August 2 — Elijah's Day: what can and cannot be done, folk signs
Every year on August 2, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of the Old Testament prophet Elijah— one of the most revered Russian saints. In Russia, he was worshipped as the patron saint of farmers, capable of giving rain in a drought or, conversely, saving crops from flooding. In the national calendar, the holiday in honor of the prophet was named Elijah's Day. Read about its mystical traditions, signs and prohibitions in the Izvestia article.
Traditions of the national holiday Elijah's Day on August 2
The traditions of Elijah's Day are a mixture of Christian and pagan beliefs. In the popular consciousness, the prophet acquired some features of the Slavic thunder god Perun - he was also credited with power over thunderstorms and rains, and the holiday in honor of the saint was often called thunderstorm.
According to legend, on August 2, Elijah rides across the sky in his fiery chariot, striking lightning. To protect the house from the "heavenly fire", all doors and windows were tightly closed, and metal objects were thrown into the yard: a stick, a stove handle, a frying pan, a poker, etc.
Empty pots, baskets, pots and other utensils were turned upside down on Elijah's Day. It was believed that in a thunderstorm, evil spirits, fearing the wrath of the prophet, seek to hide in human habitation and often use household items for this purpose. If an evil spirit manages to enter the house, the whole family will be in danger, because the lightning of the terrible saint will strike evil wherever it hides.
One of the main traditions of Elijah's Day is bratchina. This was the name of a joint meal, which was arranged after visiting the church and the procession. It was attended by residents of several neighboring houses, and sometimes several villages. Travelers and beggars were also invited to the table, as it was not customary to refuse food on a holiday.
After the meal, festivities with songs, dances and round dances began in the villages. In some regions, such as the Pskov region, men conducted ceremonial fist fights.
In Russia, Elijah's Day was considered a harbinger of autumn, since in August the length of daylight was noticeably reduced. The ancestors used to say: "Since Elijah's day, the night is long and the water is cold," "For Elijah, it's summer before lunch, and after that it's autumn."
The harvest season began with the holiday in many regions. The peasants brought the first ears of corn mown on Elijah's Day into the house and placed them next to the icons in the red corner. To appease the prophet Elijah and thank him for the harvest, the ceremony of "beard curling" was performed. To do this, a piece of uncut rye was left on the field. Then the ears were tied into a bundle, tilted to the ground and a piece of bread was left under them.
What can and cannot be done on Elijah's Day on August 2nd
Various superstitions were associated with Elijah's Day in Russia. Many of them had pagan roots and were not related to Christianity.
What can you do on the national holiday Elijah's Day:
- visit the church — in honor of the holiday, many churches hold divine services dedicated to the Prophet Elijah;
- to pray to the prophet Elijah for family well—being and the birth of children - the saint is considered the patron saint of fertility, therefore believers who dream of a happy marriage and procreation often turn to him.;
- arrange noisy feasts with a large number of guests — a meal together will help strengthen relationships with loved ones and give a positive charge.;
- Since ancient times, charity work has been considered one of the important elements of celebrating St. Elijah's Day.;
- picking herbs — according to popular beliefs, medicinal herbs picked on Elijah's Day will be especially useful.
Why can't you swim after Elijah's Day
The main prohibition of Ilyin's day was related to swimming in rivers and lakes. The ancestors believed that since August 2, reservoirs become cold, so bathing in them is fraught with diseases. Open water was feared not only because of the temperature. It was believed that mermaids and water creatures were activated on the holiday, so a carefree bather could easily drown.
What else can not be done on the national holiday Elijah's Day:
- letting pets out on the street and letting street people into the house — they can be possessed by evil spirits.;
- Fishing is a risk of bringing diseases and misfortunes home with the catch.;
- to do hard work — the ancestors believed that the prophet Elijah could get angry at those who did not honor his memory enough and were distracted by worldly chores.;
- according to beliefs, to refuse help to those in need, those who show indifference will soon find themselves in a difficult situation.
Folk signs for Elijah's day on August 2
On Elijah's Day, the ancestors paid attention to the signs, hoping to find out what the weather would be like in the near future. One of the main elements of the "forecast" was thunder. If it sounded muffled and was accompanied by bright flashes of lightning, they did not expect heavy precipitation, if it was loud, they were preparing for heavy rains. If thunder rumbled without lightning, they understood that there would be no rain. Incessant thunderclaps indicated that hail was about to begin.
There were other signs, too:
- On Elijah's Day, they were not afraid to get caught in the rain, because they believed that it would bring health.;
- After Elijah's Day, you don't have to worry about insect bites, as they hibernate.;
- holiday rain — for a rich grain harvest;
- the absence of rain on Elijah's Day leads to fires.
Earlier, Izvestia reported on the history and traditions of the national holiday Makrinin Day.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
