What do they do on Maundy Thursday before Easter?

Maundy Thursday is one of the most significant days of the Easter week. Most of the traditions, customs and rituals carried out at this time are associated with the cleansing of their home and soul.

On Maundy Thursday, people are already starting to prepare for the upcoming Easter. On this day, you can bake Easter cakes and paint Easter eggs. Most often, this is done together with loved ones. It is not customary to cook many dishes for the next three days. On Thursday, you can also burn the willow, which was consecrated on Palm Sunday. The ash left after this is either scattered in the wind, or thrown into the river.

On Thursday, it is customary to remember the events that happened to Jesus Christ before his death, and to thank the Savior for the sacrifice he made. After visiting the temple, it is worth buying candles home. They are believed to have special magic. Most often, they are lit during thunderstorms to protect yourself and your home from harm. If a person has free time, he can also go to the cemetery. On this day, it is worth putting in order the territory next to the graves. But it is not customary to leave treats for the dead at this time.

There are also certain prohibitions that must not be forgotten. The following things are not allowed on Maundy Thursday.

• Leave some business unfinished. It is important to finish cleaning, washing, cooking and any other business by midnight. You should not start something that you definitely cannot do in a couple of free hours.
• Committing sinful acts. On this day, you cannot wish someone evil or use foul language. It is important that not only the body of a person is clean, but also his thoughts.
• Do needlework. Knitting, sewing and embroidery are best postponed until after the holidays.
• To plant plants. This prohibition has very ancient roots. On Maundy Thursday, it is not worth digging the ground. It is better to pay attention to household chores.
• There are dishes prepared for Easter. Believers are fasting at this time. Therefore, you cannot eat eggs, cottage cheese cakes and meat dishes. From this day until the very resurrection, fasting people should eat only dry food: lean bread, fruits and vegetables.
• Playing cards. In addition, it is not allowed to dance and sing songs on Maundy Thursday. For this reason, believers never hold any holidays on this day.

The name of this holiday is associated with the history behind it. It was on this day that The Last Supper is the last supper of Jesus and his followers. During it, several events important from a religious point of view took place at once. One of them is the washing of the disciples' feet. The followers of Christ opposed this, claiming that they were unworthy of it. But Jesus explained to them that doing good to your neighbors is a great joy for any person. Thus, he expresses love for his neighbors, and this is one of the main qualities of any Christian. Therefore, on Maundy Thursday, it is important first of all to cleanse yourself physically. After that, you need to go to church. There, believers confess. They do not eat anything before confession.

Traditionally, the anointing is also performed on Maundy Thursday. On this day, myrrh oil is mixed with other incense and church wine. It is believed that this procedure helps to cleanse a person's soul. Another event associated with the Last Supper is the sacrament. During his last supper, Christ blessed wine and bread, and then invited his followers to taste them. Since that time, it has been customary to take communion on Maundy Thursday. This tradition is common among Orthodox Christians all over the world. Upon returning from the church, you need to draw a cross over the entrance to the house with soot from a lighted passionate candle. It is believed that in this way a person protects himself with a consecrated fire from evil spirits. Immediately after this, the candle must be extinguished.

In addition to church customs, there are many folk signs that are also of great importance to people.

Special attention is paid on Thursday to cleaning the house or apartment. Even the farthest corners must be cleaned of dust and dirt. It is recommended to wash curtains, bed linen and other household textiles.

According to folklore, the cleaner and fresher the house will be before Easter, the more successful the year will be. If during the cleaning that day long lost things were discovered, it means that some good news awaits the person in the near future. After cleaning, the room can be fumigated with incense or juniper. If candles were brought from the temple, one of them should be lit. With her you have to walk through all the rooms.

Everybody swims on Maundy Thursday. This is done according to tradition even before dawn. It is best to swim in open water. But if this is not possible, it is enough to take a shower or a bath. It is believed that water procedures on this day have the same power as on Epiphany. It is recommended to put silver into the water for washing from the environment. This is an ancient tradition.

People who are fond of soap making can prepare a bar of soap specially for this event. You need to make it from natural ingredients. The bar of soap should not be too large. The point is that it cannot be shared with other people. In this case, it is advisable to fully use it until the evening. This is considered a good omen.

It is not prohibited to have a haircut on Maundy Thursday. It is believed that after such a procedure, a person's hair will become thicker and more luxuriant. You don't have to change your hairstyle too much. You just need to trim the ends. Previously, people believed that it was in them that negative energy accumulated.

You can also dye your hair on this day. But there will be no particular benefit from this procedure. If there is a baby in the house, it is recommended to completely shave it. It is believed that such an action will give the baby health and strength.

It is not popular among the people to arrange a wedding on Holy Week. Thursday is no exception to this rule. According to church canons, it is impossible to celebrate a wedding on this day, because it falls on the last week of Great Lent. The people also believe that people who get married on such an unsuitable day will not be happy. Therefore, it is better to postpone the wedding to some other time.

Maundy Thursday is great for christening a child. Water on this day has special properties. Therefore, it will allow the “original” sin to be washed away from the baby. Previously, it was also believed that if an adult wants to go through the baptismal procedure, then it is best for him to do this on the Saturday before Easter. Maundy Thursday was a great reason to cleanse yourself before this procedure and completely put yourself in order.

On this day, it has always been customary to pay attention to the weather. If it has been raining since the early morning, then the summer will be rainy. If the weather is snowy, the summer months will be hot. A cloudy day is a harbinger of a good harvest. If the weather changes all day, you should expect similar changes from it in the future. Spring and summer will be very unpredictable. If Easter cakes are prepared on this day, you can also "tell fortunes" from them. It is believed that if the baked goods fit well, then the year will be fruitful. Some housewives add coins to the cakes. It is believed that whoever gets a piece of money will be the luckiest this year.

Leaving the house, you need to pay attention to who catches the person's eye in the first place. If these are children, then he should expect some kind of change in his life, if the elderly - difficulties. Seeing young people on the street is a good luck. If, first of all, a cat or a cat comes up to a person, then he should expect easy money, if a dog - trouble. The appearance of a bird nearby is a symbol of good news.

There are also many interesting rituals that are traditionally performed on Maundy Thursday.

Thursday salt is used as a talisman. It is believed that her very presence on the site allows you to protect the house and its inhabitants from various troubles. The most effective salt is considered to be taken from three couples living in love and harmony. The product is collected in advance. On the night from Wednesday to Thursday, it needs to be processed in a special way. There are several recipes for Thursday salt.

• With flour. This is the easiest way to process a product. Pour the salt into a clean cast iron skillet. You also need to add a handful of flour there. All this is heated until the contents of the pan turn black. In the process, the mixture is stirred with a wooden spoon. When the contents of the frying pan turn black, remove it from the heat. The Thursday salt must be cooled, and then poured into linen bags. It will be stored in them until the next Easter week.
• With herbs. This type of Thursday salt is considered to be healing. This means that it can be used to fight various diseases. It is necessary to prepare salt with herbs correctly. It is best to prepare the ingredients for it yourself. It is recommended to add nettle, rosemary, mint, oregano and lemon balm to the salt. But they can be replaced with other medicinal herbs. The plants must be crushed and mixed with salt.The bread must be soaked in warm water. Next, all the ingredients must be mixed and baked until blackened. After that, the resulting mixture must be cooled and sieved. The product is stored in dense linen bags or glass jars.
• With cabbage leaves. Large cabbage leaves are used for this recipe. They need to be crushed and mixed with salt. Next, the mixture must be put on a baking sheet and cook until blackened. The prepared product also needs to be grinded and sent to a glass jar for storage.

Salt prepared on Maundy Thursday can be used in different ways.

• Against quarrels. If the inhabitants of the house constantly swear, a pinch of salt should be poured into every corner of the house. To make peace with your loved one, at night between the pillows you need to put a tightly tied bag with this seasoning.
• To attract wealth to the house, salt is poured into a wooden salt shaker. After that, it is left on the dining table. You shouldn't add it to your food.
• Against enemies. If an unpleasant person comes into the house, who clearly wishes evil to someone from home, after leaving him, you should throw a pinch of salt after him. This will protect from all the negativity coming from the outside.
• For protection. You can also make small personal amulets from Thursday salt for all family members. To do this, it is scattered into small bags. They can be carried with you or left where a person is most often.

Some people, after cleaning the house, try to appease the "keeper" of their home. A saucer of milk or cookies are left for the brownie. After he is asked for protection in any way. It is believed that after performing this simple ritual, the brownie better "fulfills its obligations."

To improve the financial situation of the family, a monetary ceremony can be carried out. So, some housewives on Thursday wash all doorways with money water. Coins and salt are added to the liquid. Such a ritual is believed to attract easy money.

The triple counting of money will also help to attract wealth. They are counted at sunrise, sunset and noon. You need to do this alone, focusing on your thoughts. You need to count all the cash in the house.

If a girl or woman wants to become pregnant in the near future, she needs to go to church that day, taking a bag of wheat with her. It is desirable that it be as close to the heart as possible, for example, in an inner pocket. In order for the pregnancy to pass without complications, it is recommended to add a little salt to the bathing water on this day.

There is also a separate ritual to fulfill your desires. On this day, you need to take a clean and never unused handkerchief. It must be placed on the table in front of you. Next, a person needs to make a wish by visualizing the desired picture.

Everything should be presented as clearly as possible. Then the fabric must be clenched in a fist and asked to fulfill the desire out loud. After that, the scarf needs to be tied with a knot. You need to carry it with you until your wish comes true. It is only worth guessing something good. In no case should you wish harm to other people.

In order to have harmony in the relationship, on Thursday from the house on this day it is necessary to throw out all the dishes with cracks and chips. You also need to get rid of broken or scratched mirrors. To enhance romantic feelings between spouses, you can carry out a ceremony with wedding rings. They should be put in a container of water in the evening. After that, you need to make a guess out loud so that peace and tranquility reign in the family. Both husband and wife should wash themselves with this water.

To attract love into her life, a girl on this day is recommended to use milk instead of water for washing. The rest of the used product should be given to the cats.The more pets come to the bowl, the higher the likelihood of getting married this year. To attract a man to your house, it is important to free up space for him in the room, that is, to allocate a separate shelf in the bathroom and closet. This can be done during cleaning, getting rid of things associated with the past.