June 15 — Petrovsky conspiracy: prohibitions and signs of a special holiday

On the eve of St. Peter's Fast, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Cathedral of All Saints, dedicated to the veneration of every known and unknown Christian saint. In Russia, this day was also called Peter's conspiracy. Read about what kind of holiday it is and what traditions are associated with it in the Izvestia article.

What is the church holiday on June 15th?

Peter's Prayer and the Cathedral of All Saints are celebrated on the Sunday following Trinity, before the beginning of Peter's Fast. In 2025, they fall on June 15th.

The Orthodox Church celebrates All Saints' Week on this day. The national holiday got its name because it is celebrated on the eve of St. Peter's Fast.

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The Orthodox feast of All Saints Cathedral is a special one, it is dedicated to the glorification of all Christian saints who have ever lived. It is not known for certain how many of them there were, since not all the stories of spiritual exploits were described in the church chronicles. Many martyrs of the first centuries of Christianity's formation, ascetics and monks who lived far from the world, prophets and confessors, whose words were not heard, remained unknown. Nevertheless, they deserve the same reverence as their famous brothers in the faith.

The choice of the Sunday following Trinity for the celebration of the Cathedral of All Saints is not accidental. On Pentecost, believers remember the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, and through them upon all mankind. This moment is considered the birth of the Christian Church, its establishment in the world.

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On the following Sunday after the great feast, they remember the fruits brought by the church — saints, confessors, martyrs, prophets, and fools. Despite the fact that they performed their exploits at different times, the grace of the Holy Spirit, which descended upon people at Pentecost, is the same for each of them.

In Russia, on the day of the Cathedral of All Saints, another holiday was celebrated — Peter's Conspiracy. In Orthodoxy, a spell is called the last day before a multi-day fast, when you can still eat fast food: meat, dairy products, eggs, etc. In this case, it means the Apostolic, or Peter's fast, which begins on the second Monday after Trinity. In 2025, it will run from June 16, and will end on a single date: July 11.

In the folk tradition, Sunday was perceived as a day that should be spent as cheerfully and noisily as possible, since a period of strict restrictions would soon come. Therefore, on the eve of St. Peter's Fast, large-scale festivities were held in the villages. This day was also associated with the end of mermaid week, during which, according to beliefs, evil spirits ruled the reservoirs.

Petrovsky conspiracy in 2024 — traditions

The festivities on Petrovskoye Cemetery began in the morning and lasted until late at night. Boys and girls gathered on the riverbank or in the field, lit bonfires, led round dances, played games and sang songs.

In some regions, the ceremony of "birch tree drowning" was held. To do this, they cut down a young birch tree, put a shawl and skirt on it, and then carried it around the yards with songs. After that, the tree was thrown into the river and watched as it descended downstream. This is probably how our ancestors hoped to gain the support of water spirits and mermaids when growing crops.

There were also mass water dousing events on the holiday, which were attended by people of all ages. It was believed that this would help protect crops from drought.

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On the territory of the Vologda province and in some regions of the Tyumen district, the plot was called not Petrovsky, but Eggy. On this day, a variety of egg treats were prepared. This product was an integral part of the youth games: eggs were rolled, hit against each other, painted and exchanged.

In Russia, Peter's charm was also associated with the departure of spring and the final onset of summer. This is evidenced by a large number of rituals. For example, in the Novgorod province, after daytime festivities, boys and girls went out into the field with flowers and waited for the sunset. When the sun disappeared below the horizon, they knelt down and said goodbye to spring, and then went to the river, where they performed round dances.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the history and traditions of the celebration of the Holy Trinity.