Maundy Thursday 2023: when to bathe, what not to do, strong prayer

In the Bible, Maundy Thursday is a special day of Holy Week before Easter. It is on this date that believers pay tribute to the memory of the Last Supper. Read all about this day in the article TSN.ua: what should be done on Maundy Thursday and what is prohibited.

Among the people, Maundy Thursday is associated with the purification of not only the soul, but also the body. Therefore, there are many interesting rituals and folk signs.

When is Maundy Thursday 2023 in Ukraine

Holy Week is the last week of Great Lent, which helps believers prepare for the celebration of the great and bright Easter. Its period depends on the date of the Lord’s Resurrection, and therefore every year Maundy Thursday falls on different dates. It will be in 2023 April 13. And Easter is coming on Sunday.

It has long been customary to start baking Easter eggs and dyeing eggs on Maundy Thursday. Therefore, even physically, the spirit of the holiday can already be felt in the house – because the smell of fresh baked goods gives joyful feelings.

What to do on Maundy Thursday

Believers have the main question: is it possible to work on Maundy Thursday? The answer is clear: it is not only possible, but also necessary. After all, there is a lot of work before Easter. First, you should visit the church, and then get down to the main household chores:

• general cleaning of the house — emphasis is placed on washing the floor, doors, and windows. Our ancestors believed: if you don’t clean up on Maundy Thursday, the family will live in quarrels and misunderstandings all year;
• throwing away anything old or damaged – garbage, old and unnecessary things, junk should be sent to garbage cans (preferably outside the premises). It is very important to celebrate Easter in a clean, tidy home, where nothing is broken;
• completion of all started work — there is a folk omen, according to which if on this day you leave unwashed dishes or do not finish cleaning, troubles will fall on a person for the whole year;
• cooking for the holiday table — although Great Lent is still going on, we need to think about Easter. Therefore, on Maundy Thursday, they already started baking paskas and dyeing eggs, but none of this can be eaten yet.

Bathing oneself and relatives who cannot do it themselves (children, the elderly, the disabled) is considered a very important rite on Maundy Thursday. Believers do this in memory of how the Savior washed the feet of his apostles before the Last Supper.

Folk signs

• If the weather is sunny, it will be warm by the end of spring.
• But if it rains, then by summer there will be bad weather.

What not to do on Maundy Thursday

Among the believers, there are many prohibitions related to this date, but not all of them are approved by the Church. For example, if you are interested in Is it possible to get a haircut on Maundy Thursday?, then the answer is yes. You even need to do it, because it is a kind of renewal of a person. Along with hair, she “cuts off” failures and diseases.

Is it possible to plant potatoes on Maundy Thursday? If the weather allows it, then of course you can. In general, among our ancestors there was a belief that if you plant potatoes on this day, they will give an extremely rich harvest.

Is it possible to sew on Maundy Thursday?? Yes, you can. In general, any physical work on this day is allowed by the Church. After all, the preparation for Easter continues and there is a lot of work.

Then what can’t be done:

• borrow money;
• be lazy;
• to swear and quarrel;
• leave dirty things in the house;
• slander;
• eat junk food.

When to bathe on Maundy Thursday

There are certain rules when and how to bathe on Maundy Thursday. They must be observed by all believers:

• you should swim before sunrise, then your soul and body will be filled with the maximum amount of energy — on April 13, 2023, the sun will rise in Kyiv at 05:07, so plan to swim before five in the morning;
• on Maundy Thursday, wash yourself with water from a silver spoon or other silver object – this way you will get health and beauty for the whole year;
• while bathing on Maundy Thursday, prayer is obligatory – this is how a person washes away all his sins. During prayer, it is customary to turn to the Mother of God and Jesus Christ, as well as to your guardian angel;
• it is better to bathe while standing, so that the water flows all over the body – then it will wash a person well;
• choose cool water – it is believed that then the soul and body will be better cleansed of sin and dirt.

Prayer on Maundy Thursday

If you want to completely change your fate, you should read the following prayer:

Angel of God, Guardian of my soul and my body! I truly ask You: do not leave me in sin, be near me and do not give my hopeless spirit to demons. Restrain me from weakness and weakness, curb my freedom and direct me to the path of humility and true faith in the Lord. And day and night, and in happiness and in sadness, do not leave me and go with me to the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen.

But while bathing, other words are read:

As confessions cleanse, as water washes away dirt, so you, Thursday, be clean, cleanse me, the servant (y) of God (y), from all evil, from resentment, from disobedience, from someone else’s slander, from bad rumors, from evil conversations, from useless arguments in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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