Can I wash clothes in the washing machine for Easter?

Some people who believe in God don't delve deeply into religious laws, but instead blindly trust rumors, customs, and opinions they've heard from others. For example, many Christians are convinced that doing laundry on Easter is strictly forbidden. Without understanding the issue, they vigorously condemn anyone who plans to clean on this Orthodox holiday.

Is it really a sin to do laundry on Easter? What do priests think about it? If a washing machine does all the work, is it considered manual labor? Let's explore the nuances.

Dirty laundry has piled up for Easter: what to do?

What does the Church think about this? Priests always give the same answer to the question: "Is it permissible to do laundry on Easter?" Each person has the right to decide for themselves whether to wash, get a haircut, clean, cook on Orthodox holidays, or put off chores until tomorrow. God will never punish a Christian for spending part of the day on household chores.

However, on Easter, one should still set aside time for church attendance, prayer, and reflection on God. Putting laundry in the washing machine and then hanging it out won't interfere with spiritual reflection. All these activities can be combined.

If necessary, you can wash clothes on Easter either by hand or in an automatic washing machine.

When the pace of life forces you to do laundry on Easter, there's no shame in it. There's no sin in spending a few minutes running the washing machine and hanging up clothes. And any thoughts of God punishing you are just superstitious.

Of course, on Easter Day, it's essential to think about God, remember the saints, and go to church. It's also important to pray a lot. But if you have urgent household chores, all of this can be combined. Therefore, there's no need to fear heavenly punishment for doing laundry and cleaning on these bright Orthodox days.

When there is no other way

When the pace of life requires housework on religious holidays, don't neglect cleaning. There's no sin in that. Modern people are constantly busy, and sometimes they don't have the opportunity to wash clothes, curtains, and bed linens on days other than weekends.

Moreover, a washing machine makes the task much easier, taking up minimal time. All you need is:

• sort items by color/fabric type/degree of soiling;
• load laundry into the machine;
• add detergent;
• turn on the washing machine, select the desired program;
• start the washing machine;
• Wait until the cycle is finished and hang up the clean laundry.

Washing your laundry in a washing machine takes no more than 10-15 minutes. This leaves plenty of time in the day to pray, go to church, talk with the priest, remember the saints, and receive Holy Communion. Moreover, modern washing machines have a delayed start timer—you can load your clothes in the drum the night before and set the desired time for the cycle to start. When you return from church, clean laundry will be waiting for you.

It's considered a sin when, in the midst of your daily routine, you completely forget about Easter. If you spend the entire day standing at the stove, fiddling with the vacuum cleaner and rags, or lounging in front of the TV, without even trying to find time for spiritual thoughts and prayer.

Cleaning and laundry are permitted on Orthodox holidays, but the key is to plan your day so as to leave time for both God and your family.

Don't go to extremes when considering what is and isn't permissible on church holidays. The main thing is to find time for spiritual development. Sacred canons don't require one to completely forget about worldly affairs on Easter. Therefore, doing laundry is certainly not prohibited on this day. Laundry will take a maximum of half an hour, giving any believer time to pray and go to church.

   

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