Among Christian holidays, the Nativity of the Forerunner and the Baptist of the Lord John occupies a special place. For believers from different countries, the biblical events associated with this saint are of great importance. The Church has dedicated the largest number of memorable dates to the Prophet. This is the only saint whose Christmas is celebrated in the church calendar as a holiday. Shrines associated with the Baptist are kept not only in Catholic cathedrals and Orthodox churches, but even in mosques. The Nativity of John the Baptist is widely celebrated in many countries and is an official holiday.
Feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist
The Nativity of the Forerunner John is one of the most significant holidays of Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, the birth of the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord is celebrated on July 7 according to the new style (June 24 is the old style).
John the Baptist is the son of the priest Zacharias and the righteous Elizabeth, revered by the Orthodox Church.
OhZechariah learned about the future birth of his son while serving in the temple, when he had a vision of an angel announcing the imminent birth of the great Prophet and Forerunner of the Lord. The priest did not believe and asked for a sign. As proof and punishment for his unbelief, Zechariah was speechless until the birth of his son and was able to speak again only after he wrote on the tablet the name of the name of the born baby.
John the Baptist preached the need for repentance and was the forerunner, forerunner of Jesus Christ. He baptized the people of Israel in the Jordan River and prepared people for the coming of the Messiah and his teachings. Jesus Christ himself was baptized in the Jordan by the prophet John.
History of the holiday
Currently, the birth of the Forerunner John is celebrated in all Christian countries, in some, having the status of a public holiday.
The tradition of celebrating the birthday of John the Baptist originates in the first Christian communities. Already in the third century, the birth of the Forerunner John was widely celebrated both in Western and Eastern Christianity. Since the fourth century, the date of the birth of the Baptist has been one of the official holidays of the Christian calendar.
Features of the holiday in Russia
In Russia, the Nativity of the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John not only reminds of the birth of the greatest prophet, but is also intertwined with the pagan holiday of honoring Ivan Kupala. On this day in Russia it was customary to douse yourself with water, jump over a fire, and collect herbs. They especially tried to find and bring a fern into the house, it was believed that the plantprotect from evil spirits. Pagan customs were replaced by Christian traditions. But even in modern society, on the feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist, many people remember the ancient rituals of paganism.
The Church condemns any pagan rituals, especially those related to divination, worship of the elements of nature and unbridled festivities. Many believers believe that the very name of the feast of the Nativity of the Baptist, Ivan Kupala Day, offends the memory of the saint and returns the consciousness of a person to the history of paganism with its sacrifices, worship of many gods, and ignorance.
How the Christmas of the Forerunner John is celebrated in different countries
The Nativity of John the Baptist is one of the most popular holidays in Catholic Christianity, which is celebrated on June 24 and lasts all day, sometimes even at night. Torches, bonfires are lit, fireworks are arranged. Believers with lit candles or torches go to the nearest chapels for prayers. In many regions of Spain, it is customary to burn old things, build a fire and jump over it. Such customs are explained by the proximity of the date of the holiday to the Summer Solstice.
On the island of Menorca, in honor of the birth of John the Baptist, a festival is held where horse races are held, in which representatives of all social classes and estates take part.
In France, Saint John the Baptist is especially revered, the feast of his Nativity lasts for several days.
Orthodox traditions of the holiday
According to the Orthodox calendar, the birth of the Forerunner and the Baptist John coincides with the period of Peter's Lent, so believers refrain from noisy festivities and a plentiful feast. The holy prophet grew up in the desert and led an ascetic life, eating only honey and locusts. Orthodox Christians, especially in pre-revolutionary Russia, tried to celebrate the birth of the prophet John the Baptist with a particularly strict fast.
Churches are holding a festive service, where funeral and memorial prayers are not performed.
Believers with joy and repentance offer prayers at the Divine Liturgy on the Nativity of John the Baptist. The holiday not only allows Christians to remember the history of biblical events, but also calls for cleansing from sins, recalls that the sacrament of confession is a prerequisite on the path of the soul to God.
Prayer to John the Baptist
You need to pray to the holy prophet for help in church or at home. The Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist can be visited in many Russian cities. There is a troparion, kontakion, magnification and a special prayer to John the Baptist. It is believed that the saint helps with headaches, diseases associated with the functioning of the brain. The prophet is prayed to before confession, he helps in repentance and improves a person’s ability to think clearly and objectively assess the situation.
You can venerate the ancient miraculous icon of the Baptist of the Lord in the John the Baptist Monastery. There are also particles of the saint's relics.
You can also pray at icons with relics in other churches, for example, in the church in honor of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, in honor of St. Nicholas in Pyzhy.
Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist
In Russia, in honor of the Baptist and Forerunner of the Lord John, at all times many churches, chapels were erected, monasteries were founded. Among them there are real monuments of culture and art, in some of them you can touch unique shrines and ancient icons.
The Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist in St. Petersburg (Chesme Church) is an architectural monument of federal significance. The building of the church is light and graceful.
The Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist on Presnya in Moscow was founded in 1685. At first the building of the temple was wooden, but at the beginning of the 18th century a stone structure was erected. The church has always been open to parishioners, even during the Soviet period, thanks to which the amazing atmosphere and ancient icons have been preserved. In the temple there is a unique image of John the Baptist "Angel in the Desert" of the 17th century, on which the saint has angel wings behind his back. Especially for the church in 1686, the icon of the Nativity of John the Baptist was painted, which is especially revered by believers. The interior decoration is decorated with monumental painting by V. M. Vasnetsov, which was discovered after one of the frescoes on the wall was streaming myrrh.
The imperishable relics of the saint
The Baptist was executed by order of King Herod by beheading at the request of Queen Herodias and her daughter Salome. At present, according to the majorityexperts, the true head of John the Baptist is in the cathedral in France in the city of Amiens. Many pilgrims from different countries come to venerate the shrine. The chapter is kept under glass on a special silver platter. Above the left eyebrow is a hole, a trace of a dagger, with which Herodias, in a fit of anger, pierced an already severed head.
The front part of the head is kept in France, the other half is in the mosque in Damascus.
Another important relic of Christian culture is the right hand of John the Baptist. The right hand of the holy prophet is imperishable and is kept in a monastery in Montenegro. In accordance with the biblical story, St. John, conducting the rite of baptism, laid his right hand on the head of Jesus Christ, which is why the relic is especially revered by Christians around the world.
