Ilyin's Day: What Date In 2019, Why You Can't Swim And Other Traditions And Signs

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

Ilyin's day in 2019: what cannot be done on this holiday?

Previously, the entire life of people was based on signs: they were the ones who decided when to mow the grass and when to slaughter livestock. Today, many customs are a thing of the past, but some have survived. For example, some people today try to observe the traditions of Ilyin's Day.

Ilyin's day - what a holiday

On August 2, the Orthodox Church honors Elijah the Prophet, one of the most famous saints. Ilya is a formidable old man who travels across the sky in a chariot and, with the help of lightning, destroys evil spirits on Earth and evil in people.

In pre-Christian times, the day of Perun was celebrated on August 2. This ancient god was very similar to Elijah the prophet, so we can say that the saint became the replacement for Perun. That is why Ilyin's day is surrounded by various signs that have pagan roots.

Christian saint Ilya became a replacement for the pagan god Perun

Rites and traditions

According to tradition, on Ilyin's day one should bring a sacrifice to the church: a leg of lamb, honey, peas, ears of corn. Half of what is brought is left in the church, and half is taken home. It is necessary to pray - in this case, you can secure yourself protection for the next year.

The central rite of Ilyin of the day is bratchina, or bullfighter. This is a collective feast where the main dish is a lamb or a bull. On this day, bread from the new harvest and potatoes from their own garden should appear on the table. On Ilyin's day, it is customary to ask for rain and a good harvest.

Do's and Don'ts

On Ilyin's day you can:

• feast;
• pray;
• take care of bees;
• to prepare wax for candles.

And you can't do the following on this holiday:

• to work in the field or in the house - the prophet becomes angry, and the next year there will be no harvest;
• screaming, swearing, hooliganism, drinking a lot of alcohol, since the lightning of Elijah the Prophet can strike anyone who has evil in his heart and unclean thoughts in his head;
• stand at the crossroads, because evil spirits gather there that day;
• bathe. There are several opinions on this. The first says that on August 2 the devil bathed in the water and defiled it, and the one who dares to enter it will be dragged to the bottom by the water. According to the second belief, when Ilya was riding in a chariot, one of the horses lost a horseshoe, which fell into the water and made it icy.

It is impossible to work in the field on Elias day, otherwise the saint will be angry

Signs

There are such signs about the day of Elijah the prophet:

• September 27 (at Vozdvizhenie) the weather will be the same as on Ilyin's day;
• rain on this day portends a good harvest of rye;
• if clouds appeared in the morning, there will be a rich harvest of winter crops, if during the day - average, and if in the evening - bad;
• rain on Ilyin's day - few fires during the year, and vice versa;
• a person caught in a downpour on this day will not get sick for a year.

Ilyin's day is a turning point in the year, when summer is gradually replaced by autumn. On this day, you need to ask the mercy of Saint Elijah and feast so that the next year will be successful and fertile.