Maundy Thursday, traditions and rituals that attract good luck to life.

Traditions for Maundy Thursday

The Easter doll, Easter cake and colored eggs have Slavic roots.
eggs and Easter cake are ritual foods to commemorate departed ancestors. Maundy Thursday refers to a Christian holiday with ancient pagan roots. We can confidently call it a popularly recognized date.

How to saddle an Easter doll with your own hands?

The main Thursday traditions of Holy Week:

worship in church,
participle,
swimming (or visiting the bathhouse) before sunrise,
haircut for every family member,
cleaning housing from physical and energy pollution,
cooking Easter cake,
preparation of “Thursday” salt. The church is skeptical about this tradition.

Clean Thursday - cleansing from past troubles!

The Slavs considered the Rusal period to be a turning point, mystical and dangerous. With the arrival of spring, life always begins again - the seasons change, nature awakens, the souls of ancestors return to Earth. According to popular beliefs, it is during Rusalia that a person can encounter the spirits of the dead. In order to properly honor your ancestors and not fall under the temptation of mermaids, you must be pure in both body and soul. Therefore, if you adhere to Slavic traditions, Maundy Thursday cannot be missed! This is the time when a person not only cleanses himself of past troubles, but also protects himself from possible misfortunes in the future.

Church service and communion

The service on Maundy Thursday is dedicated to a description of the Last Supper where Christ ate food for the last time before his death with his disciples the apostles. Here Jesus personally washed the feet of his followers and distributed blessed bread and wine. This is where the tradition of giving communion to all believers at the service on Maundy Thursday comes from. Throughout the service, believers stand with a burning candle. At the end of the service, they take it to the house and perform a cleansing ceremony.

Another feature of the service on Maundy Thursday is that Orthodox Christians stand for the entire liturgy. On other days, believers can sit; on the same day, as a tribute to the torment that Jesus had to endure before the crucifixion, no one sits.

On Maundy Thursday, every Orthodox Christian receives communion at the service, which means the union of the human soul with God. It is believed that communion on this day carries a greater burden than ever before.

In large churches, in addition to communion, the rite of washing the feet of 12 priests is performed.

Preparing Thursday salt

On Maundy Thursday they always prepared “Thursday” salt: ordinary coarse salt was wrapped in cloth and baked in the oven. Sometimes kvass grounds were added, causing the salt to turn dark brown.

The peasants explained that “Thursday” salt was purified from filth, i.e. from the touch of the hand of the traitor Judas, therefore it has miraculous healing properties. This salt was stored for a year and used in the treatment of diseases of people and livestock: a pinch of salt was dissolved in water and festering wounds, inflamed eyes, scabs on the body, etc. were washed with a weak solution. The “Thursday” salt sewn into a bag served as a kind of amulet, which was taken from with you on the road from the evil eye. They also believed that such a talisman would save one from the wrath of the boss and from an unfair trial.

Water traditions

After cleaning the house, they walk through the house with a candle, clearing it of negative energy.
Cleansing with water is an ancient tradition that took root even before the adoption of Christianity and fit into the canons of the new religion. To wash your face on Clean Thursday, use specially prepared water.

Fill enough water on Wednesday to wash the face of all family members. Place a silver spoon or coin in it. In the morning after taking a shower, bath or visiting a sauna, wash your face with silver water. It is believed that if you get up before dawn and rinse yourself with cool water, if you cannot visit the bathhouse, you will get good health for the whole year.

Thursday water has tremendous energy. It can save you from illnesses, grievances, sins and negative energy of unfinished tasks.

In addition to silver, you can add a handful of salt to the water, because salt has cleansing powers and can get rid of damage, the evil eye, and slander.

Considering that the traditions have pagan roots, there will be many intertwinings with ancient rituals. Including traditions to which the modern church has a negative attitude.

Cleaning the house on Maundy Thursday

General cleaning on Maundy Thursday will come in handy for both believers and those far from religion.

After Thursday you cannot clean for 6 days. This is a time of special fasting and celebration of Easter.

General cleaning of the house on Maundy Thursday is the key to a happy life for the next year.

Why clean?

The house, like a vessel, accumulates all the energy that we give to it. It's not always positive. When cleaning your home on Clean Thursday, negative energy is also removed along with the usual garbage.

After cleaning, a cleansing ritual is carried out with a candle, blessed or salted water.

In addition to the usual cleaning, on this day everything that has become obsolete is thrown out of the house. This could be chipped dishes, torn items, broken tools, or household items that cannot be repaired. Everything that can be repaired and repaired is repaired, and the rest is burned, or simply sent to the trash can.

This ritual makes way for the new. Cluttering of space blocks the flow of prosperity and leads to impoverishment. How true this statement is is for each individual to judge. However, before each significant event, it is customary to clean up the house and cleanse yourself.

Important. Before starting a thorough cleaning, open all the windows in the house; if it’s cold, vents are enough. And after finishing cleaning, take a handful of salt in your hands and read the plot.

After reading the plot, scatter salt in a thin strip at the front door, this will protect against bad things for a whole year.

If while cleaning on Maundy Thursday you find something long lost, it is fortunate.

Maundy Thursday 2021 rituals

There are many cleansing rituals associated with the holiday. On Maundy Thursday before Easter, they literally washed dirty linen in public, getting rid of everything old. “In the 19th century, peasants hid lace curtains, mirrors, and jewelry out of sight. The dwelling acquired a modest, ascetic appearance,” explains the famous church preacher Hieromonk Macarius (Markish). They also went through all the things in the house. Before the revolution, it was still customary for families to count all their money.

The most common ritual of Holy Thursday was the blessing of salt: it was placed under the temple altar. However, the Church considers this ritual a relic of paganism and prohibits its performance. “Such beliefs arise imperceptibly, like weeds in a garden bed, and then suddenly suppress the good fruits: as they say, the nettle has grown, but the radishes are no longer to be seen. It’s better to stay away from these extremes,” advises Father Macarius.

How to attract money to your home

In order to avoid problems with finances, on Maundy Thursday, count all the money you have in the house. This must be done three times: at dawn, at noon, at sunset.

It is important that money should be counted secretly from prying eyes, including household members.

To enhance the effect, you can cast a spell.

Another ritual to attract wealth is as follows:

Pour water into a flower sprayer or window cleaning container, pour 33 coins into it and, crossing your hands with your little fingers, say the spell exactly 33 times.

Take water and spray the windows, doors and floors with this water. Carry out a ritual after general cleaning!

Remember, water has tremendous energy when used correctly. It can reward you with health, enhance beauty and attract wealth. The main thing is to know what words to choose.

How to Avoid Negative Predictions

If something goes wrong, wash your face with water and Thursday salt and say: “A brownie cannot leave the hut, nor go into someone else’s house. Love, luck, wealth - everything remains with me.” Tune in to the positive, do everything to prevent a bad omen from coming true.

Negative consequences can be avoided if you do your homework with joy and rituals with a pure heart. Conspiracies to attract love that will lead to the breakup of someone else’s family will not bring happiness. And then the “boomerang effect” cannot be avoided.

The next day is Good Friday, which is also important to spend observing all traditions.

What you can't do on Maundy Thursday

To attract well-being and health into the home, it is important not only to carry out the rituals adopted for this day, but also not to miss the prohibitions.

Important. Negative thoughts and quarrels should not be present on Maundy Thursday. Only a positive attitude and harmony in relationships. This is what will become a magnet for happiness.

Rituals for wealth, health and love on Maundy Thursday have enormous power, but are not prohibited by the church.
You shouldn’t quarrel on other days either...

What is not allowed on Maundy Thursday according to Christian traditions, the list is not long.

Signs for Maundy Thursday:

On Holy Thursday, do not give or borrow absolutely anything. Along with the money or things you lend, luck will leave your home.
You cannot plant plants or dig the ground. This tradition has ancient roots and refers to the culture of honoring the mother of the raw earth. It is believed that on this day the earth awakens.
It is difficult to resist trying a piece of freshly baked Easter or other food prepared for the holiday, but there is still strict fasting until Easter. You cannot eat dishes prepared for Easter Sunday.
No matter how much you love needlework, it is better to give it up on Maundy Thursday.
Fortune telling and witchcraft on this day are also prohibited.
It is not allowed to leave unwashed laundry or unwashed dishes.
It is forbidden to play weddings; fasting days are generally not suitable for marriages.
Card games, any games and disputes involving money and large transactions are prohibited.

However, in the spirit of pagan culture, on Maundy Thursday it is customary to perform various rituals to attract money, marriage and good luck. Guess the future and prepare Thursday salt.

When is Maundy Thursday in 2021 - what to do, signs, customs and conspiracies

3 days before the celebration of the great holiday of Easter, people begin to celebrate another rather significant day - Maundy Thursday! And even if this is not such a bright holiday, for Orthodox citizens it is a special day with special rules and customs. You need to be fully prepared and know what you can and cannot do.

In 2021, Clean Thursday falls on April 16th

From the history of Maundy Thursday

The biblical account says that 3 days before the crucifixion, the Lord held the Last Supper with 12 of his disciples. According to his teachings, a person should live humbly and love his neighbors. That evening Jesus washed the feet of everyone at the meeting and shared a meal of wine and bread with them. The Bible says that on this day the Savior told the apostles that in the near future one of them would betray the teacher. The Lord was able to foresee the sin of Judas, but, despite this, did not name him. And so it happened. On the night from Thursday to Friday, it was Judas who became a traitor, selling his teacher for 30 pieces of silver.

None of the researchers was able to explain what caused the disciple to become the Savior. There are several assumptions. According to one of the most popular, Judas was disappointed by Jesus as a teacher. Another hypothesis says that the traitor wanted to test in this way whether Christ would be able to show his abilities and be saved. In addition, there are historians who believe that this is how the apostle tried to provoke an uprising in Jerusalem. Be that as it may, this day is special for believers. It is believed that Maundy Thursday is a day of renewal and forgiveness before the terrible execution of the Lord.

About the customs and tradition of Maundy Thursday

This day has its own customs and traditions. It is also customary to read certain prayers. This day preceding Good Friday is intended for a believer to forever let go of his fears, worries, sinful thoughts, and problems. There is no need to carry such a “load” on your shoulders on such a bright holiday of Great Sunday! How to let go of all problems? Not everyone knows that Thursday of Holy Week during Lent has great magical power, which has become the basis of many rituals and omens.

So where to start?

Immediately upon awakening, each family member needs to wash his face with silver. A silver coin or spoon is suitable for this. According to legend, such washing can give a person not only good health, but also beauty. On Maundy Thursday, the patient needs to be washed with a piece of silver borrowed from neighbors. The stolen silver coin is considered the strongest. It cannot be wasted, but must be protected: it is used for treatment, love spells and fortune telling.
House cleaning. Every Orthodox Christian must undergo cleansing. Moreover, this applies to both soul and body, and home. Be sure to take out all the garbage from the house, collect trash, cobwebs, everything that has been accumulated for many years and stored in corners hidden from view, waiting in the wings. If an item has not been used for a year, then it is time to get rid of it, or give it to someone who needs it. With this procedure, the house will be cleansed of negativity that has accumulated over a long time, and evil spirits will not be able to loosen “their evil tongues and hands.” As you know, garbage accumulates where it is littered. If the house is uncomfortable, there is dust and litter in it, it attracts negative thoughts and emotions. People living in it forget about love for their neighbors and lose faith.
Bathing. In order for the next year to be happy and successful, a person must cleanse his body. It is extremely important to swim before sunrise. This early morning, the waters of the reservoirs are saturated with beneficial energy. By taking a bath on Maundy Thursday you can free yourself from fatigue, anxiety, and pain. Before ablution, you need to say a prayer, express gratitude for everything that you have now, and repent of your actions and sinful thoughts. According to established customs, before sunrise you need to get into the shower and imagine how the body is washed with water, and the whole series of troubles is carried away. When swimming, read the spell to attract good luck. Say: “Water, water, flow, pour, cleanse my face, cleanse my body and cleanse my soul, fill me with beauty and health.” At the end of the bath, you need to pour cold water over yourself from a ladle.
Baking Easter cakes and Easter cakes. The main custom of Maundy Thursday is the baking of Easter cakes. From early morning the housewife puts out the dough. And in the evening, after reading all the necessary prayers, the festive baking begins. According to popular beliefs, by the way the Easter cakes turned out, you can understand what the whole next year will be like. So, if the baking is successful - tasty and fluffy, then the year will be joyful and happy. If the cakes did not turn out, then you should expect a difficult period.

About the signs of Maundy Thursday

Folk omens say that all housewives on this day must carry out a general cleaning of the house, since according to popular wisdom, “there can be no good in dirt.” This means that if on the approaching holiday of Holy Sunday of our Savior the house is dirty, then nothing good should be expected next year. After Maundy Thursday, you cannot start cleaning the house - on the remaining days before Easter you need to adhere to strict fasting and pray.

It is strictly forbidden to give anything away from home on this day. Even a neighbor who comes for salt must be refused for some reason, otherwise you will give away success, prosperity and peace of your home along with the salt. Don't forget to bring the so-called from church. a passionate candle that can help treat various diseases. This day is also intended for preparing Thursday salt. Namely, ordinary salt is baked in an oven, and then consecrated in the church. This salt has amazing healing properties.

On Maundy Thursday, people prepare krashenka, pysanky, Easter cakes and Easter eggs. It’s worth knowing that Easter cottage cheese appears on the holiday table for a reason. A long time ago, milk and dairy products, like bread (Kulich), were considered sacred, sacred food. Our ancestors could endow them with healing properties and associate them with the concepts of strength and fertility.

On this holiday, our ancestors had the opportunity to talk with otherworldly forces to find out about their future. For this, a candle brought from the evening service was used, which was lit and taken to the attic (where the brownie usually lives). After standing there for a certain time, the owner could meet the house spirit. At the sight of a shaggy brownie, one could judge that the year would turn out to be rich, and at the sight of a bald one, it would be poor. Even a goblin could tell about the future. To do this, people went into the forest, sat on a birch tree (which is associated with the souls of the dead and demons of women) or aspen (considered a cursed tree), removed the pectoral cross and called on the forest spirit. The people believed that the goblin would definitely appear on Holy Thursday and talk with the daredevil who dared to meet the evil spirit.

How do different countries around the world celebrate this holiday?

Many countries around the world honor Maundy Thursday. So, for example:

Religious processions are held in Spain. They are most widespread in the city of Seville, where pilgrims come to venerate Jesus Christ;
In France, namely in the city of Lourdes, believers gather to wash each other’s feet;
In Italy, it is customary to cook mussel soup, bake bread with raisins and rosemary and treat it to guests;
In Greece, national bread “tsoureki” is baked and Easter eggs are painted;
In the USA and Russia it is customary to bake Easter cakes and paint eggs;
In Finland they make their own Easter bunnies. This animal is believed to symbolize fertility and precede spring;
Mass celebrations are organized in Mexico. Fireworks and costumes are being prepared for the masquerade ball.

About beauty and health

It is not without reason that Maundy Thursday is one of the most important days of Holy Week. Our ancestors looked forward to this day to perform various rituals that would strengthen family well-being and the health of the entire family. This day began before dawn with swimming. During physical cleansing, observe different rituals: this includes cutting the hair of girls and boys, and different clicks and songs.

They must wash themselves “from silver”. If you don’t have silver utensils, you can throw some silver thing into the water and then wash yourself with it. The ancestors believed that with such rituals it would be possible to preserve beauty and health. Another feature of Maundy Thursday is the healing power of salt, which is commonly called Thursday salt. Immediately after bathing, each family member should throw a little salt into the pot - this will help protect the house for the next year. To increase its strength, it was baked in an oven or blessed in a church.

Clean house

As mentioned above, an important attribute of the holiday is a cleaned house. General cleaning of the house, washing things, tidying up the garden plot if there is one - all this corresponds to this day. The name itself speaks for itself. This means both cleansing the entire body and putting the house in order. People have long believed that a dirty home on Maundy Thursday is a harbinger of a year of quarrels. It is on this day that you can find long-lost things, or attract your betrothed by cleaning. To do this, when cleaning, things for your loved one are placed in each room and new shoes are placed with the socks facing the house. There is also a dowry according to which dirty water after cleaning should not be poured within the house, since negative energy accumulated over a long time can have a negative impact on the future of the family. That's why it's better to pour this water in a place where nothing is growing, such as on the road or rocks. In addition, on the night of Good Friday it is not recommended to leave dirty dishes and unwashed laundry. And to cleanse the energy at home, a candle brought from a church service will help. Its power increases on Maundy Thursday.

Food. Even though the holiday is considered important, it is not exempt from strict fasting. Moreover, believers do not even relax their fast, but follow a dry diet, do not eat oil and hot dishes. Those who are more serious about fasting and such an important week, after washing in the morning they go to church to confess and receive communion, but before that they cannot eat. And another important belief is preparing food for the celebration of Easter. After the cleaning is completed, housewives begin baking Easter cakes, coloring eggs and preparing delicious holiday dishes that you can’t even taste, since Lent is still ongoing.

About conspiracies on Maundy Thursday

It is worth immediately noting that the church is against such “fun”, although the traditions of conspiracies and other folk rituals for Maundy Thursday are observed even now. For example, long ago in Rus' on Holy Thursday the whole family prepared Thursday salt. In particular, all family members took a handful of salt with clean hands and threw it into a common pot. Afterwards, the salt was calcined and used as a “cure” for all diseases, as it was considered healing. You could also add it to water and wash the floors with it to keep the house clean. Such pots (and sometimes bags) served as amulets for the home.

Conspiracy to attract money

According to one of the rituals associated with Maundy Thursday, it is necessary to count money 3 times a day - in the morning before dawn, at lunch and in the evening. Thanks to this ritual, you can lure wealth into your home.

Conspiracy to attract prosperity

Another equally popular conspiracy of this day is dedicated to prosperity, wealth and good income. To do this, the water intended for washing the floors in the house on Maundy Thursday was filled with a handful of coins. But at the same time you need to say: “Money, keep it going, don’t transfer it – grow it, multiply it, don’t get it from the enemy!” It was still forbidden to take anything out of the house from Thursday to Sunday, so as not to cause poverty.

Spell for Easter cakes

Many people also make plans for the Easter menu. Previously, it was believed that if the housewife baked excellent Easter cakes and Easter, then the year would be happy, and if the treats did not work out, then troubles should be expected.

Hair spell

If a girl specifically cuts the ends of her hair on this day, her hair will begin to grow better and become more voluminous.

Conspiracy against bad luck

This sign is for representatives of the fair sex who have failed in love or marriage. Our ancestors believed that the best way to get rid of such failure was to go into the river up to the waist on the night of Holy Thursday. Although, for our latitudes and our climate, such a remedy is not very suitable, since you can also catch diseases “on the female side”.

Spell for beauty and happy marriage

On this day, the girl had to leave some water that was prepared for cleaning the house and add a silver object to it (a spoon or a coin was used). And on the morning of Easter, wash your face with this water, left since Thursday. According to legend, such washing promised beauty, health and well-being, including in marriage.

The towel plot

If a girl stayed unmarried, she had to take the towel she used after bathing on Maundy Thursday and secretly put it with the colored eggs and Easter cake, which were intended for alms on Easter. After this, the girl’s wedding was just around the corner.

Beauty spell

It is customary to read it on Holy Thursday before dawn and during the reading, bow low in all four directions.

“I, Servant of God (name), will rise at the clear dawn, I will bow to the first beautiful Star, I will wash myself with dew, I will wipe myself with a girl’s braid. May my white face be whiter than the white light, my scarlet cheeks redder than the red sun, my eyes brighter than the clear moon. My eyebrows be blacker than the black earth, So that the guys, as one, cannot say a word against me, or take their eyes off me. I wish I were whiter and sweeter, more desirable and beautiful. My word is molded, my work is tenacious. Key, lock, tongue. Amen. Amen. Amen."

Conspiracy to save marriage

On Maundy Thursday, you should twist one thread from 2 spools and place it across the entrance to the house. When the husband steps over the thread, you need to tie it in the middle with a knot and hide it somewhere.

When tying a knot, say:

“The servant of God (name) and I, His thread, are twisted together, tightly rolled. Just as the knot on this thread will not untie, so he will never part with me.”

Conspiracy to get married soon

In order for an elderly woman to get married soon, it is necessary to use cat’s milk to wash her face on this day, and at the same time say:

“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."

A conspiracy to make a guy popular with girls

If a guy wants to be popular among girls, on Maundy Thursday he should say when washing his face:

“The water is off my face, the Bride is well done. Just as people love water, so the girls would appreciate and love me. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen."

A conspiracy to make a girl popular with guys

If a girl wants to be popular among guys, then she should buy a mirror on this very day, leave the change from the purchase to the seller, stand between 2 trees, look into the purchased mirror and say:

Like the whole world looks in the mirror, Admires its own reflection, So the guys would Admire me, Make love to me And kiss me And vie with each other to woo me. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Spell for good luck and happiness

To put an end to all your misfortunes and failures, on Holy Thursday you need to wash your home with holy water. After finishing cleaning, read:

“All Mother Earth is cleansed on Maundy Thursday, and my soul is cleansed on Maundy Thursday. As the sun and moon walk correctly in the sky, Turn in their Eternal circle, so correctly Will my happy lot and fate turn towards me. Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen."

What should you not do on Maundy Thursday?

During the entire Holy Week, including Maundy Thursday, Orthodox Christians are not recommended to have fun, dance, sing, as well as bad thoughts, resentment and quarrels. Until the cleaning of the house is completed, you cannot bake Easter cakes or color eggs. Also, do not lend things and money, do not leave heavy dishes and linen.

What can you eat

Maundy Thursday falls during Holy Week. In Orthodoxy, these days are dedicated to fasting and prayer. Despite the fact that festive dishes for Easter are prepared on this day, they cannot be eaten. Cooking is also prohibited.

On Maundy Thursday, dry food is allowed: fruits, vegetables, nuts, bread. It is important to remember about your health and not risk it by going to extremes. If you have heavy physical work, night shifts or health problems, do not forget about normal food. It is also important to feed your children well.

history of the holiday

If we consider Maundy Thursday from a church point of view, then the holiday is associated with the Last Supper. Jesus Christ, already knowing about the impending betrayal of Judas, gathers the 13 Apostles on Thursday. At the Last Supper, the Savior tells his followers about upcoming events.

Last Supper

The evening meal is followed by Holy Communion and the washing of the feet. In this way the Teacher said goodbye to his students. It was these rituals that formed the basis of the future holiday.

Therefore, the date of celebration is always transferable, and falls on the fourth day of the last Week before the Easter holidays.

It is not difficult to answer the question about Maundy Thursday in 2021 - what date. The holiday falls on the 25th of April, since Easter will be celebrated by the Orthodox on April 28th.