A week after Easter, Red Hill is celebrated. What is this holiday, what should not be done, and how should this day be spent? - Such questions, for sure, arise in many people. Therefore, let's talk about everything in order.

Holiday history and names

To understand how this day appeared and what the Red Hill holiday means, one will have to turn to those times when there was no Christianity in Russia. The Slavs were pagans, and they worshiped several gods at once. And around this time, they organized a grandiose holiday dedicated to the god of the sun - Yarila. All gathered together to call and greet the spring.

As you know, the first sign of spring is melted snow on the hills. And it was on such open hills that folk festivals were organized. People sang songs, invited warmth together, played and had fun. As for the name of the holiday, it is believed that the hills exposed from the snow are the very hills. And the word “red” used to mean “beautiful”. Some historians believe that this is why the holiday is so called. Others say that the name appeared later, when Russia was already baptized, and one of the favorite folk amusements was rolling eggs down hills. Particles natural dyes remained on the hill from which the eggs were rolled, so the hill also turned red, like the painted shell.

However, this holiday has a second name - Antipaskha. Here, it is clear that it is already necessary to turn to the Bible. The fact is that this day is celebrated a week after Easter, or rather on the first Sunday after the Great Holiday. And as follows from the Gospel, everyone rejoiced that the Savior was Risen, except for one person, whose name was Thomas. This apostle said that he would believe in a miracle if Jesus Christ did appear before him. The Savior appeared to the Apostle Thomas, and after that he began to carry the doctrine of Christianity throughout the world. The phrase "unbelieving Thomas" became a household name, the whole week after Easter began to be called Thomas, and the day when Jesus appeared to the Apostle was popularly called Anti-Easter. But do not confuse the "anti" particle with the "not" particle. "Anti" means "instead of". And so it turns out that the second name of the holiday can be interpreted as "Instead of Easter".

What can and cannot be done on Krasnaya Gorka

Of course, now this holiday is celebrated differently than before. Urban life makes its own adjustments, and when many people lived in villages, they all rested together. Young people especially loved Krasnaya Gorka. It was believed that girls and boys must have fun in order to marry well or marry successfully.

The Red Hill did not pass without weddings. It was believed that the marriage entered into at this time would be very strong. During the same period, parents chose brides and grooms for their children.

And also various competitive contests have always been held on Antipaskh. Young people showed their strength, and girls showed their ability to dance.

Were there any bans on Krasnaya Gorka? Of course, not without it. So, for example, on this day it was impossible to be sad. And it was also forbidden to engage in any agricultural work. After all, the earth should rest on holiday. Is it possible to work at Krasnaya Gorka now? This issue is not regulated by any documents, but it is better to rest on this day, especially since the holiday falls on Sunday.

And on this day, it is forbidden to enter into conflicts. People believe that if you quarrel with someone, then they will not be able to make up right up to the holiday of Trinity!

Signs and customs

And of course, Krasnaya Gorka, like any other popular holiday, is shrouded in beliefs and omens. Of the positive signs on Krasnaya Gorka, one can note the throwing of a coin into a well. It is believed that if you perform such a simple ceremony, then the whole next year will be successful.

You can also attract wealth if you wash yourself with water in which the icon was dipped. In this case, it is imperative to read prayers. And yet - you can wash with such water those who are younger in age. It is believed that if you wash a person who is older, then instead of wealth, poverty will settle in the house.

Also a positive sign is to buy yourself a red outfit on Krasnaya Gorka and spend the whole day in it. People believed that this could also attract good luck.

And also a good omen: roll a painted egg down the hill. At the same time, however, other people must be present. A person whose egg rolls farther than others and is not damaged will live well. And if the egg rolls to the side, it means that a difficult period awaits the person.

And on Krasnaya Gorka, young girls always performed rituals and conspiracies aimed at getting married as soon as possible. But the most ambitious ritual was aimed at protecting the village from evil spirits and increasing yields. For this, the oldest women in the village went to the edge of the village with an icon and a plow. Young girls approached them. They removed the headscarves from the heads of adult women, and unraveled their hairstyles. Then everyone grabbed the plow and walked around the whole village. Where the roads crossed, it was customary to put a cross. People believed that a village surrounded by such a circle would not know grief. The harvest will be good, and no invasion of beetles or the vagaries of nature should be expected.

And of course, the Antipaskh holiday was not complete without a large-scale feast. It was an obligatory ritual. Housewives, who colored a lot of eggs, crumbled them and added them to different dishes. And some more eggs were given to animals. This was done so that the livestock would also be healthy.

If earlier all these customs were strictly observed, now almost no one remembers them. However, in many cities, festivities and games are held on Krasnaya Gorka with prizes and gifts.

6,086 views

The whole next week after Bright Easter is called Bright Week, Easter week and ends on Sunday, which is called -. In church tradition, the holiday is also called Antipascha or Fomino Sunday and is dedicated to the memory of the appearance of Christ to the Apostle Thomas on the eighth day after the resurrection. This is the Christian essence of this holiday.

The people borrowed the holiday from the Eastern Slavs and it is customary to celebrate it joyfully, cheerfully, with noisy folk festivals, merrymaking, with round dances, with the cry of spring and making fires.

Weddings and weddings are timed to coincide with Krasnaya Gorka, it's time after winter and the end of fasting to break the fast and have a good rest before spring work. There is a popular belief: a wedding on Krasnaya Gorka will make the marriage union strong and indestructible.

Somewhere Red Hill is also called the Tuesday of the Radonitskaya week after Easter week, and even the whole week, and in some places this means the spring St. George's day or his eve.

Everywhere, the Orthodox celebrate on Tuesday after the end of Easter week, with a visit to the cemetery and commemoration of all the dead.

What date is the Red Hill? In 2018, this holiday fell on April 15, 2019 - on May 5.

What is the essence of the Red Hill holiday among the people

The Red Hill is a continuation of Easter, the festive end of the Easter week. On this day, a rite of easy fortune-telling was used, in which eggs were rolled down a hill, that is, colored eggs were rolled from small hills. Hence, most likely, the name of the holiday came from.

It was believed that if the egg rolls down and does not break, then luck and happiness await its owner.

The ancient Slavs associated this holiday with the renewal, rebirth and flourishing of nature, the entry of spring into its full rights. Hills and hillocks were the first to be freed and dried from snow, covered with green grass. The people called them red, which meant "beautiful".

People burned fires, danced around them. On this day they dressed up in best clothes, the girls put on their jewelry and weaved festive ribbons into their braids, if the week fell in May, then they wove wreaths and decorated their heads with them.

Subsequently, the Orthodox Church began to hold weddings on the day of Krasnaya Gorka. Fasting and Easter ceremonies ended, so couples in love could enter into family unions illuminated by the church.

Signs and beliefs on Krasnaya Gorka

Like most folk holidays and Red Hill is associated with signs. Let's highlight the most famous of them:

• If you wash your face in front of the icons early in the morning, then the whole year will be monetary and profitable. If the eldest family member is the first to wash his younger relatives, then all the relatives will have financial well-being.
• Desires will certainly come true if you make them on a coin on this day and throw it into a well or some kind of body of water.
• The prayers read on this day have special power and impact. They are heard not only by God and the Saints, but also by previously deceased relatives. They will help the praying person, give him health, protect him from troubles and misfortunes.
• If you roll a painted Easter egg down a small hill, and it does not break, it rolls smoothly, then its owner will be lucky for the next year.
• If an unmarried girl dreams of getting married, she needs to feed and caress a cow that carries a calf in the morning before others, soon the girl will meet the groom, marry him and give birth to a child.
• In general, it was believed that sunny, clear weather on this day promises fertility and a good harvest, and merry festive celebrations will attract happiness, good luck, health and well-being.

You can believe or not in the omens associated with Krasnaya Gorka. Who believes and gets what they want! But the most important thing is to preserve the purity of your thoughts and desires, to sincerely rejoice in the victory of life over death in these bright days after Easter.

About the holiday Radonitsa, which follows Krasnaya Gorka, read the link

Peace to your home!

People's Christian holiday The red slide is celebrated on the first Sunday after. In 2018, Krasnaya Gorka falls on April 15. On this day Orthodox Church recalls the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the meeting of the Apostle Thomas with the risen Savior.

Other names of the holiday: Sunday after Easter, Klikushnoye Sunday, Antipaskha, Fomino Sunday, Joyous Sunday.

In church tradition, the holiday is called Antipascha or St. Thomas Sunday and is dedicated to the remembrance of the appearance of Christ to the Apostle Thomas on the eighth day after the resurrection. Among the Eastern Slavs, it was a holiday of the beginning of spring - with bonfires, round dances, fairs of brides, the cry of spring. It was considered mainly a girl's holiday.

Red hill date in the coming years:

History

Krasnaya Gorka is a pagan holiday of the ancient Slavs. It fell in the spring, when the thaw came. On this day, people glorified Yarila - the pagan deity of the spring sun and fertility, and Lada - the goddess of fun and love. Young people gathered on the hills and glades warmed by the sun, organized festivities, dances and games. On this holiday, couples in love arranged weddings, and single young people were looking for their other half. In the name of the holiday, the word "red" meant "beautiful", which was associated with the beauty of the awakened nature.

After the adoption of Christianity in Russia in 988, the clergy adapted the pagan folk calendar according to Orthodox traditions. The celebration of Red Hill was replaced by Antipaskha, or Fomino Sunday. The name "Antipaskha" means "instead of Easter". The holiday is timed to coincide with the events described in the Gospel. After the resurrection, Christ appeared to the apostles, among whom was not Thomas. The apostle doubted that Jesus was the Son of God. He wanted to see for himself and meet the Savior. On the eighth day after the resurrection, Christ appeared before Thomas.

Traditions and rituals

The main traditions on Krasnaya Gorka - divine services; visiting the graves of relatives; weddings and weddings; festivities; fortune-telling for the betrothed.

- IN Orthodox tradition on Antipascha, services are held in churches dedicated to the Apostle Thomas, and the memory of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is renewed. After the service in the temples, the parishioners go to the cemeteries. They visit the graves of deceased relatives, bring flowers and treats. On this day, people arrange weddings and weddings. After a nine-week break, the sacrament of marriage is resumed in Orthodox churches.

- The people are reviving the ancients Slavic traditions... In honor of the Krasnaya Gorka holiday, people organize fairs where mass festivities take place. Young people sing songs and lead round dances. Unmarried girls on this day are guessing at the betrothed.

Weddings on Krasnaya Gorka

In pre-revolutionary Russia, many weddings were traditionally celebrated on Krasnaya Gorka. It was believed that the wedding, played on this very day, would be the key to a long and happy family life. If there was a wedding in the village on Krasnaya Gorka, then the festive games and the wedding merged into one "event". In Moravia, weddings also began from that day.

Wake on Krasnaya Gorka

In some places Russians go to cemeteries on this day to commemorate their ancestors on this day (“to make Christ with the dead”), just like on Parents' Saturdays. Food and drinks left over from the Bright Week are placed on the graves, colored eggs are laid out. This was not accepted in the church tradition, but the folk calendar of commemoration of the dead is somewhat different from the Christian one. Commemoration of the dead is dedicated to all deceased ancestors and includes, as a rule, church commemoration, visits to cemeteries and a memorial meal at the graves and at home; on this day, they “fed souls”: they prepared special memorial food (kolivo, kutia, pancakes, bread, etc.), brewed beer and observed numerous prohibitions.

At the end of the 19th century in Spassk-Ryazansky, girls and women in mourning ("pitiful") dress went to the cemetery to bow to their parents. First, they lamented on the graves with words about the life of the deceased, then they laid food and drinks on the graves. Relatives and acquaintances went to the graves to visit: the old people treated them, and the young rolled colored eggs over the graves. The rest of the wine was poured onto the graves. From cemeteries in festive dresses they went to play Krasnaya Gorka in round dances.

Festivities

The youth gathered in the company: they danced, danced in a round dances, sang songs ("Not Bela Dawn", "In the yard-yard", "In the garden a forest apple tree", "Lilac blossomed"), played games ("Geese", "Chizhik" , "Shuttle", "Hide and Seek", "Shackles, open us", "And we sowed millet", "Bunny, what's wrong with you", "Separation", "Widows", "Lapta").

The festivities took place in the village street, in the square or outside the village. Every girl and every guy who reached marriageable age necessarily took part in all village holidays and youth entertainment. Evasion of them was reprimanded public opinion, caused ridicule by peers and was even considered as a great sin, for which celibacy, childlessness or early widowhood can be paid.

Signs and sayings

• A calm day is a sign of a good grain harvest.
• If you marry Krasnaya Gorka, then family life will be happy.
• Sitting at home on this day is a bad sign: this way you can be left without love for a long time.
• Do not swear at Krasnaya Gorka, otherwise it will not be possible to make peace before Trinity.
• On this day, one must not be sad and cry, otherwise the whole year will be full of troubles.
• “In Krasnaya Gorka, parents are dying from the grave with warmth.”
• Red hill - matchmaking.
• “Let us reckon on logs in the spring - on Krasnaya Veselaya Gorka; we will count, we will count, we will be married with a golden crown ”.
• On Shrovetide - matchmaking, on Krasnaya Gorka - a wedding.
• "St. George begins the Red Spring on Krasnaya Gorka, the Prophet Elijah ends the summer, his life begins to heal."

The beginning of a new, joyful life, this is what the holiday means, which is celebrated a week after Easter. The people also call it Antipaskha. This holiday has an age-old history. "Red" means beautiful people and places, and "hill" is a place for celebrating festivities.

• How to celebrate
• Signs

When Krasnaya Gorka is celebrated - history

This bright holiday harmoniously combines both Orthodox and pagan traditions and customs. The holiday differs from many other Orthodox Christians in that its date is constantly changing, but it is not difficult to remember it. It falls on the first Sunday after Orthodox Easter, and always, it just so happened. This holiday has several names, in common people it is also called Antipascha and Fomino Sunday.

The day that fell on Krasnaya Gorka was always considered the countdown of the beginning of spring, when it finally comes into its own.

In Russia, this day was always celebrated on a grand scale, arranging joyful festivities especially among young people. Couples in love tried to get married, as this day was considered successful. The ministers of the church were among the first who began to call Fomino Sunday Red Hill.

Several events preceded this. According to one of the legends, Thomas, this is one of the apostles, simply did not believe in the story of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and then the Savior appeared to him personally on the eighth day to dispel all his doubts about this.

There is no modern explanation for the prefix "anti", it is nothing more than "instead." In other words, Red Hill instead of Easter. Krasnaya Gorka does not belong to the main Orthodox holidays.

How to celebrate

Once upon a time, they were preparing for this day in advance. Young couples tried to get married on Krasnaya Gorka. It was customary to dress in beautiful clothes, and girls weave colorful ribbons into their braids.

Large-scale festivities;
round dances;
songs;
dancing;
agility competition between guys.

All this was arranged in Krasnaya Gorka.

Everyone gathered on the outskirts of the village married women then, when it was getting dark on the street and they, getting into plows, made deep furrows around their settlement, thereby protecting the village from crop failure. Men were strictly forbidden to take part in this matter.

There was one more interesting tradition, by the way, it is respected to this day. It was customary to roll pre-painted eggs from elevations. The bottom line was that the egg should roll down to the foot intact, which meant that the girl would be happy and good luck all year.

On this day, many couples are united by marriage, which, however, is not surprising, since it is believed that a marriage concluded on Krasnaya Gorka will be strong. However, there are some nuances here too.

Fact: if the celebration of Red Hill falls in May, the wedding is postponed. It is believed that a married couple who got married this month will toil all their lives.

What kind of holiday we have learned. It's time to talk about treats. What was customary to serve on the table. With regards to table setting, it was customary to set a rich table with various delicacies on Krasnaya Gorka, but the dishes had to be certainly round. These are scrambled eggs, pancakes, pancakes, scrambled eggs and sun-shaped loaves.

Signs

Many signs and superstitions are associated with this day. People, of course, are most interested in what cannot be done, so as not to cause trouble.

1. It is believed that on this day you should never work, especially if the work is connected to the ground.
2. The crops planted on this day either will not grow, or they will not be well accepted and there will be no good harvest.
3. Young girls and boys should not spend the evening alone, otherwise it meant that you can be alone for the whole year.
4. Married couples were forbidden to spend this holiday separately, because if you believe the signs, it threatened the collapse of their relationship.
5. It is also impossible to quarrel on this day.
6. You can’t remember the dead, but you can go to church to pray to the Lord God, the fact is that people believed that their prayers would be heard, apart from the Lord God, by their departed relatives and would help them in every way.
7. You cannot cut your hair, do the cleaning, sew and knit in the same way.

On this day, you need to relax and rest, it's time to visit relatives whom you have been visiting for a long time.

Good omens on Krasnaya Gorka

It was believed that on the holiday Krasnaya Gorka, waking up before sunrise and throwing a coin over his shoulder into the well, the wish made at the same time would certainly come true. It was also customary to wash all the icons and water in the house, then not pour out, but wash with it. Moreover, the youngest in the family should start washing with this water, ending in seniority. This ritual promised the family wealth, but on condition that no one else would know about it.

It has always been customary to read prayers in families in Russia. And on Krasnaya Gorka it was believed that a prayer read three times that day would heal the patient from all ailments. And, of course, it was customary to dress in red clothes to attract Lady Luck for the whole year.

Fact: on Krasnaya Gorka it is forbidden to go to the cemetery and commemorate the dead.

Where did the custom of marrying Krasnaya Gorka come from?

In fact, everything at that time was not accidental and had its own meaning. The fact is that before, people lived at the expense of agriculture, respectively, and all the holidays were tailored for these works. It was customary to celebrate weddings in early spring or after harvest. There is another significant reason why the newlyweds specially planned a wedding on Krasnaya Gorka.

The fact is that during Lent, any intimacy was forbidden between the spouses, this was considered a violation of church canons, and the most rude. But after fasting, the young could spend their wedding night together immediately after the wedding.

Weddings were celebrated on a grand scale. Girls and guys came to the house of the young with congratulations and wishes of all the very best, in their honor they sang wedding songs. And the parents of the young, in turn, treated the invited guests with sweets and all sorts of goodies.

Young people, according to custom, treated the singers with colored eggs and took out alcoholic drinks, as a rule, it was vodka.

Pay attention: for an unmarried girl in the morning to feed a pregnant cow to her fill meant soon to get married and become pregnant herself.

How is Red Hill celebrated today

Today, this holiday is not so popular, unlike Easter, but they still try to appoint weddings on the day of Krasnaya Gorka. Of course, a lot has changed over time, but, nevertheless, it is good that there are still young couples who are striving to get married this very week. They firmly believe that their ancestors did not come up with anything and are ready to gladly adopt many of their customs.

From all of the above, it is clear that this day is best spent fun and fervently. If only because this is, after all, the very beginning of spring, a time of hopes for the best. At this time, I want to believe that life, in fact, is just beginning. Cook goodies and have fun from the heart, as, in fact, it requires real holiday on a Russian scale

Krasnaya Gorka is a holiday with a century-old history. In Ancient Russia, it was celebrated by young people who, immediately after the snow melted from the mountains, organized various festivities, round dances with games and songs. Young people dressed up in their best shirts and caftans, rode down the mountains, had fun, organized various competitions and dances. Hence the name of the holiday Krasnaya Gorka - "red" - from the beautiful places and people, the slide - from the place where festive flirting and festivities took place.

On the same day, young girls and young women, taking something edible, gathered at their favorite places on the street, a forest glade, a hillock and sang spring songs, calling, inviting spring. Therefore, among the people, the holiday had a different name - "klikushi".

By the way, spending a day at home on Krasnaya Gorka was considered a bad omen. Those who did not have fun with everyone on the holiday may not be lucky during the year, and luck will bypass them, our Slavic ancestors were sure. Therefore, everyone tried to take part in the festive celebrations on this day, which is no coincidence. After all, it was on this day that a guy or a girl could look after a couple for themselves and even confess their feelings to each other. Boys and girls had to be as quick as possible, otherwise their place could be replaced by someone else, faster and more liberated. So that no one else had time to intercept the candidate for future spouses, the girls in every possible way attracted attention to themselves with bright beautiful clothes, hairstyles and singing. It is not for nothing that it is said that in war and in love, all methods are good.

Shouting "Bitter" at Krasnaya Gorka

The Red Hill holiday is not only a day of fun and entertainment. By tradition, they went on this day. On the same day, in the old days, there was a peak of weddings. This was due, first of all, to the fact that fasting was ending, and in churches and temples after a nine-week break, the first rituals of the sacrament of marriage began to be held. It was believed that the union concluded on this holiday will be strong, long and happy.

Many newlyweds follow this good tradition at the present time. In the registry offices these days, as a rule, a large number of wedding celebrations are held with congratulations, oaths of allegiance to each other and the exchange of spouses wedding rings... Then, to the shouts of "Bitter!" the young seal their union with a kiss.

Antipaskha

The Red Hill holiday is also called Antipaskha. It is celebrated a week after Easter - the Bright Resurrection of Christ. Anti-Easter is also called the week of renewal. Also on this day in churches, temples, monasteries remember and honor the Apostle Thomas, who was not there when the other apostles saw the risen Christ. Thomas said that until he saw the Savior himself, he would not believe in His resurrection. Although, most likely, he longed to personally see the risen Christ, and not to hear this joyful news from others. The expression "Unbeliever Thomas" came from this Thomas and denotes a person who doubts even what he saw with his own eyes.