A special national holiday on April 24 is Antip Vodogon: history, traditions, omens

Every year, Orthodox believers honor the memory of the Holy Martyr Antipas, a disciple of John the Theologian, bishop of the Church of Pergamon. In the national calendar, the holiday is called Antip Vodogon. In 2026, it falls on a Thursday. Read about its history, traditions, signs and strict prohibitions in the Izvestia article.

What is the church holiday on April 24th?

The Holy Martyr Antipas lived in the 1st century and was one of the disciples of the apostle, Evangelist John the Theologian, the closest disciple of Christ. Later, he was appointed bishop of Pergamon, a major city in Asia Minor, where he led the local Christian community at a time when the new faith was only being established, facing fierce resistance from the pagan world.

By that time, Pergamon was considered one of the significant centers of ancient civilization. The city was famous for its magnificent architecture, a rich library that rivaled Alexandria's, scientific schools, and well-developed theatrical art. It was also known as one of the important centers of healing, medical manuscripts were kept here, and hospitals operated where people came for help and recuperation.

At the same time, the city remained a powerful stronghold of paganism, one of its symbols was the famous Pergamon Altar, a magnificent structure dedicated to Zeus. Artemis was especially revered by the inhabitants, and her temple stood in the center of Pergamon, which played a prominent role in social and religious life.

It was during this period that Bishop Antipas came to the city to preach. According to church tradition, he was distinguished by his rare spiritual firmness, the power of prayer, and the gift of persuasion. He spoke openly about Christ, denounced idolatry, and converted more and more residents of Pergamon to the new faith.

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As a result, pagan temples began to empty, sacrifices became fewer, and priests and magi lost their usual influence. When their discontent reached its limit, the saint was captured and brought to trial. He was required to give up preaching and sacrifice to pagan gods. However, Antipas refused and directly pointed out the impotence of the idols — if the gods need the protection of people and themselves cannot avenge the insult allegedly inflicted on them, then how can they be considered the patrons of the city?

This response only increased the fury of his opponents. The saint was brought to the temple of Artemis and thrown into a red—hot copper ox, an instrument in which pagan sacrifices were performed. But even in his agony, Antipas continued to pray. According to his life, he accepted his death calmly, without changing either his ministry or his confession of Christ.

After his death, local Christians honorably buried his remains in Pergamon. Later, according to church tradition, the relics of Antipas began to exude myrrh, which healed the sick. That is why the saint eventually became famous as a helper in illnesses and sorrows.

Traditions of the national holiday Antip Vodogon on April 24

In Russia, by the end of April, rivers usually opened, the ice rapidly receded, and the water spread widely over floodplains, flooding roads, yards, and outbuildings. Therefore, the saint's memorial day was associated primarily with the spring flood, hence the expressive name of the holiday — Antip Vodogon. "Antip has dissolved the water," "Antip cleans the rivers of ice," the ancestors said.

The peasants had an ambivalent attitude towards the flood. On the one hand, swollen rivers hindered movement, threatened barns and barnyards. On the other hand, the wide water promised a rich harvest.

In the villages, it was believed that prayer and sincere repentance on April 24th had a special power. And a person who has managed to repent of his mistakes on Antipas will live the next few months peacefully and safely. Therefore, in the morning, believers went to the temple for service. Saint Antipas was asked for healing from mental ailments, vision and hearing problems.

A special ritual against toothache was also associated with the holiday. A silver coin was applied to the diseased tooth, after which a hole was made in it, a string was threaded and the coin was hung at the icon of St. Antipas.

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The peasants tried to spend the holiday actively with a positive attitude. It was believed that the spring energy of water should find a continuation in the person himself — in an active willingness to restore order in his affairs and thoughts.

The housewives cleaned the huts, cleaned the corners, dusted, mopped the floors, sorted out the accumulated things, cleared the house of everything superfluous. Such work symbolized parting with winter stagnation, poverty, and family troubles. People believed that a clean house on Antipas attracts good luck, prosperity and tranquility.

There was another tradition associated with the day of Antipas Vodogon. Women who had experienced separation, a severe breakup, or suffered from loneliness came to the river or pond to "give the longing to the water." They told her about their experiences, asked her to take away the sadness, ease her soul and help her start her life anew.

What not to do on the Antip Vodogon holiday

In Russia, a number of prohibitions were associated with the Antip Vodogon holiday. So, it was not necessary to chop firewood on this day — it was believed that noise could anger the goblin. According to beliefs, an offended spirit was capable of sending wild animals into the yard, incurring losses and depriving the family of peace for a long time.

What else you can't do on April 24th:

• washing windows — clean glass will attract the attention of dark forces that can "peek" into the house and bring with them a lot of minor troubles.;
• washing children's clothes — together with water, it was possible to "wash off", weaken the child's health;
• gossiping, talking badly about people — the evil word on Antipas will return in an enhanced form;
• counting money for pregnant women can lead to unnecessary expenses.;
• scolding children — the guardian angel of the child will punish the parents for negative emotions;
• succumbing to aggression, irritability and anger is at risk of setting an alarming tone for the entire future period.;
• knitting, sewing and embroidery — any thing done on April 24th will turn out to be short-lived, will quickly deteriorate or will not be useful.

Folk signs for April 24

On Antipas, the peasants looked at the water, the sky and the trees. They believed that nature itself tells us on April 24th what the end of spring will be like and what to expect from summer.

• red dawn — for windy and restless weather;
• rain on Antipas — for mushroom summer;
• The willow has blossomed — there will be no more severe frosts.;
• frosts on April 24 — to a rich harvest of grapes;
• the water has spread widely — for a generous grain year;
• the ice on the river or pond is still holding up — for a weak harvest and a cold summer.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the prohibitions and strict prohibitions of the Terenty Marevny special holiday.