The Ascension of the Lord is considered one of the most important church holidays.

The Bible describes that after his resurrection, Jesus Christ stayed on earth with his disciples for 40 days, and then ascended to heaven.

It is this event that is commemorated on this day.

When is the Ascension of the Lord in 2023: the history of the holiday

The Ascension of the Lord depends on the day of Easter.

In 2023,

(Orthodox Christians) and April 9 (Catholics).

So,

falls this year on

.

It is described in the Gospel that when Jesus Christ was resurrected, he stayed among his flock on earth for another 40 days.

At the end of this period, he gathered all his apostles on Mount Eleon, where he blessed them and ascended in the flesh to heaven.

At that moment, all those present saw angels who announced that the Lord would return to his disciples after some time.

Celebration traditions

In Christianity, the Ascension of the Lord is considered one of the twelve holidays.

Therefore, already on the eve of the new birth, solemn chants begin in the temples, and in the evening there is an all-night vigil.

Believers necessarily go to church, spend this day in prayers.

The holiday always falls on a Thursday and there is no fasting on this day, so it is allowed to eat any food.

In ancient times, in pagan times, this date was celebrated by the Slavs as the transition of spring into summer.

It was believed that it is during this period that the real heat comes.

Then, during the celebration, they often led round dances, sang, and arranged loud parties.

Then, on Ascension Day, an interesting tradition was formed - to bake special pies with green onion filling.

Such a treat was called a "ladder" because on top of it decorations were made in the form of crossbars made of dough.

Pies were necessarily consecrated in the church, and then they were treated to relatives.

What can and cannot be done on the Ascension of the Lord

On this day, the Orthodox Church forbids getting married, quarreling, slandering, cursing, refusing help to those in need, going to the cemetery, remembering the dead, and spitting on the ground.

It is possible to work on the Ascension of the Lord, because the celebration always falls on a Thursday.

Believers often give alms on this day.

Prayer for the Ascension of the Lord

God, Your Son ascended to heaven today in front of the apostles.

Make us, according to the promise, worthy of His presence with us on earth and to eternal life with Him in heaven.

Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, O God, forever and ever.

Amen.

Read also:

• Church calendar for 2023: major holidays, fasting and memorial days

• Trinity of 2023: when we celebrate Green holidays, traditions and strong prayer