Where to put the old willow after Palm Sunday? Where to put the old consecrated willow from last year before Palm Sunday? When is the willow blessed in church: on Saturday or Sunday.

March 31 and April 1, 2018 are important dates in the life of Orthodox Christians. These days mark two important events– Lazarus Saturday and the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. This holiday is popularly called Palm Sunday.

On Saturday evening, on the eve of Palm Sunday, they transform Orthodox churches. Because parishioners flock to the service and bring willow branches with them. Palm Sunday: when the willow tree is illuminated, on Saturday evening, immediately after church service. You can also consecrate the willow the next day.

Why willow

Where did the custom of consecrating the willow on this day come from and what does this custom mean? Everything came from the traditions of the Jewish people. It was customary for them to greet the victorious king, who entered the city, with palm branches and flowers. This is how Jesus, the king of heaven, was greeted. IN warm countries The custom of consecrating palm branches on this day has been preserved.

But, in Rus', a palm tree, especially early spring, it was impossible to find. Therefore, the branches of willow and willow, the first to produce buds, became a substitute for the symbolic palm branch. Therefore, now believers are wondering when to consecrate a willow, and not when to consecrate a palm tree.

The best time to consecrate a willow in 2018 is in the evening after Saturday service. Two thousand years have passed since Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem. But believers celebrate this year every year big holiday with branches, as it once was. The willow in Rus' has always been considered a symbol of spring, and thanks to Christianity it has also become a symbol of spiritual rebirth.

The consecration of the willow occurs during a festive service called All-Night Vigils. After reading the Gospel, the priests consecrate the willows with incense, read a prayer, and then sprinkle the branches with holy water.

Sometimes people worry whether the water actually got on the branches, and try to sprinkle them again and again. But every person must understand that the willow is sanctified not by water, but by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, it does not matter at all whether a drop of water fell on the willow or a liter of holy water was poured on it: all the consecrated branches brought from the temple can be considered a completed symbol of Palm Sunday.

If it was not possible to attend the service on Saturday evening, then re-consecration is carried out after the liturgy on the day of the holiday itself. Therefore, there are two times when the willow is illuminated: on Saturday evening or already on Sunday after festive liturgy.

It should also be remembered that the consecrated willow must be brought home and placed with the icons. It is believed that it has a magical effect and protects the house from troubles and misfortunes throughout the year. Old branches must be burned, taken back to the church, or thrown into a fast-flowing river.

When to light willow in 2018? This must be done either in the evening of Lazarus Saturday, March 31, or after the festive liturgy on the day of Palm Sunday itself - April 1.

The holiday of the Lord's Entry into Jerusalem is popularly called Palm Sunday, because on this holiday all people go to church with willow trees. During the all-night vigil, all the people in the temple stand with lit candles and willows decorated with flowers.

Why willow?

Saturday evening on the eve of the holiday Orthodox churches are being transformed. Parishioners, flocking in large numbers to the service, bring with them flowers and willow branches, so that the churches look like budding meadows. Where did this wonderful custom come from and what is its spiritual significance?

The Lord Jesus Christ entered the Holy City a few days before Your suffering and death. Here He completed his three-year ministry in the field of the Messiah. To the Jewish people, chosen by God in Old Testament, it was necessary to obtain from Christ Himself a testimony of His Divine Dignity. And so the Lord enters Jerusalem, accompanied by crowds of people.

People, feeling the greatness of what was happening, cried out to Christ from the abundance of their hearts: "Hosanna!"(which means “blessed”) and spread green palm branches on His path. For a long time, kings and great conquerors were greeted with such solemnity, and now the millennial aspiration of the Jews for the coming of an earthly King who would restore the throne of David was expressed in the laying of branches. The people could not understand that the Kingdom of Christ is not of this world...

Two thousand years have passed since then. But every year we, like the inhabitants of Jerusalem, come to meet Christ in churches with tree branches (according to Church Slavic - with “vayyami”). Palm trees do not grow in Russia, and other trees have not yet blossomed due to the severity of the climate; only willows are covered with delicate, hairy buds. The willow is a symbol of spring, the spiritual rebirth inherent in this time of year. It conceals leaves within itself, but does not yet let go, and thus makes it clear that our joy from the Feast of the Entry of the Lord is incomplete, but conceals within itself the beginnings of great Easter joy.

The blessing of willows happens on Saturday during the festive service - . After reading the Gospel, the priests burn the willows with fragrant incense, read a prayer and sprinkle the branches with holy water. Often parishioners worry whether holy water has gotten on the branches they brought and insist on sprinkling them again and again. But we must remember that the willow is sanctified by the grace of the Holy Spirit, therefore it does not matter whether a drop of holy water or a liter falls on the twig - the willow is sanctified. Usually the sprinkling is repeated on the day of the holiday itself, after the liturgy.

We bring the consecrated willows into our homes, where we keep them with reverence, as a sign of the penetrating grace of God, until next year. Then the branches are burned and replaced with new ones. (Konstantin Slepinin. Basics of Orthodoxy)

Palm Sunday is a Christian holiday that is usually celebrated on the last Sunday before Easter. On this day the Lord entered Jerusalem. The willow branch is a symbol of the victory of life over death. Since ancient times, it has been believed that prayers on Palm Sunday have great power, and they can change a person’s life for the better. Today much is known various signs, conspiracies and rituals that are also performed on this holiday.

What prayers should you read on Palm Sunday?

It is believed that the willow has magical properties, so it protects a person from various negativity and problems. That is why people kept the twigs consecrated in the church in their home throughout the year. On the Saturday before the holiday, you should cover all the corners of the house with old branches, thank them for your service, and then burn them.

Before going to church, you need to buy or break a new bouquet. During the service, the priest reads the Gospel, and then burns the willows and blesses the branches brought to the service. During this he reads the following prayer:

“These willows are sanctified by the Grace of the Holy Spirit. Amen".

This prayer can be read independently if it is not possible to go to church, but sprinkling willow is prohibited for women who have critical days. It is important not to give branches from your consecrated bouquet to anyone, as this can cause you to lose your happiness. Arriving home, they bless all household members with willow, for which they need to be lightly hit on the back. If you are interested in what prayer is read at home on Palm Sunday during this ritual, then it sounds like this:

“Willows xi, God forgive me.”

On this day, it is customary to perform various rituals that help with various life problems.

On Palm Sunday, you can perform a ritual that will help you not be afraid of any illnesses throughout the year. In the morning, on an empty stomach, you should eat three willow buds and wash them down with holy water. After this, it is worth reading a prayer for health:

“St. Paul waved the willow and drove away other people’s illnesses from me. Just as it is true that Palm Sunday is celebrated, it is also true that other people’s illnesses do not bother me. Amen".

If a person suffers from a headache, then he should comb his hair on this holiday, remove his hair from the comb and put it in water. Pour the liquid over the willow and say the following words:

“Water, go to the ground along with your headache.”

To get rid of fever, you should eat nine willow catkins.

If there are problems in financial sector and to attract wealth. It is necessary to place a blessed branch in the water and wait until it takes root. After that, drop her off on the street near the house and say this prayer on Palm Sunday for wealth:

“Az, servant of God (name), I plant a red willow and water it with spring water. As my willow grows, let my wealth grow too. Bless, Lord Jesus Christ and Ever-Virgin Mary! Amen".

The tree should be watered every day. If the willow dries up, then you can’t expect much profit and an improvement in your financial situation. The ritual can be repeated next year.

There is a simple ritual to strengthen love and improve family relationships. It is necessary to go to the service and consecrate the willow there. When you come home, place the branches behind the icon and say the Palm Sunday prayer for love:

“As long as the willow tree lies behind the icon, Until then my husband will not stop loving me, will not forget. Amen".

It is best not to remove the willow until the next holiday and not to touch it throughout the year. As for the icon, it is best to use the image, since these are the saints who are the patrons happy marriage. If this icon is not there, then use any other family image.

Signs for Faithful Sunday:

If a person worries for a long time because of some problem, then it is necessary to church holiday eat a willow bud.
To improve your financial situation, you should plant any indoor plant at home on Palm Sunday.
The wind on this day indicates that the weather will be like this all summer.
Bright sun means that this year there will be a rich harvest of cereals and fruits.
On Palm Sunday, you should bake nuts at home from dough and distribute them to all your loved ones, which is important for your health. Don't forget to treat your animals too.

Where to put willow branches after Palm Sunday?

Palm branch B Ancient Egypt And Ancient Greece symbolized victory, glory, health and longevity. The warriors of Ancient Hellas reported their victory by sending a messenger to their people with a palm branch.

Participants received a palm branch as a sign of victory Olympic Games. In the Roman Empire, palm branches were used as home decoration during the festival of Saturnalia. A palm branch was also left on the tombstones of valiant warriors and nobles.

In Jerusalem, the palm branch symbolized veneration: war heroes and representatives royal family greeted with palm branches.
Jesus was also greeted by the inhabitants with a palm branch when he arrived in Jerusalem, because they saw him as the Messiah, whom they knew about from prophecies.
According to Christian tradition, palm branches are a symbol of eternity, the victory of Christ over death.

Where to put the old consecrated willow from last year before Palm Sunday?

The absence of palm trees in Russia was compensated for by willow branches, which usually begin to bloom by Palm Sunday.

The service during the celebration (All-Night Vigil) of the day of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem on Saturday is accompanied by prayers and singing, during which the willow tree is blessed. This happens after the reading of the Gospel, when the 50th psalm of repentance is pronounced.

The priest sprinkles people who come to the temple on this day with holy water and reads a special prayer. The consecration of palm branches after the service does not make sense: it is important not to leave the church with a branch, but to defend the Liturgy with it.

With the consecrated willow, people receive help, because the text of the prayer is a request to observe and preserve the one who holds the twig in his hands.
Willow branches that were consecrated during the service are brought home to later be placed in a vase or attached to an icon.
Blessed willow branches are supposed to stand next to icons for a year until the next holiday.

Willow branches brought home after the service should not be thrown away with the rest of the garbage.
Last year's branches before Palm Sunday they burn it, taking the ashes to a place where no one walks. You can pour the ashes into the river (but not into standing water).
If willow branches that have taken root are planted in the ground, they will quickly take root if they are provided with abundant watering.

Where are blessed willow branches placed?

next to the icons
attached to crucifixes
placed near fireplaces, stoves
bring pets into stalls
left in vases with water

Children are “whipped” with blessed willow branches so that they grow up healthy

Palm branches, consecrated during the service, are a powerful protection against misfortunes, illnesses and troubles for the whole year. It is better to make room for fresh consecrated willow branches before going to church for a festive service or returning from church.

When does the willow bloom and bloom?

Holly willow is a wind-pollinated plant. Male flowers spread their pollen with the help of the wind, and thanks to the same wind, male pollen reaches female flowers.
Wind-pollinated plants flower before their leaves emerge. Air currents move near the flowers, carrying light grains of pollen, and the foliage does not interfere with pollination.
During the flowering period, willow catkins are abundantly covered with pollen, which attracts bees and bumblebees, which are in search of nectar boxes in early spring. That is why willow is classified as secondarily adapted to pollination by insects.
Willow shoots acquire a red-brown color in April or early May due to the films that appear on the flower buds, which have a reddish tint.
After this, delicate grayish-white fluffs appear on the branches. These are male willow flowers. They are collected in earrings.
Long stamens with pollen soon appear from them and the gray fluffs turn into yellow. Willow buds from gray sheep turn into tiny chickens. By May-June, Norway willow begins to form seeds.

When should you pick willow on Palm Sunday?

The flowering period of the holly willow falls on Palm Sunday. On the eve of the Day of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, namely on Lazarus Saturday before Palm Sunday, willows are to be plucked for consecration.

How to preserve willow until Palm Sunday?

If you stocked up on willow branches on the eve of the holiday or a few days before it, then place the branches in water. This way the blooming fluffy buds will not dry out or wither.

How to decorate a willow tree with your own hands for a church?

If you decide to decorate palm branches for the holiday with your own hands, then look at the photo selection presented below. You will find many wonderful options here.

Willow branches look beautiful with the first spring flowers: tulips, daffodils.

Having collected a whole bouquet of willow twigs with your own hands, you can wrap it with ribbon or twine, and use it as an additional decorative element. tiny birds or Easter bunnies.

You can weave a wreath or basket from artificial willow branches and put small decorative eggs in it.

When is the willow blessed in church: on Saturday or Sunday?

The festive service takes place on Saturday night. During the service, the priest reads a prayer and sprinkles holy water on the people who come to church.
If you come to church without symbolic branches, then after the service you can take a consecrated willow with you - a sign of readiness to meet the Savior.
In this case, what is important is not how much holy water fell on the willow, but that it was sanctified by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

What to do with the consecrated willow after the holiday?

Some Orthodox Christians do not know what to do with willow branches brought from the temple. Ordinary twigs plucked the day before become a shrine that recalls the solemn appearance of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem.

But besides this, willow branches brought from the church retain their magical qualities all year round, which is why it is so important to keep them in the house until next spring:

Willow twigs are used to decorate rooms
Willow twigs, along with other flowers, are used in flower arrangements, and bouquets are made from them
consecrated willow branches can be used to cleanse the house of evil (the branches are set on fire and carried around the house, while saying a prayer)
for the same purpose, willow branches are burned in the oven when baking Easter cakes
after the willow has fulfilled its functions, it can be taken to the temple (there they will slowly burn it while reading prayers)
they sweep the corners with last year's willow branches, and, after saying words of gratitude for the service, throw them into the fire
So that the children grew up and did not get sick, adults jokingly beat them with willow branches
willow branches preserved from the last Palm Sunday can be burned by pouring the ashes where no one walks (for example, under a tree in the garden or in the forest, the ashes are often thrown into a flowing river)
willow branches are floated downstream of water or stream

How long should a willow tree stand after Palm Sunday?

Willow branches brought home at the end of the service are placed in the places where the icons stand. There they must remain for a whole year until next spring. And so that the branches last a long time and do not fall off, place them in an empty, dry vase.
If you didn’t go to church on Palm Sunday and you don’t have fresh willow branches in your house, then you can leave last year’s ones. They will stand for another year, showing their wonderful properties.

How many willow branches should you put at home?

Since willow branches are a symbolic reminder of the meeting with the Savior, there is no definite answer to the question of how many willow branches you should take with you to worship.
Believers choose the number of branches for themselves
they take an unpaired number of branches, they take as many branches as there are members of the family.

How to consecrate willow at home?

If you were unable to visit the temple on Palm Sunday or did not have the opportunity to ask someone you know to bring you blessed willow branches after the service, then consecrate them yourself. Holy water is used for this.

The crumbled willow “seals” from the blessed bouquets should be collected and placed where the rest of the willow branches are.
And only before the onset of Palm Sunday, twigs and fallen buds can be burned so that their place can be taken by fresh blossoming willow.

Is it possible to plant consecrated willow on the site?

Sprouted willow branches that have been standing for a long time in a vase of water can be planted in the ground, but not in the yard (it is better to plant them near a river or in the forest, because it is believed that the person who planted the willow will die as soon as a shovel can be made from the branch).

Video: Willow/To light or not to light/Where to put an old willow/Palm Sunday

This is usually done on Lazarus Saturday, before Palm Sunday. It is celebrated a week before Easter, as well as the next day. In 2017, Lazarus Saturday falls on April 8, but those who did not have time to consecrate the willow need to go to the temple and do it on Sunday. It is better to find out in advance at the temple what time it costs to come to illuminate the willow tree, since the time is different in all temples. You can find out exactly when willow is blessed in a church from the priest or parishioners who often attend services. Usually these are women of retirement age who do not miss a single service. On the eve of the holiday, the priest usually tells you when to illuminate the willow tree and what time to come to the temple. Some parishes write a large announcement. In any case, information is available almost everywhere.

Why is the willow blessed?

This tradition is associated with Christian holiday when Jesus came to Jerusalem on a donkey and everyone revered him and laid palm branches and flowers at his feet. However, since palm trees do not grow in our country, we used willow branches. In spring it is one of the first trees to grow leaves. Sometimes willow with cones is used. There is no fundamental difference in what exactly to choose for lighting. The main thing is the very appearance of a person in the temple and the fact that he decided to consecrate the willow.

Many people attend church services on this day. However, not everyone will be able to endure a two-hour service due to health reasons. It is for this reason that people working on this day are those who are busy various matters or worries, they can simply come only for consecration. To do this, you need to buy a candle in the temple, make a small feasible donation to the temple, buy a willow and stand in line with other believers. When the priest appears, you need to light a church candle and offer him a willow so that drops of water fall on it. After the priest leaves, you need to go home with the willow. Good omen, if you can carry the candle home without it going out. It is believed that after this there will be grace from the temple in the house, and no one will get sick for a year.

It should not be thrown away under any circumstances. During the year, the dried branches are stored until the next Palm Sunday. On the day you brought the branches home, you need to put them in a vase and place them on the table or in the red corner with icons. After this, all family members or religious guests sit down to celebrate the holiday.

On Palm Sunday, fasting is relaxed: you can drink moderate amounts of wine and eat fish and seafood. However, you should not eat cottage cheese, milk, eggs or cream for another week. A fish table can also be very tasty and healthy. Here are the main dishes and products that can take place on the holiday table.

1. Dried pike perch. It can be used as an addition to potato dishes. It is very tasty and goes well with a variety of foods.
2. Mussels in oil. Can be used as a stand-alone snack or simply an addition to various salads and appetizers. They have a bright taste and add piquancy to any salad.
3. Red fish steak garlic sauce. Appetizing and very delicious dish instant cooking for microwave. You just need to heat the steak for 5 - 10 minutes so that its aroma can be heard in the room, then buy creamy garlic or cheese sauce, squeeze some garlic into it and add chopped olives. Serve in portions as a separate dish. Sets of such steaks are available in supermarkets and large hypermarkets. They can be used to prepare a delicious dinner for the whole family. This fish is rich in various amino acids and omega-3, which allows you to restore strength before the end of the fast.
4. Crab sticks. You can use them as an independent dish or simply add them to your favorite salad. The dish will be very tasty and appetizing with them. They go well with rice, dill, canned corn and soy sauce.
5. Shrimp. Can be used as an independent dish (shish kebab in the microwave), fried in a frying pan, or simply boiled in dill, like crayfish. An excellent dish that gives you a feeling of fullness and at the same time normalizes the level of protein in the body.
6. Fish baked with spices. A wonderful holiday dish on its own. There are many Lenten recipes How to cook it quickly and efficiently.
7. Wine. From alcoholic drinks, on Palm Sunday it is best to use red wine, expensive champagne or liqueur.

What not to do with willow

First of all, consecrated branches should not be thrown into the trash bin or given as a gift, especially to strangers. Otherwise, grace may leave the house. The willow, which has already stood in the house for a year, is not thrown into the trash, but burned in a fire, like many holy things and objects. It should not be given to small children or used for household needs. What else you can’t do on this day - read our article