- Статьи
- Local news
- Peter and Fevronia Day in 2025: date, who are these saints, love story, where are their relics
Peter and Fevronia Day in 2025: date, who are these saints, love story, where are their relics
Peter and Fevronia Day is one of the most touching Orthodox holidays, which is celebrated annually in early July. The celebration is dedicated to the memory of the blessed Prince and Princess of Murom, whose story of love and fidelity has become a symbol of a strong family and spiritual unity. On this day, believers visit churches and pray for family well-being. Also on this date, it is customary to weave wreaths of daisies and arrange spiritual feasts with relatives. Izvestia tells us more about how to spend an important holiday with spiritual benefits and what to give to your loved ones.
Peter and Fevronia of Murom: Who are these saints, a love story
Peter and Fevronia are Orthodox saints who lived in the ancient city of Murom in the 13th century. Their love story is described in the "Tale of Peter and Fevronia", created by the church scribe Ermolai-Erasmus. Although the narrative contains elements of legend, historians agree that it is based on real events.
According to legend, Peter was a prince, and Fevronia was a simple peasant woman, the daughter of a beekeeper. Fate brought them together when the prince became seriously ill with leprosy, a chronic infectious disease that in ancient times was considered almost incurable. After Peter defeated the fiery serpent that tormented his lands, the disease struck his body and spirit. No doctor could help the prince, and so he went to the Ryazan lands in search of a doctor. There he met Fevronia, a girl of amazing beauty and kindness, who possessed the gift of healing. She agreed to cure Peter on the condition that he marry her after his recovery. Peter made a promise, and Fevronia healed him.
However, after his recovery, the prince was afraid of an unequal marriage and did not keep his word. The disease returned with renewed vigor, and Fevronia came to the rescue again, finally cured Peter. Repenting, he married her, and their marriage became an example of love, mutual respect and fidelity. However, the nobility of the city did not accept a simple peasant woman. When Peter inherited the princely throne, the boyars demanded to break off the marriage with a commoner. Then the prince refused the status of ruler and, together with Fevronia, left Murom.
Monument to Saints Peter and Fevronia
After their departure, turmoil began in Murom, and the city fell into ruin. The people and the boyars, tired of the chaos, asked the prince and his wife to return. Peter and Fevronia returned to Murom, restoring peace in the city. They supported the church, helped the poor, and always ruled fairly. In their old age, the couple took monastic vows in different monasteries, taking the names David and Euphrosyne. They prayed to God to die on the same day and hour and bequeathed to put their bodies in one coffin with a thin partition in the middle. Their wish came true: Peter and Fevronia died on the same day — July 8, 1228.
However, according to monastic custom, their bodies were buried in separate tombs. The next day, the relics of the deceased miraculously ended up in the same coffin. Many considered it a sign of divine blessing and the reunion of spouses. About 300 years after their deaths, in 1547, Peter and Fevronia were canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church as patrons of family, marriage, and Christian love.
When is Peter and Fevronia Day celebrated in 2025
The Memorial Day of Saints Peter and Fevronia is celebrated annually on July 8. In 2025, this date falls on a Tuesday. Despite the fact that the holiday is not a day off, numerous events dedicated to family values are held in Russia. On this day, many newlyweds register marriages, and registry offices often extend opening hours so that as many couples as possible can officially become a family on the bright Orthodox holiday.
Where are the relics of Peter and Fevronia kept
The relics of Saints Peter and Fevronia are kept in the city of Murom, the historical center of their life and government. They rest in the Holy Trinity Convent, which is one of the main pilgrimage sites for believers seeking to touch the shrine and receive spiritual strengthening. The shrine is open to the public all year round. From Monday to Sunday, the monastery is open from 6:30 to 19:00, and on public holidays from 7:00 to 19:00. Prior registration is not required to visit the monastery, but it is mandatory to observe the internal regulations and dress code: women should cover their heads and wear modest closed clothes, men should avoid short shorts and T-shirts.
Murom has long been considered the spiritual capital of the holiday, and it is here that the main celebrations in honor of the saints traditionally take place, attracting thousands of pilgrims and tourists. The memory of Peter and Fevronia also lives on in temples and monuments erected in their honor throughout Russia. Among the most famous is the modern Orthodox Church of Peter and Fevronia in Moscow, which serves as a center for spiritual life and family events. Nizhny Novgorod is home to one of the largest churches of saints, where worship services and educational programs dedicated to family values are regularly held. Kazan is home to the small but popular Peter and Fevronia Chapel, which has become a favorite place of prayer for newlyweds and married couples.
How believers spend the Day of Saints Peter and Fevronia
Believers strive to spend the Day of Saints Peter and Fevronia with their families, paying special attention to spiritual unity and prayer. It is customary to start the morning of this day with a visit to the temple. On July 8, festive liturgies and prayer services are celebrated in churches, during which special prayers for peace, love and harmony in the family are heard. Many spouses and newlyweds come to the temple to receive a blessing for a long and happy life together, as well as to pray for the health and well-being of their loved ones.
At home, believers read the akathist or prayer to Saints Peter and Fevronia, asking them for help in strengthening marriage, mutual understanding and raising children. It is believed that prayers addressed to saints are especially effective in matters of family happiness and overcoming disagreements.
In addition, it is customary to arrange family feasts on this day. Since Peter and Fevronia Day in 2025 falls on the period of Peter's fast, the dishes on the festive table should be lean — without meat, dairy products and eggs. However, Peter's fast is considered lax, and on most days, except Wednesday and Friday, fish and seafood are allowed. The festive table can include vegetable and mushroom soups, baked fish, pies with rice and fish, lean cabbage soup, okroshka, various porridges, salads of fresh vegetables and herbs, as well as lean pies with berries or poppies.
What to give for the feast of Peter and Fevronia
The best and most symbolic gift for Saints Peter and Fevronia's Day will be a bouquet of daisies, the main symbol of the holiday, embodying purity, tenderness and devotion. Daisies can be given to both a spouse and close relatives — parents, grandparents.
In addition to fresh flowers, gifts with the image of daisies are popular — jewelry, souvenirs, decorative items or accessories. Self—made items are especially appreciated, such as postcards, book bookmarks, or paintings. Icons with images of Saints Peter and Fevronia are another spiritually significant gift. They symbolize love, fidelity and family blessing, so they are often given to newlyweds or spouses who have been married for many years.
A family photo album or a collage of shared photos, reminiscent of warm life moments, would also be a good option. You can arrange photos in beautiful frames or make original compositions that will decorate your home.
How Peter and Fevronia are connected with the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity in Russia
Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom became symbols of family love and spiritual unity, and their memory formed the basis of the modern Day of Family, Love and Fidelity, a holiday celebrated annually in Russia on July 8. The idea to combine the Orthodox memorial day of the holy spouses with this celebration arose in the 1990s in Murom. A few years later, the Muromites proposed to extend this tradition to the whole of Russia.
In 2008, the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity was officially established as an All-Russian holiday. Its creation was supported by the Federation Council and the State Duma, as well as the Russian Orthodox Church. In 2022, by decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the holiday received the status of a state holiday. Since then, the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity has been one of the main celebrations in the country, celebrating love, fidelity and other important family values.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
