A special holiday on January 31 is Afanasiev Day: history, traditions, omens
Every year on January 31, Orthodox believers honor the memory of St. Athanasius the Great, one of the pillars of the Christian Church, who lived in the fourth century. In the national calendar, the date is called Athanasius Day or Athanasius Lomonosus. In 2026, it falls on a Saturday. Read about the history of the holiday, its traditions, signs and strict prohibitions in the Izvestia article.
What is the church holiday on January 31
St. Athanasius the Great was born in Alexandria at the end of the third century into a pious Christian family. According to legend, his mother, like the Old Testament Anna, brought the boy to Patriarch Alexander of Alexandria and gave him to the service of God. From an early age, he lived at the temple, studied theology, was distinguished by strict church discipline and attention to the commandments.
By the beginning of the fourth century, he was already a prominent figure in the Church of Alexandria. In 319, Patriarch Alexander ordained Athanasius a deacon. At this time, the future saint began to write his first theological works and carefully examine the state of church life. He saw that many newly converted Christians retained pagan habits, sought not spiritual renewal, but glory and influence, and brought empty talk and customs into the church environment that should have been abandoned.
Athanasius was particularly concerned about the teaching of Presbyter Arius, who belittled the divine dignity of Christ, saying that the Son of God is not equal and consubstantial with the Father, but is the first and highest creation. The heresy spread rapidly, finding support from some of the clergy and laity. In 325, Athanasius participated in the First Ecumenical (Nicene) Council, where he opposed Arius and his supporters, defending Orthodox teaching.
After the death of Patriarch Alexander in 326, Athanasius was elected to the see of Alexandria. As archbishop, he toured subordinate churches, preached, and wrote treatises denouncing supporters of the Arian heresy. His irreconcilable position provoked fierce opposition. Opponents used every opportunity to discredit the saint, accusing him of disobeying the emperor, abuse, witchcraft, and moral degradation.
Under Constantine the Great, who supported the Church but did not understand the intricacies of theological disputes, the Arians managed to impose their point of view on the emperor. Demonstration trials were organized against Athanasius. They tried to accuse him of debauchery by bribing a woman who claimed that the saint had dishonored her. However, the slander was revealed at the trial — the plaintiff pointed with an accusing gesture at another person, Presbyter Timothy, who entered instead of the saint.
Opponents also claimed that Athanasius allegedly cut off the hand of cleric Arseny and used it for witchcraft purposes. At the trial, the bishops were shown a mummified brush. Then the saint, having listened to the speech of the slanderers, brought out the victim himself in front of the assembly, alive and with two hands.
Despite his acquittal, the emperor, in an effort to preserve the outside world, repeatedly invited Athanasius to retire from Alexandria. As a result, the saint spent a significant part of his 46-year episcopal ministry in exile and exile. However, he always found support from the monks, and was in close friendship with the founders of monasticism, the Venerable Anthony the Great and Pachomius.
It was only at the end of his life, under Emperor Valens, that Athanasius was finally allowed to return to Alexandria and quietly manage the department. The saint spent his last years relatively peacefully. He continued to write, instruct his flock, and maintain church order.
Athanasius the Great died in 373 at the age of 76. In the church's memory, he became a model of firmness in faith and the struggle for Orthodoxy.
Traditions of the national holiday Afanasyev day on January 31
In the national calendar, the holiday celebrated on January 31 had several names: Athanasius day, Athanasius Lomonosus, Athanasius the Winter, Athanasius the Frost, since this date was almost always accompanied by severe frosts. "Athanasius pulls his nose and ear," "Athanasius Lomonosus — take care of your nose," they used to say in Russia. Cold was perceived by the ancestors as a test of endurance and hard work.
The morning of Athanasius day began with prayer. In Russia, the saint was considered the patron saint of the family and a mentor in difficult life circumstances. Believers prayed to him for help during a difficult choice, asked for wisdom, patience, enlightenment of children, for peace in the house and protection from troubles.
The ancestors believed that on St. Athanasius Day, evil spirits became especially evil and dangerous. Therefore, after the service, people returned home and, if possible, tried not to leave the courtyard without amulets. The main protective plant was thistle, harvested in the summer. It was hidden in pockets, sewn into the lining of clothes, laid on the threshold — the thorns were supposed to stop any unkind person and scare away witches. In some villages, a small bunch of thistles was placed not only at the entrance to the hut, but also at the gate, marking an invisible boundary for evil.
The ancestors believed that at this time witches flocked to the sabbath, lost their memory from fun and could inadvertently fly into the chimney. To protect the house, the stove had to be "locked" at night. To do this, special wedges were placed in the chimney and ashes were poured in a special way so that the evil spirits would hit the enchanted edge and be thrown "far away".
During the holiday, the housewives cleaned up the house, got rid of unnecessary things associated with unpleasant memories, and ventilated the hut, trying to "blow out" envy, anger, and quarrels.
In some regions, January 31 was called Goose Day — ducks and geese were necessarily fed the best grain, and more feed was added than usual. It was believed that a well-fed bird would better endure the rest of the winter and thank its owners with a healthy brood.
On Athanasius Day, they attached special importance to the routine — they tried to get up earlier and get busy. The ancestors believed that cheerfulness and efficiency would help to "step over" the difficult period of winter and chart a more successful turn in business.
What not to do on Athanasius Day
On St. Athanasius Day in Russia, there were a number of prohibitions. Our ancestors believed that careless words and actions on January 31st could trigger illnesses, family conflicts, or setbacks for the entire year. For example, during this period, you should not put things crosswise, as this promises health problems, quarrels and failure, "blocked paths" in business.
What else you can't do on January 31:
- Baptizing boys is believed to cause health problems in adulthood.;
- looking into a broken mirror — the souls of the dead through the cracks can harm, bring misfortune;
- changing your place of residence — moving to Athanasius Day promises a hectic life in a new place, difficulties with settling in and a lack of peace in your new home;
- Play weddings — marriages concluded on this day will not bring joy to the spouses and may turn out to be short-lived;
- Starting large—scale projects and signing serious contracts is a high risk of failure and financial losses.;
- drinking water or another drink after someone else can "catch" not only other people's illnesses, but also failures.;
- there is a knife — brought to the mouth with a blade, it makes the tongue "sharp", attracts quarrels, harsh statements and discord.;
- to sleep for a long time and be lazy — you can "oversleep" your luck and not notice new, favorable opportunities all year round.
Folk signs for January 31
Afanasiev day in Russia was a time of observing the wind and the sun — according to them, peasants judged the future harvest and the speed of the arrival of spring. Over time, they developed into stable folk signs that were passed down from generation to generation, becoming an integral part of the national calendar.:
- the snow is cracking loudly underfoot — for a rich wheat harvest and a good grain year;
- severe frost on January 31 — foreshadows a cold February and a long winter;
- the thaw on Athanasius leads to a rainy summer and a modest harvest;
- a blizzard howls all day — spring will come late and will be windy;
- the sunset is clear, the sky is cloudless — to severe, prolonged frosts;
- cloudy and quiet day without wind — spring will be long.
Earlier, Izvestia told about the history and traditions of a special holiday — Santa Claus and Snow Maiden Day.
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