Tretya Prechistaya 2023: new date, what can be done and what can’t be done

On November 21, according to the new church calendar, believers celebrate the holiday Introduction to the Church of the Holy Mother of God or I cleanse with the third. It used to be celebrated on December 4.

This holiday is connected with the birth of the Virgin Mary and the determination of her future destiny.

History of the holiday

For a long time, Mary’s parents, Joakim and Anna, could not conceive a child, so they prayed and asked the Lord to allow them to become parents. God answered their prayers for the promise to give the future firstborn to serve in the Jerusalem temple.

Later, the couple had a daughter, whom they named Maria. When the girl was three years old, her parents, remembering their promise, took her to the Jerusalem temple. There she studied and lived until her engagement with her future husband, Joseph. It is the day when Joachim and Anna took Mary to the temple, and it is Introduction.

The people often called the holiday “the gates of winter”, because it opens a number of important winter holidays, in particular, Christmas, which Ukrainians will now celebrate on December 25.

Signs

The sparrow will “get drunk” on the Introduction, therefore, the ox will feed on Yuri (April 23, according to the new style).

How much water I purify on the Third Day, so much grass will be in mine.

If there is water (melted snow) on the trail on the Introduction, there will already be grass on Yuri.

Before the Introduction, the ice of the river froze.

If the weather is still warm, the winter will be cold.

What can be done

In the folk calendar, Tretya Prechistaya was considered one of the holidays that symbolized the arrival of winter. Our ancestors not only honored Mary, but also performed various rituals to bring wealth and prosperity to themselves and their families for the whole hour.

In the morning, believers had to visit the church. There was a belief that whoever returns home first for the Introduction will determine the fate reigning in him. For example, a young man brought wealth, an old woman – trouble.

On the Third Purification, they asked not to borrow or lend anything. They believed that no good would come from this.

If it snows on this day, the girls must wash their faces and then wipe them with a red towel. They believed that then the skin would be white, clean, with a blush. In order for the next hour to be successful, women should sit on the doorstep at midnight with hemp yarn.

Most of the traditions were connected with the consecration of water. Water was collected only in a certain place – where three sources converge. Then it was consecrated with a flame and used for livestock.

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A belief that had its roots in pre-Christian times was quite popular among our ancestors. On this day, ancestors who died were honored. The holiday was sometimes called “Vision”, because it was believed that on this day the soul could “see” from its body.

What can’t be done

From the Introduction to the Annunciation (March 25 according to the new Julian calendar) it was impossible to dig the ground. It was believed that she is resting and gaining strength until next year.

Introduction to the Church of the Holy Virgin: prayer

Oh, Holy Virgin, Queen in heaven and on earth, the chosen bride of God, who came to the lawful temple for the betrothal of the Heavenly bridegroom! You left your people and your father’s house to offer yourself as a pure and undefiled sacrifice to God, and the first one made a vow of virginity.

Let us also observe ourselves in chastity and purity, and with the fear of God all the days of our life, may it be a temple of the Holy Spirit, especially help everyone in imitating You in their dwellings and devote themselves to the service of God in the purity of virginity spend their lives bear the good and easy yoke of Christ from your youth, keep your vows holy.

You, All-pure, spent all the days of your youth in the temple of the Lord away from the temptations of this world, in prayerful vigil and in all contentment of the soul and body, help us to repel all the temptations hostile to the flesh, the world and the devil, and to win with prayer and fasting.

You are in the temple of the Lord with the Angels, adorned with all virtues, especially humility, purity and love, and you were brought up worthy.

Help us too, conquered by pride, intemperance, and laziness, to acquire permanent spiritual perfection, so prepared with the help of each of us. Your dress is married to your soul and your charity, so that we will not be unprepared, we will appear at the meeting of our Immortal Bridegroom and Your Son, Christ our Savior and our God, but may he receive us with the wise virgins into heavenly abodes, and with all the saints we will be glorified and glorified the all-holy name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and Your gracious patronage always, now, and forever, and forever and ever. Amen