A special church holiday on April 15 is Holy Tuesday: strict prohibitions, important omens

Holy Week's Great Tuesday is one of the most significant days before Easter. It is filled with a special spiritual meaning, reflections on the last days of Christ's earthly life, His instructions and the inevitable sacrifice for the salvation of mankind. In 2025, it falls on April 15th. Read about the history of the holiday, its traditions and prohibitions in the Izvestia article.

April 15 — Great Tuesday Church holiday

Holy Tuesday is the second day of Holy Week, one of the deepest and most important periods in the Orthodox calendar. Its name refers to the last martyrdom of Christ's life, because in Church Slavonic the word "passion" means "suffering".

On Tuesday, Jesus addressed the people for the last time in the Jerusalem temple, speaking about the sacrifice that was coming to him. He also told two parables: about the talents and the ten virgins. These evangelical images contain important theological and moral meanings that are directly addressed to every believer.

The parable of the talents, quoted in the Gospel of Matthew, calls for a responsible attitude towards the gifts and opportunities that have been given to man by God. In it, the master, leaving, gave his slaves a different number of talents (a measure of the weight of silver), instructing them to multiply what they received. Those who received them in large numbers coped with the task, and the one who received only one buried it in the ground. When the master returned, he severely punished the negligent slave for neglecting his gift so much.

The parable of the Ten Virgins focuses on the theme of the coming Second Coming. In the time of Christ, there was a wedding custom — the bridesmaids had to wait for the groom at night and meet him in order to go to the feast together. Those who were late to the party were not allowed.

Holy Week in 2025: how to fast and behave

On April 14, Orthodox Christians begin six days of the strictest fasting.

In the parable, five virgins were wise and took plenty of oil with them to meet the bridegroom, while the other five went to him without a supply. When the foolish virgins' fire went out, they asked their sensible friends for oil, but they refused, explaining that they would not have enough then either. While the girls were running for new butter, the feast had already begun and they could not join the guests. The parable ends with the words: "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."

Through this metaphor, Christ emphasized the need for spiritual vigilance and inner readiness, which cannot be postponed or replenished at the last moment.

As Jesus left the temple, he prophesied to his disciples that Jerusalem would soon be destroyed, saying that not one stone would be left standing. This prediction came true several decades later. In 70 AD, Roman troops under the command of Emperor Titus completely destroyed the holy city and its majestic temple complex.

Great Tuesday is not a solemn holiday, it is filled with silence and requires believers to rethink their path. Morning worship in churches is accompanied by the singing of the troparion "Behold the Bridegroom cometh," and the penultimate liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts of the year, which is of particular importance in the series of Passion services.

What you can do and eat on Bright Tuesday in 2025

Holy Week Tuesday is a good time to prepare for Easter. It is on this day that it is recommended to start purchasing the necessary products, which can be continued on the following days — Wednesday and Thursday.

On this day, it is allowed to do laundry, minor repairs of clothes, sort and hide winter clothes, wash closets, and tidy up the house. In the old days, on Tuesday, they tried to wash livestock with snow — the ancestors believed that this would protect animals from diseases.

On this day, you can visit the temple, pray for forgiveness of sins, spiritual strength and peace in the family. It is advisable to spend the day with your loved ones and read the Gospel together.

Happy Great Monday and Holy Week: beautiful greeting cards, greetings for the Orthodox

Holy Week is a period of particularly strict fasting. According to the church regulations, dry eating should be observed on Holy Tuesday. This means that only vegetable products that have not been subjected to heat treatment are allowed to be eaten: bread, vegetables, fruits, dried fruits, berries, nuts and honey. Also, you can not add oil to food, even vegetable oil.

In addition, alms are given on Holy Tuesday, the suffering are helped, and charity is encouraged. However, it is important to remember that the main thing is not external rigor or righteousness, but a sincere desire to purify the heart and prepare for Easter.

Holy Week's Great Tuesday: What not to do

On Holy Tuesday, entertainment events, noisy meetings and social events are prohibited, singing and dancing are prohibited. It is believed that all attention on this day should be focused on the soul.

Physical labor should be moderate and not distract from prayer and meditation.

It is not recommended to start new businesses, make deals, or make important decisions. It is also undesirable to sort things out, quarrel and show aggression during Holy Week.

Holy Tuesday: folk signs of April 15th

In folk tradition, it was believed that the weather on April 15 could predict the summer harvest. If the morning is sunny and clear, the year will be fertile.

The ancestors paid special attention to birds — if crows fly high, it means that the weather in the coming days will be warm and sunny.

Earlier, Izvestia was told when to bake cakes, paint eggs, and clean the house during Holy Week in 2025.