For many of us, visiting a bathhouse is an opportunity to relax well, relax in the company of friends, have a great time and, ultimately, improve your health. But at the same time, some people think not only about their own relaxation and enjoyment, but also about how the church views the issue of visiting the bathhouse. This applies, first of all, to deeply religious people; to some extent, the church’s attitude towards visiting the bathhouse is also important for those who do not want to violate the canons and commit sins, despite the fact that they do not consider themselves too deeply a religious person.
The attitude of the church towards visiting the bathhouse
Since ancient times, the bathhouse was a place for receiving hygienic procedures - akin to a modern shower, so the possibility of visiting it is not rejected by the church as such, because a person must take care of himself and be neat, but the bathhouse has always been the only village building that was not illuminated.
This fact alone indicates a special attitude towards the bathhouse, which was not as favorable as it might seem. However, people always visited the baths to wash themselves, but only on the eve of church holidays. Usually these days were called bath days, they fell on the day followed by a holiday, or a few days before major religious events.
For example, Maundy Thursday is widely known, when ablution is carried out even before sunrise - two days before one of the biggest Christian holidays in honor of the resurrection of Christ - Easter.
When can you take a bath before and after Easter?
There is no strict ban on washing on church holidays. But a person who decides to cleanse himself on Easter Sunday must remember that the main task of every Christian on the feast of the Resurrection of Christ is visiting church and reading prayers. Daily activities can be postponed until another time.
There are days before the holiday when swimming is allowed and even desirable. It is best to do this during Easter week on Maundy Thursday or Friday (the eve of Holy Saturday). You can heat the bathhouse and wash on the last day of Easter, on Monday, or after the holiday (during the entire next week).
You should not go to a bathhouse or sauna to wash before Easter on Red Saturday. On the eve of the holiday, in all churches, clergy conduct all-night services and perform the rite of anointing. You should also not wash your face after it. A person should concentrate not on performing actions, but on clearing his mind of bad thoughts and plans, taking a break from everyday problems and worries, and thinking about saving the soul.
Important! You cannot heat a bathhouse or wash before Easter on Holy Saturday. This day you should fast and attend church prayers.
Going to the bathhouse on holiday
Visiting a bathhouse directly on a church holiday has always been considered a sin, but today most people simply cannot follow such church canons, since the vast majority of religious holidays fall on weekends, when a working person wants to relax and meet with friends.
Deeply religious people, of course, often refuse to visit the bathhouse as such. This is due to the fact that in modern realities of a combination of religious and social components, there is simply no time to go to the steam room, unless the bathhouse is built in your yard.
Is it possible to take a bath on Sunday?
There is also an opinion that you cannot wash on Sundays. According to Christian teaching, Sunday is considered a special day because the Bible states that you should work hard six days a week and rest on the seventh day.
Sunday is considered a day to devote to communicating with God. In addition, it is recommended to perform godly acts at this time, such as caring for your neighbor, charity, and studying Orthodox literature.
However, this does not mean that you cannot wash yourself. It’s just that, as in the case of other church holidays, you first need to visit the church and perform other religious rituals, and only then go about your personal affairs, including bathing.
If a person does not go to church, but limits himself only to refusing to swim on Sundays, then he commits a sin, since in this case his actions can only be regarded as superstition.
When not to go to the bathhouse
If you do not consider yourself a deeply religious person, then you should take the instructions of the church more simply and you can go to the bathhouse when you have the opportunity and desire. You should not go here except on major holidays: Christmas, Easter, Trinity, the Annunciation. However, on such major holidays, most people still go to church, so the question of visiting the bathhouse does not arise as such.
People who follow the religious calendar can go to the bathhouse on certain dates without committing sins, but in this case, going to the steam room should be considered not so much a rest and an opportunity to fully relax, but an opportunity to take hygiene procedures and act in accordance with the traditions that were still from our grandfathers.
Why did the ban arise?
On the eve of Epiphany, the water in all sources becomes holy and is endowed with healing powers. Such water can heal the body, and in consecrated fonts, the soul. But wasting holy water on hygiene procedures was considered the height of imprudence. In addition, lighting the bathhouse took a lot of time; sometimes people did not have time to attend the service in honor of the holiday. This moment also caused displeasure among believers. After all, worship on any Orthodox holiday is the most important ceremony that had to be attended without fail.
Another point that could lead to a ban on bathing is the habit of drinking alcohol during bathing. That is, people visiting the bathhouse were sure to take alcohol and snacks with them and turn bathing into good gatherings. But on Great Church holidays, entertainment events were prohibited. It is likely that such a ban extended to bathing.
It is also very common to prohibit small children from bathing in the bathhouse. Moreover, this applies not only to Epiphany, but also to all great holidays. Although such a ban does not have any real religious background. Thus, you can go to the bathhouse for Epiphany, but you need to follow some rules.
Bathhouse in modern conditions
Modern baths and saunas are very different from those that existed in Rus' before the beginning of modern history, and therefore the attitude that is formed towards them in society turns out to be completely different.
Today, visiting a bathhouse is not only hygienic procedures or an opportunity to have a good rest, but also often medical procedures, an opportunity to get rid of extra pounds or tone up your body.
That is why in modern conditions it is not always advisable to consider the attitude of the church to visiting the bathhouse, since it was formed centuries ago, and today the situation has changed significantly.
How to spend January 19th correctly
Epiphany, like any other great holiday, calls on believers to turn to God with prayer and gratitude. On this day it is forbidden to quarrel, get angry and be in a bad mood. It was believed that the house remembers and accumulates all the negativity. As a result, the whole year may pass in quarrels and adversity. But you shouldn’t indulge in entertainment activities. Drinking alcohol and partying are also not encouraged.
You shouldn’t do housework and cleaning; it’s better to finish everything the day before. But washing dishes, wiping the floor or throwing things into the washing machine is not prohibited. The main thing is to use ordinary tap water, not consecrated water, for these purposes.
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Contrary to popular misconception, it is also impossible to guess at Epiphany. Christmastide and fortune telling should end before this holiday. It’s better to avoid these rituals altogether. Attempts to find out the future and flirting with evil spirits can result in trouble. It is also better not to carry out fortune telling in the bathhouse.
On the day of the Baptism of the Lord, you need to have pious thoughts, indulge in prayers and thanks to God. It is important to participate in the prayer service, order and bring home holy water. Moreover, water must not only be brought and placed in a holy corner, but each family member must be given it to drink. You definitely need to wash your face with this water and sprinkle it on every corner in the house. This will help protect your family and home from the evil eye, envious people and enemies. If you want and there are no contraindications, you can swim in the ice hole. And if this is not possible, then visiting the bathhouse will be an excellent option for water treatments.
During the day, you need to turn to God with prayer and gratitude for everything that a person has at the moment. But it’s better not to do this in a bathhouse. After all, by addressing words to God, a person appears before him. Appearing naked before the Lord is wrong.
The sacrament of water on the holy holiday of Epiphany
There was an old belief among the people: at Epiphany, the water that Christians collected from 7 churches healed all diseases without exception and protected the house from all evil spirits. Orthodox Christians firmly believe in this belief because of the number 7. Based on the holy book of the Bible, God created the Universe in 7 days. The word "FAMILY" also includes the number 7.
Water on Epiphany, January 19, has a healing effect on the human body. It should be taken orally, usually on an empty stomach. They wash themselves with this water and sprinkle it on the room both inside and outside. It is important not just to drink or wash with water, but to read the Lord’s Prayer at the same time.
Signs for Nikola
According to popular beliefs, if a girl was matched on May 22, she would become a faithful and hardworking wife. Other signs for Nikola Letny:
- rain - to a rich harvest;
- if frogs croak, there will be a lot of oats this year;
- good weather indicates warm future days;
- dandelions are closed - it’s getting colder;
- if the birds fly high, then the weather will be good, and if it is low, then you should expect rain.
Our ancestors also paid attention to the Moon. If she was huge and beautiful, then this is a good sign. So, soon you will be happy.
Bathing in a sauna or an ice hole?
Diving into icy water in winter can be considered one of the feats of believers before the Lord. In addition, this is the tribute that Christians pay to Jesus, who was baptized in the Jordan River. But such a feat must be done carefully. First of all, it is important to rely on your health and well-being. Especially the elderly and children. On the feast of Epiphany, any water is considered holy, and therefore even bathing in the shower is suitable.
But if you really want to take a plunge and cleanse your body and soul, then it is better to prepare for this event in advance. God saves man, who save himself. Gradual hardening will only benefit. And for those who do not have the opportunity to dive into icy water, the sauna will be an excellent alternative. Just don’t spend the whole day kindling it. It is better to prepare everything in advance as much as possible. Then the ablution on January 19th will fulfill its purpose and benefit both physical and spiritual health and well-being.
It is important to remember that swimming on the feast of Epiphany does not eliminate sins. It only grants healing from physical and mental wounds. Therefore, after swimming in an ice hole or bathhouse, you need to attend church Sacraments regularly, as before.
Epiphany is one of the main holidays in the Christian religion. It has a long history and established traditions of celebration. For those who like to visit the bathhouse, there are no prohibitions. The main thing is to take time on this day to attend church, services and prayers. Everything else will only benefit.
History of the holiday Philippi Day January 22
If you believe history, the Great Philip was invited to Tsar Ivan the Terrible, he was offered to be the Moscow Metropolitan. Philip proudly accepted this offer.
The Great Philip was not afraid of Ivan the Terrible, he tried in every possible way to soften the tsar’s orders, and sometimes condemned his demands publicly. The Tsar did not like this behavior of the Metropolitan; first he decided to talk to him. But the conversation did not yield any results.
The enraged Ivan the Terrible ordered the execution of the Great Philip. Some time later he was found hanged in the monastery. Christians canonized him as a saint.
Bath and Christmas
The bathhouse did not come to us with Christianity, but long before it. That is why many preachers of this religion consider this place bad. In fact, the deity Bannik, who allegedly ruled all the steam rooms, was kind by nature. It was believed that Bannik should be appeased with beer, kvass or a similar foamy drink before vaping. It was simply splashed onto the stones and the soaring procedures could begin. Probably because of the small sacrifices, the church has a negative attitude towards the sauna and steam room.
In villages, whole families washed themselves in baths. It was believed that initially adult men washed themselves with hot steam. Then the women followed them, the temperature accordingly was already a little lower. And finally, the children who received the lowest temperature washed themselves. In cities and for families who could not afford their own bathhouse, public ones were built. There were certain days for women and men to visit. People went there not only to wash themselves, but also to have a good time. Issues were resolved there, work issues were discussed, just intimate conversations.
Modern teaching interprets that heating a bathhouse on Christmas is hard work, but as they say, this should not be done. It is better to do this a few days later or before this holiday.
Customs and traditions of February 20th. Onion pie for Luka Day - recipe
On this holiday it is customary to remember deceased relatives. On this occasion, people said: “If your parents are alive, honor them; if they are dead, remember them.” On the day of Luke, we went to the cemetery, decorated the graves of loved ones, went to the temple and prayed for them.
Our ancestors associated the name of Saint Luke with the garden plant – onion. On the day of his memory, it was customary to bake pies with onions, but not to eat everything yourself. Several pieces were left outside the doorstep for deceased relatives, and some were distributed to the poor “for good luck.”
To prepare the onion pie we used:
- 1 tbsp. flour;
- 1 pinch of sugar;
- 200 g yeast;
- half a glass of milk;
- 1-2 tbsp. spoons of softened butter;
- 1 egg;
- salt to taste.
For the filling you will need:
- 1 kg of onion;
- 5 tbsp. spoons of vegetable oil;
- 200 g sour cream;
- 50 g lard;
- ground red pepper - to taste;
- caraway;
- fat to grease the pan.
The flour was poured into a bowl and a depression was made in it, into which the yeast was crumbled and the sugar was poured. Warm milk was poured onto the yeast and the dough was kneaded. The bowl was covered with a towel and left to rise for 30 minutes in a warm place.
For the filling, peel the onion and cut it into thin rings. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion over low heat until transparent. Finely chop the lard, add to the onion and fry for another 2 minutes. Then the pan was removed from the heat, sour cream, pepper and cumin were added to the onions. The baking tray was greased. On a board sprinkled with flour, roll out the dough to the size of the baking sheet.
The prepared dough was divided into two equal pieces, cutting off a small piece for making decorations. Each part was rolled out into an even layer 1 cm thick. One layer was placed on a greased baking sheet, the filling was laid out on it in an even layer and covered with another layer. The edges were pinched and the cake was shaped into a rectangular shape.
The product was decorated with various figures, which were cut out from the remaining dough. Then the pie was placed in a warm place to rise, brushed with beaten egg, punctures were made in some places with a knife and sent to the oven.
