Today, Orthodox believers honor the memory of the icon of the Mother of God, which is called "Hodegetria".
Among the people, this celebration is called the Day of "Hodegetria".
In Rus', on this day it was customary to look after one's own home. It was necessary to keep it clean and tidy inside.
The feast of the icon of the Mother of God "Hodegetria" first appeared in Rus' in 1525.
During the same period, the city of Smolensk, which had been under Lithuanian rule for 110 years, again became part of Russia.
According to church beliefs, the above icon was painted by the Evangelist Luke at the time when the Holy Mother of God was still alive.
The sacred image was kept in Jerusalem for a long time. Then it was transported to Constantinople.
In the 12th century, the icon was brought to Smolensk. According to Orthodox believers, the sacred image repeatedly helped Russian troops achieve military victories.
In addition, it is believed that, according to church traditions, the icon helped the army of Prince Vasily III to liberate Smolensk from Lithuanian citizenship and return it to Russia.
What you shouldn't do on Hodegetria Day
On this day, many people followed certain rules:
- don't go into the forest to pick mushrooms or berries in a gloomy mood;
- did not hide from the neighbors what they managed to collect in the forest;
- They didn't eat apples, but instead stored them for the winter.
It was on August 10 that it was considered a grave sin to commit ungodly acts, namely, to make money transactions. Otherwise, according to beliefs, one could bring poverty upon oneself.
What can you do on Hodegetria Day?
Today it is recommended to go to church for worship.
In addition, you should prepare pies with young cabbage. Potato dishes should be served on the table.
It is also worth inviting close relatives to the table and treating them to food.
