Is marriage dangerous in a leap year: an Orthodox view
Is marriage dangerous in a leap year: an Orthodox view
In the people there are many different signs andbeliefs that can impose an imprint even on the most important spheres of a person's life. Especially many superstitions concern a leap year. This time is given a certain magic and mystery.
There is an opinion among the people that to marryrelations in a leap year can not be. Many consider this time to be unsuccessful for the accomplishment of important life affairs. Before explaining the point of view of the Orthodox Church on this question, it is first necessary to understand the very concept of a "leap year".
"Leap Year" falls every four years,when one day is added to February. It turns out that this winter month is 28 days. The term "leap" itself is a distorted Latin phrase, formed from bis (twice) and sextilis (sixth). For the first time, the concept of a "leap year" was introduced by Julius Caesar in the year 46 AD. The emperor ordered to add an additional sixth day after the 6th of March. Already then the practice began to add an extra day to February (according to the Julian calendar).
It turns out that the "leap year" is justcalendar historical changes that do not carry any magic. That is why Orthodoxy does not see anything bad and harmful for a person to marry in a leap year. Marriage is an act of the will of two people who are striving for love and unity not only bodily and spiritual, but also spiritual. Extra day can not affect the development of love in the hearts and minds of two people. Therefore, to be careful not to marry in a leap year means to fall into superstition, to attribute to the ordinary calendar change something negative, mysterious. From the point of view of Orthodoxy, it is completely incorrect to refer to the year following the leap year, "widow" or "widow". All this applies to the area of disbelief or lack of faith. Therefore, Christians absolutely do not need to be afraid to marry in a leap year.
