Today, April 5, is Maundy Thursday for the Orthodox. Or, as it is also called, Maundy Thursday (Thursday in the old way). Considering that this is the last day of the Savior’s earthly life, many religious and folk traditions have long been associated with this day. “Altaiskaya Pravda” decided to figure out what is possible and what is not recommended to do on this day.

On Maundy Thursday you can and should:

  • Attend the morning service and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, because it was on this day that Jesus Christ established the Sacrament of the Eucharist;
  • Do not judge anyone, do not use foul language, do not envy anyone;
  • Do not eat meat, fish, dairy products, oil. Even if you do not observe Lent, it is better to refrain from overeating;
  • Read 12 passages from all 4 Gospels, which recall the main events of this day: the Last Supper, the washing of feet, the severe suffering and prayer of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, the betrayal of Judas Iscariot;
  • Wash. It makes no difference - in the bathhouse or in the bathroom;
  • Try to clean the house, but don’t overdo it and don’t do it to the detriment of your spiritual life;
  • In the evening, boil the eggs, color them, knead the dough and put the Easter cakes in the oven.
  • Drinking alcohol;
  • Have fun and have a feast. If some kind of celebration falls on this day, then it is better to postpone its celebration;
  • Prepare “Thursday salt” because this is rather a folk and pagan tradition that has no religious basis;
  • If you have kneaded the Easter cake dough and colored the eggs, then you cannot try them - Lent is not over yet.

What can you eat on Maundy Thursday?

  • The Holy Week of Great Lent is the strictest, but Maundy Thursday is the last day on which you can eat, since on Friday and Saturday the Charter prescribes almost complete abstinence from food. On Thursday you can eat vegetables and fruits, unleavened bread and crackers. But without oil and without heat treatment.
  • Meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products remain prohibited.

Signs for Maundy Thursday will help you understand the prohibitions and traditions of this important day for an Orthodox person. There are a huge number of rituals and ceremonies on Maundy Thursday; knowing what needs to be done, you can attract happiness, wealth to your home and find a groom.

What not to do on Maundy Thursday

The main prohibition of Maundy Thursday concerns mud. It is forbidden:

  • refuse to bathe and clean the house (body cleanliness);
  • swear (purity of speech);
  • allow bad thoughts (purity of thoughts);
  • indulge in sin (purity of soul).

Anyone who violates these prohibitions will suffer from lack of money, illness and scandals in the house. Before Easter, angels go from house to house, offended by the disorder.

Laundry, like other household chores, is allowed. Do not leave soaked laundry until . If you start washing, finish by midnight.

You cannot borrow or lend. In the first case, the whole year will pass in attempts to pay off debts. In the second, money and luck will leave the house. They don't lend things out. It is not customary to give gifts and make large purchases - for the same reason.

You cannot ask for money and wealth in prayers. But you can ask God for a new job, good luck and prosperity for the family. You should pray for family happiness, but not for the love of a specific person.

On Maundy Thursday you are supposed to fast; even when preparing Easter treats, you cannot sample the dishes. Do not start cooking before cleaning and washing.

Washing, cutting and cleaning on the fourth day of Holy Week

Maundy Thursday is called Clean Thursday because Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, setting an example of serving his neighbor. To this day, it is performed in cathedrals rite of washing feet- the bishop washes the feet of twelve priests or monks. The traditions of washing the body, cleaning the house and the graves of relatives take their roots here.

In the old days, they plunged into the river or went to the bathhouse before dawn. Nowadays it is common to take a shower or bath while it is still dark outside. Any water on this day has healing powers that wash away all diseases and sins. In order not to be afraid of the evil eye for a whole year, any silver object is left in a container with water overnight. The next morning, before dawn, you need to wash your face with this water. During ablutions, think about good things - they will certainly come true.

Cleaning on pre-Easter Thursday is obligatory not only based on popular belief, but also according to the priests. The remaining water is poured outside the site, in the apartment - into the sewer. After cleaning, you should walk around the house with a burning church candle, fumigate the house with incense or juniper, and sprinkle the corners with holy water. This is done to protect against evil spirits and expel negative energy. You can decorate your home with Easter decor.

Rearrangement of furniture and minor repairs are allowed. Doing household chores on Good Friday is prohibited, so do everything to save yourself the hassle before the rest of the Week.

You shouldn’t limit yourself to just cleansing your body and home. Divine services, communion, confession and reflection on the essence and holiness of each day will help in cleansing the soul. On Thursday you can atone for the most significant sins. There are also special rituals to cleanse the house of evil spirits on this day. To get rid of the negative energy that has filled your home, open the windows before cleaning. After it, take a handful of salt and say:

Roll on, you poor lot, homewrecker, godmother.
Roll - don't stretch, don't spin around the threshold, don't cling to the porch, don't hang on the gate!
Dog, devil, crow's help, get away from the threshold!

Hang juniper or heather over the front door. Leave a few branches in the Red Corner or near the icon of Christ. Scatter salt near the front door in a stripe, blocking the path of evil. Don't forget to sprinkle the corners with holy water. You can also fumigate the house with incense or wormwood.

Before sunset, you need to have time to prepare Thursday (black) salt - a folk remedy for treating ailments and protecting against evil.

How to swim properly on Maundy Thursday

Even from an ordinary tap on Easter Thursday, water with magical properties flows. But it will not be like this for long - from midnight until sunrise. That’s why it’s customary to wake up early on Maundy Thursday in order to have time to wash away all the negativity. The pectoral cross is not removed. During the process, you can read a suitable plot, for example:

I wash away what they put on me, what toils my soul and body, everything is removed on Clean Thursday.

To get rid of skin diseases and cosmetic imperfections, you need to leave the soap overnight on the street or windowsill. It will be good if it is under the rays of the moon.

If you are taking a bath, put silver in the water. The girl will become more attractive and find love. A man, according to signs, gains courage and willpower. A stolen silver coin has special power. To gain wealth, one washes oneself not with silver, but with gold. You can add spoken salt to the water:

This is Monday, this is Tuesday, this is Wednesday, and this is clear water. You wash the roots and straight branches, wash me too, (name). Water, water, wash away the damage from me and my face - male, female, childish, senile, envious, pretentious, take away the pain, give relief.

After bathing, you need to douse yourself with cold water to protect yourself from diseases for a year.

Haircut on Maundy Thursday

One version of the origin of the name of the date refers to the ban on washing and cleaning on Easter and other Christian holidays. In the old days, they tried to put themselves in order in advance, in this case it was the Thursday before Holy Sunday. For the same reason, haircuts on Maundy Thursday are not prohibited by the church and are approved by popular signs.

Old people recommend at least cutting the ends so that the negative energy goes away with them. Healers recommend doing this before rituals for removing damage, which are often held on Easter. While cutting, think about the problem you want to get rid of.

A child's first haircut on Maundy Thursday brings good luck and good health. In the old days, peasants symbolically sheared the hair of animals in order to "relieve diseases". This is what they do with pets.

Is it worth going to the cemetery on Maundy Thursday?

In most regions of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, it is customary to clean up the cemetery on Maundy Thursday. The Slavs have always assigned an important role to the veneration of ancestors, and if you are going to do holiday cleaning in the house, it is worth putting things in order where deceased relatives are buried.

Visiting graves on Maundy Thursday is not just about cleaning. At this time, flowers are planted, fences, benches and other elements of the cemetery are painted. Treats are not left for the dead; this is done on Radonitsa, sometimes on Easter.

The Church has a different opinion on this matter. Priests recommend going to church rather than to the cemetery. There are other days for visiting graves, for example, Radonitsa, and the pre-Easter Thursday is the time to attend temple services.

Wedding on Maundy Thursday

Getting married on Maundy Thursday is a sin. You cannot tie the knot during Great Lent, especially on this date and Palm Sunday. Both marital relations and marriage during this period are not approved by the church. Weddings don’t take place on Thursday, especially on Holy Day. At the registry office, the newlyweds will not encounter a refusal.

A wedding on Maundy Thursday can take place without a wedding, it can be postponed to another time. Only Lenten treats are allowed. The holiday atmosphere should be calm. You cannot encourage guests to sin, for example, with indecent competitions. Dancing and singing are not recommended.

Fun is prohibited until Easter. The celebrations will have to be postponed until next week, or celebrated modestly.

Is it possible to baptize a child on Maundy Thursday?


Maundy Thursday is the best time to baptize a child. In the Orthodox tradition, it corresponds to cleansing from all sins and illnesses. The sacrament of baptism performed on this day will cleanse the baby’s soul from original sin.

Another advantage of baptism on Maundy Thursday is the opportunity to celebrate Easter, being churched and spiritually pure. But it’s not easy to figure out how to baptize a child on Maundy Thursday. Most churches have their own schedule for holding sacraments.

When celebrating christenings, you should remember to observe fasting. First of all, this is a spiritual holiday. It makes sense to postpone the noisy feast to a more appropriate time.

Other signs and beliefs

On Maundy Thursday they make Thursday salt - a powerful medicine against damage and illness. They prepare Easter treats - Easter cakes, Easter cakes and eggs, accompanying the preparation with prayers. On Maundy Thursday you can work without fear of sin.

If after water treatments, at noon and at sunset, you count all the money in the house, you will live in wealth and luxury for a whole year. Another sign of wealth is finding what was lost. It is a good sign to throw away unnecessary things on Maundy Thursday. This attracts new acquisitions to the house. To get rich, you need to make a change. The larger the changes, the more money there will be.

A well-known sign for love on Maundy Thursday is the appearance of a free shelf in the closet after cleaning. Soon he will be occupied by men's things. Seeing an old man through the window means illness or failure. A man - for money, a woman - for luck in his personal life. Child - to learn.

What to do on Maundy Thursday to attract wealth

On Maundy Thursday, water acquires magical properties. It washes away illnesses, sins and negative energy caused by sorcerers and witches. It can also be used in monetary rituals on Maundy Thursday.

Fill a clean bowl or bucket with water and soak in all the coins you can find around the house. They will charge the water with monetary energy; it should be used to wash windows and window frames with the following words:

Money, spend - don’t transfer, grow, multiply, don’t get to the enemy!

This mini-rite has other versions, where it is recommended to use gold or silver instead of coins. Choose the option that seems more suitable. The remaining water can be used to water house plants.

To keep money in the house, in the old days on Thursday they shot a gun into the air. Modern followers of the Simoron magical movement recommend using firecrackers; they are much safer.

Simple rituals on Holy Thursday for women's happiness

If you have lost hope of marriage - perform a simple ritual on Maundy Thursday and meet your betrothed this year. A new towel will be needed. You should get up before dawn, wash and dry yourself with it. Hide the towel until Easter without washing it. On Easter, bless it and give it to any beggar along with Easter cakes and colored eggs prepared by you personally.

Maundy Thursday traditions involve cleaning. During this, make room for your future spouse's toiletries. Clear a shelf for his clothes in the closet, buy new men's slippers and place them near the threshold. It is effective when there is a groom, but the relationship does not reach the wedding.

Another ritual implies that there is a cat in the house. She should not be sterilized. It’s good if the pet has a good disposition, is pregnant or is feeding kittens. Buy a carton of milk and pour some for your cat. You need to wash your face with the milk from this pack with the following words:

Just as everyone pets cats, and just as cats cling to everyone, so the suitors won’t let me pass. Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Give the rest to street cats. The more cats try the milk, the more suitors there will be.

On Maundy Thursday, changing the bed linen and sprinkling it with holy water will help to refresh the passion in the relationship between husband and wife. Another way is to plant an apple seed in a pot and keep it in the bedroom.

How to make a wish come true on Maundy Thursday

To fulfill your wishes, on Maundy Thursday you need to make a rearrangement. Change your furniture and interior items, and positive changes will come into your life. The more things change their location, the stronger the effect.

Few people have time for a large-scale rearrangement of furniture on a weekday, which is pre-Easter Thursday. You can turn to the teachings of Feng Shui. For example, place a figurine of a money toad in the wealth zone. Rearrange the area that suits your desire.

There is no time to thoroughly clean the entire house - clean part of it. In addition, Thursday is a great day to make a vision board.

Church candles on Maundy Thursday

During the service in the church, which is called the Great Standing, you are supposed to hold a candle in your hands. In the old days, it was customary to carry it home in a special lamp so that the fire would not go out. Now they are extinguished before leaving the temple, and at home they are lit near the icons. Leave the Maundy Thursday candle to burn out completely so that happiness will find its way to your home.

Each day of Holy Week has its own meaning, and Thursday's role is to cleanse the body, home and soul. Lent continues at this time, so there are many restrictions for this date. Those who do not observe the prohibitions will be punished, and those who use the holy day wisely will receive good things.

In 2018, Maundy Thursday will be celebrated on April 5, and many people are wondering whether it is possible to clean on this day or whether it is better to postpone all tasks for another time. The detailed answer to this question is given below.

Cleaning on Maundy Thursday - is it possible?

Definitely yes, and even necessary! It is believed that if the house is in complete order, then the year will be successful, because all household members will feel a wave of freshness, cleanliness and order.

Here we are faced with a fairly common case when Orthodox and folk traditions are harmoniously combined with each other.

Thursday of Holy Week is called clean because it was on this day that Christ washed the feet of all his 12 disciples (including Judas, who betrayed him a few hours later).

So it turned out that for several centuries in Rus' and in other countries people have sought to take a thorough swim on this day. And also to restore complete order in their homes - they removed cobwebs, swept away all the garbage, washed the windows and tinted the fences. This is understandable: Good Friday and Saturday are ahead. And then there is Easter - the main Christian holiday, which today, without exaggeration, is celebrated by billions of people on our planet.

Interestingly, many housewives still try not to pour dirty water left after cleaning into the toilet or other place in the house on Maundy Thursday. It would be better to take it out and pour it somewhere outside the apartment - on a rocky path or in a ditch, so as not to disturb plants and other living creatures.

NOTE

In fact, the question of whether it is possible to clean on Maundy Thursday can be reduced to a more general one: is it even possible to work on this day, or do any household or official work?

Of course, you can - life goes on as usual. And each person acts not only according to his own desire, but also in accordance with the actual circumstances.

Is it possible to clean on Friday after Maundy Thursday?

If a person does not have time to complete all his affairs, he can swim and clean the house both before and after Thursday, Wordyou reports. So, often circumstances are such that it is possible to tidy up, wash, etc. only on Wednesday evening. You can also do these things on Friday and Saturday - there are no strict prohibitions here.

This point of view is shared by representatives of the Orthodox Church.

However, it is important to make one caveat here. The fact is that Friday and Saturday in Holy Week (week) are the times when the Savior was executed and crucified, and his spirit left his lifeless body. It is clear that these are the most difficult, dramatic days for all believers, when even fasting involves the most serious restrictions.

Therefore, at such moments it will be better to focus on reading the Bible, prayers and virtues. The bustle of the house can simply distract from the holiday and the days preceding it - therefore, if possible, it is better to finish bathing, washing and general cleaning of the house on Thursday.

What else can you do on Maundy Thursday?

Here’s what else they do on Maundy Thursday before Easter according to folk traditions:

  1. In modern conditions, not everyone can go to the bathhouse. But a silver spoon or other utensils made of this noble metal should probably be found in many homes. If you fill a silver bowl with water and wash your face with it in the morning (again, better before sunrise), you will receive a charge of vigor and health for the whole year. You can simply put a silver spoon in a vessel of water and wash your face.
  2. You need to try to cleanse not only your body, but the whole house. On Maundy Thursday they try to get rid of all the trash, old things that have not been used for a long time.
  3. Housewives are not forbidden to sew, wash and do other household chores on Maundy Thursday, and it is better to do them before the evening.
  4. You also need to boil the eggs in the evening of Maundy Thursday, paint them, knead the dough, and then bake the Easter cakes. The pasochki will not go stale if you prepare them using the correct technology. An interesting nuance - on this day it is forbidden to take samples from Easter cake, eggs and other holiday dishes. Of course, this rule applies to a greater extent to churchgoers who observe Lent. However, those who have not fasted can also heed the advice.
  5. Even on Maundy Thursday, the so-called Thursday salt is prepared. It is prepared on the basis of ordinary salt - the crystals are mixed with the soggy crumb of rye bread or with the grounds that remain after the kvass has settled. It is believed that it will serve as an excellent amulet for the whole family, and will be valid for a whole year.
  6. On Maundy Thursday, they also make peculiar conspiracies for money and for the betrothed. For example, you could put a silver coin in water overnight and then hide it in your wallet for a whole year. Or take a piece of soap and say the name of your loved one, saying: “(Name) sticks to me like soap.” Of course, these traditions are more likely to be folk than church traditions. However, there is nothing wrong with a person’s very desire to find love and live in abundance.

Today for Orthodox Christians in Khakassia before Easter is Maundy (Clean) Thursday.

Keep it up

Here's what you absolutely can't do on Maundy Thursday:

Starting from Thursday and until Easter, you cannot take anything out of the house, especially on credit. Don’t give, no matter how much someone asks: neither money nor any things to “use.” This is a bad omen. You cannot even share kitchen utensils or food with relatives or neighbors.

You cannot leave soaked laundry that you haven’t had time to wash or unwashed dishes overnight from Maundy Thursday to Good Friday.

As on the other days of Holy Week, on Thursday you cannot tell fortunes, have fun, celebrate holidays, sing or dance. You cannot eat fast food on this day.

What it is VERY advisable to do:

It is critically important to start cleaning on this day in the morning. So even if you don’t have time and you go to work that day, clean up at least something at home first! You can, for example, wash the dishes and take out the trash... The bravest ones can take a swim on Maundy Thursday. Our ancestors believed that this ritual would help “wash away all diseases.”

Maundy Thursday is the best day of the year to cut your little children's hair for the first time. Peasants used to shear livestock even on this day for good luck.

So that you have money for the future, count it all on this day, three times! If possible, you can also shoot a gun or at least rearrange the furniture...

This is the best day to remove the damage caused by enemies. You just need to wash your face early in the morning, before dawn. At the same time, you need to say the words of an elementary prayer:

“I wash away what they put on me, what toils my soul and body, everything is removed on Clean Thursday. Amen".

If you are a single woman, then in order to find your happiness, on this day when washing your body you need to say a prayer:

“As Maundy Thursday is bright and red, so I, slave (name), will be beautiful to everyone. Amen".

According to calend.ru, during services on this day they remember one of the most important gospel events: the Last Supper, at which Jesus Christ washed the feet of his disciples, thereby showing an example of brotherly love and humility. According to the Gospel, at the Last Supper, Jesus Christ established the rite of the Eucharist - Holy Communion. This rite is recognized by all Christians - Orthodox, Catholics, Lutherans - believers eat wine and bread, meaning by them the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. From Maundy Thursday until Sunday, in all Orthodox churches, church services are dedicated to memories of the earthly suffering of the Savior.

Preparations for Easter begin on Maundy Thursday. Believers need to come to churches, confess and receive communion. They clean the house, bake Easter cakes, and paint eggs.

On Maundy Thursday, it is customary to get up before sunrise and take a bath - symbolically to cleanse yourself of sins and vanity. On Maundy Thursday, Russian peasants cleaned the house, yard and garden of the rubbish, dirt and dust that had accumulated over the winter. First of all, icons and lamps were renewed and washed. Then they carefully washed the floors, walls, ceilings of the hut, the table and benches, scrubbed with sand, and scraped with a knife.

People said:

“If you wash yourself and wash yourself on Maundy Thursday, the hut will be clean all year long.”

After the cleaning carried out on Maundy Thursday, the houses were not cleaned or the floors were mopped until Easter, so as not to “clog the eyes of Christ lying in the tomb.” In some areas, on this day they washed all the dishes in the house, and milk jugs were also fumigated with women’s hair, explaining the importance of this activity by the fact that the dishes were desecrated by the touch of Judas the Traitor. On this day, a big wash was done - all clothes, bed linen, tablecloths, curtains and towels, as well as rugs, rugs and bedding were washed. Everything was taken out to dry in the yard, and the whole family on the night from Thursday to Friday went to bed on “pea straw,” which was spread on the floor. In the Russian North, for example, mothers taught their daughters, and mothers-in-law taught their daughters-in-law:

“Everything needs to be washed, even the little footcloth and she’s happy about Easter.”

Maundy Thursday (Maundy Thursday)

. H Maundy Thursday is a day of cleanliness. Whoever has dirt in his house on this day will be in dirt and quarrel all year.

. Small children get their hair cut for the first time on Maundy Thursday (if they are already six months old, or better yet, a year old). On this day, a little wool is cut off from all livestock for its well-being.

. IN Clean Thursday they clean up in the morning, wash everything, otherwise they will be surrounded by dirt, quarrels and illnesses all year. From this day until Easter, nothing is given away from home.

. To make money, you need to count all the money three times, shoot a gun (if you have one), and rearrange the furniture.

. IN Everyone in the family take a handful of salt and pour it into one bag - this will be called “Thursday salt.” It is removed and stored in case it is necessary to treat someone, make a talisman for the family, home, garden, etc. If there are often quarrels in the family, then they put it in the food with a curse: “Salt, salt, sprinkle, happiness and peace I'm returning it to the house. Amen". For the purpose of prevention and in minor cases, use this spell and ordinary salt.

. You can remove deliberate damage today. Wash before dawn, saying: “I wash away what they put on me, what my soul and body are tossing around with, everything is removed on Clean Thursday. Amen".

.H So that the fellows are loved and not ignored, they say this when washing: “Just as Maundy Thursday is bright and red, so I will be a beautiful slave (name) for everyone. Amen".

. On Friday night they do not sleep, but pray.

. N You should make a talisman against the sorcerer, in case he cannot pin his or someone else’s illness on you. Knead the dough and make as many flat cakes as there are people in your family. Before baking them, draw crosses on them and say: “I renounce with the sign of the cross, the bread given by God, from the deeds and illnesses of sorcerers of all stripes, from all volosts. Once this cake is digested in me, it will turn into shit, so whatever the sorcerer started against my family will turn into shit for him.” The flatbreads are eaten by family members.