May 20 is a significant Russian holiday Bathing suit: what not to do, signs

Every year on May 20, the Orthodox Church remembers a miraculous event that took place in the middle of the fourth century — the appearance of the Lord's Cross in heaven in Jerusalem. In 2024, the celebration falls on a Tuesday. In Russia, the national holiday Kupalnitsa was celebrated on this day. Read about the signs associated with it and what not to do on this day in the Izvestia article.

Bathing suit on May 20, 2025— what kind of holiday is this

The appearance of the Cross of the Lord in the sky over Jerusalem occurred in 351. At that time, the Roman Empire was ruled by Constantius II, the son of Constantine the Great, who stopped the persecution of Christians and made Christianity the state religion. However, unlike his pious father, the new emperor was a follower of heretical teachings. According to legend, God sent a miraculous sign to put heretics and infidels to shame: the Cross of the Lord shone over Mount Golgotha, where Jesus was crucified. After that, many residents of Jerusalem came to believe in Christ.

In Russia, a bathing place was celebrated on this day. On holiday, peasants brought horses to rivers and lakes to bathe them after the winter. It was believed that water at this time acquires a special healing power and helps to protect animals from diseases.

River water was also poured over people. To do this, it was collected in buckets in the morning and left in the sun to warm up and be saturated with solar energy. In the afternoon, we started water treatments. According to beliefs, such a ritual helped to strengthen health and gain strength to work during the difficult cold season.

Miraculous properties were attributed to morning dew. Girls and women collected it for washing, believing that it would help them preserve their beauty. Mothers let their children run barefoot on wet grass to keep them healthy.

The bathing place fell during the period of active sowing operations. The peasants went out to the fields early and finished their work late. There was a belief that the best harvest comes from seeds taken on a holiday on the side, especially if they are stolen. Therefore, the villagers went to visit each other, trying to steal a handful of seeds from a neighbor unnoticed. Since everyone was doing this, no one was left at a loss in the end.

Kupalnitsa holiday on May 20 — what can I do

According to folk signs, a bathing suit is an auspicious day for water treatments. During the holiday, you can take a bath or go to the sauna to relax and improve your health.

Horse owners should pay attention to their pets: bathe them, check the condition of the mane and hooves. You can take the horses to the river and spray them with water, as they did in Russia. According to legend, this will protect animals from diseases.

Also in ancient times, there was a special ritual for cleansing the dwelling. To do this, they took some water from the river at dawn and sprayed it all over the corners of the house. It was believed that it drives away evil spirits and frees the space from negative energy.

In addition, you can exchange seeds with familiar gardeners at the Bathing Place and check how true the ancient belief is that other people's seeds planted on a holiday yield the best harvest.

Kupalnitsa holiday on May 20 — what not to do

In Russia, a number of prohibitions were associated with Bathing suits. On a holiday, mothers didn't trust anyone to bathe their children, especially if it wasn't about family members. It was believed that if you entrust a baby to an outsider, he will be ill for a long time.

Also on this day, quarrels, conflicts and swearing were avoided, as they believed that this attracted evil spirits. It was forbidden to gossip, lie and be a hypocrite, it could lead to failures and negative changes in life.

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In 2025, the day falls on April 29th.

Divination on a bathing suit was a bad omen. According to folk traditions, anyone who tries to look into the future on this day will derail the present.

The girls did not do needlework on the holiday, fearing that the product would not last long, and a needle or scissors would cause a wound that would not heal for a long time. They also tried not to pick up fragile, sharp objects on the Bathing Suit and not to play with fire, so as not to injure themselves and start a fire.

Kupalnitsa holiday on May 20 — omens

During the Bathing season, villagers closely monitored nature in the hope of anticipating changes in the weather. The morning rainbow was a bad sign for farmers — it foreshadowed a prolonged rain. If the rainbow was seen in the evening, they expected clear weather in the near future.

They also paid attention to the moon. If the Earth's satellite turned reddish in the evening, they were preparing for rains. The ring around the moon indicated windy weather in the coming days. If the holiday fell on the period of the waxing moon, the peasants were engaged in planting vegetables, as they believed that the harvest would be good.

Insects were another indicator of the weather. A large number of ants on the holiday indicated the approach of heat, and the activity of bees in the morning indicated an imminent thunderstorm.

Earlier, Izvestia told how Boris and Gleb Sowers celebrated the holiday in Russia and what folk signs are associated with it.