Palm Sunday is a major Orthodox holiday, one of the main attributes of which is the blessed willow tree. After the service, many people ask the question: where to put the willow after Palm Sunday and how long can it be stored? In order not to desecrate the symbol of this great day with careless handling, you need to know the basic rules for handling consecrated willow branches.
What to do with consecrated willow on Palm Sunday and after?
According to a centuries-old tradition, willows are plucked on Lazarus Saturday or on the eve of the holiday. They choose the most beautiful branches, with already blossoming gray or light green, even yellow fluffy lumps.
People come to the All-Night Vigil service on the eve of the great holiday - the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem - with branches of blossoming willow. After the rite of sprinkling with holy water with prayer - consecration - the Orthodox take them home.
A bouquet of willow is the main decoration of the “red” corner where icons are stored. Also, several branches are placed throughout the house, especially in the nursery or in the room of a sick person. They are usually placed in small vases with water. You can tie the branches with a red ribbon. There is no point in making interior decorations: after all, this is a home shrine, and not a simple tree.
Having blessed a bunch of willow in the church, Orthodox Christians divided it into several parts. One was left in the house, the other was taken to the cemetery for deceased relatives. The third and fourth were used for magical purposes.
In the old days, willow twigs were lightly tapped on the back, saying sentences out loud. It was believed that if you put twigs on the window sills, this would protect the house and household from natural disasters (thunderstorm, thunder, hail, rain, ball lightning) and thieves.
At home they kept only an odd number of branches, equal to the number family members. If there were more branches, they were given to the neighbors. Elderly people treasure willow with special care, not throwing it away for several years. According to popular belief, the blessed branches of this tree are placed in a coffin or stuffed into pillows.
Women, in order to get pregnant quickly, ate several buds of consecrated willow on an empty stomach, believing in its miraculous properties. In order for livestock to give birth easily and often produce healthy offspring, bouquets of willow were hung in the corners of stalls and barns.
Old willow twigs were used to sweep the corners. In some areas there was a belief that if you lined wells with them, the water would acquire miraculous power and healing properties. Elderly people advised newlyweds to keep willow in the house so that there would be no swearing, fights and anger at each other. When newborns were bathed, willow branches were added to the water. It was believed that this would bring strength and health to the baby.
Priests consider all these popular beliefs to be absurd and often clarify that willow branches are not a talisman. Faith and heartfelt prayer protect a person and his soul from evil and other misfortunes.
All year long, the willow will delight with its charm and remind you of spring and Easter. But after Lent comes Palm Sunday, and the question arises, what to do with the willow branches that were consecrated last year? According to the clergy, there are several ways to deal with last year’s willow:
If for some reason the willow has been lying in the house for more than a year, nothing bad will happen. But it is better to remove it from the house before the holiday itself, preparing a new bouquet for consecration.
Many, not getting to church or simply not wanting to go there on the eve of the holiday, consecrate the willow at home. Here you need to be careful and remember that the priest still needs to sprinkle water on objects with prayer. Therefore, the willow consecrated within the church on the eve of the holiday is considered to be real power and grace.
When preparing for the holiday of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, one should remember that the main task is not to consecrate the willow, but to bring home a state of Divine grace and joy, thinking about the soul and. Having found out where to put the willow after Palm Sunday, you can properly say goodbye to this symbol of the holiday without sinning or disturbing the peace of your home and heart.
Palm branches have become one of the main attributes and symbols of Palm Sunday before Easter 2019. We will tell you what they mean and how many willow branches are needed for the service. We will also show examples of how to decorate a willow tree for Palm Sunday.
Grade
We continue to publish relevant materials on the topic of the upcoming Easter 2019 holiday. In the piggy bank useful materials you already have: information about, numerous options, ideas for and much more.
But while there is still time for the holiday, there are still important dates that we cannot ignore. So, we have prepared practical recommendations for you regarding.
Willow on Palm Sunday
When willows are picked on Palm Sunday
How to decorate a willow tree for Palm Sunday: photo
Someone will probably want to make a willow decoration with their own hands. Here we have many wonderful options open to us. One of the simplest, but at the same time beautiful, options for using willow in decoration can be beautiful bouquet, which you assembled with your own hands.
Eat Orthodox holidays, especially loved by the people. This is the day of Jesus Christ's entry into Jerusalem. People threw palm branches at his feet. This is how the most important people were greeted in the East. In our area they usually use willow.
But every time a problem arises: where to put these fluffy branches after the holiday? You can't just throw them in the trash. They are consecrated in the church. There are houses behind icons, near crucifixes, near fireplaces and stoves. In pet stalls. Or in vessels with water. Willow protects your entire home from various misfortunes, illnesses, and quarrels. And so on for a whole year.
The main thing is not to sin
However, not everyone knows what to do with willow after Palm Sunday. It is generally accepted that it does not lose its wonderful medicinal properties until the spring of next year.
What is the right thing to do? Get rid of last year's branches on the holiday or on the eve of it? And when should the newly cut ones be brought to the consecration? These are not formal questions. People want to do things by the rules. According to the laws of the church. To once again don't sin.
So, what to do with willow branches after Palm Sunday? You can collect them all together and put them into a river, lake, stream, or pond. Let them sail in peace.
Also, some people prefer to simply burn willow branches that have dried out over the course of a year. However, attention! The ashes must be scattered where they will not be trampled by passing people or animals. It is also not forbidden to pour the ashes into the river.
Plant a new tree
Are you still concerned about the problem of where to put the willow after Palm Sunday? What do you think of this proposal? The willows were in your vase. Have you changed the water from time to time? And the branches gave roots. The best (and most beautiful!) is to plant it in a clearing in the forest or somewhere near a river. Let it grow, reach for the sun. Makes people happy. And maybe this willow will again be consecrated by people in the church.
In general, willows can be stored for several years in a row. However, every spring it is better to celebrate the holiday with fresh twigs.
In memory of the departed
In our area there is a tradition that has lived for centuries. If you follow it, then you will never have to wonder what to do with the willow after Palm Sunday.
Such a ritual is known. Neighbors and relatives usually know that some person is living last days. And on the day of the funeral, last year’s consecrated willow is placed in his coffin. Some elderly people themselves accumulate old twigs so that they can be placed in their grave at the funeral.
We also recommend this method if you are wondering where to put the willow after Palm Sunday: you need to set its branches on fire and walk around the house with them. At the same time, read a prayer. This is how they cleanse the apartment, the house of everything bad.
It’s not a bad idea to bring the spent twigs to the priest at church. There they will slowly burn them, while reading prayers.
In the forest, next to others
But here is also a good kind of solution to the question of what to do with willow branches after Palm Sunday. For those who find it difficult to answer and don’t know what to do, we can offer this option - take the branches into the forest. Place between the bushes of growing, new, fresh willow.
If you have a stove in your house, then it is very good to light it with an old and well-dried branch. And then bake the cakes. Many people sweep corners with last year's old willow. And then they throw the twigs into the fire and burn them, first thanking them for their service.
By the way, wells were lined with old willow. For what? So that no evil spirits penetrate into the water.
It is interesting that it was from Belarus that the tradition came when parents often beat their own children with willow so that they would grow well and be healthy. For the same purpose, both cattle and adults were whipped everywhere. The bee hives were beaten three times. And then they went to their gardens or fields. There they beat the ground three times with branches. They also stuck branches into the ground. Finally, they went to beat and whip the graves of their loved ones.
Wonderful properties
What kind of service did these modest forest beauties perform after they were blessed by the priest?
Traditionally, the first ritual after returning from church is this: all relatives and household members are lightly beaten (or patted) with a blessed willow, for their own health.
The same is done with domestic animals. After all, what to do with the willow after Palm Sunday is a settled issue. Nothing. Let him be in the house. Everyone must absorb this wonderful power of renewal. The juices of spring and the rebirth of nature.
Another property is that the willow perfectly protects the house from evil, negative spirits, and any evil spirits.
The bride or groom has grown up in the house. What are they doing with our willow? She is urgently planted in the garden. As soon as the sprout takes root, it means there will be a wedding soon.
Willow is also used to drive animals to the fields on St. George's Day. It was believed that with such “treatment” she would be healthy and begin to gain weight well and reproduce.
And here is another option for what to do with willow after Palm Sunday. Childless girls and women were advised to flavor their food with willow buds, which were blessed in the church. It helps. They also said to use them as a preventive measure against various diseases.
When they bathe sick children, they must also throw the willow into the water. Her kidneys were put in bread for the cattle and in porridge for the whole large rural family.
Against thunder, thunderstorms
People strongly believed that a consecrated willow would stop a thunderstorm and deliver from hail and thunder. You just need to wave a twig towards the clouds.
During fires, willow was thrown into the fire. For what? To reduce its destructive power.
Any coward who dreams of becoming one had to, coming home from church on Palm Sunday, drive a small stake into the wall - from a consecrated willow tree. Of course, this did not instantly turn an over-cautious person into a hero. But in any case, this removes his natural timidity from his soul.
Not only did people attribute powerful healing powers to the leaves and the entire branch, but also to its earrings. They were eaten at once, nine at a time. For fever - the surest panacea. And those who caught a cold or fell ill with some kind of illness swallowed willow buds. And this saved them from bad fever, severe sore throat, and chronic infertility. The consecrated willow served people so faithfully.
Now about the timing. When exactly to free yourself from the old willow tree? Here choose what suits you best. You can take, say, willow branches into the forest directly on the holiday itself. This is also allowed on Palm Sunday. Or right after the big day. Fortunately, we offered many options for this.
We hope that next Palm Sunday you will already know very well what to do with willow.
Palm Sunday is celebrated exactly one week before the holiday Happy Easter. In 2018 it falls on April 1st. On this day, consecrated willow branches will appear in almost every home - a symbol of the acceptance of Christ and his great sacrifice. Often, in Russia, instead of willow, believers bring willow twigs or willows, small bouquets of flowers to the temple.
When to pick willow?
The branches are plucked on the eve of the holiday or a few days before it. Often, a massive trade in willow takes place near churches and on the central streets of cities.
But, as they say in churches, breaking out young branches and carrying them to the city in bags is not a godly thing. The meaning of the holiday is to consecrate just one branch, but at the same time be in love and humility. Coming to the temple with an armful of willow is not an option.
When to consecrate?
The consecration takes place on Saturday evening, during the festive service - the All-Night Vigil. After reading the prayer, the priest will sprinkle the branches and bouquets with holy water. Those who did not have time to come to the service in the evening can go to the temple on Sunday morning.
What to do with twigs after the holiday?
Parishioners carry blessed willow bouquets home. They will keep them all year - in a vase, near the icons. Owners of private houses place them under the roof, believing that this way the home and its inhabitants will be protected from any adversity.But you shouldn’t throw away the twigs with household garbage. It is customary to burn dried and spoiled bouquets. You can give them to the church. It is not forbidden to take the twigs to the cemetery, leaving them on the graves of the deceased.
If a twig, after standing in a vase, has given roots, it can be planted in the ground. By the way, in Rus' it was believed that willow branches, if stuck in the field, would provide a rich harvest.
The Christian Church introduced the holiday of the Lord's entry into Jerusalem in the 4th century, and in Rus' it appeared in the 10th century and began to be called Palm Sunday, since the willow tree had such...
The Christian Church introduced the holiday of the Lord's entry into Jerusalem in the 4th century, and in Rus' it appeared in the 10th century and began to be called Palm Sunday, since the willow had the same meaning as palm branches.
According to the traditions of the holiday on the eve of Palm Sunday, in ancient times, Russian people went to the banks of the river to break willow, and this was a real rite. The willow was always blessed in the church with holy water, however, this tradition has survived to this day.
In warm countries, this day is celebrated with palm branches, but in our country at this time of year the leaves on the trees have not yet bloomed. Evergreen branches coniferous plants traditionally used in burial rites, so they cannot be used.
According to signs and beliefs, it was believed that the consecrated willow has healing properties, so they touched people with twigs, wishing them health, placed them at the head of the sick, applied them to sore spots, whipped children so that they would not get sick during the year and grow up healthy.
Crushed dried willow buds were added to various medicinal decoctions, which were used to treat wounds and skin diseases. Sometimes the buds were added to bread and other baked goods, and some baked bread in the shape of a willow twig. Palm porridge was made from the opening buds. But willow not only heals, it gives physical strength, courage and courage, so many young men made themselves amulets and talismans from willow buds.
- It was believed that if you eat a few willow buds before a long journey or some serious undertaking, then only success will await a person on his path and in his business. Icons were decorated with branches and hung in the corners of rooms, which many still do to this day. Also, amulets made from willow buds were worn by women who did not have children. According to legend, you had to eat ten kidneys five days after the end of your period, this was supposed to help in conceiving a child. To ensure that the offspring were healthy, a willow twig was placed under the feather bed, and the newlyweds were showered with buds.
- Our ancestors believed that willow could impart sexual power not only to humans, but also to livestock. That is why domestic animals were lashed with a blessed willow branch, branches were hung in barns, and before the first pasture in the field, these branches were fed to the animals so that they would not be poisoned by poisonous herbs, or become victims of diseases, thieves and predatory animals. Not a single day goes by without weather-related signs. And Palm Sunday is no exception.
- If it rains on Palm Sunday, expect a good harvest. This sign is based on many years of observations of our ancestors. They noticed that if it rains on a given day, the harvest will be simply wonderful. If, on the contrary, the weather is dry, then you may not expect a harvest. And, if the sky is cloudy, cloudy, but there is no rain, then the harvest will be quite good, but not as much as we would like.
- It was also believed that the willow could protect the house from natural elements. A house in which there is a consecrated willow branch will not be struck by lightning. If during a fire you throw a willow into the fire, it will go out faster and the flame will not spread to another building. And twigs thrown into the water during ice drift will help avoid large floods.
If by the next Palm Sunday there were still unused branches in the house, then under no circumstances should they be thrown away. They must be burned and thrown into a stream or river, and the water should not be stagnant. When choosing new branches, they gave preference to young trees growing near rivers. It was forbidden to take branches from trees growing near the cemetery, or on which there were nests and hollows.
Many people, believers and not, even today, on the eve of Palm Sunday, decorate their home with willow branches, because this plant gives joy and awakens spring in the heart.
