A special holiday on October 7 is Fekla Zarevnitsa: history, traditions, omens

Every year on October 7, Orthodox believers honor the memory of St. Equal—to-the-Apostles Thekla of Iconium, the first female preacher and disciple of the Apostle Paul. In the folk tradition, this day is called Thekla Zarevnitsa, it is associated with the beginning of prayer. In 2025, the holiday falls on a Tuesday. Read about its history, customs, prohibitions and signs in the Izvestia article.

What is the church holiday on October 7th

Saint Thekla of Iconium was born in the 1st century in the city of Iconium (now the Turkish city of Konya) into a noble, wealthy pagan family. The girl was distinguished not only by her beauty, but also by her firmness of character. She received a good education and was betrothed to a young man named Famirid. However, her fate changed after meeting the Apostle Paul. When she heard his sermon at the age of 18, she decided to give up marriage and dedicate her life to Christ.

Fekla's fiance could not accept her choice. Motivated by resentment, he filed a complaint with the city authorities, blaming the apostle for the incident. As a result, Pavel was arrested. Upon learning about this, the girl secretly entered the dungeon under cover of night, where she stayed next to the teacher for three days, listening to his words.

When she was discovered, the court sentenced Pavel to exile and the young Christian woman to be burned. However, the bonfire did not touch Fekla — the sky suddenly tightened, heavy rain began to fall, extinguishing the fire. This miracle amazed all the witnesses, who fled in fear.

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After a miraculous rescue, Thekla left her hometown and was able to find the Apostle Paul. Together they continued their missionary journey to Antioch. There she was again put to the test — the noble nobleman Alexander, shocked by her beauty, tried to persuade her to marry. The girl resolutely rejected the claims and was again sentenced to death for her faithfulness to the Christian faith. She was thrown into the arena to the wild beasts, but they humbly lay down at the feet of the saint. Shocked by the sight, the ruler, realizing that the saint was protected by Divine power, ordered her to be released.

With the blessing of the Apostle Paul, Thekla retired to the vicinity of Seleucia in Isauria. There, in the desert places, she lived for many years, devoting herself to prayer, preaching and healing the sick. Even ardent pagans were converted to Christ by her word.

Until the last days of her life, Fekla remained in the crosshairs of her detractors. When she was already 90 years old, they tried to desecrate the saint again. Seeing the approach of her pursuers, she, not afraid of violence, prayed to Christ for protection, and the rock at which she stood opened up, hiding her forever.

Today, the relics of Thekla of Iconia are kept in Cyprus, in the Syrian Maaloula, in the Duomo of Milan, as well as in Russia — in the Dormition Feklina women's Desert of the Diocese of Kozel. Her image has become a symbol of female fortitude, fortitude and selfless love for God. In the Orthodox tradition, the saint remains one of the main patrons of women, spiritual mentors and intercessors in difficult times.

Traditions of the Fekla Zarevnitsa national holiday, celebrated on October 7

In Russia, Thekla Zarevnitsa marked the beginning of the bread threshing. On this day, a fire was lit in the sheep, symbolizing the transition to the new season. It was obtained by rubbing wood, entrusting this process exclusively to married men who embodied stability and procreation. This "living" flame was used not only for drying grain, but also for purification rituals — cattle were fumigated, houses were illuminated, and they were carried to the temple.

Before threshing, some of the ears were necessarily sacrificed to the fire, observing the ancient ritual of reconciliation with the ovinnik, the spirit of the barn. The ancestors also had a special, "nominal" sheaf, which was harvested at the beginning of the harvest. It was kept in a red corner, and bread was baked from its flour, which was eaten by the whole family and even served to animals for health during the long winter.

In Russia, it was customary to end the mushroom season on the day of Thekla the Worshipper. If they managed to return with full baskets, a rich table was set in the house, where fragrant fried mushrooms took pride of place. The housewives also cooked borscht on this day — it was believed that the dish brought harmony, well-being and tranquility to the house. The peasants even had a saying: "Pull the beetroot."

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Household chores on this day were minimal — light cleaning, cooking, and prayer to the saint for health, healing, and well-being. But women certainly took up spinning wheels — starting a thread on this day meant "harnessing luck." Therefore, Thekla was also called the Pryadalnitsa.

According to beliefs, on October 7, "everything that is tied cannot be undone," therefore, it was customary to play weddings on this day, such a marriage was considered indestructible. The girls arranged fortune—telling - they hid a roll in an ovine and waited for the ovine's touch to find out the fate. If it was warm, it promised a rich groom, if it was cold, it promised a poor one, and absence meant loneliness.

What not to do on the Fekla Zarevnitsa holiday on October 7th

In Russia, the holiday celebrated on October 7 was associated with many prohibitions, the main one related to finance. According to beliefs, Thekla should not have been borrowed or lent — luck would go with the money.

What else you can't do on October 7th:

• swearing and swearing, raising your voice at your elders — you can get seriously ill.;
• Being sad will only increase the number of problems.;
• Going to visit or hosting them can bring strife and poverty into the house.;
• to do hard physical labor — a day should be devoted to rituals in order to gain luck and not get into trouble.

Folk signs for October 7th

On Fekla Zarevnitsa, the ancestors watched nature, judging the coming winter by its signs.:

• there are a lot of acorns on the oaks — winter will be warm, and next summer will be fruitful.;
• bright sun in the morning — to change the weather;
• the squirrel sheds from the head — the winter will be long and wet, and if from the tail — snowy and frosty;
• birds are flying low — wait for early frosts;
• Thunder is thundering — for a snowless and short winter;
• a lot of mountain ash — the winter months will be harsh.

Earlier, Izvestia told about the traditions and signs of the special national holiday Iraida Controversial.