A special national holiday on September 11 is Ivan the Lean: history, traditions, omens

Every year on September 11, Orthodox believers remember the martyrdom of the prophet John the Baptist, who announced the imminent coming of the Messiah and baptized Jesus Christ in the Jordan River. The church date is called the Beheading of the head of the Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John, and in the national calendar — Ivan the Fast. In 2026, it falls on a Friday. Read about the life of John the Baptist, the history of the holiday, its traditions, signs and strict prohibitions in the Izvestia material.

Beheading of John the Baptist – 2026: the history of the holiday

John the Baptist was born six months earlier than Jesus Christ. His parents were the priest Zachariah and the righteous Elizabeth. They remained childless for a long time, which in those days was considered a punishment from God for sins. Therefore, despite their advanced age, the couple continued to pray for the birth of an heir. And their prayers were answered.

According to the Gospel of Luke, during the service in the Jerusalem temple of Zachariah, the archangel Gabriel appeared and announced that he would have a son named John, who would prepare people for the coming of the Lord. The priest doubted what he had heard and lost the ability to speak as a punishment.

When the baby was born and it was time to give him a name, the relatives were going to name the boy after his father. Elizabeth insisted on the name John, and Zachariah confirmed her decision in writing. After that, speech returned to him.

Even in infancy, John miraculously escaped death during the massacre of the Bethlehem infants, organized by King Herod. Elizabeth and her baby fled to the mountains of the Judean desert. The king demanded that Zachariah, who was serving as a priest in the Jerusalem temple at the time, inform him where his wife and son were. He refused to reveal their location, for which he was killed.

John grew up in the desert, eating wild fruits and locusts (a type of locust). Around the years 28-29, he came out of the desert and began to openly preach about the coming of the Messiah on the banks of the Jordan. Subsequently, he conducted the sacrament of Baptism for Christ there.

The Nativity of John the Baptist – 2026: the true meaning of the great Orthodox holiday

This day calls for humility and an honest life.

At that time, Galilee was ruled by King Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great. Having a legitimate wife, he began to cohabit with Herodias, who had previously been married to his brother. John openly condemned this union as a violation of religious law and told the governor: "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."

Herodias hated the saint and sought his execution. Herod himself did not dare to give such an order, he knew that before him was a righteous man, was afraid of him and sometimes listened to his words. But under the pressure of his mistress, he nevertheless imprisoned the prophet.

Once, during a feast on the occasion of Herod's birthday, Salome, the daughter of Herodias, danced in front of the ruler and his guests. He liked the dance so much that he publicly promised to fulfill any wish of the girl. She turned to her mother for advice, after which she demanded to bring her the head of John the Baptist on a platter.

Herod was saddened, but he could not break his oath to the guests. John's severed head was brought to Salome, and she handed it to her mother. The disciples of the Baptist took the body of their mentor and buried it. The prophet's head was secretly buried by the wife of the royal housekeeper Khuza.

The memory of the Beheading of John the Baptist entered the church calendar in ancient times. Already in the 7th–8th centuries, special chants dedicated to the martyrdom of the prophet appeared. This day is a time of special sorrow — a strict one-day fast has been established in memory of the violent death of the Baptist.

The Gospel story of the prophet's execution unfolds during a feast, so in 1913, on the day of the Beheading of John the Baptist, the All-Russian Sobriety Day was established. After a long break, the Russian Orthodox Church resumed its celebration in 2014. Now, after the liturgy, a special prayer service is held in churches for people suffering from alcohol and drug addiction.

Traditions of the national holiday Ivan Lenten on September 11th

In Russia, September 11 was called Ivan the Lenten because of the strict one-day fast established in memory of the Beheading of John the Baptist, as well as Golovosek — in memory of the martyrdom of the prophet.

The peasants considered September 11 to be the boundary between summer and autumn. By this time, the nights were getting noticeably colder, the daylight hours were shortening, so the date was also popularly called Ivan the Proletarian and the Flight Attendant. "Ivan the Lean came and took away the red summer," "Ivan the Lean is the godfather of autumn," they said in the villages.

In a number of Russian regions, a period of warm, dry autumn weather began from that time, which later became known as Indian summer. Hence another saying: "With Ivan, a man meets autumn, a woman begins her summer."

In the morning, the faithful went to the temple for a divine service dedicated to the Beheading of John the Baptist. The saint was asked to strengthen his faith, help in the fight against temptations, and the ability to make the right choice and not deviate from his beliefs. Also, the ancestors had a custom of contacting the Baptist with a severe headache.

Beheading of John the Baptist: what not to do on September 11

After the Mother of God, he is revered more than other saints.

By Ivan Lenten, the peasants were trying to finish harvesting cannabis, from the seeds of which they obtained oil. The beginning of autumn coincided with the harvesting of turnips, so the day in some areas was also called Turnip Holiday. At the same time, other root crops were being dug up in the villages, and the harvested crops were being sorted.

What not to do on the feast of Ivan the Lean

The main ban on Ivan the Lean is associated with a strict one-day fast in memory of the martyrdom of John the Baptist. On this day, believers are allowed only vegetable food, and the consumption of eggs, fish, meat and dairy products should be avoided. For the same reason, one should not arrange noisy feasts and abuse alcohol — the spiritual meaning of the holiday is associated with sorrow, abstinence and sobriety.

In addition to the church prohibitions in Russia on September 11, there were also household restrictions. The peasants tried not to pick up knives, axes, scythes and other sharp objects unnecessarily. Golovesek was considered a dangerous day to work with such tools. According to beliefs, violating the ban could lead to serious injuries and misfortunes.

They were also afraid to eat apples, cabbage, tomatoes and other round foods, as they resembled the severed head of John.

What else you can't do on September 11:

• Wearing red clothes — choosing a "bloody" color can attract diseases and troubles.;
• to have a wedding and get married — a marriage concluded on this day will be unhappy;
• to refuse alms to those in need — avarice can turn into need and monetary losses.

Folk signs for September 11th

On Ivan Lenten, the summer weather finally gave way to autumn, and the migratory birds began to pack up for the road. On September 11, the peasants carefully observed nature, especially birds, in order to determine by signs when to expect a cold snap, whether autumn would be rainy.

• Thunder — autumn will be long and warm;
• The cranes have already flown south — winter will come early.;
• geese appeared high in the sky — for rainy weather;
• starlings are in no hurry to fly away — there are several warm days of Indian summer ahead.

Earlier, Izvestia listed strong prayers for the Presentation of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God.