First of all, it is worthwhile to tell what a holiday is, what significance it has for all Christians, regardless of the confession. Very much can tell us the old icons. After all, the images of Sretenia are very popular, they are imprinted on numerous paintings and murals. Usually they depict a baby sitting on the hands of an old man, and next to it there are a happy Mother of God, Joseph the Betrothed and people who came to the temple that day. It was here that the righteous elder Simeon and the little infant Christ met. The old man realized that his long life was over, but for him this meeting was not sad. On the contrary, Simeon was delighted, because the ancient prediction was fulfilled. He saw the Savior, and now the Lord will finally deliver him from the burden of earthly existence. A new era has begun, the Old Testament is over, and it's time to write new lines, starting the New Testament.
The apparition took place on February 15, and it has its unchanged date, actually completing the great holidays dedicated to the birth of Christ. Usually one can judge the importance of a holiday for ordinary people by the number of signs or superstitions that surround it. On the Sfense (February 2, according to the old style), they are even more than on other dates. The rural way is connected with agriculture, which largely depends on the vagaries of the weather. It is interesting that the weather signs on the Sfenezh often enough are true. For people, this date meant a peculiar turn of the natural cycle, when summer began to win back its positions in the winter.
Signs of the Conception
Peasants are not astronomers, but they understood that the future weather can be recognized by looking at the sky. The starry and clear sky meant still the late arrival of spring and rain. You can still not remove the warm sheepskin, the cold will not take long. And snowfall that day could mean a rainy spring. And the more the snowstorm spreads, the more rainy it will be in March and April. The snow could also be different. Morning - to a good harvest of early cereals, by lunch - medium varieties will be well ripened, and if the snow by evening, then expect a good profit from the late loaves.
A beautiful and clear sunset on the Ssenea meant for the grain-growers the end of severe cold. They could already relax a little and quietly wait for spring heat. But when the weather deteriorates by the end of the month, at the end of February (usually on 24th of July) we can expect a severe cold. Peasants on this day carried out calculations of their reserves, how far they diverged, whether they will be enough for the second half of winter.
The ancient Slavs also did not ignore this date. It was believed that on February 2, a thunderstorm might occur. If earlier on Gromnitsa a big bonfire was lit on the road, then the custom changed a little. There were beliefs about the creation of a special candle on the Candlemas. It was made of wax collected in several villages in Selyansky and was called a thunderous one. It was necessary to store it in turn in each house, until the next special holiday comes - Nikolay Winter, Barbara and others. The candle was to be kept exclusively for images, and ignited it for an exceptional (sad or sad) event that required the arrival of the priest. Until the end it was not burned, but on the contrary gradually increased. The witch doctors knew how to use such an exceptionally powerful amulet. With the help of the loudspeaker they protected the dwelling and crops, used it during mourning ceremonies, healed people from illness. In our time, the consecration of candles on this day has become a tradition. People believe that ritual and time is of great importance. If ordinary church candles are simply sanctified, then the sretensky candle has great power.
Folk superstitions
Is it worth playing a wedding for the Presentation of the Lord? If the West has a different attitude to this date, even Valentine's Day almost coincided with it, then Orthodox traditions say otherwise. The people even said that the February wedding signs tease. Usually on this day, the all-night vigil is held, hymns and a procession are held. Wedding on Слен is forbidden. The church calls on the people to pray on this day and to wait with merriment.