Is it possible to knit today according to the Orthodox calendar?

This article will talk about signs of good and bad days related to sewing.

Sewing is one of the oldest crafts that man mastered even during the primitive communal system, and for thousands of years it was carried out exclusively in the form of manual labor. The need to create clothes, bed and other various things used in everyday life has existed as long as humanity itself has existed.

But in those distant times, people could not explain many natural phenomena and therefore found interpretation for them in signs. And in this material we will talk about beliefs about when you can sew and when you need to refuse this act.

Why you can’t work on church holidays

One of the commandments given to us by God speaks of the prohibition of work on the seventh day. This time should be devoted to prayer, service and rest. On this day one should engage in charity and self-development. Apart from Sunday, the same rule applies to only 12 major holidays.

This approach allows you to completely clear your mind once a week of most everyday problems, to “sort out” thoughts and ideas for which you simply don’t have enough time on weekdays. In addition to such useful things, a Sunday off allows you to color your life, fill it with beauty, and enjoy simple joys. On such days, events often happen that help you understand your nature, reconsider, weigh, and carefully sift through all your views and beliefs. The seventh day is special. Whoever works on this day receives exactly the same sin as someone who does not work at all.

Apart from Sunday, you should not work on the following Church holidays:

• at Christmas on January 7 and at Epiphany on January 19
• on the day of the Presentation of the Lord, February 15
• on Annunciation April 7
• on Palm Sunday a week before Easter
• on Easter
• on the Day of the Ascension of Christ (40 days after Easter)
• on Trinity Sunday, 50 days after Easter
• on the Transfiguration on August 19 and on the Assumption on August 28
• on the Nativity of Our Lady on September 21 and on the Exaltation on September 14
• in Leading into the Temple of the Virgin Mary on December 4

Is it possible to knit at this time?

It is necessary to distribute the concepts of work and household chores, without lumping them together. If someone needs to go to work on schedule, if urgent matters need to be resolved, then there is no sin in such matters. A person can dedicate his thoughts and prayers to God at any time and anywhere.

Since ancient times, rules have come to us that limit the activities of Orthodox Christians on holidays and Sundays. Even in the times of the ancient Russian principalities, it was forbidden to do housework. Housewives baked bread on Saturday and prepared food, which was served to the table the next day, Sunday.

In those days, markets and baths also did not work on holidays. This was done to free up time for visiting the Temple of the Lord. These rules have survived to this day. If you ask any priest what you can’t do on Sunday and why, he will definitely list the following:

1. Wet cleaning. Set aside a couple of hours on Saturday for this task so that Sunday becomes a real rest for you.
2. Wash. This procedure took a lot of time from our ancestors. And even now not everyone has automatic cars. In this regard, there is too little time left for prayer and conversations with God.
3. Working with a needle and thread. This ban has a peculiarity: it is especially strict for pregnant women. It is believed that if a pregnant woman sews, stitches, mends, or darns on Sunday, she can sew up the child’s eye or mouth.
4. It is absolutely impossible to work for the Annunciation or the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael.
5. Handicraft is either work or killing time. The holiday and Sunday are set aside so that people devote themselves to God, pray, read the Holy Scriptures and books written by wise prophets and Orthodox sages. This will help reveal new facets of the bright soul, direct thoughts towards true values ​​and help cleanse yourself.

Since excessive work and inaction (that is, killing time) is a sin, you can draw conclusions yourself. You can wipe the floor if any debris that gets on it could end up on the road to a baby crawling next to you, but you shouldn’t do a complete cleaning. You can wash the onesie or diaper, but you can’t do a big wash. It’s worth sewing a button on a coat that came off before going out, but you can’t sit down and fix all the torn things. And so it is in every case.

If you really want to relax and knit, then wait until the second half of the day. After people go to church (and preferably you too), in the late afternoon you can start knitting. It will be good if you read “Our Father” or another prayer.

Is it possible to heat a bathhouse on Parents' Saturday?

Parents' Saturday is a time to remember those who have passed on to another world. The church commemorates all the dead, and parishioners, as a rule, commemorate their relatives and comrades.

It is called so because the memory of the deceased who went to their parents and ancestors is honored. It is believed that prayers help cleanse souls. In addition to prayers and visiting the temple, people come to the cemetery to clean the graves.

On Parents' Saturday, peasants were required to heat the bathhouse and bathe with the whole family. After this, they left a broom and water for departed loved ones. Based on this, you can heat the bathhouse.

Signs associated with knitting

Many people believe in omens. Orthodox Christians often pay attention to them. Perhaps there is no power in them, but everyone with their own faith can harm themselves by mistaking an accident for a pattern.

• Those who often knit things for their husbands are told that you cannot tie your husband, otherwise he will leave for someone else.
• You can’t brag about an unfinished thing, otherwise the work will take a long time, and you may not be able to finish it.
• When knitting, soul and wishes are put into an item. Whatever thoughts you associate with, the one to whom you give the thing will live.
• By giving a man hand-knitted socks or gloves, you can tie him to you.
• If a pregnant woman sits on a knitting needle, then the baby will be born with a prickly character (if on a hook, then the character trait will be causticity, since he will cling to everyone).
• Pregnant women should not knit, as the baby may become entangled in the umbilical cord.
• You can't start on a new moon.
• If you expose the yarn to frost until dawn on the night of February 28, its color will last longer on the finished product.
• If the thread constantly gets tangled while making a thing, then everyone who sees you in this thing will be jealous.
• It is impossible to cast a spell or evil eye on a person while he is knitting something.
• You can’t put your knitting on the sofa, otherwise you won’t finish it.
• You won’t be able to create a good thing from threads folded on the bed.

Is it worth following superstition?

There is no need for objective reasons to follow ancient prescriptions. Particularly suspicious people can use the following recommendations:

1. When sewing things up, keep a small piece of thread in your mouth. This is especially recommended if you need to fix something on yourself. It is not necessary to follow this advice; it will only be useful to superstitious people.
2. Set up your workspace correctly. You should take care of adequate lighting, a comfortable table and chair, and quality tools.
3. In the evenings and at night, try to use shades of threads and fabrics that do not require straining your eyes to work with.
4. Do not work at the sewing machine when tired or overstressed to avoid accidents.
5. Believe less in omens, do not attach importance to superstitions, and focus exclusively on the positive.

Sometimes folk beliefs are based on rational reasons. At the same time, the world is constantly changing, and what was relevant in ancient times has no meaning today. You can sew in the evening and at night if you follow the recommendations for arranging your workplace and monitor your own well-being.

Why can't you do business on Sundays?

Handicrafts, even if they are a hobby and not a way to earn money, are classified as economic and household chores. Thus, in the old days, questions about whether it was possible to knit on Sunday did not arise; this activity was banned, like many others.

This ban was directly related to the adoption of the Christian faith. According to one of the church rules, believers need to honor the seventh day, dedicate it to prayer, reflection on the soul, serving God and rest. Of course, there is no question of indulging in laziness and idleness. Sunday is a day for spiritual work, not physical work.

Don't just "broadcast"

Abbot of the Nikolsky Monastery of the Omsk Diocese, Hegumen Zosima (Balin):

Hegumen Zosima (Balin)

– Before starting a story about a holiday or church event, it is worth mentally asking for God’s help and mobilizing all your inner potential of benevolence and philanthropy. Without these two components, all your efforts will be in vain.

The success of half the work (at least) depends on the attitude with which you are “missionary”. You need to be prepared for the fact that your interlocutor is not at all eager to plunge into the abyss of high theology. Start a conversation at the everyday level, about candles and which icon to put them with. And then tell us about the content of the holiday and its deep meaning.

Handicrafts during the Christmas holidays

Christmas belongs to the 12 main church holidays. Those who go to church or watch broadcasts of worship services are not allowed to embroider at this time . It is unacceptable to combine watching the service on TV and doing anything, including embroidery. Also, on holidays, you should not embroider works whose plot contradicts Christian rules. The restrictions on embroidery on Christmas holidays are the same as on other church holidays.

It is necessary to refuse embroidery on Christmas night from January 6 to 7, when the service is held.

Do you embroider on holidays?

On your name day (Angel Day)

Days of veneration of saints are also holidays, although not among the main ones. In this case, you also need to be guided by your personal feelings from embroidery and your perception of the process as work or leisure.

Needlewomen often learn about the ban on embroidery on certain days according to the church calendar from their older relatives, who cannot really explain what this is connected with. In reality, there is no ban on handicrafts . If you have doubts about embroidery on church holidays, you should choose certain hours and subjects for it that will not diverge from the concepts of Orthodox culture.

What do priests say about handicrafts on Sundays?

On the question of whether it is possible to knit on Sunday, the opinions of priests differ. Some of them believe that needlework is homework, and accordingly, it refers to chores and vain affairs that should not be done on the seventh day of the week.

In the old days, knitting was classified as clothing production, just like shirt making and much more. Factory production did not exist, and not all people could afford to order things from artisans. Accordingly, the answer to the question of whether Orthodox Christians can knit on Sunday was negative.

As for today, the opinions of clergy differ. On the one hand, knitting is not currently a necessity; rather, it is the same hobby or way of spending leisure time, like reading a book or watching a feature film. Thus, there will be no harm from it to the soul and a person will not be distracted from righteous thoughts by vain affairs.

But on the other hand, as a result of this activity, a product is obtained that is subsequently used. In other words, despite the fact that home knitting does not bring profit and is not an urgent need, it is still work. Accordingly, the question of whether it is possible to knit on Sunday for the soul is not entirely correct. After all, what a person knits will be used, worn, decorated the house or served as a toy.

Leave the quarrels

Peaceful people try not to swear on ordinary days, but during the Christmastide period (from January 6 to January 19), maintaining silence and peace is especially important. Even in the old days, people knew that scandals at this time could bring upon oneself great losses and even illness.

In addition, during the Christmas season, words acquire special power, and during a quarrel, it is not common for a person to think about what he is saying. Beware of swear words, because with their help you can harm not only a loved one (sometimes even without meaning to), but also yourself, because do not forget that negativity tends to return to the one who sent it.

On what holidays should you not do handicrafts?

As a rule, for those who are wondering whether it is possible to knit on Sunday, information about which church holidays one should not do housework, which includes needlework, is also useful.

You should not work on the following holidays:

• Christmas;
• Baptism;
• Candlemas;
• Annunciation;
• Palm Sunday;
• Easter;
• Ascension;
• Trinity;
• Transfiguration;
• Dormition.

You should not indulge in household chores on the day of the Nativity of the Mother of God. You also cannot work on the holidays of the Exaltation and Entry of the Mother of God into the Temple.

Church holidays

On Christmas, Epiphany, Forgiveness Sunday, Palm Sunday, Easter, Trinity, most needlewomen try not to embroider, as they are sure that it is sinful . This opinion is due to the fact that one should not work on church holidays. Previously, embroidery was a job for many women. They created complex patterns on expensive clothes and various accessories - in most cases, such work was hard. For such craftswomen, church holidays prohibited embroidery. If needlework is pleasure and relaxation, there is no ban on it on holidays . However, you should still not start embroidery until 12 noon, until the morning service has ended. The exception is works whose plot is connected with witches, the devil or mythical creatures, in the Orthodox tradition considered companions of Satan. Such themes should not be embroidered on church holidays. Editorial voice Matryona

Embroidery during Christmas time

Christmastide is the name given to the days from Christmas to Epiphany . There are many beliefs and signs associated with this period. Embroidering on such days is not prohibited, but according to folk wisdom, it must be done before dark - if you do embroidery in the evening, you will have to work all year to solve various problems.

we will not be able to find a ban on needlework on Holy Days or restrictions on the time of day .

The folk superstition is most likely due to the fact that before the advent of electricity, embroidery was done by candlelight or torches , which caused serious damage to eyesight.

Is it possible to do handicrafts on Sunday evenings?

This question seems strange only at first glance. It seems that there is only one day - Sunday, that is, what is the difference between the time of day? However, in many works of art that contain descriptions of people’s lives, there are references to sewing, spinning, knitting, and embroidery on Sunday evenings.

Indeed, the answer from clergy to the question of whether it is possible to knit on Sunday evening will be positive. After the evening service, there are no obstacles to doing the household chores that have accumulated during the day, including handicrafts.

This tradition is connected with the need to prepare for Monday morning. That is, you need to prepare everything for breakfast, do some chores, for example, mend clothes or patch up harness. Of course, in the modern world there is no need to darn shirts or patch horse harnesses. Therefore, it is quite possible to do what you love, for example, knitting something.

Why can't you do the cleaning?

Firstly, you will not find a prohibition against cleaning on any page in the Bible. Secondly, believing in superstitions is already a great sin. Thanks to such signs, people have the wrong idea about the celebration itself. Thirdly, all holidays, namely church holidays, must be celebrated in a Christian manner.

What does it mean? This means that on this day you need to go to church, pray, light a candle for the health of loved ones, confess, take communion and perform other rituals that your inner state tells you. It is better to spend the evening on this day with your family, listen to your loved ones, and do something you love together.

The church does not dictate any taboos regarding cleaning. The most important rule is that any action should not harm either the person himself (in terms of peace of mind) or someone close to him. If faith in God lives in a person, then no amount of cleaning can defile him.

Many signs regarding cleaning, including during Orthodox holidays, have come to us far from the past. It was believed that by doing physical labor on holy days, a person could bring trouble not only to himself, but also to his home and everyone dear to him. Orthodox Christians still believe that cleaning not only on this day, but also the day before, can attract illness and even death to a person. Allegedly, God will punish the person for what he has done.

It was precisely out of fear of dire consequences that people did not start cleaning the house, although even church ministers completely deny such superstitions. The Church does not prohibit restoring order on any of the religious holidays.

We suggest you familiarize yourself with Cream for ingrown toenails

During the times of Rus', there were simply a lot of superstitions that people believed in and strictly followed:

• cleaning in the evening or at night - loss of well-being, quarrel with relatives;
• sweep when one of your loved ones is on the road - bring trouble to him;
• not opening the windows while cleaning means bringing a big quarrel to the family;
• combining cleaning and cooking means setting yourself up for hunger.

You should not follow these signs at all. These are all superstitions that can sometimes cause disturbances in peace of mind. After all, no one has canceled the rule of materializing our thoughts. When you need to be forced to clean up on a church holiday and you do it, you will then expect punishment from the Almighty. And believe me, trouble will happen. But this will only be what you thought about - in this way you yourself attracted the attention of troubles.

The prohibitions that the clergy talk about do not apply to cleaning at all. So, on church holidays you really can’t do the following things:

1. Swear, quarrel, provoke a scandal. Thus, you not only defile your soul, but also offend the person who experiences your anger. Particular attention should be paid to the purity of your speech. Foul language is a terrible sin not only on a church holiday, but also on any other day.
2. Wash. In this case, we are talking about washing, which is done by hand. This is definitely very hard work. Try to wash all your clothes, especially when there are small children in the family. The Church prohibits washing on Orthodox holidays only for the reason that it is better to devote this time to prayers, time with family and thoughts about your soul.
3. Wash the body. This only applies if you don't have a bath or shower. The fact is that this taboo came to us from the time when, in order to wash, it was necessary to chop wood and light a stove to heat water. The arguments are the same as in the case of washing.
4. Work in the garden. Equated to physical labor. When weeding or harvesting, you spend a lot of energy, and the church insists that it is better to spend this time in peace, think about God and pray.

No unsolicited comments

Archpriest Nikolai Sokolov , rector of the Church of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi at the State Tretyakov Gallery, dean of the missionary faculty of PSTGU:

Archpriest Nikolai Sokolov

– There’s no point in specifically approaching and starting to reason with you when you’re not asked. There are things that can be comprehended by coming to Church, reading the Holy Scriptures, learning faith from the inside, and not looking from the outside. From our unsolicited comments and edifications, a person will definitely not immediately begin to become a church member.

“No one goes to hell for drinking and eating,” said one priest. Everyone needs to take care of themselves, set an example - what a Christian should be - this will be the mission. Perhaps you will want to approach him later with questions. But interjecting with advice and explanations when we are not asked to do so can have the completely opposite effect.

Yes, people don’t understand the meaning of the holidays, they don’t wash, they don’t clean, they don’t braid their hair, they go swimming - it’s their own business. So, will the Lord punish them for this? It’s worse when people understand everything, know it, but get angry and condemn it.

If a person himself comes up with a question, then it is important to answer not haughtily, saying that you have been in the Church for a long time, you understand everything, but he is so “uneducated.” Only a friendly answer, with love, can be heard.

If you feel that you cannot explain and tell clearly, it is better to refer the person to a priest.

Is it possible for pregnant women to do needlework on Sundays? Folk signs

When it comes to questions about whether a pregnant woman can knit on Sunday, the opinions of clergy do not differ from what is said regarding the practice of needlework by women who are not pregnant. But folk superstitions completely prohibit such activities on Sundays and evenings.

It is generally accepted that if a pregnant woman begins to do needlework on the seventh day of the week, she will harm her unborn child. This prohibition is especially strict regarding household work involving needles and threads.

According to folk superstitions, a pregnant woman who violates the Sunday prohibitions on needlework will, through her actions, “sew up” or “bind” the baby’s mouth, ears or eyes. In other words, the sign warns that a baby may be born with anatomical or physiological abnormalities, deformities or diseases.

Is it possible to knit on Sunday evening?

In addition to working on Sunday, there is a superstition that work should not be done at night. That is why women also wonder whether it is possible to work on Sunday evenings. But if we examine this issue from a historical point of view, in the literary monuments of Russia there will be works where the heroes were engaged in embroidery in the dark on the last day of the week.

Attention! The priests believe that these matters can be done if a trip to church has been made in advance. Thus, in the evening you can prepare your clothes for future work achievements and other matters. In addition, in the evening you need to prepare everything for the upcoming breakfast, prepare tools or documents for the start of the work week.

Whether you should do needlework on Sunday is a personal rather than a superstitious question. If you really want to take a break from your boring work, why not indulge in a relaxing hobby that you love?

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Kabbalah and Baptism

Priest Viktor Kirichenko also had to deal with relatively new human superstitions, the roots of which go deep into the Middle Ages

“Before a christening, I always talk with the baby’s parents and future godparents. One day, the recipients came to me, and they had a characteristic red thread on their wrists,” says the priest. — I ask: “Are you baptized?” Are you wearing a cross?” They answer: “Yes, yes!” I bring them scissors: “Cut them off.” Immediately such indignation: “Why? Why?“ Christians are protected by the cross of Christ. But let those who are not baptized wear these amulets.”

The priest recalls that at the end of the sacrament one of the godfathers approached him and literally began to demand an explanation as to why he demanded to cut the red thread.

“I started saying: ‘How is this possible? They brought it to us from Israel itself! “I began to explain to him that Israel is the spiritual homeland of three religions,” recalls Viktor Kirichenko. “It is considered a shrine by both Jews, Christians, and Muslims. And there are streets there where if a priest walks with a cross, he might be attacked. And there is no need to assume that if something is from Israel, it means that it is Christian. There is such a medieval occult-mystical movement in Judaism - Kabbalah. And that’s where these red ropes come from, on which knots are made to cast spells.”

The priest says that he managed to convince the young man. He gave him his personal phone number so that he could, if necessary, call and discuss issues of spiritual life.

“I explained to him that the cross is a sign of God’s love, a sign of embrace. If a person with a cross wears some kind of amulet, this is wrong. It’s the same as if each of us has a metal door at home. A good one, with locks that you can’t just open. But you come home, lock it with all the locks, but also, to make sure that the door is not opened, you prop it up with a mop,” says Viktor Kirichenko.

What signs are associated with knitting?

There are quite a lot of signs associated with handicrafts, including knitting. Some of them seem funny to modern people, others make you think.

For example, wives should not knit things for their husbands. The sign says that if you tie your spouse, he will leave for another woman or will simply “take a walk on the side.” But mistresses, on the contrary, are recommended to start creating homemade knitwear. With these things they tie a man to themselves.

You should not show an unfinished product to anyone. If you boast about such a thing, then work on it will drag on for a long time or will never be completed at all.

If in the last days of February you leave the yarn outside in the cold overnight, then the product knitted from it will not fade for a long time. On a waxing moon, you should not sit down to knit, as the amount of work will constantly increase.

You cannot lay out threads or yarn on a bed or couch. The product will turn out to be “stale,” it will look bad and awkward, and give the impression of a very worn item. Also, you should not put the product in the process of creation aside in the place where the needlewoman is sitting. That is, you cannot leave an unknitted item on the sofa or in an armchair.

Signs for pregnant women

According to popular wisdom, the answer to the question of whether women expecting a child can knit on Sunday is a categorical denial. However, in addition to the seventh day of the week, there are others on which pregnant women are not forbidden to do needlework.

However, there are signs related to knitting that do not relate to Sundays. At first glance, they seem funny, but if you think about it, they make sense.

For example, if a woman expecting a baby accidentally sits on the knitting needles, the child will have a complex, sarcastic character and a sharp mind. If he sits on the hook, the baby will have a quarrelsome character and will begin to cling to the people around him.

In some areas, pregnant women were completely prohibited from touching knitting needles and yarn. It was believed that a woman “knits” the unborn child. In other places, according to signs, it was impossible to cast spells or other witchcraft on someone who knitted. In these parts, pregnant women, on the contrary, diligently knitted to avoid the evil eye.