In the Christian religion there is a custom when a priest came to a dying person to confess and receive communion. This procedure was accompanied by fumigation with incense. So in the spoken language, the expression "breathes in incense" appeared and was fixed. So they say about any object (from a person to a mechanism or structure), which is in a very bad condition and will soon cease to exist (dies, breaks, collapses, etc.).
Below is a selection of other notable facts related to the Christian tradition:
Wash your hands
There is an episode in the Gospel when Pontius Pilate, who was forced to sanction the execution of Christ, having done so, immediately publicly washed his hands and declared his innocence that the blood of the righteous would be shed. Since then, in different languages of the world, the expression "wash your hands" is used to denote a situation when someone, wishing to avoid responsibility, prefers not to interfere in the development of the situation, although he has the ability to influence him.
Hagiscops
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This was the name of the holes in the walls of medieval churches, which served so that people outside could observe what was happening inside. They were intended for everyone who was prohibited from entering the temple: infectious patients (including lepers), excommunicated, etc.
Strong prayer - magpie
Forty-mouth is a daily prayer for forty days, when the ministers of the Orthodox Church commemorate the dead. An interesting fact here is that in modern times it is not necessary to go to the church itself and order a magpie, there are special services, such as rpconline.ru, where you can order this prayer in any church in Russia.
Serpentine
Even now, more than 1000 years after the baptism of Rus, various manifestations of paganism can be observed. And in previous years there were even more of them. People who have converted to Christianity continue to celebrate some pagan holidays and observe some rituals, as well as use pagan amulets. In the past, metal (or stone) amulets in the form of medallions were very popular, which supposedly helped against various diseases. They were called "coils". On the front side of such a medallion some canonical Christian subject was depicted, and on the reverse side, which was not seen by others, a picture was depicted on motives from pagan mythology, most often associated with snakes (hence the name "serpentine"). Serpentines continued to be made until the 16th century.
Features of the regulations for the use of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher
This temple, which is located in Jerusalem, is used by representatives of 6 different branches of Christianity: Catholics, followers of Greek Orthodoxy, Copts, those who profess the Armenian version of Orthodoxy, parishioners of the Coptic, Syrian and Ethiopian Christian churches. Each church has its own part of the temple complex, however, its individual elements do not have duplicates (in particular, the kuvkulia for celebrating the liturgy right on the tomb of Jesus) and are used by representatives of all confessions in turn. This situation often gave rise to conflicts between supporters of different churches. Therefore, back in the XII century. it was decided to make the Judah Muslim family the eternal keepers of the keys to this temple. Members of another and also Muslim family, Nuseibe, open and then lock this temple every day. This order continues today.
What form are halos
Usually on icons (or paintings on biblical themes) saints are depicted with a halo over their heads. In the vast majority of cases, this nimbus has a rounded shape. But there are other options. Thus, a triangular nimbus was often used to denote the god-father. Rectangular haloes were often used to denote popes who were still alive at the time of painting, as well as individual saints. In some frescoes, hexagonal halos were used to denote the embodiment of virtues.
Jerusalem syndrome
This term denotes a mental disorder, when, during a pilgrimage, a person suddenly begins to copy the behavior and actions of a saint or prophet of the religion he professes. This syndrome was first seen among pilgrims heading to Jerusalem, hence the name. But representatives of all faiths are equally exposed to him. Now, on average, every year, about 100 pilgrims show this disorder, and about 40 cases require hospitalization.
Scandal during the baptism of Schliemann's son
Archaeologist Schliemann (famous for finding Troy) was married to an Orthodox Christian woman who, after the birth of her son, insisted on a baptismal ceremony. During the ceremony, the archaeologist immersed a thermometer in the water intended for baptism to find out its temperature. The priest conducting the ceremony became very angry and even wanted to interrupt the ceremony. With great difficulty, we managed to convince him to carry out the ceremony to the end. But the water had to be replaced.
About the age of the Turin shroud
In 1988, particles of the Turin Shroud were sent to three research centers at once (Ousford, the University of Arizona and the Zurich HTS) to determine its age by radiocarbon analysis. The results of the analysis were quite unexpected. All three laboratories, independently of each other, determined that the fabric with a probability of 95% was made in the period from 1260 to 1390, which clearly contradicted the canonical version of its origin. The reasons for this discrepancy are still unknown. There were versions that samples for analysis were taken from previously restored fragments, but after verification they were found to be untenable.
Easter fireworks in Vrontados
The Greek tradition of arranging fireworks at Easter has taken on a very original form in the city of Vrontados (Chios). Here on Easter every year there is a rocket fire between supporters of two rival churches, which are trying to hit the dome of the enemy church with their rockets. The next day, the number of hits in each of the domes is counted and the winner of the next confrontation is determined.
The largest church in the world
Oddly enough, but the largest church on the planet is located in Africa. It is called Notre Dame de la Paix and was built in Yamoscuro, the capital of Ivory Coast. Construction lasted 4 years - from 1985 to 1989. The Roman Cathedral of St. Peter was taken as a model. It is noteworthy that Christians are a minority in Côte d'Ivoire. There are more Muslims there.