March 7 — Mauritius Day: history, traditions, what can and cannot be done

Every year on March 7, the Orthodox Church remembers the Holy Martyr Maurice of Apamea, his son Photius, and 70 soldiers who gave their lives for the Christian faith. In 2025, the celebration in their honor falls on Friday. In the national calendar, this holiday is called "Mauritius Day". Read about the traditions and signs associated with it in the Izvestia article.

Mauritius Day in 2025 — history

Saint Maurice lived at the turn of the III and IV centuries AD. He served as a military commander in the ancient city of Apamea in Northern Syria. At that time, these lands were under the rule of the Roman Empire, in which it was forbidden to profess Christianity. Nevertheless, Maurice, his son Fotin, and 70 soldiers under his command believed in Christ and secretly attended divine services. The pagan priests found out about this and reported it to Emperor Maximian.

The saint and all his followers were called to the judgment, where they showed extraordinary fortitude. Neither torture nor persuasion forced them to renounce their faith. Then the emperor ordered Fotin to be executed in front of his father, but even this did not return the commander to paganism.

Seeing that no means would help, Maximian ordered the saint and his soldiers to be daubed with honey and tied to trees in the swamps, where they would be stung by countless insects. The torments of the righteous lasted for 10 days, but none of them deviated from their faith. Later, their remains were secretly buried by other Christians.

Mauritius Day on March 7, 2025 — traditions

In Russia, Mauritius Day was associated with the return of migratory birds. It was considered a good omen to see a swallow or a rook on this holiday. If the birds arrived early, it promised to be a happy year. Since birds were harbingers of good luck and all kinds of benefits, they tried to feed them.

Also on Mauritius Day, the first field work began: peasants carried manure to future arable land in order to fertilize the soil in advance. It had to be done before the roads were washed out due to the thaw. But if the holiday fell on a full moon or a new moon, the fertilizer was postponed, because, according to legend, weeds could grow instead of bread. If the day fell on the last quarter of the lunar cycle, the harvest promised to be good.

In the southern regions of Mauritius, early cabbages were sown so that the heads would set before the various pests became active. At the same time, they took a clod of earth from under the first plough and put it in the hut, hoping in this way to protect themselves from bedbugs.

The traditional festive treat was the so-called black ear. Instead of salt, pickles or brine were added to it, which made the broth cloudy.

What can and cannot be done on Mauritius Day in 2025

In Russia, various prohibitions and superstitions were associated with Mauritius Day. Women should not point a finger at a swallow flying in the sky, otherwise they could lose their beauty. To keep their faces young and fresh, the girls washed their faces with milk when they met this bird. People also believed that swallows' nests should not be destroyed on a holiday. Anyone who disturbed the birds would be punished with ugly spots all over their bodies.

There were practically no household chores in Mauritius. It was believed that a broom on this day could sweep the well-being out of the house, and ironing and washing could bring illness and minor quarrels on the family. They also postponed their needlework. According to legend, a girl who picks up a needle will soon face deception or betrayal. It was also not worth drying yourself with someone else's towel, so as not to take away the sorrows of its owner.

All kinds of fortune-telling, sorcery and love rituals were banned on the holiday, since on this day they carried only diseases, poverty and disappointments. A lighted candle was considered a bad omen. Whoever lit it was making his life bitter.

On Mauritius Day, men did not greet women first, otherwise they risked losing respect in the family. And women did not eat the first egg taken out from under the chicken to avoid quarrels and lack of money in the house.

Mauritius Day in 2025 — omens

Forecasts for the coming season were made based on the weather on Mauritius Day. The cold snap on the holiday promised a rainy summer, and the bright sun promised a warm year. The arrival of rooks and swallows indicated the imminent arrival of spring, and a snowstorm meant that spring would drag on. Cumulus clouds hanging high in the sky, which did not float anywhere, gave people hope that the coming days would be fine.

Earlier, Izvestia told about the story Arkhipov Day and related prohibitions.