Holy Thursday is celebrated three days before the Easter Sunday. The customs and traditions of Maundy Thursday, preceding Good Friday, are aimed at purification not only of home but also of the soul. It is believed that on this day Christians must “leave” their fears, problems, and wicked thoughts. Such a “burden” shouldn’t be carried on shoulders in the bright holiday of Easter. In addition, Sheer Thursday has a great magic force as well as many interesting traditions and customs.
Bathe before dawn
Get up before sunrise and take a shower. Water at this time has healing properties – it washes away diseases and sins. Ukrainian ancestors were convinced that by following this tradition you’ll have a happy and successful year until the next Great and Holy Thursday. You will also purify your soul and body.
Finish bathing by rinsing yourself with cold water. Before washing up, put a silver coin or a spoon up in a basin with water. According to the belief, such washing will give you good health and beauty. If you have a silver basin at home, pour water for washing there. All family members should use this basin to wash up.
Clean your house
Of course, Holy Thursday is the day of house cleaning and washing. Neither on Friday nor on Saturday, you should not do any household chores, otherwise “dust and dirt strike the eyes of Jesus.”
If you thoroughly clean your house, there will be joy in it. Do not be lazy to wash windows, doors, walls, floors, and ceilings, beat carpets and rugs, wash curtains and other textiles. When you make a complete spring cleaning, then it is easier and more pleasant to live in your house. That’s why, it is necessary to take out all garbage, rubbish, and web from the house and throw it away together with the negative energy that accumulated during the year.
Bake Easter bread and dye Easter eggs
In Orthodoxy, it is forbidden to begin baking the Easter bread and painting the eggs on Holy Thursday until your house is cleaned. At first you clean and only after that, you cook. From the very morning, the goodwife kneads the dough and leaves it “to rise.” And closer to the evening, after reading the prayer, she proceeds with baking.
To bake good Easter bread you should try to keep a good mood while cooking and think only about positive things. By the way, there is one more belief connected with Easter bakery: you’ll have as happy and banner year as good and yummy your Easter bread will taste.
Visit the church
This will help purify your soul from sins. On Holy Thursday, you need to visit the church service to confess and partake. On this day church services are devoted to memories of the earthly sufferings of Christ in the name of our salvation.
What is forbidden to do on Maundy Thursday
- On Great and Holy Thursday, in no case, you should leave dirty dishes or dirty laundry till the morning. After a spring cleaning the left dirty water where the negative energy is accumulated is not allowed to be poured out within the home. Pour it out in places where nothing grows.
- Also, since Sheer Thursday is one of the days of Holy Week, you should follow strict fasting. It is forbidden to eat the food of animal origin (milk, meat, fish, and eggs), as well as heat-treated food and vegetable oil.
- In Maundy Thursday it’s absolutely forbidden to borrow and lend money. People say that in this way you give away your happiness and well-being. On this say it is also not recommended to give away the money taken earlier.
- It is forbidden to bring any valuable things out of the house. Use only your own cookware. Do not lend your kitchen utensils to your neighbors or relatives.
Folk sayings
- Good, sunny weather on Holy Thursday is the forerunner of the warmth for the remaining spring. Rain says that the cold will last until the summer.
- On Maundy Thursday cook the Thursday’s salt – bake the usual salt in a stove and then consecrate it in the church. Thursday’s salt has a lot of healing properties.
- On this day you can attract wealth and success. And it absolutely easy to do this: you just need to rearrange the furniture.
- In addition, in order to make money always be in your home throughout the year, you can hold the next ritual. Count all your money three times during Great and Holy Thursday: in the morning before sunrise, at dinnertime and in the evening after sunset. Nobody should see you while doing this. Otherwise, the ritual will not work. Such a sign will “draw” prosperity and well-being to your family.
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