A special holiday on October 27 is Paraskeva Gryaznukha: history, traditions, omens

Every year on October 27, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of St. Paraskeva of Serbia. In 2025, the celebration falls on a Monday. In the national calendar, it is called Paraskeva Gryaznukha, since by this day the weather becomes especially stormy. Read about the signs, customs and prohibitions of the national holiday in the Izvestia article.

What is the church holiday on October 27th?

Saint Paraskeva was born in the tenth century in the city of Epivate near Constantinople. Her pious parents, who especially revered Friday as the day of the Savior's sufferings, named their daughter after the Great Martyr Paraskeva of Iconium. The saint's brother, Euthymius, took monastic vows and became Bishop of Madith. Subsequently, he was also canonized.

After the death of his parents, his brother and Sera decided to sell their property. They distributed the proceeds to the needy and left for Constantinople. After living there for five years, Paraskeva went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and took monastic vows. She settled in the Jordanian desert, where she spent many years in prayer and fasting, striving until a very old age.

Shortly before her death, Paraskeva was honored with the appearance of an angel who ordered her to return to her homeland. The saint fulfilled this instruction and, without revealing her name, lived in the Epivate for two years. She died as a nameless pilgrim who peacefully departed to the Lord.

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The finding of Paraskeva's relics occurred under miraculous circumstances. A stylite labored near the place of her burial. One day, the corpse of a deceased shipowner washed ashore next to him. The stench was so strong that the ascetic was forced to step down from the pillar. He ordered a grave to be dug for the deceased, and during the work, Paraskeva's incorruptible body was discovered. The workers, not recognizing it as a shrine, re-buried it along with the sailor's corpse.

That same night, one of the workers had a vision: the bright queen, surrounded by soldiers, rebuked him for neglecting the relics of the monk. A local pious woman saw the same thing. The next morning, the villagers reverently removed the relics from the ground. They were placed in a church, where numerous healings of the sick began to take place.

Later, the relics of the saint were repeatedly transferred: in 1238 — to Ternov (modern times). Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria), in the 14th century — to Wallachia, then to Belgrade. Since 1641, the shrine has been located in the Romanian city of Iasi.

Traditions of the national holiday Paraskeva Gryaznukha on October 27

In Russia, the image of Saint Paraskeva is closely intertwined with the mythologized character Friday. Hence the name of the holiday — Paraskeva Friday. Interestingly, translated from Greek, "Paraskeva" literally means "preparation for the Sabbath." Another name for the celebration is Paraskeva Gryaznikha. It arose due to the fact that by the end of October, the weather was often wet and dank, and the roads were heavily washed out by the rains.

On Paraskeva, women and girls tried to avoid any kind of work. The only exception was the processing and fluttering of flax prepared for future yarn. The main thing in the morning was to visit the temple and pray to St. Paraskeva of Serbia.

Women and girls revered the saint as their protector and intercessor. She was often approached with requests for an early meeting with her betrothed. For this, there was a special ceremony with a conspiracy on the crest. To meet the groom, such an instrument was supposed to be carried with him for seven days.

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The saint was also addressed with prayers for healing from various ailments. It was believed that medicinal herbs hung next to the icon of St. Paraskeva of Serbia became especially useful in the fight against diseases.

What not to do on October 27 on Paraskeva Mud Day

On the day of Paraskeva the Dirty, the ancestors adhered to a number of strict prohibitions. During the holiday, they did not do household chores, including sewing and embroidery. According to legend, on October 27, the saint walked the earth, pricked by the needles of those who nevertheless took up needlework. The violators faced serious consequences — they could face domestic difficulties, misfortunes and even illnesses.

What else can not be done on October 27

• combing your hair, especially for pregnant women, leads to illness;
• Laugh a lot and have fun — you'll have to shed a lot of tears in the future.;
• Starting new important businesses will face insurmountable difficulties.;
• washing and bathing children leads to health problems;
• going on a long journey leads to numerous obstacles and setbacks on the road;
• It will be difficult for single girls and women to spend a day alone. Finding a soulmate will be difficult.;
• to refuse pregnant women — the expectant mother may become seriously ill.

Folk signs on October 27

On Paraskeva Gryaznukha, the ancestors closely followed the natural signs, hoping to find out what the rest of autumn and the beginning of winter would be like. If there was a lot of dirt on the streets, they understood that the cold weather would come in four weeks, and the spring would be rainy. There were other signs, too:

• westerly wind — for wet and humid weather;
• clouds or snow — the end of next May will be rainy;
• rain — for a wet spring;
• clear night sky and bright stars — for a rich harvest next year;
• a dry and windy day leads to crop failure;
• Crows are cawing a lot — it's going to get warmer soon;
• frost is for the harvest of oats, and rain is for wheat.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the signs and prohibitions of the national holiday Agafonov Day.