A special Orthodox holiday on April 6, Great Monday: meaning, strict prohibitions

Great Monday is the first day of Holy Week, which precedes the imminent arrival of Easter. On this day, Orthodox Christians remember the last days of the earthly life of Jesus Christ. The date of the celebration is transitional, in 2026 the holiday falls on April 6. Read about the spiritual significance, the special meaning of Great Monday and the strict prohibitions on this day in the Izvestia article.

On this day, Christ's curse on the barren fig tree is remembered. According to the Gospel, after his solemn entry into Jerusalem, Jesus left the city and spent the night in Bethany. On his way back in the morning, the Son of God got hungry and saw a fig tree growing by the roadside.

Approaching it in the hope of finding fruits, Christ found only leaves: the tree turned out to be barren in the harvest season. Then the Lord cursed her, saying, "May there be no fruit from you forever." As a result, the tree withered instantly.

It is believed that Christ cursed him for his deceptive appearance. The leaves on the fig tree, as a rule, should appear after the fruit, but there was nothing on the tree that the Son of God saw. For this, Christ punished the tree.

On Holy Monday, Orthodox Christians also remember the sufferings of the Old Testament Patriarch Joseph the Beautiful, who was sold by his brothers to Egypt. He was one of Jacob's 12 sons, and since childhood he had dreamed of events that would come true. Joseph told his family about one of his visions, in which the sun, moon and stars bowed to him. The patriarch was considered a beloved son, so the brothers envied him and decided to kill him first and then sell him to another country for 20 shekels of silver.

It is believed that this event was a prototype of the betrayal and suffering of the Savior. Despite what happened, Joseph's talents and humility helped him not only become famous throughout Egypt, but also to save people during the days of the great famine. For seven fruitful years, he harvested grain and stored it in the cities, as a result, the harvested grain turned out to be so much that it was impossible to measure it. The patriarch himself was able to forgive his brothers.

The Spiritual Significance of Great Monday

According to the Church's teaching, the fig tree was a symbol of the representatives and leaders of the Jewish Old Testament Church, among whom were the high priests, scribes and Pharisees. It was believed that they were observing God's law, but in reality there was nothing to prove it. It is assumed that as a punishment for this, Jesus condemned them to desiccation. As Maxim Kurlenko, a priest of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), told Izvestia, the fig tree was considered the prototype of Israel in the Old Testament.

"Following the example of the ancient prophets, the Lord, in the form of a fig tree, pronounced judgment on modern Israel, which bore no fruit. The fig tree deceived travelers, it had leaves, but there were no fruits," he shared.

The fig tree is perceived as an allegory of the human soul. It is assumed that a believer should be ready to meet God every second of his life, since no one can predict how long he will live. In addition, after the end of the earthly journey, it is also important that the human soul does not turn out to be empty and barren like a fig tree.

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In 2026, the Lord's Entry into Jerusalem will be celebrated on April 5.

Folk signs of Great Monday

According to popular belief, on this day it was customary to start preparing for the imminent arrival of Easter. People started a general cleaning, because they believed that the cleaner the house, the brighter life would be after the Bright Sunday of Christ.

On Holy Monday, believers should eat foods without heat treatment. On this day, you can eat lean bread, raw vegetables, fruits, nuts, honey and dried fruits. At the same time, cooking on fire and adding oil to dishes is not recommended.

There are also many signs associated with this celebration. In Russia, it was believed that warm and clear weather on this day promised a rich harvest, and a bird that flew up to the window and sat on it was a harbinger of good news or new acquaintances.

Other signs of the day:

— clear weather on Great Monday — for the wheat harvest;

— on this day, the first man to enter the house is lucky;

— to throw away broken and unnecessary things — to good luck, well-being and prosperity in the house.

What is forbidden to do on Holy Monday

It is believed that on this day, Orthodox Christians should abandon noisy feasts and instead take time to read prayers and reflect on the sufferings of Jesus for the sake of people. In addition, people should not quarrel and remember grievances on this day. According to legend, any unkind word spoken at the beginning of the week will "stick" for the whole year.

In addition, it is not recommended to start new businesses on Holy Monday — it is assumed that they will be doomed to failure. Business agreements and important financial transactions should also not be concluded on this day.

However, the church itself does not set any strict restrictions for Orthodox Christians on Holy Monday. According to Kurlenko, believers continue to observe Lent, as well as attend divine services if they have the opportunity.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the signs and strict prohibitions of the special Vasily Teply holiday.

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