestors said the words: “(Name) sticks to me like soap.” If there was any soap left, it was taken to the church and left under the threshold or by the fence. If you perform such a ritual, your lover will begin to show you signs of attention.

Folk signs on Maundy Thursday

• If you rearrange the furniture in the apartment on Maundy Thursday, this will free the family from financial problems.
• Look out the window in the morning. If the first person you see is an old person, it means bad luck. If a dog or a young man - fortunately. If a young girl - to family happiness, and a child - to study.
• On Maundy Thursday you cannot lend not only money, but also anything at all from your home - good luck will go away.
• There was a custom among the people to cut their hair on Maundy Thursday. It was believed that by cutting one's hair, one was cleansed of sins.
• If there is dirt at home on Maundy Thursday, then you will spend the whole year in quarrels.

Maundy Thursday, Holy Thursday, Maundy Thursday... From Maundy Thursday, preparations for the Bright Feast of Easter begin for the Orthodox. Following time management technology, we plan things that must be done in these 24 hours.

To live cleanly is to be healthy

It is not for nothing that the most famous name of this day is associated with cleanliness. Since ancient times, our ancestors cleaned not only the house itself, but also the yard and the stable. First of all, they renewed the lamps and wiped the icons. The housewives swept the floor, greased and whitewashed the stove, washed the windows and doors, scraped the benches and table with a knife. Over the next week, it was forbidden to clean the house, especially sweeping the floor, so as not to “clog the eyes of Christ lying in the tomb.” There is a belief that when cleaning on this day, you can find those things that a person has long said goodbye to.

Sand, knife and hair

They didn’t forget about the dishes. By the way, the word “dishes” did not exist in Rus' - all containers for food products were called “vessels”. In wealthy families, Easter dishes were kept separately - they were used only for Easter. The vessels were scraped and sanded, bringing them to a shine. In some areas, containers for storing milk were fumigated with women's hair, explaining the importance of the ritual by saying that the container was desecrated by the touch of the traitor Judas.

And the little footcloth rejoices at Easter

On this day, a big wash was definitely going to be done. Clothes, bed linen, towels and curtains, rugs, rugs and bedding - we had to have time to wash everything! Then the laundry was taken out into the yard to dry, and the family itself went to bed on straw, which was spread on the floor. Mothers instructed their daughters, and mothers-in-law instructed their daughters-in-law: “Everything needs to be washed, because even the little footcloth rejoices at Easter.”

Easter table

After cleaning, the preparation of generous Easter treats began. And the main attributes of the festive table were baked Easter cakes, Easter cottage cheese and painted eggs. Easter desserts had to be blessed - preferably on Holy Saturday, that is, on the eve of the festive service. Traditionally, girls were involved in “decorating” Easter eggs.

Get there before the crow

There was a belief that on Maundy Thursday, before sunrise, the raven would definitely bathe its chicks in the river. It was believed that whoever gets there before the birds will receive good health for the whole year.

If this method seems too extreme, you can simply wash your face in the morning from dishes in which some silver object, for example, a spoon, was placed in the evening. It is believed that by washing with Thursday water, a person received protection from the evil eye for the whole year.

Children, money and bedbugs

In between global procedures, you can, firstly, cut your child’s hair, and secondly, count your money three times. This should be done at dawn, noon and sunset. No one should see the process of your financial manipulations, including your household, otherwise prosperity will turn away from home. Well, thirdly, get rid of domestic insects, if there are any in your home. The recipe of our ancestors is simple: catch three bedbugs or cockroaches and take them away from home, preferably to a field. It is believed that their comrades will follow their example and leave your home.

Thursday salt

Children, money and insects are easy to deal with, especially if they are in the house. But our ancestors also remembered “Thursday salt”. Each family member should take a handful of salt and pour it into a common bag. This bag was carefully kept throughout the year, because it was believed that “Thursday salt” would come in handy if someone in the house fell ill. “Thursday salt” was also used to make amulets to protect livestock, good harvests and well-being in the home. Salt collected from three yards also has medicinal properties.