What is Pentecost
The Day of the Holy Trinity is one of the twelve holidays, the 12 most important holidays after Easter in Orthodoxy.
It is also called Trinity, Pentecost, and the Descent of the Holy Spirit. On this day we remember the gospel event - the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles. On the fiftieth day after Easter, the apostles gathered in the Zion Upper Room in Jerusalem, where on the eve of the arrest and Crucifixion, Christ celebrated the Last Supper. And then, as we read in the New Testament, “... suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as from a rushing strong wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And cloven tongues as of fire appeared to them, and one rested on each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2 :2-4).
After the descent of the Holy Spirit, the apostles began to speak in a variety of languages, and the people around them were surprised: how could ordinary Galileans know so many languages? Indeed, for each of the listeners, the sermon of the Risen Christ sounded in his native language.
The descent of the Holy Spirit and the multilingual preaching of the apostles became the birthday of the Church - the community of the faithful to Christ, united by the Sacraments into the One Body of Christ.
What not to do on Trinity Saturday and Trinity
On Trinity, you should not indulge in “feasts” at graves, get carried away with alcohol, and also, according to popular belief, you should not swim or even go near bodies of water, or go into the forest, so as not to fall into the hands of mermaids and other aquatic evil spirits.
In Rus' on this day, all manipulations with water were prohibited: not only washing, but even washing and bathing children. It was forbidden to cut your hair, women's handicrafts and the general use of sharp metal objects were prohibited, and cleaning the house, especially wet cleaning, was strictly prohibited.
Origin of the name "Pentecost"
“Trinity” and “Pentecost” are two names for one Christian holiday. The word “Pentecost” has a purely chronological meaning, that is, “on the fiftieth day.” The double name is evidence that the holiday has Old Testament origins.
In Old Testament Israel, Pentecost was a harvest festival. On this day, the Jews brought a sacrifice to God - the fruits of the first harvest. Then, over the centuries, the meaning of the holiday changed. It began to be perceived as the birthday of the Old Testament Church - on Pentecost they remembered the Covenant that the Lord entered into with Moses and the entire Israeli people approximately fifty days after the exodus of the Jews from Egypt, i.e., the Jewish Passover. These events took place in the second half of the 13th century. BC e.
And so, after Easter, the Resurrection of Christ, Pentecost became the holiday of the Lord’s new Covenant with people. Happy birthday of the Christian Church.
Traditions of Trinity Saturday
Trinity Saturday is a very important day in Orthodoxy. It is believed that on the eve of Trinity, the living and the dead together celebrate the salvation of humanity by Jesus Christ in anticipation of the future general Resurrection. To bring this moment closer, the living offer prayers for dead Christians, primarily for their loved ones.
On this day in Rus', it was customary to visit temples, as well as cemeteries, arrange graves, decorating them with birch branches (the Russian symbol of the Trinity) and flowers. In Russia, it is still customary to visit churches and cemeteries on Trinity Sunday, decorate graves with birch branches and artificial flowers, and light candles or lamps.
There is also a very ancient and tenacious folk custom, not approved by the church, but a very ancient and enduring folk custom: to commemorate the dead directly in the cemetery, leaving food and even glasses of alcohol for them on the graves. As a rule, after such impromptu funerals, various sweets, sometimes quite expensive, are left on the graves. It is not forbidden for beggars or passers-by to take these delicacies. You can eat what you take, but you cannot take it out of the cemetery; it is considered forbidden.
After visiting a cemetery in Rus', it was customary to have a memorial meal at home on Trinity Saturday or Trinity Sunday. Historically, such meals were shared by the entire community, they were organized in nature, spreading tablecloths on the ground. Traditional funeral Slavic dishes are pancakes, eggs and scrambled eggs, ritual sweet porridge (kutya), jelly, and specially brewed beer. It was not customary to drink strong alcohol at funerals; drunkards were severely condemned. Meat is allowed - this is a major Christian holiday, which occurs during the meat-eater period (before the start of Peter's Lent).
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Events of Pentecost
The descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Christ on the day of Pentecost is described in one of the books of the New Testament - the Acts of the Holy Apostles.
The event took place ten days after the Ascension of Christ, when on the Mount of Olives He ascended into heaven in the flesh. The feast of the Old Testament Pentecost has arrived. The apostles and the Mother of God were on this day in the Zion Upper Room in Jerusalem - the very room where the Last Supper took place. It was there, as it is written in the New Testament, that the Descent of the Holy Spirit took place on the disciples of Christ:
“...suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as if from a rushing strong wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And cloven tongues as of fire appeared to them, and one rested on each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:2-4).
The miracle did not go unnoticed. Pentecost was a national holiday, and the capital of Israel was flooded with believers. People came from different cities and even neighboring countries. Imagine their amazement when, attracted by the noise, they approached the house where the apostles had gathered and heard that they were speaking in a variety of languages. At first, the people decided that Christ’s disciples were simply drunk: “they said, ‘They are drunk with sweet wine’” (Acts 2:13 ). But the Apostle Peter dispelled these speculations and told people about the meaning of the miracle, that from that day the apostles would preach the Risen Christ to the whole world:
“Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and cried to them: Men of Judah, and all who dwell in Jerusalem! Let this be known to you, and listen to my words: they are not drunk, as you think, for it is now the third hour of the day; but this is what was foretold by the prophet Joel: And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; and your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. And on My servants and on My handmaids in those days I will pour out My Spirit, and they will prophesy.” (Dejan 2:14-18)
Iconography of the holiday
The first icon depicting the Holy Trinity is called “Hospitality of Abraham”. According to the Old Testament story, the righteous Abraham met three strangers in the forest of Mamre, who turned out to be angels. They told him the happy news about the birth of an heir, Isaac, and also that the descendants of his son would “bless all nations.”
There are several icons that describe the event of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostolic heads in the Zion house. Typically, icon painters depict grace in the form of separate tongues of flame. Less often, the Holy Spirit appears on icons as a stream of heavenly light, divided into rays.
On some canvases, King David appears with a crown on his head, he holds a piece of cloth, and 12 scrolls lie on it. The royal image on the icons symbolizes humanity, all the peoples to whom the apostles turned with the gospel teaching. The king is a captive, a prisoner, but the Savior spoke to him through his apostolic lips and conveyed the Truth to him. On other icons, the scrolls are held by the apostles themselves, this symbolizes their readiness to bring the light of enlightenment.
The most famous icon depicting the Trinity was painted by Andrei Rublev in the 15th century.
Experts call it a full-fledged treatise, created not with words, but with images.
When an icon painter paints an empty area under the house of Zion, he depicts the tomb that remained empty when the Lord rose. The invisible presence of the Savior is indicated by the empty space between Paul and Peter. On early Christian icons of the Trinity there is an image of the Mother of God.
Pentecost service
On Trinity Sunday, one of the most beautiful services of the year is held in Orthodox churches. The churches are full of summer greenery: people bring field herbs, birch branches, flowers. The floor of the temple is covered with freshly cut grass, its smell mixed with the aroma of incense. The color of clergy vestments is green.
Usually, immediately after the Liturgy, Great Vespers is served in the church (according to the rules, it should be celebrated in the evening, but many parishioners will then not be able to come to it). At Vespers, stichera are sung glorifying the descent of the Holy Spirit. The priest reads three special prayers: for the Church, for the salvation of all those who pray, and for the repose of the souls of all the departed, including those “held in hell.” At this time, clergy and parishioners kneel. Kneeling prayer ends the post-Easter period, during which no kneeling or prostration is performed in churches.
At matins in churches, two canons of the Trinity are sung, both written by famous ancient authors: the first by Cosmas of Mayum, the second by John of Damascus.
How to celebrate Trinity?
In honor of the holiday, one of the most beautiful and remarkable services of the year is held in Orthodox churches.
In Russia, according to tradition, freshly cut grass is laid out on the floor of the church and in houses, birch branches are placed, and icons are decorated with them. The color of clothing and vestments is green. This color symbolizes the power of renewal and life-giving of the Holy Spirit. And the day after Trinity, the holiday of the Holy Spirit is celebrated.
Pentecost icon
Icons of the Feast of Pentecost traditionally depict the Upper Room of Zion, in which the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles in the form of tongues of fire.
In front of us are the twelve apostles, they stand as if in a semicircle - in the shape of a horseshoe. Instead of Judas Iscariot, the Apostle Matthias was chosen to replace him. In the hands of Christ's disciples are books and scrolls; the fingers of the apostles are folded in a blessing gesture. There is also the Apostle Paul on the icon, who was not in the Zion Upper Room. This emphasizes that the Holy Spirit descends not only on specific individuals who were in the Upper Room of Zion, but is given to the entire Church, which at that time consisted of the Twelve Apostles. Between Peter and Paul on the icon there is an empty space that reminds us of the presence of the Holy Spirit.
The meaning of Holy Trinity Day
Archpriest Igor Fomin, rector of the Alexander Nevsky Church at MGIMO, cleric of the Cathedral of the Icon of the Kazan Mother of God on Red Square.
“Pentecost is the birthday of the Church of Christ. The Lord unites all believers around Him - those who want to follow Him, live according to His commandments, and overcome their death by His death.
The Babylonian dispersion of the nations, which we read about in the Old Testament, is overcome precisely on the day of Pentecost. The Lord again gathers people who think and work on their salvation. And all in order to later bring them into the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Prayers for the Feast of the Holy Trinity
Troparion of Pentecost
voice 8
Blessed are you, Christ our God, who are all wise fishers of phenomena, having sent down to them the Holy Spirit, and with them they caught the universe, glory to you, O lover of mankind.
Translation:
Blessed are You, Christ our God, who made the fishermen wise, sent down the Holy Spirit to them, and through them captured the universe. Lover of humanity, glory to You!
Kontakion of Pentecost
voice 8
Whenever the tongues of fire descended, dividing the tongues of the Most High, when the fiery tongues were distributed, we all called into unity, and accordingly we glorified the All-Holy Spirit.
Translation:
When the Most High came down and confused languages, He divided the nations; when He distributed tongues of fire, He called everyone to unity, and we, in agreement, glorify the All-Holy Spirit.
Magnification of Pentecost
We magnify Thee, O Life-Giving Christ, and honor Thy All-Holy Spirit, whom Thou didst send from the Father as Thy divine disciple.
Translation:
We glorify You, Giver of life Christ, and honor Your All-Holy Spirit, Whom You sent from the Father to Your divine disciples.
Why are temples decorated with birch trees?
On Trinity Sunday, churches were traditionally decorated with birch branches and grass. This custom has several explanations. Firstly, birch trees can be reminiscent of the oak grove of Mamvre, where there was an oak tree, under which the Lord, the Holy Trinity, appeared to Abraham in the form of three angels. She is depicted on the icons of the Trinity.
Secondly, on the day when the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles, the Jews celebrated the Feast of Pentecost, which was associated with the history of the giving of the Law of God to them. . On the fiftieth day after leaving the land of Egypt, the Jews approached Mount Sinai, where the Lord gave Moses the Ten Commandments. It was spring time, and the entire Mount Sinai was covered with flowering trees. Probably from here in the ancient Church there was a custom on the day of Pentecost to decorate their temples and houses with greenery, as if to find themselves again on Mount Sinai with Moses.
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