On the 40th day after Easter, Orthodox Christians celebrate one of their main holidays - the Ascension of the Lord. According to the Holy Scriptures, Jesus Christ, having blessed the apostles, 'was lifted up in their eyes, and a cloud took Him out of their sight.' The holiday is one of the twelve - the 12 most important in the church calendar. It is transitory - that is, its date depends on the number of Easter.
The holiday itself symbolizes the road to the Kingdom of Heaven for Christians. According to the Christian thinker Anthony Surozhsky, 'we understand the path of salvation, and we see what our land means to God, how dear it is to him, and what incomprehensible possibilities are there in it.'
Since Ascension is one of the main Orthodox holidays, the priests advise to dedicate this day to God. Doing any work other than daily activities is prohibited. As a rule, Orthodox Christians go to church services on this day. And after the church service, believers can gather at the festive table, since the church charter does not provide for fasting on this day.
Ascension was popularly called the Savior Day. The people believed that on this day on the street, under the guise of a beggar, one can meet the Lord himself. Therefore, in the villages, for example, on Ascension, it was not customary to throw garbage out of the house - this could offend God. And to somehow appease it, women baked special pancakes - 'lapotki'. Also, according to popular belief, it was believed that the nightingales sing louder on this day. The one who is lucky enough to catch this bird will be happy all year round.
