A special holiday on November 27 is Kudelitsa (Philippov Day): history, traditions, omens

Every year on November 27, Orthodox believers remember St. Philip the Apostle, one of the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ. In the national calendar, the holiday is called Kudelitsa, or Philippov Day. In 2025, it falls on Thursday. Read about its history, spiritual meaning, traditions and strict prohibitions in the Izvestia article.

What is the church holiday on November 27th?

Saint Philip came from the city of Bethsaida in Galilee. He was well acquainted with the Holy Scriptures and took seriously the Old Testament prophecies about the coming of the Messiah. When Christ called him to follow himself, he left his former life without hesitation and became one of the 12 apostles.

The Evangelical tradition connects several key episodes with his name. It was Philip who brought Nathanael to Christ, participated in feeding 5,000 people with loaves and fishes, and conveyed the request of the Hellenes to see Jesus. During the Last Supper, he addressed the Savior with a question about God, which became the occasion for an important theological explanation about the unity of the Father and the Son.

After the Ascension of the Lord, the apostle took up missionary service. He preached in Galilee, then in Greece, among the Jews in Hellas, Parthia, Syria, Asia Minor, Lydia, Mysia and Phrygia. According to legend, his sermons were accompanied by numerous miracles — Philip resurrected dead children, healed the seriously ill and the blind. In one of the cities, he denied accusations of "stealing the body of Christ," recalling how the Pharisees bribed the guards.

A special church holiday on November 26 is St. John Chrysostom: a powerful prayer to the saint

One of the most striking episodes of the saint's life is connected with the city of Hierapolis of Phrygia, where there was a developed pagan cult and a temple dedicated to snakes was built. According to legend, in this place Philip killed a huge echidna with prayer and healed the people bitten by it, among whom was the ruler's wife. After her conversion to Christianity, the priests and the mayor secured the arrest of the Apostle Philip, his sister Mariamne and the Apostle Bartholomew.

Philip and Bartholomew were sentenced to crucifixion at the temple of the serpent. During the execution, an earthquake occurred, under the rubble of which antfipat and the priests died. According to legend, the apostle, already being on the cross, prayed for the salvation of other people.

Bartholomew was taken down from the cross alive, he baptized believers. Philip, on the other hand, was martyred. In the church tradition, his memory is associated with the beginning of the Nativity fast.

Traditions of the national holiday Kudelitsa on November 27

In Russia, on Kudelitsa, believers summed up the autumn and set themselves up for a strict but bright period of preparation for Christmas. The morning traditionally began with a visit to the temple. The Apostle Philip was asked for intercession in illnesses, family difficulties, and protection from ill-wishers.

After the service, the hostesses set a generous table, which symbolized saying goodbye to a "well-fed time." On Philip's Day, they tried to cook as many meat dishes as possible, stewed and baked beef, cooked thick cabbage soup, and baked pies. Our ancestors believed that satiety and a generally joyful atmosphere made it easier to enter a long fast.

On the holiday, they tried to "feed" the brownie, whom the peasants considered the keeper of the dwelling and cattle. A special treat was left for him near the stove, they bowed and asked for a safe wintering. According to the beliefs, if he was satisfied, even dense snow fell in winter, protecting the fields from freezing and promising a good harvest. Otherwise, the spirit could get angry and start "playing pranks" — spoiling things, scaring animals, causing minor but unpleasant damage.

Women gathered in one of the huts for Kudelitsa and began to harvest tow — linen yarn, from which they then spun threads for weaving and knitting. It was this work that gave the name to the holiday. Long winter evenings were unthinkable without a spinning wheel, so the start of winter needlework had both practical and symbolic meaning.

St. John the Merciful: biography, what helps and how to pray on November 25

During the gatherings at the tow, the women shared the news, discussed family matters, recalled proverbs and sayings, and sang long-drawn songs. In such an atmosphere, manual labor was perceived not as a heavy duty, but as part of community life. For young girls, it was also a time of unobtrusive advice from elders, conversations about future family life, dowry, and matchmaking.

Unmarried girls on Philip's Day often resorted to traditional ways to find out about their betrothed. During the common meal, they tried to take a small piece of beef from the table unnoticed, and in the evening they hid it under the pillow. It was believed that the future groom could dream about this night.

Kudelitsa was also associated with unusual rituals aimed at "cleansing" the house. In some regions, a peculiar ritual of expelling cockroaches was carried out: a thread was tied to a trapped insect and the whole family solemnly carried it out of the door, pronouncing words that all creeping evil spirits should leave their homes.

In addition, the last autumn weddings were played on November 27. After this date, weddings were postponed until the end of the Nativity Fast, so Philippian Day often became a time of noisy celebrations, with ritual songs, round dances and folk festivals until late in the evening.

What not to do on the Kudelitsa holiday (Philippov Day) on November 27

In Russia, the national holiday Kudelitsa was associated with a number of prohibitions and warnings, the violation of which could promise trouble throughout the fast, and sometimes even until spring. For example, on November 27, it was forbidden to refuse food to guests. Unwillingness to share food was considered stinginess, which would turn into poverty in the future.

What else you can't do on November 27:

• going to the forest — in late autumn, the thicket was perceived as the territory of evil spirits, besides, there was a risk of encountering hungry wolves or getting lost at early dusk.;
• being lazy and lying in bed for a long time — idleness on Philip's Day was associated with future failures and financial difficulties;
• spending a holiday alone and despondent — isolation, melancholy, complaints about life were considered a bad omen that could "attract" discord and need into the house;
• to quarrel and sort things out — the conflict that began on Kudelitsa could last all winter.

Folk signs for November 27

The weather on Kudelitsa was considered a sure clue for the peasants: Based on the state of the sky, the earth, and the habits of the birds, they tried to determine what the winter months and future crops would be like.:

• hoarfrost on trees and grass — to an abundance of wheat and a successful summer;
• thaw and slush — to a difficult, lean year;
• crows are cawing loudly near the village — to the imminent warming and a change in the weather;
• sparrows chirp noisily under the windows — to a sudden change in the weather, winds and possible snowfall;
• lakes and rivers are covered with ice — fishermen will be especially lucky next year.;
• the snow has fallen smoothly and does not melt — for a calm winter and a harvest of winter crops.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the history and significance of the icon of the Theotokos "The Merciful."