Forgiveness Sunday celebration

On the 22nd of February, Orthodox believers celebrate Forgiveness Sunday—a day of forgiveness and repentance closely connected with the teaching on humility. According to church tradition, the custom of asking forgiveness before the 40-day Great Lent originated with Egyptian monks who would leave the desert for 40 days, not knowing whether they would return alive. This image gives meaning to the practice: to repent and ask for forgiveness. On this day, churches recall Adam's expulsion from paradise, emphasizing that every person is sinful and that the path to paradise is achieved through repentance.

On the Sunday before Great Lent, the Maslenitsa week ends, and Christians once again turn to the issue of forgiveness and spiritual purity.

Context

The Orthodox tradition of forgiveness dates back to ancient Eastern monasteries and links forgiveness with Great Lent.