Since ancient times, it has been customary to clean the house on Maundy Thursday. Housewives must not only wash the floor and wipe off the dust, but also get rid of unnecessary things and, most importantly, cleanse their home of negativity. Mentally say goodbye to all quarrels and insults and greet the holiday with a light soul.
Wash
In addition to general cleaning, on Maundy Thursday it is customary to do a lot of laundry. Be sure to change bed sheets, wash curtains, bedspreads and other textiles. After such a ritual, you will immediately notice how light it is, how your home has changed.
Bake Easter cake
On Maundy Thursday you can and even need to bake Easter cake. It is believed that you need to do this with bright thoughts, only in this case the result will please you. In some countries it is still common to bake large number pasok to treat relatives, friends and neighbors with them on Maundy Thursday.
Color the eggs
Along with baking Easter cakes, one of the main traditions of Maundy Thursday is painting easter eggs. Be sure to involve your children in this activity. We are sure that the kids will be delighted. Moreover, there are a huge number of ways.
Get a haircut
Many of you are probably wondering whether you can get a haircut on Maundy Thursday. It turns out that a haircut on this day has magical properties. It is believed that when you cut your hair, you get rid of failures and accumulated negativity. In addition, some mothers prefer to cut their child’s hair for the first time on Maundy Thursday. According to beliefs, this will contribute to the baby’s growth and rapid development.
Take a bath
After all the household chores, do not forget to take time for yourself. Be sure to take a bath, because water on this day is considered very beneficial. At the same time, do not forget to think about the good, and that’s all bad thoughts drive away.
What should you not do on Maundy Thursday?
As throughout Lent, meat and other prohibited foods should not be consumed on this day. In addition, excessive fun is not encouraged on Maundy Thursday. Try to spend the day as calmly as possible - do household chores, go for a walk with your child and be inspired by the beauty of spring nature.
In 2018, Maundy Thursday will be celebrated on April 5, and many people are wondering whether it is possible to clean on this day or whether it is better to postpone everything until another time. The detailed answer to this question is given below.
Cleaning on Maundy Thursday - is it possible?
Definitely yes, and even necessary! 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.
Here we are faced with a fairly common case when Orthodox and folk traditions combine harmoniously with each other.
Thursday of Holy Week is called clean because it was on this day that Christ washed the feet of all his 12 disciples (including Judas, who betrayed him a few hours later).
So it turned out that for several centuries in Rus' and in other countries people have sought to take a thorough swim on this day. And also to restore complete order in their homes - they removed cobwebs, swept away all the garbage, washed the windows and tinted the fences. This is understandable: Good Friday and Saturday are ahead. And then there is Easter - the main Christian holiday, which today, without exaggeration, is celebrated by billions of people on our planet.
Interestingly, many housewives still try not to pour dirty water left after cleaning into the toilet or other place in the house on Maundy Thursday. It would be better to take it out and pour it somewhere outside the apartment - on a rocky path or in a ditch, so as not to disturb plants and other living creatures.
PLEASE NOTE
In fact, the question of whether it is possible to clean on Maundy Thursday can be reduced to a more general one: is it even possible to work on this day, or do any household or official work?
Of course, you can - life goes on as usual. And each person acts not only according to his own desire, but also in accordance with the actual circumstances.
Is it possible to clean on Friday after Maundy Thursday?
If a person does not have time to complete all his affairs, he can swim and clean the house both before and after Thursday, Wordyou reports. So, often circumstances are such that it is possible to tidy up, wash, etc. only on Wednesday evening. You can also do these things on Friday and Saturday - strict prohibitions not here.
This point of view is shared by representatives of the Orthodox Church.
However, it is important to make one caveat here. The fact is that Friday and Saturday during Holy Week (week) are the times when the Savior was executed and crucified, and his spirit left his lifeless body. It is clear that these are the most difficult, dramatic days for all believers, when even fasting involves the most serious restrictions.
Therefore, at such moments it will be better to focus on reading the Bible, prayers and virtues. The bustle of the house can simply distract from the holiday and the days preceding it - therefore, if possible, it is better to finish bathing, washing and general cleaning of the house on Thursday.
What else can you do on Maundy Thursday?
Here’s what else they do on Maundy Thursday before Easter according to folk traditions:
- IN modern conditions Not everyone can go to the bathhouse. But a silver spoon or other utensils made of this noble metal should probably be found in many homes. If you fill a silver bowl with water and wash your face with it in the morning (again, better before sunrise), you will receive a boost of vigor and health for the rest of your life. whole year. You can simply put a silver spoon in a vessel of water and wash your face.
- You need to try to cleanse not only your body, but the whole house. On Maundy Thursday they try to get rid of all the trash, old things that have not been used for a long time.
- Housewives are not forbidden to sew, wash and do other household chores on Maundy Thursday, and it is better to do them before the evening.
- You also need to boil the eggs on Maundy Thursday evening, paint them, knead the dough, and then bake the Easter cakes. The pasochki will not go stale if you prepare them using the correct technology. An interesting nuance - on this day it is prohibited to take samples from Easter cake, eggs and other festive dishes. Of course, such a rule applies to a greater extent to churchgoers who observe Lent. However, those who have not fasted can also heed the advice.
- Even on Maundy Thursday, the so-called Thursday salt is prepared. It is prepared on the basis of ordinary salt - the crystals are mixed with the soggy crumb of rye bread or with the grounds that remain after the kvass has settled. It is believed that it will serve as an excellent amulet for the whole family, and will be valid for a whole year.
- On Maundy Thursday they also make peculiar conspiracies for money and for the betrothed. For example, you could put a silver coin in water overnight and then hide it in your wallet for a whole year. Or take a piece of soap and say the name of your loved one, saying: “(Name) sticks to me like soap.” Of course, these traditions are more likely to be folk than church traditions. However, there is nothing wrong with a person’s very desire to find love and live in abundance.
Maundy Thursday - fourth day Holy Week associated with many traditions and customs. In order to properly prepare for Easter, it is important to know what activities are welcome on this day, and what the church advises to abstain from.
At the church service on Maundy Thursday, the most important events of Gospel history are remembered: it was on this day that the Last Supper took place, at which the Savior established the Sacrament of Communion, dividing bread among his disciples, and also predicted the fatal betrayal of Judas. In addition, the Son of God washed the apostles’ feet, setting an example of love for mankind, humility and selfless service to one’s neighbor. This is one of the reasons why Thursday Holy Week called "Clean". Since then, a special ritual has been performed in churches during the liturgy: in memory of the great event, the bishop symbolically washes the feet of twelve clergy.
There is an opinion that it is precisely because of this that the tradition arose among the people to carry out general cleaning before Easter on Maundy Thursday. However, physical cleansing is far from the most important thing that needs to be done on this day. After all, every day of Holy Week is aimed at spiritual cleansing, and this is what should be given special attention. Every task on Maundy Thursday must be approached with prayer and joy in the heart.
What you can do on Maundy Thursday
According to tradition, Maundy Thursday is welcomed early rise: you need to get up before sunrise and rinse the body clean water . It is believed that water on this day, just like on Epiphany, is endowed with special power: it is able to expel illnesses and illnesses from the body, “wash away” failures and protect from troubles. In ancient times, on Maundy Thursday they washed themselves with water infused with silver: people believed that the noble metal enhanced its amazing properties.
After ablution they begin to cleaning the house: this is the main stage of preparing your home for the meeting of the Light Christ's Resurrection. Exists folk custom wash window openings, doors and floors with “money” water: throw a handful of coins into a filled basin, and then thoroughly rinse every corner so that well-being and prosperity do not bypass your home. For the same purpose, they get rid of the trash that has accumulated over the year: by going through things and throwing away everything that has become unusable, you open up space for something new.
On Maundy Thursday you can start preparing Easter dishes: bake Easter cakes, paint and paint eggs, prepare ingredients for other holiday treats.
On the fourth day of Holy Week you can make Thursday salt- a special amulet that, according to popular belief, will protect household members from adversity, illness and trouble. This is a long-standing custom that has not lost its relevance in our time.
And, of course, one of the most important things for every believer on this day is temple visit. Orthodox take the sacrament of communion, cleansing the soul from sins, because this is precisely the main meaning of Maundy Thursday.
What not to do on Maundy Thursday
On Maundy Thursday, under no circumstances You can't leave the house dirty: according to popular belief, if you ignore cleaning on this day, there will be no harmony and peace in the family for the entire next year. It is even prohibited start preparing Easter food until the house is cleaned.
It is forbidden take samples from holiday dishes even during preparation: on the fourth day of Holy Week, a particularly strict fast continues, which is forbidden to break unless relaxation is allowed due to health reasons. You can read more about how to fast during Holy Week on our website.
There is a belief that giving something of value or lending someone money on this day, you can deprive yourself of financial luck for the whole year. Therefore, you should refrain from such actions.
The church also calls not to forget that spiritual cleansing is paramount on Maundy Thursday, so you shouldn’t pay excessive attention to worldly affairs to the detriment of prayers and spiritual work.
Correct behavior during Holy Week is an integral part of preparation for Easter. Celebrate this bright holiday with a pure soul and an open heart. We wish you well-being and happiness, and do not forget to press the buttons and
On this day, every believer must leave their problems, anxieties, fears and sinful thoughts. You should not enter the bright holiday of Easter with a negative load. Maundy Thursday is accompanied by many customs, omens, rituals, prayers and traditions.Thursday in Holy Week is often called Living Thursday. And for a reason. Our ancestors also noticed that incredible things happen on Thursday: wishes come true, and the soul is filled with hope, and strength appears even in those who have given up.
What is so unusual happening on this day? And how to make sure that such grace does not bypass your family.
WHAT YOU MUST DO
Go to church and bring the so-called passion candle, which helps in treating the most various diseases. Ideally, Maundy Thursday is the best day for confession and communion in order to celebrate Easter with a pure soul and bright thoughts.
If you can’t attend the morning service, be sure to go to the temple after work: in the evening the candles are blessed. Since ancient times, Christians have tried to bring home a candle lit in church. It was believed that if the candle did not go out, then everything in the house and family would be safe all year. A lamp was lit from this candle, and the candle was hidden behind the icons and taken out and lit when someone in the house was sick.
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Finish cleaning. Despite the fact that Thursday is called Clean, it is better to finish cleaning the house on Wednesday. And dedicate Thursday to pre-holiday chores.
It is important to cleanse your home, body and soul on this day. It is customary to disassemble and throw away unnecessary things. It is necessary to wash from the farthest corners to the threshold; it is advisable to pour out dirty water outside the house.
You can’t celebrate the approaching Easter holiday in a dirty home, then you can’t expect anything good from the next year. The house is no longer cleaned until Easter.
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Take a swim. To stay happy and prosperous until next Maundy Thursday, you need to cleanse your body. On Maundy Thursday, early in the morning, the water in reservoirs is saturated with beneficial power. Also, before sunrise, everyone steamed in the bathhouse. According to legend, immediately after waking up on Maundy Thursday, each family member had to wash himself with water in which a silver object was placed overnight. It was believed that after washing like this, a person would be healthy and beautiful, and he also could not be afraid of the evil eye - no one could harm him. Before ablution, you must definitely say a prayer.
You can, of course, follow these traditions. But you shouldn’t wake up babies so early: it will be enough to wash them thoroughly when they wake up and are in good mood. And if you are in a hurry to go to kindergarten or school, just wash them with holy water or a decoction of willow twigs blessed in Palm Sunday(1 sprig is poured with 1 liter of boiling water, boiled for 5 minutes and infused). By the way, plain water is also no worse: it is believed that all the water on this day is especially healing and strengthening. Just believe it!
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Bake Easter cakes. On this day, housewives prepare Easter eggs, painted eggs, Easter cakes and Easter cakes. In the old days, the housewife got up early, after praying and getting ready for the holiday, she kneaded the dough. Towards evening they start baking. According to customs, you can bake Easter cakes and Easter cakes and paint eggs only after cleaning on Maundy Thursday.
Popular beliefs say that by how the Easter cakes turn out, you can judge how the whole year will go until next Easter. If Easter cakes turned out lush and tasty, then next year will bring only joy. But if baking is not a success, then the year ahead will be difficult.
Of course, it is difficult for women who work in an office to combine baking and work. But there are a few secrets that will help you please your family with homemade Easter cakes without getting too tired:
Use a modern household appliances. For example, you can knead the dough for Easter cakes in a bread machine and then bake them in the oven. Or transfer the dough prepared in a bread machine into a slow cooker and bake a luxurious round cake!
Call everyone in your household for help. The father of the family with strong hands can easily help with the batch butter dough, and children will do a great job with the decor. Kids will remember this Maundy Thursday in the family circle for the rest of their lives!
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Get a haircut. It is believed that hair cut on this day will help get rid of the evil eye and diseases. And the haircut will certainly please you.
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Prepare Thursday salt. Also on this day you can make special Thursday salt. Ordinary salt is wrapped in a cloth and heated in an oven. All family members take a pinch of salt and pour it into a special jar, which is then hidden behind the icon. This salt has amazing healing properties: It is used to add salt to food when someone in the house is sick.
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Count the money. No matter how funny this tradition may sound, our ancestors believed that if you count the money in the house three times during the day, you will have it all year round! You can also paint eggs and make Easter eggs on this day.
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WHAT NOT TO DO ON THIS DAY
Under no circumstances should you give or borrow on this day. Even if you are missing something, it is better to go to the store. If a neighbor comes to you for salt, find a reason to refuse her, otherwise, along with the salt, you can give away your health, prosperity and peace from your home.
Don't give away things you don't need on this day. You are considered to be giving away your well-being.
No matter how you feel about the signs and traditions associated with Maundy Thursday, remember that this day should be spent in a positive mood. Think about the most cherished and good things. And everything will certainly work out.
Maundy Thursday falls on a different date each year depending on when Christians celebrate Easter. It is known for sure that this is the last Thursday before Easter; it always takes place as part of Great or Holy Week. What are the customs for Maundy Thursday 2018 and what signs must be taken into account on this day?
This year, Orthodox believers will have Maundy Thursday on April 5, because Easter falls on April 8. It is worth preparing for this day in advance, because there are many rituals, customs and traditions that have been preserved for Maundy Thursday, the implementation of which can improve all areas of a person’s life. If, of course, you try and know in advance what to ask for from higher powers.
What rituals to perform
Why did this particular day of Holy Week receive such a name? All because on Thursday you need to bring your body, soul, and also your home into a good, clean condition in every sense of the word. The soul is cleansed by prayers and repentance, the body is cleansed by fasting and water, and the house is cleansed by cleaning. For cleaning the house and for one’s own body, there are certain Maundy Thursday rituals that will help improve health and other areas of a person’s life. You can also cook it.
Maundy Thursday includes mandatory swimming in open water. If this is not possible, then even before sunrise you just need to accept contrast shower. Be sure to complete all cleaning and laundry in the house on Maundy Thursday, because these activities will no longer be possible until the Red Hill holiday, which is still more than a week away from Good Friday.
To bring good luck into your home on Maundy Thursday, you need to add it to the water for washing windows and doorways a little change. Wash the windows, telling them to keep money in the house and not transfer it this year. After finishing cleaning, pour the water under the tree, and put the small change in a fabric bag and store it in the red corner.
As for the signs that it is simply impossible not to mention during this story, fortune telling for the next year should be noted. You need to get up early in the morning and look out the window. Depending on what you see, you can make predictions for this year. An old woman promises bad luck, especially if she carries an empty bag or bucket. If a man catches your eye first, it is good luck and good fortune. If family is for family well-being. Seeing a child means she is studying a lot this year, the young woman promises happiness in the family.
What not to do in:
During the church service on the evening of Maundy Thursday, you cannot sit. Because the Divine service is called “passion” or “great standing”.
You need to stand for the service with lit candles, and then bring them home. If the candle does not go out along the way, then you need to light all the lamps at home from it - this will ensure happiness and well-being throughout the year.
You cannot eat any animal products on this day, because Lent continues.
It is imperative to complete the general cleaning of the house, because from Good Friday it will no longer be possible to clean the home and do the laundry. If the house is dirty on Maundy Thursday, then it was believed that there would be dirt and quarrels in the house throughout the year.
Dirty water after cleaning should be poured outside the house so as not to accumulate negative energy. It is best to pour this water in a place where nothing grows.
You cannot leave unwashed dishes or unwashed clothes in the evening.
Until the whole house is cleaned, on Maundy Thursday you cannot start preparing Easter cakes and coloring eggs. Although, after completing the cleaning that day, cook festive table it is possible and even necessary.
The signs for Maundy Thursday, as you can see, are quite extensive. If you don’t try in advance, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to do everything in time. I would like to remind you that you can clean the house and do a lot of laundry before Maundy Thursday throughout the beginning of Holy Week. If you plan everything correctly, starting from Holy Monday, then you will definitely be able to get a lot done before Good Friday.
