Decapitation of John the Baptist 2020

Decapitation of John the Baptist 2020 – date and traditions / photo news.church.ua

Today, 11 of September, Orthodox Christians remember the day of the violent death of the Baptist of Lord John. In the church calendar, it is called the beheading of John the Baptist.

Decapitation of John the Baptist: the history of the feast

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The prophet John the Baptist is the most revered Christian saint after the Virgin Mary. He was born in the family of the righteous Zacarías and Isabel. On the maternal side, Juan was a relative of Jesus Christ and was born several months before the Savior.

He preached to the people the coming of Jesus Christ, that is why he is called the Forerunner. He is also called the Baptist because of the fact that he baptized the Lord in the waters of the Jordan River.

After the Baptism of Jesus, John continued his prophetic ministry, denouncing vices and sins, calling for repentance. In particular, it exposed King Herod, who, while his brother was still alive, took his wife Herodias and married her himself. Herod did not like this, however, fearing the wrath of the people, he did not dare to execute John the Baptist and instead ordered him thrown in jail.

However, Herodias convinced her daughter Salome to trick the king into killing the prisoner. At the party on the occasion of Herod’s birthday, the girl danced for him. Herod liked the dance so much that he promised to fulfill all her wishes. Solomiya asked for John’s head on a tray. Herod complied with his request.

This event was the reason for the establishment of today’s party.

Head of John the Baptist: Loss and Acquisition of the Sanctuary

Many years after the execution of John the Baptist, the land in which his head was buried became the property of the pious noble Innocent. The vessel with the head was found during the construction of the church. This was the first acquisition of the head of John the Baptist.

Day of the beheading of John the Baptist – what not to do / photo by UNIAN

Miracles began to work from the sanctuary. Shortly before his death, Innocent reburied him in the same place so that he would not be vilified by the Gentiles. Then there were two more discoveries of the head of John the Baptist, in memory of which festivals were also established.

What not to do on the day of the beheading

On this day, a strict fast should be observed as a sign of the Christian’s grief at the violent death of the great prophet. Meanwhile, there are a number of prohibitions, namely:

• It is not customary to serve round products on the table: bread, cabbage, watermelon, melon, tomatoes and apples. They cannot be cut, because they are associated with the shape of the head;
• no noisy dances or celebrations are allowed;
• housewives are prohibited from sewing and knitting;
• cutting your hair or even combing your hair is not recommended;
• You cannot lend money to anyone and generally give anything from home.

Signs and beliefs on September 11

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• If the cranes go south that day, winter will come early.
• A swan in the sky, for quick snow, and a goose, for rain.
• Rain with a storm on the day of the beheading of John the Baptist: autumn will be warm.
• If on September 11 a white dog is on the road, you should expect quick financial well-being and good luck. In this case, the approaching animal needs to be fed or treated with something.

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Author:

Alina Vishnevskaya

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