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The Ascension of the Lord has come: traditions and prohibitions of the great Orthodox holiday
The Ascension of the Lord is one of the 12 Orthodox holidays that are dedicated to key events in evangelical history. It is celebrated on the 40th day after Easter, so its date changes annually, but it always falls on Thursday. In 2026, the Ascension of the Lord is celebrated on May 21. On this day, the Church remembers an event incomprehensible to the human mind — the ascension of the risen Jesus Christ in the flesh to heaven. Read more about the history and significance of this holiday in the Izvestia article.
The Biblical story of the holiday
The description of the Ascension of the Lord is contained in several sources at once: in the Gospel of Mark (16:14-19), the Gospel of Luke (24:36-52), as well as in the Book of Acts of the Holy Apostles (Acts 1:16). 1:2–12). From them we learn that on the 40th day after the Resurrection, Jesus Christ led the apostles to Bethany, a village near Jerusalem. There, on the Mount of Olives, the Lord raised His hands to bless and began to move away from the disciples, ascending to heaven until a cloud hid Him from view.
Struck by the greatness of what had happened, the apostles stood motionless for a long time, "gazing at heaven after the departing Lord," until two angels in white robes appeared to them, announcing the future Second Coming.
Interpreters note that the evangelist Luke constructed the story of the two angels at the Ascension as a parallel to his own account of the myrrh-bearing wives. At the empty coffin, they also saw "two men in shining robes" — angels, the number of whom corresponded to the biblical requirement of reliable testimony. Then the question was asked: "Why do you seek the living among the dead?" (Luke 24:5), and here — "Men of Galilee! Why are you standing there and looking at the sky?"
In both cases, the angels pointed to a misunderstanding of what was happening and guided the participants of the event to its true meaning. Just as myrrh-bearing wives should not have sought the living among the dead, so the disciples did not just have to look up at heaven. The apostles were to become witnesses of the Risen One by receiving the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem, where they returned "with great joy and always remained in the temple, praising and blessing God."
The icon of the Myrrh-bearing Wives at the Holy Sepulchre. XVI century. Detail. Painting of ancient Pskov. Reproduction
For a long time, the feasts of Ascension and Trinity, the day of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, were not separated.: these events were celebrated together after Easter. The Carthaginian theologian Tertullian (II–III centuries) referred to this period by the general word "joyful." The tradition of dividing them into two independent holidays developed only by the end of the fourth century.
The first detailed description of the celebration of the Ascension was preserved in the diaries of the pilgrim Egeria. In the fourth century, she visited the Holy Land and recorded that there were several temples in Jerusalem, on the Mount of Olives. One of them, the Mount of Olives, was located on the site of the cave where Christ instructed the apostles; the other, the Imamon, was erected directly on the site of the Ascension. On the eve of the feast, the faithful gathered at the Mount of Olives, and after Vespers and the all-night vigil, they rose in the morning to celebrate the liturgy at the place of the Ascension.
These temples have not survived to this day, but the tradition itself continues to live on in many ways. Today, the Chapel of the Ascension, built in the 12th century, during the era of the Crusades, is located on the site of the Icon. The land belongs to Muslims, and pilgrims pay a nominal entrance fee. Orthodox worship is held here only once a year — on the feast of the Ascension of the Lord.
The Spiritual Meaning of Ascension
— Ascension was not only a spiritual event, but also a completely literal one in its physical reality. This bodily reality was intended to show that the human nature of Christ did not dissolve and did not disappear after the Resurrection, and that He remained a God—Man forever," Anthony Rusakevich, rector of the church of the Apostle and Evangelist Luke in Tver (known on social networks as the "Positive Father"), told Izvestia.
The icon "The Virgin and Child Jesus" from the iconostasis of St. Nicholas Cathedral in the Pavshinskaya floodplain.
According to the priest, Christ's redemptive mission on earth was completed, so he did not remain on it in his former, visible form.
— As the theology of the Epistle to the Hebrews emphasizes, the Ascension was the final act of our salvation: the High Priest entered the heavenly sanctuary with His Blood and sat at the right hand of God in glorified, but not human flesh. By this event, according to St. Gregory Palamas, Christ made our human nature co—altar with the Deity," Father Anthony noted.
He emphasized that the meaning of Ascension for people lies precisely in this heavenly "registration" of our flesh: from now on, the visible earthly presence of the Savior was replaced by His invisible presence in the Church through the Holy Spirit, paradoxically becoming closer and more accessible to every believer in the sacraments, especially in the Eucharist.
Church traditions of the Ascension
On the eve of the holiday, on Wednesday, the rite of giving Easter is celebrated in churches, concluding the Easter celebrations. On this day, a solemn divine service with Easter prayers and hymns is held again in the morning, and in the evening parishioners gather for a festive All-Night vigil, which is already dedicated to the Ascension of the Lord. On Thursday morning, in honor of the two-hundredth feast day, a festive Liturgy is served in every church. Believers are urged to attend this service, light candles, pray, as well as confess and receive communion.
— On this holiday, we strive to come to the temple and partake of the body and blood of Christ. After all, the Lord remains in heaven with his body, where He ascended. And we, partaking of His body and blood, accepting Him into ourselves, become heavenly beings," explained Priest Valery Soskovets in his Telegram channel.
How to spend a holiday for a believer
On Ascension Day, it is recommended to postpone household chores and try to spend the holiday in peace. Quarrels, backbiting, and empty talk should be avoided. There is no wedding ceremony on this day or the day before (it is not performed on great holidays). In the Orthodox tradition, from the 40th day after Easter, the Easter greeting "Christ is Risen!" is also discontinued.
If a believer does not have the opportunity to visit a temple due to work or other duties, he can pray at home.
The main hymns in the center of the household prayer rule on this day are the troparion "Thou art ascended in glory, O Christ our God..." and the kontakion "Having fulfilled the vision for us...", which succinctly express the essence of the holiday — the joy of the disciples and the promise of the inseparable presence of the Savior.
— You can add to them the reading of the gospel description of the event — in the Gospel of Luke (24:50-51) or in Acts (1:9-11), turning the house into a place of jubilant prayer, similar to the Upper Room of Zion, said the priest Anthony Rusakevich.
Folk traditions and prohibitions
In Russia, on this day, housewives baked special cookies or pies with seven crossbars, symbolizing the steps along which, according to popular belief, Christ ascended to heaven. They were served to children and neighbors. There was also a belief that one should not cut one's hair on this day. However, the Church has repeatedly stressed that you can get a haircut before, after, and on the day of the holiday — there are no such prohibitions on Ascension. In general, believers are urged not to follow the folk signs that have overgrown many church dates, including this one.
The celebration of the Ascension of the Lord will continue until Trinity. On Friday, May 29, the Celebration will be celebrated (a kind of farewell to him), when a particularly solemn divine service with prayers and hymns of the Ascension will take place. Thus, on the eve of Trinity, believers will once again remember the day when the Savior promised the apostles the descent of the Holy Spirit.
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