Palm Sunday is one of the most significant Orthodox holidays. Where to put last year's consecrated willow? Is it possible to break a willow after a holiday

Every year Palm Sunday falls on different dates and is celebrated a week before Easter or on the sixth Sunday of Great Lent. In 2018, we will celebrate on April 1st. The holiday has several names - the Lord's Entry into Jerusalem, Palm Sunday and Palm Sunday. Let's talk about this in more detail.

history of the holiday

Believers say that it is more correct to call this day Palm Sunday. And here's why: according to legend, in 30 AD, Jesus arrived in Jerusalem on his faithful donkey. First of all, the Savior went to the temple, where he healed those who were suffering from diseases and corruption. The gratitude of the people knew no bounds. Christ was given clothes and palm branches. The fact is that the palm among the ancient Jews was considered a sacred plant. People believed that only she transmitted to the earth magical power and mainly influenced fertility.

However, Christians also lived in the northern latitudes - where there are no tropical plants. And so in Russia the palm tree was replaced with a willow - a harbinger of spring. In Italy, olive trees are considered a symbol of the holiday. In France, rosemary.

The Orthodox Church pays special attention to the holiday for a reason. On this day, Christ was greeted with applause. Prior to that, for three years he went around the cities with sermons and often he had nowhere to spend the night. People shunned the Savior. They did not understand that before them was the Son of God himself. Everything changed on Palm Sunday.

Traditions

The main symbol of the holiday is willow branches. Believers break them on Saturday evening and bring them into the house. On Sunday morning, the plants are illuminated in the church. It is believed that after that they become magical and protect from evil spirits. Willow was also given to livestock. If an animal eats a sacred plant, it will relieve diseases.

For dinner, everyone gathered at the table. The hostesses served porridge, buckwheat pancakes and lenten pastries. Meat is excluded. Palm Sunday is not celebrated. The holiday, we recall, falls on the days of Great Lent - the period when the soul is cleansed before God. So the quieter it is, the better.
Cleaning on Palm Sunday was not encouraged. Women were even forbidden to sew and knit. It was allowed to transplant indoor plants. This tradition promised wealth.

Willow branches were treated. For this, the ancestors lashed the sick person on the back, saying the words:
"Willow, willow, willow,
Golden willow.
And I'll whip the willow,
And I will say a saying:
Willow, give me health!

This tradition cured people of illness. And to women who could not get pregnant - a stork flew in.

Where to put the consecrated willow

It is impossible to throw away willow branches after the holiday. The church advises to leave them at home near the icons and burn them exactly one year later - get rid of them. negative energy accumulated over 12 months.

It is also allowed to take the plant back to the church and even down the river. And in Poland, Serbia and Belarus, willow was taken to the graves of dead ancestors. The main thing is not to throw away. This foreshadowed poverty and disease.

• If it is warm and dry on Palm Sunday, there will be a large harvest of fruits in the summer.
• The wind is blowing - waiting for a cold summer.
• Frost hit - the year will bring a lot of wheat.
• The number of blooming earrings also served as an indicator of the future harvest.

Some folk rituals and customs were timed to coincide with Palm Sunday. Peasants during matins prayed with consecrated willow and, having come home, swallowed willow buds in order to protect themselves from illness and drive away any ailment. On the same day, women baked nuts from dough and gave them for health to all households, not excluding animals. The consecrated willow was protected until the first cattle pasture (April 23), and every pious housewife drove the cattle out of the yard without fail with a willow, and then the willow itself was either “launched into the water” or stuck under the roof of the house. This was done with the aim that the cattle would not only be preserved intact, but that they would return home regularly, and would not wander in the forest for several days.

Russian historian and ethnographer of the second half of the 19th century M. Zabylin in the book “Russian people. His customs, rituals, legends, superstitions and poetry” describes the traditions of Palm Week in this way.

“Palm week, or the week of Vay, with us is enlivened by a purely holiday of the beginning of spring; a willow or a willow, which has not yet given leaves, blooms, and thus, as it were, declares that our northern nature will soon reward us and everything living on earth with new blessings. The very holiday of the Resurrection of Lazarus serves as a symbol of renewal, the revival of powerful nature. On Palm Week, children's bazaars were established in the capitals, where they sell mainly children's toys, willows, flowers and sweets, as if to commemorate the fact that small children met the spring of their lives and should rejoice in this life, and looking at the toy, study the essence of it. of their future, since each toy is a visual literacy, a visual teaching that develops further understanding in the child, brings him closer to life and develops his thinking through visualization, comparison of action and images. On Lazarus Saturday, everyone allows eating caviar, lean pancakes and various kitchen biscuits.

On Palm Sunday, returning from church with consecrated willow twigs, village women whip their children with them, saying: “ Willow whip, beat to tears!» In Nerekhta, peasant women bake lambs on Palm Sunday, and when they come from church, they feed cattle with these lambs, and willows are stuck in the village at St. icons and protect it all year round until George's Day. This practice continues in many provinces. It is known that in our country the first spring pasture of cattle begins with St. George's Day. On this day, the peasants take a one-year-old willow, soak it in holy water, sprinkle the cattle in the yard with it, and then whip the cattle with this willow, saying: “ Lord, bless and reward with health! And sometimes just: God bless you and be healthy"... and with a willow in their hands they bring to the place of pasture. The consecrated willow with us in Russia is the same as the palm branch of Palestine, highly respected and usually preserved by the pious Russian people behind images for a whole year. In some provinces, willow, consecrated on Palm Sunday, is used as a sympathetic remedy and put into the swill of sick cows or calves.

Images of the Savior riding on a donkey are already known in early Christian art. Almost all images of the Lord's Entry into Jerusalem have a common compositional scheme, but differ significantly in details. Christ blessing right hand, sits on a donkey, He is accompanied by two apostles talking among themselves. One of them is determined by a stable iconographic type as Peter, while the second apostle, quite young, may be Thomas, Philip or John. At the bottom of the compositions, children are depicted rejoicing at the coming of the Savior. An indispensable element of the iconography of the holiday is the image of the Mount of Olives.

Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. Mosaic of the Palatine Chapel in Palermo, Italy, mid-12th century.

A significant change in the iconography of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem takes place in the XIV - early XV century. Now the Savior is most often presented in a complex perspective - he turns back to the apostles. The considered pose of Christ is present on the icons from the festive row of the iconostasis of the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, the Assumption Cathedral of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, tablet icons from Novgorod and many others.

Many signs are associated with willow branches:

• If you want to be healthy, tap on the body with a willow bouquet.
• If a girl wants to get married as soon as possible, then before dawn she needs to break branches of a young willow, put them at the head of the bed and think about her beloved all day.
• In order for good luck to accompany you in business, you need to eat three consecrated willow buds.
• To protect the house from troubles, it is necessary to hide the willow above the front door.
• To get rid of a headache - weave willow into your hair.
• Break an odd number of willow branches - to health, an even number - to trouble.
• Throw away the plucked willow branches - call bad luck to you.
• Find a willow on the road and pick it up - to illness.

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Palm branches have become one of the main attributes and symbols of Palm Sunday before Easter 2019. We will tell you what they mean, how many willow branches are needed for the service. We will also show examples of how to decorate a willow for Palm Sunday.

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We continue to publish relevant materials on the topic of the upcoming Easter 2019. In the piggy bank useful materials you already have: information about, numerous options, ideas for and much more.

But while there is still time for the holiday, there are still important dates that we cannot ignore. So, we have prepared practical recommendations for you regarding.

Willow on Palm Sunday

When they tear the willow on Palm Sunday

How to decorate a willow for Palm Sunday: photo

Someone will probably want to make a willow decoration with their own hands. Here we have many wonderful options. One of the simplest, but at the same time beautiful, options for using willow in decor can be beautiful bouquet, which you have collected with your own hands.

The Christian Church introduced the feast of the Lord's entry into Jerusalem in the 4th century, and in Rus' it appeared in the 10th century and became known as Palm Sunday, since the willow had the same meaning as palm branches.

According to the traditions of the holiday on the eve of Palm Sunday, in ancient times, Russian people went to the banks of the river to break willows, and this was a real ritual. Willow has always been consecrated in the church with holy water, however, this tradition has survived to this day.

In warm countries, this day is celebrated with palm branches, but in our country, at this time of the year, the leaves on the trees have not yet blossomed. The branches of evergreen conifers have traditionally been used in burial rites, so they cannot be used.

According to signs and beliefs, it was believed that the consecrated willow had healing properties, so they touched people with branches, wishing them health, put the sick at the head, applied to sore spots, whipped children so that they would not get sick during the year and grow up healthy. Crushed dried willow buds were added to various medicinal decoctions, which were used to treat wounds and skin diseases. Sometimes the kidneys were added to bread and other pastries, and some baked bread in the form of a willow branch. Verb porridge was made from the opening buds. But willow not only heals, it gives physical strength, courage and courage, so many young men made amulets and talismans from willow buds.

It was believed that if you eat a few willow buds before a long journey or some serious business, then only success will await a person on his way and in business. Icons were decorated with branches, they were hung in the corners of rooms, which many do to this day. Also, amulets from willow buds were worn by women who did not have children. According to the legend, it was necessary to eat ten kidneys five days after the end of menstruation, this was supposed to help in the conception of a child. And in order for the offspring to be healthy, a willow twig was placed under the featherbed, and the newlyweds were showered with buds.

Our ancestors believed that willow can give sexual power not only to humans, but also to cattle. That is why domestic animals were whipped with a consecrated willow branch, branches were hung in barns, and before the first pasture in the field, these branches were fed to animals so that they would not be poisoned by poisonous herbs, would not fall prey to diseases, thieves and predatory animals. Not a single day goes by without signs related to the weather. And Palm Sunday is no exception.

If it rains on Palm Sunday, expect a good harvest. This sign is based on long-term observations of our ancestors. They noticed that if it rains on a given day, then the harvest will be just wonderful. If, on the contrary, the weather is dry, then the harvest can not be expected. And if there are clouds in the sky, it is cloudy, but there is no rain, then the harvest will be quite good, but not as we would like. It was also believed that the willow could protect the house from the elements. A house in which there is a consecrated willow branch will not be struck by lightning. If, during a fire, a willow is thrown into the fire, it will go out faster, and the flame will not go to another building. And the branches thrown into the water during the ice drift will help to avoid large floods.

If by the next holiday of Palm Sunday there were unused branches in the house, then in no case should they be thrown away. They must be burned and thrown into a stream or river, and the water should not be stagnant. Choosing new branches, preference was given to young trees growing near rivers. It was forbidden to take branches from trees growing near the cemetery, as well as on which there are nests and hollows.

Many people, believing and not very, today, on the eve of Palm Sunday, decorate their house with willow branches, because this plant gives joy and awakens spring in the heart.

Signs for Palm Sunday

Knock on the body with a willow twig- will be healthy for a whole year. Perhaps this is the only sign that people know about today. First, a willow twig is consecrated on this day in the church, and after that they tap on the body with a twig and say: “Be as strong as a willow, as healthy as its roots and as rich as the earth.” This preference is given to willow because it is perhaps the most tenacious tree that exists in nature. It is believed that even if a willow stick is stuck into the ground upside down, it will still be accepted and will grow. It is for this reason that willow will be able to give health to a person, because she herself is very strong.

Eat a willow bud- an important matter will be decided. It was customary to keep consecrated willow branches for a whole year near the icon. If you have to go to important negotiations, or you are going to start a very important business for you, and you are not sure of the result, then the willow will help you here too. But only the willow that was consecrated in the church on Palm Sunday will help. Going on an important matter, you need to tear off three buds from a branch and eat them, drinking holy water, while thinking about your business. True, you can use this property of a twig only in the most extreme case. Constantly, it is not necessary, it is better not to disturb the willow, it can go sideways.

On Palm Sunday, think about your loved one., he will come. Superstition? More likely. But before, a young girl, if she liked some guy, but he did not pay any attention to her, she was waiting for this particular day. Starting in the morning, she began to think about who is dear to her heart. Her thoughts in some incomprehensible way were transmitted to this guy. And in the evening he came to her to invite her for a walk. In principle, it has long been proven that human thought is material. Everything that we think about, sooner or later necessarily happens in real life. Perhaps Palm Sunday has such an energy that allows us to bring our thoughts to life much faster than on any other day.

Plant a houseplant for Palm Sunday- you will be rich. It used to be thought that if it was on that day to plant indoor flower, then he will attract money into your life. In the cities, of course, houseplants were kept, but in the villages it was not up to that. But those who knew about this sign, and planted indoor plants, very quickly got to their feet. But this sign has several features that few people know about. Firstly, if the flower wilts within a month, then you have to live your whole life in poverty. And secondly, you need to plant only plants with large and fleshy leaves. By the way, one of these plants is now called the money tree. In order for it not to wither and grow well, you need to know the special rules for planting and caring for it. By the way, it was noticed that in the house where Money Tree grows well, there is always prosperity and there is no lack of money.

Pet birds are not allowed outside- the witch will spoil. Perhaps, earlier in this sign they were sure, but not now. It was believed that a week before Great Easter the witches began to run amok. After all, starting from Easter and all holidays, their strength temporarily decreased. So they tried to play a dirty trick, so to speak, for future use. It was believed that it was on the poultry that the witches recouped. That's just to believe this sign or not, it is not known. But in the villages, to this day, those who keep the bird on Palm Sunday try not to let it out into the street.

There are holidays that we have heard about, we know, but we do not know about the signs associated with this day. We do not worry much because we do not know what customs to observe. But when troubles happen in our life, problems appear, then we begin to think where all this comes from, and why all this is on our heads.

Beliefs on Palm Sunday

On Palm Sunday, headaches speak.
To do this, after combing your hair, remove the hairs from the comb and put them in water.
Pour this water over the willow on Palm Sunday and say:
"Water, go into the earth along with the headache."

On Palm Sunday, they make a love spell on a willow.
To do this, break the branch and say:
“As long as the willow lies behind the icon,
Until then, my husband will not stop loving me, will not forget. Amen".
Put the willow behind the icon.
Just do not throw away the charmed branch!

Remember that branches from Palm Sunday must be preserved.
They help in the treatment of many diseases!

It is customary, according to legend, on Palm Sunday to lash with a willow on the back of the one to whom you wish health.
But know that the one who lashed you on the back wishes you bad.
Since, having whipped with a willow on this great holiday, they may wish you evil, and it will come true.

Holy willow. And then they keep it in the house all year in a vase or behind icons.
An old willow that has stood for a year is swept over all corners, windows, thresholds,
thank her for her service and burn her.
It is necessary to whip with a new sacred willow on the back of all domestic and animal,
to say out loud: “Willow-whip, beat to tears,” this adds health.

Buds, pussies from holy willow
help with female infertility and enuresis.

Today you can bake holy willow fluffies into bread
and give sick pets - they will be healed.

To everyone who helps their loved ones with castings
or by another method to remove damage or treat,
this amulet against interception will come in handy: today you need to eat on an empty stomach
3 willow buds and drink holy water.
Then say:
“St. Paul waved the willow, he drove away other people’s diseases from me.
As true that Palm Sunday is honored, so it is true,
that other people's diseases do not stick to me. Amen".
If you are an Orthodox person, then before that you need to take communion.

Rites. Willow and its power

Willow to this day is a significant plant in the folk-Orthodox culture of Russians. It gave the name "Palm Sunday" to the twelfth church feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, celebrated in last sunday before Easter. According to the Gospel, Jesus Christ was heading with his disciples from Bethany, where he raised Lazarus, to Jerusalem to celebrate Easter there. On the way to the city, Christ saw a donkey tied to a tree, on which he rode into the city. The inhabitants of Jerusalem, who learned about the miracle of the resurrection of Lazarus, enthusiastically greeted the Savior with palm branches, called “vaii”, and a song of praise. On the road along which Jesus was traveling, people threw palm branches and spread their clothes. In memory of this event in Christian churches on the day of the holiday, it is customary to consecrate decorated tree branches. Among the Russians, the place of the palm branch was taken by willow, and the week before the holiday they began to call "Verbnaya", "Verbnitsa".

Ideas about the unusual properties of willow, however, are rooted in pre-Christian, pagan times. This plant, like birch, in folk culture was associated with the idea of ​​rapid growth, health, vitality, fertility. These ideas are based on the fact that the willow opens its buds before other plants. A blossoming tree symbolized the coming spring and, according to mythological consciousness, could convey health, strength and beauty to humans and domestic animals.

Willow was widely used in the calendar rituals of Russian peasants. Despite the fact that Palm Sunday was a church holiday, on this day numerous rituals were performed with willow, which were based on archaic beliefs. It was customary to go to the forest before sunrise on Lazarus Saturday, on the eve of Palm Sunday. The brought branches were often immediately decorated with paper flowers and ribbons, but sometimes this was done only after their consecration or on the eve of Easter. They went to church to sanctify the willow on the same day for the evening service or on Sunday morning. The consecrated branches were placed in the front corner on the goddess or placed behind the icons, where they were kept until Yegoriev's day or the whole year. In Siberia, a “teremok” was made of straw for willow, decorated with rags, ribbons and hung in front of the icon.

Upon arrival home after the consecration of the willow, and sometimes right next to the church, each of the household members, and most often the children, was hit with it, as it was believed, "for health." At the same time, they said: “The willow is red, beat to tears, be healthy!”, Or: “It’s not me who beats - the willow beats, the willow whip beats to tears.” In many localities, for the same purpose, cattle were whipped with a willow, or a twig or buds of a plant were allowed to eat.

In the Central Russian zone, in order for the sheep to “fed”, they were fed with a special loaf or bread, in which willow buds were baked. In some places, the shape of the kidneys was given to ritual cookies, which on Lazarus Saturday were brought to the church for consecration along with willow cookies. In the Kostroma province, it was called "lambs", in Moscow - "lambs", "grandmothers" or "akatushki", in Ryazan - "nuts", "kytka". Cookies were baked according to the number of cattle and poultry, and in some local traditions - for all households. In the Ryazan region, feeding sheep on Palm Sunday with cookies, they believed that they would bring a pair of lambs each, and the holiday itself was called "lamb".

Consecrated branches were placed everywhere among the Russians and are still placed in a red corner next to the icons. Previously, willows were kept until Yegoriev's Day or all year. Throwing it away after whipping cattle was considered a sin. Usually these branches were stuck in a barn under the roof, “so that the cattle would not wander,” or they were thrown into the river, “letting them through the water”; sometimes they were burned in a furnace. The Belarusians kept the willow for the whole year behind the icons until the new Holy Monday. On the same day, it was burned and a new consecrated willow was placed near the icons. Upon transition to new house part of the willow branches were left in the old house, and half was transferred to the new one.

On Egoriev's Day, in many places, each cattle was hit with a willow during the ceremony of the first pasture for grazing, and after pasture they were fed to it, believing that these actions would ensure a good offspring and protect them from wild animals during the entire grazing season. They acted in a similar way on the day of Nikola Veshny: on this day, and especially when driving horses at night, the first of the season, they were whipped with willow branches.
On Ivan Kupala in Volhynia and Podolia, a tree or a willow branch was used as a festive attribute: the girls decorated the plant with flowers and danced around it, and after a while the guys broke into the girl's circle, grabbed the willow and tore it apart. This rite is close in its meaning to the numerous agricultural rituals of the East Slavic tradition with the use of a stuffed animal made of plant material, and its purpose is to influence the forces of nature so that the harvest is successful.

As can be understood from the above examples, magic functions were attributed to the willow in the popular mind. Willow branches consecrated on Palm Sunday were endowed with special power. The productive properties of the plant are evident from having magical meaning sentences that were pronounced when whipping children with a willow: “Grow like a willow!”, “As a willow grows, so do you grow!” In some areas, barren women ate the buds of consecrated willow in the hope that it would help them to have a child. The beekeepers stuck willow branches around the apiary so that the bees swarm well, more bee colonies would be born, and they would bring honey and wax to the owner in abundance.

In the Penza province, there was a ritual of hailing the young, in which it is obvious that the willow was assigned a positive meaning. At midnight on the eve of Palm Sunday, the youth went around the houses where the newlyweds lived and shouted at the gates:
“Open, open, young, beat with a willow, give health more than before.” The young woman unlocked the gate, and the crowd entered with a song: “There would be a harvest of bread, multiplication of cattle.” Everyone sleeping in the hut was lightly hit with a willow, saying: “We beat to be healthy,” and also: “Get up early, beat the ram.” The young one was last whipped when she bowed, escorting the singing youth out of the gate.

The productive power of the willow was also used directly in agricultural rituals. So, after the first cattle pasture, the twigs could be broken and scattered across the field, and the buds could be crushed into grain intended for sowing. In the Smolensk region, part of the willow brought after the pasture of cattle was stuck into the ground in a grain field - “so that the earth comes to life faster”, “so that the rye is well born and grows fluffy, like a willow”; the other part was hidden behind an icon - "so that the cattle would return home." Here the mistress of the rod, with which she drove the cattle, threw it into the dung in the barn; at the same time, she jumped as high as possible, "so that flax was born." In some places, willow branches were stuck in the four corners of the field to protect the crops. In the Tambov province, for this purpose, willows were generally planted in the field. In Belarus, with the consecrated willow, they went out to the first plowing of the spring field and to the plowing of virgin lands.
In addition to producing willow, it was endowed with healing properties, which were used both for preventive purposes and directly in folk medical practice. In the Yenisei province, consecrated willow was fed to cows and sheep on Maundy Thursday - Thursday on Holy Week, at the same time they said: “I don’t give, but a talnik. As the willow does not dry, so you, my God-given cattle, do not dry. Willow, not even consecrated, was also widely used to treat people.

In the Kuban, willow was used in the treatment of childhood diseases. To do this, early in the morning, before sunrise, they went to the river and cut the willow three times, nine branches each. At the same time, they counted three times from nine to one. Arriving home, lowered into hot water one bundle of nine branches and bathed the child near the window, from which the sunrise was visible. At noon, they put a second bunch of willow in hot water and bathed the child near the window, in front of which the sun stood at that moment. In the evening, when the sun was setting, the same actions were performed with the last bunch of branches in front of a window looking to the west. At the end, all willow branches with water were taken to the river and poured out with a prayer so that they floated on the water. It was believed that the disease would recede. In the Vitebsk region, sick cattle were fumigated with willow, ground it into powder and covered their wounds, made a decoction from it and drank it from various diseases, and also used it as a lotion from tumors and bruises.

Protective qualities were attributed to willow in folk culture. All Eastern Slavs widely believed that a consecrated branch could protect against thunderstorms, storms, and other natural disasters, from evil spirits and diseases. The Russians in the Tambov province believed that a willow thrown against the wind could drive away a storm, and thrown into a fire could pacify it. It was widely believed that the willow stored in the red corner would protect the house and the entire household from thunder and lightning. During the hail, Belarusians put a bunch of consecrated willow on the windowsill in order to pacify the elements and avoid hail in the grain fields.

Along with the fact that the willow is widely used in the ritual sphere and is an attribute of one of the biggest Christian holidays, in popular beliefs it belongs to the trees cursed by God. According to legend, the tormentors of Christ made pins from it to fasten the cross. For this, willow, according to popular belief, is subject to turning by worms, and devils sit in a dry willow. In this regard, the well-known Ukrainian proverb is indicative: “I fell in love like the devil with a dry willow.” According to Belarusians, the devil sits on the willow, especially the old one - dry and hollow, from Epiphany to Palm Sunday. In the spring, the devils warm themselves on the willow, and after it is consecrated on a holiday, they fall into the water, and therefore from Palm Sunday to Easter you cannot drink water scooped up under the willow.

Palm Sunday is the day Jesus entered Jerusalem. In the Orthodox Church, this holiday is called the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. After Christ resurrected Lazarus, the rumor about him spread through many cities of Israel, people believed that he was the king who would save them from slavery. In those days, it was customary for rulers to enter the city on a donkey. Thus, he declared that he came in peace. That's why Jesus did it. And the people of Jerusalem, in turn, greeted the Messiah with palm branches, and some of them offered their clothes at the feet of Jesus.

Probably everyone Orthodox Christian at least once in a lifetime the question arose of how the willow is connected with the fact that Christ entered Jerusalem and was greeted as a king with palm branches? This is due to the fact that not all countries where Christianity is practiced have palm trees. Therefore, in countries they are replaced by tree branches that bloom first in spring. Therefore, we have replaced palm branches with willow. In addition, we have this tree symbolizes virtue, renewal, new life.

Traditions and rituals on Palm Sunday

Even in ancient times, this holiday was celebrated on a special scale, the festivities were held in many cities - Moscow, Rostov, Novgorod and others. However, over time, this day began to be celebrated more modestly. But some traditions still exist today.

For example, on the night of Palm Sunday, it is customary to consecrate willow branches in the temple, previously plucked near the nearest rivers. In the morning, it was customary to lightly beat their children with willow branches with the words: “I don’t beat, the willow beats!”. Thus, parents cleansed their children from the evil eye, damage, evil spirits. The same ceremony was carried out with adults. Many believed that this would help to attract health, to be stronger and stronger.

It should be noted that the willow branches that were going to be carried to the temple for consecration should be cut only from young trees that do not yet have dried branches and damage. Also, according to popular beliefs, on Palm Sunday you can not take branches from trees that have hollows, as well as from those that grow near the cemetery. It was not recommended to take branches from trees that lean over the water, because at night water and mermaids could rest on them.

Also, so that no illness and disease would cling, people swallowed the buds of the consecrated willow. This rite was also used to attract good luck in new endeavors. Many in those days, before starting some important business, ate three kidneys.

Girls who wanted to marry a certain guy, all day, from morning until evening, thought about this guy. And soon they were getting ready for a date.

But in order to increase their wealth, in ancient times people planted a flower or transplanted indoor plants. It was believed that such plants bring wealth to the house. If the flower withers, then there will be no profit, but on the contrary, they believed that huge financial losses would soon await. Therefore, they tried to store and care for this flower especially carefully.

The willow branches brought from the temple were preserved by the hostesses for a whole year, and they were placed in the front corner of the hut near the icon. When spring came into its own, then people drove out cattle with this particular branch. According to beliefs, this can protect livestock from diseases.

When the sowing season began, willow branches were always stuck into the ground on the field. So they believed that this contributes to a rich harvest, and saves him from adversity.

Many women tried to save the buds of this plant in case of illness. When someone was unwell in the house, the wives baked pies with willow buds, added them to water and tea, and waited for a speedy recovery.

Very often on this day, the so-called willow bazaars were held, where lush festivities were held, a lot of goods were sold and various carousels and games were arranged. One of the main customs of such fairs is the sale of willow cherubs (willow branches decorated with angels).

Like all great church holidays, and on this day you can not work and cook hot meals. Therefore, women prepared for their households in advance. At the same time, it is worth noting that festive table should have been moderate, as Great Lent is still going on.

Conspiracies and love spells on Palm Sunday

Like any holiday, Palm Sunday has amazing magical power.

On Palm Sunday, the girls did a love spell on willow. To do this, early in the morning they found a young willow, broke a small twig on it and said love words: “As long as the willow lies behind the icon, until then my husband will not stop loving me, will not forget. Amen". After that, this branch of willow was kept in the house behind the icons.

There is another option for a love plot on Palm Sunday. Before sunrise, the girl must break branches from the willow and with all faith and love speak them: “As Palm Sunday is a joy to the whole Orthodox world, so I would be a joy to my dear, servant of God (name). As the people of the peasant ringing of the bell are waiting for the festive mass, so the servant of God (name) would be waiting for me, waiting for me, looking for me in the crowd of people, looking out the window, looking everywhere. And I would have rushed, and would have rushed on the oncoming path and pulled my white hands towards me. As the Palm Feast will not be forgotten by the church, so the servant of God (name) will never forget me. Amen". The girl should keep the charmed branches in her bedroom until what she wished comes true.

A similar way of a love spell on a willow exists in gypsy magic, known for its extraordinary power. On Palm Sunday, break a few willow branches, bring them home and tie them with red braid, while saying: "The willow knot will bind my love. As long as the knot is tied, no one will untie my love. As long as the willow lies behind the icon, until then the servant of God (the name of the beloved) will not stop loving me, will not forget. Amen."
Put willow branches behind the icon and never throw them away, otherwise you will break the life of yourself and your loved one.

In folk magic there is a very strong conspiracy on Palm Sunday, which helps people suffering from migraines. To permanently get rid of a headache on a holiday, you need to carefully comb your hair, remove the hairs from the comb and put them in water. Then you should go to the willow, pour this water under the roots and say the conspiracy words: “ Water, go into the earth along with the headache."

Signs for Palm Sunday

The ancestors believed that willow twigs had healing properties. Willow was considered a magical talisman for the whole family - they touched loved ones with a sprig, wishing them health and happiness, put the sick at the head, applied to sore spots, whipped children so that they would not get sick for a year and grow up healthy. On Palm Sunday, healers made various decoctions and powders from willow for a variety of diseases for the whole year. Men wore willow buds as a talisman to give physical strength to a young man, and girls - to help conceive a child.

According to ancient beliefs, on this day no one drove cattle out into the street, as they believed that evil spirits would definitely spoil it. And the girls on Palm Sunday necessarily combed their hair, saying: "Water, go to the ground along with a headache." And then they put the comb in the water and poured the willow with this water.

In ancient times, it was believed that what kind of wind blows on Palm Sunday, it will be like that all summer, but if the weather is warm and clear on that day, then the whole village is preparing to harvest a good harvest of fruits. If, however, "on Palm frost - spring bread will be good."

Palm Sunday is a great Orthodox holiday, one of the main attributes of which is the consecrated willow. Many after the service ask themselves: where to put the willow after Palm Sunday and how long can it be stored? In order not to defile the symbol of this great day with careless handling, you need to know the basic rules for handling consecrated willow branches.

What to do with the consecrated willow on Palm Sunday and after?

According to a centuries-old tradition, they tear the willow on Lazarus Saturday or on the eve of the holiday. They choose the most beautiful branches, with already blooming gray or light green, even yellow fluffy lumps.

At the All-Night Service on the eve of the great feast - the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem - they come with branches of a blossoming willow. After the rite of sprinkling with holy water with a prayer - consecration - the Orthodox take them home.

Willow bouquet is the main decoration of the “red” corner where the icons are kept. Also, several branches are placed throughout the house, especially in the nursery or in the room of a sick person. They are usually placed in small vases with water. You can tie the branches with a red ribbon. It is not worth making interior decorations: after all, this is a home shrine, and not a simple tree.

Having consecrated a bouquet of willow in the church, Orthodox Christians divided it into several parts. One was left in the house, the other was taken to the cemetery for deceased relatives. The third and fourth were used for magical purposes.

In the old days, willow twigs lightly tapped on the back, saying out loud. It was believed that if you put the twigs on the windowsills, it will save the house and household from the elements (thunderstorm, thunder, hail, downpour, ball lightning) and thieves.

Houses kept only an odd number of branches, equal to the number of family members. If there are more branches, then they were given to neighbors. Elderly people keep willow with special trepidation, not throwing it away for several years. According to popular belief, the consecrated branches of this tree are placed in a coffin or stuffed with pillows.

Women, in order to get pregnant as soon as possible, ate several buds of consecrated willow on an empty stomach, believing in its miraculous properties. In order for livestock to easily give birth and often give a healthy offspring, bunches of willow were hung in the corners in stalls and barns.

The corners were swept with twigs of an old willow. In some areas there was a belief that if wells were planted with them, then the water acquires miraculous power and healing properties. Elderly people advised the newlyweds to keep willow in the house so that there would be no swearing, fights and anger at each other. When newborns were bathed, willow branches were added to the water. It was believed that this would bring strength and health to the baby.

All these folk beliefs priests consider it absurd and often specify that willow branches are not a talisman. Faith and heartfelt prayer protect a person and his soul from evil and other misfortunes.

All year round willow will delight with its charm and remind you of spring and Easter. But after Lent, Palm Sunday is coming, and the question arises, what to do with the branches of the willow, which was consecrated last year? According to the clergy, there are several ways to deal with last year's willow:

If for some reason the willow has been stale in the house for more than a year, nothing bad will happen. But it is better to remove it from the house before the holiday itself, preparing a new bouquet for consecration.

Many, without going to church or simply not wanting to go there on the eve of the holiday, consecrate the willow at home at home. Here one must be careful and remember that the priest still needs to sprinkle objects with water with prayer. That's why real strength and the willow, consecrated within the church on the eve of the holiday, is considered grace.

In preparation for the feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, it should be remembered that the main task is not to bless the willow, but to bring home the state of Divine grace and joy, thinking about the soul and. Having learned where to put the willow after Palm Sunday, you can correctly say goodbye to this symbol of the holiday without sinning and without disturbing the peace of the house and heart.