Folk signs for August 26: what can and cannot be done
In Russia, omens have been given special importance since ancient times. They were used to judge the weather, when to sow and harvest, and what to expect in the future. Therefore, every day of the national calendar was full of rituals and superstitions. Izvestia tells about the popular signs of Tuesday, August 26, and which church holidays are celebrated on this day.
Folk signs for August 26, 2025
In Russia, the feast of Tikhon the Passionate was celebrated on August 26. This name comes from the icon of the Mother of God "Strastnaya". With this image in the villages, houses and churchyards were visited, asking the Mother of God for protection from diseases, fires and natural disasters. Special spells against the evil eye and bad words were also read on this day.
As the time approached autumn, the peasants put away their field equipment and hurried to clean up the cellars and the stable where the livestock were. In the old days, omens were given special importance. They were used to determine the weather conditions for the coming season.
According to observations, a calm wind promises stable weather for several days ahead, and a storm foreshadows a rainy September.
Other signs of the day:
- morning dew does not dry out for a long time — to wet weather in early autumn;
- clear sky at night — the weather in September will be dry;
- If the wind changes direction frequently during the day, it will rain.;
- if fish are actively biting in reservoirs, quiet and clear days are ahead.;
- Cranes are starting to gather in flocks — it's going to get colder soon;
- if thunder is heard on Tikhon, it will still be warm until the end of summer.
What not to do on August 26th
Since Tikhon of Passion falls on the Dormition Fast (ends on August 27), believers need to give up noisy events and continue to adhere to the nutrition rules established for this period. Meat, milk, fish and eggs should not be eaten.
Other prohibitions of the day are based on folk beliefs and superstitions. For example, it is considered that you cannot sleep on two pillows on this day. The ban applies to single people. According to beliefs, otherwise they will be alone for a long time.
What else can not be done on August 26:
- remembering the past, especially the sad ones, can negatively affect the present.;
- accept white or light towels as a gift, otherwise you can get seriously ill.;
- work in the garden or field, as this can cause health problems.;
- there is an egg with two yolks — to lose luck in business;
- quarrel with loved ones, otherwise reconciliation will not come soon.
What is the church holiday on August 26th?
On August 26, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of St. Tikhon the Wonderworker of Zadonsk, the greatest enlightener of the XVIII century, theologian, Bishop of Voronezh and Yelets. The saint left behind many teachings and letters in which he profoundly revealed the essence of Christian life, humility and repentance. During his lifetime, he founded schools, visited monasteries and hospitals, always remaining close to ordinary people. In adulthood, he went to the Zadonsky monastery, where he continued his ministry as an elder.
Tikhon died in 1783. Almost immediately, he was revered by the people as a saint. In 1861, he was officially canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church. The incorruptible relics of the saint are still a source of numerous healings.
On the same date, believers remember St. Maximus the Confessor, a Christian monk, theologian, and philosopher who suffered for his faith in the sixth century. The confessor was born in Constantinople. Before taking monastic vows, he entered the civil service and served as the first secretary of Emperor Heraclius. During the years of the spread of the Monothelite heresy in Byzantium, the saint defended the true faith, for which he was persecuted. The confessor did not renounce his views even under torture and in exile. After his death, he was glorified among the venerables of the Orthodox Church and among the saints of the Roman Catholic Church.
Prayers on August 26
St. Tikhon is most often approached in difficult circumstances. They pray to Him for solace in sorrows, protection from enemies and ill-wishers, for blessings in family life and guidance on the spiritual path.
Prayer to Tikhon Zadonsky
"Oh, to the holy One, our Father Tikhon! Hear us and seek through your favorable intercession to implore the Lord, that He may bestow His great and rich mercy on us, sinful and unworthy of His servants (names), that He may heal with His grace the incurable ulcers and scabs of our corrupt souls and bodies, that our petrified hearts may dissolve with tears of tenderness and contrition for our many sins and may deliver us from eternal torment and the fire of Gehenna, may He grant peace and quiet, health and salvation in this world, so that we may be worthy, with the Angels and with all the saints, to glorify and hymn the all holy name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen to that."
St. Maximus the Confessor is considered the heavenly patron saint of theologians, scientists, students and seminarians, as well as missionaries. They pray to Him for spiritual wisdom and strength in prayer, protection from errors and the admonition of those who have renounced or have not yet come to the Orthodox faith.
Prayer to Maxim the Confessor
"O holy head, Venerable Father, Most Blessed Abba Maxima, do not forget your poor ones to the end, but always remember us in holy and auspicious prayers to God. We don't think you're dead.: For though you have passed away from us in body, but you are still alive after death, do not depart from us in spirit, preserving us from the arrows of the enemy and all the charms of demons and the machinations of the devil, our good shepherd. For even though your relics of cancer are always visible before our eyes, your holy soul, with angelic hosts, fleshless faces, and heavenly powers, stands at the throne of the Almighty, rejoicing worthily, leading you truly and living after death, we fall down and pray to you: pray for us to Almighty God, O Lord. for the benefit of our souls, and grant us time for repentance, so that we may pass from earth to heaven unhindered, and may we be delivered from bitter ordeals, demons of the air, and eternal torment, and may we be heiresses of the heavenly Kingdom with all the righteous who have pleased our Lord Jesus Christ from the beginning. Amen to that."
Earlier, Izvestia told what they pray to the holy martyrs Photius and Anikita.
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