Every year on July 12 Orthodoxy recalls the Apostles Peter and Paul, the disciples and followers of the faith of Jesus Christ. St. Peter's Day refers to the great Christian holidays, its origins dates back to the Roman Empire. What signs are there for the feast of St. Peter and Paul, what to do in this day, and that is strictly prohibited, check out this article.
Day Peter and Paul is popularly called simply Peter's Day or Petrovka, the full name of the great Christian feast day holy, glorious and vsehvalnyh Apostles Peter and Paul. St. Peter's Day is celebrated every year on the same day - July 12 Orthodox and 29 June Catholics. According to legend it was the same day, July 12, the apostles Peter and Paul were martyred for their faith in Christ. Feast of St. Peter and Paul preceded Petrov post.
Holy Apostles Peter and Paul
Saints Peter and Paul have long been highly revered by the people, especially fishermen and sailors, because Peter was a fisherman himself. In general, it happened to the people that Peter the Great privechali and loved than Paul, and often turned to him for help in their prayers.
On this day the Church celebrates the spiritual hardness of the Peter and Paul's mind. The apostle Peter also sing the way turned away from the Lord and repent in Paul - way of resisting the preaching of the Lord, and then believed.
On the icons of the Apostle Peter is often depicted with keys: sometimes one, sometimes two - gold and silver, they symbolize the power of temporal and spiritual power. The people believe that Peter opens the gates of heaven, but not all - he decides what kind soul allowed into heaven, and what not. Here is what is said in the Gospel:
«When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man... And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art - the Christ, the Son of the living God. Then Jesus said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon... and I tell you, you - Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it; And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven».
St. Paul often depicted with a book, or scroll, sword in hand. Books and scrolls refer us to the 14 letters written by the holy Apostle Paul, but the way of the sword - a symbol of the word of God, for in his letter to the Hebrews St. Paul wrote: "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and judges the thoughts and intents heart "
Folk omens on Petrovka - the crown of the summer
The people July 12 - the crown of the summer, which seems to divide it in half. As with all holidays, Christianity is closely interwoven with pagan rites and rituals, and so on Petrovka the people have their own customs and traditions.
Petrovka holiday finishes year cycle of national holidays, which was preceded by the holidays Agrafena Globeflowers and Midsummer. Petrovka celebrate the flowering of the natural forces of the summer, after summer they turn back, turn begins to fall.
Our ancestors organized spree Petrovka: circle dances, sang songs, undertaken a game, guessing, fun, preparing special dishes petrovok ritual.
Petrov Day: custom, signs and traditions
In people, this day was considered a full flowering of natural forces, "tip" of the summer, when the hot days and forty come into force.
In Peter's day the faithful should go to the church to attend the service, light candles and pray in front of the icons of the apostles.
It is believed that on July 12 the sun has incredible power and gives it all life on earth - both people and nature. On this day, we guarded the sun - young people going into the field before dawn, waiting for the onset of light. It is interesting that initially the custom existed to repel the mermaids, who with their pranks harming the crops in the fields.
Faced with the sun and bathe in its rays, the youth began the first celebrations at Petrovka - guessing at the birches, weaving wreaths, sang merry songs, and remember goddess Lada, It was called St. Peter's Day.
On the day of Peter and Paul had never worked in the field, was believed to the ears of rye, wheat and other cereals are gaining weight today, and if they are disturbed, the grain is small.
Petrovka - line, which separates the summer work in two halves. after the holiday began preparations for haymaking and harvest.
July 12 housewives cook hearty meat dishes, baked cakes, cooked a variety of dishes. St. Peter's Day evening grandiose feast, which razgovevalis after Petrov's post.
In every town and village in the meat necessarily spend more fair, which was called "Peter".
Fortune telling on St. Peter's Day
Divination by the birch. Unmarried girls on Petrovka, as well as the Trinity "braided birch": wove branches in pigtail a ribbon (usually red) and make a wish, while repeating: "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. " Three days later the girl again came to the birch and watched - if the braid is not withered and not disbanded, the wish will come true. "Birch plait" after divination necessarily dissolved.
How to see a prophetic dream and her spouse. In Peter's day the girl collected 12 flowers from 12 fields and put under his head, firmly zazhmurivali eyes, saying: "Twelve colors from different fields, twelve fellows! Who betrothed-disguised, show me and I see. " The same grass girls put under the pillow at night to see her spouse: "narrowing-disguised, come into my garden for a walk!". For prophetic dreams under my pillow and put plantain with the words: "Triputnik-poputnik, you live by the way, you see both young and old, tell my future husband!".
Folk omens in St. Peter's Day
By the signs on the day of Peter and Paul, people treated with special attention, because after that day began time to haying and predugodat rainy or cloudy days it was very important.
- Prepare sickles on St. Peter's Day - started mowing the grass after that day.
- If Petrov day rain, the hay will be tough, but the harvest plentiful.
- If Peter and Paul rain - corn freak.
- On St. Peter's Day rain, the harvest is not thin, two rain - good, but three - the rich.
- On St. Peter's Day - ear on Ilyin - Kolob.
- If rubbed with millet with the spoon, it will be in the spoon.
- Peter and Paul added heat - begins the hottest summer days.
- Day decreases the heat arrives.
- How come Petro, and it will be warm.
- Come Petroc - picks a leaf. With Peter and Paul began to fall from the trees leaves.
- Peter and Paul turned down the day, as the day was already on the wane.
- If bread freaks, neither Peter nor Paul will not take away the harvest.
- If the cuckoo bird cuckoo week before St. Peter's day - winter will come early, if the week after - winter will be late.
- Petrovka cold - the year of the hungry.
- If on St. Peter's Day - the heat, then for Christmas - the frost.
