Folk signs for March 30th: what can and cannot be done
In Russia, omens have been given special importance since ancient times. They were used to determine when to sow and harvest crops and what to expect in the future. Therefore, every day of the national calendar was full of rituals and superstitions. Izvestia tells about the signs of March 30 and what kind of church holiday is celebrated on this day.
Folk signs for March 30th
In the national calendar, March 30 is called Alexey Teply. By this time, spring was already confidently coming into its own in most regions, and farmers were actively preparing for the new agricultural season. In Russia, they used to say, "Like the streams on Alexei, so is the flood," or "Alexei, pour a jug out of every snowdrift."
In the old days, birch sap was collected for a holiday. It was drunk clean or added to hot drinks. Honey-birch broth with the addition of spices and spices was especially popular. It was believed that it adds strength and whoever drinks it will not have any health problems all year round.
It was considered an important day for beekeepers, hunters and fishermen. On the holiday, they took out the beehives, preparing them for the upcoming season, and prayed to St. Alexy that there would be a lot of honey this year. Fishermen were making new gear or repairing old ones, expecting a rich catch.
Observing nature on this day helped to determine the nature of spring and the future harvest. If there was a lot of meltwater on the holiday, it promised rich mowing and a fruitful year.
Other signs of the day:
- It's warm — there will be a good harvest in autumn;
- a lot of meltwater leads to a rich harvest and an abundance of hay.;
- earrings appeared on the hazel tree — spring has finally arrived;
- There are no starlings in sight — there will be bad weather in the near future;
- Wild geese soared high into the sky — it's going to snow soon;
- The first mother-and-stepmother flowers have bloomed — April will be warm;
- The cranes have arrived — it will get warmer soon;
- the snow melts badly — there will be little hay.
What not to do on March 30th
There were several strict prohibitions associated with Alexeyev Day in Russia, the violation of which, according to beliefs, could turn into trouble for a person and his family. It was believed that on this day you can not get into a sleigh, as they can "drive" past your happiness.
What else can not be done on this day:
- for a son—in-law to quarrel with his mother-in-law, reconciliation will be long and difficult;
- Going on a long journey will be difficult and full of obstacles.;
- to lend bread, salt or money, if there is a newborn in the house, you can "give away the happiness of the child";
- Starting new businesses is a recipe for failure;
- planning important business and large transactions leads to a lack of success.
What is the church holiday on March 30th?
On this day, the church honors the memory of St. Alexy, a man of God. He was born in the second half of the fourth century in Rome. His parents were devout Christians. When Alexy came of age, his mother and father decided to marry him to a girl from a very wealthy family. However, the future saint left his bride on the day of the wedding and left his father's house.
Wishing to dedicate his life to God, Alexy went to Edessa, a city in modern Turkey. For 17 years, he lived at the church of the Most Holy Theotokos, where he ate only water and bread, and spent all nights reading prayers.
For his devotion to the faith, the saint received the gift of miracle-working. Soon the inhabitants of the city learned about his gift — the Virgin herself, appearing in a dream to the church watchman, revealed that the beggar Alexy was a man of God. When the inhabitants of Edessa began to honor him, the monk secretly fled and went to the city of Tarsus in Asia Minor.
The ship on which Alexy sailed was wrecked, as a result of which the saint ended up off the coast of Italy. He saw God's providence in this and decided to return to his father's house, where he lived for another 17 years unrecognized, enduring bullying from servants and eating only bread and water. Before his death, he wrote a scroll describing his life. After the saint's death, the scroll was read, and the parents and wife recognized the beggar as their son and husband. The relics of St. Alexy were buried in the church of St. Boniface on March 17, 411.
Prayers on March 30th
Believers on this day pray to St. Alexy and ask for his help in various matters. They turn to him for support in healing, fighting sins, and also wanting to receive comfort in times of trouble.
Prayer to St. Alexy
"O great servant of Christ, holy man of God Alexius, stand before the Throne of the Lord with your soul in heaven, and perform various miracles on earth by grace given from above! Look mercifully upon the people who are approaching your most holy icon, tenderly praying and asking for Your help and intercession. Prayerfully stretch out your honest hands to the Lord God and ask Him for forgiveness of our sins, voluntary and involuntary, healing for the suffering, intercession for the afflicted, consolation for the grieving, quick help for the distressed, and for all who honor you, a peaceful and Christian end to life and a kind answer at the last Judgment of Christ. O God-pleasing one, do not put to shame our trust that we place in you according to the Lord and Theotokos, but be our helper and protector for salvation, so that through your prayers, having received grace and mercy from the Lord, we may glorify the love of mankind of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, who in the Trinity glorifies and worships God, and your holy intercession, Now, and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen to that."
Earlier, Izvestia told what they pray to St. Benedict of Nursia and Metropolitan Theognost.
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