Elijah's Day is an Orthodox holiday that has pagan roots, so there are many signs associated with it. It is celebrated in early August. The number is not transitional and is fixed in the Orthodox Church calendar. On this day there are certain customs that are recommended to be followed, and there is a list of what is prohibited to do on the holiday. There are many signs associated with Elijah’s Day, the vast majority of them predict the weather, and also this date, according to old superstitions, determines the end of summer.
What date is Elijah's Day celebrated?
Elijah's Day is celebrated on August 2, this number is constant and does not change from one year to another.
In 2021, the church holiday will be celebrated on Monday. According to the old style, the memory of the Prophet Elijah was venerated on July 20. But the Catholic diocese celebrates the day of this prophet in winter - February 16, but the ministers of the Armenian Apostolic Church celebrate it on the first Sunday, which comes after Trinity. On a note! Due to the coincidence of dates, the prophet Elijah is revered as their patron by representatives of the Airborne Forces (their professional holiday is also August 2).
Why can't you swim?
It is believed that the seer had cooled the water by this point. Also during this period, the water in the ponds begins to bloom, and this can have a detrimental effect on human health. According to popular superstitions, if you swim after the 2nd, then in ponds or on the river you can meet evil spirits in the form of a merman or a mermaid.
Salad with herring, potatoes, eggs for the holiday.
Today, Elijah's Day is an important time for all Orthodox Christians. People sincerely believe in His power and try in every possible way to observe traditions. After all, the national holiday brings a lot of joy and fun!
The story of Ilyin's day
Elijah is the only prophet who is included in the Old Testament and whose memory is revered in the modern Orthodox Church. According to legend, this prophet was born in the 9th century BC, and throughout his life he set himself up as an “exposer” of idolatry. The Old Testament indicates that Elijah was called to heaven while he was still alive. In Slavic lands, this holiday became widespread after people adopted Christianity.
It was Elijah’s Day that replaced the previously pagan holiday dedicated to the deity Perun. It was also celebrated on July 20 (old style, now August 2). After such a replacement, the prophet Elijah began to gradually acquire all the signs of the pagan deity of the Slavs Perun, who was the thunderer. At the same time, some of the traditions, despite all the measures taken by the clergy, can still be considered pre-Christian.
Chosen One of God
Prophecy is a special election of God, when the Lord Himself, seeing the inner structure of a person, his readiness to become a proclaimer of the will of the Creator, determines a saint to serve Himself. This calling itself is a secret that remains between the prophet and the Lord Himself. That is why there are so rare cases when at least some evidence remains about life before God’s calling, about the beginning of the prophetic path. There are none about Elijah either. Only the place where he was born is the city of Thesvah in the region of Gilead.
"As the Lord lives, before whom I stand..."
On the pages of the Bible (1 Kings 17) he appears as an ascetic, proclaiming to the Israeli king Ahab, who trampled on his father’s faith, God’s punishment: drought as revenge for the wickedness of the king and most of the Jewish people. So formidable and terrible were the words of the saint that the shocked king not only did not order the impudent man to be expelled from the palace, but, judging by the Biblical text, he was not even able to answer. And the prophet, having fulfilled God’s command, simply left - where God’s will commanded. This is his whole life - the fate of a person who has completely entrusted himself to the Creator. On the page of the Old Testament we see Elijah:
- in one trust in the Lord who lives by the stream Horath, far from people, in a cave; the prophet’s faith is not disgraced: the raven, obedient to the will of the Creator, brings him food every day;
- according to the voice of God, he left his people, going to pagan Phenicia, to the village of Sarepta; here he not only remains throughout the drought, but saves the widow who sheltered him and her son: through his prayer the woman does not run out of oil and flour, although at the arrival of Elijah they were already preparing for starvation; when the saint resurrects the woman’s son, who died from illness, she is finally convinced: before her is a great prophet.
Finally, at the end of the time of God’s wrath, none other than the same Elijah, through prayer, brings down from the sky the rain that the Jews had been waiting for for so long - but not before their repentance for departing from the Creator.
Appeal of the people
Perhaps the most amazing miracle of the prophet is the amazing sacrifice to God on Mount Carmel. The prophet boldly demands a kind of competition with the priests of pagan Baal in front of a gathering of all the people, to whom the saint addressed like this: “How long will you limp on both knees? If the Lord is God, then follow Him; and if Baal, then follow him” (1 Kings 18:21). So two altars were built, according to the word of the prophet: “The God who gives the answer through fire is God” (1 Kings 18:24). The Bible details how the pagans recited their spells until midday without receiving an answer, how Elijah finally began to mock not only them, but also their false god. And finally, as the prophet himself, inflamed in spirit, ordered to pour as much water as possible onto his altar, so that it was simply impossible to set it on fire with earthly fire. But after the saint’s prayer, heavenly fire burned not only the victim, but even the stones themselves.
With exclamations and tears of people repenting of their sin, the prophet himself killed all the priests of Baal. With the repentance of the people, God’s punishment ended: heavy rain watered the parched land.
Ascended to heaven
The life of the saint after this miracle, however, did not become easier or calmer. Ahab's wife, the pagan Jezebel, angry at the death of the priests, publicly threatened Elijah with death, so that he had to go into the desert again. The weak-willed Ahab soon turned again to wickedness, and the religious inspiration of the people did not last long.
Only the words spoken to Elijah by the Lord Himself that there was a remnant among the Israelites - seven thousand “who did not bend the knee to Baal” - somewhat consoled the righteous man. Meanwhile, the end of his earthly journey was approaching - as wonderful as his whole life. Elijah, “the chariot of Israel and his horsemen” (2 Kings 2:12), as his disciple, the heir of the prophetic gift, Elisha, called him, was taken to heaven alive. The site of his ascension is still shown near the Jordan River.
Traditions and rituals for Elijah Day
In Orthodox Christianity, the prophet Elijah is represented as a strict and punishing, but fair and generous old man with a white beard. This patron saint is directly responsible for the rains, lightning and thunder, punishing people with them for their lies and malice during his rides across the sky on a flaming chariot. There are a couple of options for celebrating - in accordance with the pagan tradition (which is not approved by the Church) and in the Orthodox one.
In accordance with the rules for celebrating Elijah’s Day by the “Rodnovers,” preparations for it began a week in advance. At this time they fasted, and throughout the week they placed containers of grain outside the gate - this helped to appease the prophet Elijah. After the expiration of the specified period, they slaughtered something from livestock - a ram or a bull.
Neo-pagans sometimes call the holiday “brotherhood”, that is, all acquaintances, relatives and friends gather and bring dishes and products, which are then eaten by all those present. During this “feast” they dance in circles, sing songs and have fun. Also, representatives of the old pre-Christian faith believe that the prophet Elijah is able to fulfill other wishes, in particular, he can be asked:
- send rain in case of a hot and dry summer;
- about happiness in the family;
- about health;
- so that it is sunny during rainstorms.
In the second case - when celebrating according to church tradition, it is initially assumed that believers will come to the temple - at this time they will have a service with prayers in memory of the prophet Elijah. But liturgies and processions of the cross take place only in those churches that honor this revered saint from the Old Testament. Also in all churches you can order a prayer service in honor of this prophet.
If a person considers himself an Orthodox Christian, then he should not participate in the celebration according to pagan rules, and also should not perform any magical rituals.
On this day, rituals aimed at healing and protection were traditionally performed. They also often made amulets and various healing agents. Of the widespread rituals in Rus', there were the following:
- On this day, for the first time in a year, it was possible to go hunting for wild animals. Bears and wolves were considered good prey. If the animal was brought, the village was guaranteed good luck for the whole year.
- To treat toothache, oak bark was harvested on Elijah's Day. The tree was supposed to be the oldest in the area.
- Witch doctors caught snakes to make candles from rendered lard. They were later used for healing.
Rituals were allowed to be carried out or started only by the elders or healers of the village, since such actions for an ordinary person carried a danger from evil spirits.
Who is Elijah the Prophet: the history of the holiday
Prophet Elijah (in Rus' he was called Elijah the Prophet) is revered in all Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam). The Prophet was known from ancient times; he was famous for his strict piety, consistent defense of the idea of monotheism, intolerance towards paganism and violation of divine commandments.
In this regard, Elijah had a conflict with the then king of Israel Ahab , who was strongly influenced by his pagan wife, the Phoenician Jezebel , even whose name is considered a symbol of debauchery.
Elijah was adamant in his demands for strict worship of the one God; he did not allow Jezebel to seduce the Israelites with pagan cults. For this, the prophet was persecuted and was forced to hide from the wrath of the dissolute queen in the desert. The Lord strengthened the spirit and strength of Elijah, thanks to this the prophet was able to achieve the return of Ahab and all the Israelis to the true faith, and the libertine Jezebel died a terrible death.
Legend has it that after the end of his earthly ministry, Elijah was raised alive to the heavenly divine chambers on a chariot of fire (this scene is often depicted in icons and religious paintings). In Rus', the prophet was revered as the “manager” of thunder and lightning, who could severely punish the wicked and disobedient, even to the point of incinerating sinners.
/pixabay.com
Signs for Elijah's Day
Most of the superstitions and omens on the Day of Remembrance of Elijah the Prophet are related to the weather - it is the weather that is observed and it predicts certain events in the near and distant future.
The main beliefs are:
- When the thunder is dull and not rolling on Elijah’s day, then the rains will be weak until winter, but ringing thunder will lead to prolonged and heavy downpours, when water falls from the sky “like from a bucket.”
- If someone gets caught in the rain on the day of the memory of Elijah the Prophet, they believe that this person has stocked up on health for the year ahead.
- Looking in the mirror on Elijah’s day means bringing trouble upon yourself, as the surface begins to draw away the strength of the person in the looking glass, which weakens health and reduces mental acuity.
Directly on Elijah’s day, prolonged rains with thunderstorms were considered normal, but people perceived sunny weather as an oddity. This date is also considered a transitional date - from summer to autumn, so haymaking was completed before the start of the harvest. On such a day, “sparrow thunderstorms” also often occur; they are so strong that birds lose orientation in space, other animals worry and rush about, and people have difficulty falling asleep.
What does this holiday mean?
The future prophet was born in Gilead. Ilya led a hermit's life. He preached Christianity, observed fasts and spent his days in prayer. At that time, the country was ruled by Ahab, who imposed paganism on the people. Ilya tried to reason with people.
The Prophet made a proposal to arrange 2 sacrifices on Mount Carmel: for pagan deities and for God. The idolaters prayed all day, but they did not wait for a sign from above. Elijah laid the logs, poured water on them and began to pray to the Lord. Soon a huge flame descended, not only the trees, but also the stones caught fire. The people of Israel believed in the power of the Lord and henceforth glorified Jesus Christ.
Elijah performed miracles more than once - he divided the Jordan River and raised the dead son of a widow. According to legend, the prophet did not die. He rode to heaven in a chariot drawn by horses.
Conspiracies
Ilyin’s Day, according to Slavic tradition, is considered a magical date, which is suitable not only for carrying out various rituals. No less common were conspiracies that were designed to bring good luck and happiness.
The following are considered common:
- Spells for good health and protection from disease. There are many different options - some help get rid of the disease, and some are aimed at protection.
- The prosperity conspiracy, which was carried out on poppy seeds, was supposed to increase profits and give wealth. The seeds could not be swept out of the house for 3 days, and after that they were taken under a tree.
- Water spells were usually used by merchants to attract customers. The main focus is on distributing goods and making the store more popular.
- Fidelity plot for young girls. The sacred words were read by throwing a stone with a lock of hair tied into the water. They also charmed the dew at dawn to find a groom.
No less common were conspiracies aimed at removing damage and protecting against evil witchcraft. Some of them are more like rituals, so various objects may appear there - candles, bowls, herbs, etc.
What actions have been taken
It is customary to hold divine liturgies in Orthodox churches, the attendance of which is encouraged. Parishioners, as a rule, also try to be present in the temple to receive blessings. But the Slavic tradition also had its own norms on how to spend this day:
- Preparation of herbs. Even with a ban on work on Elijah’s Day, it was allowed and even recommended to collect plants. They were supposed to be dried and used for treatment.
- Requests for family well-being. On this day, young girls and already adult women turned to the patron of fertility to get married or give birth to a child.
- Fraternization. Traditional feasts that were organized in Rus'. During the celebration, people gathered from all nearby settlements and demonstrated good intentions.
It was considered a bad sign to drive guests away from your doorstep - whoever was at the doorstep should be met with bread and salt.
What to pray to a saint for
All these, as well as many other customs, signs of Elijah’s day were intertwined with the completely ecclesiastical practice of performing prayers to the saint.
- Most often they prayed to him for the preservation of the harvest, right in the field, with the blessing of water. At the same time, each owner put an ear of grain from his allotment into the holy water.
- There were also prayers for rain, or - when the weather was inclement - for its cessation. Often the village had several temples of the prophet, called “Ilya the Wet” (here they mainly asked for an end to the drought) and “Ilya Sukhoi” (where they prayed to stop the bad weather).
