When is Elijah Day celebrated in 2024 Holiday history: the legend of the prophet Elijah Customs and traditions of Elijah Day: what can and cannot be done Signs for Elijah Day
When is Elijah Day celebrated in 2024?
Russian Orthodox Church celebrates Elijah Day August 2nd (July 20, old style). Catholics commemorate the prophet Elijah on February 16.
Elijah Day is a permanent holiday in the church calendar and is celebrated at the same time every year.
History of the holiday: the legend of the prophet Elijah
In the Slavic folk tradition, the image of the prophet Elijah was intertwined with the image of the thunder god, who was considered the lord of rain, lightning, and was associated with fertility.
In Christianity, Elijah is the most venerated saint of the Old Testament. Accordingly, ScriptureBorn in Thesvia A village in the historical region of Gilead, in what is now northwestern Jordan. Priest of the Moscow Metropolitan Peter Church in St. Petersburg, Nikolai Savchenko (Father Nikolai), told socialbites.ca that he lived in the Kingdom of Israel in the 9th century BC.
“In the Old Testament, in the Book of Kings, there is a story about the prophet Elijah. The prophet Elijah was preaching in the days of King Ahab Around 870-850 BCE and Queen Jezebel, along with the majority of the people, turned away from God and began to worship pagan gods,” the priest noted.
According to legend, the prophet had power over the forces of nature, was a zealous servant of the god Yahweh (Jehovah) and, among other things, preached in Israel. In those days, the state was ruled by King Ahab, who, under the influence of his wife Jezebel (daughter of the king of Sidon), established in the country the cult of the pagan god Baal (Baal). The people of Israel obeyed the will of the ruler; worshipers of one God began to be persecuted.
Elijah tried to persuade the king and his wife, but they did not listen to him.
Then, according to legend, the prophet sent a three-year drought to the kingdom of Israel, and he hid near the river Horat. The stream flowing into JordanWhere birds bring him food every day.
For the contest, two altars were built on Mount Carmel: one for Baal, the other for Yahweh. It was decided that the one who sent heavenly fire to his altar would be considered the true god. All day long the pagan priests prayed fervently, danced, and stabbed themselves at the altar of Baal, but no fire came out.
Elijah erected his altar to Yahweh only in the evening, and then recited a prayer in which he asked the Lord to send fire from heaven “to warn the erring and wrathful people of Israel and to turn their hearts to Himself,” and the sacrifice was made, and the stones instantly caught fire. After this, the prophet ordered the killing of all the priests of Baal, and then, having prayed, sent down the long-awaited rain.
The execution of the priests angered Jezebel and Ahab. The queen vowed to kill the prophet, so Elijah was forced to hide in the desert. After some time, he returned to Israel and had a disciple named Elisha, who continued his work.
“In the Old Testament narrative, the prophet Elijah named his disciple the prophet Elisha, and he was then taken up into heaven by God in his own body,” the priest said.
According to the Scriptures, the world of men was filled with the survived: “Suddenly there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire, carrying the prophet to heaven.” Thanks to this image, the saint received the popular nickname Elijah the Thunderer. In the old days they believed that it was he who rode across the sky in a fiery chariot, unleashing thunder and lightning.
The holiday in honor of the Prophet Elijah began to be celebrated in pre-Christian times – it was celebrated mainly by Jews living at the foot of Mount Carmel, located in the northwest of modern Israel. According to legend, the priests of the pagan god Baal were killed there.
Traditions and customs on Elijah Day: what you can and cannot do
In the old days in Russia, on Elijah’s Day, large meals were held: meat dishes were prepared and bread was baked in ovens. Feasts often turned into folk festivals, fairs were held. The holiday was associated with the end of hay cutting and the beginning of the harvest – it was believed that summer ends on Elijah’s day.
What is customary to do on Elijah’s day?
- On the day of the prophet Elijah, it is customary to help the homeless, the poor and to lend a helping hand to those in need.
- It was also a tradition to prepare medicinal herbs on Ilyas’ day. They were collected early in the morning, dried and used throughout the year. This was usually done by women.
- On Elijah’s day, Orthodox churches hold divine services accompanied by a procession of the cross.
“The Prophet Elijah’s feast was highly respected. Boys born on the day of this feast were given the prophet’s name. Because of jealousy, it was necessary to go to church on this day if possible. them. effort Savchenko said that we should follow the example of the prophet Elijah.
What is requested in the prayers of Prophet Elijah?
Since Elijah was considered the lord of rain and lightning, which brought fertility in Russia, girls and women asked the prophet for a successful marriage and family, and men for favorable weather and a good harvest. Nowadays, people often turn to the prophet for help in economic and family matters.
What not to do on Elijah Day
People consider the prophet Elijah to be a strict but fair saint. If you anger Elijah on the holiday of August 2, you can cause a lot of trouble. According to signs on this day, you should try not to look in the mirror, beware of lightning, stay away from fields and tall trees.
There are other prohibitions on the day of the prophet Elijah, both religious and superstitious.
- Do not be gluttonous. Large meals were often eaten on Elijah’s day, but moderation was required during these.
- Do not be tempted by immorality.
- Do not argue with your family and friends and do not use profanity.
- Do not swim in lakes and reservoirs. According to legends, water will wash away happiness and health, and the prophet Elijah will send thunder to those who climb into the reservoir on holiday. It was also believed that you should not swim not only on Elijah’s day, but also after it.
- Do not fish. It is believed that hunting on this day can attract evil spirits.
Signs for Elijah Day
The interlocutor of socialbites.ca explained that most of the signs and beliefs on Elijah Day are associated with a storm, lightning and thunder.
“The Old Testament record of how the prophet Elijah was carried to heaven in a chariot provided some justification for such beliefs and traditions. They were not accepted by the Church, but were gradually supported by Christian associations, Savchenko said.
On the holiday, people also determined what the coming autumn would be like. It was believed that if it rained on Elijah’s day, the next two months would be cold.
As people watched the weather that day, they picked up on many signs:
- Before the day of Elijah the clouds move with the wind, after the day of Elijah the clouds move against the wind.
- There are two things that will make Ilya and the worker happy: the night is long and the water is cold.
- Dull thunder means quiet rain; rumbling thunder means heavy rain.
- Before Elijah, even the priest will not pray for rain, but after Elijah, even the woman will have to wear an apron.
- In the day of Elijah even stones will turn into plants.
- After Elijah Day, mosquitoes stop biting.
- Before Elijah the castles were one by one, after Elijah they were in large flocks.
Another sign says that if you wash your face with summer rain on this day, you can get rid of the evil eye.
There is also a well-known saying: “Before lunch on Ilya there is summer, after lunch there is autumn”, which reveals the main meaning of this date in the folk calendar – that summer ends after the holiday.