January 12 — Anisin Day: history, traditions, omens and prohibitions

The national holiday Anisin Day is celebrated in Russia on January 12. It is dedicated to Saint Anisya of Thessalonica, known for her kindness and help to those in need. In 2026, the date of the celebration falls on a Monday. Read about its history, traditions and signs in the Izvestia article.

Anisin's day on January 12 — the history of the holiday

Saint Anisia of Thessalonica lived in the 3rd–4th centuries in the Greek city of Thessalonica during the reign of Maximian. She was born into a wealthy Christian family. According to legend, the girl possessed an unearthly beauty. Her parents hoped for a successful marriage for their daughter, but from an early age she devoted herself to charity, helping those in need, caring for the sick and visiting prisoners in prisons.

After the death of her parents, Anisya distributed all her wealth to the poor, freed slaves and continued to help people, believing in the idea that it is difficult for the rich to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. She herself lived in a modest house, spending her time in fasting and prayer.

At that time, persecution was organized against Christians. Emperor Maximian issued an edict that allowed anyone to kill followers of Jesus Christ with impunity. One pagan warrior, impressed by Anisya's beauty, tried to take her to the sun festival, but was refused. Then the man tried to pull the veil off her head by force — in response to this intention, the girl exclaimed: "May my Lord Jesus Christ forbid you!" After that, the warrior pierced the girl with a sword.

Traditions and rituals of Anisya Solunskaya Memorial Day on January 12

The saint's memorial day corresponds to the height of the winter cold — this is reflected in beliefs and rituals. People believed that complaining about the cold and requests for warming could make Anisia angry, so they asked her for health, protection from winter ailments and stomach diseases.

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One of the most famous traditions of Anisin Day is slaughtering pigs and cooking their stomachs. This became the main culinary rite of the holiday, and also gave the holiday a different name — Anisya Ventricle, or Onisya Porezukha. The Slavs cooked various dishes from offal, including stuffed stomachs, and even guessed on pork internal organs: for example, an even and smooth spleen predicted a harsh winter, and an empty stomach predicted a late spring.

What not to do on Anisin day on January 12th

There were also a number of prohibitions that the Slavs adhered to. For example, it was forbidden to salt food, because it was believed that this could lead to unhappiness.

Other bans for January 12th:

— picking up lost items leads to illness;

— lending money leads to financial need;

— complaining about life leads to a deterioration of life;

— accepting gifts from strangers is unfortunate.

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Signs and customs of Anisin Day on January 12

Anisin Day is accompanied by many folk signs related to the weather and animal behavior. For example, the south wind on the saint's memorial day promises a warm summer and a good harvest.

Other signs for January 12th:

— the west wind leads to a large number of fish in the rivers;

— the absence of stars in the sky leads to changes in the weather;

— a lavish feast — for a generous year;

— a lot of snow — for a wet summer;

— a clear day means a rapid warming.

Earlier, Izvestia told about the history, traditions and signs of Avvakum day.