On which Orthodox holidays you can’t work and why?

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If we turn to Orthodox traditions, then one of the commandments requires observing the rule: work six days, and devote one to the thoughts and deeds of God. There are also church holidays when work is considered a sinful activity. So, on what Orthodox holidays can you not work?

The Fourth Commandment of the Old Testament - What does it say?

Guided by this commandment, we can conclude: believers must work six days a week, and give the seventh to the Lord, that is, devote it to prayer. All worries and everyday concerns should fade into the background, and thoughts and deeds should be focused on visiting the temple, studying the Word of God, and doing good deeds. This is exactly what God told Moses on Mount Sinai.

The day destined to become bright or holy was Sunday. In the modern world, people often forget about the Old Testament commandment and continue to do routine things, forgetting about the holiness of this day. Often people are forced to work on Sundays due to the continuity of production.

In addition to Sunday, there are other days when you cannot work, these include Orthodox holidays. Honoring holidays and observing the rules - this is the prescription of the Bible and the charter of the church. Ignoring the rules is attributed to sin, and a person who violates the traditions of the Orthodox faith will certainly face punishment.

Most Christians abstain from work during the major (twelfth) holidays.

Fourth Commandment

If you follow this commandment, we can say that for 6 days a person must work, and on the seventh day he must pray. On this day, one should give up everyday work in favor of attending church, praying and helping others.

The bright and holy day is set aside for Sunday, which many people today forget as they continue to carry out their daily activities. Some people also have to work on Sunday, as they work in continuous production.

In addition to Sundays, there are other days on which work is prohibited. This applies to religious holidays.

List of Orthodox holidays during which you cannot work

There are several major or major holidays when it is prohibited to do any physical work. These include:

Christmas, during which the Son of God was born - January 7th.
Epiphany or Epiphany - January 19.
The Presentation of the Lord, when Jesus Christ met Sineon the God-Receiver in the Temple of Jerusalem.
The Annunciation, the announcement by Archangel Michael to the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Birth of the Son of God - April 7.
Palm Sunday, which Catholics call Palm Sunday. A week before Easter, Jesus Christ rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, greeted by the inhabitants of the city.
Holy Easter is a moving holiday, the date of which is set according to the lunar-solar calendar. This is the most important holiday of Orthodoxy - the day when Jesus Christ was resurrected.
Ascension of the Lord.
The Holy Trinity.
Transfiguration of the Lord - celebrated on August 19.
Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary - August 28.
Nativity of the Virgin Mary – September 21.
Exaltation of the Holy Cross - September 27.
The day of the entry of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the temple of the city of Jerusalem is December 4.

All these dates are the main Orthodox holidays, during which one should leave mortal affairs and completely devote time to God’s prayer, visiting church, and rest.

What signs are associated with church holidays?

Over the years, the people have accumulated a lot of knowledge, which they passed on from generation to generation. This is also associated with various signs, especially those related to holidays. Therefore, in addition to the pressing question of whether it is possible to work on church holidays, religious people should also be aware of observations related to them.

Thus, it is believed that if it snows on Christmas, the year will be successful and profitable. If the weather is sunny, then spring will be cold. A pleasant tradition was baking a coin in a pie. Whoever gets it will experience success and happiness in the new year.

On the Feast of the Presentation, people believed in the magical power of water and the fulfillment of desires. It was also a harbinger of spring: the weather on this day was an indicator of what the coming spring would be like.

The Annunciation is also rich in various beliefs and signs. On this day you cannot borrow money or take anything out of the house, so as not to give away your prosperity and luck. A very interesting observation related to hair: it was not recommended to comb your hair, put on makeup or get a haircut, as you could confuse your fate.

What is forbidden to do on holidays

There are several signs and beliefs among the people that supposedly come true if you violate the rules of church law.

On Christmas Day and the following days of the first week after the holiday, you cannot engage in active recreation, hike, hunt or go fishing. There is a danger of an accident. Christmas week, the holiday itself, is, first of all, a family atmosphere, meetings with family and friends. This is a time of pleasant meetings, leisurely conversations, lack of fuss.

During this period, you cannot engage in handicrafts or production labor associated with such types of work as sewing, knitting, weaving, spinning. The thread is assigned the role of a symbol of fate, so any tying or braiding of it is considered a bad sign.

On Christmas, it is better to leave all household chores, such as cleaning or laundry, aside. Taking out the trash before January 14th means exposing yourself to trials and tribulations. It was on the 14th that all the garbage was taken out into the street and burned so that evil and demons would not bother the family all year.
On Sretenie, you should not leave home for a long trip. This does not promise a quick return home and a long delay on the way for various reasons.
On the Feast of the Annunciation and Palm Sunday, you should not do household chores or dig in the ground until the evening. It is during this period that snakes begin to wake up. There is a popular proverb that clearly reflects the behavior of this period: “A bird does not build a nest, a girl does not braid her hair.”
The entire Easter week and the holiday itself means abstaining from hard work; you can only deal with urgent matters that require immediate participation.
Ascension is one of the biggest holidays in Orthodoxy. Any work is prohibited.
The Trinity is especially revered, because it was on this holiday that the Holy Spirit descended to the apostles and promised that He would return after His ascension to heaven. This holiday is especially celebrated by Christians all over the Earth; work is strictly prohibited.

Signs and beliefs

The biggest holiday, Christmas, has many restrictions:

Hunting and fishing are not allowed.
Do not clean the room or do laundry.
Do not allow the first woman to enter the home, because all the women in the family will get sick.
On Candlemas it is not advised to leave home for a long time, because the trip will be unsuccessful.
Seven days before Easter and on the holiday, you should refrain from any homework.
Ascension is a great celebration. It is not allowed to work in the field, and it should be plowed after the holiday.
On Trinity, any land and household work is not recommended.

The best article for you, go to: Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross

Why you can’t work on Orthodox holidays: It is usually said that those who do not observe the holidays will face failure, poverty and poor health. Traditions come and change. Only one person can decide what to do.

The Lord is always with you!

Opinion of church ministers

During holidays and Sundays, faithful people are obliged not only to spend time idly, but to pray fervently and go to churches. On holidays, it is necessary not to sit back, but to read the Word of God, the Bible, to know the truth, to know oneself in peace and holiness. This is the unanimous opinion of the ministers of the Orthodox Church.

The priests say the following about the need to work on holidays: if you are unable to put things aside and are forced to work according to a schedule or production needs, this will not be considered a sin, the main thing is that your thoughts are directed to God.

Situations are different, a person’s life sometimes requires adjustments, and there is an urgent need for work. In this case, it is worth asking the Lord for forgiveness during prayer.

Orthodox Life

Archpriest Vladimir Puchkov answers.

“Remember the Sabbath day,” or, in the language of the average person, “you cannot work on holidays,” is perhaps the most well-known commandment both in the church community and outside it. As expected, the average person rushes between extremes on this issue, from “you can’t shave on Sunday” to “it’s not a sin to work, it’s a sin not to work.”

Conscious churchliness, paradoxically, is of little help here. I remember, while studying at the seminary, I was a librarian and my duties, among other things, included an annual check of the library collection. It took place in the summer, when the seminary was on vacation, and for it to be successful it was necessary to collect all the books on hand. Since there were many local parishioners among the readers, it was necessary to notify them of the need to hand over literature through announcements. So, one fine Sunday in April, my friend and I started posting advertisements. At the end of this not very exciting activity, at the very last notice board, two guys from the Lavra parishioners came up to us and inquired about the library and checking out books. The guys listened to our story, and then one of them, looking at how my friend was dashingly cutting up advertisements printed several pieces on one sheet, remarked reproachfully: “And you guys want to cut with scissors on Sunday?” I was about to smile politely in response to the awkward joke, but when I met my interlocutor’s eyes, I realized that he wasn’t even thinking about joking. A second later the guys went their separate ways, and we went to the seminary. Then I still didn’t understand what was wrong with our actions, but over time I learned that many people, especially in rural areas, are convinced that on Sundays and holidays one should not do completely simple and harmless things: cut with scissors , shave, cut nails, go to the hairdresser and even, funny as it may seem, wash.

And this despite the fact that the commandment about the Sabbath is not only clear and simple, it is elementary and so clearly stated that it does not even need any explanation. However, if there is an urgent need, it would not be a sin to explain.

So, “six days you shall work and do all your work” (Isa. 20:9). On the one hand, it is easy to include all activity, every action and every deed as “all matters”. But, on the other hand, let’s pay attention to the fact that “all things” are opposed to the godly celebration of the holiday; therefore, they are prohibited not because they themselves are inappropriate on a particular day, but because they can interfere with the godly celebration of this day - prayer, reading Scripture, contemplation of God, distracting, for example, attention, taking away time or energy. Just one-step cutting of paper, one sewn button or tightening a few nuts will in no way interfere with spending a holiday pleasing to God. What really gets in the way is the usual, routine everyday work, which takes energy and takes a lot of time. Any work that turns a day of rest into a work day is certainly prohibited by the commandment. At the same time, there are not and cannot be lists or lists of things to do on Sundays and holidays, which can be done and which cannot be done, so talk about how you can’t “cut” or “knock” on holidays is meaningless.

Well, what about household chores? They, on the one hand, take up a lot of time, but on the other hand, you can’t do without them. Cooking, necessary daily cleaning, and other household chores. All this is the most routine thing for a housewife. Here, I think, it would be useful to remember the words of the Lord: “Does not each of you untie his own donkey from the manger on the Sabbath and lead him to water” (Luke 13:15)? Note that Christ speaks about the household chores that were common in his time, and even among fanatical Sabbath adherents, his words sound like talking about things that are taken for granted. Of course, Saturday is Saturday, and the cattle need food and water. Here is the answer to the question about daily homework. It is necessary and therefore not regulated by the commandment. But even among this type of work there are actions that some still consider unacceptable. For example, washing. Many church and non-church people live in the belief that doing laundry on holidays is prohibited. In practice, such a belief usually looks funny - an unlucky zealot stubbornly does not use a washing machine on certain days, apparently believing that between washing using the technology of the last century (on the river and with washboards) and pressing a few buttons on the washing machine there is no difference. Meanwhile, if an activity does not require any labor and does not take up any time, what kind of violation of the commandment can we talk about? I think it’s unnecessary to even talk about hygiene procedures. It is necessary to brush your teeth, take a shower, and shave at least every day, and, you must admit, a person who looks like a new penny on weekdays, and comes to church unshaven on Sunday, causes at least bewilderment.

However, that's not all. There are often situations in life when long and tiring work on Sundays and holidays is not only not sinful, but is downright obligatory. It's about helping your neighbor. If your neighbor needs help, there is no way to wait until Monday, and we are nearby, then it is impossible not to help. And if I’m unlikely to start chopping wood for my fireplace on Sunday, rightly considering it a sin, then helping my elderly neighbor with chopping wood, who can only hold an ax in his hands if he’s in good health, which happens to him three times a month, I , as a Christian, I am obliged, even on Sunday, even on a holiday, even on Easter.

But don’t you think that the more we analyze all sorts of do’s and don’ts, the further we move away from the main thing? And the main thing is the Liturgy. Being the core of any church celebration, the Liturgy fulfills the holiday. And when discussing what is not allowed and what is possible, it is very important not to forget about what is needed. After all, without participating in the Liturgy, even complete inaction will not help us fulfill the commandment about the Sabbath. And the commandment itself about the Sabbath day was given to “keep it holy,” and not just to sit with folded hands, waiting for a reward from God for doing nothing.

What is Kyriopascha

The problem of the calendar is a problem of tradition. Christians are accustomed to following traditions and the church experience and the experience of the Holy Fathers, which is more than 2 thousand years old, are important to them. Starting from the 4th century. The church charter formed the alphabet of faith “Typikon” - the Divine Service Charter. It contains the rules for performing church services, conducting church life, right down to meals, sleep, and the entire routine of Christian life.

The Typikon also talks about “Kyriopascha” - when the Annunciation falls on Easter. Kyriopascha happens extremely rarely. This happened in 1912 and 1991, in the 21st century. will be in 2075 and 2086. Because of the uniqueness of this phenomenon, people designate the year with Kyriopascha as a special year in which historically important events take place. For example, 1991 was the year of the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Image of the Annunciation on the portal of the Church of St. Cyril by Vaclav Levi (1867-1869), Prague, Czech Republic