A special holiday on June 13 is Yeremey-bobovnik: history, traditions, omens
Every year on June 13, Orthodox believers honor the memory of the Martyr Hermias of Comana, a Christian soldier who suffered for his faith in Cappadocia in the second century. In the national calendar, the date is known as Yeremey-bobovnik, or Yeremey Raspryagalnik. In 2026, the holiday falls on a Saturday. Read about its history, traditions, signs and strict prohibitions in the Izvestia article.
What is the church holiday on June 13th?
The Martyr Hermas of Comana lived in the second century in Comana of Cappadocia, a city in Asia Minor, on the territory of historical Cappadocia. In his life, he is described as an experienced, elderly warrior who believed in Jesus and led a virtuous life.
During this period, the Roman Empire was ruled by Emperor Antoninus, who intensified the persecution of Christians. The government required its subjects to participate in the cult of pagan gods, and the refusal of sacrifices was perceived as a challenge to the political order.
Ruler Sebastian arrived in Cappadocia to spread paganism. He was traveling from Cilicia on an assignment from the emperor to force Christians to sacrifice to the Roman gods, and punish those who refused. In Comanae, Sebastian met Hermas and demanded that he carry out the order. At first, the official acted not by torture, but by calculation, promising the elderly soldier security, royal favor, honors and a quiet life.
However, the soldier replied that he served Christ and would not worship idols. After that, according to legend, he was tortured and thrown into a red-hot furnace. However, three days later, the saint emerged from it unharmed.
After such a miracle, Sebastian ordered the martyr to be poisoned, but the poison had no effect on him. The Magus who prepared the drink, upon seeing this, believed in Christ himself, for which he was immediately executed. Hermas continued to be tortured. His eyes were gouged out, and when the messengers came to check if he was alive, they suddenly became blind, and the saint healed them with prayer.
In the end, Sebastian personally executed Hermas. The Christians secretly buried his body in Comanche. According to legend, many healings were subsequently performed from his relics.
Traditions of the national holiday Yeremey-bobovnik on June 13
In the national calendar, the church name Ermiy took the more familiar form of Yeremey for Russian speech. During this period, the peasants were actively engaged in planting beans, peas and other legumes. Hence the name of the holiday — Yeremey-bobovnik.
We tried to work without delay, as collected as possible. In Russia, there was a belief that seeds should be sent to the ground before the cuckoo started to crow. Her "singing" was considered by the ancestors to be a natural signal that the earth had already entered the summer rhythm and it was no longer possible to delay with the garden.
If the bird had already raised its voice, and the sowing was not finished yet, this was considered an alarming warning for the future harvest. Therefore, Yeremey's morning was spent taking care of the beds, seeds, and completing those tasks that could not be postponed to a later date.
Another name for the day, Raspryagalnik, was associated with the completion of spring sowing, when the horses were freed from hard work in the field. If on May 14, on Yeremey Plowshare, the sowing campaign was just gaining momentum, then they tried to complete the sowing by Yeremey Raspryagalnik. People used to say: "Yeremey begins to sow, Yeremey finishes" and "Unharnessing is the edge of sowing, unharnessing the horse."
After the sowing was over, the farmer's main assistant, the horse, was given a rest. The animals were unharnessed, cleaned, fed better than usual, given to drink and sent to the stable. On this day, they tried not to saddle or harness them unless absolutely necessary, because the horses had worked out a hard spring strain and had to regain their strength.
The ideas of the field spirit, the Field Worker, or the Living Grandfather, were also associated with Yeremey-bobovnik. According to legend, after people left the fields, it was he who began to "manage" among the loaves. To appease the invisible owner of the arable land, simple treats were left in the field — eggs, grain, apples.
What not to do on Yeremey-Bobovnik holiday
In Russia, a number of prohibitions were associated with Yeremey-bobovnik, the violation of which, according to beliefs, could deprive a person of well-being and health. The main one concerned horses. On June 13, they were not saddled, harnessed, or forced to carry heavy loads, as it was believed that the animal might become ill or weak after such treatment.
What else you can't do on June 13:
- delay the planting of legumes — there will not be a good harvest;
- swimming and fishing — according to legend, mermaids can drag a person to the bottom;
- Picking up a fallen charm pin is a risk of taking on someone else's evil eye or accumulated negativity along with it.;
- taking out the trash from the house — along with the litter, you can bring prosperity and domestic tranquility.;
- to start a move — a change of housing will deprive a person of luck, money, work and health;
- swearing and raising your voice — quarrels on Yeremey attract illnesses and failures;
- starting needlework or important craft work — a thing done on June 13th will quickly deteriorate or will not be useful.
Folk signs for June 13
On Yeremey-bobovnik, the peasants carefully observed nature in order to determine by signs what the weather would be like in the coming days, whether bread would be born, whether to wait for a mushroom summer:
- The cuckoo coos loudly and often — there are clear and warm days ahead.;
- a sunny and dry day — for a good harvest of bread;
- There's a lot of dew in the morning — the weather will be fine;
- There is no dew in the evening — it may rain soon;
- morning fog is spreading over the ground — there will be a lot of mushrooms in the forests, the fog will not dissipate until afternoon — to worsen the weather;
- the spider is actively weaving a web — the bad weather will recede, clear days will be established;
- cloudy, rainy day — the winter will be hard and protracted.
On the night of June 13, the ancestors tried to remember their dreams. There was a belief that they could turn out to be prophetic and suggest an important decision or the right direction in business.
Earlier, Izvestia reported on the traditions and signs of the Feodosiya Kolosyanitsa national holiday.
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