Is it possible to go to the bathhouse on Easter and when is it better to wash?

Many believers are not as religious as they would like. And they know some foundations and traditions only from the lips of familiar rituals that have developed in a particular family. Doubts as to whether they are actually behaving correctly can arise at any moment. For example, regarding the bathhouse on the eve of Easter.

In the old days, a house without a bath is considered not a house. And, of course, the washing process was almost solemn, full of rituals. But you need to understand that it was not easy to heat the bathhouse: just apply water alone and you will get tired. It is logical that before the holiday the process took on a special scope: on special days I wanted to prepare in a special way, to cleanse myself in the literal sense of the word. Easter is one of the most important holidays, and it was also necessary to meet it clean.

However, in the 17th century, by royal decree, on the eve of a church holiday (any, not only Easter), the baths were closed.... And this was explained by the same waste of time that was inevitable when heating a bath. Apply water, chop wood, prepare brooms, herbal decoctions, turn on the heat. If you do all this, you may not be in time for the service. And during especially important divine services, hard work was completely forbidden, and the heating of a bathhouse is just such a thing. This is the reason for the ban. Once again, I would like to note: this applied not only to Easter, but also to other church holidays.

But Maundy Thursday was considered mandatory for cleaning, including bodily cleanliness. It was a fertile time for cleaning the house, for washing floors and bathing as well. But Sunday is a special, festive day. Easter always falls on this day. It was especially bad omen to go to the bathhouse after midnight: this was considered a sin, and a person who decided to do so was “sentenced” to illness.It was believed that he really would be sick a lot.

But on Thursday and Saturday you can go to the bathhouse. There was one more restriction, and this is no longer connected with the decrees of the tsar: it was believed that a bathhouse lived in the bathhouse. This is the so-called bath house. And he establishes his own rules: if you disobey him, you will not be good. And they were afraid to disobey the bannik: for disobedience, he could punish him with death. That is why it was impossible to go to the bathhouse on Easter before.

The most interesting thing is that the opinions of the spiritual fathers themselves differ. There are those among them who strongly advise against washing either on the holy day itself (this is quite understandable), or on the eve, on Saturday evening. And they say that it is better to clean both the house and yourself on Maundy Thursday. This recommendation, however, is clear to everyone. But clergymen also take into account modernity, innovations and human capabilities. People began to live more comfortably, the heating of a bath now does not take so much time: it is quite possible to wash and be in time for service.

In short, this is what the priestly advice looks like.

• It is impossible to replace the divine service with some simple everyday activity, which can be calmly postponed to another time.... If a person has a work shift, that's one thing. But if he just decided to wash, and not go to the service, for a church-going it is wrong. Better to wash on Thursday, at least on Saturday morning. But so that these actions do not interfere with celebrating the Orthodox holiday as it should be.
• Attending a service is a work of the soul. And it requires mental preparation. First of all, concentration on the upcoming holiday, on prayer. And after bathing worries, this may simply not be enough energy. A person will get tired, want to go to bed early, his thoughts will be about worldly things. This is why the sauna idea is not so good even on the eve of the holiday.
• It is better if cleaning and bathing are carried out on the same day. And Maundy Thursday is more suitable for that. After all, in the morning you can devote a day to cleaning your home. Start with the little things: for example, wash the dishes (pans, pots, stove), then the kitchen as a whole. Then the rest of the rooms. At the same time, you can load the washing machine with work. And in the evening, when the house is polished to a shine, you can go swimming. This will be pleasant, because the body, after worries about cleaning, will want to relax: a bath or just a hot bath will fully contribute to this.

You can add to this another moment: they say that first you need to put things in order around yourself, and then, you see, everything will settle down in your head. And rightly so: having done all the basic household chores, it is easier to focus on the preparations for the holiday.

There are no special traditions, they are all described above. Probably, the main tradition can be reduced to washing on Maundy Thursday. But there are also exceptions. For example, a person was on the night shift, came home on Sunday morning and really wants to wash after work, because he cannot meet the holiday neat enough. It will not be a sin to fulfill your desire. But then it should not be washing for pleasure, but washing with the aim of simply becoming pure. And sit down at the festive table clean, smart, tidy.

There is no need for anyone to go to the bathhouse itself on Sunday, because it is no longer a matter of cleanliness, but of the procedure itself, which becomes more of a pleasure than a necessity. A person can postpone the bath on the second day after Easter, and let the Resurrection of Christ be celebrated for another week, yet it is not sinful to go to steam on Monday.

Here are some more tips on how to visit the bathhouse before Easter.

• You should not associate a trip to the place of ablution with fortune-telling, divination and other similar rituals that the church categorically does not welcome. Even a joke like using herbs to brew a love spell will definitely be inappropriate.
• Some people want to put on new clothes (or just new underwear) after a bath on Maundy Thursday, embodying new life, cleansing. And this tradition is quite good, it sets a person up for a holiday, allows him to feel even more joy and goodness.
• It is better if the bath is not associated with drinking alcohol after or just some noisy gatherings... Before a special holiday, this is inappropriate. And it is better to spend this time in silence, without unnecessary amusement. Joy can be quiet.
• If it seems that the bathing procedures on Thursday are not enough, you can take a quick shower on Saturday evening. But so that it does not distract from the preparations for the holiday, from the Easter worries that are pleasant and important for a religious person.