A special national holiday on October 24 is Filippova fuss: history, traditions, omens

Every year, Orthodox believers honor the memory of the Apostle Philip, one of the seventy disciples of Christ and St. Theophan the Confessor, Bishop of Nicaea. In the national calendar, this day is known as Filippov's fuss — the time of the first cold weather and special signs predicting what winter will be like. In 2025, the date falls on a Friday. Read about the history of the holiday, its traditions and prohibitions in the Izvestia article.

Filippova fuss — 2025: the history of the holiday

Saint Philip, like two other apostles, Peter and Andrew, was born in the ancient city of Bethsaida on the northern coast of Lake Galilee, near Chorazin and Capernaum. From an early age, he was sent by his parents to study books and studied the Holy Scriptures with great zeal. Deeply imbued with prophecies about the coming Messiah, the young man sincerely sought to know God.
Christ Himself called him with the words "Follow Me," and Philip followed Him without hesitation. From that moment, his ministry began.

The saint brought his friend Nathanael, a confident skeptic, to the Savior, managing to reveal the truth to him not through speeches, but through a live meeting with the Teacher. After the Resurrection and Ascension of the Savior, Philip continued His work. He preached in Galilee, Samaria, Syria, Arabia, and Asia Minor, performed miracles, healed the sick, and raised the dead. His ministry was not limited to prayer — the apostle was responsible for distributing alms, taking care of widows, orphans, the sick and the poor.

When the mass persecution of Christians began, Philip left Jerusalem and went to Samaria, where he continued his mission. According to the Scriptures, on the road between Jerusalem and Gaza, the apostle met a high-ranking official of the Queen of Ethiopia, who was baptized. It is also known that among those whom the saint converted to Christianity was the wise man Simon, a man who had considerable influence in the region, who had previously lived by magic and paganism.

The Holy Apostle Philip completed his earthly path as a martyr — he was crucified upside down in Hierapolis for preaching the Gospel. His life became a model of humility, courage, and faithfulness to Christ.

No less significant person, whose memory is honored on October 24, is St. Theophan the Confessor, nicknamed the Inscribed One. He was born in 778 in Jerusalem in the family of the priest Jonah. Since childhood, he longed for a spiritual life and, with his brother Theodore, became a monk at the Lavra of St. Sava.

Their mission gained national importance at the beginning of the 9th century, when the iconoclastic heresy once again engulfed Byzantium. On behalf of the Patriarch of Jerusalem, the brothers traveled to Constantinople to defend the holy sites. The open confrontation with Emperor Leo V ended with severe punishments — the brothers were severely beaten and exiled.

Autumn folk signs and Orthodox traditions for the day of the Apostle James Alfeyev

Later, Theophanes again denounced the iconoclastic policy of the emperors Michael II and Theophilus. It was under the last ruler that his face was disfigured with red—hot needles - verses with insults were written on it, hence the nickname "Inscribed".

Feofan survived imprisonment, exile, and severe trials, but he did not renounce his faith. After the restoration of icon veneration, the saint was returned from exile and ordained Bishop of Nicaea. He died around 850, leaving a rich spiritual legacy: about 150 canons, including the most famous one in defense of icons.

Traditions of the national holiday celebrated in Russia on October 24

Folk tradition associated the Filippov Kantel holiday with the onset of bad weather. During this period, the autumn roads turned into a muddy mess, and it became difficult to get anywhere. The people on this occasion condemned: "Philip himself was stuck to the stove — so the roads were blown away."
It was no coincidence that the holiday was called "fuss" — in the old days, this word meant a protracted case, as well as a thin gold or silver thread that was used for painstaking hand embroidery.

On October 24, the ancestors traditionally began the morning with a visit to the temple — they prayed to the patron saints of the holiday for well-being and prosperity, and thanked them for the harvest. And the young girls asked the Apostle Philip for help in finding a good groom.

Filippov's rigmarole was sometimes considered slow but important work, the peasants began to grind grain, preparing for winter. People believed that once you meet this day, the whole season will be like that. Therefore, on October 24, they tried to put the house in order, did a general cleaning, washed all the dishes, and swept the floor.

The women took out warm clothes, the men repaired the carts and prepared the household for the frosts. Special attention was paid to the mills — it depended on their work whether there would be bread for the winter.

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What not to do on Filippov's day?

Folk tradition attributed to this day a number of strict prohibitions, the violation of which could lead to trouble. So, the ancestors have long believed that Filippov's fuss does not tolerate disorder. It was forbidden to spend the holiday in filth and disorder, otherwise the whole year could pass in chaos and anxiety.

What else can't be done on October 24th:

• overeating — you can "swallow" luck and prosperity;
• Looking at crows can "invite" troubles and misfortunes.;
• playing with fire — flames, according to beliefs, attract evil spirits, especially at a time when daylight is shortening and darkness wants to "warm up" at a human flame.;
• Picking up sharp objects means that any injury heals for a long time on this day and portends difficulties in business.;
• Having a wedding can be a difficult union.;
• quarreling will be difficult to reconcile, so you need to live the day in peace, without arguments and resentments.

Folk signs for October 24

On Filippov Street, peasants carefully observed nature, as its signs served as harbingers of winter and could tell what the harshest season would be. Usually, by Filippova Time, lakes and rivers were already beginning to be covered with ice. There was a special sign about this in Russia — if some daredevil managed to get through the first round, it was believed that an unexpected profit or monetary luck would soon await him.

The main signs of the day:

It snows in the morning and does not melt all day — winter will be early and harsh.;
rivers are covered with ice for the holiday — spring will come early;
the fall of leaves continues — the year will be difficult, the weather and the harvest will not please;
The moon is in a haze — there are several snowy weeks ahead;
a quiet day with crisp frost leads to a clear, good, frosty winter.

Earlier, Izvestia told how the image of the Mother of God "Vododatelnitsa" is known.