March 22 is the Day of the Lark, or Forty magpies: traditions and omens
Lark Day, which is also known as Forty Sorokov, is celebrated annually on March 22. This is one of the ancient Slavic holidays, which falls on the Day of the vernal Equinox. In 2025, the date of the celebration falls on a Saturday. Izvestia tells us what traditions and signs are associated with the national celebration.
Lark Day in 2025 — history and traditions
Slavs have been celebrating Lark Day since pre-Christian times, associating it with the arrival of spring. It is at this time that birds return to their native lands after wintering. Upon arrival, the larks were determined when to plow and start other spring work.
Larks were traditionally baked in the villages for the holiday. Birds were sculpted with tufts, fluffy tails and outstretched wings, as if floating in the air. Lean dough was used for baking, and poppy seeds, sunflower seeds or dried fruits were inserted instead of eyes. In some regions, nests, eggs, or chicks were also baked separately.
Various small objects for divination were often hidden in the larks. For example, if you get a ring, it portends an early marriage. If there is a coin inside, then there will be prosperity in the family this year. And a piece of cloth tied in a knot is for the birth of a child.
There was also a special rite associated with the larks, which was called "the click of spring." The baked birds were "planted" on windows, trees, as well as on long rods decorated with ribbons, and carried to the highest hill, invoking spring with the words: "Larks, larks, come, bring a warm spring."
These ritual songs were called freckles or chants. With their help, the Slavs "invited" spring to their lands. Both adults and children participated in such rituals everywhere.
Since in the church calendar the holiday coincides with the Commemoration Day of the forty Sebaste Martyrs who were martyred for the faith of Christ, the name "Forty Martyrs" was later assigned to it. In the Christian tradition, birds made of dough symbolize the souls of martyrs flying away to God. Larks on the day of veneration of saints are baked in many temples of the country.
Forty magpies in 2025 — folk signs
The Slavs believed that birds protected their homes from dark forces. Therefore, on the Day of the Lark, it was impossible to drive birds from the yard and, moreover, to ruin or destroy their nests. According to beliefs, such actions promised great troubles and illnesses.
There were many signs related to the weather. It was believed that if a lark arrived on March 22, then warm sunny weather would soon set in. Thunder rumbled — it's going to be a hungry year. And if the snow had not yet come off the fields, then this foreshadowed a rich harvest.
Earlier, Izvestia told how Gerasim Grachevnik Day is celebrated and what traditions are associated with it.
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