Folk signs for the Trinity. If it rains on Trinity Sunday, this is a good omen

Trinity is a very bright Orthodox holiday, which is popularly called “green Christmastide”, since its main symbol is the birch tree. It is celebrated 50 days after Easter, in mid-June, and is considered one of the most important summer holy days. There are many signs and beliefs associated with it. For example, on this day medicinal herbs are collected, which gain full strength and can become powerful for the whole year. To decorate the house, they bring green birch branches, previously illuminated in the church, and the next day they are left in the field so that the harvest will be rich. On Trinity Sunday, girls went to the groves, where they danced in circles, wove wreaths and told fortunes about their betrothed. And housewives fried eggs and baked special flatbreads to lure wealth and well-being into the house. Quite a lot of signs for Trinity are associated with rain and other weather conditions. They tried to judge future significant events from them.

If it rains on Trinity...

Particular attention was paid to the weather that day, first of all, because the beginning of summer was a very important period, on which it largely depended whether the harvest would be rich or meager. And this, in turn, determined whether the peasants would starve in the winter or safely survive the cold season in abundance. Therefore, they watched the weather very carefully, noting its slightest vagaries. Hence the appearance of many folk superstitions about rain on Trinity.

It was believed that the heavenly moisture on this day was a real gift from heaven. The rain meant that not only the grain in the fields would grow well, but also the grass in the meadows and mushrooms in the forest, which meant that there would be good mowing, plenty of hay for the cattle, and homemade pickles would also be prepared. Winter will not be hungry for either people or domestic animals. The rain also foreshadowed the late onset of frost, which made it possible to harvest the crop without haste and in full.

But if on this day there was a cloudless sky, it means that it was worth waiting for a hot summer and drought. But fortunately this rarely happened.

Is there an explanation for why it rains on Whitsun?

Long-term meteorological observations have revealed an interesting pattern: it almost always rains on Trinity Sunday. There is no scientific explanation for this fact; it is believed that this is just a coincidence, since the beginning of summer is supposed to be rainy. But the Russian people came up with a very poetic explanation for this phenomenon: rain is the tears of angels or even Christ himself, mourning dead people. Therefore, on Trinity Sunday it was customary to remember deceased relatives.

Trinity is one of the main religious holidays. It is believed that rain on Trinity Day has a certain sign. If it went in sunny weather, one could expect a good harvest this year. Precipitation on Trinity Sunday, accompanied by a storm and strong winds, indicated a possible illness in animals and family members.

Signs for a good harvest

Trinity is celebrated at the beginning of summer. Most folk signs about rain on Trinity are associated with the level of productivity. People said:

• if there was rain, but in sunny weather, the harvest will be ripe, juicy and beautiful;
• if the precipitation was shallow and lasted no more than 15 minutes, the quality of the crop could suffer;
• rain that came in a storm with thunder meant that gardeners should provide proper care for the crops they grew.

Another folk sign says that if you bring a handful of herbs to church, you can expect a very good harvest. The herbs must be mourned by one of the family members. If a stranger does this, then the family will not see a good harvest. Tears in this sign symbolize rain.

After Trinity, the weather was expected to improve, so in order to enhance the effect of the signs on Trinity, you need to go to a church service. We must not be shy, but sincerely ask God to give us good weather, but without drought. At this moment, you also need to think about precipitation and imagine how it moistens the earth. People considered this method to be effective.

Signs about love relationships

If there was precipitation on Trinity Sunday, it was possible to get married. Then the lovers will be happy, and their marriage will be long and strong.

Parents could not prevent their children from getting married, but only support them. Otherwise, both lovers would suffer or remain lonely for the rest of their lives.

One of the signs for Trinity is associated with rain: if a girl weaves a wreath of flowers and herbs on the street, she will soon meet her boyfriend. All elements of the wreath must be assembled with your own hands and also only in rainy weather. If the girl already has a boyfriend, then the product should be given to her beloved. This will become their symbol of love.

Other love signs:

• a kiss in the rain - a happy and long-lasting relationship;
• hugs are the beginning of pure, sincere love;
• marriage - to the early appearance of children.

It was considered a good sign for a guy to meet a girl on Trinity Sunday in rainy weather. Both will be happy in the relationship. There will be no betrayals or strong quarrels.

Signs about friendship

It was believed that receiving an invitation to the celebration of the Trinity from good friends is the key to eternal friendship. You should not invite unpleasant people to lunch or dinner. Only those who aroused sympathy, respect or were considered a good friend.

It was considered a bad omen to treat guests to eggs. They should not have been on the holiday table. Among the treats there must be fruits washed in the rain. Another condition is that the products must be collected after precipitation or sprinkled with holy water.

If you meet an enemy or an unpleasant person on the street on Trinity Sunday, your relationship with him will improve. The precipitation washed away all the negativity. It happened that such people soon became excellent friends.

Fortune telling

According to folk superstitions, during the holiday it was allowed to tell fortunes about love, but only to those girls who did not have a boyfriend. The main requirement is to think positively and have sincere intentions.

The girl went into the forest to curl a birch tree and invite her beloved. If the weather becomes rainy, the love call will be successful. After the ceremony, you could expect to meet your loved one in 2-4 weeks.

Other fortune telling about the future on Trinity:

1. Girls put birch branches under their pillow before going to bed. This made it possible to see your betrothed in a dream. Heavy precipitation at night means we'll see you soon.
2. They pulled out a birch branch without looking at the tree. If you came across an even, beautiful, smooth one, then according to the sign the next year would be happy and filled with joyful events. If the branch was straight, but with shoots, then one could expect an addition to the family (married girls). A crooked branch indicated a difficult year and problems in love affairs.
3. They took daisies that had been sprinkled by the rain. With their help, the well-known fortune-telling “loves or dislikes” was carried out. But it was possible to ask something else - “will I marry or not,” “will there be children or not,” “whether the wish will come true or not,” etc.

Other signs for Trinity

It has always been forbidden to swim on this religious holiday. According to the legend, there were mermaids in the water at that time, because of which people drowned. If there was precipitation, their activity only intensified.

The Great Trinity is the fiftieth day after a holiday such as Easter. Sometimes other names are used: the Day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, the Day of the Holy Trinity, or Pentecost, and in the church calendar it is even called the day of the descent of the apostles and the Holy Spirit. Trinity is one of the three greatest holidays of the Jews.

It was on this day that the descent of the apostles and the Holy Spirit took place. All of Jesus' disciples at that time gathered together. Suddenly there was a loud noise from the sky, as if from a strong wind. But it wasn't the wind. Tongues appeared from heaven and descended on each of Jesus' disciples. After which, they all began to speak different languages. Now each of them could tell and teach the Christian teaching that Jesus had taught them at one time.

This is how the Jewish holiday passed into the Christian church, remaining until 2019.

And the signs for Trinity pass with him.

If we judge Trinity Day according to the folk calendar, then it can be called green Christmastide. It was on this holiday that churches always displayed decorations that always included bouquets of meadow flowers or tree branches. They also often decorated not only the table, but also the house; birch trees were especially often used. After the wildflowers visited the church, they were dried and stored behind the icons. They were placed in holes and in the reaper so that there would be no mice, and also in the attic so that there would never be a fire in the house. But they decorated almost everything with trees: doors, windows, jambs, floors and other parts of their house. And the leaves were often left to make wreaths from.

On the day of the Trinity, May 31, two cultural traditions are very closely intertwined: Christianity and paganism. So it is during this period of time that people should listen to the signs and superstitions of both one culture and another.

What will the weather tell you?

There are not so many weather signs on Trinity Day, but they still exist. Some people consider this a superstition, but it has been proven more than once that if there is rainy weather on Trinity Sunday, you can expect a lot of mushrooms. This phenomenon is also often called the “Trinity with food”. That's why people were always happy about rain on Pentecost. There is also a superstition that if birch tree decorations are still fresh after three days, then you should expect wet haymaking. In addition, if it is cold on the day of the holiday, you should not expect high temperatures in the coming days. The same applies to the reverse situation.

If Pentecost turns out to be warm, then such weather will definitely last for at least five days.

« It is forbidden » on this day

Since the essence of the holiday lies in the understanding that God is triune - the Son, the Father and the Holy Spirit himself, many sources mention the Trinity as the trinity of the Father, Son and Mother of God. This holiday begins in 2019 on May 31 and lasts for three days. Therefore, you cannot swim in open waters at this time. Such a ban is not a church sign, but rather a folk sign. This is due to the fact that in Rus' it was believed that during Trinity, mermaids try to drag away any person who wants to swim in a river or lake.

At the same time, girls were not allowed to go into the forest, to the river or to the field, because any evil spirits living there could dance with the pullets in a round dance. Then these girls can become mermaids or simply drown. It is clear that the church has never supported such popular superstitions, but one should not forget about them either. After all, people believe that it would not be superfluous to once again isolate themselves from misfortune and misfortune.

What holidays are worth celebrating on Trinity Sunday in 2019? Of course, on May 31, 2019, you can celebrate weddings and get married. It is also not recommended to leave the house without a cross, as it protects a person from the evil spirits rampant on that day.

To summarize everything that has been said, then on this day you cannot do rash actions, you must always be on alert, if possible, remove all noisy holidays from your schedule and adhere to simple safety rules.

Folk signs have always been given great importance, and we tried not to neglect these recommendations under any circumstances.

Trinity is one of the main Christian holidays, celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter, which is why it is also called Pentecost. In this holiday, in addition to directly Orthodox traditions, there are also features of ancient pagan rituals. The official church, of course, has always protested against such heresy, but such dualism is not uncommon among the Russian people.

The peasants celebrated Trinity noisily and cheerfully. It was a special holiday for farmers, a time when the sowing season is already over, preparations are underway for haymaking and the first harvest, and therefore a few free days without hard work should have been celebrated. People associate many signs and rituals with the Trinity.

Signs for Trinity

Trinity always took place at the beginning of summer. For the peasants, this time was very important: good rain guaranteed thick grass, which means excellent haymaking, moist, nutritious soil, which means a good harvest. Therefore, the signs of the Trinity were treated very carefully, passing them on in the family from adults to children.

One of the most ancient signs is the custom of bringing to church for consecration, and then hiding in the house behind a frame or later behind an icon, bunches of “tear” herbs - grass that was specially mourned, since tears symbolized rain. Thus, people begged from nature, and later from God, for a good summer without drought, with rain and a rich harvest from the soil saturated with moisture.

Birch branches inserted behind window frames, platbands, shutters, green grass scattered around the room also symbolized a good, fruitful summer, because this was the case in every village house.

In the village, any peasant labor on Trinity Day was condemned: neither in the field nor in the house was it possible to do anything other than cooking. It was also impossible to swim, because this time is the time of mermaids, when mermaids can lure you to the bottom.

The day before Trinity, on parental Saturday, everyone went to the cemetery - to remember relatives; if someone did not make it on this day, it was believed that he was inviting the dead to come to him, and they, in turn, would take someone away from home (then there is a relative who will die). Therefore, before Trinity, a funeral dinner was left, and the clothes of the dead were hung on the fence - both to remember, and to push away death, to drive away.

On Trinity Sunday, old women went to the cemetery to sweep the graves with birch brooms - it was believed that evil spirits retreated, and the dead rejoiced and promoted peace, harmony and wealth throughout the village.

Matchmaking was a good omen. It was believed that if they wooed on Trinity and got married on the Intercession, it means that these spouses would have a long, happy life, in love and harmony.

Among the agricultural signs, we can note the well-known “rain” ones: rain on Trinity - for the harvest, for mushrooms, for warm weather, without frost.

And the next day after Trinity is Spiritual Day. The earth was considered the birthday girl, they also did not work on it, but in the morning they went in search of treasures, because on its name day the earth would definitely reveal something valuable to a good person.

Fortune telling for Trinity

The Church rejected all kinds of fortune-telling, but it so happened among the people that between Christmas and Epiphany, the major Christian holidays, there was a long period of Christmastide - the time of fortune-telling, and on Trinity, during the Rusalia, the girls told fortunes about fate, about their betrothed, and waited with trepidation for matchmakers .

The most common fortune telling is “curling” a birch tree and weaving wreaths. On the eve of Trinity, the girls went into the forest, bent the tops of young birch trees and wove a wreath from the branches - “curled”, if upon arriving at Trinity the girl saw that it had developed or withered, good things would not be expected. If she remains the same, there will be a wedding, a beloved betrothed, and wealth in the house.

Weaving wreaths is also a custom on Trinity Sunday. Girls weaved in a group; men were not allowed in; if a guy saw someone’s wreath, it was a bad omen, the “evil eye” of the girl. Wreaths were woven directly into Trinity and went with them to the river. There they launched it into the water: wherever it swam, the groom will be from there; if he stayed by the shore, the girl wouldn’t get married, and if she drowned, she would die this year. Moreover, the wreaths were not removed from the head by hand, but bent so that they themselves fell into the water.

To make the betrothed dream, they put birch branches under the pillow.

Trinity conspiracies

The culture of Russian people is rich - in church on Trinity Sunday he prayed to God with his right hand, and at that time he could hold a bunch of grass with his left. Then, leaving the church, bow to the four cardinal directions, weave a wreath from this bunch at home, speak the cherished words on it and put it behind the icon - for a happy and rich year, until the next Trinity. Thus, both the Christian and pagan views of the Russian people merged into one whole. And there was no contradiction here, everything was harmonious and coherent.

Even food for Trinity was sometimes prepared with a conspiracy and in a special way. In the pre-Christian world, everything round was valued - pancakes on Maslenitsa - the same tradition, since the circle is a symbol of the sun. So on Trinity Sunday they baked a round loaf and made fried eggs in a frying pan from two eggs.

A round fried egg is both a symbol of the sun and a friendly married couple, “without corners,” that is, without quarrels and disagreements. While the scrambled eggs were baking, the hostess always said the cherished words over them, salted them with Thursday salt, and did not tear the greens, but laid them out with twigs and onion feathers, which also signified the unity and strong bond between husband and wife. The husband himself did not participate in this, but waited for his wife to perform all the sacraments, put scrambled eggs on a rye loaf and go with her husband to the grove, to the birch tree decorated in advance with bright shreds - to celebrate the Trinity and eat the enchanted dish together - a talisman against all evil.

To cast a love spell on a loved one, take grass blessed in the church, weave it into a wreath and place it under the pillow, while saying:

“I go to bed without praying and without crossing myself, Lord, forgive me, Christ. I put a wreath of holy herbs under my head. As these herbs twisted and intertwined into a wreath, so let God’s servant (name) curl and twine around me, as the wreath withers and dry, so let it dry and grieve for me, God’s servant (name), not with food. eats, doesn’t drink, doesn’t go on a spree; whether he is at a feast or during a conversation, whether he is in the field or in the house - I would not lose his mind. May my words be strong and sculpted, stronger than stone and damask steel, a sharp knife and a greyhound spear. And the key to my words is a confirmation, and a strong fortress, and a strong force in the heights of heaven, and a castle in the depths of the sea. Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen."

A spell for good luck, for success in business, was done at dawn, always on the street on the morning of Trinity:

“I will get up, pray, go out, cross myself, climb a high mountain, look around on all four sides. How on the eastern side a black horse grazes in a green meadow, wild and violent. No one saddled him, no one rode him, that horse did not know the stirrups or reins. I will tame that horse, and he will walk under me obediently, carry me wherever I want. My will is strong, my word is true. Amen."

Trinity, an important holiday for all Christians, is celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter. That is why its other name is Pentecost. According to the Orthodox calendar, on this day Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to earth to his apostles.

What date is Trinity in 2016 in Russia? It is celebrated by Orthodox Christians on June 19, 2016.

In Rus', Trinity was celebrated on a real scale - it was one of the most important festivals of peasants and farmers. They had something to rest from - the sowing work was completed, and the first harvest was just ahead. Since those times, a lot of beliefs and fortune-telling have developed related to the Trinity.

Signs for the Holy Trinity
Signs for the Holy Trinity were passed down from generation to generation, since many of them were associated primarily with the quantity and quality of the harvest. But it depended on the harvest how the peasant would live the next winter.

If he goes to Trinity rain, this portends that the harvest will be plentiful, many mushrooms will grow in the forests, and the summer will be warm. And in order to “contribute” to this, believers brought bunches of herbs to the church for illumination, which they had previously specifically mourned. These “tear” plants symbolized rain, which was so necessary for a bountiful harvest. The illuminated grass was then taken home and laid out throughout the upper room, behind the icons, and placed behind the window frames.

It has long been the custom that on this day doing anything around the house, other than preparing lunches and dinners, is strictly forbidden. You are not even allowed to swim - especially in rivers and ponds, as mermaids will be lured to the bottom.

To this day, the belief has been preserved that on Holy Trinity Day an elderly woman must go to the cemetery to the graves of her relatives and cover them with a birch broom. Previously, it was believed that this expels evil spirits from the resting place of relatives. Everyone else went to the cemetery the day before Trinity - on Parents' Saturday. This was strictly observed because it was believed that if they did not show respect to their deceased ancestors, they could “call” someone from the living to join them. Christians still sacredly honor this tradition, remembering their deceased loved ones on this day.

An interesting sign for Trinity is connected with matchmaking. They believed that by wooing today and getting married on the Intercession, the young people would live a long, happy life together.

Fortune telling for the Holy Trinity
Despite the fact that the church has always condemned fortune telling, literally not a single Orthodox holiday is complete without it. The Trinity was no exception - the girls wondered about love, about their betrothed, about their fate.

Fortune telling for the Trinity known to our grandmothers - “curling” a birch tree. On the eve of the holiday, unmarried young ladies went far into the forest, looked for young birch trees, tilted their tops to the ground and wove a wreath from flexible branches - “curled”.
The next day, on Trinity Sunday, they again came to this place and each looked for their own birch tree. If the wreath has withered or blossomed, difficulties lie ahead. But the wreath, preserved intact, predicted a quick wedding, wealth and prosperity.

Many fortune telling for the Holy Trinity are also associated with weaving wreaths. The girls got together and wove beautiful brooms from different flowers, talked and sang songs. It was considered a bad omen if a guy saw someone's wreath - it did not bode well for its owner. Therefore, the girls wondered away from everyone. With woven wreaths, the young ladies went to the river and launched them into the water. Moreover, the “decoration” was removed from the head without using hands, bending over so that the wreath fell into the water on its own. They believed that wherever the wreath floated, happiness should come from there. And if he never sailed from the shore, the girl will not get married this year.