A special national holiday on November 3 is Hilarion Day: history, traditions, omens

Every year on November 3, Orthodox believers honor the memory of two ascetics of the faith — Hilarion the Great and Hilarion of Pskov. In the national calendar, the holiday is called Hilarion Day. In 2025, it falls on a Monday. Read about its history, traditions, signs and strict prohibitions in the Izvestia article.

What is the church holiday on November 3rd?

St. Hilarion the Great was born in 291 in the small Palestinian village of Tawafa. From a young age, he demonstrated an aptitude for science and was sent by his parents to study in Alexandria, the largest intellectual center of the ancient East. It was there, surrounded by Christians, that the young man first came into contact with spiritual truths and accepted the Sacrament of Baptism. There he became interested in the stories about the life of the great hermit Anthony, the founder of Christian monasticism, and went to him to learn from the experience of serving God.

Hilarion's return to his homeland coincided with the death of his parents. Deciding to devote his life to asceticism and prayer, he distributed property to those in need and settled in the desert near the city of Maium, where for many years he maintained a harsh lifestyle, through fasting, labor, prayer, struggling with carnal temptations and demonic obsessions.

It was in the desert that Hilarion acquired the gift of healing and exorcism. Soon word of this spread throughout Palestine, and the suffering began to reach out to the ascetic. He helped them for free, claiming that "grace is not for sale." According to legend, the monk literally possessed a "spiritual sense" — by the smell he unmistakably recognized human passions and guided people on the path of repentance.

The traditional Orthodox daily routine on St. Dmitrievsky Parents' Saturday

With Hilarion's blessing, monasteries began to appear in the Holy Land. While visiting them, he personally ensured that each monastery maintained a strict monastic lifestyle. The monk spent the last years of his earthly life in Cyprus in complete solitude and prayer.

Also on November 3, the Orthodox Church remembers Hilarion of Pskov, one of the outstanding North Russian ascetics of the XV century. His spiritual mentor was St. Euphrosyne, the founder of the Spaso-Eleazar Monastery, whose school of prayer had a great influence on the formation of the monastic tradition of the Pskov land.

Sincerely striving for solitude and a silent life, Hilarion chose a dense forest on the banks of the Gall River near Lake Peipsi for prayer and solitude. Living on pasture and being in an incessant spiritual struggle, he laid the foundation for a new monastery — the Lake Pokrovsky Monastery, founded in 1460.

This monastery, being in close proximity to the border with the Livonian Order, became a kind of outpost of Orthodoxy on the western borders of Russia. Despite the raids, food shortages, and harsh climatic conditions, the monk managed not only to preserve the monastery, but also to establish a high spiritual order in it based on strict asceticism, prayer, and brotherly love.

During his life, he labored in stylites — he prayed in a hollow pine tree, which has been preserved and is revered to this day. According to legend, the monk possessed a special gift of clairvoyance — he felt the needs of people who came to him, and helped everyone by faith. Hilarion died on March 28, 1476, and was buried at the northern doors of the Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos.

Traditions of the national holiday Hilarion day on November 3rd

In Russia, Hilarion Day was considered the "gates of winter" — heavy snow often fell on November 3, and the soil froze. The peasants believed that evil spirits were "walking through the streets" on a holiday, so they tried not to leave their homes unnecessarily. "The first powder is not the way," they said.

Hilarion Day in popular culture was perceived as a time of solitude and inner silence. It was believed that on this day the house should be filled with peace and caring for loved ones. The women were engaged in knitting and needlework, cooked hearty dinners, and put their homes in order.

Kazan Icon of the Mother of God: what is prayed to the shrine, what is asked of the Mother of God

Special importance was attached to bread. Bread crumbs were scattered at the intersections as an offering to the souls of the dead, who come in the guise of birds. It was also customary to pray for Hilarion for those who passed away unexpectedly or violently.

What not to do on Hilarion Day

In Russia, Hilarion Day was considered dangerous because of the activity of evil spirits. In order not to attract her attention, the ancestors observed a number of strict prohibitions. So, if possible, you should stay at home and in no case let strangers on the doorstep – they could turn out to be demons in human form.

What else you can't do on November 3rd:

• pick up objects from the ground, including money and other useful things — along with the find, you can take over other people's troubles.;
• Going on the road, especially on a long journey, can be a disaster along the way.;
• complaining about fate, scolding the weather, or swearing — along with negative emotions, sadness can "come" into the house.;
• talking about plans means there is a high probability that your plans will not come true.;
• to refuse those who ask, especially the poor, even a small mercy on this day is perceived as great spiritual generosity.;
• brawling and quarreling with the household — Hilarion day should be spent in peace and grace.

Folk signs for November 3rd

On St. Hilarion Day, the peasants carefully observed nature in order to determine what the coming months and even the future harvest would be like.:

• snow falls on wet ground and does not melt — spring will be early.;
• dense snow cover on frozen soil — wheat will be born next year;
• large snowdrifts are harbingers of a short winter;
• A clear evening and a red sunset lead to severe morning frosts.;
• South-easterly wind leads to warming and rapid precipitation.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on how to commemorate the deceased on St. Dimitri's Parents' Saturday.