In religion (in Orthodoxy), it is believed that on Easter it is generally forbidden to wash and go to the bathhouse. This is a big sin, God can punish for it. Yes, there is indeed some truth in this. Mistresses always do a big general cleaning three days before Easter. And after it they go to the bath with the whole family. This is the answer that can be given to the question: is it possible to go to the bathhouse on Easter? Doing it the day before is the best option.

But many will immediately object, but what about those who do not have time or cannot do as described above? Don't be dirty, right? In the article we will try to figure out whether it is still worth it or not to go to the bathhouse for Easter. We warn you in advance: we give only general advice, and it is up to you to decide how best to proceed.

To answer this question, here are some tips from the priest, Archpriest Alexander Ilyashenko. He says that the meaning of the fact that it is undesirable to go to the bathhouse on Easter is not at all to forbid, to say that this is categorically impossible to do. The point is that this day should be dedicated primarily to God. And it is best to start it with a visit to the temple, take communion, confess, repent of your sins. Yes, of course, you can wash, wash your hair, clean up the house, but this should not replace a visit to the temple. Yes, and it is best to devote Easter to care, good deeds. And it is best to wash and clean the house the day before. Let's also figure out how the Orthodox Church nevertheless relates to visiting a bathhouse on church holidays? It is known that in religion it is considered an unholy building (it is never illuminated in the village).

To begin with, let's answer the following question: when is Easter generally celebrated? Traditionally, it is always celebrated on Sunday, but usually falls on different days and dates. This day is chosen according to a special lunisolar calendar. Thus, this holiday usually falls on the first Sunday after the spring full moon. Approximately April 4th to May 8th. However, here are some tips for you: the day before, an all-night vigil is usually held in all churches. If you are going to go to it (and let’s say the holiday falls on Saturday), then you need to go to the bathhouse the day before (this day is considered bathhouse by believers). On this day, anointing is also possible, and after it you definitely do not need to perform water procedures. So wash on Friday if you're going to attend worship.

We also want to tell you about one very interesting belief. Our ancestors believed that a certain spirit lives in the bath - a bannik (our ancestors were very afraid of him, this is an evil spirit) and he has an invisibility cap. If someone wanted to receive it, he had to come at Easter midnight, put a cross and a knife in his left boot, sit facing the wall and utter a curse. Then a bannik will appear and give the person a cap of invisibility. Or this hat could be taken by quietly sneaking into the bathhouse before the start of the morning Easter service (at this time, our ancestors believed, the bannik was sleeping). But then you need to run away with the hat to the church as soon as possible, because the bannik can kill.

happiness will come to those who stay awake all night

The day before Easter is called Passionate or Great Saturday. If Friday of Holy Week is only a mournful day, then Saturday is also filled with sorrow? and joy at the same time. The body of the Savior is already in the burial cave, but the Resurrection of Christ is about to come. Another name for Saturday is Dyeing, because on this day many believers dye eggs - a symbol of new life.

What else should be done on this day?

1. Attend all night. If this is not possible, then you can simply try not to go to bed, light a candle in front of the icon and pray. Whoever stays awake until the morning will find happiness, health and good luck. After all, it is believed that on the night from Holy Saturday to Sunday, happiness roams the earth, but comes only to those who do not sleep.

2. Prepare festive Easter dishes. It is desirable that there be twelve of them.

3. Fast. Some believers even refuse any food on this day. But if you really want to, then you can eat bread, dried fruits, vegetables without oil.

4. Consecrate colored eggs, Easter cakes, salt and other products in the temple.

5. Give charity to the poor.

6. Put up with everyone with whom you are in a quarrel, forgive insults and forget any misunderstandings.

Good Saturday: what not to do

1. Try Easter dishes before the first star appears in the sky.

2. Eat meat and dairy products, eggs.

3. Giving away something from home or lending money.

4. Celebrate birthdays, celebrate weddings, have fun and laugh. It is believed that the couple who get married on this day will not live together for a long time. And whoever rejoices on the Sabbath will weep for the rest of the year.

5. Drink and indulge in carnal pleasures.

6. Engage in any kind of needlework.

7. Hunt or fish, so as not to invite misfortune on yourself.

8. Work in the garden, make repairs or build.

9. Quarreling, cursing and swearing.

10. Wash in the bath, bath or go to the sauna.

Notes on this day

By the weather on Good Saturday, you can determine what the summer will be like. So, if it is sunny and clear outside, then it is worth waiting for the heat, if it is rainy and chilly, then the summer will be cold. A rich harvest promises a dark night from Saturday to Sunday.

Bath procedures in Russia have always been popular and played a significant role in the lives of our ancestors. However, there were a number of taboos regarding washing and going to the bathhouse. Some were associated with the religious sphere, others with magical beliefs. So, when was it not recommended for Russians to wash?

On church holidays

There was a saying: "Do not wash on a holiday, otherwise you will then drink water in the next world." Priests say that on church holidays, as well as on Sunday, it is necessary to devote oneself to God: these days it is recommended to read prayers, visit the temple, and help your neighbor.

In this regard, it is better to either finish worldly affairs in advance, or postpone them for later. Therefore, it is better to wash and clean up before the holiday, in order to meet it clean. If you didn’t have time to do this, then you can wash yourself in the evening after the service.

In the 17th century, for example, by royal decree, all baths were closed on the eve of the vigil, so that Christians would go to the temple, and not to another place. The ban on "holiday" washing was also probably associated with the ban on physical labor: after all, in order to heat the bathhouse, it was necessary to chop wood, apply water and heat the stove. And that was serious work.

There are also days when washing and cleaning are considered obligatory in the Orthodox tradition. For example, Clean Thursday on Holy Week before Easter, or Epiphany, when Orthodox people plunge into the hole, and those who do not have such an opportunity should take water procedures at least at home.

On "non-bath" days

Our ancestors tried to go to the bathhouse only on certain days of the week. This was due to the belief in a bannik - a mythical creature like a brownie, who supposedly lived in every bathhouse and set its own rules for people. If the washmen interfered with the bannik, he could get angry and punish a person - for example, tear off his skin alive, pour boiling water over him and even strangle him.

Monday belonged to the forbidden days - on this day the bathhouse was at the disposal of the "owner", and there was no place for people there. It was best to visit the bathhouse on Thursday or Saturday. In extreme cases, you could wash yourself on Tuesday. On Sunday, it was not recommended to do this at once for two reasons: the first is that Sunday is considered a church holiday, and the second was the belief that one who dared to wash on Sunday would get sick.

After midnight

It was impossible to wash in the bath after midnight: according to legend, at this hour, evil spirits visit the bannik and they bathe together.

In "third pair"

When there were a lot of people, they usually washed in the bathhouse in several visits. So, the third entry, or the so-called "third steam", was dangerous for a person. It was believed that the bannik itself was washed in the “third couple”. It was necessary to get by with two visits or to postpone washing for another time.

Men forward

It was believed that then all the sins and illnesses of their predecessors would be transferred to those who enter the bath at the next entry. Therefore, women went to bathe after men.

If we discard all superstitions, then we can assume that the men went to wash first, because they were the main ones in the family, and thus honor was shown to them.

Drunk

The man who went to wash, being drunk, was also threatened with all kinds of punishments from the side of the bannik. But I think the point is that a drunk could not follow and either get burned, or get burned, or, say, fall headlong on the stones.

By the way, in our time it is categorically not recommended to drink alcohol either before going to the bathhouse or during it, and this is due to the physiological characteristics of the body: for example, from drinking the blood vessels expand, and if you also take a steam bath, it can jump sharply pressure.

For a long time in Russia, in order to swim, they used a special building - a bathhouse. It was usually built on the banks of water bodies, so it was easier to bring water for washing, and gave the opportunity to plunge a steamed body into icy water. A visit to the bath, in addition to cleanliness, strengthened the health of the visitor. There are many beliefs and legends associated with the bath. Popular rumor said that this building has its own owner - a bannik. And the one who came to the bath had to follow special rules of behavior so as not to anger him. A bannik could arrange some kind of trick or harm health for a person who did not like it. The time of visiting and the days suitable for this were also strictly prescribed.

The ban on visiting the bath on this day was born a long time ago. Even before the baptism of Russia, Sunday was a day of rest. On this day, festivities and public gatherings were organized. After the adoption of Orthodoxy by Russia, the state strictly monitored the observance of religious rules, so the baths were closed on Sundays. Those who violated this prohibition were severely punished. During the formation of this religion, people are so accustomed to fulfill this rule that they still adhere to it.

Another "forbidden" day

In addition to Sunday, the ban on the use of the bath, which can be explained by religious reasons, in Russia there was another forbidden day - this is Monday. This day belonged to the owner of the Bannik bath. Anyone who disturbed his peace on that day, he could cripple: by adjusting a fracture or scalding, or even taking his life by strangling.

They didn’t go to the bathhouse even after midnight, fearing to catch the guests of the bannik there: evil spirits. The presence of drunken visitors was not allowed in the bathhouse. A person in hops loses concentration and reaction speed, so he can burn or scald with boiling water. Also, from drinking, the vessels expand and from the bath steam, the pressure can jump sharply.

Bath and health

Bath procedures have a healing and rejuvenating effect on the human body. Being in a steam room, a person's skin is steamed, opening and cleansing the pores, eliminating dirt and bodily ailments. Bath brooms exfoliate dead skin particles, saturate it with vitamins, giving it a feeling of vivacity and renewal. There are many ways to treat various diseases with its help. In the old days, a woman in labor was placed in a bathhouse, where she lived for several more days after giving birth. It was believed that it was in this room that the birth of a child would be most painless and pass without consequences for the mother and child.

Bath signs and traditions

• When building a bath, a black chicken was buried under the threshold.
• When heating the bath for the first time, a freshly baked loaf was taken into it, which, after washing, was left as a gift to Bannik.
• If Bannik showed up, expect big trouble.
• Heard in the bath, clatter and incomprehensible sounds promise future troubles.
• The first baths are visited by men, and then women go there.
• Under no circumstances should you spit in the bath. This is a cruel insult to her master. His revenge will not keep you waiting and you are unlikely to like it.
• Do not use other people's bath accessories, take away all the misfortunes of their owner.
• Going to the bath alone is not recommended.
• Scraps cannot be thrown away. It is best to bury them in a secluded place.
• For a person, it is obligatory to visit the bathhouse on the following days: after the celebration of Maslenitsa, on Maundy Thursday, before the night of Ivan Kupala (July 7).
• It was forbidden to scold, scandalize and commit adultery in the bath.
• Bath is considered a kind of meeting place of the world of people and the world of spirits, therefore, it often served for magical rites and fortune-telling.

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Sometimes people of the older generation, whose advice most listen to, are convinced that during the period of great church celebrations, in addition to not doing work, it is also impossible to wash on church holidays (especially in baths). If the ban on work seems quite understandable and simple to many people, then why is it forbidden to wash and is it worth going dirty during the celebrations? In this article, you can learn more about this prohibition, whether its non-observance is considered a sin, and much more.

Church celebrations are those days when a believer should devote his fellowship with the temple and the Lord, and these days such a view is inherent in all known religions in the world.

It is worth noting that such a day must begin with a prayerful appeal to the Lord and his saint, then it should be in sins, take communion or perform other church rites that relate to a particular day. During a religious holiday, such actions are considered the most correct.

Is it possible to wash on Orthodox holidays and Sunday

For those who ask the question “is it possible to wash on Sunday Orthodox?” must take into account that Sundays and holidays are special in the Christian religion, where it is believed that six days a week you need to work hard, and on the seventh you should devote yourself to the Almighty. And on this day you need:

• take care of your neighbor,
• be merciful,
• do good deeds
• study the Word of God.

And cleaning, for example, is best in advance, namely on Saturday, in order to meet Sunday in a clean and bright house.

After a believer has been in the temple for a service, he is allowed not only to bathe, but also to tidy up the house, as well as to perform other available tasks. After all, it is worth remembering that the whole point of this prohibition is not to not clean anything at all at home and not to wash in any way on the day of a religious festival, but not to exchange communion with the Lord God for something else on such days.

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It follows from this that religious deeds should be done first, and only then can one move on to worldly and personal ones.

If a Christian does not work during the feast, because it is forbidden, and still does not visit God's temple, then this is already considered a simple superstition, and this, in turn, is not entirely true.

When to bathe

Let's take a closer look at when you need to swim, and when it is better to wait a little with this procedure. In the Christian church, special days are set aside when cleaning and washing are church rituals, namely:

• Pure Thursday, on which you need not only to bathe yourself, but also to put the whole house in order, cleaning it of dust and dirt, laundering, and also make sure that the children do not forget to bathe.
• Another festival that involves the reception of water procedures is the rite of Baptism, with the onset of which most people plunge into the water holes in the hole in order to receive