August 14/1 – Origin (destruction) of the Honest Trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lordtranslated

The Origin of the Trees of the Cross" means, in essence, a religious procession.

In the Greek Book of Hours of 1897, the appearance of this holiday is explained as follows: “Due to illnesses, which occurred very often in August, from ancient times the custom was established in Constantinople to wear the Venerable Tree of the Cross on roads and streets to consecrate places and to ward off illnesses. The day before, having worn it out of the royal treasury, it was placed at the holy meal of the Great Church (in honor of St. Sophia the Wisdom of God). From this day onwards, until the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, performing litias throughout the city, they then offered it to the people for worship. This is the origin of the Holy Cross.”

In the Russian Orthodox Church, this holiday is combined with the remembrance of the Baptism of Rus' in 988. The mention of the day of the Baptism of Rus' was preserved in the Chronographs of the 16th century: “The Great Prince Vladimir of Kiev and all Rus' of August I was baptized.” In the “Tale of the Effective Rites of the Holy Conciliar and Apostolic Great Church of the Assumption,” compiled in 1627 at the behest of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Philaret, the following explanation of the holiday on August 1 is given: “And on the origin on the day of the Holy Cross there is a process of consecration for the sake of water and enlightenment for the sake of humanity, for all...