What Russian holiday is today, February 27 — Kirill Vesnokazchik: folk weather signs, everyday and mystical

On February 27, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril, a teacher of Slovene. Together with his brother Methodius, he created the first Slavic alphabet. In Russia, the holiday in honor of the saint was called Kirill Vesnokazchik. Izvestia tells about the traditions and folk signs associated with it.

National holiday on February 27 — Kirill Vesnokazchik

Saints Constantine (Cyril — the name after becoming a monk) and Methodius were born in the 9th century in the Greek city of Thessalonica. From an early age, Konstantin demonstrated a penchant for comprehending various sciences. He studied with the heir to the Byzantine throne and mastered several languages perfectly. For his outstanding knowledge, the young man was nicknamed the Philosopher.

After completing his studies, Konstantin took up the honorary position of curator of the Patriarchal library at the St. Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople. However, the saint's soul was devoted to prayer solitude and scientific work. He secretly left the city and went to the monastery on Mount Olympus, where his brother Methodius lived. But the emperor ordered Constantine to be returned to public service.In 862, the Moravian prince Rostislav appealed to the Byzantine emperor with a request to send teachers who could preach in the Slavic language. Constantine and Methodius were chosen for this mission. Together, the saints compiled the Slavic alphabet and translated the Gospel, the Apostle, the Psalter and other liturgical books with its help.

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The work of the missionaries attracted the attention of the German bishops, who believed that the service could only take place in three languages: Hebrew, Greek and Latin. Constantine entered into a discussion with them, pointing out that God had given the apostles the ability to preach in all languages for a reason.

Despite winning the debate, the brothers were nevertheless forced to return to Rome to receive the blessing of Pope Adrian II. They brought with them the relics of Pope Clement, found during a trip to Chersonesos. The saints were greeted as heroes, and the pontiff approved the service they had translated.

During a trip to Rome, Constantine became seriously ill and, anticipating his imminent demise, became a monk under the name Cyril. Saint Methodius returned to Moravia and continued to educate the Slavic peoples.

In Russia, equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril became known as the Spring Signifier, since the weather on his holiday was used to judge the coming spring. They prayed to the saint for help in teaching, strengthening faith, overcoming fears, and protecting homes from natural disasters and other ills.

Weather signs, everyday and mystical for today

On Kirill Vesnokazchik, peasants went out into the fields to trample the snow properly. At the end of winter, it was especially important for farmers to keep the cover as long as possible, so that with the arrival of heat it would saturate the soil with moisture. Our ancestors knew that the more snow remains in the fields, the richer the grain harvest will be.

In the villages, sbiten, a hot drink with honey, herbs and spices, was always brewed for the holiday. Each family had its own recipe, passed down from generation to generation and kept strictly secret. Sbiten was served to the household and neighbors, and the surplus was sent for sale. It was believed that Cyril should definitely drink at least a sip of this drink to strengthen his strength and avoid various ailments.

Cyril Vesnokazchik's Day was also called Babi's Bumps, because on February 27, women visited the midwives who delivered them. It was considered bad form to come to visit empty—handed, so mothers prepared treats: pies, meat, eggs, etc. Wealthier women gave the midwives embroidered shawls, towels, dresses, etc. Men also participated in the gifting process - they brewed beer with water collected from seven holy springs.

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For young parents, visiting the midwife at Kirill Vesnokazchik was mandatory. According to beliefs, otherwise the child will be moody and painful.

It was also believed that prophetic dreams occurred on the night of February 27. They tried to remember them, but they didn't tell anyone, fearing that all the bad things would come true and the good things wouldn't come true.

Our ancestors paid attention to Cyril's weather signs, hoping to find out what spring would be like. If it was sunny and warm on a holiday, they prepared for frosts. The frost promised a hot and dry summer, and the loud singing of the chickadees foreshadowed the imminent warming.

Superstitions in Russia

Kirill Vesnokazchik was associated with various superstitions in Russia. According to popular beliefs, you should not change your hairstyle on this day, otherwise you can get very sick. It was also forbidden to be sad and complain about life, so as not to incur even more trouble.

In the villages, the crumbs left over from the meal were often given to the birds, but on February 27 it was strictly forbidden to do so. It was believed that a person feeding birds from a table could lose one of his relatives. In addition, Cyril's nails were not cut, for fear of shortening his life.

Earlier, Izvestia told about the traditions and signs of the national holiday Alexey Rybny.