Folk signs for June 15: what can and cannot be done

In Russia, signs and beliefs were given special importance. They were used to determine when to sow and harvest, have weddings and go on a trip. Every day of the national calendar was full of rituals and superstitions. Izvestia tells about the signs for June 15 and the church holidays that fall on this date.

Folk signs for June 15, 2026

In Russia, on June 15, a holiday called the Green Loach was celebrated. Its origins go back to the pre-Christian past of the Slavs: in June, when nature was in full bloom, the ancestors worshipped the forces of the earth, asking for a generous harvest and family well-being. The name "Bindweed Green" is associated with the plant from which the girls wove wreaths, they embodied a connection with nature and hope for a happy fate.

The holiday began after dark: people opened windows and doors to let in fresh air. The houses were decorated with birch branches, a symbol of renewal and fertility. Special loaves were baked, which were placed on the windowsill: it was believed that in this way you could lure luck, wealth and joy into the house.

Festive processions were held in the villages, and songs were sung in honor of the young families who had married during the year. There was a custom according to which the newlyweds treated all the passers-by they met: adults with wine, children with sweets. In the evening, youth festivities were held. The girls performed dances, made wishes, and the boys competed in strength and agility. The wreath given to the young man meant a declaration of sympathy.

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On Bindweed Green, the ancestors closely monitored natural phenomena, drawing conclusions about the upcoming weather and future harvest. So, the morning dew on June 15 was considered a sure sign of a good harvest of wheat, flax and oats.

Other signs of the day

• A nightingale sang at night — the weather will be sunny;
• The crows shouted loudly — for rain or cold weather soon.;
• it's raining — crops are not growing well;
• sunny — for a rich harvest;
• stuffiness at dawn — the weather will turn bad soon;
• After sunrise, the fog lifted and the weather will be fine and clear.

What not to do on June 15th

There were many strict prohibitions associated with the Green Loach holiday, the observance of which, according to beliefs, protected a person from misfortune. On June 15, they were afraid to go to the cemetery — they believed that on this day the boundary between the worlds was thinning and an otherworldly "guest" could be brought home.

What else can't be done on June 15th

• quarrel — any evil word can turn against the person who uttered it.;
• to wish evil to others — the wish will come true;
• taking out the trash from the house — together with the litter, you can "take out" health, luck and financial well-being;
• wearing metal objects (buttons, jewelry) — you can "weigh down" your fate.;
• swimming in rivers and lakes, approaching reservoirs — mermaids and mermaids are especially dangerous on this day.

What is the church holiday on June 15th?

On June 15, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of St. Nikephoros I of Constantinople. He was born in Constantinople in the second half of the 8th century. His father suffered as a confessor of Orthodoxy from the iconoclast emperor Constantine Copronymos, and his mother, who shared exile and deprivation with her husband, ended her life as a monk. Nikephoros received a good secular education, but he studied the Holy Scriptures especially diligently.

In 806, he was elected to the patriarchal throne. Under Emperor Leo V of Armenia, an ardent follower of iconoclasm, troubled times again came for the Church. The Patriarch urged the people to keep the Orthodox faith and waged a consistent struggle against heresy. For this, he was defrocked and exiled first to a monastery in Chrysopolis, and then to the island of Proconnis in the Sea of Marmara. After 13 years of hardships and sorrows, St. Nikephoros died in exile on June 2, 828.

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Also on June 15, believers remember the Great Martyr John the New of Sochava, who lived in the 14th century in Trebizond. He was engaged in trade, was pious, firm in Orthodoxy and merciful to the poor. One day, on commercial business, he set sail on a ship, the captain of which turned out to be non-Orthodox. He lost to John in a religious dispute and harbored a grudge. During a stopover in Belgrade, the Bosporus captain informed the fire-worshipping mayor that there was a man on the ship who wanted to accept this faith.

The mayor invited John to his palace and offered to join his cult, but the saint firmly refused. For this, he was severely beaten with sticks, and then chained and thrown into a dungeon. The next morning, the martyr again refused to renounce the faith, and then he was subjected to even more severe tortures.

After his death, John's body was abandoned without burial. At night, a pillar of light appeared above him and three luminous angels sang psalms over him. After that, the mayor allowed Christians to bury the saint's remains in the local church.

Prayers for June 15th

Orthodox believers pray to St. Nicephorus of Constantinople on June 15. He is asked to strengthen his spirit during difficult trials, to grant perseverance and courage. Also on this day, they pray to the Great Martyr John the New. He is asked for success in trading, protection during travel and strengthening of faith.

Prayer to St. Nicephorus I of Constantinople

"O most honorable and sacred head and full of the grace of the Holy Spirit, dwelling of the Savior with the Father, great bishop, our warm intercessor, to Saint Nikephoros, standing at the Throne of all Kings and enjoying the light of the consubstantial Trinity and cherubic angels, proclaiming the trisagion hymn, and having great and unexplored boldness towards the all-merciful Master, pray for the salvation of the flock of Christ by the people Confirm the well-being of the holy churches: bishops, adorn the monks with the splendor of holiness, strengthen the monks for the feat of the good current, preserve the reigning city and all cities and countries with goodness, and keep the holy immaculate faith, pacify the whole world through your intercession, deliver us from gladness and destruction, and preserve us from the attacks of foreigners, comfort the old, guide the young, Be wise to the insane, have mercy on widows, intercede for orphans, raise up infants, bring back captives, free those who are weak and pray to you from all adversity and trouble through your intercession: pray for us to the All-merciful and Loving Christ our God, that on the day of His Terrible Coming He may deliver us from our suffering, and grant us the joys of the saints with all the saints in forever and ever. Amen to that."

Prayer to the Great Martyr John the New

"Holy, glorious, and all-laudable Great Martyr John of Christ, the infinite intercessor of our salvation. We beseech you, thy servants, who today worship in thy Divine temple and shrine of holy relics; be merciful as to us who are far away, and to those who call upon you for help, and to those who bless your martyrdom with praises. Ask all of us from the most merciful Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ for forgiveness and remission of the sins we have committed to this day and hour. Keep us safe from all the machinations of the evil one, and guard our lives in vain from all evils, mental and physical, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen to that."

Earlier, Izvestia told about the traditions, signs and prohibitions of the national holiday Ustinov Day.