March 14 is St. Evdokia of Iliopolis Memorial Day: history, traditions, omens

Every year on March 14, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of the Venerable Martyr Evdokia of Iliopolis. In 2025, the celebration falls on a Friday. Read about what the saint is known for and what traditions were associated with her holiday in Russia in the Izvestia article.

Saint Evdokia of Iliopolis Memorial Day in 2025 — history

Saint Eudoxia was born in the 1st century AD in the city of Iliopolis of Phoenicia, located on the territory of modern Lebanon. According to legend, the girl was very beautiful and used it to earn a living. She hosted wealthy fans from different countries and quickly became rich by trading her body.

One night, Evdokia woke up and heard someone reading aloud from the Holy Scriptures about the Last Judgment behind the wall, in the second half of the house. These words made an indelible impression on the girl, she realized how sinful her life had been up to now and what retribution was in store for her. In the morning, Evdokia met with her neighbor, the righteous elder Herman. After a conversation with a monk, she was baptized, distributed her possessions to the poor, and retired to a monastery.

After taking vows, Evdokia devoted herself entirely to prayer and fasting. A few years later, she became abbess of the monastery where she lived. For her zeal in penance and monastic feats, the saint was rewarded with the gift of healing and resurrection.

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According to legend, one day the pagan Philostratus came to the monastery disguised as a monk. He had a passion for Evdokia and tried to persuade her to return to her former life. The saint was angry with him, and immediately the false monk fell down dead. Fearing accusations of murder, the sisters, led by the abbess, began to pray to God for protection. At night, the Lord himself appeared to Evdokia and told her to pray for the resurrection of Philostratus. The saint obeyed, and the pagan revived. After experiencing such an experience, he sincerely repented and was baptized.

During her life, Saint Evdokia performed various miracles more than once. Around 160-170, she was accused of witchcraft and executed without trial by beheading.

Traditions on St. Evdokia of Iliopolis Memorial Day

In Russia, the feast of Evdokia of Iliopolis was called Avdotya Ivy. It was believed that on this day the spring sun begins to "flatten" snowdrifts and ice, forming thawed snow. Another name for the celebration, Evdokia the Whistler, is due to the fact that the winds often howled and whistled on this day. According to another version, animals woke up from hibernation at this time, and the forest was filled with whistling, snuffling, clicking and other sounds of fauna.

According to the old style, the holiday fell on March 1, the first day of spring. From that moment on, wealthy owners began to look for workers for the upcoming planting season. Peasants were clearing the roofs of houses of snow and ice. To keep the house warm until the summer, the men brought branches from the forest and heated the stoves with them.

Women, girls and children climbed the hills and sang songs welcoming the spring. The needlewomen took the canvases woven over the winter and carried them to the reservoirs. It was believed that the water on the holiday would whiten the products and give them healing properties.

What can and cannot be done on St. Evdokia of Iliopolis Memorial Day in 2025

On Saint Evdokia's memorial day, believers are encouraged to visit a church or pray at home. It is believed that prayer at the image of the Holy Martyr helps to strengthen the spirit and gain strength to fight various diseases and life difficulties. In addition, it should be remembered that Lent has been going on since March 3. On these days, Orthodox Christians should exclude meat from the diet, as well as fatty foods.

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According to popular beliefs, on St. Evdokia's day, one should not refuse to help those in need, otherwise those who show indifference risk losing all their wealth. In Russia, quarrels were avoided on this holiday, as the conflict that broke out could drag on for a long time.

To protect children from diseases, mothers did not wash their babies' clothes or clean the floors in the room where the child sleeps. After sunset, the villages tried not to leave the house without a good reason, so as not to encounter the manifestation of dark forces.

Helping homeless animals was considered a good omen on St. Evdokia's Day. People believed that anyone who fed a cat or dog on the street would be saved from financial problems.

St. Evdokia of Iliopolis Memorial Day in 2025 — omens

On Saint Evdokia's day in Russia, they closely monitored the weather, trying to predict what the upcoming seasons would be like. A snowstorm on the holiday promised a prolonged spring and a meager harvest, a clear sky promised a fine summer, and a warm wind foreshadowed dampness in the summer months. The early arrival of spring was indicated by chickens drinking from puddles in the yard. The beekeepers also rejoiced at the puddles on the threshold, as their appearance was considered a sign of a rich honey harvest. For mushroom pickers, snowfall was a good omen for Evdokia Svistunya. It was believed that after that, a lot of mushrooms would be born in the fall.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the traditions and folk signs associated with the feast of Vasily Kapelnik.