Congratulations on Forgiveness Sunday and Christian Traditions

What is this holiday, what are its roots and what are the traditional Slavic congratulations on Forgiveness Sunday? This church feast was preserved only in the Orthodox and Greek Catholic traditions. Forgiveness Sunday does not have a clear calendar day: since Easter every year falls on different days of the calendar, this holiday also "migrates" following its celebration. In a word, Forgiveness Sunday falls on the day when Maslenitsa ends or on the last Sunday before the Great Lent begins. This day seems to share the rampant and merry week of Carnival and the strict early days of pre-Easter Lent.

What are the roots of this holiday? The foundation on which the Forgiven Sunday is based is contained in the teachings of Jesus Christ, who taught us to forgive those who offend us, to bless those who curse us, to substitute the left cheek if they hit on the right. But, although his teaching dealt with all 365 days of the year, people did not achieve such perfectionism yet, therefore they only took one day to be forgiven. Why on the last day before the Great Lent? The tradition was established by the monks-schimmers, who lived in Egypt in the first centuries of our era. Following the example of Christ, who, before teaching people, retired to the desert for 40 days, the monks also went to the wilderness singly, where they fasted and prayed for 40 days. Not all returned after this bodily test to the monastery, some died in the hermitage. Therefore, going to the wasteland, the monks asked for forgiveness mutually and forgave each other for all deliberately or inadvertently inflicted grievances, as if they were preparing for death. Thus the tradition was born to celebrate Forgiveness Sunday. Congratulations on this holiday - this is later layering, invented by the laity.

But the priests and monks are still performing the "rite of forgiveness" this day, that is, asking forgiveness from others and forgiving themselves. The Orthodox tradition provides that on that day the believers go to confession to the church, so that God will forgive them and let them all sins. Although this day is not yet considered a day of fasting, earnest believers still refrain from eating meat, and eat dairy products (cheeses, butter), fish, eggs. After the church and confession, believers rush to the cemetery, where they ask forgiveness even for deceased relatives. On the grave left pancakes, other treats. And then the Orthodox believers go to the homes of friends and neighbors, carrying them congratulations on the Forgiven Sunday.

Seniors on this day should be the first to apologize to the younger and subordinates. Necessarily on this day it is necessary to visit and elderly relatives, since it is likely that they will descend into the grave, having in the heart of insult. Especially it was necessary to go to congratulate people on the holiday with whom you were in a quarrel. What is the meaning of the usual Orthodox congratulation on Forgiven Sunday? The person who comes into the house (for example, to a neighbor) must, with his head uncovered, in a humble and quiet voice, ask forgiveness for all the wrongs that he, intentionally or unintentionally, have done to him. The master of the house, embracing him who came by the shoulders, says: "God will forgive. And forgive me. " After that they exchange a kiss of peace.

Congratulations with Forgiven Sunday must be pronounced from the moment when sunset begins, but in time to ask forgiveness from as many people as possible before it becomes completely dark. Before you go to bed, all family members bow to each other and ask each other for forgiveness for all the grievances inflicted during the year. Naturally, the request for forgiveness should not be an empty formality, just as forgiveness of other people should completely eliminate the thoughts of revenge. It is important that you enter the Great Lent with a pure heart, not burdening the soul with thoughts of vain. After all, the next day and for another two orthodox followers, you can not just eat meat, but even cook food: eat pickles, sauerkraut , marinated mushrooms.

Now, when the circle of our acquaintances has significantly expanded, and many of our friends and foes live at a considerable distance from us, it is customary to send congratulations with Forgiveness Sunday with the help of postcards and even SMS messages. The essence of such congratulations can be reduced to the desire for a cheerful Carnival, tasty pancakes, the hope to wait for the bright Sunday of the Lord and at the end - a modest hope for forgiveness from the addressee.