Folk signs for November 6: what can and cannot be done

In Russia, omens have been given special importance since ancient times. They were used to judge the weather, when to sow and harvest, and what to expect in the future. Therefore, every day of the national calendar was full of rituals and superstitions. Izvestia tells about the popular signs of Thursday, November 6, and what church holidays are celebrated on this day.

Folk signs for November 6, 2025

In Russia, the Svetets holiday was celebrated on November 6. The name of the celebration is directly related to the beginning of the winter girls' gatherings — svetelok. At this time, when the daylight hours were getting shorter and the evenings were getting longer, the girls gathered together and engaged in yarn, sewing and embroidery, using a splinter as lighting, which was fixed in a special holder (svetz).

Often the lights were accompanied by magical rituals. The girls read fortunes on their betrothed in order to find out their fate, and tried to enchant the hearts of their chosen ones. However, the holiday also had a purely practical significance. At this time, active preparations for the cold weather continued. One of the usual worries was the "frosty cleaning" of winter clothes: they were taken outside to give things freshness.

Weather signs of the day helped our ancestors to make forecasts for the upcoming winter. For example, it was believed that if a lighted splinter starts to crack violently, then frosts are coming soon. Another indicator was the smoke from the chimney: if it spread along the ground, it foreshadowed a thaw, and if it rose in a column upwards, clear but cold weather was expected.

Other signs of the day:

• Snow fell in the morning, leading to a snowy but not too harsh winter.;
• crows gather in large flocks — for heavy snowfall;
• after molting, the dog has thick fur — the winter will be cold.;
• The ground is already frozen enough for a good harvest of bread next year.;
• accidentally falling into a ditch or pit is a good sign that promises a long life.;
• Finding a coin on the road is a windfall.
• a white dog walks on your heels — to happy and carefree times.

What not to do on November 6th

There were many prohibitions associated with the holiday, based on superstition and belief in the special magical power of this date. Our ancestors feared that violating these taboos could lead to poverty, illness, and misfortune. Special care should be taken in communication, as there was a belief about strong love magic on this day. For example, it was considered highly undesirable to accept gifts or treats in order not to fall under the spell. It was also forbidden to get acquainted and start a new conversation, as acquaintance could lead to trouble.

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What else can not be done on November 6:

• gossiping and sorting things out leads to major quarrels and strife in the house;
• Trying on someone else's shoes attracts negative energy and problems of the previous owner.;
• Lending or borrowing money is believed to attract poverty.;
• letting your belongings be worn, especially hats, leads to a quick feud with this person.;
• for girls to spend time alone — to postpone marriage;
• inviting guests into the house is considered that they can bring evil with them.;
• complaining about the cold — in the old days, it was believed that complaints would attract even more severe frosts.

What is the church holiday on November 6th?

On November 6, the Orthodox Church celebrates the miraculous icon of the Mother of God "Joy to All who grieve." The history of this image is inextricably linked with the first recorded miracle, which occurred in 1688. According to church tradition, Euphemia Papina, the sister of Patriarch Joachim of Moscow, was cured of a serious illness. The woman suffered from an unhealed wound in her side and was already preparing for death, but after praying in front of the icon, she received complete healing.

The miraculous image was created at the end of the 17th century by the famous icon painter Ivan Bezmin, who worked in the Armory of the Moscow Kremlin. The iconography is unique: it depicts the Virgin Mary in full, surrounded by angels and people overcome by illnesses and sorrows. Images of the Holy Trinity are often placed above the head of the Virgin Mary, which emphasizes her role as an intercessor before God.

On the same day, the memory of St. Athanasius I, Patriarch of Constantinople, is celebrated. The future saint, in the world Alexy, aspired to monastic life from a young age. He left his native home and took vows in Thessalonica, after which he asceticized on Mount Athos and other monasteries, where he accepted the great schema.

The saint's life was filled with ascetic labors, prayer, and a desire for solitude, but his spiritual authority led him to the patriarchal ministry. He twice occupied the Constantinople see, proving himself to be a strict zealot for church canons and moral purity. The elder died at the age of one hundred.

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Prayers on November 6th

The Most Holy Theotokos is addressed in front of her icon "Joy of All who Grieve" with requests for solace in sorrows, healing from diseases, and deliverance from poverty and despair. They also pray for loved ones who are in difficult circumstances. They pray to St. Athanasius for intercession before the Lord, for the gift of strength in bearing the hardships of life, for the preservation of piety, and for a quiet, peaceful life.

Prayer before the icon of "Joy to All the Sorrowful"

"O Most Holy Lady Theotokos, Supreme Cherubim and Most Honorable Seraphim, God-chosen Maiden, Joy to all who grieve! Grant consolation to us who are in trouble, for are not the Imams Your refuge and help? You are the One intercessor of our joy, and as the Mother of God and the Mother of Mercy, come to the Throne of the Most Holy Trinity, you can help us, for no one who flows to You is ashamed to depart. Therefore, hear us also, now on the day of tribulation, prostrating ourselves before Your icon and praying to You with tears, and weep away from us the sorrows and sorrows that beset us in this temporary life, for through Your all-powerful intercession we are not deprived of eternal and endless joy in the Kingdom of Your Son and our God, to whom all glory, honor and worship, with His Beginningless Father, and with His Most Holy, Good, and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen to that."

Troparion, glas 1

"Thou hast struck a passionate thorn with the light of purity of life, and with the flow of tears thou hast watered the barren earth, having made the fruitful field of the soul, Athanasius of Treblast, the luminary of Tsargrad, the Patriarch of fertilizer, pray to Christ God for our souls."

Kontakion, glas 2

"Having clothed yourself in the bright robes of the priesthood, you have joyfully reached the Kingdom in your thoughts in Heaven. By perceiving you as a village of the righteous, where there is unspeakable joy, and words, and all the saints, St. Athanasius, pray unceasingly for us all."

Earlier, Izvestia told us what they pray to the 70-year-old apostle James.