Folk signs for November 27: what can and cannot be done

In Russia, omens have been given special importance since ancient times. They were used to judge the weather, when to sow and harvest, and what to expect in the future. Therefore, every day of the national calendar was full of rituals and superstitions. Izvestia tells about the popular signs of Thursday, November 27, and what church holidays are celebrated on this day.

Folk signs for November 27, 2025

In Russia, Philippov Day, also known as the Conspiracy, or Kudelitsa, was celebrated on November 27. The holiday was a significant date in the national calendar. It preceded the Christmas Fast and was the last opportunity to enjoy plenty of fast food, including meat and fish, before prolonged abstinence. He also drew a line under the autumn cycle of work and was filled with various works related to the preparation for winter.

Cajoling a brownie was an important tradition. It was believed that the keeper of the house needed special respect, and they tried to enlist his support during the cold weather. They left a pot of porridge or other food near the stove for him, bowed low and asked for help to survive the cold. The women, according to custom, arranged "Filippov gatherings", or "kudelki". They gathered together in one hut, sang songs and did needlework.

Close attention was paid to weather events, which were used to judge the coming winter and the upcoming harvest. According to the signs, hoarfrost on the trees promises a bountiful harvest of oats next year. If the day was clear and sunny, on the contrary, it foreshadowed a bad harvest.

Other signs of the day:

• snowfall or cloudy weather — May will be rainy;
• The cawing of a raven is heard — by the thaw;
• strong creaking of snow underfoot — to frosts;
• cloudy and snowy weather — by stormy May;
• the wind from the north leads to a cold and windy December.

What not to do on November 27

There were many strict prohibitions associated with Philip's Day. They were especially afraid of the brownie's anger, so they tried not to do anything that could make him angry. There were other restrictions based on superstition. For example, it was strictly forbidden to go into the forest to avoid being attacked by wild animals or encountering evil spirits.

The conspiracy before the Christmas Fast: what kind of day is this and how to spend it properly?

What else can not be done on November 27:

• quarreling and swearing at the table can anger a brownie and lose its protection.;
• being lazy and idle can scare away luck for the whole next year.;
• to go on a long journey — the journey will be unsuccessful and full of difficulties;
• leaving unwashed dishes overnight promises poverty and destitution in the house.;
• to be sad and discouraged — a bad mood can drag on for the entire duration of the fast.

What is the church holiday on November 27th?

On November 27, the Orthodox Church commemorates one of the 12 apostles of Christ, Saint Philip. He was from Bethsaida of Galilee. Following the Savior's call, he was one of the first to follow Him. After the Ascension of the Lord and the descent of the Holy Spirit, Philip went to preach in various countries. He carried the word of God to Galilee, Greece, Syria, and Asia Minor.

His preaching was accompanied by numerous miracles. So, in Hierapolis of Phrygia, by the power of prayer, he killed a huge viper, which was worshipped by local pagans, and also resurrected the deceased. For zealously spreading the faith of Christ, the apostle was captured and crucified on the cross by order of the governor of the city.

On the same day, the memory of St. Philip of Irap (Cherepovets), a Russian saint, whose life took place in the first half of the XVI century, is celebrated. Orphaned at an early age, he came as a boy to St. Cornelius of Komel and was accepted into his monastery, where he took monastic vows three years later. The monk was distinguished by meekness, humility and diligence, for which he was ordained a priest.

Striving for solitude, the monk retired to the deep forests in the Belozersk region, where he founded a cell and a chapel near the Irap River. The rumor about the holy hermit attracted other monks to him. Soon, a church in the Name of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity was erected on the site of the chapel, and after the death of the saint, the Krasnoborsky Filippov Monastery arose here, which became the center of pilgrimage in Cherepovets.

A powerful prayer that is important to read at the end of autumn

Prayers on November 27

Believers turn to the saints for various needs. They pray to the Apostle Philip for strengthening faith, especially in times of despondency and despair, as well as for healing from diseases, in particular eye diseases. St. Philip of Irapa is asked for help in carrying out monastic feats, with a request for patience in sorrows and everyday difficulties, as well as for guidance on the right path.

Prayer to the Apostle Philip

"Oh, Holy Apostle of Christ Philip! We beseech you: preserve and preserve us through your prayers from the temptations of the devil and the falls of sin, and ask us, the servants of God (names), for help from above in times of despondency, so that we may not stumble over the stone of temptation, but steadily walk the saving path of the commandments of Christ, until we reach these blessed mansions of paradise. To her, the Apostle of the Savior! Do not put us to shame, but be our helper and protector in all our lives, and help us to end this temporary life piously and God-pleasing, to receive a Christian end, and to be vouchsafed a good answer at the Last Judgment of Christ; may we glorify the glorious name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen to that."

Prayer to Philip of Irap

"Venerable and blessed Father Philip, receive us now, as we pray and fall down before you, where your holy and laborious body rests, and in your spirit preside over the Holy Trinity in heaven, and pray for us, your children, Father, that we may be delivered from all sorrows and diseases of mind and body, and live piously in the present life, and In the age to come, vouchsafe us, together with all the saints, to worship in the Trinity the glorified God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen to that."

Earlier, Izvestia told about what they pray to St. John Chrysostom.

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