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- The great feast of the Trinity has arrived: the important meaning and strict prohibitions of Pentecost, which are rarely remembered
The great feast of the Trinity has arrived: the important meaning and strict prohibitions of Pentecost, which are rarely remembered
Orthodox Christians celebrate Holy Trinity Day or Pentecost on May 31, 2026. This great feast day falls on the 50th day after Easter and symbolizes the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles. St. John Chrysostom called Pentecost "the capital of feasts," and the clergy called it a new stage in the relationship between God and man. Read more about the spiritual meaning of the Trinity and how a believer can spend this day in the Izvestia article.
Why is Trinity called Pentecost?
Pentecost is the church name of the feast dedicated to the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles. It is celebrated on the 50th day after the Resurrection of Christ, which is where its name comes from, literally meaning "fiftieth day."
The name "Trinity" appeared later and was especially widely entrenched in the folk tradition. It emphasizes the theological aspect of the holiday: it was on this day that the third Person of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit, revealed Himself, descending in the form of fiery tongues on the disciples of Christ, Archpriest Maxim Pervozvansky, a cleric of the Moscow Church of the Forty Sevastian Martyrs in Spasskaya Sloboda, told Izvestia.
"In the event of Pentecost, the Holy Trinity — the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit — acted in all Its fullness," he stressed.
Holy Trinity Day — a Biblical Story
According to the Book of Acts of the Holy Apostles, after His Resurrection, Christ stayed with His disciples for 40 days, and then ascended to heaven, promising to send them the Comforter Spirit. Ten days later, the apostles gathered in the upper room of Zion, where they suddenly heard a noise resembling a strong wind, and saw fiery tongues that descended on each of them. Filled with the Holy Spirit, the disciples began to praise God in various languages they had not known before.
At that time, there were many Jews from different countries in Jerusalem who came to the Old Testament feast of Pentecost. Hearing the noise, people began to gather near the house where the apostles were staying. Many were surprised to hear their native speech. Some asked, "How can they speak with our tongues about the great works of God?" Others mockingly said that the students "got drunk on sweet wine."
Then the apostle Peter explained to the audience that the disciples were not drunk, but that the Holy Spirit had descended upon them, as predicted by the prophet Joel. He also testified that Jesus Christ had risen from the dead, ascended to heaven, and sent the disciples the gift of the Holy Spirit, which people now "see and hear."
The Day of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles is considered the birthday of the Christian Church. From that moment on, they turned from frightened disciples hiding behind closed doors after the crucifixion of Christ into ardent preachers of Christianity, Father Maxim noted.
— On the very first day of their sermon, about 5,000 people joined the Church. This is an unusually large amount for a dense urban area in which the sermon of the Apostle Peter was heard," he added.
The spiritual meaning of the Orthodox holiday on May 31, 2026
According to Father Maxim, the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles marked not only the birth of the Church, but also a new stage in the relationship between God and man.
— If we look at how God acted in the Old Testament, we will see that the prophets who proclaimed the Word of God were, in fact, used by Him as "loudspeakers". It was not yet a true union of the Divine and the human. On the Day of Pentecost, thanks to the earthly ministry, death, resurrection and Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, every person had the opportunity to connect with God," he said.
At the same time, the priest emphasized that without the feat of Christ, the descent of the Holy Spirit would have been impossible. Christ, being both God and man, raised human nature to God and thereby opened the way for people to unite with Him.
"This is a twofold sacrament of the Church: Christ raises man to God, and God descends to man in the Holy Spirit," Father Maxim explained.
Church traditions of celebration
On the eve of Pentecost, at the all-night vigil, for the first time since Easter, prayer to the Holy Spirit "Heavenly King" is heard again. During the 50 Easter days, it is not read or sung, so its return to worship is one of the main symbols of the holiday.
On Trinity Day itself, believers try to participate in the Divine Liturgy and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Immediately after the Liturgy, Great Vespers is celebrated with the reading of "very long" kneeling prayers — at this moment, the faithful kneel in the temple for the first time after Easter.
During the divine service, special petitions are offered for the living, for the departed, and for the gift of the grace of the Holy Spirit to people. From this day on, prostration is also resumed in the Church.
Temples are traditionally decorated with greenery on the holiday. According to Father Maxim, many major Christian holidays have their own color, smell, and special decoration elements.: At Christmas, there were fir trees, willows at the Entrance of the Lord into Jerusalem, and on Whitsunday, there were living branches and grass. In central Russia, branches of young birches are most often used, and in rural parishes, the floor is often covered with freshly mown grass.
— Although, recently, since people often have allergies to mown grass, many churches have abandoned it and left only birch branches, — said the interlocutor of Izvestia.
On this day, the clergy dress in green robes, a color symbolizing renewal and life.
How believers celebrate the Trinity
On major church holidays, believers try to refrain from hard physical work, such as gardening or other household chores, in order to devote this time to prayer. Of course, there are urgent and especially important matters that cannot be postponed to another time, but it is better to start doing them after participating in worship and prayer in the temple.
After the service, many families traditionally gather together at a festive table, as well as visit relatives and share the joy of the holiday with each other.
What not to do
There are no strict prohibitions related to the holiday, said Father Maxim. However, according to him, it would be strange to go to the cemetery on this day.
— It's not about any direct prohibition. But if you have attended a long festive service and participated in kneeling prayers, then where else can you go to the cemetery? The main rule of church holidays is to be in church and participate in festive services, and everything else is applied to this one way or another," he noted.
Father Maxim called all the "popular" prohibitions that have "overgrown" the church holiday, for example, bathing or haircuts, the deepest superstitions.
Trinity Day — folk traditions of the church holiday
On Holy Trinity Day in Russia, it was customary to decorate houses with greenery, flowers and birch branches, which were previously consecrated in the temple, Natalia Fominykh, a religious scholar, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, professor at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, told Izvestia.
After the festive service, the families gathered at a common table. Traditionally, pancakes, a loaf, and egg dishes were prepared for Whitsunday. Not only relatives, but also friends were invited to the festive dinner, as it was believed that generous food brought prosperity and peace to the house.
According to the expert, on Whitsunday they tried to give up hard physical work, cleaning and needlework.
— On this day, it is important to focus primarily on prayer and attending worship, as well as sharing the joy of the holiday with loved ones. It was believed that hard work would prevent a person from doing this," she noted.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
