May 17 — Pelageya the Intercessor: customs, folk signs and beliefs

On May 17, the Orthodox Church commemorates the passion-bearer Pelagia of Tarsus, who suffered for her faith in the third century. In Russia, the saint was considered the patroness of young girls and the innocently convicted, therefore, in the folk tradition, the name "Pelageya the Intercessor" was fixed for the holiday. In 2025, the celebration falls on a Saturday. Izvestia tells us what customs and signs are associated with this day.

What is the holiday on May 17th?

Pelagia was born in the Malaysian city of Tarsus (the territory of modern Turkey) in a wealthy family, thanks to which she received a good education. Her parents were pagans. The girl herself, having once heard about Christ, believed in God and decided to preserve her innocence for the rest of her life.

One day Pelagia was seen by the adopted son of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, under whom Christians were persecuted. The young man was captivated by the beauty of the young maiden and decided to marry her. The girl's mother was very happy about this turn, but Pelagia declared that she was already betrothed to the Son of God. The refusal infuriated the heir, but he hoped that Pelagia would come to her senses and accept his offer.

At this time, Pelagia left home and was secretly baptized. When she returned, she tried to convert her mother to Christianity. But she hurried to the king and asked for soldiers to find and bring to justice the bishop who baptized her daughter. The rejected groom, having learned about the incident, could not come to terms with the future that awaited his beloved after discovering the secret of religion, and committed suicide.

The girl's mother, fearing revenge for the death of the heir, brought her daughter to the ruler herself. But Diocletian, like his stepson, was captivated by Pelagia's beauty and decided to marry her instead of being executed. However, neither threats nor attempts to bribe the girl with gold had any success. Then the emperor ordered the martyr to be tortured and executed. After only 20 years, the persecution of Christians stopped, and a church was built on the burial site of Pelagia.

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Pelageya the Intercessor in 2025 — traditions and prohibitions

With the Baptism, the saint began to be revered in Russia. The people believed that the images of Pelagia had miraculous powers. They prayed to her for strengthening her faith, protecting her from evil thoughts, resolving family conflicts, and reaching mutual understanding with her loved ones. The saint was also considered the patroness of the innocently offended and the patroness of all birds.

Since planting continued in the villages on the saint's memorial day, the peasants prayed to Pelagia for a good harvest and performed a special ceremony to protect the plantings from pests and evil spirits. To do this, a cracked pot of nettles was placed in the middle of the garden. It was supposed to scare away insects, rodents and birds, whose appearance, according to beliefs, was often acquired by evil spirits in order to harm people.

In addition, the holiday has another name — Baklushnikov Day. It comes from the word "baklushi" — that's what the blanks for a wooden spoon were called in the old days. Usually, on Pelagia, men went to the forest and cut down trees to make blanks. Later, this custom was reflected in the name of the celebration.

In the evening, after completing all the tasks, it was customary to treat each other with sweets and make small gifts. Most often, they gave painted spoons, which were considered a symbol of prosperity and harmony in the house. If someone neglected this tradition, he faced domestic difficulties and family discord.

On the holiday, it was also supposed to take care of those in need. It was strictly forbidden to refuse help. Foul language, gossip, and any quarrels were also censured. Our ancestors believed that otherwise there would be a dark period in life. He also had to be careful with fire and cutting objects. In addition, it was forbidden to cut nails so as not to lose good health.

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Folk signs for May 17th

There are also many weather signs associated with Pelagia the Intercessor. People believed that forecasts were more accurate and reliable on church holidays. Therefore, our ancestors carefully observed the behavior of animals and the changes in the weather.

According to observations, if there are a lot of May bugs on the street on May 17, then there will be a drought in the summer. This is evidenced by the abundant flowering of cherry trees. If the sun is not visible in the daytime sky, long—term precipitation is expected. Sparrows flocking together portend a strong wind. And the nightingale's nighttime singing predicts a sunny day.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the traditions of the national holiday Yegoriy Veshny, which was celebrated in early May.