Our ancestors called this day both Nikola the Wonderworker and Nikola spring, not only many examples and beliefs are associated with it, but also a fairly large number of rituals. We will talk about folk signs on May 22, that is, Nicholas of the summer, today.
Celebration of St. Nicholas
To begin with, let's find out a little about what this holiday is so famous for and what significance it had for our ancestors. Nicholas the Wonderworker, according to religious teachings, was the protector of weak and oppressed people, he relieved diseases, could contribute to the fulfillment of desires, and also helped get rid of haunting failures and troubles. This saint is one of the most revered for Christians, many believers today put candles in front of his face and ask for help or intercession. Therefore, on the day when St. Nicholas is celebrated in summer (May 22), it is necessary to visit the church, and if you don’t defend the service, then at least put a candle in front of the icon of the Wonderworker.
Many people know that Orthodox people celebrate not only the day of St. Nicholas in summer, but also in winter, but why there was such a separation and what each of these holidays means, some do not understand. Everything is very simple, winter Nikola (December 19) is the day of the death of the saint, and spring Nikola, celebrated in May, is the date of the transfer of the relics of the elder to the Italian church in the city of Bari. Orthodox people honor both dates, because each of them is significant for every believer.
On this day, it was customary not to do household chores, that is, cleaning, washing and other similar activities had to be postponed or redone in advance. It was a great sin not to feed a beggar on a holiday or not to give alms to a begging person, because Nicholas the Wonderworker during his lifetime distributed all his money to those in need, and it was necessary to act on his holiday in the same way as a saint. Some people even believed, and indeed believe, that the elder himself can appear on his holiday in front of a believer and test him, and if you show yourself generous and not evil, then the saint will certainly work a miracle and fulfill a cherished dream or save you from misfortune.
Folk omens for Nikola summer
A lot of beliefs on May 22 were associated with harvesting and livestock, our grandparents saddled horses that day only after prayer, otherwise, according to beliefs, evil spirits will ride the horse, which will simply drive the animal to death. If a person saw that the horse was shuddering or nervous, it was necessary to say - "Shoo, unclean, shoo".
No less interesting is the custom, according to which it was on the day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker that it was necessary to determine which lands would be planted and which would be used for grazing cattle. In the areas where vegetables or wheat would later be planted, sticks were stuck, this was a sign that all the villagers understood.
By the way, May 23, that is, the day following the holiday, was considered the last day when 
you can plant potatoes. If you do this later, you can not expect a rich harvest of root crops, as they simply do not have time to grow.
According to the signs on Nikola of the summer, it was necessary not only to go to church services, but also to do some. For example, it was believed that washing on the morning of May 22 with dew at dawn, you can get rid of diseases, but swimming, on the contrary, was forbidden, this entailed misfortune and hunger. It was a good sign to see the sun that day, it promised a warm and not dry summer, which would be fruitful, but the rain was perceived as an omen of cold weather, which would last almost a month.
Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of the World of Lycia, became famous as a great saint of God. You will learn everything about this revered saint from this article!
What holiday is today: on May 22, 2019, the church holiday of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is celebrated
Today, May 22, is the Day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The night before, a particle of the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker was delivered to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow from Bari, Italy.
On May 22, 2019, St. Nicholas is venerated by the people. According to the folk calendar, there are two holidays in the year dedicated to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker - winter Nikola on December 19 and spring (summer) Nikola - May 22.
Nicholas the Wonderworker is also revered in the West, and in Russia even people far from the Church know Nicholas the Pleasant as the most revered saint by the Russian people. In addition to the special holidays dedicated to him, the Church celebrates the memory of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker every Thursday. St. Nicholas is often commemorated at divine services and on other days of the week.
Nicholas the Wonderworker: what helps
Saint Nicholas is especially revered for the miracles that occur through prayers to them. Nicholas the Wonderworker was revered as an ambulance to sailors and other travelers, merchants, unjustly convicted and children.
Day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker May 22: veneration in Russia
Many temples and monasteries are dedicated to Nikolai Ugodnik in Russia, in honor of his name, the holy Patriarch Photius baptized in 866 the Kiev prince Askold - the very first Russian Christian prince, and over the grave of Askold in Kyiv, the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga built the first church of St. Nicholas on Russian soil.
folk traditions
In Russia, Nicholas the Pleasant was considered the "senior" among the saints. He was called "merciful", temples were built in honor of him and children were named.
On Nikola Zimny, people arranged festive meals - they baked pies with fish, brewed mash and beer, and on Nikola Summer, or Spring, the peasants arranged religious processions - they went to the fields with icons and banners, performed prayers at the wells - asked for rain.
Who is patronized by an amazing and famous saint?
Nicholas the Wonderworker is recognized as the patron saint of children, and in Europe he is even called the prototype of Santa Claus. He is also favorable to travelers, all sailors, merchants and those who need a real miracle for healing.
Why is Saint Nicholas called the Pleasant?
The saint received such a name for his pleasing service to God. Nicholas the Pleasant prayed with such strength and faith that even after his death, his relics remained untouched by decay. They streamed myrrh, and hundreds of believers were healed from this grace.
How to celebrate May 22?
May 22 - St. Nicholas Day - the Wonderworker is glorified and honored in a variety of churches and parishes. Believers on this holiday try to give up meat and eggs, laying tables with fish dishes.
Earlier, when agriculture was more developed, Christians organized mass processions with strings of icons and images on St. Nicholas of Veshny. Believers participated in the prayer service, asking for mercy and rain. Usually, religious processions ended in the fields or near water wells. It was believed that the merciful Nikolai could help in the fight against drought and bad weather.
Today, on this day, you can visit the temple, where a service will definitely be held. You can also pray at home, asking Nikolai Ugodnik for help in any business.
In the evening, you need to gather the whole family at the festive table and hold a common prayer of thanksgiving to the saint for his intercession. This Christian celebration is not associated with tragic events, so you can celebrate easily and cheerfully.
On the day of the memory of Nikola Veshny, it’s worth doing nothing for yourself personally. Since the saint gave everything to people, then believers on such a day should give something to charity, give alms or money to build a church. Help is welcome for orphans and orphanages, as well as for poor families.
The Day of Saint Nicholas of Summer is one of the most revered holidays in the Christian Church. The celebration is timed to coincide with the day of the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas to the city of Bari, located in Italy. In Orthodoxy, Nicholas the Wonderworker is considered the patron of children, couples in love, soldiers, merchants, merchants. In addition, the Saint is also the protector of people who have been undeservedly punished.
The legend of the holiday
Saint Nicholas is celebrated on May 22 and December 19. It is customary to give gifts to each other on Nikola Zimniy. And during the spring celebration, you can limit yourself to beautiful greeting cards and verbal wishes for happiness, kindness and peace.
Saint Nicholas is revered by all Christians. He is very often remembered during daily services and is given a special place in the Christian hierarchy of saints.
There is a legend that when one peasant got stuck with his cart in the mud, he asked Saint Kasyan, who was passing by, for help. (37.112.220.246) . But he refused, referring to the fact that he was in a hurry to the Lord. When St. Nicholas passed next to the peasant, he helped him pull the cart out of the ditch and appeared to the Lord covered in mud. There, the saint was asked why he got so dirty and delayed, to which he replied that he helped the person, according to information at 23:05:17. Since then, Nicholas the Pleasant has been praised twice a year, and the Christian Saint Kasyan once every four years.
There is also a legend about the winter holiday dedicated to St. Nicholas the Pleasant. Even during his lifetime, the saint learned that in his city there was a poor man who had decided on a terrible sin. To get out of poverty and marry two daughters, a man decided to send a third girl to a brothel. Then Nicholas the Wonderworker made his way to the poor man's house at night and threw him a bag of gold. The poor man could not believe his luck and married off his eldest daughter. Then Nikolai Ugodnik made his way into the poor man's house with a bag of gold for the second time, and the man played a wedding for his middle daughter. The poor man was wondering who his benefactor was? Therefore, for the third time, he tracked down the bishop and rushed after him to thank him for his unprecedented generosity. And then he also married his third daughter, Ros-Register became aware. Since then, on December 19, the custom of giving gifts and small souvenirs has been fixed, which are secretly placed at night near the fireplace or Christmas tree.
During his earthly years, this saint performed many incredible miracles and accomplished a huge number of good deeds. He did not refuse to help either believers or pagans, prompting repentance in them and instructing them on the true path.
Believers know that May 22 is St. Nicholas Day. They gladly go to the service, remembering the intercession of the archbishop. And they believe that even after death, the saint protects them from heaven, gives them protection and hope for the healing of ailments. An amazing person and a saint popular among the people is equally known both in Russia and abroad. Many temples and churches were erected in his honor. He is known not only by Christians, but also by people of other faiths. The saint is remembered and glorified in their prayers by all believers in Orthodoxy and Catholics.
When is the memory of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker celebrated?
Saint Nicholas in the Orthodox church calendar is dedicated to more than one holiday. December 19, according to the new style, the day of the death of the saint is remembered, August 11 - his birth. The people called these two holidays Nikola Winter and Nikola Autumn. On May 22, believers commemorate the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker from Mir Lycian to Bari, which took place in 1087. In Russia, this day was called Nikola Veshny (that is, spring), or Nikola Summer.
All these holidays are non-transitory, that is, their dates are fixed.
What helps Nicholas the Wonderworker
Saint Nicholas is called a miracle worker. Such saints are especially revered for the miracles that occur through prayers to them. Since ancient times, Nicholas the Wonderworker was revered as an ambulance to sailors and other travelers, merchants, unjustly convicted and children. In Western folk Christianity, his image was combined with the image of a folklore character - "Christmas grandfather" - and transformed into Santa Claus ( santa claus translated from English. - St Nicholas). Santa Claus gives gifts to children for Christmas.
Life (biography) of Nicholas the Wonderworker
Nicholas the Pleasant was born in 270 in the town of Patara, which was located in the region of Lycia in Asia Minor and was a Greek colony. The parents of the future archbishop were very wealthy people, but at the same time they believed in Christ and actively helped the poor.
As the life says, from childhood the saint devoted himself completely to faith, spent a lot of time in the temple. Having matured, he became a reader, and then a priest in the church, where his uncle, Bishop Nicholas of Patara, served as rector.
After the death of his parents, Nicholas the Wonderworker distributed all his inheritance to the poor and continued his church ministry. In the years when the attitude of the Roman emperors towards Christians became more tolerant, but persecution nevertheless continued, he ascended to the episcopal throne in Mir. Now this town is called Demre, it is located in the province of Antalya in Turkey.
People loved the new archbishop very much: he was kind, meek, fair, sympathetic - not a single request to him remained unanswered. With all this, Nicholas was remembered by his contemporaries as an implacable fighter against paganism - he destroyed idols and temples, and a defender of Christianity - he denounced heretics.
Even during his lifetime, the saint became famous for many miracles. He saved the city of Mira from a terrible famine - with his fervent prayer to Christ. He prayed and thereby helped the drowning sailors on ships, led the unjustly condemned from imprisonment in prisons.
Nicholas the Pleasant lived to a ripe old age and died around 345-351 - the exact date is unknown.
Relics of Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker reposed in the Lord in 345-351 - the exact date is unknown. His relics were incorruptible. At first they rested in the cathedral church of the city of Lycian Myra, where he served as archbishop. They streamed myrrh, and the myrrh healed believers from various ailments.
In 1087, part of the relics of the saint was transferred to the Italian city of Bari, to the church of St. Stephen. A year after the relics were saved, a basilica was erected there in the name of St. Nicholas. Now everyone can pray at the relics of the saint - the ark with them is still kept in this basilica. A few years later, the rest of the relics were transported to Venice, and a small particle remained in Mira.
In honor of the transfer of the relics of Nicholas the Pleasant, a special holiday has been established, which in the Russian Orthodox Church is celebrated on May 22 according to the new style.
Veneration of St. Nicholas in Russia
Many temples and monasteries are dedicated to Nikolai Ugodnik in Russia. In his name, the holy Patriarch Photius baptized in 866 the Kiev prince Askold, the very first Russian Christian prince. Above Askold's grave in Kyiv, Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga built the first church of St. Nicholas on Russian soil.
In many Russian cities, the main cathedrals were named after the archbishop of Mir Lycian. Veliky Novgorod, Zaraysk, Kyiv, Smolensk, Pskov, Galich, Arkhangelsk, Tobolsk and many others. In the Moscow province, three Nikolsky monasteries were built - Nikolo-Greek (Old) - in Kitay-gorod, Nikolo-Perervinsky and Nikolo-Ugreshsky. In addition, one of the main towers of the Moscow Kremlin was named Nikolskaya.
Iconography of Saint Nicholas
The iconography of St. Nicholas took shape in the 10th-11th centuries. At the same time, the oldest icon, namely the fresco in the church of Santa Maria Antiqua in Rome, dates back to the 8th century.
There are two main iconographic types of St. Nicholas - full-length and half-length. One of the classic examples of a full-length icon is a fresco from the St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv, painted at the beginning of the 12th century. Now it is kept in the Tretyakov Gallery. In this fresco, the saint is depicted full-length, with a blessing right hand and an open Gospel in his left hand.
Icons of the belt iconographic type depict the saint with a closed Gospel on his left hand. The oldest icon of this type in the monastery of St. Catherine in Sinai dates back to the 11th century. In Russia, the earliest surviving similar image dates back to the end of the 12th century. Ivan the Terrible brought it from Novgorod the Great and placed it in the Smolensk Cathedral of the Novodevichy Convent. Now this icon can be seen in the Tretyakov Gallery.
Icon painters also created hagiographic icons of St. Nicholas, that is, depicting different scenes from the life of the saint - sometimes up to twenty different plots. The most ancient of these icons in Russia are Novgorod from the churchyard of Lyubon (XIV century) and Kolomna (now kept in the Tretyakov Gallery).
TroparionSaint Nicholas the Wonderworker
voice 4
The rule of faith and the image of meekness, the abstinence of the teacher reveal the truth to your flock of things: for this sake you acquired high humility, rich in poverty. Father Hierarch Nicholas, pray to Christ God that our souls be saved.
Translation:
By the rule of faith, by the example of meekness, temperance, the teacher has shown you your life to your flock. And therefore, with humility, you acquired greatness, poverty - wealth: Father Hierarch Nicholas, pray to Christ God for the salvation of our souls.
Kontakion to Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker
voice 3
In Mirech, holy, the clergyman appeared to you: Christ, reverend, having fulfilled the Gospel, lay down your soul about your people, and saved the innocent from death; for this sake you were sanctified, like a great secret place of God's grace.
Translation:
In the Worlds, you, saint, appeared as a performer of sacred rites: having fulfilled the gospel teaching of Christ, you, reverend, laid down your soul for your people and the innocent delivered from death. Therefore, he was sanctified as a great minister of the mysteries of God's grace.
First prayer to Nikolai Ugodnik
Oh, all-holy Nicholas, the most beautiful servant of the Lord, our warm intercessor, and everywhere in sorrow a quick helper!
Help me a sinner and despondent in this present life, beg the Lord God to grant me the remission of all my sins, having sinned from my youth, in all my life, deed, word, thought and all my feelings; and at the end of my soul, help me the accursed, implore the Lord God, all creatures of the Sodetel, to deliver me air ordeals and eternal torment: may I always glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and your merciful intercession, now and ever and forever and ever.
Second prayer to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
O all-praised, great wonderworker, Saint of Christ, Father Nicholas!
We pray to you, wake up the hope of all Christians, faithful protectors, hungry feeders, crying joy, sick doctors, floating rulers on the sea, feeders of the poor and orphans and an early helper and patron to everyone, let us live a peaceful life here and let us be able to see the glory of God's chosen ones in heaven , and with them to unceasingly sing of the one in the Trinity, the worshiped God forever and ever. Amen.
Third Prayer to Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker
O all-praised and all-pious bishop, the great Wonderworker, the Hierarch of Christ, Father Nicholas, a man of God and a faithful servant, a husband of desires, a chosen vessel, a strong pillar of the church, a bright lamp, a star illuminating and illuminating the entire universe: you are a righteous man, like a date blossomed, planted in the courts of your Lord, living in the Worlds, thou hast been fragrant with the world, and exuding the ever-flowing grace of God.
By your procession, Holy Father, the sea is illuminated, when your miraculous relics go to the city of Barsky, from east to west, praise the name of the Lord.
O graceful and wonderful Wonderworker, quick helper, warm intercessor, kind shepherd, saving the verbal flock from all sorts of troubles, we glorify you and magnify you, as the hope of all Christians, the source of miracles, the protector of the faithful, the wise teacher, the hungry feeder, weeping joy, naked clothing , the sick doctor, the steward floating on the sea, the captives of the liberator, the widows and orphans of the feeder and intercessor, the chastity of the guardian, the meek punisher of babies, the old fortifications, the fasting mentor, the laboring ecstasy, the poor and the wretched abundant wealth.
Hear us praying to you and fleeing under your roof, manifest your intercession for us to the Most High, and proceed with your God-pleasing prayers, all that is useful for the salvation of our souls and bodies: save this holy monastery (or this temple), every city and all, and every Christian country, and people living from every anger with your help:
Vema bo, vemy, how much can the prayer of the righteous hurrying for good: to you the righteous, according to the blessed Virgin Mary, the intercessor to the All-Merciful God of the imam, and to your good father, warm intercession and intercession humbly flow: you keep us as cheerful and kind shepherd, from all enemies, destruction, cowardice, hail, famine, flood, fire, sword, invasion of foreigners, and in all our troubles and sorrows, give us a helping hand, and open the doors of God's mercy, because we are not worthy to see the height of heaven, from many of our iniquities, are bound by the bonds of sin, and let us not save the will of our Creator, nor keep his commands.
In the same way, we bow our knees, contrite and humble of our hearts to our Creator, and we ask for your paternal intercession to Him:
Help us, the Pleasant of God, let us not perish with our iniquities, deliver us from all evil, and from all things opposing, direct our mind and strengthen our heart in the right faith, in it with your intercession and intercession, neither wounds, nor banning, nor pestilence, by no wrath will he let me live in this age, and save me from standing, and vouchsafe the right hand with all the saints. Amen.
Fourth Prayer to Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker
O our good shepherd and God-wise mentor, St. Nicholas of Christ! Hear us sinners, praying to you and calling for your help, your speedy intercession; see us weak, caught from everywhere, deprived of every good and darkened by the mind from cowardice; rush, servant of God, do not leave us in the sinful captivity of being, let us not be our enemy in joy and die in our evil deeds.
Pray for us unworthy of our Sovereign and Lord, but you stand before him with incorporeal faces: be merciful to us, create our God in this life and in the future, let him not reward us according to our deeds and according to the impurity of our hearts, but according to your goodness will reward us .
We hope for your intercession, we boast of your intercession, we call on your intercession for help, and we fall down to your most holy image, we ask for help: deliver us, saint of Christ, from the evils that are upon us, and tame the waves of passions and troubles that rise against us, but for the sake of Your holy prayers will not attack us and we will not be mired in the abyss of sin and in the mud of our passions. Moth, to St. Nicholas of Christ, Christ our God, give us a peaceful life and the remission of sins, but salvation and great mercy to our souls, now and ever and forever and ever.
Prayer 5 to Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker
O great intercessor, the bishop of God, blessed Nicholas, who shines miracles like a sunflower, who calls upon you as a quick hearer, you always anticipate and save, and deliver, and take away all kinds of troubles, from God given to you miracles and gifts of grace!
Hear me unworthy, calling you with faith and bringing prayer to you singing; I offer you an intercessor for supplication to Christ.
O notorious in miracles, high saint! as if you have boldness, soon stand before the Lord, and reverence your hands in prayer to Him, stretch out for me a sinner, and from Him give bounties of goodness, and accept me as your intercession, and deliver me from all troubles and evils, from the invasion of enemies visible and invisible freeing, and destroying all those slanders and malice, and reflecting those who fight me in my whole life; ask for forgiveness by my sin, and present me to Christ and save the Kingdom of Heaven for the multitude of that philanthropy, he deserves all glory, honor and worship, with his Father without beginning, and with the Most Holy and Good and Life-giving Spirit, now and forever and forever centuries.
Sixth Prayer to Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker
Oh, the all-good Father Nicholas, the shepherd and teacher of all those who by faith flow to your intercession, and call you with warm prayer, soon rush, and deliver Christ's flock from the wolves that destroy it, that is, from the invasion of the wicked Latins rising up against us.
Protect and save our country, and every country in Orthodoxy, with your holy prayers from worldly rebellion, the sword, the invasion of foreigners, from internecine and bloody warfare.
And as if you had mercy on three men sitting in prison, and delivered them from the tsar’s wrath and the cutting of the sword, so have mercy and deliver the Great, Small and White Russia Orthodox people from the pernicious heresy of Latin.
As if by your intercession and help, by His own mercy and grace, Christ God, may He look with His merciful eye on people in the ignorance of existence, even though they don’t know their right hands, even more so young, with which Latin seductions are spoken in a hedgehog to turn away from the Orthodox faith, may the mind of His people enlighten, may they not be tempted and fall away from the faith of the fathers, conscience, lulled by vain wisdom and ignorance, may it awaken, turn the will to the preservation of the holy Orthodox faith, may it remember the faith and humility of our fathers, your life for the Orthodox faith who have put, accepting the prayers of the warmth of His holy saints, who have shone forth in our land, keeping us from delusion and heresy of the Latins, and having preserved us in holy Orthodoxy, vouchsafe us at His terrible Judgment of the right hand to stand with all the saints. Amen.
What can you eat on the day of memory of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
December 19, according to the new style, falls on the Christmas, or Filippov, as it is also called, post. On this day, you can eat fish, but you can not eat meat, eggs and other animal products.
Miracles of Saint Nicholas
Nicholas the Wonderworker is considered the patron, intercessor and prayer book for sailors and, in general, for everyone who travels. For example, as the life of the saint says, in his youth, traveling from Myra to Alexandria, he resurrected a sailor who, during a fierce storm, fell off the mast of the ship and, falling on the deck, crashed to death.
Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh. Word, uttered at the vigil on the feast of St. Nicholas, December 18, 1973, in the church named after him in Kuznetsy (Moscow)
Today we celebrate the day of the death of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. What a strange combination of words: celebration of death... Usually, when someone is overtaken by death, we yearn and weep for it; and when the saint dies, we rejoice about it. How is this possible?
This is possible only because when a sinner dies, those who remain have a heavy feeling in their hearts that the time has come for parting, even if only temporarily. No matter how strong our faith is, no matter how hope inspires us, no matter how sure we are that the God of love will never finally separate from each other those who love each other with even imperfect, earthly love - still remains sadness and longing that for many years we will not see the face, the expression of the eyes shining on us with affection, we will not touch the dear person with a reverent hand, we will not hear his voice, bringing his caress and love to our hearts ...
But our attitude to the saint is not exactly like that. Even those who were contemporary with the saints, already during their lifetime, managed to realize that, living in the fullness of heavenly life, the saint did not separate from the earth during his life, and that when he rests in his body, he will still remain in this mystery of the Church, which unites the living and the dead. into one body, into one spirit, into one eternal, Divine mystery that conquered all lives.
As they died, the saints could say, as Paul said: I fought a good feat, I kept the faith; now an eternal reward is being prepared for me, now I myself become a sacrifice...
And this consciousness is not the head, but the consciousness of the heart, the living feeling of the heart that the saint cannot leave us (just as the risen Christ, who has become invisible to us, does not leave us, just as God, invisible to us, is not absent), this consciousness allows us to rejoice on the day when, as the ancient Christians said, a person born into eternal life. He did not die - but was born, entered into eternity, into the whole expanse, into the fullness of life. He is in anticipation of a new victory of life, which we all look forward to: the resurrection of the dead on the last day, when all the barriers of separation will already fall, and when we will rejoice not only about the victory of eternity, but that God has restored the temporal to life - but in glory, new shining glory.
One of the ancient fathers of the Church, Saint Irenaeus of Lyon, says: the glory of God is a man who has become Man... Saints are such a glory to God; looking at them, we are amazed at what God can do to a person.
And behold, we rejoice on the day of the death of the one who was on earth heavenly man, but having entered into eternity, he became an intercessor and a prayer book for us, not leaving us, remaining not only the same close, becoming even closer, because we become close to each other as we become close, dear, our own to the Living God, God of love. Our joy today is so deep! The Lord on earth shook, like a ripe ear, St. Nicholas. Now he triumphs with God, in heaven; and just as he loved the earth and people, knew how to pity, compassion, knew how to surround everyone and meet everyone with amazing, tender, thoughtful care, so now he prays for us all, caringly, thoughtfully.
When you read his life, you are amazed that he cared not only about the spiritual; he cared for every human need, the humblest human need. He knew how to rejoice with those who rejoice, he knew how to cry with those who weep, he knew how to console and support those who needed comfort and support. And this is why the people, the Myrlikian flock, fell in love with him so much, and why the entire Christian people honors him so much: there is nothing too insignificant that he would not pay attention to with his creative love. There is nothing on earth that would seem unworthy of his prayers and unworthy of his labors: illness, and the poor, and deprivation, and disgrace, and fear, and sin, and joy, and hope, and love - everything found a lively response in his deep human heart. And he left us the image of a man who is the radiance of God's beauty, he left us in himself, as it were, a living, acting icon genuine person.
But he left it to us not only so that we rejoice, admire, be amazed; he left us his image so that we could learn from him how to live, what kind of love to love, how to forget ourselves and remember fearlessly, sacrificially, joyfully every need of another person.
He left us an image of how to die, how to mature, how to stand before God at the last hour, giving His soul joyfully, as if returning to his father's house. When I was a young man, my father once told me: during your life, learn to expect death in the same way as a young man tremblingly awaits the arrival of his bride ... This is how St. Nicholas waited for the hour of death, when the death gates open, when all bonds fall, when the soul flutters him to freedom, when it will be given to him to behold the God whom he worshiped with faith and love. So it is given to us to wait - to wait creatively, not to wait numbly, in fear of death, but to wait with joy for that time, that meeting with God, which will make us akin not only to our Living God, with Christ who became a man, but also with every person. because only in God are we made one...
The Fathers of the Church call us to live fear of death. From century to century we hear these words, and from century to century we misunderstand them. How many people live in fear that death is about to come, and after death - judgment, and after judgment - what? Unknown. Hell? Forgiveness?.. But not about that fear of death fathers said. The Fathers said that if we remembered that in a moment we might die, how we would hasten to do all the good that we can still do! If we thought constantly, tremblingly that the person standing next to us, to whom we can now do good or evil, might die - how we would hasten to take care of him! There would then be no need, either great or small, that would exceed our ability to devote life to a person who is about to die.
I have already said something about my father; sorry - I'll tell you one more personal. My mother has been dying for three years; she knew it because I told her. And when death entered our life, it transformed life by the fact that every moment, every word, every action - because it could be the last - had to be a perfect expression of all the love, all the affection, all the reverence that was between us. And for three years there were no trifles and there were no big things, but only the triumph of trembling, reverent love, where everything merged into greatness, because all love can be contained in one word, and all love can be expressed in one movement; and it should be like this.
The Saints understood this not only in relation to one person, whom they loved especially tenderly and for some small years, for which they had the spirit. The saints knew how to live like this throughout their whole lives, from day to day, from hour to hour, in relation to each person, because in each they saw the image of God, a living icon, but - God! - sometimes such a defiled, such a mutilated icon, which they contemplated with special pain and with special love, as we would contemplate an icon trampled into the mud before our eyes. And each of us, with our sin, tramples into the mud the image of God in ourselves.
Think about it. Think how glorious, how marvelous death can be if we only live life like saints. They are people like us, differing from us only in courage and burning spirit. If only we could live like them! And how rich the memory of death could be for us if, instead of being called, in our language, the fear of death, it would be a constant reminder that every moment is and can become a door to eternal life. Every moment, filled with all love, all humility, all delight and strength of the soul, can open time to eternity and make our earth already a place where paradise is manifested, a place where God lives, a place where we are united in love, a place where everything the evil, the dead, the dark, the dirty, are defeated, transfigured, become light, become purity, become Divine.
May the Lord grant us to ponder these images of saints, and not to each other, not even to ask ourselves what to do, but to turn directly to them, to these saints, of whom some were at first robbers, sinners, people terrible for others, but who managed by the greatness of the soul to perceive God and grow into measure of the age of Christ. Let's ask them... What happened to you, Father Nicholas? What did you do, how did you reveal yourself to the power of Divine love and grace?.. And he will answer us; with his life and his prayer, he will make possible for us what seems impossible to us, because the power of God is made perfect in weakness, and everything is available to us, everything is possible for us in the Lord Jesus Christ who strengthens us.
Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh. About the calling of a Christian.
Word pronounced at the liturgy on the day of memory of St. Nicholas on December 19, 1973, in the church named after him in Kuznetsy (Moscow)
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
I congratulate you on the occasion!
When we celebrate the day of such a saint as Nicholas the Wonderworker, whom not only the Russian heart, but universal Orthodoxy perceived as one of the most perfect images of the priesthood, it is especially reverent to serve the Divine Liturgy and stand before it; because before he became a companion of the apostles, Saint Nicholas was a genuine, true layman. The Lord Himself revealed that it was he who should have been made a priest - for the purity of his life, for the feat of his love, for his love for worship and the temple, for the purity of his faith, for his meekness and humility.
All this was in him not a word, but it was flesh. In the troparion we sing to him that he was rule of faith, image of meekness, teacher of temperance; all this appeared to his flock by the very deed, the radiance of his life, and not just a verbal sermon. And so he was still a layman. And by such a feat, such love, such purity, such meekness, he acquired for himself the highest calling of the Church - to be appointed bishop, bishop of his city; to be before the eyes of the believing people (which itself is the body of Christ, the seat of the Holy Spirit, the divine lot), among the Orthodox people to stand like a living icon; so that, looking at him, in his eyes to see the light of Christ's love, to see in his actions, to experience Christ's divine mercy with his own eyes.
We are all called to follow the same path. There are no two ways for a person: there is a way of holiness; the other way is the way of renunciation of one's Christian calling. Not everyone reaches the height that is revealed to us in the saints; but we are all called to be so pure in our heart, in our mind, in our life, in our flesh, that we may be, as it were, the incarnate presence in the world, from century to century, from millennium to millennium, of Christ Himself.
We are called to be so completely, so completely given to God, that each of us becomes, as it were, a temple where the Holy Spirit lives and acts - both in us and through us.
We are called to be daughters and sons of our Heavenly Father; but not only allegorically, not only because He treats us as a father treats children. In Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are called to truly become His children, like Christ, partaking of His sonship, receiving the Spirit of sonship, the Spirit of God, so that our life may be hidden. with Christ in God.
This we cannot achieve without difficulty. The Church Fathers tell us: shed blood and you will receive the Spirit... We cannot ask God to dwell in us when we ourselves are not working to prepare for Him a holy, purified, God-consecrated temple. We cannot call Him into the depths of our sin again and again, if we do not have a firm, fiery intention, if we are not ready, when He descends to us, when He seeks us like a lost sheep, and wants to carry us back to our father's house, to be taken and carried away forever in His Divine arms.
To be a Christian is to be an ascetic; to be a Christian is to struggle to overcome everything in oneself that is death, sin, unrighteousness, impurity; in a word - to overcome, to overcome everything because of which Christ was crucified, killed on the Cross. Human sin killed him - mine, and yours, and our common; and if we do not overcome and do not get rid of sin, then we partake either of those who, through negligence, coldness, indifference, frivolity, gave Christ to be crucified, or those who maliciously wanted to destroy Him, wipe Him off the face of the earth, because His appearance, His preaching , His personality were their condemnation.
To be a Christian is to be an ascetic; and yet it is impossible for us to save ourselves. Our calling is so high, so great, that a person cannot fulfill it on his own. I have already said that we are called to be, as it were, grafted into the humanity of Christ, as a twig is grafted into a life-giving tree - so that the life of Christ would spring up in us, so that we would be His body, so that we would be His presence, so that our word would be His. in a word, our love is His love, and our action is His action.
I said that we must become a temple of the Holy Spirit, but more than a physical temple. The material temple contains the presence of God, but is not permeated by it; and man is called to unite with God in such a way as, according to the word of St. Maximus the Confessor, fire pierces, penetrates iron, becomes one with it, and it is possible (says Maxim) to cut with fire and burn with iron, because it is no longer possible to distinguish where the burning is and where the fuel is. Where is man and where is God.
This we cannot achieve. We cannot become sons and daughters of God just because we ourselves want it or we ask and pray for it; we must be accepted by the Father, adopted, we must become, in the love of God for Christ, what Christ is to the Father: sons, daughters. How can we achieve this? The Gospel gives us the answer. Peter asks: Who can be saved? - And Christ answers: What is impossible for man is possible for God...
Through deeds we can open our hearts; protect your mind and soul from impurity; we can direct our actions so that they are worthy of our calling and our God; we can keep our flesh pure for the communion of the Body and Blood of Christ; we can open ourselves to God and say: Come and dwell in us… And we can know that if we ask this with a sincere heart, we want it, then God, who wants us to be saved more than we know how to want it for ourselves, will give it to us. He Himself tells us in the Gospel: If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him...
Therefore, let us be with all the strength of our human weakness, with all the burning of our dim spirit, with all the hope of our heart yearning for fullness, with all our faith that cries out to God: Lord, I believe, but help my unbelief! With all the hunger, with all the thirst of our soul and body, let us ask God to come. But at the same time, with all the strength of our soul, with all the strength of our body, let us prepare for Him a temple worthy of His coming: cleansed, dedicated to Him, guarded from all unrighteousness, malice and impurity. And then the Lord will come; and will celebrate, as He promised us, with the Father and the Spirit, the Last Supper in our hearts, in our lives, in our temple, in our society, and the Lord will reign forever, our God to generation and generation.
Santa Claus
In Western Christianity, the image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was combined with the image of a folklore character - "Christmas grandfather" - and transformed into Santa Claus ( santa claus translated from English. - St Nicholas). Santa Claus gives gifts to children on St. Nicholas Day, but more often on Christmas Day.
At the origins of the tradition of giving gifts on behalf of Santa Claus is the story of a miracle performed by Nikolai Ugodnik. As the life of the saint says, he saved the family of a poor man who lived in Patara from sin.
The poor man had three lovely daughters, and the need made him think terrible - he wanted to send the girls into prostitution. The local archbishop, and Nicholas the Wonderworker just served them, received a revelation from the Lord about what his parishioner had conceived in desperation. And he decided to save his family, and secretly from everyone. One night, he tied a bundle of gold coins that he inherited from his parents, and threw the bag to the poor man through the window. The father of his daughters discovered the gift only in the morning and thought that it was Christ himself who sent him a gift. With these funds, he married his eldest daughter to a good man.
Saint Nicholas rejoiced that his help had brought good fruit, and in the same way, secretly, he threw a second bag of gold through the window of the poor man. With these funds, he played the wedding of his middle daughter.
The poor man was eager to know who his benefactor was. He did not sleep at night and waited if he would come to help the third daughter? Saint Nicholas was not long in coming. Hearing the ringing of a bundle of coins, the poor man caught up with the archbishop and recognized him as a saint. I fell at his feet and warmly thanked him for saving his family from a terrible sin.
Nikola Winter, Nikola Autumn, Nikola Veshny, "Nikola Wet"
On December 19 and August 11, according to the new style, Orthodox Christians remember, respectively, the death and birth of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. According to the time of the year, these holidays received popular names - Nikola Winter and Nikola Autumn.
Nikola Veshnim (that is, spring), or Nikola Summer, was called the feast of the transfer of the relics of the saint and wonderworker Nicholas from the World of Lycian to Bari, which is celebrated on May 22 according to a new style.
The phrase "Nikola Wet" comes from the fact that this saint in all ages was considered the patron saint of sailors and, in general, of all travelers. When the temple in the name of St. Nicholas the Pleasant was built by sailors (often in gratitude for the miraculous rescue on the waters), the people called it "Nikola Wet".
Folk traditions of celebrating the day of memory of Nikolai Ugodnik
In Russia, Nicholas the Pleasant was revered as the "senior" among the saints. Nicola was called "merciful"; temples were built in honor of him and children were named - from antiquity and until the beginning of the 20th century, the name Kolya was the most popular among Russian boys.
About Nikola Zimny (December 19) in the huts in honor of the holiday, festive meals were arranged - they baked pies with fish, brewed mash and beer. The holiday was considered "old man's", the most respected people of the village gathered together a rich table and had long conversations. And the youth indulged in winter entertainment - sledding, dancing, singing songs, preparing for Christmas gatherings.
On Nikola Summer, or Spring (May 22), the peasants arranged religious processions - they went to the fields with icons and banners, performed prayers at the wells - they asked for rain.
Twice a year the Christian world celebrates the feast of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (May 22 and December 19). Many signs, rituals and traditions are associated with this holiday. Nicholas is revered as a great miracle worker who is able to heal diseases. Most often, poor, homeless and sick people ask him for help, because only he is able to help them. Since ancient times, people have believed that warm and pleasant spring weather comes on May 22 for the Feast of the Wonderworker.
Signs
Rainy weather on Nikolai Ugodnik marks an excellent harvest, and when frogs are heard singing in the morning, you can expect a lot of oats. An interesting weather omen is that if the spring season turns out to be cold, warm weather is expected until mid-autumn.
Since ancient times, people believed that the last day of the year is the day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Therefore, it is imperative to pay off all debts, otherwise the year will be unsuccessful. To protect his house from troubles, the owner must go around his yard in the morning. Last year's grain can only be sold when the holiday is over.
Based on beliefs, on this wonderful day, you can not be afraid of various troubles. It was believed that the worst enemies would turn out to be friends on the day of Nicholas the Wonderworker. It was on this holiday that people began to plant potatoes, buckwheat, cleaned the oat crop and drove horses out to graze at night. If a person meets a beggar or hungry, then it is necessary to help him. Otherwise, you can face these adversities yourself. Oats should definitely begin to be sheared from this holiday, this will not give the harvest an abyss.
It was on this holiday that young people often performed various rituals and fortune-telling. With the onset of evening, all the lonely young women went out into the street, took off their shoes and threw their left shoe out of the gate. If the girl's shoes flew far away, then after marriage she will go far from her home. The toe of the shoe indicated the direction from where the betrothed should be expected. When the shoes pointed to the house in which the young woman lives, then she will not see the wedding in the coming year.
There was an interesting rite to gain wealth. People put their empty wallets in a prominent place in the house. Someone even hung stencils to notify about problems with money. They believed that Nicholas the Wonderworker would see their grief with lack of money and would definitely help.
In order for Nicholas to help fulfill a wish, a special ceremony was performed on this day. To conduct it, you need to purchase an icon of St. Nicholas and forty candles bought in the church for the house. The image of the saint was placed on the table, and the candles were alternately lit around him. While they were burning, a person should express his wishes. People believed that he would definitely help if the desire was sincere and pure.
Saint Nicholas - the most revered Saint of the Russian people
Saint Nicholas showed mercy even to a person who committed a terrible sin, if he deeply and sincerely obeyed. So, he forgave the ruler of the city, who condemned the innocent for a bribe, and did not complain about him to the emperor. And he could be unexpectedly harsh: at the Ecumenical Council in Nicaea in 325, indignant at the stubbornness of the heretic Arius, he hit him on the cheek, for which the assembled bishops decided to deprive St. Nicholas of the hierarchal (episcopal) dignity.
According to legend, he was even imprisoned. But the sign that the bishops received in a dream convinced them to return the saint's freedom. The meaning of his act for believers is by no means in permissiveness, but in active rejection of any untruth: the sharpness of the saint was caused by the same feeling that once prompted him to snatch the sword from the hands of the executioner.
Saint Nicholas is also glorified as a miracle worker: through his prayers, miraculous healings and even resurrections from the dead took place, storms at sea subsided, and the wind carried the ship to where the saint needed. The Church also knows many cases when prayers of believers to St. Nicholas turned into miracles even after his death.
A quick and merciful helper to the afflicted, unmercenary and philanthropist, sensitively responding to the misfortune and pain of people; a strict pastor-mentor, keenly experiencing any untruth and resolutely rebelling against it - in these features of St. Nicholas, Orthodox see not a contradictory nature, but evidence of the living fullness of his holiness.
The people called May 22 differently: the day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the day of St. Nicholas of the Spring, St. Nicholas of the Warm. This is one of the main holidays in Russia, since the people considered Nicholas the Wonderworker to be their intercessor and patron. He was especially revered by sailors and travelers. They turned to the saint for help and deliverance from troubles. They said that the field of Nikola cold would be hit 12 more times. Also on May 22, lilacs bloomed.
They went to church to pray to Nicholas the Wonderworker, and said: “Saint Nicholas the Pleasant! Help me holy miracle worker! Cover me with your miracle and save me from all misfortunes.
It is known that Nicholas also saved children from troubles, patronized young couples and prevented fires in the fields. On May 22, they prayed to him for the health of horses and protection from thieves. The people also called him the patron saint of spring. Be sure to try on this day to feed the disadvantaged people, otherwise during the year you yourself will have to starve.
On May 22, they prayed to St. Nicholas for the health of the horses and only after that they were saddled, otherwise the demonic power would ride horses and drive horses to death. And if they saw that the horse was shuddering, they would definitely say: “Shoo-shoo, evil spirits.” They began to drive out the horses at night - for this, young boys gathered all together and drove the animals. They escorted them to the whole village. Songs began, dances began - fun reigned around. Earlier, also on May 22, this day was the period when the boys began to enter adulthood, after which the elders stopped raising them.
They tried not to swim in the river until May 22, as it was considered a great sin. In addition, the ode was still not warm enough.
On the day of St. Nicholas of the spring, meadows were “ordered” - this was done with the help of twigs and branches, which were stuck into the ground on May 22, so that it was clear: cattle could not be grazed here.
On this day, prayers with blessings of water were ordered, so that the saint would protect the horses from wolves and bears and grant health to the herds. Then, from each family, single children were equipped, and the whole village escorted them to the field. Especially for May 22, they baked pies with buckwheat porridge, prepared gifts. Grooms with gifts and pies after treats went with horses to the meadows and spent the whole night in festivities.
And it also ended on Nikola Spring time for planting potatoes, which was not only the second bread for the peasant, but could also serve for the most unexpected purposes.
Expecting steady heat, they waited with particular impatience for Nikola: “If Nikola would come, it would be warm”, “Be strong before Nikola, at least loosen up, don’t live with Nikola.”
Nikola Veshny is the holiday of grooms, and one of the main events of the day is driving horses into the field, for repairs, for arable land, for night pasture (at night): “Nikola Spring will fatten the horse, autumn will drive it into the yard.”
Folk omens for May 22
- It rains the day after Nikola - summer will also be rainy and cold
- Nikola's day was the deadline for planting potatoes, because it was believed that if they were planted later, then, according to signs, they would not have time to grow, and you would not reap the harvest
- A foggy and wet morning on May 22 means that you need to wash yourself with the first dew in order to be healthy throughout the year. It was also necessary to go through the fields and pronounce conspiracies so that the land was fertile.
- The frogs began to croak - a sign that there will be a rich harvest of oats
- The alder blossomed - it's time to sow buckwheat
According to the Slavic Orthodox tradition, two holidays are celebrated dedicated to St. Nicholas: Summer (Spring) and Winter (Cold). It is believed that summer is a day of veneration for Nikolai Ugodnik, and winter is a day for the Confessor. That is why Summer is so revered and loved by the people.
Nicholas the Wonderworker is an Orthodox saint who is the most revered in the Christian Church. Revered as a miracle worker, patron of travelers, children and family hearth, as well as all the poor and needy. Every year the holiday is celebrated on the same date, so Nikola in summer in 2019 will be celebrated, as in other years, on May 22.
history of the holiday
Even in ancient times, people believed that on Nikolin's day, spring meets in summer, and after that real warmth begins. In ancient Russia, this holiday was revered more than others by the people and was the most long-awaited. This holiday is of particular importance for all Orthodox Christians, because it is dedicated to one of God's most beloved saints.
The celebration of the memory of St. Nicholas the Summer in Russia began to be celebrated from the 11th century. In many Slavic countries, on this day they remember the rite of transferring the relics of St. Nicholas to Bar. This saint earned people's love with his mercy and favor. It is no coincidence that he is usually called the patron of all the lonely and suffering.
Despite the fact that he forgave even terrible sins, if the believer sincerely confessed and repented, he was also quite harsh. It is known that in 325 he struck the heretic Arius on the cheek, for which the bishops decided to deprive him of his hierarchal rank. However, Nicholas was saved by a vision that came to the bishops in a dream and they granted him freedom.
In Orthodoxy, he is glorified as a miracle worker - it is believed that with the help of prayer he could control the sea, heal and resurrect from the dead. He always responded to human troubles and was a real defender of the needy and offended. Until now, this holiday is honored and celebrated by all Orthodox, adhering to the relevant traditions and rituals.
St. Nicholas performed many miracles: he healed from various diseases, and sometimes even brought the dead back to life. They came to him in search of justice, asked for help in trouble. The saint could extend a helping hand to all those in need, for which he gained immense popularity among the people.
Traditions
A lot of folk traditions are associated with this day. Nikola the Summer is considered the patron saint of tillers and cattle breeders, young lovers and travelers. He is especially honored by the horsemen, who leave the horses on the free pasture on the night before the holiday. It is believed that this will help save the herd from the attacks of wolves.
Couples in love and young unmarried girls ask Nikola for a good groom and happiness in the family early in the morning. It is necessary to pray at dawn in complete solitude, then the request will certainly be fulfilled. The most popular tradition is to walk until midnight. In the evening, before the shepherds start pasturing livestock, a special dinner was prepared from porridge and various pies. On this evening, even the smallest children, whose patron saint is a saint, were allowed to walk and have fun around the fire. It was believed that on a festive evening between young girls and boys, the most sincere feeling of love arose.
Throughout the day, prayers addressed to Nicholas were traditional. The rite was especially important for obtaining a good harvest. Early in the morning it was necessary to go outside and turn to face the rising sun. People believed that in this way prayer would definitely reach the saint.
How to celebrate
Prayer is one of the main rituals performed on this day. The whole day of May 22 is preferably spent with family. It is important that useful household chores be done in the breaks between prayers. Morning and evening are considered the most suitable times for turning to the saint. On the day of Nikola Veshny, it is customary to work to care for the house and cattle not only for adults, but also for children.
From May 22, you can start work in the garden and vegetable garden - on this day you can already start sowing and planting vegetables. To have a good harvest, you can plant buckwheat and potatoes, as well as sow greens and root crops. It is believed that it is not advisable to start work in the garden before this day, as this will not bring the desired results.
Prohibitions
On an Orthodox holiday, it is not customary to be sad and indulge in sad memories. However, it is undesirable on Nikolin's day to have too much fun. On this day, you can do any housework, except for knitting and sewing. Also prohibited are any activities with sharp and piercing objects (scissors, knives, other kitchen utensils and garden tools).
You can not refuse help if you turn to you. This is considered a sin and for the next seven years the whole family of the one who refused will be in need. On this day, it is very important to provide any possible assistance to children, orphans, and the poor. Since Nikolai Ugodnik is recognized as the patron saint of children, they are usually given gifts and tasty treats on this day. Traditionally, gifts were hidden under the pillow or hidden in socks.
