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What a religious holiday on September 11

Church holidays in September

Beheading of John the Baptist

After the Baptism of the Lord, Saint John the Baptist was imprisoned by Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, for he condemned Herod for the fact that he, having left his lawful wife, unlawfully cohabited with Herodias, the wife of his brother. On his birthday, Herod made a feast for the nobles. Herodias' daughter Salome danced in front of the guests and pleased Herod. In gratitude, he vowed to give her whatever she asks for. On the advice of her mother, Salome asked to give her the head of John the Baptist on a platter immediately. Herod ordered that John's head be cut off and given to Salome. She took the dish with her head and carried it to her mother. Herodias pierced the tongue of the prophet with a needle and buried his holy head in an unclean place. But the wife of the housekeeper Herod buried her head in an earthen vessel on the Mount of Olives (her finding is celebrated on March 9). Over Herod, Herodias and Salome, the Judgment of God took place even during their earthly life. They all died a miserable and shameful death.


On September 11, 2014, the Orthodox Church commemorates the soldiers killed on the battlefield. See also everything and a convenient calendar, where all church holidays are distributed by month. Convenient to watch September and what not to do on that day.

What to do on the day of the Beheading of John the Baptist:

  • Start harvesting root crops: beets, turnips
  • Collect healing roots

What not to do on this day:

  • Celebrate violently, sing and dance
  • Eat a variety of vegetables, fruits, and other round foods
  • Cut something with a knife

Signs for September 11, 2014, Beheading of John the Baptist, Church holiday:

  • Lenten Ivan came, took away the red summer.
  • Ivan Lenten is the godfather of the fall.
  • A man does not leave lean Ivan without a caftan.
  • Ivan the Forerunner chases the bird far across the sea.
  • On Ivan the Baptist, the cranes went south - towards early winter.
  • Turnips were removed from Ivan Lenten.
  • The "turnip" holiday was celebrated without songs, but with abundant food and refreshments for the poor, poor wanderers.
  • If on Ivan Kupala they collect mainly herbs, then on Ivan Lenten - roots.
  • This day is associated with a ban on eating everything round, singing and dancing.
  • A strict fast is observed, you cannot eat apples, potatoes, cabbage, watermelons, onions, that is, what resembles a head; it is considered a sin to pick up a knife and cut anything. The ban on songs and dances is due to the fact that Salome begged from Herod for the head of John the Baptist.

Orthodox Christians celebrate on September 11 the feast of the Beheading of the head of the prophet and baptist of the Lord John the Baptist, among the people - Golovosek.

The history of this holiday goes back to the distant past, when the closest helper of Jesus Christ, preparing people for the coming of the Lord, was deprived of his head by order of King Herod. In the Orthodox and Greek-catalytic churches, this day is considered great.

What can and cannot be done on the day of the Beheading of the Forerunner Prophet:

There are a lot of prohibitions on this day. For example, do not take in hand: a knife, an ax, a saw, a needle. These are the things that symbolize the martyrdom of the saint. According to old beliefs, one cannot even cut bread.

In this case, people simply break it to pieces. There is even a popular belief that if you cut a little cabbage on that day, then blood will flow from it.

Anything that resembles a head cannot be cut. These include, for example: tomatoes, watermelons, and other foods with red insides.

It is undesirable to drink red drinks.

It is forbidden to drink wine and any alcoholic beverages.

On this day, the hostess should know that borscht is not cooked.

They do not marry and celebrate weddings, christenings and other significant events.

You cannot eat dairy products, meat and fish, because of strict fasting.

Among other things, you cannot have fun, sing, dance. This is considered a mortal sin.

According to the canons of the Holy Russian Orthodox Church, on September 11, believers pay tribute to the martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist and adhere to strict fasting. John the Baptist is revered by the Holy Church to the greatest extent, in comparison with all saints, the only exception is the Mother of God.

What is the Orthodox holiday of September 11?

Among all church holidays, one of the greatest is the feast of the Beheading of John the Baptist, celebrated on September 11 or August 29 according to the old style. The tragic event is described in detail by the evangelists Mark and Matthew. The popular name of the Orthodox holiday is Ivan Lenten, because the church charter requires strict fasting on this day (you cannot eat animal products).

Archpriest Fomin Igor explains the meaning of the feast of the Beheading of John the Baptist. Despite the fact that the saint parted with this world through the fault of human cruelty, and the perpetrators of the atrocity remained alive, the martyrdom does not negate the good that John carried during his lifetime. Giving our life in the name of truth, we make the greatest sacrifice, with the help of which a person brings to the people his own ideals and faith in truth. The sacrifice is not in vain, both for John and for each of us.

History of the Orthodox holiday

The good sermons of the prophet John after the baptism of Jesus Christ did not last long, since he soon received a martyr's death. During the reign of Herod Antipas Galilee, John denounced the king of adultery with the wife of Herod's brother Philip during his lifetime. Herodias, the lawful wife of Philip, was angry with John and in every possible way incited the king to kill him, but he was too afraid of the people's anger. Nevertheless, they put John the Baptist in prison.

About a year has passed since then, and at the feast in honor of Herod's birthday, the king and his guests were pleased with her dances by his stepdaughter - the daughter of Herodias, Salome. He promised her anything for such a pleasure, and she decided to take advice from her mother. Being angry with the Baptist, who was still imprisoned in prison, Herodias told her daughter to ask for the head of John. Of course, Salome did just that, and Herod could no longer refuse her, for the promise was given publicly, and it was not in his plans to disgrace himself in front of his people.

A soldier (speculator) was sent to the dungeon to cut off the head of John, after which Salome received it on a platter and carried the head of John the Baptist to her mother. In the year 32, the body of the holy Baptist was buried by his disciples, and the relics, with the exception of the right hand and head, were burned in 362, together with the Sebastian Temple, by decree of the Emperor Julian the Apostate. Christians managed to acquire part of the remains of the martyr and transport them to Alexandria, where they are guarded to this day as the greatest shrine.


The providence of God over the sinful souls of Salome, her mother and Herod was accomplished, but the sources differ in the facts.

  1. According to the first version, King Herod was deprived of his own power at the behest of the Roman emperor and was exiled along with Herodias and her daughter to prison, where they met the end of life.
  2. According to another version, Herodias, along with Herod, was swallowed up alive by the earth, but her daughter was killed first. In winter, she was making her way across the river on the ice, when suddenly it cracked, and the girl fell into the water. Her body was immediately constrained so that she hung in the water in a dancing form, as she had once danced on the ground. Soon a blade of ice hit her neck and the water carried away her corpse. The head was carried away by the current directly into her mother's arms.

The day of the martyrdom and the Beheading of the head of John the Baptist began to be celebrated by his disciples. The Church established September 11 as a great Orthodox holiday, as a demonstration of the boundless sorrow of Christians for the martyrdom of the great Prophet.

Traditions and customs

Other popular names for this Orthodox holiday are Ivan post, Golovosek, Repny holiday, Ivan the cabbage man or Flight man. Household superstitions and pagan beliefs were significantly reflected in the traditions of the celebration. Numerous Christian symbols over time in the minds of the people were distorted, and their meaning became grotesque.

For example, it is forbidden to eat round vegetables and fruits on this day, because they can visually resemble the head of John. Any sharp objects could remind the people of the sword with which the head was cut off, so they were also banned. The bread can only be broken with your hands, but it should not be round. In some regions, red wine and red fruits were previously abandoned because they were associated with blood.

Among the folk traditions there were also those that were not associated with pagan trends, but rather with the calendar cycle and the weather. September 11 was identified with the arrival of autumn, but it was forbidden to sing songs and dance in round dances. Wanderers and the poor were invariably invited to the dinner table. On the feast of the Beheading of John the Baptist, Christians not only grieve for the Baptist, but also commemorate the departed soldiers.

What cannot be done on the day of the Beheading of John the Baptist

Any sharp objects, round or red foods are prohibited on this day. It is forbidden to set a magnificent table, lead an active lifestyle and rejoice, since it was these actions that led to the tragedy. You cannot commit any actions that can provoke even the slightest associations with the martyrdom of the Prophet. Food on this holiday should be no-frills, extremely lean.

September 11 can give you not only world holidays, but also church holidays, which are no less interesting.

Holidays of our state on September 11, 2019

All-Russian Day of Sobriety

On the initiative of the ministers of the Orthodox Church in 1913, the first Russian Day of Sobriety was created. The date of the holiday was chosen due to the fact that Orthodox Christians on such a day celebrate the day of the Beheading of the head of the Holy Prophet John the Baptist.

At such times, people need to observe strict fasting. On such days in Russia, all wine shops were closed, and the sale of alcoholic beverages was stopped. In Orthodox churches one could see processions of the cross and the reading of a proclamation on the importance and significance of a sober lifestyle. In churches these days, actions are held - Light a candle on the healing of those suffering from the ailment of drunkenness.

If you believe the standards of the World Health Organization, the border of alcohol consumption, after which the degradation of society starts, is the consumption of alcohol in the amount of 8 liters per year per person. And today this holiday is more relevant than ever.

And people on September 11, 2019 celebrate

Teachers' Day in Argentina

In Argentina, such an event is celebrated every year on September 11. The holiday is very important for the whole nation. Teacher's Day, in fact, is celebrated throughout Argentina as a national celebration. And in all educational institutions, September 11 is considered a day off.

This number is still memorable for local residents as the anniversary of the death of the former president of the country and the great educator - Domingo Faustino Sarmiento. He was also called a teacher. While the president ruled, during all this time he was the initiator of reforms in education. It is these reforms that have contributed to Argentina's distinguished educational history.

Domingo was also able to establish primary schools in many provinces of Argentina. On such a day, all teachers receive congratulations from their students, parents and friends.

What we celebrate according to the national calendar on September 11, 2019

Ivan Lenny

The church calendar marks a date such as the day of the beheading of John the Baptist. John is considered the closest predecessor of Jesus, who foretold the coming of the Messiah. As usual, Orthodox people celebrate the day of the beheading of St. John with fasting.

At such a time, you cannot eat anything round: do not cook cabbage soup from a round head of cabbage, do not dig potato tubers, do not pick apples, and so on. And on such a day, it was customary to commemorate all the soldiers who died in battles. By this day, in Russia, field work ended, but the preparation of pickles for the winter began.

Fairs and auctions were still opening on the streets. There were also many signs for this day. If the cranes flew south to Ivan Postny, it indicated a short autumn and early snow. But if the starlings did not fly away for a long time, then people were waiting for a dry autumn.

The peasants also noticed: the swan flies towards the snow, and the goose - towards the rain. It was customary to clean turnips on Ivan. The repian holiday was celebrated very modestly. There were no songs and feasts. On the other hand, it was possible to present wanderers and beggars with lean food.

Name days of this number

  • 1812 - Fort Ross, the first Russian settlement in Alaska, was founded.
  • 1834 - the Alexander Column was installed on the Palace Square in St. Petersburg.
  • 1961 is the birthday of the World Wildlife Fund.
  • 1973 - As a result of a military coup in Chile, a military junta led by General Pinochet came to power.
  • 2000 - one of the mountain peaks of the Caucasus, named Kursk - in honor of the dead crew members of the Kursk submarine.
  • 2001 - the largest terrorist act in the history of mankind is sovereign in the United States.

Who was born on September 11

  1. James Thomson 1700 - Scottish poet.
  2. Karl Friedrich Zeiss 1816 - German optical mechanic.
  3. Anna Dostoevskaya 1846 - Russian memoirist.
  4. O'Henry 1862 - American prose writer.
  5. Felix Dzerzhinsky 1877 - Soviet statesman.
  6. Alexander Dovzhenko 1894 - Soviet film director.
  7. Semyon Lavochkin 1900 - Soviet aircraft designer.
  8. German Titov 1935 - Soviet pilot-cosmonaut.
  9. Joseph Kobzon 1937 - Russian pop singer.
  10. Bashar Hafez al-Assad 1965 - Syrian politician.

September 11 is the feast of the beheading of John the Baptist. On this day, many familiar things will be prohibited.

When is the day of John the Baptist

This holiday is celebrated annually on September 11th. Orthodox Christians pray to the saint for deliverance from diseases, prisoners, forgiveness and family happiness.

John was a prophet who predicted the coming to Earth of Jesus Christ. He ended his life as a martyr: the prophet's head was cut off by order of Tsar Antipas and Herodias, because John denounced in front of all people the vicious relationship of the Tsar with his brother's wife.

The head of John was brought to Antipas on a platter, but even then she continued to denounce the tsar's sin. Herodias threw her head into a latrine, but John's disciples secretly took it from there and buried it in a jug. The prophet's head was found and hidden several times. The days of finding the head are celebrated by the Orthodox Church on March 9 and June 7.

The people also call the day of John the Baptist Ivan the Lenten and Golovosek.

What not to do on the day of John the Baptist

The events of this day have become firmly embedded in the life of the people: the name Herodias became a household name for evil, insidious and vicious women, and fevers and shakes were given a general name - the daughters of Herod.

September 11 was called Ivan Lenten not from scratch: strict fasting is a prerequisite for commemorating the death of a saint. It is forbidden to eat meat, dairy products and eggs, as well as apples and apple juice, watermelons, nuts, onions and other products that are shaped like a head.

Another strict prohibition applies to knives: cutting and cutting off anything on this day is considered a grave sin, so the pieces must be broken off with your hands. Any red drinks, as well as red vegetables, fruits and legumes, will also be banned on September 11.

Dancing and fun are prohibited: it is believed that those who dance on this day will take upon themselves the sin of murder.

What you can do on the day of Ivan Lenten

On the day of John the Baptist, they go to the wells: get rid of troubles. You need to cry and shout pain and resentment into the well, and then he will take them for himself.

For a long time, they used to eat bread with vegetables of an elongated shape, which was broken by hand.

You can pray on this day for deliverance from diseases and enemies, as well as for family happiness, the prayers for which you can read the link.

Folk omens and traditions on September 11

The most common sign on the day of Ivan the Lenten is a ban on cutting a head of cabbage. It is believed that if you cut a head of cabbage on this day, then blood will drip from the cabbage, just as it dripped from the severed head of the prophet. There is a legend about a woman who disobeyed the ban and cut cabbage. Bringing the head of cabbage into the house, she saw that she was holding the head of her little son. People warn each other: if you cut the cabbage on September 11, then you will suffer from headaches all year.

You cannot boil anything on this day, otherwise the blood in the body will boil just like water boils, and thoughts will be sluggish, "boiled".

Weather signs

Birds are watched on Lenny Ivan: if they fly to the South that day, the winter will be early and chilly. It is also believed that it is after September 11 that autumn finally comes: "After Lenten Ivan, a man does not come out without a caftan."

A dog chasing you on this day is a good omen: you cannot drive it away, but you should feed it, and then prosperity will come to your house.

Harvest signs

After September 11, they begin to harvest turnips, cabbage and dig up the roots, but the potatoes should be dug before that day.

Signs of evil spirits

It is believed that on the day of John the Baptist, witches and devils are trying to steal grace from people who observe the fast, and therefore they go from house to house and ask for food and money in debt. To distinguish a witch from a neighbor who simply asked for salt, you can do this: bury poppy seeds in advance or hide them under the threshold, and then the witch will not be able to enter or leave the house.

People's signs have been collected for centuries, containing the wisdom of simple observations of the weather, people and animals, and so they have survived to this day. We wish you peace of mind, and do not forget to press the buttons and

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