Folk signs for January 20th: 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 Tuesday, January 20, and what church holidays are celebrated on this day.
Folk signs for January 20th
In Russia, on January 20, St. John's Day was celebrated, also known as Winter Wedding Day. The holiday opened an important period in the life of the rural community — the time of weddings and screenings, which lasted until Shrovetide. It was believed that a marriage concluded during these winter weeks would be especially strong and happy.
In the old days, they actively prepared for Midsummer's Day. Beer and braga were brewed, which were obligatory attributes of the feast. There was a special custom for the bride. Before the wedding, she was supposed to drink a few sips of an intoxicating drink. This, according to beliefs, helped the future wife to miss her parents' home less. Also, Midsummer Day was considered favorable for the baptism of children.
Folk signs on the holiday were associated with predicting the weather for the coming weeks and the future harvest. They observed the sky, animal behavior, and natural phenomena, which helped plan future agricultural work. So, a clear, starry night on Ivan promised severe frosts, and the morning fog promised a fertile harvest year.
Other signs of the day:
- snow falls in large flakes — for warmer weather;
- frost on the trees — for a clear sunny day;
- clouds float from north to south, leading to a blizzard and snowfall;
- The sun is shining brightly at noon, leading to an early and warm spring.;
- blizzard and strong wind — for the snowy Carnival.
What not to do on January 20th
As in other national holidays, certain rules were observed on Midsummer Day, believing that their violation could bring misfortune to a person and his family. For example, it was strictly forbidden to provoke quarrels and swear, as this could lead to long-term family strife. It was also forbidden to refuse hospitality, because the doors closed on that day could "close" luck for the whole year.
What else can not be done on January 20:
- starting a major renovation or remodeling of the house could be unsuccessful and protracted.;
- borrowing money or paying off debts — finances will flow out of the house;
- Telling someone about your dreams was making the dream powerless.;
- Abusing alcohol and having too much fun can get you into trouble.
What is the church holiday on January 20th?
On January 20, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Cathedral of the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John. This holiday was established shortly after the great celebration of the Epiphany as a tribute to the memory and special veneration of the saint who completed the history of the Old Testament and opened the era of the New.
John the Baptist, who was born into the family of the righteous Zachariah and Elizabeth, prepared himself from a young age to serve God by staying in the desert in fasting and prayer. He became a prophet who announced to the world the imminent coming of the Messiah and called the people to repentance and spiritual purification through baptism in the waters of the Jordan.
It was by the hand of John the Baptist that Jesus Christ himself was baptized. This event, marked by the appearance of the Holy Trinity, became central to the earthly ministry of the Forerunner. However, his sermon was short-lived. The saint fearlessly denounced King Herod Antipas for his illegal marriage to his brother's wife, for which he was imprisoned and subsequently beheaded. The Church honors John as the greatest of the prophets and a martyr for the truth.
The feast of the Epiphany is also celebrated on January 20. This period, which lasts eight days after the Baptism of the Lord (until January 27 inclusive), allows believers to reflect more deeply and prayerfully experience the great event — the appearance of the Holy Trinity at the baptism of the Savior. Hymns dedicated to the Epiphany are sung in churches during divine services. Traditionally, on the days of the feast, believers sprinkle Epiphany water on their homes, invoking God's blessing on the home and family.
Prayers on January 20th
In their prayers to John the Baptist, believers ask for strengthening of faith, healing from diseases, protection from slander and unfair accusations. Parents often pray to the Prophet for the well-being and health of their children. On the feast of Theophany, they pray for deliverance from sins, the granting of mental and physical health for themselves and their loved ones, spiritual purification and renewal, just as the waters of the Jordan were renewed at the Epiphany of the Lord.
Prayer to John the Baptist
"To the Baptist of Christ, preacher of repentance, do not despise me, but copulate with the heavenly host, pray to the Master for me, who am unworthy, despondent, weak and sad, who have fallen into many troubles, burdened with the stormy thoughts of my mind. For I am a den of evil deeds, by no means having an end to sinful custom, for my mind is nailed to earthly things. What will I do? We don't know. And to whom will I run, that my soul may be saved? To you, Holy John, name the grace that you have before the Lord, according to the Mother of God, the greatest of all those who were born, for you have been vouchsafed to touch the crown of the King of Christ, who takes away the sins of the world, the Lamb of God. Pray to him for my sinful soul, that from now on, in the first hour, I may bear the burden of goodness and accept the reward with the last. To her, the Baptist of Christ, the honorable Forerunner, the extreme Prophet, the first martyr in grace, the mentor of fasters and hermits, the teacher of purity and the neighbor of Christ! I pray to you, I run to you: do not reject me from your intercession, but raise me up, having fallen into many sins. Renew my soul with repentance, as with the second baptism, for you are the ruler of both: with baptism you wash away the original sin, but with repentance you purify what is evil. Cleanse me, Who have been defiled by sins, and compel me to enter the Kingdom of heaven, even though I may enter it filthily. Amen to that."
Prayer on the Feast of the Epiphany
"Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages, Light of Light, <...> on the most luminous day of Your Epiphany, you came to the Jordan to be baptized by John as a sinner and a publican, sinless that you might fulfill all righteousness and take away the sins of the whole world in the waters of Jordan, like the Lamb of God<...> For this reason, all the powers of heaven rejoice and all creation rejoices. <...> May the assemblies of men rejoice today, for their nature has now risen to the first nobility and may they all sing with joy: The Epiphany time. Come mentally to the Jordan, we will see a great vision in it: Christ is coming to baptism. Christ comes to the Jordan. Christ buries our sins in water. <...> Celebrating this divine sacrament, we fervently pray to You, O Lord, Who loves mankind: grant us, who thirst according to Your voice, to come to You, the Fountain of ever-living water, that we may draw the water of Your grace and the remission of our sins, and that we may renounce wickedness and worldly lusts; chaste, virginal, and righteous and let us live piously in the present age, waiting for Your blessed hope and the appearance of Your glory. <...> Grant us to glorify Your all-holy Name with Your Beginningless Father and with Your All-holy, Good and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen to that."
Earlier, Izvestia told what they pray to the Holy Martyr Zosima of Cilicia.
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