Folk signs for January 23rd: what can and cannot be done
In Russia, signs and beliefs were given special importance. They were used to determine when to sow and harvest, when to prepare for winter, get married and go on a trip. Every day of the national calendar was full of rituals and superstitions. Izvestia tells about the signs for January 23 and the church holidays that fall on this date.
Folk signs for January 23, 2026
In the national calendar, January 23 was called Grigory Letoukazatel or simply Letoukaznik. It was believed that this day marked the beginning of preparations for spring field work. The men checked and repaired household equipment, tidied up the barns, and the women did the housework.
Special importance was attached to the family hearth. In the evening, the whole family gathered for dinner. A meat dish was always placed on the table — a symbol of strength, health and prosperity. It had to be eaten completely so that unity and abundance would reign in the house all year round.
An important rite was the veneration of the spirit of the field — Stogovoi. To appease him and ensure a rich harvest, the housewives baked a loaf and carried it to a haystack, leaving it at its base. To attract personal wealth, there was another custom: to walk around the stack counterclockwise three times before sunset, make a wish, and then bring an armful of hay into the house.
The ancestors paid attention to Gregory the Chronicler for various signs. They believed that the weather on a holiday could determine what the summer would be like.
The main signs of the day:
- a clear, sunny day leads to a hot and dry summer;
- South wind — summer with frequent thunderstorms;
- snowfall and blizzard — for rainy summer months;
- hoarfrost on haystacks — summer will be cool and damp;
- heavy snowfall leads to a rich wheat harvest;
- Clouds are floating high, leading to a rapid warming;
- Crows are sitting on the treetops — the frosts will intensify.
What not to do on January 23rd
Gregory the Chronicler had a number of strict prohibitions, the violation of which, according to popular beliefs, could bring disaster, hardship or illness. Laziness was avoided on the holiday, as they believed that January 23 laid the foundation for the next labor season.
What else can not be done on January 23
- taking out trash and ashes from the house — together with them, you can accidentally "throw away" the family fortune.;
- swearing loudly and quarreling leads to trouble and discord in the family;
- sewing and knitting — there is a risk of "sewing up" your happiness and luck;
- borrowing or borrowing money leads to financial difficulties;
- pregnant women should clean up and carry heavy things so as not to bring trouble on the unborn child.;
- complaining about health for no reason — otherwise diseases can really "come";
- bragging about money and wealth leads to a loss of well—being.
What is the church holiday on January 23rd?
On January 23, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of St. Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa, the younger brother of St. Basil the Great, an outstanding theologian of the fourth century. He was ordained bishop at a time when the Arian heresy was actively spreading. Gregory openly opposed this teaching, for which he was defrocked and sent into exile. After the death of the Arian Emperor Valens, he returned to the pulpit and continued to support his flock.
St. Gregory was an active participant in the Second Ecumenical Council in Constantinople in 381, and on his initiative the Nicene Creed was supplemented. He left a rich literary legacy: dogmatic writings, sermons, and philosophical works that considered philosophy as a path to a deep understanding of Divine revelation.
Also on January 23, believers remember St. Theophan the Recluse of Vyshensky, a great Russian ascetic and spiritual writer of the 19th century. He was born in 1815 in the village of Chernava, Orel province. He graduated from the Oryol Theological Seminary and the Kiev Theological Academy, after which he took monastic vows. In 1847, Feofan traveled to Jerusalem as part of the Russian diplomatic mission, where he visited holy sites and studied ancient theological manuscripts.
In 1859, he was consecrated bishop of Tambov, where he worked hard to develop church education: the saint opened schools and founded a diocesan women's college. Striving for solitary prayer, in 1866 he retired to the Vyshenskaya Desert, and in 1872 he went into complete seclusion. During these years, he created his main works: interpretations of the Holy Scriptures, a translation of the Philokalia, spiritual letters and instructions, which have become a practical guide in Christian life for many generations of believers. He was canonized in 1988.
Prayers for January 23rd
On January 23, Orthodox believers pray to St. Gregory of Nyssa and St. Theophan the Recluse of Vyshensk. They are asked to guide the lost, strengthen their faith, and help them overcome harmful passions and worldly difficulties.
Prayer to St. Gregory of Nyssa
"O most honorable and sacred head and full of the grace of the Holy Spirit, dwelling of the Savior with the Father, great Bishop, our warm intercessor, to St. Gregory, standing at the Throne of all Kings and enjoying the light of the consubstantial Trinity and cherubic angels, proclaiming the trisagion hymn, and having great and unexplored boldness towards the all-merciful Master, pray for the salvation of the flock of Christ by the people Confirm the well-being of the holy churches: bishops, adorn the monks with the splendor of holiness, strengthen the monks for the feat of the good current, preserve the reigning city and all cities and countries with goodness, and keep the holy immaculate faith, pacify the whole world through your intercession, deliver us from gladness and destruction, and preserve us from the attacks of foreigners, comfort the old, guide the young, Be wise to the insane, have mercy on widows, intercede for orphans, raise up infants, return captives, free those who are weak and pray to you from all adversity and trouble through your intercession: pray for us to the All-merciful and Loving Christ our God, that on the day of His Terrible Coming He may deliver us from our suffering, and grant us the joys of the saints with all the saints. forever and ever. Amen to that."
Prayer to St. Theophan the Recluse of Vyshensk
"O Holy Father Theophan, most glorious and devoted hermit to the bishop, chosen of God and a servant of the Mysteries of Christ, a wise teacher and a fair expounder of apostolic words, a copyist of fatherly benevolent tales, an elegant preacher of Christian piety and a skilful mentor of spiritual life, a zealous zealot of monastic deeds and intercessor of grace to all people! Now, to you, the God who is coming in Heaven and prays for us, we fall down and cry out: ask the all—merciful God of the Russian Church and our country for peace and prosperity, through the holy Hierarch of Christ — worthy protection of Divine truths, good care for the flock, fair shame for false teachers and heretics; for those who strive - humility, fear of God and purity of soul and body to the teacher is God's knowledge and wisdom, to the students is God's zeal and help; and to all Orthodox christians is confirmation on the path to salvation, so that together with you we may glorify God's Power and Wisdom, our Lord Jesus Christ, with His Beginningless Father, with His Most Holy, Good, and Life—giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages centuries. Amen to that."
Earlier, Izvestia reported on the signs of the national holiday Philippi Day.
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