April 21 — Rodion the Ice Breaker: history, traditions and signs of the national holiday

Every year on April 21, Orthodox believers remember the holy Apostle of the seventy Herodion, a companion of the Apostle Paul. In the folk tradition, the date was called Rodion the Icebreaker, because it was at this time that the active ice movement began. In 2025, the date falls on a Monday. Read about its history, traditions and signs in the Izvestia article.

Rodion Icebreaker — 2025: the history of the holiday

Saint Herodion, to whom this day is dedicated, lived in the 1st century and was one of the seventy apostles, followers of Jesus Christ, who preached the Gospel. He came from the city of Tarsus in Cilicia and was related to the Apostle Paul. Herodion accompanied him on numerous journeys, sharing the hardships and dangers of his preaching work.

When Christianity began to penetrate the Balkan Peninsula, the Apostles Peter and Paul entrusted Herodion with the leadership of the Christian community in the city of Patara, appointing him bishop. In his new career, he showed exceptional zeal, preached the Word of God and brought many people to Christ.

His activities provoked fierce resistance from pagans and Jews. Angered by the apostle's success, they attacked him, subjected him to severe tortures, and deciding that he was dead, fled. However, a miracle happened. The apostle, despite severe wounds, remained alive.

After these events, Saint Herodion continued to accompany the Apostle Peter. Their earthly journey ended at the same time. During the reign of Emperor Nero, one of the most brutal persecutors of the early Christians, the apostles who arrived in Rome were captured. Peter was crucified, and Herodion was beheaded.

Traditions of the holiday celebrated in Russia on April 21, 2025

In Russia, the name of the Rodion Icebreaker holiday did not appear by chance. By April 21, the ice on the rivers began to break, which symbolized the boundary between winter and spring. From that day on, the peasants tried to start field work.

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It was believed that if you start plowing on this day, the harvest will be especially generous. On this occasion, there were proverbs among the people: "If you don't work hard, you won't get bread," "Plowing deeper means chewing more bread," "Rodion brought water, put the plough to plow the oats." They all said that work is the key to a prosperous life.

The day was supposed to start with a visit to the temple. The believers asked Herodion for help in overcoming life difficulties, family well-being, health and protection from natural disasters.

Also on April 21, the water accumulated during the flood (hollow) was collected. It was believed that it has healing properties and can help in healing various ailments. On this day, the widows and maidens who were left by the grooms went to the reservoirs to symbolically "wash away" the longing of the heart. The participants of the ritual uttered special words and washed their faces with spring water.

If Rodion Icebreaker had an important meeting or conversation, especially outside the house, it was necessary to spit three times in front of him when leaving the threshold. In the old days, they believed that this would ensure the success of their plans. Another custom of the day is to symbolically "say goodbye" to the passing winter before leaving the house, bowing to her so that in the future she would be soft and would not bring troubles. Neglecting this tradition could result in a poor harvest in the coming year.

Bans on Rodion Icebreaker Day: what not to do on April 21

On the day of the holiday, the ancestors had several prohibitions. For example, on April 21, one should not have tidied up the house, so as not to anger the brownie. It was believed that the spirit, disturbed by noise and movement, could start to rowdy and frighten residents.

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On this day, they also avoided taking water directly from the river for household needs (they tried to stock up on it in advance), so as not to anger the merman, who could "take revenge" by dragging a person to the bottom.

Also, one should not go fishing and hunting, according to beliefs, instead of prey, they could bring trouble. They also tried not to start important business for Rodion, it could lead to financial losses.

Folk signs about Rodion the Ice Breaker

In Russia, on April 21, peasants paid special attention to water, it was believed that it could tell about the future harvest. So, if the ice broke in large chunks, according to legend, it promised "piles of bread." If the river flowed calmly and the ice floes spread smoothly, the year promised to be smooth and prosperous.

Rain on Rodion — expect a rich wheat harvest. Glare on the water — there will be a good bite in the season.
If the sun was shining particularly brightly, it heralded a warm summer. But to see a flock of crows on April 21, especially flying towards them, was considered a bad omen. In such cases, the ancestors prayed to Saint Herodion, asking for protection.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on a special church holiday — Holy Saturday.