Exaltation of the Holy Cross: when is the holiday, what can and cannot be donetranslated

After the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, one of the main church holidays in September is the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. It is one of the 12 most important holidays of the Orthodox calendar and is celebrated annually on September 27. People often call this day simply the Exaltation.

The holiday is dedicated to the discovery of the Cross on which, according to Christian tradition, Jesus Christ was crucified. We tell you what meaning is put into this day, what church and folk traditions are associated with it, as well as what signs and prohibitions exist.

History of the holiday

The Exaltation is considered one of the twelve feasts - important dates in the history of Christianity associated with the events of the earthly life of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary. But, to be more precise, the discovery of the cross occurred only 300 years after the crucifixion of Christ. The Roman Emperor Constantine the Great and his mother Queen Helena set out to find the cross. In 312, Emperor Constantine the Great defeated Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge. Before the battle, Constantine saw a sign in the sky in the form of a cross with the words “By this victory.” After the victory, Constantine converted to Christianity and began restoring Christian churches in the Roman Empire.…