A special Russian holiday is Philippov Day: what is strictly forbidden to do on Kudelitsa

On November 27, Russia celebrates Philippov Day, known in the folk tradition as Kudelitsa. The holiday combines the church's veneration of the Apostle Philip with ancient household rituals: cleaning the house, preparing winter supplies and caring for animals. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.

The origins of the Philippi Day holiday

Philippi's Day in the Russian folk tradition falls on November 27 and is associated with the memory of St. Philip the Apostle. In church practice, this day is revered as a day of remembrance of the exploits of the apostle, who preached Christianity and was one of the closest disciples of Jesus Christ.

Philippi's Day has taken a special place in the national calendar due to the synthesis of ecclesiastical and agrarian ideas. By this time, the autumn field work was coming to an end, the farm was preparing for winter, and people celebrated the day as a symbol of the transition from a year full of hard work to a period of rest and gathering of spiritual forces.

The holiday represented the completion of one cycle and preparation for a new one, which was reflected in rituals related to cleaning the house, preserving the family hearth and caring for the health of pets. Folk tradition interpreted Philippi's Day as a moment when the boundary between the human world and otherworldly forces was particularly thin, so rituals and behavior on this day were treated with caution.

Why was this day called Kudelitsa?

In popular culture, November 27 was called Kudelitsa, which is associated with preparations for winter work, especially spinning and preparing threads for fabric. The word "tow" meant yarn or fiber, and on this day it was considered especially important to restore order in the household and complete all unfinished work so that the energy of the outgoing year would not leave a negative mark. Kudelitsa symbolized man's connection with nature and time: the end of the agricultural year and the accumulation of resources for winter.

Folk beliefs associated this day with a magical effect on the fate of the family — it was believed that a properly conducted Kudelitsa would ensure well-being, health, prosperity and harmony in the house during the winter period. Special attention was paid to the economic activity of women: spinning, preparing fabrics, cleaning and checking livestock, since it was believed that on this day it was necessary to "stock up" on positive energy for the upcoming cold weather.

Folk rituals and traditions on November 27

Philippi's Day was accompanied by various rituals that were aimed at preserving health, family well-being and protecting the house from evil forces. On this day, house and yard cleaning, preparation of winter feed for livestock, as well as rituals to cleanse the home space of negative energy were carried out.

In some regions, there were traditions of appealing to saints with requests for the health of children and animals, as well as for success in the household. Folk signs of this day included observations of the weather: it was believed that clear and frosty weather foreshadowed a strong and fertile winter, and fog or thaw — unfavorable changes.

The main prohibitions: what not to do on Philip's Day

Strict prohibitions were in effect on this day, which had both practical and symbolic significance. It was impossible to swear and show aggression, so as not to "anger" the forces governing the house and household.

It was also forbidden to borrow money or things, as it was believed that this would bring financial losses and setbacks in the coming year. It was not recommended to take out the trash or arrange large-scale cleaning, which could "take out" luck and well-being from the house.