May 6 — Yegoriy Veshny (St. George's Day): what not to do, signs

The holiday was established in honor of the Christian Great Martyr George the Victorious. The church honors the saint on May 6. In folk tradition, this day is known as St. George's Day or St. George's Day. Izvestia tells about how the holiday was celebrated, what traditions and signs are associated with it.

What is the church holiday on May 6th?

According to church tradition, St. George was born at the end of the 3rd century in the city of Cappadocia in Asia Minor. He served in the Roman army and held a high post at the court of the pagan emperor Diocletian. The soldier was captured and executed after publicly declaring himself a Christian.

One of the famous miracles is associated with his name — the victory over the serpent that ravaged the earth. Thanks to this, George received the nickname the Victorious. On icons, the saint is depicted as a horseman piercing a serpent with a spear. Since the 14th century, this image has become the emblem of the Russian state and the coat of arms of Moscow.

St. George the Victorious was of great importance to the peasants. He was often called Yuri or Yegoriy by the people. Hence the variety of names of the holiday. The saint is considered the patron saint of both warriors, cattle breeders and shepherds.

Yegoriy Veshny in 2025 — folk signs on May 6

According to popular beliefs, on this spring day, St. George "releases dew into the white light", giving strength to people, herbs and animals. Therefore, everyone was obliged to go to the clearing at dawn and lie in the "Yuriev dew" to be healthy and strong.

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Also, in Russian villages on Yegoriya, according to tradition, the first cattle pasture was held, which was dedicated to a separate ceremony. In the early morning, the hostess of the house went to the barn and fed the cattle with pieces of bread and salt, reading the charm charm against ailments and loss of the animal. Then the cattle were released into the yard. There, the owner walked around the animals with a lighted candle and an icon of St. George, performing this act three times.

It was strictly forbidden to treat cattle rudely on a holiday. According to beliefs, it was possible to bring adversity and poverty in this way. For the same reason, on St. George's Day, our ancestors did not eat meat.

On this day, special attention was paid to weather signs, which are extremely important for agriculture. The weather determined what the harvest would be. For example, there was such a sign: if frost appeared on the trees on May 6, there would be a rich harvest of buckwheat. The warm night foreshadowed that the loaves would ripen before the first frost. And if it's a rainy day— go for a good hay harvest.

What can and cannot be done on St. George's Day on May 6

In 2025, St. George's Day falls on a Tuesday. Strict food restrictions have already been lifted after Easter, which the faithful celebrated on April 20. This means that on a holiday you can gather around a wide family table.

At the same time, you can not do sewing and needlework, as well as work in the garden. Otherwise, according to popular beliefs, there will be setbacks ahead. New beginnings are also best left for another day. Those who want to preserve their beauty should not cut their hair on May 6. And to avoid disappointment in love, you do not need to hang out the bed linen to dry on the night of St. George's Day.

Earlier, Izvestia told about the history of another national holiday, Ivan the Old Peschernik, which is also celebrated in May.