May 28 — Pakhom Teply: traditions and customs, folk signs
According to the national calendar, May 28 is celebrated as the Warm Day. The holiday got its name in honor of the monk and the first builder of the monastic community in Egypt, Pachomius the Great, whom the church honors in the last month of spring. Usually, the weather was warm in summer at this time, so our ancestors called the saint Pakhom Warm, or Bokogre. In 2025, the celebration falls on a Wednesday. Izvestia tells about the traditions, customs and signs of this day.
Pahom Teply — what kind of holiday is celebrated on May 22
Saint Pachomius lived in the Egyptian city of Thebaid in the third century. He came from a family of pagans. Pachomius received Holy baptism at an advanced age after meeting Christians during his military service under Emperor Constantine. Subsequently, imbued with a new faith for himself, he became a disciple of the local hermit Palamon.
Until the death of the elder, Pachomius was guided by his instructions. It was Saint Palamon who blessed the young monk for the construction of the Tavennis Monastery, the first cenobitic monastery, and predicted his future glory. Pachomius also compiled the first monastic charter for the monastery, which is located on the right bank of the Nile, 575 km from modern Cairo. This charter was then used in other monasteries.
The circle of followers of Pachomius grew rapidly, which necessitated the construction of several more monasteries. Ordinary Christians also visited him, having learned about his gift of miracle-working and healing of diseases. Towards the end of his life, the monk became seriously ill as a result of the spread of pestilence in those places. After his death around 348, he was buried near the monastery.
The Russian Orthodox Church honors the memory of St. Pachomius the Great on May 28. In the calendar of the Coptic Church, memorial Day falls on May 9th. Christians pray to the saint for the healing of diseases, the gift of wisdom, and help in overcoming various troubles and misfortunes.
As noted by Pakhom the Warm in Russia
The people called Pakhoma Warm, or Bokogre, because the real warmth began with the holiday. According to tradition, peasants went to church in the morning to pray to Saint Pachomius for the well-being of their relatives and friends, as well as for a good harvest. Then our ancestors were engaged in daily activities, in particular field work.
Usually, during this period, they finished sowing flax and started sowing wheat. "The Sidewarmer has come — finish the wheat as soon as possible," they used to say in the old days. Cucumbers and other vegetable crops were also sown. According to legend, all the seeds thrown into the ground on a Warm Plough will quickly turn green and give a rich harvest.
The housewives tried to get rid of unnecessary, old things and put the house in order. At that time, the men were cleaning tools and repairing inventory. They hurried to finish all their work before lunch, while it was still light. Then, as it was believed, there would be prosperity and well-being in the house.
There was also a belief that prophetic dreams were dreamed on the night of May 28. The elders advised you to remember them, but not to tell anyone about your dreams, otherwise they will not come true.
What can and cannot be done on Pakhoma Teplogo – 2025
The holiday was accompanied by a number of prohibitions, which they tried not to violate in order not to scare off luck. For example, you couldn't take time off from work, sit in bed for a long time, or spend time aimlessly. People said that lazy people would have to eat crumbs until next year.
The trouble was attracted by dishes that were not cleaned from the table, dirt in the house, and untidy clothes. This promised financial problems. That's why our ancestors tried to keep the house clean and put their things in order before going out.
In order not to take over the illnesses and problems of another person, it was not recommended to wear someone else's shoes, use someone else's towel and sleep on someone else's pillow. It was also forbidden to pick up valuables found on the street and accept gifts from strangers — to damage and evil eye.
Another prohibition is related to secret desires. You should not talk about your plans, hopes and aspirations on a holiday, otherwise they will not be realized. For the same reason, unmarried girls should not share their love expectations with anyone.
Folk signs for May 28
A lot of attention was paid to weather signs on Pakhoma. It was believed that whatever the weather was on May 28, summer would be like that. There are many sayings about this: "I came to the Groin, it smelled warm," "It's warm in the Groin, it's warm all summer."
The sunny, windless weather was a good sign. This meant that the summer would not be too dry, but also not too rainy. But the red sky at sunrise served as a bad omen, promising heat and possible fires.
The trees told me what the harvest would be like in the summer. If the aspen branches were covered with catkins, then a good harvest of oats was expected. If viburnum or juniper bloomed, barley would be born.
Earlier, Izvestia reported on the holiday of Nikola Veshny, in which it was customary to honor shepherds.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
