The main holiday of October, the Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, has arrived: important signs, strict prohibitions

Every year on October 14, Orthodox believers celebrate the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, one of the most important church holidays of the year. On this day, they remember the miracle performed by the Mother of God in the Blachernae Church in the 10th century. In folk tradition, Pokrov is the boundary between autumn and winter, as well as the time of weddings and matchmaking. Izvestia tells us what can and cannot be done on October 14.

How can Orthodox Christians celebrate the Feast of the Intercession 2025

For Orthodox believers, the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos is a time of special prayerful concentration. Therefore, the main thing to do on the holiday is to take part in the divine service and receive communion.

In churches, the celebration of the Intercession begins on the evening of October 13. In honor of the celebration, small and great Vespers, Matins and liturgy are served. Believers glorify the Mother of God, ask her for protection, and pray for her health and help in difficult situations. If there is no opportunity to visit the temple, it is important to set aside time for home prayer, spiritual reading and good deeds.

The Intercession services are dedicated to a miraculous event that took place at the beginning of the 10th century. At that time, Constantinople was surrounded by invaders, and the frightened inhabitants of the city turned for help to the main intercessor of mankind, the Virgin Mary. The clergy and parishioners prayed incessantly in the Blachernae Church, where the robe of the Mother of God, her head covering (omophorion) and part of the belt were kept.

The greatest church holiday of autumn is approaching: the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos

The celebration is one of the most important in Orthodoxy, although it is not one of the twelve

During another all—night vigil, St. Andrew the Fool and his disciple Epiphanius witnessed a miracle - the Virgin appeared at the Royal Gates and, invisible to other people, began to pray with the parishioners for the salvation of Constantinople. Then she took off her omophorion and spread it over the worshippers, after which she disappeared. Soon the enemies retreated, and a sudden storm sank their ships.

There is no need to observe a fast for the Protection of the Virgin. If the holiday falls on a fast day (Wednesday or Friday), meat, dairy products and eggs should be excluded from the diet. Fish and seafood are allowed to be eaten. In 2025, the celebration falls on a Tuesday, so there are no restrictions on food.

Is it possible to wash, clean, go to the cemetery on Pokrov?

There is an opinion that during major Orthodox holidays, including the Intercession of the Virgin, it is forbidden to work, wash, go to the sauna, and do household chores. However, as Archpriest Alexander Ilyashenko explains on the Pravmir portal, the church does not establish such prohibitions. According to him, all of the above can be done on a holiday, but the believer's first priority should be prayer, communion and going to church.

"You can wash and wash your hair, you can clean the house, but not instead of attending worship," the clergyman emphasized.

How to write Church Memorial Notes: history, meaning and rules

Many also believe that it is forbidden to go to the cemetery for the Intercession, however, there is no such prohibition in the church charter. Traditionally, believers pray for the dead on parental Saturdays, but they can remember their loved ones on any other day, including October 14. Nevertheless, the clergy note, it is much more important to take part in the festive liturgy. Therefore, if there is a choice between going to the cemetery and to the temple, it is better to choose the latter.

What not to do on the Protection of the Virgin: prohibitions

The church does not establish strict prohibitions on the feast of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos. The only thing that absolutely cannot be done on October 14 is to guess and participate in various rituals. It is believed that in this way a person comes into contact with evil spirits, which is absolutely unacceptable for a believer.

What else can not be done on the Protection of the Virgin:

• quarreling and swearing — conflicts should be avoided on the holiday, so as not to overshadow the sanctity of the day.;
• to envy, gossip, slander, swear — such behavior is unworthy of an Orthodox person.;
• drinking alcohol, overeating — although Pokrov is not a fast day, it is important to observe moderation on a church holiday.

Important folk signs on October 14, on Pokrov

In Russia, the Protection of the Virgin was considered a kind of boundary between autumn and winter. On this day, people completed harvesting work, and also began to prepare their homes and farms for the cold.

Apples not harvested before the holiday were left on trees and allowed to wither. They were burned for Protection along with the cut branches — it was believed that after that the house would be warm all winter. Another important tradition was cajoling brownies before hibernation. The housewives baked pancakes and treated them to the keeper of the hearth, believing that if he fell asleep full, then there would be plenty of food in the house.

Attention was also paid to the weather signs. Here are some of them:

• what is the weather like on Pokrov? It will be like this in winter;
• snow has fallen — the winter will be snowy and cold;
• the leaves on the trees did not fly off — to severe frosts;
• the cranes flew away before the Cover — it will be a cold winter, after that — a mild one.

What to do on the Protection of the Virgin to get married

In Russia, the Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary was considered the beginning of the wedding season — after harvesting and finishing field work, young people thought about their personal lives. Weddings were often played on the holiday. They believed that a marriage concluded on this day would be happy and strong. On October 14, the newlyweds were put to sleep on sheaves of rye, the number of which had to be odd. It was believed that this would bring well-being to the family.

Unmarried girls hurried to the temple early in the morning. According to legend, the one who lights the candle first will get married before the others. It was also necessary to address the Mother of God with the words: "Protection, father, cover the earth with a snowball, and me with a groom" or "Protection, Mother, cover the earth with a snowball, and me with a young shawl."

Earlier, Izvestia told us what prayers are read on the feast of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos.