Today, June 19, Orthodox Christians celebrate one of the most important holidays of the year – Trinity.
The Trinity is celebrated on the 50th day after Easter, because this day is also called Pentecost.
All Orthodox churches in this day are decorated with birch branches, lilac, maple – they symbolize a renewal for the soul.
Your first name of the holiday was in honor of the descent of the Holy spirit on the apostles, which promised them the Christ even before his Ascension. The descent of the Holy spirit symbolizes the concern of all Persons Triune God of the world: God the Father creates the world, God the Son redeems people from slavery to the devil, God the Holy Spirit sanctifies the world through the Church and the preaching of the faith to all peoples.
In the Evangelical tradition, the descent of the Holy spirit is described as flames, tongues which surrounded each of the apostles, after which they have acquired “the gift of tongues” – began to speak different, not known to them earlier languages. Thus, they were able to preach the Christian faith in different parts of the world. That is why Pentecost is also called the birthday of the Christian Church.
After the divine Liturgy on the feast of the Trinity in churches is special Vespers with the reading of the memorial prayers: the priest reads the prayers, kneeling at the king’s gate, face to the faithful, parishioners it also ceases on his knees, for the first time after Easter.
On the eve of Trinity Church established Trinity Sunday, which is remembrance of the dead, and on Monday, immediately after Trinity, the Day of the Holy spirit.
