Nativity of the Virgin Mary on September 21: what to do and what to avoidtranslated

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the most significant Orthodox holidays. It belongs to the twelve, that is, one of the 12 most important after Easter. People call this day the Second (Small) Most Pure Day. This day is dedicated to the birth of the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ. Find out what customs and prohibitions our ancestors adhered to on this day.

The Virgin Mary was born into the family of Joachim and Anna in Jerusalem. They were an elderly and childless couple and in those days were considered punished by God because they had no children. Once Joachim was even forbidden to make a sacrifice to God in honor of a great holiday. After this, Joachim went into the desert and began to pray there and ask the Lord for children. An Angel appeared to him and his wife, who remained at home, announcing the imminent appearance of their daughter. Anna and Joachim made a vow that they would dedicate their daughter to the Lord.

Starting from the 6th century, the Nativity of the Virgin Mary began to be celebrated as a great holiday. On this day, believers in festive clothes come to churches, where solemn services are performed. All believers glorify the wonderful day when the Lord gave people hope for the Savior to come into the world. Also for the holiday they baked special bread with the letters “P” and “B”, which meant...