Trinity in 2023: the history and traditions of the holiday

Trinity is one of the twelve main Orthodox holidays. Sometimes it is also called the Day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit. From the name it is clear what event the celebration is associated with – the descent of the Holy Spirit to earth described in the Bible, which was foretold by Jesus Christ. This event demonstrated to the believers the trinity of God, that is, the existence of three Persons of one essentially God – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

The Trinity also has a third name – Pentecost. This name indicates the date of the celebration – the fiftieth day after Easter, to which, as you know, many Christian celebrations are tied.

When is Trinity celebrated in 2023

There is no exact date for Holy Sunday, so the Trinity is celebrated every year at different times. In 2023, Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter on April 16th. If we count 50 days from this date, we get 4 June – this will be the Day of the Holy Trinity.

For Catholics, the Trinity does not coincide with Pentecost (the day of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles). In 2023, the Catholic Trinity will be celebrated on May 28.

history of the holiday

It is believed that the feast in honor of the Holy Trinity was decided by the apostles, who are also called the disciples of Jesus Christ. Thus, they wanted to fix in people’s memory the event that took place on the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of the Lord. According to biblical legends, the Holy Spirit descended to the apostles, who by that time had been praying for fifty days in a row in the Zion Upper Room, which later became the first Christian temple.

After the descent of the Holy Spirit, the apostles suddenly learned to heal and prophesy. At the same time, they also spoke in different languages: this knowledge was given to them in order to carry the Word of God around the world. After that, the disciples of Christ went to different parts of the world to tell all the inhabitants of the planet about the life of the Lord and his painful death for the sins of all mankind.

And the official establishment of the feast of the Trinity took place in 381, when the Second Ecumenical Council was convened in Constantinople, at which the doctrine of the Trinity was formulated. It was then that the dogma of the equality and consubstantiality of all Divine Persons was approved.

And our ancestors, the Slavs, began to celebrate the Trinity much later – only 300 years after the baptism of Our Country, that is, at the end of the XNUMXth – beginning of the XNUMXth centuries.

Holiday traditions

Since the Trinity is a religious holiday, this day is never complete without a service in the temple, which traditionally includes the Divine Liturgy and Great Vespers.

Trinity churches are usually decorated with greenery: freshly cut grass is laid on the floor, icons are framed with spring flowers and young tree branches. Many believers on this day bring several branches of birch with them to the church to consecrate them, and then put them at home near the icons. It is believed that in this way you can protect your home and yourself at the same time from all evil. In general, birch is the main attribute of the holiday, its branches symbolize the power of the Holy Spirit.

Another tradition of Trinity Day is to arrange a feast and invite all relatives, friends and relatives to the celebration. Pentecost is not a fast day, so there is an opportunity to demonstrate your culinary skills and please guests with a wide variety of treats. The traditional dish for the Trinity was and remains loaf.

Previously, on the Day of the Holy Trinity, real festivities were organized – in the evening, round dances were performed in the villages, they sang songs and danced. Such fun on the Trinity has not lost its popularity so far.

In addition, on Trinity Day in Our Country it was customary to marry. It was believed that if you get married on Pentecost, and play a wedding on Pokrov – the day when, according to our ancestors, autumn meets winter, then a happy life together is guaranteed.

There are traditions associated with the preparation for the Trinity. For example, a couple of days before the holiday, believers usually arrange a general cleaning in the house. The fact is that on the Day of the Holy Trinity you can’t clean up, as well as sew, wash and do any housework. And on parental Saturday (the day preceding Trinity), it is customary to visit cemeteries and commemorate the dead.

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