A special national holiday on August 8 is Ermolaev Day: history, traditions, omens
Every year on August 8, Orthodox believers honor the memory of the Holy Martyrs Ermolai, Ermippus and Hermocrates, servants of the Nicomedia Church who preached Christianity during the severe persecution. In the national calendar, the date is known as Ermolaev, or Maryev, day. In 2026, the holiday falls on a Saturday. Read about its history, traditions, signs and strict prohibitions in the Izvestia article.
Ermolaev Day – 2026: the history of the holiday
Ermolai, Ermippus, and Hermocrates lived in Nicomedia, a major city in Asia Minor and one of the eastern residences of the Roman emperors, in the late third and early fourth centuries. Ermolai served as a presbyter, that is, a priest. Early church sources call Ermippus and Hermocrates clerics of the Nicomedia Church, and later tradition also ranks them among the presbyters.
In 303, a new stage of persecution of Christians began in the Roman Empire. By order of Emperor Diocletian and his co-rulers, temples were destroyed and liturgical books were destroyed. Supporters of the new faith were deprived of civil rights, they were required to return to the cult and sacrifice to pagan idols. Refusal was considered disobedience to State authority and could result in imprisonment, torture, or execution.
The persecution was particularly severe in Nicomedia. Church tradition reports that by order of Emperor Maximian, many Christians who had gathered for worship were burned alive in the city church. Ermolai, Ermippus and Ermocrates managed to escape. They took refuge in one of the houses, but they did not stop praying and secretly preaching.
During this period, Ermolai met a young doctor Pantoleon. He came from a wealthy family, his father remained a pagan, and his mother, who died early, professed Christianity. The young man received medical education from the famous Nicomedia physician Euphrosyne and, thanks to his abilities, was noticed at the imperial court.
Ermolai saw the young man several times passing by the house where the Christians were hiding. One day, the presbyter called him inside and told him about the teachings of Jesus. Pantoleon began to visit his mentor regularly, asked questions about his faith, and gradually abandoned his previous pagan beliefs.
According to his life, an unusual incident helped him to finally believe. On the road, Pantoleon saw a child who had died from a venomous snake bite. The young man turned to Christ with prayer and promised to be baptized if the child revived. When his request was fulfilled, he asked Ermolai to baptize him and received the name Panteleimon, which translates as "the all-merciful."
Ermolai became his spiritual mentor. Under the influence of Presbyter Panteleimon, he began treating the sick for free, helping the poor, and visiting Christian prisoners. The popularity of the young doctor aroused the envy of other doctors. They informed the authorities that he professes a forbidden faith and provides assistance to its followers.
During the trial, Panteleimon openly called himself a Christian. Soon the authorities found out about Ermolai, who baptized him. The presbyter was brought in for questioning. He did not conceal his rank or beliefs, and also said that Ermippus and Ermocrates served with him.
All three were taken to the emperor. They were required to renounce Christ, convince Panteleimon to return to paganism and sacrifice to idols. In return, the servants were promised forgiveness, honors, and a position at court. But the detainees rejected the offer, saying they were ready to accept death together with their student.
The life tells us that an earthquake occurred during the prayer of the martyrs. Statues of the gods fell and broke in a pagan temple. The emperor regarded the incident as witchcraft and ordered the prisoners to be tortured. Failing to recant, the court sentenced them to death.
The priests were beheaded around 305. The next day, their disciple Panteleimon, who later became one of the most revered Christian saints, was martyred, and he is known as a great martyr and healer.
Traditions of the national holiday celebrated in Russia on August 8th
In Russia, in the national calendar, the name of one of the martyrs was fixed for the name of the holiday, it was called Ermolaev Day. During this period, sunrises were accompanied by morning mists and a moist haze, which the ancestors called a haze. Hence the other name — Mary's Day. The peasants believed that the August dew cleanses the plants, and the daytime sun fills them with a special healing power. Therefore, on August 8, the collection of medicinal herbs began.
In the morning, believers went to church or prayed at home. The Holy Martyrs Ermolai, Ermippus, and Hermocrates were asked to strengthen their faith, help maintain self-control in difficult circumstances, and protect them from spiritual temptations. And Ermolai, who raised the future healer Panteleimon, was also prayed for health and relief from diseases.
By this time, grain harvesting was entering its final phase in the villages. Ripe bread could not be left in the field for long, the dry ears crumbled, and rain could spoil the mown grain. Therefore, on a clear Ermolai day, the peasants went out to harvest early in the morning, trying to harvest as much as possible. "Ermolai, take the bread," they said.
If any family fell behind, neighbors came to the rescue. Working together was called helping or toloka. Some reaped, others knitted sheaves, others transported bread under the roof. They usually did not take money for such support, the owners thanked the assistants with lunch, and later they themselves participated in the common work in someone else's field.
After the morning dew dried, knowledgeable women went to get medicinal plants. Only healthy stems and leaves that were not damaged by insects were cut off. The raw materials were laid out in a thin layer in the shade so that they would dry out and not become moldy. Oregano, St. John's wort, mint, yarrow, and plantain were usually collected in the home "green medicine cabinet." They were brewed individually or added to herbal mixtures.
To relieve fatigue after harvesting or to get rid of lower back pain after long work, the peasants performed a special ceremony — they plucked several rye ears and put them in their belts. According to legend, the ripe bread on August 8 could "take away" the pain and restore strength.
By Ermolaev's day, early varieties of apples were ripening. The fruits were removed from the branches, sorted and taken to a cool room, but before the Apple Savior, celebrated on August 19, they tried not to try the new harvest, as there was a belief that such a meal could provoke stomach problems. A special ceremony was associated with the first plucked fruit. He was not shown to outsiders and was left in a secluded place, hoping in this way to preserve prosperity and family harmony.
By early August, new potatoes were being dug up in some areas. The first tubers were boiled, baked, and added to pancakes, pies, and vegetable dishes. In addition, mushroom picking continued on Ermolai Day. The crops brought from the forest were immediately sorted, the strong specimens were salted, some were dried, and the rest were prepared for dinner. Roast potatoes and fresh wild mushrooms were especially appreciated on the holiday.
What not to do on Yermolai Day
A number of superstitions and prohibitions were associated with Ermolai's day in Russia, the main of which concerned working tools. On August 8, they should not have been borrowed or passed from hand to hand. The peasants feared that luck, health, and prosperity would disappear from the farm along with a sickle, axe, or other implements. If a neighbor really needed this thing, it was placed on the ground so that he could pick it up on his own.
What else is forbidden to do on August 8:
- swearing and swearing — swearing can attract lingering troubles into the house.;
- cheating while working together — an unfairly divided harvest threatens a long-term feud between neighbors;
- hunting and fishing unnecessarily — harming living creatures on August 8 is fraught with failures in the household;
- unmarried girls spend all day sewing — according to legend, a needle can "sew up" the way to a future marriage;
- men postpone the promised repairs — unfinished business promises a series of new breakdowns.
Folk signs for August 8th
On Ermolai Day, the peasants carefully observed nature, birds, insects, plants and the evening sky in order to determine by signs what weather to expect in the coming days and how early the autumn coolness would come.
- The flies have become especially annoying and bite painfully — it's going to rain soon;
- There are a lot of frogs near the reservoir — there are several rainy days ahead.;
- Mosquitoes and horseflies swarm in large flocks due to wet weather;
- Swallows and swifts fly low above the ground — bad weather is approaching;
- The sunset turned purple — it's going to rain at night or the next day.;
- The cuckoo continues to sing loudly — autumn will be late and relatively warm.;
- The leaves of the lime tree have started to turn yellow — the cold weather will come earlier than usual;
- a lot of acorns have been born in the forest — the next agricultural year will be successful;
- In the morning, the grass is covered with thick dew — the day will be clear.;
- spiders are actively weaving their webs — the dry weather will linger.
Earlier, Izvestia was told that it is forbidden to consecrate in the church on the Honeymoon.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
