Divine feast of 40 saints. Feast of the Forty Saints - traditions, signs, customs

Forty Saints 2017

The history of the holiday is very ancient and dates back to the first centuries of Christianity. It tells about 40 soldiers of the Roman legion who died near the city of Sebaste for refusing to renounce the Christian faith. Their memory is revered in the Orthodox and Catholic churches.

However, there are some prohibitions on this day.

What not to do on 40 Saints Day

On this day, you shouldn’t be lazy, but you should be well prepared to welcome spring and appease it with your culinary pastries.

The Feast of the Forty Holy Martyrs is celebrated annually during Lent. And on this day the prohibitions are the same as on any day of fasting. The only difference is that you can eat food with vegetable oil. Cahors wine is also allowed on this day.

It is also not advisable to work and clean the house on this day.

Signs for 40 Saints Day

It is believed that on this holiday winter ends and spring comes. Very often this day coincides with the equinox. It is also called Sorochintsy, Soroki, Zhavoronki, because after a winter wandering, migratory birds fly to us from the south and bring spring with them.

On this day, gardeners can get an answer to when they can start planting seedlings.

On the Feast of the 40 Saints, omens are mainly related to the weather. So, on this day you can judge the weather for the next 40 days. If it is frosty, then this weather will last another 40 days. If birds arrive, it means early warmth.

In 313, Saint Constantine the Great issued a decree according to which Christians were allowed freedom of religion and were given equal rights with pagans. But his co-ruler Licinius was a convinced pagan and in his part of the empire he decided to eradicate Christianity, which had spread significantly there. Licinius was preparing for war against Constantine and, fearing treason, decided to clear his army of Christians.

At that time, in one of the Armenian city of Sebastia, one of the military leaders was Agricolaus, a zealous supporter of paganism. Under his command was a squad of forty Cappadocians, brave warriors who emerged victorious from many battles. They were all Christians. When the warriors refused to sacrifice to the pagan gods, Agricolaus imprisoned them. The soldiers indulged in fervent prayer and one night heard a voice: “He who endures to the end will be saved.”

The next morning the soldiers were again brought to Agricolaus. This time the pagan used flattery. He began to praise their courage, youth and strength and again invited them to renounce Christ and thereby gain the honor and favor of the emperor himself. Hearing a refusal again, Agricolaus ordered the soldiers to be chained. However, the eldest of them, Kirion, said: “The Emperor did not give you the right to impose fetters on us.” Agricolaus was embarrassed and ordered the soldiers to be taken to prison without shackles.

After 7 days, the noble dignitary Lysias arrived in Sebastia and held a trial of the soldiers. The saints firmly answered: “Take not only our military rank, but also our lives, for us there is nothing dearer than Christ God.” Then Lysias ordered the martyrs to be stoned. But the stones flew past their target; A stone thrown by Lysias hit Agricolaus in the face. The torturers realized that the Saints were being protected by some invisible force. In prison, the soldiers spent the night in prayer and again heard the voice of the Lord comforting them: “He who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live. Be bold and do not be afraid, for you will receive imperishable crowns.”

The next day, the trial and interrogation before the torturer were repeated, but the wars remained adamant.

It was winter, there was severe frost. They stripped the holy warriors, led them to a lake located not far from the city, and placed them under guard on ice for the whole night. To seduce the martyrs, a bathhouse was set up on the shore. In the first hour of the night, when the cold reached extreme severity and the bodies of the saints froze, one of the forty could not stand the feat and ran to the bathhouse. But as soon as he stepped on her threshold and felt the warmth, he immediately fell and died. Seeing this shameful flight, the holy martyrs began to pray intensely that the Lord would strengthen them.

At three o'clock in the morning the Lord sent consolation to the martyrs: suddenly it became light, the ice melted, and the water in the lake became warmer. At this time, those guarding the martyrs were sleeping; only one prison guard, Aglaius, was awake. He reflected on what he saw: the one separated from the martyrs died immediately, while the rest remained alive and unharmed in the bitter cold. Amazed by the light that shone on the holy martyrs, he raised his head up and saw 39 bright crowns that fell on the heads of the sufferers. Surprised that there were not 40 of them, according to the number of those who suffered, but 39, he realized that one crown was missing, because the one who fled to the bathhouse was rejected from the saints. He immediately woke up the sleeping guards, threw off his clothes and, in front of everyone, ran into the lake, exclaiming: “And I am a Christian!” Standing in the water, he prayed: “Lord God, I believe in You, in Whom these soldiers believe. Join me with them, so that I may be worthy to suffer with Your servants.”

In the morning the tormentors came and, seeing that the saints were alive and unharmed from the cold, they attributed it all to magic. They were surprised that the prison guard was among them and flew into a rage. The holy martyrs were sentenced to be taken out of the lake and subjected to new torture - to have their legs broken with hammers.

During this painful execution, the mother of the youngest of the warriors, Meliton, urged her son not to be afraid and to endure everything to the end. The bodies of the martyrs were placed on chariots and taken to be burned. Young Meliton was still breathing, and he was left lying on the ground. Then the mother picked up her son and carried him on her shoulders after the chariot. When Meliton breathed his last, his mother laid him on a chariot next to the bodies of his holy companions.

But when the fire burned to the ground, the bones of the holy martyrs remained intact. But the tormentors did not calm down, fearing that Christians would worship the holy relics, they decided to throw them into the river. The Lord kept all the bones of the martyrs intact in the water.

After three days, the holy martyrs appeared to the bishop of the city of Sebastia Peter and said to him: “Come at night and carry us out.” The blessed bishop with reverent men from his clergy came to the river bank on a dark night. There they saw a wondrous sight: the bones of the saints shone in the water like stars, and those places in the river where their smallest particles lay also shone. The bishop collected every single bone and particle of them and placed it in a worthy place.

The names of the martyrs have been preserved: Kirion, Candide, Domnus, Hesychius, Heraclius, Smaragdus, Eunoicus, Valens, Vivian, Claudius, Priscus, Theodulus, Eutyches, John, Xanthius, Ilian, Sisinius, Haggai, Aetius, Flavius, Acacius, Ecdecius, Lysimachus, Alexander, Elijah, Gorgonius, Theophilus, Domitian, Gaius, Leontius, Athanasius, Cyril, Sakerdon, Nicholas, Valery, Filictimon, Severian, Khudion, Meliton and Aglai.

The memory of the holy 40 martyrs in all the most ancient monthly books belonged to the circle of the most revered holidays and commemorations of saints. According to the Charter, the service includes 2 canons. On the day of their memory, the severity of fasting is eased - it is allowed to taste wine and even oil, and it is imperative to perform the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.

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According to the new style, Orthodox Christians celebrate the Feast of the Forty Saints or, as it is also called, the Day of the Forty Holy Martyrs of Sebaste.

What does the Feast of the Forty Saints mean?

The history of the Feast of the Forty Saints originates from early Christianity. In 313, in some parts of the Holy Roman Empire, the Christian religion had already been legalized, and the persecution of believers ceased. However, this was not the case everywhere. In Sebastia, which was located on the territory of modern Armenia, Emperor Licinius ordered the purge of Christians from the army ranks, leaving only pagans. The ardent pagan Agricolius served in Sebaste, and under his command were forty warriors from Cappadocia professing Christianity. The commander demanded that the soldiers confirm their devotion to the pagan gods, but they refused to do so and were imprisoned. There they diligently indulged in prayer and heard the voice of God, which encouraged them and admonished them not to humble themselves before trials. The next morning, Agricolius tried to break the soldiers again, resorting to all sorts of tricks and flattery, glorifying their military exploits and persuading them to return to the pagan faith in order to gain freedom. Forty Cappadocians again firmly endured the test, and then Agricolius ordered them to be locked up in prison again.

A week later, the dignitary Lysias arrived in Sebastia, who interrogated the soldiers, but after they again refused to swear allegiance to the pagan gods, he ordered the Cappadocians to be stoned. However, the stones miraculously did not hit the soldiers, scattering in different directions. The next test, which was supposed to break the resistance of the Sebastian martyrs, was standing naked on the ice, to which Lysias doomed them. To make it even more difficult for the soldiers, a bathhouse was lit not far from the river. At night, one of the Cappadocians could not stand it and ran to a hot unheated hut, however, as soon as he crossed its threshold, he fell dead. Others continued to stand steadfastly on the ice. And again a miracle happened. The Lord spoke to the Sebastian martyrs, and then heated everything around them, so that the ice melted and the water became warm.

One of the guards, Aglaliy, who was the only one awake at that time, seeing the miracle, exclaimed: “And I am a Christian!” and stood on a par with the Cappadocians.

Arriving the next morning at the river, Agricolius and Lysias saw that the soldiers were not only alive and not broken, but one of the guards was standing among them. Then they ordered their legs to be broken with a hammer so that they would die in agony. Later, the bodies of the Sebastian martyrs were burned and their bones thrown into the river. However, the Bishop of Sebaste, Blessed Peter, at the direction of God, was able to collect and bury the remains of the holy warriors.

Signs of the Feast of the Forty Saints

The meaning of the Forty Saints is that a true believer does not doubt his faith, and then it saves him, even if he has to suffer or even suffer a painful death. A true Christian must be firm in his convictions and not deviate from them in any situation.

On this day, it is customary to remember the forty Cappadocian soldiers who gave their lives for their faith in God. In honor of them, Orthodox families bake a special treat - buns in the shape of larks. Christians associate these birds and their flight with the behavior of the Sebastian martyrs. The bird boldly flies up towards the sun, but humbles itself before the greatness of the Lord God and dives sharply down. So the Forty Holy Martyrs, having resigned themselves to inevitable and terrible death, were able to ascend to the Lord and receive his grace.

The Feast of the Magpies or the Feast of the 40 Saints is one of the most important days in the church world. On this day, the Orthodox world honors the memory of the forty Sebastian martyrs. And although the events associated with this day are quite sad, the Orthodox world still perceives magpies as a holiday. Day of faith, fortitude, steadfastness, endurance.

Let's find out: what are the number of 40 saints in 2018, what customs and traditions accompany the holiday and what should not be done on this day. And the holiday is accompanied by many folk signs that helped to find out what the weather will be like in the near future and whether it is worth planting seedlings.

40 Saints is a permanent holiday. This means that it falls on the same day every year - March 22. It is worth noting that in 2018 the holiday falls on Wednesday of the Week of the Cross, and therefore the service for the martyrs will be moved to March 21.

The memory of the 40 Martyrs of Sebastia is one of the main and very revered holidays, the Liturgy is held and Lent is a little easier. You can eat food with sunflower oil, and also drink Cahors.

The history of the holiday is connected with the year 320 and the city of Sebastia, where the ancient Roman emperor Licinius ruled - an ardent opponent of Christianity, a supporter of paganism and pagan rituals. Let us note that Constantine the Great, back in 313, issued a decree that gave freedom of religion to the Orthodox and equalized their rights with pagans.

So, the soldiers who were part of the Roman army were forced to sacrifice to pagan idols. However, they believed in Jesus Christ and did not make sacrifices. Then the order was given in the evening to undress these warriors and place them in an icy lake. A bathhouse was placed nearby so that anyone who wants to renounce their faith in Jesus Christ could go there and warm up. In the morning, one of the warriors did just that, but as soon as he entered the room he died.

The Roman Aglaius, seeing the willpower of the warriors, also undressed and plunged into the icy water. Other Roman soldiers, noticing that the martyrs were not giving up, decided to break their legs and burn them. According to legend, the bones were thrown into the lake so that believers could not collect them.

As you know, a few days later, forty martyrs came in a dream to Bishop Peter of Sebaste and ordered their remains to be buried. The next night the bishop collected all the remains and buried them with honors. Thus, the 40 martyrs did not renounce their faith and remained devoted to Jesus Christ. Therefore, in the Orthodox world this day is considered a holiday, with many traditions and rituals associated with it. Many of these traditions, however, are also associated with paganism.

• On this day they definitely go to church, pray, thank God for everything, ask for protection from adversity and illness.
• March 22 is popularly associated with the beginning of spring and the end of winter, which is why many folk signs and beliefs are associated with this date.
• So, for example, we looked at the weather: what it will be like on March 22, this will be the case for the next 40 days.
• But if birds fly to the magpies, it means it will soon be completely warm.
• On this day, it is important to understand when to plant seedlings: early so that they take root, but also so that they are not destroyed by frost.
• If the arriving birds begin to nest on the sunny side of the nest, then this meant that the summer would be cold and rainy.
• If snow falls on the magpies, then expect a cold Easter season.
• If the weather is good on the Feast of the Forty Saints, then there will be a good buckwheat harvest.

There was another funny sign: in the village they counted bald men as magpies: the number of bald ones they found, the number of days it would remain frosty. That's it! Who would have thought! The etymology of this sign is unknown, so we will take it as a folk joke.

There is another very well-known tradition: for magpies, people in their houses always bake buns in the shape of birds, or as they are also called “larks”. Birds are baked as if in flight - this symbolizes the arrival of spring. The birds are given eyes from raisins, and various nuts are added to the dough itself.

Fortune telling is also associated with such buns. For example, one of the buns is deliberately salted, a coin is placed in the second, and a ring is placed in the third. Whoever gets which bun will have such a life: someone will have sadness and annoyance if they get a salted bird, someone will have prosperity if they draw a coin, someone will have a wedding if they get a ring.

The simplest recipe for such birds: you need to take a couple of kilograms of flour, a package of yeast, a glass of vegetable oil, a glass of sugar, 0.5 liters of water, a pinch of salt. Knead a good and tight dough. You need to form birds out of it, it’s not difficult and you can get used to it. The birds are then covered with strong sweet tea and baked. You can also add nuts or raisins to the dough.

The girls had their own fortune telling. They took the “lark” and threw it over their shoulder, where the bird would point its tail, from where the groom would come.

And the girls were all going to cook these dough birds and various Easter cakes together. Then they laid out their creations at the doorstep and called the dog. Whose first dish the dog chooses and eats, she will be the first to get married.

Pagan rituals gave rise to another tradition: a magpie girl must break forty threads and break 40 wooden blocks. It was believed that this would drive away winter very quickly.

Residents of some villages considered it their obligation to ride on swings on this day. The higher you fly, the better the harvest will be. It happened! Or maybe it’s still there somewhere?

And the magpies also dug up a tree, transplanted it into a huge box, decorated it with bright ribbons and bows and carried it around the village, and then placed it in the place where they wanted to attract warm spring. It was believed that spring would certainly see such a bright and beautiful tree and fly in very quickly.

It is also believed that magpies are a children's holiday, in the sense that a lot of attention is paid to children. For example, housewives make 40 small nests out of straw and place egg-shaped buns there. Such nests are displayed in the yard to please the children. According to other signs, this is done to ensure that chickens do not enter other people’s yards and lay eggs only at home. In addition, it was believed that such amulets would protect the bird from various diseases. Children were also treated to baked birds, various games and competitions were organized for them, because on this day children's laughter should be heard in the house, the home should be filled with joy and hope for the best.

They also looked at the household: their own or their neighbors’. If birds' nests were found, this was considered the highest blessing of nature. This means there will always be prosperity, peace and health in the house.

At magpies, it is customary to invite loved ones into the house, and the more of them there are, the better. The house should be noisy and fun.

For many peoples, it is customary for magpies to clean the house, remove dirt, and take out trash. At the same time, the holiday of 40 martyrs is also associated with some prohibitions.

The holiday falls during Lent, so all prohibitions are carried over to this holiday. The only thing that happens is a relaxation in food. You can add a little vegetable oil to your food and drink a little Cahors on this day.

It is believed that you cannot clean or work at all on this day. It is prohibited to sew, knit, or repair anything. There were even disputes about planting peas. According to one belief, it is necessary to plant peas on this day, and according to another, you cannot work in the garden at all on this day, otherwise there will be a bad harvest. In general, you are only allowed to bake to appease the spring with your culinary delights.

They also say that it is undesirable to borrow money on this day.

On the Feast of the Forty Saints, it is not customary to swear, get angry, or entertain bad thoughts. On the contrary, they remember the unshakable faith, fortitude, and fortitude of the martyrs. On this day you also need to make plans for the future, even write them down on paper and dream. Perhaps this is what you will do: dream, believe, take care of your neighbor and yourself.

Many fezzes, icons, and temples are dedicated to the events of those days. In front of the icon they ask for strength to withstand all adversity, for perseverance; people who begin to lose faith ask to instill it in their hearts again, ask for independence and fortitude. At the same time, many pray to the icon and ask for family well-being, love, health for themselves, loved ones, and for their children. Such an icon is often given as a gift for various holidays, not forgetting that the Feast of the 40 Saints is one of the revered and important holidays in the Orthodox world. On this day, people think about the most important things.

The national holiday of Soroki is celebrated on March 22, 2020 (old style - March 9). In the Orthodox church calendar, this is the date of honoring the memory of the 40 martyrs of Sebaste.

Story

In the winter of 320, 40 Christian soldiers from Rome were stationed in Sebastia (Armenia). Seven years ago, a law on free exercise of religion was signed into law, but soldiers were repeatedly forced by their military commander to renounce their Christian faith.

On that winter day, the soldiers were stripped, tied up and placed on an ice-covered lake. A bathhouse was built on the shore so that the warm air would tempt them. Those who wanted to stop their suffering and warm themselves had only to tell the watchman that they were renouncing Christ. All night the men supported each other and did not let them lose heart.

In the pre-dawn hour, one unfortunate man could not stand it and headed towards the shore. As soon as the hot air touched his skin, he fell dead. At the same moment, a light of unearthly beauty spread over the other martyrs. This miracle shocked the watchman. He decisively undressed, stepped onto the ice and joined the martyrs.

The commander saw that the soldiers did not despair and did not give up. Their knees were broken, they were burned, and their remains were thrown into the water. The incident became known three days later. The images of the sufferers appeared before the Bishop of Sebaste and told them everything. He found and buried their bones with honor.

Traditions and rituals

On this day, they pray to the forty Sebastian martyrs so that their relatives or friends will safely complete their military service.

March 22 is popularly considered the second meeting of spring, when 40 species of birds return from warm countries, including the lark. In honor of him, housewives prepare honey-covered rye or oatmeal buns in the shape of birds. Treats are distributed to children who ask the lark to hurry up the warmth.

If there was a morning frost on March 22, they say that Soroki - forty frosty days have begun. To prevent the cold from damaging the crops, you need to bake the same number of balls from oatmeal or rye flour. Starting from the Magpie holiday, it is necessary to throw them out into the street one per day.

Signs

If the frost lasts forty days, then it will be warm in the summer.

What is the weather like in Soroca, it will be like this for another 39 days.

Thunder is heard - for a hungry year.

Jackdaws and magpies are found in large numbers, which means it will soon be warm.