Orthodox and Greek Catholics celebrate on August 2 the feast of Elijah (Elijah) - the first of the most respected immaculate. In the churches on this day, cross passages and blessing of water take place where there are sanctuaries in honor of the prophet.
Prophet Elijah
Orthodox annually celebrates on August 2 the feast of Elijah, the prophet who lived in Palestine in the 9th century. up to BC From a young age, he settled in the desert and lived there in fasting and prayer. Ilya was called into a proprietary service in the reign of the sovereign Ahab, an idolater who worshiped Baal (the sun) and forced the Israeli population to act in a similar way. God sent Elijah to Ahab and ordered him to be told that if the population did not turn to the real Lord, his kingdom would know the crisis. Ahab did not obey the prophet, and in the state came waterlessness and great misfortune.
The period of dangerous fasts by hunger the prophet lived in the desert. Then he found shelter for two years with a widow in the town of Sarepte. After he returned to the kingdom of Israel and declared to the lord and the whole people that without exception, all the misfortunes of the Israelites were due to the fact that they had forgotten the true Lord and began to bow to the idol of Baal.
Baalu
First they made the altar of Baal, threw firewood, slaughtered the bull, and the priests of Baal began to offer prayer to their own god. In the evening, Ilya made his own altar, laid logs, sprayed them with water and began to offer prayers to the Lord God. Suddenly a flame descended from the horizon and hit not only the logs and the victim, but also the water and the stones of the altar. The population, noticing this magic, glorified the true Lord and again believed in him.
Ilya the Prophet (August 2 holiday) was taken to heaven in a fiery chariot. The seer Elisha was an eyewitness to this marvelous ascent. Then, in the Transfiguration of the Lord, someone appeared together with the prophet Moses and appeared before Jesus Christ.
According to legend, the seer will become the Forerunner of the 2nd coming of Christ and during the sermon will gain physical death.
Story
Ilya the seer is the most famous of ordinary people, the blessed one. And for this reason, it is unconditional that on August 2 (the holiday of Elijah) is provided for by traditions, customs and beliefs. In popular beliefs, Ilyusha the seer appears in the form of a powerful grayish old man who, in his own chariot, drives around the boundless firmament. His punishing hand sends flaming arrows, shaking demons and humans, who do not adhere to the decree of the Lord. No matter where the seer appears, he dwells everywhere in flames, nightmares, death, and decay. It symbolizes the fury of the Lord and, according to the whole Russia, Ilya the prophet was called only severe.
Traditions
The traditions of August 2, the holiday of Elijah, have pagan origins. During this period, the ancient Slavs respected the thunder gentlemen of Perun. And only after the baptism of Russia under the influence of an Orthodox church did the appearance of a pagan deity change over time in the nation-wide consciousness of Ilya the Prophet. He embodied all without exception the functions of the Thunderer.
In absolutely all the traditions it was described that Ilya the seer expresses God's fury. His punishing fair hand punishes the spirits of the crown, and especially the evil demons. According to people's beliefs, all evil spirits are protected from its formidable arrows, transforming not only into unbridled animals (hares, foxes) and low worshipers, but also into domestic ones: dogs, cats and others.
Therefore, the tradition arose of not letting dogs and cats and other household pets out onto the street so that the spirits of darkness, who had taken refuge in them and escaped from arrows, did not get into the house, and a discharge directed at them did not enter the house.
On the Orthodox holiday of Elijah, August 2, they will certainly wash themselves with spring water. It protects against diseases and ill health.
Especially on this day you need to beware of pine trees with 2 peaks. If there is a thunderstorm, then, without exception, all the doors and windows in the housing are closed, before the icons light lamps and candles. After a thunderstorm, they collect rainwater. It has healing power and protects from the evil eye.
On the Orthodox holiday of August 2, Ilya the prophet orders not to work in the garden. The seer is able to defeat the worker with lightning, or burn the grass. Only one type of work is officially permitted - a survey of beehives and the first reduction of honeycombs in a beekeeper. According to legend, the evil spirit fears the bees and does not come close to them.
Signs
The fact that the Seer is the ruler of thunder, lightning, whirlwinds and rain clouds served as the basis for the emergence of many predictions. In the holiday of Elijah on August 2 , signs can be trusted, as a rule, they are true. You should pay attention to the following premonitions.
- Ilyin should not be dipped in a day - he wrote in some water.
- From Ilyin’s day, all the liquid cools.
- Before Ilya, a man bathes, and with Ilya, he says goodbye to the river.
- Thunder rumbles - in this case, Ilyusha moves in the chariot in the sky.
- Ilya accepts the harvest, and the season ends.
- You can’t work during the Ilyin period in the earth, otherwise it will burn with an azure flame.
- Clouds go up to Elijah according to the wind, and from Ilya they start to go contrary.
- Before Elijah, the priest would not beg for a shower, and after Elijah the woman would drive him with an apron.
- After Ilyin’s day, you won’t find a horse in the garden of Siwa - look down to what impenetrable nights it is.
- Since Ilyina’s day, a night of duty: the worker gets enough sleep, and the stallions are full.
- He who has landed in Ilyin during the rain will be in excellent shape all the time.
- Whoever considers the mocks in Ilya will lose all the benefits without exception.
What can be done?
Signs on the holiday of Elijah on August 2 are simple and understandable. You cannot work on this day. But what can be done, despite popular beliefs?
Every religious person on this day will definitely go to the temple. Since it was on the second of August that festive services were held in honor of the prophet Elijah. In addition, cross passages are arranged. After the services, families gather for a gala dinner. People specializing in tillage have every chance in this period to ask Elijah for an excellent harvest.
What can not be done?
What can not be done on the holiday of Elijah on August 2, so as not to cause disaster? During a thunderstorm it is forbidden to be in the water, near trees, near a pine tree with 2 peaks, run along the street, speak loudly, sing, scream.
Grandmothers taught the descendants in such bad weather to close the door closely, to hang up windows, to light either a lamp or a candle (an Epiphany or a Thursday) before the icon, then cross themselves and everyone without exception, begging Elijah the Prophet to free their loved ones from a shaking thunder, from an unstable arrow. With this rite, there must certainly be a handkerchief. To save their own housing and yard, steppe, animals from lightning, people fumigated incense all without exception in the evening before the holiday, and in the daytime of the next day.
It is believed that during this period it is impossible to carry out virtually any work related to land and housing, so as not to anger the holy prophet. There is a legend among the people that activity in the garden has every chance of causing death of the crop. It is not forbidden on this day to only carry out activities related to bees and caring for them. It is allowed on a holiday to carry out the preparation of wax for the production of candles.
Why can’t you get into the water?
It is impossible to bathe after August 2, the church holiday of Elijah, since the seer, according to legend, had cooled a little water by this moment. The proverb is also known among the people: "The seer stirs up water in the rivers."
The second opinion, why swimming after Ilyin’s day should not be done, warns that this is detrimental to well-being. Since from this period the water in the ponds begins to bloom - this is not the best way to affect the body.
It is generally accepted among the people that on August 2 the swimming season ends, the air temperature at night is much lower than the daytime. Similar differences are reflected in the water.
One of the factors why society in ancient times was afraid to plunge after Ilya’s day was feral animals and evil forces. If you trust the nationwide superstitions, then on the night of August 2, unclean forces - water, mermaids, demons, are found at the ponds. As if they are being taken to refuel in rivers and lakes from now on. For this reason, the threat of drowning is very great - no one will be in a hurry to think better of how a non-human will take it and drag it after itself.