When the year is red. Krasnaya Gorka, what kind of holiday it is and when it is celebrated. How the Red Hill holiday appeared

Krasnaya Gorka is more of a folk holiday than a church one. However, this event is tied to Easter and is celebrated a week after it.

The meaning and traditions of the holiday

Our ancestors on this day honored the arrival of spring in its full strength and beauty. According to tradition, young people met the morning dawn on the day of the holiday. The greeting began with a song, and then Vesna was left with treats baked by the caring hands of the hostesses. They baked a magnificent round loaf and dyed eggs.

Without the support of higher powers, those who are engaged in charitable deeds will never be left. Try your hand at embroidering icons. The holy face embroidered with your own hands will become a real decoration of your room, and the work that you spent on embroidery will be appreciated by the church. It was not for nothing that in ancient times wives embroidered icons when they sent their husbands to exploits: such an icon was considered the best amulet. You can purchase the kit and everything you need for embroidery right now if you follow this link.

Also, this day was considered the best for the birth of a new love, so our ancestors often resorted to all kinds of fortune-telling for love and fate, bewitched loved ones and tried to choose the most “red”, that is, beautiful, outfit for themselves that day.

On this day, young people arranged noisy festivities, where they looked after their grooms and brides. According to popular beliefs, it was today that unmarried people had to find their soul mate so that the future spouse would not turn out to be unattractive and narrow-minded. As a punishment for those who did not come to the celebration, offensive nicknames were invented.

Round dances were taken to Krasnaya Gorka, gifts were given to each other, and large bonfires were lit. Girls and women performed a special ceremony that day, which drove away evil spirits from villages and settlements. This ritual consisted of the following: six women gathered outside the outskirts, three of them accompanied the icon of the Mother of God, three went out with a plow. They were joined by other women without headscarves and with loose hair. They put a couple of boards on the plow, sat on them and went around the whole village with it in a circle, praising God and calling on him to help in expelling evil spirits that harmed people, animals, and crops.

On this day, Orthodox Christians often go to the cemetery to honor the memory of their ancestors and carry out minor repairs and cleaning of the graves.

Folk traditions and pagan rites are closely intertwined with the Orthodox Christian world, so it is becoming increasingly difficult to determine the line separating two such different religions. We wish you a bright holiday, love and prosperity. Live in joy and do not forget to press the buttons and

13.04.2017 02:10

Easter week is the most joyful time for any Orthodox person. Her last day is Fomino...

The feast of the Holy Trinity is an important day for every Orthodox person. According to legend, it is with this ...

The first Sunday after Easter in the church calendar is called Antipascha or St. Thomas Sunday. In the people this day is called the Red Hill. It is worth noting that the name Antipascha means “instead of Easter”: not a contrast, but an appeal to a past holiday, a repetition of it.

Red Hill: what a holiday

All Christians on Easter Sunday first of all remember the life of the Apostle Thomas and his life path, full of intcbatch Christian deeds. The Apostle Thomas was hiding during the execution of Jesus Christ. He did not have time to return to Jerusalem on the night from Saturday to Sunday, and therefore was not at the tomb of the Lord during His great Resurrection. When he came to his brothers, he heard from them about the miracle that had happened, but did not believe their words. In response to their enthusiastic speeches, he declared: “Unless I see the wounds from the nails on His hands and put my hand in His side, I will not believe!”

On the 8th day after the Resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared among his disciples and Thomas touched His wound, left by the spear of the guard. Thomas believed in the Resurrection of the Lord, and Jesus reproached his disciple: “You saw and only then did you believe. Blessed are those who do not see and believe in My Resurrection.”

From that day on, the Apostle Thomas became the most zealous servant of the Lord and a Christian preacher. He carried the teachings of the Lord throughout the world and for his faith was martyred in India.

Krasnaya Gorka in 2017: what date is celebrated?

Krasnaya Gorka is a holiday celebrated on the following Sunday after Easter. This year, 2017, Krasnaya Gorka will be celebrated on April 23. The holiday is called so because all the youth on this day used to leave their homes. Young people gathered in the most beautiful place that was in the village. And this place was called Red. In this regard, the people began to call the holiday Red Hill.

Krasnaya Gorka: signs, customs

Krasnaya Gorka is often called the holiday of weddings. It is believed that it is on Krasnaya Gorka that you can meet your fate. Previously, they said that it was impossible for those who did not have a couple to sit at home on this day. They were bound to go outside. Lovers on this day preferred to play weddings.

It is believed that marriages made on this day are especially strong. It was a favorite holiday among young people, when women put on their best outfits, often wearing red.

There are many traditions and rituals associated with this holiday. On Krasnaya Gorka, young people who wanted to start a family came to visit the newlyweds who got married at the beginning of the year. The newlyweds wished the guests who came to them happiness in their married life and treated them to egg dishes, symbolizing peace, harmony and beauty - krashenka, eggs baked in ashes, scrambled eggs.

Unmarried girls on this day were in a hurry to feed the pregnant cow before others. It was believed that in this way they would soon get married and become pregnant. They often got married on Krasnaya Gorka. It was believed that if the groom gets an egg with a double yolk that day, then his family will be rich. And if the bride came across such an egg, then according to legend, she could give birth to twins.

On this day, a funeral liturgy is served in all churches. However, the Orthodox Church warns that it is better to go to Krasnaya Gorka to the temple, and not to the cemetery.

It was impossible to clean the cemetery on Krasnaya Gorka. It is also necessary to postpone all gardening work. It is believed that everything planted on this day will not sprout. The church has a negative attitude towards the decoration of graves and memorial tables near the graves. It would be right to set the table at home and commemorate relatives there. At the same time, alcohol is not allowed.

Krasnaya Gorka is a folk holiday in which Orthodox and pagan traditions are closely intertwined. It is tied to the Bright Resurrection of Christ and is celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter.

The Orthodox Church celebrates Antipascha or Fomino Sunday on this day.

S utnik Georgia will tell you about the holiday and its traditions, as well as the meaning of all three of its names.

Red hill

The word "red" in Slavic dialects means "beautiful, blooming, cheerful." Spring and summer itself are called red, because the weather is clear, and nature is in all its glory.

Red Hill means beautiful in location and entertaining in games. In many places, hills or hillocks, on which people gathered in the spring, were called red hills.

The holiday symbolizes rebirth, the victory of life over death, spring over long winter. The essence of the holiday is a meeting and greeting of spring in its full strength and beauty. In the old days, it was believed that nature by this day was already completely in the grip of a bright blooming spring, and summer harvest and harvest awaited ahead.

With great impatience, the youth, who since ancient times met the festive dawn on a beautiful hill, was looking forward to the holiday. The sunrise was greeted with a traditional song, and then everyone sang in unison. At the end, they left an offering to Spring - a round loaf and a painted egg.

Antipascha

The Orthodox Church gave the holiday a new meaning, linking it with Christian events. “Antipascha” is a Greek word, and the prefix “anti” does not mean “against”, but “instead of”, that is, the repetition of the holiday on the eighth day after Easter.

A huge number of weddings are traditionally celebrated on Krasnaya Gorka. It is believed that a wedding played on this particular day will be the key to a long happy family life.

The first mention of Antipascha is contained in the "Apostolic Ordinances" of Antioch, which date back to about 380, and the description of the Jerusalem worship on this day is in the "Pilgrimage of Egeria", in about 400.

The service of Antipascha, according to the current Jerusalem Rule, is celebrated according to the order of the twelfth (main) feasts, although formally the day itself is not included in such feasts.

Fomin's week

In memory of the miracle of the assurances of the Apostle Thomas, this day is called Thomas' week. In Church Slavonic, the word "week" refers to Sunday - the day when you need to rest and devote time to God.

On this day, the service is connected with the remembrance of two appearances of the Risen Lord Jesus Christ to the apostles. The first happened on the evening of Easter, when only ten apostles saw Christ, among whom was not Thomas.

The second - on the eighth day after Easter, when the Savior appeared to all eleven apostles, including Thomas.

According to Scripture, the Apostle Thomas, who was absent during the first appearance, did not believe that Jesus Christ had risen, so the Savior appeared to him on the eighth day after his miraculous resurrection.

It's human nature to want to be sure when it's confirmed, so people often demand logical, tangible proof.

Thomas, seeing Christ, exclaimed: "My Lord and my God!". These words of his meant not only faith in the Resurrection of Christ, but also faith in Him as in God. To which Jesus replied: “You believed because you saw Me; blessed are those who have not seen and believed."

Traditions and customs

Krasnaya Gorka was considered the day of love, the birth of feelings and hopes. It has pagan roots and traditions - many of them have been lost over time, but some have survived to this day.

Previously, girls and boys met on Krasnaya Gorka. They chose their betrothed and, in a playful, joking manner, announced and showed their affection and sympathy.

They prepared for the holiday in advance, as it was customary to dress up in the most beautiful outfits and clothes on Krasnaya Gorka. Young girls did their best to attract attention - they wove bright ribbons into their braids and put on colorful scarves.

Krasnaya Gorka was considered a girls' holiday.

On this day, mass celebrations, games, round dances, matchmaking, chants were held. It was considered a bad omen for young people to sit at home on a holiday, because it was said that those who did not go to the festivities in Krasnaya Gorka would not be able to find a mate.

On this day, ceremonies were also held to protect the village from adversity and attract happiness and a good harvest. To conduct the ceremony, all the women gathered at the edge of the village in the dark, harnessed to the plow and made a furrow around the entire village, while reading prayers.

If a cross formed when the circle closed, this was considered a good omen. The deep furrow symbolized the protection of the settlement from disease, drought, crop failure and other misfortunes. Men did not participate in this ritual.

After the ceremony, festivities began, in which girls and boys from all over the village took an active part. The youth tried to show their skills and talents from the best side - the girls sang and danced, and the guys demonstrated their dexterity and strength in small competitions.

A ceremony for happiness was also performed on Krasnaya Gorka - people rolled colored eggs from small hillocks. It was believed that if the egg rolls smoothly and does not break, then happiness and good luck await its owner.

Red Hill in 2017, unlike the past, favors traditional weddings - it falls in April. According to popular belief, May is the worst month for marriage. This was also confirmed by the saying: “To marry in May is to suffer all your life.”

Signs on Red Hill

Red Hill, like many other holidays, is associated with various signs that many people believe in to this day. The most common ones are for wealth, happiness and health.

So, in order not to know the lack of money, on Krasnaya Gorka you need to wash yourself in front of the icon. At the same time, the eldest in the family must wash those who are younger.

To attract happiness, people on this day made a wish on a coin and threw it into a well or pond. It was believed that this would bring happiness, and the wish made would come true.

To get longevity and good health, it was customary to pray to the Lord on Krasnaya Gorka. People believed that on this holiday not only God hears their prayers, but also the deceased relatives, who will also help those who pray.

For those who follow the signs on Krasnaya Gorka, the year promises material well-being and a happy marriage. But it should be remembered that these superstitions, like any others, the church does not approve.

Material prepared on the basis of open sources

The Slavic holiday, called the "Red Hill", is designed to honor the spring and the red sun - Yarilo, and also to awaken all living things after a long winter. With special impatience, the girls were waiting for Krasnaya Gorka, because from that moment on, the period of weddings and matchmaking began in Russia, and all the youth took part in fun festivities. At the time when Russia began to profess Christianity, pagan rites and Orthodox traditions were closely intertwined. Orthodoxy endowed the holiday with a new meaning, linking it with the most important event in the history of Christianity - the feast of Christ's Resurrection.

Krasnaya Gorka is celebrated on the first Sunday after the onset, so this holiday does not have a clearly established date. In 2017, the celebration will take place on April 23. Krasnaya Gorka has another name - the people used to call it "Fomin's Sunday". This day fills the hearts of people with joy, and the soul with fun, because after the Red Hill comes, the beautiful spring finally comes into its own.

The history of the holiday

The name "Fomino Sunday" takes us back to the times of biblical stories and ancient Slavic traditions. According to Scripture, one of the apostles named Thomas was not present at the resurrection of Christ, but learned about the miraculous event from others. He did not trust the testimonies of Christ's ascetics and declared that until he saw with his own eyes the wounds of Jesus risen from the dead, he would not believe that such a miracle had really happened.

Jesus appeared to the disciples, and Thomas admitted his error and believed. Since then, a nickname has been attached to him, which eventually became a household name for all distrustful people: "Thomas the unbeliever." Well, the pagan origins of the Red Hill go back to the Slavic tradition of honoring the gods that control the forces and phenomena of nature.

In the pantheon of pagan deities of the ancient Slavs, one of the most powerful and revered was Yarilo, inflaming and moving the sun, giving warmth, expelling winter and cold. The name Krasnaya Gorka is associated with the fact that with the onset of spring, first of all, the snow melted on the hillocks. Snowdrops bloomed in sunny areas and the first grass broke through, so the holiday was called the “red” or “beautiful” hill.

Traditions and customs of celebration

Krasnaya Gorka was considered the main holiday of all boys and girls for a reason, because spring is always identified with youth, enthusiasm and a cheerful disposition. On this day, young people gathered on the lawns, sang songs, arranged round dances, played games, calling for the sun and spring. The indispensable fun was the game "I believe - I do not believe", named so in honor of Thomas the unbeliever.

Guys and girls who did not have time to acquire lovers before Krasnaya Gorka, by all means had to take part in the festivities, because it was on this day that fate itself came to the rescue and introduced them to their betrothed. Sitting at home was considered a very bad omen - you could be left without a mate for the rest of your life. The first beauty of the village was proclaimed the embodiment of Spring and was called Lada. The girl was put on a wreath of herbs and first flowers on her head, colorful ribbons were woven into her hair.

Her duty was to sing ritual spring songs, which spoke of the arrival of warmth, the awakening of plants and animals. Stoneflies were supposed to call spring and attract prosperity and fertility. Indispensable was the observance of rituals designed to protect the settlement from troubles and misfortunes. Before dawn, all the women of the village were to gather on the outskirts, harness themselves to the plow and make a furrow around the village, while offering prayers.

If the furrow was deep, then the settlement was considered reliably protected from ailments and poor harvests. After the end of the festive festivities, the people went to the temple to attend the solemn service in honor of the end of the Easter week. After the service in each house they gathered for a festive feast. Women prepared a lot of dyed eggs, which it was customary to give to anyone who crossed the threshold of the house. The tables were supposed to be bursting with loaves and pies, symbolizing the solar disk.

Krasnaya Gorka opened the season in Russia. Until that moment, the church did not conduct rituals - they are prohibited during the days of Great Lent and the week of Easter services. This day is still considered one of the most successful for those who wish to marry. According to the opinion of our ancestors, such a family will live peacefully and prosperously. The only exception to the rule is Krasnaya Gorka, which falls in May. Usually there are much fewer weddings on such a holiday, because no one wants to suffer all their lives later.

Folk omens

The festival of Red Hill was associated with our ancestors with many signs.

• To attract wealth and prosperity, it is necessary to wash in front of the face of the icon. At the same time, the younger members of the family were not supposed to wash those who are older. Usually, the one from the household who is the most years old washed all family members with water.
• To attract happiness, you need to make a wish by saying it to a small coin, which then needs to be thrown into a lake, river or well.
• You can ensure a long life and health with the help of prayer, since not only Heaven will hear it on Krasnaya Gorka, but also all deceased relatives who will put in a word before God.
• To be happy all year long, painted eggs were rolled from small hills. It was assumed that an egg that rolled down smoothly and did not break at the same time would provide the owner with good luck and success.

Modern traditions of Krasnaya Gorka

Today, the celebration of spring, which has been forgotten for a long time, is experiencing a rebirth. Fairs are organized in many cities on this day, where theater troupes give colorful performances, describing biblical events and pagan traditions of the holiday. Undoubtedly, such bright celebrations are attractive for tourists, so every year more and more people take part in the entertainment.

Krasnaya Gorka is an old Slavic holiday, rooted in pagan times - Krasnaya Gorka or Fomin's Day, Fomin's Sunday. How such a holiday appeared, what date is Krasnaya Gorka in 2017, what customs and rituals accompany this day - in our article.

As you know, Easter in 2017 falls on Sunday, April 16th. This means that the Krasnaya Gorka holiday will be celebrated on the eighth day after Christ's Sunday, that is, on April 23.

How the Red Hill holiday appeared

Today, Krasnaya Gorka is celebrated as an Orthodox holiday, directly related to the traditions and history of Easter. However, studies by historians of the Academy of Sciences show that initially Krasnaya Gorka had a completely different meaning, directly related to the pagan beliefs of the Slavs.

This holiday has several names:

• Red hill
• Yarylavitsa
• Antipascha
• Fomin day
• Fomino Sunday

Paganism

Its name - Krasnaya Gorka - this holiday was not accidental. On the eighth day after Easter, Spring-Red came to earth. Red - that is, beautiful - was not only spring, but Easter itself. Well, those places that were warmed up by the spring sun in the first place and where festivities took place clicked like slides. This is how the name Krasnaya Gorka was formed - a place where a beautiful holiday was celebrated.

In pagan traditions, this holiday had a different meaning. Krasnaya Gorka was the day of fertilization of the earth, the wedding day of the Earth and the Sun. With the beginning of spring, a new life was born in the earth, and Krasnaya Gorka became a kind of starting point - it's time for Mother Earth to bear fruit. So they gave the Earth in marriage to Yarilo-sun. Hence the name - Yarylavitsa.

Orthodoxy

The name "Antipaskha" is rarely used today to designate the holiday of Krasnaya Gorka because of the modern negative meaning of the prefix "anti" - "opposite", "opposite to this", "negative". However, this prefix originally had a different meaning. From the Greek "ἀντι" is translated as "similar", "similar in meaning", that is, the church name "Antipascha" means only "similar to Easter".

The name "Fomin's Day" or "Fomino Sunday" was given to the holiday because of a miracle that happened on that day - the belief of St. Thomas. One of the apostles of Christ, Thomas, did not believe in the possibility of the resurrection of the son of God. The apostle said that until he saw the wounds from the nails on his hands, he would not believe that the living Christ was again in front of him. On the eighth day after his resurrection, Christ appeared before Thomas and stretched out his hands to him with traces of wounds. The appearance of Christ to the apostle was proof that the flesh and blood of the Son of God was real, not phantom-fictional, just as His suffering on the Cross for all mankind was also true, the same as any person would experience. The day when Thomas believed in a miracle was called Fomin's Sunday.

The first mention of the church celebration of Antipascha dates back to the 4th century, and in the 5th century, the rules of worship on Fomin's Day are prescribed in church literature. On this day, which completes the celebration of the Bright Week, gospel readings are held in churches, although, in fact, the holiday is not among the twelve.

Folk traditions of the Red Hill holiday

Folk festivities on this day completed the week of Easter festivities. Round dances and songs, dances and festivities - it was necessary to celebrate Antipascha on a grand scale and with noise, because the plowing time began the next day. And during this period, as you know, “the day feeds the year,” and therefore the people were not at all up to the festivities.

Krasnaya Gorka is the time for weddings and wedding arrangements. After all, spring is the time for love, besides, the Earth itself is getting married on Yarylavitsa. What could be more reliable than a union concluded on such a significant day? It was not for nothing that the Slavs had a saying that most accurately characterized their attitude towards unions concluded immediately after Easter: “Whoever marries Krasna Gorka will never part.”

Another tradition adopted on Fomino Sunday was directly related to eggs, a symbol of Easter, rebirth and new life. Before the start of plowing, the plow, which was the first to start plowing, broke an egg painted with beautiful patterns that carry a sacred meaning.

Krasnaya Gorka in 2017, as in all other years, is a time of fortune-telling, and always for a betrothed, for a future marriage, for health and happiness in the family. So, for example, if on that day it was raining with a thunderstorm, the collected water had to be passed through the ring and washed three times with her face. This rite gave beauty to a young girl and helped to enhance attractiveness in the eyes of guys.