A special national holiday on April 12 is Ivan the Ladder: history, traditions, omens

Every year on April 12, Orthodox believers honor the memory of St. John of the Ladder, an outstanding theologian and philosopher of the VI–VII centuries, the author of the spiritual work "The Ladder". In the folk tradition, the day was named Ivan the Ladder. In 2026, it falls on a Sunday. Read about the history of the holiday, its traditions, signs and strict prohibitions in the Izvestia article.

Ivan Lestvichnik — 2026: the history of the holiday

St. John, one of the most revered ascetics of the Christian East, lived at the turn of the sixth and seventh centuries. He was born around 570 in the family of Saints Xenophon and Mary. In his youth, he received a good education, but at the age of 16 he abandoned worldly life and went to Sinai. His mentor was the experienced elder Abba Martyrios. Under his guidance, John went through a school of strict obedience, humility and inner discipline, which later formed the basis of his famous work.

Four years later, he took monastic vows. According to church tradition, one of the elders present predicted that over time the young man would become a great lamp of the Church. The monk spent the next 19 years in complete obedience to his spiritual father. After the death of his spiritual master, he retired to the deserted place of Fola at the foot of Mount Sinai, where he lived for 40 years as a hermit in prayer and labor.

During this period, John gained the gift of foresight and the fame of a wise mentor. The stories of his asceticism spread far beyond Sinai. Over time, people of various ranks began to come to the ascetic, seeking advice and guidance. When envious people reproached him for his verbosity, he imposed silence on himself and did not engage in conversation for a whole year.

In the life of the monk, there is a story about his disciple Moses, who was almost crushed by a stone falling from a cliff. John, who was in his cell at the time, felt the danger and began to pray. Later, Moses said that he was saved by the fact that he seemed to hear the call of his mentor and managed to run away.

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At the age of 75, John was appointed abbot of the Sinai Monastery. It was then, at the request of the abbot of the Raifa Monastery, that he wrote his main work, The Ladder. In this book, the monk outlined the path of man's spiritual ascent to God in the form of 30 steps — from renunciation of worldly vanity and struggle with passions to humility, love and spiritual perfection.

For the Orthodox tradition, this work has become a true spiritual code of monasticism, and for the national consciousness it has become an understandable symbol of moral growth. Later, the monk retired to Sinai again, where he lived in silence and ended his earthly life as a hermit.

Traditions of the national holiday celebrated on April 12

In Russia, the saint's memorial day received its national interpretation, his name was transformed, and the holiday was named Ivan the Ladder. Its main meaning was the staircase, symbolizing changes for the better.

On this day, the housewives prepared special pastries — lean loaves or sweet rolls. Two long strips were laid out from the dough and connected by transverse "steps". This treat was distributed to all family members. In the folk tradition, protective properties were attributed to him. According to beliefs, such "ladders" helped to protect the house from troubles, diseases and want.

Some of the festive pastries were consecrated in the church and kept at home as a good sign for the whole year. And one portion was always left on a plate in a secluded place for the brownie, looking for his location.

What not to do on the Ivan Lestvichnik holiday

In popular perception, April 12 was considered an alarming day. People tried not to leave the house unnecessarily, especially in the evening, they curtained the windows and avoided unnecessary noise. The newlyweds were not advised to visit, and everyone at home was advised to speak too loudly and provoke quarrels.

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What else is forbidden to do on April 12:

• wearing dark clothes makes a person "visible" to the dark forces.;
• Starting new businesses will be difficult and will not bring good luck.;
• Doing hard physical labor is fraught with overwork, as well as a series of failures and illnesses.;
• slander, spread rumors about neighbors — according to beliefs, evil speech will turn into a feud that will drag on for a long time.;
• to borrow money, it will be difficult or impossible to return it.

Folk signs for April 12

On Ivan Lestvichnik, the peasants carefully observed nature to determine what the weather would be like in the coming weeks and what to expect from the summer.:

• cows raise their heads, suck in air noisily and snort — for the coming downpours;
• Dandelions have bloomed — summer will be short;
• Geese fly high to heavy rains, low to light, short—term precipitation.;
• ducks flock together — frosts are ahead.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the signs and strict prohibitions of the special holiday of Hilarion-turn out the shafts.