Why You Can't Clean Up On Church Holidays

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

Why is it impossible to clean up on church holidays: biblical prohibition or laziness?

Sometimes the refusal to clean is due not to laziness, but to traditions - for example, it is believed that one cannot clean up on church holidays. Is this true or not, and what does the church think about this? Let's examine the origins of this superstition.

Superstition about cleaning up on church holidays

Christians who pay attention to superstition usually refuse to work on church holidays. Moreover, not only house cleaning is prohibited, but also any other types of labor: needlework, work in the garden or in the field, cooking. Some even equate work on a church holiday with almost a mortal sin. Is labor really punishable by God?

In fact, in the Bible you will not find a clear indication that working on a religious holiday is a sin. Where do the legs of this superstition come from? One of the most common versions offers such an explanation - when Christianity first appeared in Russia, it was difficult for the first missionaries and priests to gather a flock on a religious holiday. People continued to work hard despite the requests and persuasions of the clergy. Then they came up with a little trick and announced that working on church holidays is a terrible sin, for which you will have to pay after death. A more "pagan" version of this explanation has spread among the people - everyone who worked on a church holiday got out of hand. The need to force people to devote time to spiritual work has already disappeared, and superstition still lives on.

Working in the fields was one of the most allegedly punishable - perhaps because it was very common in Russia

Church opinion

The church does not support superstition in principle. After all, the very word "superstition" speaks of a person's "vain faith". The churchmen advise to devote holidays first of all to serving God, prayers and attending church. But the rest of the time can be spent on worldly affairs - the same cleaning. Nobody will punish and scold you for this.

Nevertheless, church officials recommend that all major tasks (for example, cleaning or a major project at work) be done the day before in order to free up the holiday for good deeds and prayers.

Church representatives emphasize that on the holiday you can do the necessary worldly affairs and household chores. However, Christians should give preference to taking care of the soul, prayer, confession and mercy.