The history of baptism: how they were baptized in the Ancient Church. Farewell to the deceased

The baptism rite of Rus' briefly

The baptism rite of Rus'. Most often, this term refers to the baptismal rite of Kiev residents, which official history dates back to 988.

Background

Having departed for Chersonesus (Korsun) to marry the sister of the Byzantine emperors Anna, Vladimir Svyatoslavovich and his squad accepted Christianity right there. According to the chronicle, this happened in the font of one of the city cathedrals, located in the very heart of the city, where merchants gathered.
At baptism Kyiv prince was named Vasily, and one of the emperors of Byzantium became his godfather, according to the custom existing at that time.
After returning to Kyiv, as the chronicler Nestor narrates, the prince, first of all, began to destroy pagan idols. So, he ordered the statue of Perun, whom he himself some time ago proclaimed to be the supreme deity, to be thrown off the pedestal. Slavic pantheon, beat him with sticks, and then tie him to a horse’s tail, lower him to the bank of the Dnieper and throw him into the water.
All this was done for a reason. The prince pursued the goal of discrediting pagan gods(to show that they cannot stand up for themselves and take revenge for insult and humiliation) in the eyes of their compatriots and psychologically prepare the people for the transition to another faith.

In the waters of Pochayna

After the massacre of the idols of the pagan gods, Vladimir sent his entourage to convene the entire people of Kiev to perform the baptismal ceremony.
The most significant and widespread ceremony within the framework of the baptism of Rus' took place in the waters at the confluence of the Dnieper and one of its right tributaries - the Pochayna.

On the appointed day, from early morning, almost all the residents of Kyiv, young and old, gathered on the shore. The priests who came with Princess Anna from Constantinople and Korsun, as well as Vladimir himself and his warriors and associates, who had already converted to Christianity, prepared for this important event in advance.
In the morning they served solemn liturgy and then procession, holding banners and icons in their hands, they went to the meeting place of the people of Kiev.

The pagans, gathered at the foot of a small mountain, which would later be called Vladimir Hill, entered the water, as the chronicle testifies, up to their chests, others up to their necks. Many were holding children in their arms.
The priests began to read prayers. The smell of incense wafted across the river. Few of those gathered here understood the meaning of the ritual, and practically no one knew how and what to do.
Vladimir himself watched everything that happened from a hill.
Finally, the priests allowed everyone to leave the water - the ceremony was completed. Everyone, wet and still not fully understanding what happened, goes home. Now they are all Christians and they have to learn to live according to new laws and canons, forgetting all their former gods.

On the eve of the holiday, we will try to talk about the history, meaning and traditions of the baptism of the Lord as an important Christian holiday, as well as about the celebration of the Epiphany of the Lord in various churches. We have already talked about, so today we will talk only about this one thing.

The history of the origin of the holiday of baptism

On the night of January 18-19, the Christian world celebrates one of the most important and ancient holidays - Epiphany. This holiday in Orthodoxy began to be celebrated before the Nativity of Christ.

This event - the Baptism of the Lord - refers to the Gospel story, when Jesus Christ was baptized by John the Baptist in the waters of the Jordan River. The three Synoptic Gospels say that during Jesus’ baptism the Holy Spirit descended from heaven in the form of a dove and at the same time a voice from heaven proclaimed: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matt. 3:17).

When is Orthodox baptism celebrated?

In the Russian Orthodox Church, which adheres to Julian calendar, the feast of Epiphany is celebrated on January 19th. This holiday is tied to the ancient date of the celebration of Epiphany, that is, to January 6 in the ancient Eastern churches.

That is, not only the Baptism of Jesus Christ is celebrated, but his Birth is also remembered. Both of these holidays make up a single holiday of Epiphany.

In Orthodoxy, the feast of Epiphany is one of the twelve holidays and ends with Christmastide. About Christmastide and sowing, we By the way, we have already written a separate article, which we also recommend that you re-read.

Well, for baptism itself, since ancient times, the water collected on this day has been especially revered. It acquires wonderful properties and can remain fresh and clean for a long time.

John Chrysostom in his sermon in 387 said: “On this holiday, everyone, having drawn water, brings it home and keeps it all year long, since today the waters are blessed; and a clear sign occurs: this water in its essence does not deteriorate over time, but, drawn today, it remains intact and fresh for a whole year, and often two and three years.”

How the Feast of Epiphany is celebrated in different churches

In Russia, there are traditionally severe frosts on the Epiphany holiday. Therefore, they are usually called “baptismal”. And, despite the winter cold, on this holiday it is customary to bless water in open reservoirs.

To do this, a hole in the shape of a cross is most often cut out, it is called "Jordan". To gain God's special grace and to be healthy all year round, believers plunge into the Jordan while performing prayers.

Why do they bathe at baptism?

IN Old Testament it was said that Epiphany water washes away all the bad in a person and gives rise to good. "Baptism" literally means "immersion in water".

In ancient times, before the emergence of Christianity in Rus', ablution rituals were used for moral purification. And already in the New Testament, baptism with water symbolizes deliverance from sins and the revival of a pure spiritual life.

By folk beliefs All evil spirits go to Jordan on this holiday. At the same time, the Feast of Epiphany marks the end of Christmastide, which lasted 12 days. Despite church prohibitions, it is common among people to tell fortunes on Epiphany evening.

Traditions of celebrating baptism in Europe and in the world

IN European countries It is also customary to celebrate the feast of Epiphany. So in Bulgaria this holiday is called “Jordanovden”, and in Macedonia it is called “Voditsa”.

In the churches of these states, traditionally, after the blessing of water in the temple, a solemn procession is made to the reservoir. After the blessing of water, it is customary to throw a wooden cross into the hole. Believers try to dive for the cross and catch it. Retrieving the cross from the water is considered an honorable mission.

Also, it is not strange, but in India there is a holiday when the water becomes especially consecrated on close dates (+- month), at this time there are also holidays all over India and people take baths in the thousands, of course, in warm water.

Traditions of meeting and celebrating the holiday of Epiphany in Rus'

On the eve of the holiday of Epiphany in Rus' or Epiphany on January 18, all Orthodox Christians observe a strict one-day fast.

All day long it is customary to eat only kutya and lean flatbreads prepared in hemp oil, which are called “ very juicy».

What needs to be done in the house on this day general cleaning. All corners in the house are washed with special care and the garbage is taken out. After this, you need to go to the temple and bless the water. This water is used to treat diseases of the soul and body.

How to bathe and immerse yourself at baptism

There is another Epiphany tradition– swimming in Jordan. So, what is the correct way to immerse yourself at baptism? You need to plunge into wormwood three times. And it is believed that such immersion helps to wash away all sins and illnesses, and also helps a sinful person to be born again and appear before the Lord clean and born again.

In addition, for this holiday, after fasting, housewives set a rich table with treats of meat, honey and baked goods. The main dish on the table was to eat cookies in the shape of crosses and wash it down with blessed water.

And, of course, the most important thing is that on the feast of baptism all Christians tried to offer prayers to the Lord. Indeed, on this day, according to tradition, it is believed that the heavens open for blessing, and all sincere prayers will certainly be heard by the Lord and, of course, will come true.

This beloved holiday of the Epiphany is approaching. May he bring peace, happiness, health and prosperity to the homes of not only Christian believers, but also of all the peoples of Europe and Russia.

And also do not forget to visit our Training and Self-Development portal more often, read other articles on Christian theme, about religious holidays, about self-development and other similar topics.

Today, baptism is something that Christians take for granted. A baby was born, reached a certain age, they brought him to the temple, put him on christening set for newborn and did something familiar to everyone Orthodox rite. But it wasn't always like this. Baptism has its own history, its own development and its own dynamic traditions.

The first baptized in Rus'

Data about the first people who accepted this sacrament are contradictory and varied. Some argue that Askold and Dir were baptized with a certain number of people during the campaign against Constantinople. Others talk about later events.

The Russian diocese was already included in the list of bishops of Constantinople at the end of the 9th century.

According to official data, one of the first to be baptized was Princess Olga. It was she who instilled in her grandson Vladimir the Great the Orthodox faith and love for To the One God.

The mass baptism of the people in the chronicles is listed in the year 988. This year is considered the birth of the Russian Church. It was in this year that Christianity became the official religion Kievan Rus.

Along with the advent of a new era, on the orders of Vladimir the Great, the destruction of the old began. Idols were destroyed, rituals were abolished. The educational work of the common people began.

Spreading Orthodox faith

However, Christianization continued for another nine centuries. Some peoples reacted negatively to the arrival of the new religion, which led to a number of negative aspects: repression, forced baptism, bans on past traditions.

The adoption of Christianity also had political significance. The entire civilized world preached Christianity. There was no serious and trusting attitude towards the pagans. However, after the split of the Church into Western and Eastern, the division into two camps began: with centers in Rome and Constantinople.

Development of traditions

Over time, traditions also changed. Classical immersion in water was established by John the Baptist, even before the baptism of Jesus Christ. A certain time for baptism and certain procedures were established.

One of the most important attributes of baptism were baptismal dresses and pectoral crosses. They were kept all their lives and were supposed to protect and preserve their owners.

Simultaneously with baptism, the person was given a name according to the day baby baptism. On this day the name day is celebrated (now - the day of the angel). Every child must be baptized, so he receives his Guardian Angel.

Through thorns, to the stars

With the Bolsheviks coming to power, the church became a negative phenomenon. Temples were burned, clergy were repressed, and religion was proclaimed “the opium of the people.”

And yet, true believers, despite the prohibitions, continued to perform rituals. The faith was passed down from generation to generation. Some temples continued to exist, although they were taken under government control.

With the beginning of perestroika, church activity resumed. Russian Orthodox Church gained state status. And on June 1, 2010, July 28 officially became the Day of the Baptism of Rus'.

The baptism rite of Rus'. Most often, this term refers to the baptismal rite of Kiev residents, which official history dates back to 988.

Background

Having departed for Chersonesus (Korsun) to marry the sister of the Byzantine emperors Anna, Vladimir Svyatoslavovich and his squad accepted Christianity right there. According to the chronicle, this happened in the font of one of the city cathedrals, located in the very heart of the city, where merchants gathered.
At baptism, the Kiev prince was named Vasily, and one of the emperors of Byzantium became his godfather, according to the custom existing at that time.
After returning to Kyiv, as the chronicler Nestor narrates, the prince, first of all, began to destroy pagan idols. So, he ordered the statue of Perun, whom he himself some time ago had proclaimed as the supreme deity of the Slavic pantheon, to be thrown off its pedestal, beaten with sticks, and then tied to a horse’s tail, lowered to the bank of the Dnieper and thrown into the water.
All this was done for a reason. The prince pursued the goal of discrediting the pagan gods (to show that they could not stand up for themselves and take revenge for insult and humiliation) in the eyes of his compatriots and psychologically prepare the people for the transition to another faith.

In the waters of Pochayna

After the massacre of the idols of the pagan gods, Vladimir sent his entourage to convene the entire people of Kiev to perform the baptismal ceremony.
The most significant and massive ceremony within the framework of the baptism of Rus' took place in the waters at the confluence of the Dnieper and one of its right tributaries - the Pochayna.

On the appointed day, from early morning, almost all the residents of Kyiv, young and old, gathered on the shore. The priests who arrived with Princess Anna from Constantinople and Korsun, as well as Vladimir himself and his warriors and associates who had already converted to Christianity, prepared for this important event in advance.
In the morning they served a solemn liturgy, and then in a religious procession, holding banners and icons in their hands, they went to the meeting place of the Kievites.

The baptism of a child is the most important rite in the life of every Russian person, this has been the case from time immemorial. IN Ancient Rus' The rite of infant baptism was of great importance both for the child and for his future parents. They tried to baptize as quickly as possible, because the death of an unbaptized baby was the greatest tragedy for the family and for the entire clan. According to tradition, the baby was baptized on the third, eighth or fortieth day. If the child was weak and infirm at birth, and there was a threat of death, he was baptized right after birth. If a child was born healthy, then the parents and all relatives prepared for the day of his Baptism for a very long time and carefully. The most important thing is to choose the right godparents. Indeed, in Rus', godparents played a huge role in the life of a child; they participated almost equally with their parents in his life and destiny. Moreover, godparents are spiritual mentors, support and support for their godchildren. There was a tradition according to which young unfamily people were chosen as godparents. Some chose as godparents those people who had already baptized children and their godchildren live happily. This was considered an indicator that life would be wonderful for the now baptized babies. Godfather gave gifts for Baptism to the godson: a cross, baptismal bread, and paid for the ceremony itself. The godmother gave a baptismal shirt, which she sewed herself, as well as pieces of chintz or cotton. They tried to decorate baptismal sets richly and elegantly, because they then became family heirlooms and were passed on from generation to generation. The decoration included lace, embroidery on an Orthodox theme, and satin ribbons.

During the baptism ceremony itself, only godparents the baby, as well as other relatives and friends who were invited to this celebration. Mother and father stayed at home and prepared the festive table for the arrival of guests from the church. This was due to the fact that the mother of the child after childbirth was considered “unclean,” and along with her the father.

After the child arrived from church, the godparents handed the child over to the mother, calling the child’s name, which was given to him at baptism. Afterwards the baby was placed on a sheepskin coat or other fur under the icons. Coins were left next to him of different denominations: the more expensive the better. Fur and coins symbolized the wealth and prosperity that awaited the baby in the future.

Afterwards, the guests sat down at the table, at the head of which, as the most important and honored guests, sat the child’s godparents (godfather and godfather) and the midwife who delivered the child.

If there was a fast in the yard, a Lenten lunch was also prepared. The most important dish - crumbly buckwheat porridge - was the decoration of the table.

According to custom, the first piece at the table went to the midwife, then she treated everyone else, passing the dishes around the table. At the end of the gala dinner, the parents made gifts for the godparents and wrapped them in a piece of festive pie. And also in some areas, the daughter-in-law gave gifts to her father-in-law and mother-in-law, and they, in turn, gave gifts to her and the baby, wishing them all the best.