A special national holiday on October 15 is Kupriyan and Ustinya: history, traditions, omens
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- A special national holiday on October 15 is Kupriyan and Ustinya: history, traditions, omens
Every year on October 15, Orthodox Christians remember the holy Martyrs Cyprian, Justina and Theoktista, three saints who suffered for their faith in Jesus Christ, who are considered protectors from evil spells, witchcraft and spiritual blindness. In the folk tradition, the holiday is known as "Kuprian and Ustinya". In 2025, it falls on a Wednesday. Read about the history of this date, its signs and prohibitions in the Izvestia article.
Kupriyan and Ustinya – 2025: the history of the holiday
The feast of October 15 commemorates the dramatic fate of three martyrs — Bishop Cyprian, the Virgin Justina and the warrior Theoktistos, whose path became an example of spiritual transformation, struggle and sacrifice.
All three lived in Antioch in the third century during the persecution of Christians. Cyprian was an outstanding pagan sage and magus, deeply immersed in magical practices. According to legend, he was so successful in this that he received a whole legion of unclean spirits as "helpers", and the prince of darkness himself promised him a princely title after his death.
Cyprian was revered, people turned to him for help, and he often solved human problems with the power of demons. However, everything changed after the request of the young man Aglaid, the son of rich parents, who fell in love with a girl named Justina. She lived in the same city, but already professed Christianity and took a vow of chastity.
Having failed to achieve her reciprocity, Aglaid resorted to the services of Cyprian, who tried three times to magically influence Justina, but all his charms were broken by her faith, prayer, fasting and the sign of the cross.
Shocked by the power of the Christian faith, Cyprian renounced magic, confessed his sins to Bishop Anthimus and destroyed all his witchcraft books. After his baptism, he made rapid progress in church ministry, within a week he was elevated to the rank of reader, in less than a month he became a deacon, and a year later a priest. Subsequently, he occupied the episcopal see and gained a reputation as a man of exceptional holiness.
After the events in Antioch, Justina devoted herself to spiritual service — she retired to a monastery, where she took vows and became abbess. During the brutal repressions under Emperor Diocletian, they were both captured by denunciation. They were severely tortured, however, to the surprise of the executioners, they remained unharmed. Then the court decided to execute them with a sword.
The execution of Cyprian and Justina was witnessed by the Roman soldier Theoktistos, who, shocked by the courage of the condemned, openly declared his faith in Christ. He was executed along with them.
The remains of the martyrs were secretly transferred to Rome, and later, after the fall of Antioch in the 13th century, they were transported to Cyprus, where they are now kept in the church of Saints Cyprian and Justina in the village of Meniko near Nicosia.
Traditions of the national holiday celebrated on October 15th
In popular culture, October 15 was a time of prayer for protection from evil spirits and witchcraft, liberation from obsessions and strengthening faith. It was believed that evil forces were especially active on Kupriyan and Ustinya, and only sincere prayers, the sign of the cross and observance of spiritual discipline could protect the home and loved ones.
In Russia, it was customary to start the morning with a visit to the temple, men prayed to Kuprian, women to Ustinya, asking for peace of mind and peace in the family, as well as protection from dark forces, gloomy thoughts and harmful influences.
The day was spent without fun and loud feasts. Preference was given to silence, housework and checking the household before the onset of cold weather.
On this day, the girls put their dowries in order, worked with their mothers and grandmothers on embroidery. The young men checked the roofs, strengthened fences, and harvested firewood — it was believed that everything in the house should be ready for winter on Kupriyana.
If the weather was favorable, the whole family went to the forest for mushrooms, mainly chanterelles and honey mushrooms. According to popular belief, they were especially clean that day, without worms, so they were perfect for salting.
In the evening, the peasants gathered in the most spacious house in the village, where the women were engaged in needlework, and the men discussed household chores. The focus was not on fuss, but on teamwork and prayer.
The ancestors also believed that if you light a candle in the house on Kuprian and pray in front of the image of the saints, you can protect the house from damage and the evil eye for the whole year.
What not to do on Kuprian and Ustinya holidays
In the old days, there were strict prohibitions regarding behavior on Kupriyan and Ustinya. Their violation was considered dangerous because it could attract the attention of evil spirits. For this reason, on October 15, it was forbidden to practice fortune—telling or contact magicians - on the holiday it was especially important to abandon any dark practices.
What else you can't do on October 15th:
- quarreling, arguing, showing aggression — this can attract evil spirits.;
- to borrow or borrow money — you can accept someone else's misfortune with it.;
- taking out trash or water after sunset is a risk of "washing out" the protection of the house;
- leave mirrors open at night — evil spirits can look into them.;
- For women, cutting their hair or cutting their nails weakens their personal energy.;
- counting money in the evening is a risk of scaring off prosperity and incurring losses.
Folk signs for October 15th
It was customary for peasants to observe nature on October 15. It was believed that the weather on Kupriyana and Ustinya could tell about the nature of the coming winter.
Signs of the day:
- It turned out to be a cold day — winter will be early and harsh;
- warm weather means a long autumn ahead;
- snow fell on the wet ground, leading to crop failure;
- Birds are flying low — rain is expected;
- hoarfrost on the grass — next year will be rich in harvest;
- Smoke from the stove is spreading across the ground — a cold snap is coming.
Earlier, Izvestia reported on the powerful prayers for the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
