A special holiday on January 15th is Sylvester's Day: history, traditions, omens
Every year on January 15, Orthodox believers honor the memory of St. Sylvester, who lived in Rome in the IV century. In the national calendar, the holiday is called Sylvester's Day, or Chicken Holiday. In 2026, it falls on Thursday. Read about its history, traditions and signs in the Izvestia article.
What is the church holiday on January 15th?
Holy Pope Sylvester I was born in Rome into the Christian family of Rufinus and Pusta. Having lost his father at an early age, he found himself in the care of his mother, and Presbyter Quirinus took over his upbringing. The teacher gave the young man a serious theological and book education, formed in him stable beliefs and a habit of serving people.
After reaching adulthood and having a house at his disposal, Sylvester began to open doors for travelers, receive travelers, take care of them, feed them and give them a place to sleep. It was in his house that Bishop Timothy, who had been secretly preaching among the pagans for about a year, found refuge during the persecution of Emperor Diocletian.
When the authorities captured and executed the confessor, Sylvester secretly buried the bishop's body at the risk of his life, for which he was arrested and put on trial. He did not renounce the faith and ended up in prison, but was released shortly after the death of the mayor Tarquin.
At about the age of thirty, Sylvester was accepted into the clergy of the Roman Church and ordained first as a deacon, then as a presbyter. After the pope's death, the clergy and laity elected him bishop of Rome. He held this post for more than 20 years, was demanding of the life of the clergy, insisted that the elders not mix ministry with purely secular pursuits and maintain a high standard of personal morality.
Sylvester led the Roman Church at a turning point in its history, when it moved from an era of persecution to a period of legal existence and active organization of church life, and Christians were given the right to openly profess their faith. The saint himself was deeply respected by the faithful and completed his earthly journey peacefully, at a very old age, in the year 335.
The famous legend of the sea monster Leviathan is also associated with his name. According to legend, the saint allegedly "chained" the biblical serpent in the depths of the sea and thus did not allow him to break free and bring destruction to the world. In the popular consciousness, this reinforced the image of Sylvester as a guardian of the world order and a protector from disasters.
Traditions of the national holiday Sylvester's day on January 15th
In Russia, Sylvester's Day fell on the middle of Yuletide, a special winter period when, according to popular beliefs, "rampant" evil spirits are especially dangerous. Therefore, on January 15, it was decided to pay attention to protection from the dark forces.
Other names of the holiday are Chicken Day, Chicken Holiday, Kurki, Kura Day and Kurki. All of them refer to the main meaning of the date — the care of poultry, since in Russia they believed that St. Sylvester "looks after" the chickens and the welfare of the yard.
In the morning, the owners went to the barns and poultry houses. The coops were cleaned to a shine, old garbage was taken out, droppings were removed, and the floor was covered with fresh straw. The feeders and roosts were inspected and repaired if necessary. The men were engaged in repair work, the women were engaged in cleanliness and order. The birds were fed the best grain, sometimes specially reserved for this date. It was believed that such a "feast" for chickens would pay off with good fertility and a healthy brood throughout the year.
A special place was occupied by amulets for birds. On Sylvester's Day, men made and hung stones with natural holes in the coops, which they called "chicken gods." According to popular belief, they protected against kikimora, strangling poultry at night. The room was also fumigated with resin, elecampane and other herbs to "expel disease and evil spirits."
In houses, floors were swept especially carefully to protect them from evil spirits, dark corners were washed, and old, broken things were disposed of. They tried to take everything that was associated with quarrels and failures out of the house. For spiritual protection, the walls and corners were sprinkled with holy water, and crosses were placed on the doors with chalk.
Chicken Day was considered a family holiday, it was held in the circle of relatives and friends. The Christmas fast was already over by this time, so the housewives set a really generous table - baked pork, made homemade sausage, fried pancakes, baked pies with different fillings, prepared cabbage rolls, dumplings, and hearty winter dishes. There was a sign that the richer and more diverse the food on January 15, the more successful the coming year would be, both in the household and in business. During the meal, they discussed plans, shared news, remembered their relatives and thanked them for all the good things they already had.
Special importance was attached to bread baked on January 15, it was considered a talisman at home. The first piece could be kept longer than usual or divided between family members to "strengthen" health and harmony.
What not to do on Sylvester's Day holiday
In Russia, the Chicken holiday was considered a day when any rash action could affect the home, household and well-being of the family. The prohibitions of that day were closely related to the care of poultry. On Sylvester's Day, it was not recommended to eat chicken meat and eggs. The ancestors believed that by "offending" chickens on their holiday, they could cause deaths, illnesses in the poultry house, and losses on the farm.
It was also not necessary to shout and treat the bird rudely, so as not to lose the protection and patronage of St. Sylvester.
What else you can't do on January 15th:
- quarreling with loved ones and swearing — evil words "get stuck" in the house and turn into illnesses and protracted conflicts.;
- to borrow money and borrow large sums — any debt on this day, according to beliefs, takes away good luck from home and brings losses;
- Spending the day alone is easier for a lonely person to be influenced by evil forces, so they tried to spend the holiday with their family.;
- to indulge in gloomy thoughts and obsessive longing is someone who constantly thinks about bad things, he himself "opens the door" to troubles.
Folk signs for January 15th
Sylvester's Day in the national calendar is not only a "chicken" holiday, but also an important date for observing nature. According to the weather and the behavior of birds, the peasants tried to estimate what the rest of winter would be like, when the thaw would come, and what to expect from the new agricultural season.:
- the day is clear and frosty — the year promises to be fruitful and "right" with snowy and cold winters and warm summers;
- A thaw and loose snow will lead to an early, mild spring.;
- magpies are circling around the yard, chirping loudly — for an imminent blizzard and gusty wind;
- The chickens climb high on the roost and huddle closely together — for night frosts and cold weather.;
- The rooster crow louder than usual in the morning, leading to a warmer and sunny day.
A special place on Sylvester's day was occupied by "onion divination on the weather." To do this, they took 12 bulbs, according to the number of months of the year, carefully peeled, laid out in a row and a pinch of salt was poured into each. At night, a bowl of onions was placed closer to a warm oven, and in the morning the result was "evaluated".:
- The salt on the onion is very wet, and the month will be rainy and wet.;
- dry salt — for dry, clear weather;
- slightly wet — for a changeable, "moody" month.
Earlier, Izvestia reported on when and how the Lavish Evening national holiday is celebrated in Russia.
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