A special holiday on September 1 is Thekla Beetroot: history, traditions, omens
Every year on September 1, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of the holy Martyrs Timothy, Agapius and Thekla. In 2025, the celebration falls on a Monday. In the national calendar, the holiday was named Thekla Beetroot or Andrey Teplyak. Read about its history and traditions in the Izvestia article.
What is the church holiday on September 1st?
On September 1, the Church commemorates the martyrs Timothy, Agapius and Thekla, who suffered for their faith in the fourth century. During the reign of the Roman emperors Diocletian and Maximian, severe persecution of Christians began. To avoid torture and death, all citizens were required to worship and sacrifice to pagan gods. Many believers in Christ refused to participate in unholy rituals, for which they were executed.
Timothy was born in the Palestinian city of Caesarea in Gaza. He knew the Holy Scriptures well and possessed the gift of eloquence, thanks to which he became a teacher of the Christian faith. In 304, he was captured and brought to trial by Governor Urban. The saint fearlessly declared himself a Christian and delivered a fiery sermon about the coming of the Savior. For this, he was tortured and burned.
At the same time, two more righteous people, Agapius and Thekla, suffered in Gaza for their faith in Christ. They were given to wild animals. Thekla died immediately, and Agapius' execution was postponed several times, he was martyred in 306.
Traditions of the Fekla Beetroot folk festival on September 1
In Russia, the day of remembrance of the three martyrs of Gaza was called Thekla Beetroot or Andrei Teplyak. The first harvest of beetroot, one of the most important vegetable crops for peasants, was harvested on the holiday. "The birthday girl is beetroot," the ancestors said. On September 1, the housewives prepared dishes from this vegetable: borscht, botwini, salads.
Beetroot was appreciated not only for its nutritional, but also for its taste properties. The fruits harvested on September 1 were considered curative, they were added to medicinal potions or applied to sore spots. It was believed that in this way it was possible to relieve inflammation.
Unmarried girls used to guess at their betrothed during the holiday. To do this, nuts were poured on the table — in which direction they would roll, the groom would come from there. They also paid attention to the dreams they had on the night of Thekla. According to beliefs, they could be prophetic, however, if what they saw was not fulfilled within a week, it makes no sense to wait any longer.
What not to do on Fecla Beetroot on September 1st
In Russia, various superstitions and prohibitions were associated with Beetroot beetroot. For example, on a holiday, they were afraid to walk barefoot on the grass, because they believed that after that they could get seriously ill.
What else can't be done on September 1st
- Sharing plans with outsiders — they won't come true;
- complaining about fate will cause a lot more trouble.;
- Repairing clothes, shoes, and furniture is a recipe for failure;
- looking at fire for a long time leads to eye diseases;
- to enter into conflicts, raise your voice, and make a fuss leads to illness and lack of money;
- plan how to spend the money — the investment will be unsuccessful.
Folk signs of September 1st
The ancestors paid attention to changes in nature for beetroot. They believed that the weather on the holiday would be like this all September. There were other signs, too:
- south wind — to a good harvest of oats;
- cranes fly south to the early winter;
- Fog is creeping over the ground — for a long and snowy winter;
- the grass has not turned yellow yet — the winter will be mild;
- A month with its horns up means good weather, and with its horns down means bad weather.
Earlier, Izvestia reported on the traditions and signs of the national holiday of Flora and Laurel.
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