A special holiday on March 28 is Alexander Day: history, traditions, omens

Every year on March 28, Orthodox believers honor the memory of St. Alexander of Sidsky and eight other martyrs. In the national calendar, the date was named Alexander's Day, or Forest Care. In 2026, it falls on a Saturday. Read about its history, traditions, signs and strict prohibitions in the Izvestia article.

What is the church holiday on March 28th?

The Holy Martyr Alexander Sidsky lived in the 3rd century and served as a priest in the city of Side. He openly professed Christianity, for which he incurred the wrath of the authorities. According to church tradition, the ruler of Pamphylia, Antoninus, summoned the priest for questioning and tried to convince him to renounce the faith.

Alexander refused, for which he was subjected to severe torture. Despite suffering, he retained his fortitude. As a result, Antoninus ordered the martyr's execution. Legend has it that after the executioner carried out the sentence, the ruler himself suffered a sudden death. Believers perceived this event as a sign of supreme justice.

At the same time, on March 28, the church commemorates other martyrs — Puplius, Timolai, Dionysius, Subdeacon Romil and two Alexanders. They lived at the turn of the third and fourth centuries in Caesarea of Palestine under Emperor Diocletian, who was considered one of the most consistent organizers of the persecution of Christians. The policy of this ruler was aimed at restoring pagan cults as the basis of the state ideology. This required citizens to participate in sacrifices.

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In the city of Caesarea, during one of the pagan festivals, Christians Timothy, Agapius and Thekla were among the participants of the celebration, where they were ordered to sacrifice to idols. They refused, for which they were subjected to public tortures designed to intimidate others.

However, the effect was the opposite. Eight young men emerged from the crowd of witnesses — Agapius, Puplius, Timolaus, Romil, two Alexanders and two Dionysius. They openly declared their affiliation to Christianity and their desire to voluntarily share the fate of the persecuted. According to legend, they tied their own hands, voluntarily appearing before the court.

The mayor, impressed by their youth, tried to prevent the tragedy. He proposed a compromise — public participation in a pagan rite in exchange for the preservation of life. However, the young men refused, for which they were thrown into prison, sentenced to severe torture, and then executed.

Traditions of the national holiday Alexander's Day on March 28

The holiday, celebrated in Russia on March 28, had several names — Alexander or Nikandrov day, Forest grooming. He absorbed several cultural strata at once — ancient Slavic beliefs, Orthodox tradition and features of the peasant way of life.

In the villages on Alexander's Day, people sought to pay homage to the forest, which has been one of the most important sources of food since ancient times. Game was hunted in it, berries, mushrooms, medicinal herbs and roots were collected. Therefore, on the holiday, before entering the thicket, people mentally asked for permission from the "owners of the forest", thanked them for the gifts and promised to behave with restraint, not to disturb the peace of nature.

The ancestors believed that dark forces were activated on this day. It was believed that evil spirits could take on human form, trying to enter a house. For protection, people used simple, "proven" amulets, for example, pins that were pinned on the wrong side of clothes.

But meeting a black cat on a holiday was considered a good omen — if such an animal ran across the road, according to beliefs, it promised wealth.

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The holiday is also called "little Easter".

In early spring, the plants began to gain strength after the winter. The first herbs were considered the most valuable by the village healers. On holiday, they went out to the edge and into the woods to harvest raw materials for infusions and medicines.

With the adoption of Christianity, the traditions of Alexander's Day were supplemented with religious content. In the morning, the faithful went to the temple, read prayers, remembering the feat of the martyrs. We tried to spend the day calmly, in a measured manner, paying attention to home and family, while maintaining inner concentration and spiritual balance.

What not to do on the Alexander Day holiday

In Russia, on March 28, there were a number of restrictions, the violation of which, according to beliefs, could deprive a person of wealth and negatively affect his fate. For example, on Alexander's Day, one should not offend animals, dogs, and especially black cats. According to the signs, hitting or chasing a dog risked losing a close friend, and scaring off a cat's financial fortune.

What else you can't do on March 28th:

• Cleaning closets and sorting through old things leads to financial losses.;
• washing your hair — you can "invite" separation from loved ones;
• sleeping on a warm pillow leads to insomnia;
• to quarrel, to plunge into negative thoughts leads to failures.

Folk signs for March 28

On Alexander's Day, the peasants carefully observed nature, especially the behavior of birds, to determine what to expect from spring, whether the year would be fruitful.

• seagulls land on the water and start swimming — to prolonged rains and dampness;
• Sparrows flock together and chirp loudly, leading to the establishment of warm, clear weather.;
• A foggy, overcast dawn leads to rain soon;
• a gloomy day without clearing leads to a prolonged, wet spring;
• snow is melting actively, streams of water are running along the roads — the agricultural season will be fertile, there will be few streams — by a lean year.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the history and traditions of the national holiday Nikiforov Day.