What holiday on February 5: Agafiy Polukhlebnik - weather and mystical omens
Every year on February 5, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of the holy martyrs Clement of Ancyra and Agathangelus of Rome. In 2025 the feast falls on Wednesday. In the folk calendar the holiday is called Agathius the Half-breadwinner. "Izvestia" tells about the household, mystical and weather omens associated with it.
St. Clement lived in the III-IV centuries. He lost his parents early and was left in the care of a pious woman Sophia, who brought him up in the fear of God. The boy grew up capable and virtuous. At the age of 18 he received the dignity of presbyter, and two years later he was ordained bishop of Ancyra. When the emperor Diocletian began persecuting Christians, Clement tried to force them to worship pagan gods, but he remained firm in his faith. For this, the saint was subjected to terrible tortures, but he was miraculously healed each time.
No matter how hard the torturers tried, Clement not only remained alive, but also did not receive much harm. Seeing this, Diocletian ordered him to be sent to Nicomedia to his co-emperor Maximian. On the way, the saint was joined by his disciple Agathangelus, who managed to avoid persecution, but voluntarily decided to suffer in the name of Christ. Together they underwent many trials and hardships.
After Maximian's death Agathangelos was executed. Clement was released from prison by the Ancyra believers and taken to a distant cave temple. However soldiers of emperor have found it and have stabbed with swords.
In Russia, the memorial day of St. Clement and St. Agathangel was called Agafya's Day or Agafiy Polukhlebnik. Traditionally, on this day the winter stocks were audited - exactly half of what was prepared had to be left, otherwise people and cattle would have to starve until spring. There was a saying: "Agathonnik does not bend his back in the pantry, he counts the healthy grain".
The owners also put the cellars and barns in order: they patched holes in the walls and roof, got rid of spoiled products, eliminated dampness and pests if necessary.
Women prepared chicken meat pie, the recipe of which was usually passed down in the family for generations. It was believed that such a treat symbolized health and wealth, so all the household had to eat at least a piece. The remains of the meal and crumbs from the table were not thrown away, because, according to beliefs, together with them you can "throw away" good luck and prosperity. Instead, everything was given to poultry.
Unmarried girls took up needlework on Agafya Day. There was an omen, according to which, on the holiday it was necessary to embroider a flower blossoming on a towel. If a girl manages to finish the pattern for the day, soon she will be taken to the wedding.
Also on Agafiy Polukhlebnik it was supposed to carry out a thorough cleaning, paying special attention to the corners. People believed that after Christmas there could lurk uncleanness, which should be chased away to avoid illness and misfortune.
According to popular beliefs, on Agathias the saints went on a journey, guided by angels. Therefore, on the holiday special reverence was given to travelers. They were invited into homes, generously treated and given any help. It was believed that the martyrs Clement and Agathangel would reward those who showed mercy to travelers. Orphans were also cared for - in memory of the fact that the Bishop of Ancyra lost his parents early.
Various superstitions were associated with Agathius the Half-breadwinner in Russia. On this day they tried not to pick up other people's things or money from the ground. It was believed that together with the find a person can take away the failures and illnesses of a stranger.
It was also forbidden to organize festivals with dances and songs, as the raucous fun could attract evil forces. After dark, people did not look at the stars - according to beliefs, after that you could lose a family member.
On Agafiy Polukhlebnik our ancestors watched the nature. It was believed that the weather before noon corresponds to the first half of the next winter, and after - the second half. They also paid attention to the size of the snow cover - the thicker it was, the more productive the summer would be. Bright sunshine on the holiday meant an early spring, and frost - a hot August.
You could tell what the weather would be like in the coming days by the behavior of the animals. If tits were shouting loudly in the morning, they were expecting cold weather, and if squirrels were jumping from branch to branch, they were preparing for a thaw. Geese bathing in snow and domestic cats sleeping belly up also indicated the approach of warm days.
Earlier "Izvestia" told about the history and traditions of the folk holiday Anton Perezimnik.
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