February 28 — Onisim Ovchar: history, traditions and signs of the national holiday

Every year on February 28, Orthodox believers honor the memory of the Apostle of the Seventy, Bishop Onesimus of Byzantium, who lived at the beginning of the first millennium. In the national calendar, the holiday is called Onesimus Ovchar, it is rich in traditions and signs reflecting the connection of our ancestors with nature and agriculture. In 2025, this day falls on a Friday. Read about its history and traditions in the Izvestia article.

Onesimus Ovchar – 2025: the history of the holiday

Saint Onesimus was born in the 1st century in the Phrygian city of Kolossy in the territory of modern Turkey. Initially, he was a slave of the noble Christian Philemon. After a serious offense to his master, the young man escaped to Rome, but was caught and thrown into prison.

It was there that Onesimus met the Apostle Paul, who was also in prison. The young man became his devoted disciple, converted to Christianity and served him in prison like a son.

Paul mentions Onesimus in the Epistle to the Colossians, calling him his faithful and beloved brother. When it was time for the young man to return to his master, the apostle, who personally knew Philemon, wrote a loving letter in which he asked to forgive the runaway slave and accept him as a brother in Christ. He was imbued with the message and granted the young man not only forgiveness, but also freedom, sending him back to Rome.

Subsequently, Philemon himself was awarded the episcopal dignity, Onesimus continued to serve the apostles until their death, after which he preached the Gospel in Spain, Carpetania, in Colossae and Patras.

During the reign of Emperor Trajan, who unleashed large-scale persecution of Christians, Saint Onesimus was captured and thrown into prison for 18 days, after which he was exiled to the city of Puteoli. After some time, the hieromartyr was summoned by Eparch Tertill and, having made sure that the prisoner's faith in Christ had not diminished, he subjected him to severe stoning and execution.

Traditions and rituals of Onesimus Ovcharus, celebrated on February 28

In the national calendar, the holiday had different names in different regions: Onesimus Zimobor, Onesimus Ovcharnik, Onesimus Zornik. The ancestors believed that on February 28, winter loses its second horn (it loses the first one on February 24 on Vlasov Day), which means that the outcome of its "fight" with spring is a foregone conclusion. On this occasion, they sentenced: "Who should go forward and who should turn back."

In Russia, Onesimus was considered the patron saint of domestic animals, especially sheep. It was customary to start his holiday with a visit to the church — the ancestors prayed to the saint for the protection of livestock from diseases and misfortunes.

On February 28, the focus was on the sheep, which were about to lamb. To replenish the herd with a large number of healthy offspring, the peasants performed a special ceremony of "calling" the stars with the participation of the shepherd. In the evening, they went outside, bowed three times to four sides, and then the shepherd stood with his feet on the fleece and pronounced a special spell, inviting the stars to "look" into the courtyard. The ancestors believed that after these actions, there would be as many lambs on the farm as there were stars in the sky. Then the owner invited the shepherd into the house for a treat.

In some provinces, on a holiday, women exposed yarn to the morning frost ("buried") so that it would become strong and clean, and the threads from it would be smooth and obedient.

Another custom of the day was associated with sowing. On Onesimus, the seeds were to be brought into the courtyard for hardening and left there for three mornings. It was believed that this way they would rise better and give a plentiful harvest. The peasants said about this: "As it will be auctioned in February, so it will respond in the fall."

What can and cannot be done during the celebration of Onesimus Ovcharus

On the evening of February 28, a rich table should be set, inviting relatives and friends to visit. According to legend, the abundance of dishes attracted a comfortable year to the family.

The guests, in turn, were forbidden to enter someone else's house empty-handed, they had to bring the hosts a gift, albeit a symbolic one. Items made of sheepskin were especially welcomed.

Onisim was supposed to work and take care of pets, but slaughtering cattle and combing sheep was forbidden. In addition, it was not recommended to quarrel, cheat and be hypocritical on the holiday, so as not to attract bad luck. You also shouldn't lend money, talk about finances, start new businesses, or go on long trips.

Folk signs on February 28

During the holiday, our ancestors carefully observed nature. It was believed that at this time, winter finally loses its power, giving way to spring. The people were saying: "Winter becomes hornless on Onisim the Shepherd." The peasants also believed that what the weather would be like on February 28th, the coming September would be like that.

Long and large icicles indicated a prolonged spring, and the abundant melting of snow and the appearance of puddles promised a good harvest. A bright moon on the night of February 28 foreshadowed frosts in the coming days, and a bright red sunset — a severe snowstorm.

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