Orthodox believers today celebrate the Flowers or the Savior’s Entry into Jerusalem, one of the most important Christian holidays. Every year, thousands of people start a procession that symbolically recreates the way of Jesus. Also, traditions and superstitions are linked to flowers that people have been following for hundreds of years.
Palm Sunday does not have a fixed date, but it is celebrated on the last Sunday before Easter or the sixth Sunday of Easter Lent. Today, all those who received flower names at baptism celebrate their name day. People go to church, enjoy fishing and don’t forget local traditions and customs.
The name Florii would come from Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers. In her honor, the spring celebrations called Floralia, which took place in April, were organized. Because the pagan peoples were converted to the new religion, it is assumed that the Church would have given another content to this celebration, a content related to the Savior’s Entry into Jerusalem and the renewal of the world through His Sacrifice and Resurrection from the dead.
Palm Sunday or Palm Sunday is one of the 12 royal holidays during the church year.
The day before Florii, Jesus performed his last great miracle: the resurrection of Lazarus from Bethany, the brother of Martha and Mary, who had been dead for 4 days. Following the performed miracle, the crowds gathered at the gates of the city greeted him with flowers and acclaimed the Savior upon entering Jerusalem. It happened a few days before he was judged and then crucified by the Romans.
Palm Sunday or the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem is, in fact, the most dramatic of the Church’s feasts. The drama of this celebration full of flowers emerges from the contrast of what happened: the crowd cheers the One who goes to death, not knowing that it will also condemn him.
The flowers, however, reach the absolute level of drama precisely because of the confusion they present: the crowd chants hymns with the same frenzy with which tomorrow they will shout: “Crucify Him!”.
Today is the beginning of our Savior’s passion. He goes to his death on a path of flowers and the children shout the greeting due only to the emperor: “Hosanna!”. The world lays down its shirts in the way of the One who comes in the name of the Lord and calls Him “blessed”. Christ goes to death. No one in the crowd knows about this, everyone believes that the Emperor came to gather troops to beat the Romans, writes crestinortodox.ro. They know the prophecies and know that the Son of David will defeat His enemies and make them His footstool, but they do not know that this defeat is not one of the sword, but one of love.
Closely related to the miracle of the resurrection of Lazarus from Bethany, this Sunday prepares the Orthodox believers for the joy that Christ’s victory over death brings on the following Sunday, that of the Resurrection.
According to popular tradition, in most areas of the country, housewives cook especially pies, which they give as alms to the poor. Even now, the graves are cleaned and decorated with acacia branches. Memorials are made for the repose of the souls of those who have passed on.
On the Day of Flowers, beekeepers surround the hives with budded willow branches, a symbol of fertility and spring vegetation, and the farmers, convinced of the miraculous effect of these buds, bury them under the furrow.
Also on the Day of Flowers, there is a tradition that the string from the martisor is hung in a budding or blooming tree, in order to have health and abundance in the coming year.
There is also a custom in some areas of the country for single girls to put basil under their pillow in order to become more beautiful and more desirable to boys, so that they can get married that year. In other areas, by Florii the dowry is taken out of the house, to be aired.
Another custom found in some areas is for parents to hit their children with a willow stick when they come home from church, so that they grow up healthy and wise.
Tradition also says that just as the weather will be on Easter, so will the weather on Easter.
Fish is eaten on Palm Sunday, being the second breaking of the Easter fast, after the one on the day of the Annunciation.
In ancient times, this day was dedicated to the baptism of those who wanted to become Christians, a moment left in history with the name Aspirants’ Sunday.
Flowers or Palm Sunday also represents the beginning of the last week of Easter Lent or Passion Week. The flowers open the cycle of Easter holidays, which ends with the Ascension of the Lord.
On Flower Day there is a custom for people to go to the Church with budded willow branches in their hands, to be sanctified by the priest. The willow twigs will be distributed to the believers who participated in the Flower service, who will take them home and put them on icons, windows, doors and gates, to protect their homes from evil and troubles.
Flower Day also represents the beginning of the last week of Easter Lent or Passion Week.
From Sunday evening, the churches begin the special services of Holy Week, called denii. In these services can be found all the remarkable moments of the Savior’s life, from his entry into Jerusalem until his Resurrection from the dead.
People with surnames such as Florina, Viorica, Margareta, Narcisa, Lăcrămioara, Viorel, Florin must be celebrated on Palm Sunday. The most beautiful messages from Florii must reach them. To make your choice easier, we offer you a series of Flower messages, greetings and wishes to send your thoughts to your loved ones.
Comments
comments
Tags: Orthodox Christians celebrate today Flowers day Lord Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem
-
