Red Hill holiday in Rus'. Orthodox priests explain the true meaning of the Red Hill celebration to parishioners. When was the Red Hill

When is Krasnaya Gorka in 2017, what date?

People are so tired of the long winter and cold that they never tire of inviting spring and welcoming it several times. And the very last meeting of the warm season is the Red Hill holiday. It is believed that after this the street begins to get hotter and hotter, and precipitation in the form of snow is definitely not worth expecting. Although, of course, there are exceptions.
This day combines ancient pagan traditions with Christian ones, which is why many people celebrate it. This holiday does not have a specific date, it is part of the group of transitional holidays, so people who want to celebrate it are wondering when Red Hill is in 2017, what date?

Red Hill celebration date

Since Krasnaya Gorka is a moving holiday, its date must be constantly calculated. Of course, in some sources you can find information about when this holiday is celebrated decades in advance. But there is an easier way to find out when the Red Hill will be. You need to remember that Krasnaya Gorka is always celebrated on the Sunday after Easter.
In 2017, the Great Day will be on April 16th. Which means Red Hill will be celebrated on April 23 . This holiday has several other names. Since it is of pagan origin, it is called Antipascha. And for the Orthodox it is Saint Thomas Sunday. As follows from the Bible, on this day Jesus Christ appeared to Thomas, who did not believe in the resurrection of God's son.
Features and traditions of the holiday
Previously, this day was accompanied by mass folk festivities, round dances and songs. The holiday symbolized not only the final arrival of spring and warmth, but also the meeting of representatives of both sexes, as the beginning of a new life.

Girls and boys got together and went to have fun on some hills, that is, on hills where there was no longer snow. It is believed that the name of the holiday was given by one folk pastime. People rode down the slides that day, and when the game ended, everyone noticed that the hill turned red. According to another version, “red hill” means “beautiful hill,” that is, people liked that there was no longer snow on it, but earth, and sometimes even the first grass.
Also, for a long time, people have always tried to celebrate weddings on this day. People believed that if one gets married on Krasnaya Gorka, the marriage will not break up, and only death can separate the spouses. In addition, various rituals were performed on Krasnaya Gorka.
Folk rituals
Since all people at that time were engaged in agricultural work, everyone dreamed of a good harvest. For this purpose, a very interesting ritual was performed: all representatives of the fairer sex harnessed themselves to a plow and walked around their locality. It turned out to be a deep furrow, it had to be closed so that the village would be in a circle. It was believed that everything inside this circle would bear good fruit and grow well. People also believed that they were protected, and therefore would not get sick or suffer.
And to be happy, people rolled the eggs that were left over from Easter down the slides. If the paint rolled smoothly and did not break along the road, it means that the person will not suffer for a year, but will only rejoice. These eggs were then eaten.
There is also a ritual to fulfill a wish. A person must make a wish, and then go to the well and throw a coin into the water. And in order for the family to have prosperity, you need to place a container of clean water in front of the icon. Each family member must come and wash. If there are children in the house, then the eldest in the family should wash them.

And on Krasnaya Gorka, people always visited the graves of deceased relatives and prayed next to the graves. People believed that they needed to pray for the repose of the dead, and then they could ask for something, and the deceased would help them quickly convey the request and fulfill it.
The most important thing on this day is not to sit at home. Spring needs to be celebrated outside. Our ancestors believed that if a girl or young man does not go out, he will remain lonely for a long time. Therefore, everyone went out and got acquainted, and then after this new couples arose.
Of course, no one guarantees that all these rituals will definitely come true. But these traditions always have a positive orientation, and, as you know, thoughts are material. Therefore, it is quite possible to celebrate Krasnaya Gorka as it should be, because the rules of this holiday are quite simple.

A special holiday that amazingly combines the traditions of Orthodox people and the rituals of pagans is the Red Hill holiday. Our ancestors believed that on this day spring fully comes into its own, and also begins the period when young men go to get married. On the Red Hill holiday, the god Yarilo was glorified, young people organized joyful festivities. What are the customs of the Red Hill holiday? What are the signs on this day? How can you tell fortunes on Krasnaya Gorka?

What date will Red Hill be celebrated in 2019? history of the holiday

By connecting Krasnaya Gorka with a number of Christian events, the Orthodox Church gave the holiday a completely new meaning. Red Hill (Anti-Easter or Fomino Sunday, as it is also popularly called) is celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. So, in 2019, Orthodox Christians will celebrate Red Hill on April 23.

As the Gospel says, one of the apostles named Thomas did not believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, wanting to personally verify this. Therefore, to prove this fact, the Lord personally appeared to Thomas and the other ten apostles on the eighth day, after the day on which his miraculous resurrection occurred.

Antipascha is like an addition to Easter, because it is on this day after the end of a long fast that one can get married. This explains the large number of weddings on this day.

Customs and fortune telling of the Red Hill holiday

Red Hill is a holiday when spring comes into its own. This holiday was especially loved among young people, because on this day there were fun celebrations, guys went to get married. It was considered a bad omen to sit at home on this day, because those who did not go out for a walk would be left without a partner.

Various rituals were held on Krasnaya Gorka, which were supposed to ensure a good harvest and protect the village from various adversities.

When it was still dark, the fair sex gathered at the edge of the village and used a plow to make a furrow around the village, as if creating a protective circle. At the same time they read prayers. It was considered very good when a cross formed at the closure of the furrow. If the furrow was deep, it meant that disease, drought, crop failure and other troubles would bypass the settlement. When the ceremony was completed, a merry celebration began, during which young girls tried in every way to attract the attention of the boys. To do this, they put on their best clothes, bright scarves, and wove bright ribbons into their braids. The most important girl was Lada, who knew all the songs, directed the round dances and started the games.

At Krasnaya Gorka, every guy or girl tried to show everything they were capable of. Some had a gorgeous voice, while others had no equal in dancing.

Young girls have always strived to get married. And holiday fortune-telling made it possible to find out the name of the betrothed and when they would get married.

So, the day before the Red Hill holiday, the girl baked a loaf, took two new, never used needles, and spoke in special words. The needles were stuck in the form of a cross into the loaf, which must first be sprinkled with salt. After this, the loaf is taken out into the corridor. In the morning you need to pick it up and put it in the highest place. It was believed that within a year a girl should get married.

There are many such fortune-telling, but many of them are in the distant past.

What are the signs of the Red Hill holiday?

Among the signs of the Red Hill holiday are the following:

In order not to lack money, you need to wash your face on Red Hill Day, standing with your face in front of the icon. The eldest in the family must wash everyone else, but not the other way around.

Make a wish and throw a coin into a body of water (river, lake, well in the yard). Such a ritual should bring happiness to the house, and the desire will certainly come true.

Pray to the Lord, sincerely, with all your heart, asking for longevity and good health. Our ancestors sincerely believed that on this day the words of their prayer reach not only the Lord, but also their deceased relatives.

Today, Krasnaya Gorka is celebrated not as joyfully as in the time of our ancestors. But, nevertheless, this holiday is now a wedding day, when weddings in the temple are allowed. According to popular belief, a marriage concluded on this day will be strong and last a lifetime. However, there are still villages today where the Red Hill holiday is celebrated on a grand scale, in accordance with the traditions of ancient times.

We can say that Red Hill or Antipascha is an incredibly cheerful holiday that brings with it the victory of life over death, rebirth, as well as the primacy of spring over winter. Many customs and signs have already been lost, so we need to preserve and revive them.

The Orthodox world continues to celebrate the main holiday - Happy Easter. The most joyful is the first week after Easter, which is called Continuously bright Easter week.

When does the spring meat eater arrive?

Spring meat eater- This is the period in the spring and summer between Lent and Lent. With the onset of Easter, as is known, fasting ends, and believers are not only allowed, but even ordered to eat a nutritious and varied diet in order to restore strength. During this period, eating meat is allowed, and on Wednesdays and Fridays (which remain fast days) fish is allowed.

The Church recommends that at this time you include in your diet more food containing complete protein: dairy products, eggs, white chicken meat, if possible reducing the amount of fatty, rich and sweet foods and not forgetting about vitamins. The church also strongly opposes gluttony and gluttony at this time.

Antipascha and Red Hill

These two holidays are celebrated almost simultaneously - at the end of the Continuous Bright Easter Week. Orthodox Antipascha- this is the last day of Bright Week, and Red hill- This is a folk Orthodox holiday from which the time of weddings begins. According to Orthodox custom, weddings are prohibited, starting from Maslenitsa and until the end of Continuous Easter Week.

In 2018, Anti-Easter and Red Hill fall on Sunday, April 15. And on Tuesday, April 17 - Parents' Day, or Radonitsa, which is the “legalized” Day of Remembrance of the Dead. Radonitsa is always celebrated on Tuesday of the second week after Easter.

What is Antipascha

Antipascha, or week of renewal, is a holiday that takes the place of Easter. The name “Antipascha” does not mean opposition to Easter - it is, as it were, a new appeal to the bright holiday, during which the memory of the resurrection of Christ is renewed. Antipascha is always celebrated on the eighth day after the Holy Resurrection of Christ.

In honor of what event is Antipascha celebrated?

This holiday is also called St. Thomas Sunday (and then comes Radonitskaya, or St. Thomas Week), because at this time they remember the Apostle Thomas, who is called Thomas the Unbeliever, or Thomas the Infidel. According to the Gospel, Thomas, who was late for the first appearance of the risen Christ before the apostles, refused to believe in the miracle of the Resurrection. The “unbeliever” apostle wanted to get to the bottom of everything himself and personally touch the wounds of Christ. “Unless I see the wounds from the nails in his hands and put my hand into his ribs, I will not believe,” said Thomas.

And the Savior fulfilled the desire of his disciple. “Jesus came when the doors were locked, stood in the midst of them and said: Peace be with you! Then he says to Thomas: put your finger here and look at my hands; give me your hand and place it in my side; and do not be an unbeliever, but a believer. Thomas answered him: My Lord and my God! Jesus says to him: You believed because you saw me; Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed,” the Gospel says about this.

After this, Thomas not only believed, but also began to preach Christ throughout the whole earth - he preached in Palestine, Mesopotamia, Parthia, Ethiopia and India, where he suffered martyrdom, according to various sources, either in 68 or 72 AD . His relics were in India until the 4th century.

Fomina Week and Radonitsa – 2018

The entire week following Antipascha is called Fomina week, or Radonitsa week. On Thomas Week on Tuesday, that is, on the ninth day after Easter, the Orthodox Church celebrates Radonitsa - the first day after Easter of special remembrance of the dead. In 2017, Radonitsa falls on April 25.

Where did the name “Radonitsa” come from?

The title contains the words “birth” and “joy”: that is, Christians, sad about their deceased loved ones, should rejoice at their birth for eternal life. On the feast of Radonitsa, believers share with their deceased loved ones the joy of Easter - the Resurrection of Christ.

What to do on Radonitsa

In some Russian regions, as well as in Ukraine, it is customary to make this day a non-working day so that people can visit the graves of loved ones. Authorities are trying to provide additional buses and trains to transport people to cemeteries.

On this day, memorial services for the deceased begin again in churches, so in the morning many go to church to submit memorial notes. Then believers go to cemeteries, where they also pray for the dead, lighting candles and sometimes inviting priests. Then it is customary to clean and arrange the grave, decorate it with fresh or artificial flowers and remain silent for a while, remembering a loved one.

What not to do in a cemetery

The Church does not approve of the popular tradition of drinking and snacking at the cemetery; it is better to do this at home during the funeral meal. Priests have a particularly negative attitude towards the ineradicable pagan custom of leaving a glass of vodka covered with bread, eggs, sweets and other products on the grave of the deceased.

It is much better to feed the hungry on this day, and for the deceased, “bread” is prayer and memory of loved ones.

Previously, preparations were made for the Red Hill holiday in advance. Many couples got married on this day. People put on their best clothes, girls wove ribbons of bright colors into their braids. On this day, large-scale celebrations took place with round dances and songs, competitions in dexterity and prowess between the guys.

With the onset of darkness, all the married women converged on the outskirts of the village. They stood in plows and with their help made deep furrows in the ground around the entire settlement. It was believed that by doing this women protected their village from crop failure and loss of livestock. Men were not allowed to participate in the ceremony.

Another tradition of Krasnaya Gorka is a ritual for good luck; in some villages it is still carried out today. Young girls rolled painted eggs from raised platforms. If it arrives at the foot intact, the owner will experience happiness and good luck all year.

Many couples get married on Krasnaya Gorka. This day favors the creation of a strong, loving union. But if the holiday falls in May, the wedding should be postponed. Getting married this month means bringing family life to ruin. The festive table at Krasnaya Gorka must be filled with round-shaped dishes: omelettes, pancakes, pancakes, etc. They are a symbol of the sun and help to gain cheerfulness and energy.

In 2019, Krasnaya Gorka falls on May 5th. Red Hill is the first Sunday after Easter, as well as the last day of Easter week.

Red Hill is a popular spring and, first of all, youth holiday. With the spread of Christianity, it was dedicated to the first Sunday after Easter - the so-called St. Thomas Day. Red Hill celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. As soon as the ground was freed from snow, and these were primarily small hills, popularly called hillocks, youth festivities, children's games, round dances, and songs immediately unfolded. This is where the name of these slides “Red” comes from, which means beautiful!

About the Red Hill holiday

In Slavic dialects, the word “red” is used in the meaning of “beautiful, blooming, cheerful, joyful,” in contrast to black, red, scarlet, crimson. Spring and summer itself are called red because the weather is clear and nature appears in all its glory. Red slide means beautiful in location and entertaining in games. In many places, the hills or hillocks on which people gathered in the spring were called red hills.

According to the folk calendar, on Krasnaya Gorka, all the girls and young women, having stocked up on food supplies, gathered at some favorite place on the village street and sang spring songs (“called out” or “flirted” to spring), led round dances and arranged various games and dancing.

Krasnaya Gorka was considered a girls' holiday, and since weddings took place on this day and intense matchmaking took place, every single girl came to the games. It was even considered a bad omen if any guy or girl sat at home on Krasnaya Gorka.

Red Hill is a triumph of love, the emergence of feelings and hopes. Previously, girls and boys met on Krasnaya Gorka, they chose their betrothed and in a playful, humorous manner announced and showed their affection and sympathy. According to tradition, it was customary to dress up in the most beautiful outfits and clothes on Krasnaya Gorka. Krasnaya Gorka was considered a girls' holiday, and since weddings took place on this day and intense matchmaking took place, every single girl came to the games. Girls and women tried to attract the attention of guys in different ways, some of them wove colorful ribbons into their hair, and some tied painted scarves. Everyone wanted to stand out from the large number of girls. Staying at home and not going out on this day was simply not permissible. It was believed that a young man or girl who stayed at home during all the festivities would not find a mate, or he would get the last bride, and she would get a worthless groom, since the best ones would be “taken apart” by others, and what’s even worse, misfortune would happen to the disobedient ones. The godfather or girl, Lada, was in charge of the fun. She was the best expert on song lyrics and sayings, led round dances, sang songs, and remembered the rules of games.

Rituals on Krasnaya Gorka

In some villages of the Vladimir region, special rituals were performed on Fomino Sunday. After mass, women gathered somewhere in an open place on the street, and at some distance from them all the young couples stood and began to call the women to them. In response to this call, the women began to sing songs and slowly approach the “newlyweds,” who gave them a piece of pie and one egg.

Krasnaya Gorka in the northern Volga region was called Klikushino Sunday, since on this day fellow villagers went to the houses of the newlyweds, called out to them, and for this they brought them an egg and a pile.

In the Penza region, a “plowing of the village” was organized on Krasnaya Gorka. In the dead of midnight, all the village women walked with songs to the outskirts, where three young women with a plow and three old women with an icon of the Kazan Mother of God were waiting for them. Here the girls unbraided their braids, and the women took off their headscarves, and the procession began. Several women sat on boards placed on top of the plow, several girls grabbed the plow from behind to hold it, and the rest, holding tied ropes, dragged the plow in such a way as to circle the entire village with a furrow and make a cross with the plow at the intersections.

In front of the procession, old women walked with an icon and prayed that the village would not suffer any disasters and misfortunes and that these misfortunes would stop behind the furrow and not dare to cross it. The guys joined later, when the women, having made a circle and returned to their original place, were having a feast. It lasted until the third rooster (3 o'clock in the morning), and then everyone went home, since it was considered a sin to walk after the rooster.

This Sunday we celebrated spring in the Kaluga region. A straw effigy mounted on a long pole was placed on a hill; Women and men gathered around him. After the songs, they sat around and treated each other to scrambled eggs. In the evening, the effigy was burned with songs and dances. From the round dance games of Krasnaya Gorka, the sowing of millet was known throughout Russia. Krasnaya Gorka was not a fixed holiday of one day. The holiday lasted for several days and therefore was a real event in the lives of young people.

Wedding on Krasnaya Gorka

Krasnaya Gorka traditionally marked the peak of weddings, since these are the first days when the Church, after a long nine-week break, begins to perform the sacrament of marriage. It is believed that a wedding played at this particular time will be the key to a long, happy family life.

Antipascha

"Antipascha" is a Greek word, and the prefix "anti" does not mean "against" but "instead of." Thus, “Antipascha” is a holiday “instead of Easter,” as if compensating, replenishing it.

“Red Hill” is the popular name for the first Sunday after Easter, which in the church dictionary is called Antipascha. Antipascha is followed by St. Thomas Week, which, in fact, is called Red Hill. This week the church remembers the Apostle Thomas, who wanted to personally verify the resurrection of the Savior, not believing the disciples who told him the wonderful news. According to the gospel story, the risen Christ appeared before Thomas so that he could put his fingers into his wounds and see with his own eyes that a miracle had happened. “And do not be an unbeliever, but a believer,” the Savior said to Thomas (Luke 20:27). By the way, that’s why people called a person who doubted something “Doubting Thomas.”

Antipascha is always celebrated on the eighth day after the Holy Resurrection of Christ. On this day, the memory of Christ's resurrection is renewed, which is why Antipascha is called the “week of renewal.” The renewal of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is associated with the Apostle Thomas, therefore on this day the Church remembers the meeting of the Apostle Thomas and the risen Christ.

Thomas was not among the apostles who saw Christ immediately after the Resurrection. “Unless I see the wounds of the nails in His hands and put my hand into His side, I will not believe,” Thomas said about Christ. This does not mean that he doubted that Christ was the Savior, the Son of God. Rather, it is evidence of how much the apostle longed to experience an encounter with the risen Jesus Christ. Feel the Easter joy and triumph yourself, personally, and not from the words of your neighbors.

The Apostle Thomas began to symbolize doubt and mistrust. People even use the term “Doubting Thomas.” It would be more correct to call him not a person who doubts everything, even the most obvious, but one who seeks to verify the truth or, conversely, the falsity of certain facts from his own experience. After all, it is one thing to use the testimony of others, even those closest to you, and quite another to know something from your own experience.

Saint Thomas the Apostle was born in the Galilean city of Pansada and was a fisherman. When he heard the gospel of Jesus Christ, he left everything, followed Him and became one of the 12 apostles. On the eighth day after the Resurrection, the Lord appeared to the Apostle Thomas and showed His wounds. "My Lord and my God!" - exclaimed the holy apostle (John 20:28). “Thomas, who was once weaker than the other apostles in faith,” says St. John Chrysostom, “became by the grace of God more courageous, zealous and tireless than all of them, so that he went around with his preaching almost the entire earth, not being afraid to proclaim the Word of God to the savage peoples.” Church Tradition tells that Saint Thomas the Apostle founded Christian Churches in Palestine, Mesopotamia, Parthia, Ethiopia and India. For the conversion to Christ of the son and wife of the ruler of the Indian city of Meliapora (Melipura), the holy apostle was imprisoned. He was brutally tortured and killed by being pierced with five spears. Parts of the relics of St. Thomas the Apostle are kept in India, Hungary and Mount Athos.

Antipascha is the first day after a long break consisting of Maslenitsa, Lent, Holy Week and Bright Week, when the church again begins to celebrate marriages and bless the newlyweds for marriage.

We cordially congratulate all Christians on the Red Hill holiday!