A special holiday on January 9th is Stepan's Day: history, traditions, prohibitions

Every year on January 9, Orthodox believers celebrate Stepan Day, a holiday in honor of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr condemned in Jerusalem around 34 AD. In 2026, it falls on a Friday. Read about the traditions, history and prohibitions of the holiday in the Izvestia article.

What is the church holiday on January 9th?

In the first century, when Christianity was just beginning to spread, the apostles needed help in caring for the growing community of followers of Christ. There were many sick people, orphans, and widows among the believers who needed support. Seven assistants who were ordained deacons were elected for this purpose.

Among them stood out the young Stephen, who was chosen archdeacon, the first of the deacons. His ability to convince people and inspire them with words was supported by miraculous signs, which made the sermon especially convincing.

Stephen's popularity aroused the envy of the Pharisees. They accused him of blasphemy and insulting the law of Moses, and the deacon was brought to trial. Stephen boldly defended his faith, pointing out that the accusers themselves were resisting the laws of God.

For his firmness and devotion to the faith, he was sentenced to death and stoned. Before his death, the saint prayed for the forgiveness of his executioners. This event took place in the year of Our Lord 34. The relics of Stephen have survived to this day, one of the particles is located in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra in the Moscow region.

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Stepan's Day on January 9th: traditions

Stepan's Day falls during the Yuletide period — a time of joy, glory of Jesus Christ and rest from the burden of daily work. However, the accumulated cases could not be postponed, so this day was called "Stepanov's Works".

Saint Stephen was considered the patron saint of livestock, especially horses. Shepherds were hired on this day, and this job was considered prestigious: the owners trusted only those who knew how to take care of animals and observe all the rituals. Not only skill and patience were expected from the candidate, but also the ability to "negotiate with the Goblin" so that he would not encroach on cattle. The employment contract was concluded at a common table: the shepherd brought drinks, the owner brought snacks, and so trust and mutual respect were strengthened.

On Stepan's Day, our ancestors held rituals to protect the yard and livestock from evil spirits. Aspen stakes were set up at the corners of the site — a barrier to evil spirits, which ensured the owner peace and order in the territory.

Stepan's Day combined the care of the household, rituals of protection and folk traditions of cleansing the heart, combining earthly affairs with spiritual harmony and anticipation of a new harvest year.

What not to do on January 9th

On this day, there were strict prohibitions: chopping firewood before sunset, girls standing barefoot on the floor without prayer, sewing, weaving, and men taking knives unnecessarily. It was believed that violating these rules could deprive beauty, memory, or masculine strength.

What else can't be done on January 9th:

— banishing carolers leads to trouble for the whole year;
— throwing away leftovers is a disaster, even the crumbs should have been served to the birds;
— engage in hard physical labor unnecessarily — leading to illness and unhappiness.

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Folk signs for January 9th

On Stepan's day, special attention was paid to the behavior of animals: the snorting of a horse or the behavior of hares foreshadowed changes in the weather. Weather signs were used to predict crops and weather conditions. Frost and sun foreshadowed a rich harvest, snow — wet weather, frost on the trees — a fruitful year.

Other signs of the day:

— birds on the upper branches of trees — the cold weather will not end soon;
— crows walking in the snow — for a rapid warming;
— cats are looking for warm places in the house, but there are no birds outside — it will snow.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the history, traditions and signs of the national holiday of St. Nicholas the Winter.