Orthodox Trinity Sunday/Pentecost.
Eastern Orthodoxy celebrates the feast of Trinity on the same day as Pentecost, whereas western churches celebrate Trinity on the Sunday following Pentecost. In Belarus the feast is traditionally called Sjomukha (Сёмуха), from the word for “seven”, since the feast falls on the seventh Sunday after Easter. In popular tradition marking the end of spring and beginning of summer, Trinity is one of the most important dates in the cycle of the year for honoring forebears (see photo of the day for May 24, 2010).
On the eve of Trinity Sunday, people attach birch branches (a pre-Christian rite, incorporated into Christian tradition as symbolizing the life-giving power of the Holy Trinity) to their homes and scatter reeds (to recall that Christ’s first disciples were fishermen) at the entrance and throughout the interior. Churches do likewise.
Тройца (Сёмуха).
Birch branches at the entrance to a house, Tsjerablichy 2017.
Галінкі бярозы на Тройцу/Сёмуху, Цераблічы 2017 г.
Pentecost is one of the twelve great feasts in the Orthodox liturgical calendar. The parish of the Holy Trinity in Azdamichy celebrates Pentecost with great vigor while preparing for its even more splendid patronal feast on the third day of Trinity (Tuesday). This year the Sunday Pentecost/Holy Trinity service lasted almost six hours as it combined mattins, the liturgy, and vespers.
Feast of Pentecost/Holy Trinity, Azdamichy 2017.
Сёмуха/Тройца, Аздамічы 2017 г.
Mattins.
Ютрань.
Blessing the icon of the Holy Trinity.
Асьвячэньне абраза Сьвятой Тройцы.
Blessing the nave and congregation. The priest makes a clockwise circuit of the interior of the nave (as opposed to the counter-clockwise circuit through the churchyard around the church during the procession) to bless and fortify the church and congregation against Satan.
Хаджэньне.
Anointing with holy oil for the remission of sins.
Мірапамазаньне.
