The most important day on April 14 is Great Monday: what is strictly forbidden to do, signs

The week before Easter is called Holy Week. At this time, the Orthodox Church remembers the last days of the earthly life of Jesus Christ, and fasting becomes especially strict. Holy Week opens on Great Monday, which falls on April 14 in 2025. Read about the meaning, traditions and prohibitions of this day in the Izvestia article.

April 14 — Holy Monday of Holy Week

The divine services of the first two days of Holy Week are devoted not so much to the events leading up to Christ's Resurrection as to his last sermons and instructions to the apostles. On Holy Monday, parables about the barren fig tree and the evil vinedressers resound in churches. Also on this day, believers remember the Old Testament Patriarch Joseph.

The story of the barren fig tree is told in the Gospels. According to legend, after the solemn entry into Jerusalem, Jesus left the city and spent the night in Bethany, where the house of the righteous Lazarus was located. On the way back, the Son of God got hungry and went to a fig tree growing by the road, but there was not a single fruit on its branches, since the fig picking season had not yet arrived. Then the Savior said: "May there be no fruit from you forever!" and the tree withered immediately.

Many are surprised by the unjustified cruelty shown by Christ towards the fig tree. However, theologians emphasize that this act was largely symbolic. John Chrysostom, who lived in the fourth and fifth centuries, explains that during his entire stay on earth, the Son of God never punished anyone, but he needed to demonstrate an example of divine justice. And although the Savior could destroy any of his persecutors, he preferred to show his anger on an inanimate tree.

The fig tree is also perceived as an allegory of the human soul. A believer should be ready to meet God every second of his life, because no one knows how much time he has left. And after the end of the earthly journey, it is important that the soul does not turn out to be empty and barren, like the fig tree from the parable.

Holy Tuesday is an important day of Holy Week: prayers, omens, what not to do

On April 15, believers remember the teachings of Jesus in the Jerusalem Temple

After performing the miracle with the fig tree, Jesus came to the Jerusalem temple and began to preach there. The Jewish high priests entered into an argument with him, hoping to take his opponent at his word and disgrace him. Then the Savior told a parable about evil winegrowers who refused to give the harvest to the owner of the vineyard and killed all his messengers, including the son of his employer. After that, Christ asked what the master would do with such workers, and the high priests had to admit that according to the law they were subject to severe punishment.

It is believed that the vinedressers are Jews who were entrusted by the Lord to keep faith in Him. However, they constantly violated the commandments given to them, and also killed the prophets and the righteous who warned of the consequences of apostasy.

In addition, Holy Monday commemorates the story of the betrayal by the brothers of Joseph, the son of Jacob and the great-grandson of the ancestor of the Jewish people, Abraham. According to legend, he had the gift of seeing prophetic dreams since childhood. The older brothers were jealous of the younger one and sold him to Egyptian slave traders for 20 pieces of silver. The father was told that the boy had been torn apart by a wild animal.

However, the young man did not disappear in a foreign country — thanks to his intelligence, he was able to become a confidant of the pharaoh. Many years later, during a prolonged famine, the traitorous brothers arrived in Egypt to buy grain. Joseph could have easily destroyed his abusers, but instead he forgave them and saved them from starvation.

It is believed that Joseph is the prototype of Christ, who also had to survive the betrayal of his own disciple, falling to the very bottom and rising. Like his Old Testament predecessor, Jesus showed mercy to those who betrayed him and subjected him to torment.

Also on Holy Monday, the rite of world illumination is performed in churches, a ritual for making aromatic oil for worship services. In Russia, it is brewed only in one place — the small cathedral of the Donskoy Monastery in Moscow. Myrrh is performed for three days, consecrated on Holy Thursday and sent to all dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church.

What not to do on Holy Monday

Holy Week is a time of intense prayer and repentance. Starting from Holy Monday, believers should give up noisy feasts, parties and idle entertainment in order to pay as much attention as possible to preparing for Easter. Any secular celebrations that fall on this day should be postponed to another date.

As on other Orthodox holidays, conflicts, quarrels, and abusive words are forbidden on Holy Monday. It is important for believers to maintain mental clarity and self-control, because negative emotions have no place at a bright celebration. Instead of wasting your energy on anger, envy, and resentment, it's better to focus your efforts on charity, reading the gospel, and going to church.

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In 2025, Orthodox Christians will witness the descent of the Holy Fire on April 19.

On Holy Monday, the church does not hold a wedding ceremony, as this is a time of strict fasting. The restriction does not apply to civil registration of marriage at the registry office, but those who want to marry a Christian will have to wait until Krasnaya Gorka (April 27, 2025).

You should also not visit cemeteries on this day. Holy Week is needed to prepare for Easter, and there are special dates in the Orthodox calendar for commemorating the dead.

What you can eat on Holy Monday before Easter in 2025

During Holy Week, believers observe the strictest fasting. Before Easter, you can not eat animal products: meat, fish, dairy products and eggs. At the same time, from Monday to Wednesday, it is recommended to adhere to dry eating, that is, to eat foods that have not undergone heat treatment. The exception is lean bread. In addition, you can not add vegetable oil to food.

On Holy Monday, you can eat fresh vegetables and fruits, salads without dressing, nuts, seeds, vegetable soups that do not require cooking, stewing or frying ingredients. Honey, plant-based milks, and herbal infusions are also allowed.

Great Monday: folk signs of April 14th

In Russia, various omens and superstitions were associated with Great Monday. Unmarried girls were guessing at their betrothed, looking out the window. If a man caught their eye first, they expected an early wedding, a young woman foreshadowed health, and an old woman for illness. They also paid attention to animals: a cat was considered a harbinger of wealth, a dog was a harbinger of sadness, and a bird promised good news.

On Holy Monday, the girls threw silver coins or jewelry into a jug, and then washed their faces with water from it. They believed that it would help preserve youth and beauty.

The weather was also monitored during the holiday. A warm sunny day spoke of a good harvest in summer, and a cloudless sky was perceived as a sure sign that all marriages concluded during the year would be strong and happy.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the history and traditions of Palm Sunday.