What is the Presentation of the Lord? What date is Candlemas? The meaning of the icon is “Softening Evil Hearts.” According to the saint
Presentation of the Lord- This permanent a holiday that is celebrated annually February 15(February 2, old style) and was established in memory of the bringing of Christ the Savior to the Cathedral on the 40th day after birth to perform the established sacrifice. " Now dost thou release thy servant, O Master..." Church Slavonic word " Candlemas" can be translated into Russian with the word " meeting" Meeting Old Testament with the New, the meeting of Simeon the God-Receiver and Anna the Prophetess with the Lord Jesus Christ. The word “meeting” most fully conveys the meaning of this event, because it means not just a meeting, but a meeting of the lesser with the greater, of man with God.
Meeting of the Lord. Holiday event
Event details Presentation of the Lord Believers learn from the Gospel of Luke. According to the Old Testament law of Moses, the firstborn, i.e. the eldest son was dedicated to God. This was a reminder of how, on the night before the Jews left Egypt, the Angel of the Lord killed all the firstborn of Egypt, children and animals, leaving the Jewish houses unharmed, in which the doorpost was anointed with sacrificial blood.
At the time of the birth of the Lord, it was customary for the firstborn to bring a symbolic ransom to the temple in Jerusalem. Also, a woman who gave birth to a son was required to undergo 40 days of purification, after which she had to offer a sacrifice - a one-year-old lamb and a young dove or turtle dove. If the family was poor, then a pair of doves was brought to the temple (Lev. 12:6-8).
According to legend, afterwards the holy family lived in Bethlehem, in the house of their relative Salome. On the 40th day, Joseph the Betrothed and the Most Holy Theotokos with the Infant Christ headed to Jerusalem to fulfill the commandments of the Law. I met them at the temple Elder Simeon who was waiting for this meeting for many years his righteous and pious life. According to legend, he was one of 72 Jewish interpreters who translated the Holy Scriptures into Greek under King Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285 - 247 BC) When Simeon translated the words of the prophet Isaiah “Behold Virgo in her womb she will bear a Son...”, he decided that this was a mistake and wanted to write “young woman.” At that same moment, an Angel of the Lord appeared and held his hand. Simeon was promised that he would not die until Isaiah's prophecy was fulfilled.
And then came the meeting, the meeting of the Old and New Testaments: Simeon took the Lord, a 40-day-old baby, into his arms. With joy the elder exclaimed:
Nn7e thou shalt let thy servant go abroad, according to thy word; ћkw vid1deste џchi my2 salvation is yours, є4zhe є3si2 ўprepared in front of everything< людeй; свётъ во tкровeніе kзhкомъ и3 слaву людeй твои1хъ ї}лz.
This prayer is now read for every Orthodox service at the end of Vespers.
After inspired words addressed to the Lord, Simeon greeted the Mother of God and Joseph. Then, turning to the Mother of God, the elder said:
This lies for the fall and rebellion of many in Israel and for the subject of controversy. And a weapon will pierce your own soul (Luke 2:34-35).
Thus, Feast of the Presentation of the Lord reminds us of what is coming soon and Holy Week- the time of remembering the sufferings on the cross and the death of the Lord. It was then that Simeon’s prophetic words were fulfilled, because the Most Holy Theotokos suffered in soul together with her Son.
I recognized the Lord and Anna the prophetess- an 84-year-old widow who lived at the temple and served God with fasting and prayer day and night, as Evangelist Luke says about her. Anna prophesied about Christ and spoke about him to all the people who were awaiting His coming with faith and hope.
Probably, the worship of the Magi, which is remembered on the feast of the Nativity of Christ, occurred after the events of the Presentation of the Lord. After all, after this the holy family fled to Egypt... Only after the death of Herod did they return to Galilee, to the city of Nazareth.
Simeon the God-Receiver died, according to legend, in the 360th year of his life. He was not afraid of death, because the promise given to him and all people was fulfilled. Simeon held the Messiah in his arms! And now he went to tell all the righteous of the Old Testament that the Lord had become incarnate and came to earth to save humanity from sin and death.
The Old Testament custom of 40 days of cleansing after the birth of a child is preserved in Orthodoxy. Usually on the 40th day or later, the mother and child come to the temple. The prayers of the “fortieth day” are read out to the woman, after which she can already touch the shrine and pray in the temple (before that she is supposed to stand in the vestibule). The priest also brings the baby into the temple, and the boy also into the Altar. This rite can be performed earlier, on the day of baptism, if it is performed before the 40th day.
Meeting of the Lord. History of the holiday
Feast of the Presentation of the Lord- one of the most ancient. Already in the 4th century, it was solemnly celebrated in the Jerusalem Church, completing the 40-day holiday sequence from, also called Epiphany. This is mentioned by Etheria, a pilgrim from modern Europe who traveled to the Holy Land at the end of the 4th century:
The fortieth day of Epiphany is celebrated here with great honor. On this day there is a procession to Anastasis, and everyone marches, and everything is done in order with the greatest triumph, as if on Easter. All the presbyters, and then the bishop, preach, always talking about the place in the Gospel where on the fortieth day Joseph and Mary brought the Lord to the Temple, and Simeon and Anna the prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, saw Him, and about their words that they said when they saw the Lord, and about the offering that the parents brought. And after this, having sent everything in the usual order, they celebrate the Liturgy, and then there is dismissal.
Then the holiday spread throughout local churches, it began to be performed in Constantinople and Rome. But, despite its ancient origin, he was not one of the solemn and great. TO twelve holidays he was counted in 544.
In the 6th century, during the reign of Emperor Justinian (527–565), Byzantium suffered many disasters. First there was an earthquake in Antioch, accompanied by numerous casualties. Then a pestilence appeared - an epidemic of smallpox brought from Africa. Tradition says that in hard days When the entire people were experiencing terrible troubles and illnesses, a pious Christian had a vision: the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord should be celebrated more solemnly. On this day, a solemn service was held with an all-night vigil and procession of the cross.
The feast of the Presentation of the Lord is mentioned in sermons martyrMethodius of Patara(approx. 260 - 312), saint Cyril of Jerusalem (315 - 386), Saint Gregory the Theologian(329 - 389),Saint Amphilochius of Iconium(about 340 - after 394), saint Gregory of Nyssa(c. 335 - 394), saint John Chrysostom(c. 347 - 407).
Divine service for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
The Presentation of the Lord is an unusual holiday. He is both the Lord's and the Mother of God. Reading troparion holiday, believers turn to the Most Holy Theotokos:
R aduisz њradovannaz btsde dv7o, and 3з8 to you the righteous sun хрт0съ bG our, enlightenment of the dark. cheerful1sz and3 you2 are older than the righteous, receiving in the handsY freedom1s of ours, giving us the resurrection.
Troparion for the holiday. Russian text
Rejoice, you who have received joy (from the Lord), Virgin Mother of God, for from You has arisen the Sun of Truth, Christ our God, who enlightens those in ignorance. Rejoice also, O righteous elder, who has accepted into your arms the Liberator of our souls, who gives us resurrection.
IN kontakion we turn to the Lord:
AND $zhe ўtr0bu dv7chyu њс™i1в ржктв0м SI2, и3 рузе зімінні злізівівъ, ћћћћћћћћћћћћћћћћћћћћћћћћћћћћћћ ћћћћ ћћћћ podbashе predv1vі њћ, ћћћћћћћ ћћћ ћћkopodashno pred1v њњ, и3 єнне єзслъ є3сi2 зрте b9е. but peace our life in battle, and strengthen our hearts, and love it more than others.
Kontakion for the holiday. Russian text
Jesus Christ, who sanctified the Virgin’s womb with His Birth and blessed Simeon’s embrace, as it should be; hastened (to save us), and has now saved us, O Christ our God. Give peace to society in the midst of wars and strengthen the people You love, O One Lover of Mankind.
Also, the magnification of the holiday, addressed to the Lord Jesus Christ, simultaneously glorifies the Mother of God:
We honor you, life-giving he7, and3 we honor8 your most precious death2. є3yu1 already according to the law nhne brought z to the 8th church of gDnyu.
Festive stichera were written by famous church hymnographers - Anatoly,Patriarch of Constantinegrad(V century); Andrew of Crete (VII century); Kosma Maiumsky, John of Damascus, patriarch Constantinople Hermann (8th century); Joseph Studite(IX century) and many others. They not only tell us about the events of the holiday, but also explain their meaning.
The verses for Vespers, written by Patriarch Herman, say that the Baby, who is held in the arms of the elder, is God, who took on flesh to save people:
G li, simeHne, whom2 noseS on handu2 in8 tsRkvi radueshisz; to whom you call and3 cry, nn7e freedom1хъсz, vid1ехъ bо з7са мегв2; this є4st t dv7y was born. this є4 is t bGa bGb word, incarnate1 for our sake, and3 save a person. tomY bow1msz.
« In these days, having lived in the flesh...,” believers sing the words of church hymns and are amazed at the humility of God. The Lord, who gave people the Law, is brought by the Mother of God to the temple of God to fulfill what has been established: “... according to the law the creator is the law, the law is complete, in the 8th order it comes…»
Here is the stichera of Andrei of Crete explaining to us what the two young doves sacrificed on the day of the Presentation of the Lord mean: “... ћкw spouse of the unclean church, and 3 t kзhкъ n0vyz people. dove, two chicks, to the old boss and the new one…»
The festive canon, written by Cosma Maiumsky, has the following line: “ The old man joyfully embraces Christ" This is the main idea of the canon. In Greek original text The first letters of each verse formed this phrase. Each verse of the canon not only tells some detail of the festive event, but also explains its meaning and symbol. At the same time, we also recall prophecies, for example, of Isaiah, to whom the seraphim gave a burning coal to cleanse his lips.
N is cleaned and 3сaіz t Seraphim ќgl reception. the old man speaks to the world, you use pincers, your hands enlighten ms. having given mi2 є3g0zhe n0sishi, light of the evening,(i.e. non-extinguishing) and3 mi1rom њpossessing(i.e. dominant).
As a rule, the ninth hymn of the holiday canon has a chorus - a short laudatory appeal to Christ or the Mother of God, depending on the holiday. The choir repeats it before each verse. The Canon of the Presentation differs from the others in this too: it has not one chorus for all verses, but 14 different ones! This allows worshipers to better understand and feel the events of two thousand years ago. "... B Gon0se simeHne, prii3di2 pod i3mi2 xrtA, є3g0zhe rod2 dv7a chtcaz mRjz. N beat the hands of the elder Simehn, the father of the law, and for the love of all. It is not the elder who holds me, but I hold him. t0y bo t menE tpuschenіz p0sit.…»
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In the proverbs: in the 1st proverb (from the books “Exodus” and “Leviticus”) the Old Testament law is recalled to dedicate the firstborn to God; in the 2nd proverb (Isaiah I, 1-12) the vision of St. Isaiah is described, who saw the God of Hosts sitting on the Throne and surrounded by Angels; The Third Proverbs (Isaiah XIX, 1, 3-5, 12, 16, 19-21) contains a prophecy about the flight to Egypt, the fall of Egyptian idols before the Lord and the conversion of the Egyptians to God. The events predicted in this prophecy are not described in the Gospel. An ancient legend tells that during the Savior’s stay in Egypt, in the city of Iliopolis, the pagan gods of this city fell before Jesus Christ and were crushed to dust.
The Apostle (Heb. VII, 7-17) speaks of the superiority of the high priesthood of Christ and the sacrifices He made before the Old Testament sacrifices and the abolition of the Old Testament with the coming of the Savior. The Gospel (Luke II, 23-40) tells of the bringing of the infant Christ into the temple.
Thus, people who pray not only during the Liturgy, but also come for the evening service, have the opportunity to learn not only the description and history of the holiday event, but to understand its meaning and significance for each person.
Meeting of the Lord. Folk traditions and customs
The Presentation of the Lord is perhaps the only holiday that is celebrated differently by Old Believers and New Believers. The fact is that sometimes Candlemas coincides with the first day of Lent. In the ancient liturgical Charters, according to which services are still performed among the Old Believers, such a case is provided for. Holiday service combined with “lenten”. And the New Believers in this case move the holiday one day earlier, to Forgiveness Sunday. In the Old Believer periodicals of the early 20th century, this is described in great detail.
Another difference is that the New Believers in the 17th century borrowed from Catholics the custom of consecrating church candles on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. This rite is contained in the consumer book of Metropolitan Peter Mogila; it was copied from the Roman breviary. The fact is that in the West this holiday is called “Bright Mass”; during the mass everyone holds lighted candles in their hands. This custom probably comes from the ancient Jerusalem Church, where in the middle of the 5th century it was celebrated religious procession and during the Liturgy, worshipers held burning candles in their hands. In Byzantium, such a custom no longer existed, therefore, since the time of the Baptism of Rus', our ancestors prayed “with candles” only during polyeleos. And now in the Old Believer Church, on the eve of the Twelve Feasts, in the middle of the evening service, while singing the magnification (polyeleos), the worshipers take burning candles in their hands and hold them almost until the very end of the evening service.
Regarding folk traditions, then among the peasants the Presentation of the Lord was not considered a big holiday. Very often, peasants, especially illiterate ones, did not even know what event the Church was remembering on this day, and the very name of the holiday - “Candlemas” - was explained in such a way that on this day winter meets summer, that is, the frosts begin to weaken and the approach of spring is felt in the air. Attributing to Candlemas only the significance of a calendar milestone, the peasants associated many agricultural signs with this day: “ On Candlemas Day there is snow - in the spring there is light rain“, they said, wondering about future rains. Drops on this day foreshadow the wheat harvest, and the wind - the fertility of fruit trees, why the gardeners, having come from matins, “ shake the trees with their hands so that they bear fruit" If Candlemas Day is calm and red, then in the summer the flax and so on will be good. The weather of that day was also used to judge the herb harvest, for which they threw a stick across the road and observed: if the snow sweeps it away, then the livestock feed will also be “swept away,” i.e., the herbs will be expensive. Finally, on Candlemas Day, housewives began to feed the chickens intensively so that they would have socks.
As for the religious customs associated with this day, they almost did not exist throughout Great Russia, only in some places (for example, in the Vologda province) peasants walked around their houses with an icon of the Presentation of the Lord or the Savior, and when the icon was brought back to the house , then the whole family, with the householder at the head, fell on their faces with the exclamation: “Lord our God, come to us and bless us.”
Icons of the Presentation of the Lord
One of the most ancient and unusual in artistic design image of the Presentation of the Lord, dating from 432–440, we find it in the mosaics of the Roman Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. Features of the composition indicate that the tradition of depiction feast of the Presentation still just being formed.
Gradually, over the course of several centuries, a symmetrical compositional scheme was developed in Byzantine art, which depicts the Virgin Mary, Simeon, Joseph the Betrothed and Anna the Prophetess. Between the central figures is an image of the temple throne. The Infant of God can be depicted both in the hands of the Mother of God and in the hands of Simeon.
Among the Russian iconographic monuments of the Presentation, one of the most ancient is the fresco of the Church of the Savior on Nereditsa, 12th century.
It is no accident that icon painters include a throne with a ciborium in the composition. Indeed, with its help, the highest meaning of the meeting of the Infant God and Simeon is conveyed.
After the end of the period of iconoclasm, a new asymmetrical iconographic scheme for the presentation of the Presentation appears: the Mother of God, righteous Joseph and the prophetess Anna approach the doors of the Temple, on the steps of which stands Simeon.
In some Russian icons, frescoes and mosaics, the Jerusalem Temple is replaced by a church with Russian domes.
Churches of the Presentation of the Lord
Feast of the Presentation of the Lord known to our ancestors since the adoption of Christianity. For some unknown reason, there were very few temples dedicated to this holiday. From the ancient, pre-schism, the refectory has been preserved Sretenskaya Church of the Anthony Monastery in Veliky Novgorod. It was built in 1533-36 and initially did not have an altar projection. Upper part the facades had inset crosses, traditional for Novgorod. The temple was rebuilt in the 18th–19th centuries. This is one of the first pillarless Novgorod churches.
Currently, only one Old Believer church is consecrated in the name of the Presentation of the Lord - in the village of Cherkesskaya Slava, Tulchinsky district (Romania). Congratulations to the parishioners on the patronal holiday!
Most frequently asked question, which can be heard regarding the Presentation: “Okay, today is the Presentation. What is this? We remember one of the Twelfth Feasts of the Church together with the Orthodox magazine “Thomas”.
The Presentation of the Lord is a permanent holiday; in the Russian Orthodox Church it is celebrated on February 15.
Translated from Church Slavonic “sretenie” means “meeting”. Presentation Day is the point in time where the Old One and New Testament s. Ancient world and Christianity. This happened thanks to a man who is given a very special place in the Gospel. But first things first.
Purification sacrifice from the Most Pure Virgin
On February 15, we remember the events described in the Gospel of Luke. The meeting took place 40 days after the Nativity of Christ.
The Jews of that time had two traditions associated with the birth of a child in the family.
Firstly, after giving birth, a woman could not appear in the Jerusalem Temple for forty days (and if a girl was born, then for all eighty). As soon as the period expired, the mother had to bring a cleansing sacrifice to the Temple. It included a burnt offering - a one-year-old lamb, and a sacrifice for the remission of sins - a dove. If the family was poor, instead of a lamb they also brought a dove, which resulted in “two turtle doves or two pigeon chicks.”
Secondly, if the first-born in the family was a boy, the parents came to the Temple with the newborn on the fortieth day - for a rite of dedication to God. This was not just a tradition, but the law of Moses: the Jews established it in memory of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt - liberation from four centuries of slavery.
And so, Mary and Joseph arrived from Bethlehem to the capital of Israel, Jerusalem. With the forty-day-old Infant of God in their arms, they stepped onto the threshold of the Temple. The family did not live richly, so two doves became the purifying sacrifice of the Mother of God. The Blessed Virgin decided to make a sacrifice out of humility and respect before Jewish law, despite the fact that Jesus was born as a result of immaculate conception.
Meeting in the Jerusalem Temple
After completing the ritual, the Holy Family was already heading towards the exit from the Temple, but then an ancient old man approached them, perhaps the most old man in Jerusalem. His name was Simeon. Translated from Hebrew, “šim’on” means “hearing.” The righteous man took the Child in his arms and joyfully exclaimed: “Now, O Master, you are sending Your servant away in peace, according to Your word, for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all nations, a light to enlighten the Gentiles and the glory of Your people Israel” ( Luke 2:29-32).
According to legend, at the time of his meeting with Christ, Simeon was more than 300 years old. He was a respected man, one of seventy-two scientists who were commissioned to translate Scripture from Hebrew to Greek. The translation of the Septuagint was made at the request of the Egyptian king Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285-247 BC).
It was no coincidence that the elder found himself in the Temple this Saturday - the Holy Spirit brought him. Many years ago, Simeon was translating the book of the prophet Isaiah and saw the mysterious words: “Behold, the Virgin will be with child and give birth to a Son.” How can a virgin, that is, a virgin, give birth? The scientist doubted and wanted to correct “Virgo” to “Wife” (woman). But an Angel appeared to him and not only forbade him to change the word, but said that Simeon would not die until he was personally convinced that the prophecy was true. The Evangelist Luke writes about this: “He was a righteous and pious man, looking forward to the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It was foretold to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he saw Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:25-26).
And now, the day has come. What the scientist had been waiting for beyond his strength was fulfilled. long life. Simeon took into his arms the Child born of the Virgin, which means that the Angel’s prophecy was fulfilled. The old man could die peacefully. “Now you are releasing Your servant, O Master...” The Church named him Simeon the God-Receiver and glorified him as a saint.
Bishop Theophan the Recluse wrote: “In the person of Simeon, the entire Old Testament, unredeemed humanity, passes into eternity in peace, giving way to Christianity...” The memory of this gospel story is heard every day in Orthodox worship. This is the Song of Simeon the God-Receiver, or in other words - “Now you let go.”
“A weapon will pierce your very soul”
Having received the Child from the hands of the Most Pure Virgin, Elder Simeon addressed her with the words: “Behold, because of Him the people will argue: some will be saved, while others will perish. And a weapon will pierce your own soul, so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:34-35).
Disputes among the people are the persecutions that were prepared for the Savior. Opening thoughts - God's judgment. What kind of weapon will pierce the heart of the Virgin Mary? This was a prophecy of the Crucifixion that awaited her Son. After all, the nails and the spear from which the Savior died have passed unbearable pain through her mother's heart. There is an icon of the Mother of God - a vivid illustration of this prophecy. It's called "Softening" evil hearts" Icon painters depict the Mother of God standing on a cloud with seven swords stuck in her heart.
Anna the prophetess
On the day of the Presentation, another meeting took place in the Jerusalem Temple. An 84-year-old widow, “the daughter of Phanuel,” approached the Mother of God. The townspeople called her Anna the Prophetess for her inspired speeches about God. She lived and worked at the Temple for many years, as Evangelist Luke writes, “serving God day and night with fasting and prayer” (Luke 2:37 - 38).
Anna the prophetess bowed to the newborn Christ and left the Temple, bringing the news to the townspeople about the coming of the Messiah, the deliverer of Israel. And the Holy Family returned to Nazareth, since they fulfilled everything prescribed by the law of Moses.
Editor's responseOn this day, the Church remembers the events described in the Gospel of Luke - the meeting with the elder Simeon of the baby Jesus in the Jerusalem temple on the fortieth day after Christmas.
The Presentation of the Lord is one of the twelve, that is, the main holidays church year. This is an everlasting holiday - it is always celebrated on February 15th.
What does the word "meeting" mean?
Meeting of the Lord. James Tissot.
In Church Slavonic, “sretenie” means “meeting.” The holiday was established in memory of the meeting described in the Gospel of Luke, which took place on the fortieth day after the Nativity of Christ. On that day, the Virgin Mary and the righteous Joseph the Betrothed brought the baby Jesus to the Jerusalem Temple to perform established by law a thanksgiving sacrifice to God for the firstborn.
What kind of sacrifice had to be made after the baby was born?
According to the Old Testament law, a woman who gave birth to a boy was forbidden to enter the temple for 40 days (and if a girl was born, then all 80). She also had to bring a thanksgiving and cleansing sacrifice to the Lord: a one-year-old lamb for thanksgiving, and a dove for the remission of sins. If the family was poor, a dove was sacrificed instead of a lamb, and the result was “two turtle doves or two dove chicks.”
In addition, if the first-born in the family was a boy, on the fortieth day the parents came with the newborn to the temple and for the rite of dedication to God. It was not just a tradition, but the Mosaic Law, established in memory of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt - liberation from four centuries of slavery.
The Blessed Virgin Mary did not need to be purified because Jesus was born from the virgin birth. However, out of humility and in order to fulfill the law, she came to the temple. Two doves became the purifying sacrifice of the Mother of God, since the family was poor.
Who is Simeon the God-Receiver?
According to legend, when the Virgin Mary crossed the threshold of the temple with a baby in her arms, an ancient elder came out to meet her.
Double-sided tablet icon from the second quarter of the 15th century. Sergiev Posad Museum Reserve (Sacristy)
His name was Simeon. In Hebrew, Simeon means “hearing.”
Tradition says that Simeon lived 360 years. He was one of the 72 scribes who, in the 3rd century BC. At the behest of the Egyptian king Ptolemy II, the Bible was translated from Hebrew into Greek.
When Simeon was translating the book of the prophet Isaiah, he saw the words: “Behold, the Virgin will be with child and give birth to a Son” and wanted to correct “Virgin” (virgin) to “Wife” (woman). However, an Angel appeared to him and forbade him to change his word, promising that Simeon would not die until he was convinced of the fulfillment of the prophecy. This is stated in the Gospel of Luke: “He was a righteous and pious man, looking forward to the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It was foretold to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he saw Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:25-26).
On the day of the Presentation, what the elder had been waiting for all his long life was fulfilled. The prophecy has come true. The old man could now die peacefully. The righteous man took the baby in his arms and exclaimed: “Now, O Master, you are sending Your servant away in peace, according to Your word, for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all nations, a light to enlighten the Gentiles and the glory of Your people Israel” (Luke 2:29-32). The church named him Simeon the God-Receiver and glorified him as a saint.
In the 6th century, his relics were transferred to Constantinople. In 1200, the tomb of Saint Simeon was seen by a Russian pilgrim - Saint Anthony, the future Archbishop of Novgorod.
Candlemas. Andrea Celesti. 1710.
Bishop Theophan the Recluse wrote: “In the person of Simeon, the entire Old Testament, unredeemed humanity, passes into eternity in peace, giving way to Christianity...” In remembrance of this evangelical event, the Song of Simeon the Receiver of God is heard every day in Orthodox worship: “Now you let go.”
Who is Anna the Prophetess?
On the day of the Presentation, another meeting took place in the Jerusalem Temple. In the temple, an 84-year-old widow, “daughter of Phanuel,” approached the Mother of God. The townspeople called her Anna the Prophetess for her inspired speeches about God. She lived and worked at the temple for many years, “serving God day and night with fasting and prayer” (Luke 2:37-38).
Anna the prophetess bowed to the newborn Christ and left the temple, bringing the news to the townspeople about the coming of the Messiah, the deliverer of Israel. “And at that time she came up and glorified the Lord and prophesied about Him to all who were waiting for deliverance in Jerusalem” (Luke 2:36-38).
How did they begin to celebrate the Presentation of the Lord?
The Presentation of the Lord is one of the most ancient holidays Christian Church and completes the cycle of Christmas holidays. The holiday has been known in the East since the 4th century, in the West since the 5th century. The earliest evidence of the celebration of the Presentation in the Christian East dates back to the end of the 4th century. At that time, the Meeting in Jerusalem was not yet an independent holiday, but was called “the fortieth day from the Epiphany.” The texts of the sermons that were delivered on this day by Saints Cyril of Jerusalem, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostom and other famous hierarchs have been preserved. But until the 6th century, this holiday was not celebrated so solemnly.
Candlemas. Rogier van der Weyden. Fragment
Under Emperor Justinian (527-565), in 544, Antioch was struck by a pestilence that killed several thousand people every day. During these days, one of the Christians was given instructions to celebrate the Presentation of the Lord more solemnly. The disasters truly ceased when, on the day of Candlemas, all-night vigil and procession. Therefore, the Church in 544 established the solemn celebration of the Presentation of the Lord.
Since the 5th century, the names of the holiday have taken root: “Feast of the Meeting” (Candlemas) and “Feast of Purification.” In the East it is still called Candlemas, and in the West it was called the “Feast of Purification” until 1970, when a new name was introduced: “Feast of the Sacrifice of the Lord.”
In the Roman Catholic Church, the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary, dedicated to the memory of the bringing of the baby Jesus into the temple and the purification rite performed by his mother on the fortieth day after the birth of her first child, is called Chandeleur, i.e. lamp. Lamp, feast of the Mother of God of Gromnica (feast of the Fiery Mary, Gromniyya) - that’s what Catholics call it.
Our Liturgical Charter - Typikon says nothing about the consecration of candles (and water) on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. The old missals do not contain anything like this. Only after 1946 did the rite of blessing candles for the Presentation of the Lord begin to be printed in breviaries, and this was associated with the transition of the population of the regions of Western Ukraine from the union. The custom of blessing church candles on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord was transferred to Orthodox Church from Catholics in the 17th century, when Metropolitan Peter Mogila ruled the “Miscellaneous Book for the Little Russian Dioceses.” For editing, in particular, the Roman missal was used, which described in detail the order of processions with lit lamps. In our country, the Latin Sretensky rite never took root, but the rite, thanks to Peter Mogila, remained (neither the Greeks nor the Old Believers have any trace of it). Therefore, in many dioceses of the Russian Church, candles are blessed either after the prayer behind the pulpit (like the rite of the Great Blessing of Water, which is “inserted” into the liturgy), or after the liturgy at a prayer service. And there are places where there is no custom of blessing candles. The “magical” attitude towards Sretensky candles is a relic pagan ritual veneration of fire, associated with the cult of Perun, and called “thunderstorm”.
Candlemas. Gerbrandt van den Eeckhout.
What does the “Softening Evil Hearts” icon mean?
An icon is associated with the event of the Presentation of the Lord Holy Mother of God, which is called “” or “Simeon’s prophecy.” It symbolically depicts the prophecy of Saint Simeon the God-Receiver, pronounced by him in the Jerusalem temple on the day of the Presentation of the Lord: “A weapon will pierce your own soul” (Luke 2:35).
The Mother of God is depicted standing on a cloud with seven swords piercing her heart: three on the right and left and one at the bottom. There are also half-length images of the Virgin Mary. The number seven signifies the fullness of grief, sadness and heartache experienced by the Mother of God in her earthly life. Sometimes the image is replenished with the image of the deceased Infant of God on the knees of the Mother of God.
What signs exist for Candlemas?
In Rus', this holiday was used to determine the start of spring field work. According to popular belief, Meeting is the border between winter and spring, as evidenced by folk sayings: “Candlemas - winter meets spring and summer,” “Sun for summer, winter for frost.”
By the weather on the feast of the Presentation, peasants judged the coming spring and summer, the weather and the harvest. They judged spring like this: “What is the weather on Candlemas, so will spring.” It was believed that if there was a thaw on Candlemas, spring would be early and warm; if it was a cold day, expect a cold spring. Snow falling on this day means a long and rainy spring. If snow blows across the road on Candlemas, spring is late and cold. “On Candlemas morning, snow is the harvest of early grain; if at noon - medium; if it’s late in the evening.” “On the Meeting of Drops - the wheat harvest.” “At Candlemas, the wind brings fertility to fruit trees.”
Read a fragment from Joseph Brodsky’s poem “Candlemas”
There are many great and important holidays in Orthodoxy, one of them is Candlemas. This day is both joyful and sorrowful, reminds us of the past and fills us with thoughts about the future, about eternal life.
The Orthodox holiday of the Presentation of the Lord is celebrated by believers annually on February 15. If the date falls on the days of Lent, then the holiday is celebrated modestly, without “sweeping”. Its meaning is special, and not at all the one that people are used to giving it, believing that it is on this day that winter meets spring.
Origin of the holiday
Translated from Church Slavonic language"Candlemas" means "meeting."
The family fulfilled the Old Testament custom: on the 40th or 30th day after the birth of the child (depending on gender), the mother was obliged to come to the holy monastery to make a ritual cleansing sacrifice.
Mary brought a pair of pigeon eggs - such a sacrifice was allowed only to the poor. After bringing her, the priest took the child from the mother’s hands into his own and highly understood him, turning towards the altar. This meant handing over the child to God. At the same time, he read prayers for the offering of a ransom and thanksgiving for the birth of his first child.
On this holiday, Orthodox Christians remember how Jesus Christ was brought by His parents to the Jerusalem Temple. Elder Simeon met him there. The Lord predicted a long life for him - he should not die until he sees the newborn Savior of the world. Simeon, taking Christ in his arms, exclaimed that this was the child who would save the entire human race. This is how the meeting of the Old and New Testaments and the acquaintance with the Messiah took place.
Anna the prophetess, an 84-year-old woman, was present at the meeting in the temple. She, looking at the baby, also recognized Him as the Son of God. They glorified the Lord together.
Simeon died with with a calm heart at the age of 360 years. He was never afraid of death, but waited for it. He told everyone that he held the Messiah in his hands!
Important! Hence the custom of cleansing women after childbirth on the 40th day has been preserved. Usually at this time the mother brings the child to church, special cleansing prayers are read over the woman, after which she, as a full parishioner, will again be able to attend services and participate in the sacraments.
Although the Virgin Mary had no need for purification, because she was the source of purity and holiness, she, with deep humility, submitted to the dictates of the law.
Meeting of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ
The divine essence of the holiday
The history of the event of the Presentation of the Lord comes from the very event of the meeting of the newborn Messiah and the Most Pure Mary with the righteous Simeon. In a spiritual sense, this meeting is a symbol of the meeting of the Old and New Testaments.
The name of the gray-haired old man who met the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus in the temple is “Simeon,” which translated means “listening.”
Simeon is an example of the prophets of the Old Testament period who listened to the voice of God, understood and obeyed the will of God, prophesying and preaching the coming of the Messiah - the Son of God, who would bring the New Testament of Love and Mercy to humanity mired in sin.
The Old Testament Church carries within itself the essence of the Law through the fear of God: you may not understand the laws, but you are obliged to carry them out unquestioningly, without stepping back one step. It was faith in the One Creator, which was built on the fear of punishment, directing people with a slave mentality to the right life.
The New Testament Church in the image of the Most Holy Theotokos Virgin Mary gives humanity a saving faith in the image of Jesus Christ, which is above the Law, because it carries within itself the very essence of the understanding of Love, Forgiveness, Mercy.
A person himself must desire salvation, understand the meaning of earthly life, he, of his own free will, must do everything in his life so that he is granted the mercy of God. A person must accept God with his heart, and not just with his mind, get out of the state of slavery and regain the Image and Likeness in which the Creator created us, becoming a real daughter or son of Light.
Iconography
The festive icon includes five figures.
In the very center is the Infant Jesus, next to Him is the Mother of God, and on a small eminence stands Simeon.
The Queen of Heaven hands over Her Blessed Child to the gray-haired old man (in other images the God-Receiver is already holding Christ in his arms). His honest head is bowed towards the child and it seems that he is pronouncing his prophecy before Him.
Joseph the Betrothed stands on the left, holding a pair of doves in his hands, and Anna the Prophetess is shown on the right, holding a scroll in her hands.
Sretensky customs
The holiday is the twelfth. The festive liturgy is celebrated in churches.
Believers try to observe holiday traditions:
- people visit the temple and try to take communion;
- parents try to baptize their children on this day;
- if it is not possible to attend church, then people pray at home;
- at the end of the service, the candles are blessed and parishioners take them home;
- everyone tries to do good, help those in need, take care of their relatives;
- before the holiday, people clean up the house, but on February 15, any work is prohibited;
- It is customary to give each other icons of the Mother of God.
Meeting of the Lord. Miniature. Minology of Vasily II. Constantinople. 985 Vatican Library. Rome
Bans on Candlemas
- You can’t swear or use foul language;
- It is forbidden to engage in physical labor, do needlework, wash clothes, or work in the garden;
- people tried not to wash on the holiday, but it was still permissible to take a shower (the interpretation of the ban is as follows: in order to heat a bathhouse, you need to chop wood, bring water, look after the stove - and this is all work);
- It is not recommended to travel on Candlemas; it is believed that the road may end badly for travelers.
An exception to various types of work is when the work is aimed at benefiting other people.
Pagan traditions
- on the holiday, the chickens were fed especially generously, they were given a lot of hay and feed to increase their eggs and excellent offspring;
- a count of winter reserves was made: grain, oats, bread - if half of what was stored remained, then everything was fine, but if less, then it was time to “tighten the belt;
- housewives baked breads, pancakes, pies and other delicacies of exclusively round shape, glorifying the Sun and treating all those who suffered;
- people walked, sang, danced, had fun, being bored and grieving was forbidden and was considered a bad omen;
- they burned an effigy - the goddess of Love, the basis of which was straw and branches, the outside was decorated with flowers, ribbons, and they put on specially sewn festive bright clothes;
- when the sun reached the heavenly zenith, people performed a ritual: they called for a rich harvest and warm days;
- lovers asked the goddess of Love for harmony in relationships, mutual understanding, happiness and protection;
- the goddess was begged unmarried girls give them a betrothed, and the guys begged for a meeting with a beautiful and loving future wife;
- Sretenskaya water was considered magical; it was collected at midnight from three wells (it was believed that by sprinkling it seriously ill person, he will certainly recover);
- They tried to bathe babies in Sretensky water so that the baby would grow up healthy.
During his earthly life, Jesus Christ called all people to Himself, and now He calls every person to faith and righteous living, and to those who come to Him He gives grace, peace of mind, Salvation and eternal life.
Watch the video about Candlemas
The Presentation of the Lord is one of the final Orthodox events of the passing winter. During this period, nature often hints to us that spring will soon come and the weather will change. It is not surprising that a lot is associated with this holiday folk signs and superstitions.
The Presentation of the Lord is one of the twelve great Orthodox events. This holiday is dedicated to the earthly life of Jesus Christ and the Mother of God.
On this day, it is necessary to follow traditions to protect yourself and your loved ones from troubles. Many Orthodox holidays dedicated to the saints, as well as their merits in helping people in need.
We can say that the Presentation of the Lord is a unique holiday. On this day we remember the earthly life of our Savior and the Most Holy Theotokos.
The Presentation of the Lord is one of the twelve everlasting holidays, and its date, as usual, falls on February 15. From the Church Slavonic language the name of the event is translated as “meeting”.
This day is dedicated to the first meeting of Jesus Christ and the Mother of God with the righteous Simeon the God-Receiver.
On this day, believers remember important event that occurred in the earthly life of our Savior. Based on the laws of the Old Testament, a woman after giving birth was not supposed to attend church for 40 days. At the end of the term, the mother came to the temple to perform a rite of purification and bring a thanksgiving sacrifice to the King of Heaven.
The Most Holy Theotokos was a pure, believing and immaculate Virgin, therefore she did not need additional purification, but despite this, she obeyed the requirements of the law. When Mother of God With a baby in her arms, she crossed the threshold of the temple; the righteous elder Simeon came out to meet her with the goal of conducting a church ceremony.
When Simeon saw the righteous Virgin Mary with a child in her arms, he realized that this was the Messiah, whose appearance he had been waiting for for many years. After this, the elder realized that now he could die peacefully.
Simeon took Jesus Christ in his arms, blessed him, and then made a prediction about the Savior. After this, Orthodox believers began to call the elder the God-Receiver. One of the witnesses to the event was the old widow Anna.
The meaning of the holiday
The main meaning of the holiday is the long-awaited intersection of two eras, which came to be called the Old and New Testaments. Simeon the God-Receiver managed to complete the old era with dignity, and the long-awaited Messiah became the main representative of the new time. For more than a hundred years, humanity has been waiting to meet the Savior. From that moment on, faith and what people had professed for many years finally found its Creator.
The Presentation of the Lord is a holiday dedicated not only to the Mother of God and the Child Jesus Christ, but also to the Lord God.
Speaking about religious customs associated with this day, they almost did not exist throughout Great Russia, only in some places (for example, in the Vologda province) peasants walked around their houses with an icon of the Presentation of the Lord or the Savior, and when the icon was brought back to the house , then the whole family, with the householder at the head, fell on their faces with an exclamation:
“Lord our God, come to us and bless us!”
As for folk traditions, among the peasants the Presentation of the Lord was not considered a big holiday.
Very often, peasants, especially illiterate ones, did not even know what event the Church was remembering on this day, and the very name of the holiday - “Candlemas” - was explained in such a way that on this day winter meets summer, i.e. frosts begin to weaken and You can feel the approach of spring in the air.
Attributing to Candlemas only the significance of a calendar milestone, the peasants associated many agricultural signs with this day:
“On Candlemas Day there is a snowball - in the spring there is light rain”,
They talked, wondering about future rains.
Drops on this day foreshadow the wheat harvest, and the wind foretells the fertility of fruit trees, which is why gardeners, coming from Matins, “shake the trees with their hands so that they will bear fruit.”
If Candlemas Day is calm and red, then in the summer the flax and so on will be good. The weather of that day was also used to judge the herb harvest, for which they threw a stick across the road and observed: if the snow sweeps it away, then the livestock feed will also be “swept away,” i.e., the herbs will be expensive.
