One of the notable figures in the pantheon of Christian saints is Mary Magdalene, a companion of Jesus Christ, who owes him the salvation of her body and soul. Mary is one of the myrrh-bearing women who brought myrrh to the burial place of the Lord the morning after his painful execution. Therefore, the day of her memory according to the Orthodox calendar is celebrated twice.
In Russia, the Day of Remembrance of the Myrrh-Bearing Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene is celebrated twice - on the second Sunday after Easter on the Day of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women and on August 4, the day on which she is mentioned in the calendar. Maria turned to the Lord after he rescued her from an angry crowd that was about to stone the girl because she led a dissolute lifestyle and was believed to be possessed by demons. Christ managed to stop the reprisal with a wise word. The famous phrase of Jesus: “Let the one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her,” has become popular and is often used in everyday life, reminding that few of their mortals have the right to judge others.
After her salvation, Mary became a faithful disciple and follower of Christ, carrying His Word even after the death of the Teacher. According to Christian legends, it was she who appeared on Easter to the Roman emperor Tiberius and presented him with a painted egg with the words: "Christ is risen!" After that, the custom of dyeing eggs and giving them on a bright Easter holiday took root throughout the Christian world.
In the 9th century, the imperishable relics of Mary Magdalene were transferred to Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, but then, after the Crusades, part of them was buried in Rome under the altar plate of the Lateran Cathedral. Some of the holy relics are buried in France, not far from Marseille. Here, at the foot of the mountain, a magnificent temple was built in honor of St. Mary Magdalene.
For a long time in Russia, it was customary to go on this day, August 4, to the forest, to pick berries, from which the hostesses made preparations - they dried them for the winter and made honey jam from them. Therefore, the peasants called this day the Butcher and the Sweetie. Many popular signs were associated with the day of Mary Magdalene.
Today, no special festivities on this occasion are held in Christian churches. Pious, churched people celebrate this day by reading the Akathist to St. Mary Magdalene Equal to the Apostles and prayers addressed to her, asking her to intercede for them before the Lord. In churches, priests read sermons, the themes of which echo the examples from the life of this saint.
