The Presentation of the Lord 2025: history of the holiday, prayer, traditions, signs and prohibitions.

Every year, Christians of the Eastern rite celebrate one of the twelve central holidays – the Presentation of the Lord. In folk tradition, the Presentation is considered the day of the meeting of winter and spring.

On September 1, 2023, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Churches switched to the New Julian calendar, moving all church celebrations back by 13 days. Thus, the unmovable Orthodox holidays now coincide with the Catholic ones.

The Presentation of the Lord: History of the Holiday

The Presentation of the Lord is one of the oldest religious holidays. It is believed that on this day, 40 days after the birth of Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Joseph came with the baby to the Jerusalem temple to offer a thankful sacrifice to God for their firstborn. The elderly Simeon met them for the rite of consecration.

He lived for almost 300 years, as the angel had promised him that Simeon would live until he met the Savior of humanity. In the baby Jesus, Simeon immediately recognized the Messiah.

The righteous Simeon is considered a witness to the Divine origin of Christ.

Traditions of the Holiday

The celebration of the Presentation in Ukraine dates back to pre-Christian times. It was also called Strichennya, Strіshchennya, Gromnitsy, or Zymobor.

People believed that on the Presentation, winter goes to where summer was, and summer goes to where winter was. On the way, they meet and argue with each other. Whoever wins the argument will stay in these lands to rule.

If it gets warmer by evening, summer has won, and warming will soon come. If it got colder in the evening, then winter will stay for a while longer.

The holiday was named so because it was believed that February 2 is the only day in winter when thunder can rumble.

On February 2, churches bless water and candles. The candles blessed on the Presentation are called 'gromnytsni', as they are lit and placed before icons during severe thunderstorms to protect people from thunder.

If a person fears the flash of lightning, the candle can calm their fear.

Prayer for the Presentation of the Lord

Mother of God, Most Holy Virgin! How I marvel and cannot understand Your great humility. You, who were never touched by sin, yet You come to the church to purify Yourself, like any ordinary woman. You offer Your Son, our Jesus, to the Heavenly Father as a sacrifice for our sins.

Grant us, O Mother of God, that we may also offer ourselves to the Lord God with a pure heart, so that He may graciously accept our sacrifice from us just as He accepted from Your hands.

Let our hearts be filled with the feelings that moved You then.

You rejoiced when the righteous Simeon, by the prophetic spirit, called Your Son, Jesus, the Savior of the World.

But how quickly this joy turned into sorrow when You heard from the lips of that same elder about the future sufferings of Your Son.

Yet, although this prophecy was terrible for You, You did not waver in faith. Therefore, I pray to You, Most Holy Virgin, grant me such steadfastness in faith and hope in God's Providence when some sorrow or misfortune falls upon me.

O Good Mother, grant me the grace not to be arrogant when things go well, not to lose spirit in sorrows, but to accept everything from the hands of the Almighty as the best.

Teach me, O Mother, that virtue of agreeing with God's will that You had in such a high measure.

Amen

Folk Signs

• If water drips from the roofs, it will be a prolonged spring; if it's warm and no water drips, it will be an early and dry spring.
• If there is no sun on this day, expect severe frosts.
• If it is cold on the Presentation, a warm spring will soon begin.
• If it is warm and sunny on the Presentation, the spring will be warm.
• If it snows this day, the spring will be prolonged and rainy.
• If icicles are visible under the roofs on the Presentation, there will be a good corn harvest.
• Wind on the Presentation means a good harvest of fruit trees.
• If it snows in the morning, there will be a harvest of early grains; if in the afternoon, the grains will be medium, and in the evening, there will be a poor yield.
• If there is hoarfrost on the trees, buckwheat and potatoes will yield well. If a snowstorm blocks the way on this day, spring will be late and cold.
• If the sun peeks out from behind the clouds on the Presentation, spring will not be long in coming; if there is no sun that day, frost will hit on February 11.

Fortune-telling and Customs

If icicles hung from the roofs on the Presentation, they would be collected and melted, adding to water. This water was considered healing, capable of healing both wounds and internal diseases, as well as protecting from the evil eye and witchcraft. It was used to bless soldiers before battle, and farmers sprinkled it on cattle during the first pasture, while beekeepers sprinkled it on hives at the beginning of the season.

Fortune-telling on the Presentation was as follows: a plate with grain was put out overnight. If there was dew on it in the morning, there would be a harvest; if there was no dew, things would not go well.

What Should Not Be Done on the Presentation

• On the Presentation, one should not swear, speak ill, conflict, or wish evil to others.
• On this holiday, one should not go on a long journey.
• On this day, it was forbidden to consume alcoholic beverages.