On September 14, according to the new church calendar, Christians observe one of the twelve Great Feasts — the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. This day is dedicated to the Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified and is considered a special time for prayer and spiritual purification, reports Baltimore Chronicle.
According to tradition, in the 4th century, Empress Helena, the mother of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, traveled to Jerusalem in search of the holy relic. In 326, during excavations, three crosses were discovered. To identify the true one, Bishop Macarius touched them to a gravely ill woman, and she was healed only by one of them. That very Cross was then elevated before the people so everyone could venerate it. In memory of this event, the Church established the Feast of the Exaltation, symbolizing the triumph of faith over death and reminding believers of Christ’s sacrificial love.
This day is observed as a strict fast. The Church encourages the faithful to spend it in prayer and silence while following several prohibitions. Meat and dairy are not allowed, as well as entertainment, quarrels, or raising one’s voice. It is also forbidden to start new undertakings or engage in heavy physical labor such as digging soil, chopping wood, or housecleaning. On this day, believers offer prayers asking for protection, health, and strength to overcome temptations.
A special prayer dedicated to the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord is recited in Ukrainian, in which Christians call on God, the Virgin Mary, and heavenly powers for defense and blessing, asking for deliverance from all evil.
In folk tradition, the Exaltation was considered a milestone of autumn. Weather signs on this day were believed to predict the coming winter: clear skies foretold a dry, long autumn and a mild winter, while rain or strong winds pointed to a cold and snowy one. Abundance of spider webs indicated a warm, lingering fall, and morning frost suggested early cold spells. It was also believed that entering the forest on September 14 could bring misfortune, as snakes sought shelter before winter.
Name days on September 14 are celebrated by Ivan and Nikolai.
Earlier we wrote that Zelensky meets Keith Kellogg in Kyiv: weapons, sanctions, and UN General Assembly preparations.
