Folk signs for December 11: what can and cannot be done
In Russia, signs and beliefs were given special importance. They were used to determine when to harvest crops, prepare for winter, do home improvement, have weddings, and go on a trip. Every day of the national calendar was full of rituals and superstitions. Izvestia tells about the signs for December 11 and the church holidays that fall on this date.
Folk signs for December 11, 2025
In Russia, Soykin Day was celebrated on December 11. It was believed that on a holiday, a jay, popularly called a prophetess, could convey important news to people. The ancestors believed that this bird carries a tiny "mirror of fate" on its wings, and by its behavior one can understand what the near future will turn out to be. Meeting a jay on this day was considered a good sign, and its singing was a harbinger of wish fulfillment or good news.
On Soykin's Day, the villages were guessing at wealth. A handful of money of various denominations was thrown into a snowdrift and one was pulled out. If the biggest one came across, the year promised profit. The housewives baked bird figures out of dough, believing that this treat attracts happiness to the house.
Also on December 11, the ancestors paid attention to various weather signs. If there was a lot of snow that day, they understood that next year would be fruitful.
Other signs of the day
- a thaw leads to early frosts;
- the ash in the furnace goes out quickly, leading to warming;
- a dry frosty day leads to a hot and arid summer;
- snowfall at night — the snow will stay for a long time;
- A jay screams at the window — fortunately;
- the noise in the well is good luck and wealth.
What not to do on December 11th
In order not to scare off luck, especially in financial matters, on Soykin Day, the ancestors adhered to a number of strict prohibitions. On a holiday, one should not point a finger at the jays, much less harm them: after that, according to beliefs, there would be no trace of well-being.
What else is not allowed on December 11th
- to borrow or lend money — along with the money, you can "give away" your financial luck.;
- Women wear their hair down: for unmarried women, this can delay meeting the groom, for married women, it can bring quarrels and jealousy into the family.;
- giving small coins to beggars leads to poverty;
- walking on fresh snow — you can "trample" your happy fate.;
- quarreling and saying unkind words can lead to discord in the family.
What is the church holiday on December 11th?
On December 11, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of St. Theodore, Archbishop of Rostov, the nephew and disciple of St. Sergius of Radonezh. At the age of 12, he was sent to the Trinity Sergius Lavra for upbringing, where he took monastic vows. In the 1370s, with the blessing of his great mentor, Theodore founded the Simonov Monastery in Moscow and became its abbot. He personally led the life of the brethren and educated a whole galaxy of ascetics, including the founders of the great northern monasteries, Kirill Belozersky and Ferapont Luzhetsky. In 1388, the saint was elevated to the rank of Archbishop of Rostov. During his life, he painted many icons, including the image of St. Sergius. Theodore died in 1394, and his relics rest in the Assumption Cathedral of the Rostov Kremlin.
Also on December 11, believers remember the Venerable Martyr Stephen the New, who lived in the 8th century. Having devoted himself to monasticism from his youth, he became abbot of the monastery on Mount Auxentius and was known as a firm confessor of the Orthodox faith and a miracle worker. At the age of 42, the saint went to another mountain, where he remained in strict seclusion, but monks who wanted to study with him gradually gathered there.
At that time, the persecution of holy icons began in Constantinople. During the reign of Leo Isaurus and Constantine Copronymus, the images of saints were destroyed, and Orthodox clergy were persecuted. Stephen was imprisoned more than once for openly denouncing the heresy of iconoclasm, but he endured the torment with fortitude. As a result, Emperor Constantine, under the pretext of preparing a coup d'etat by the saint, ordered his soldiers to execute him. The next morning, a fiery cloud appeared over Mount Auxentius, and then a storm hit Constantinople, claiming many lives.
Prayers for December 11th
Orthodox believers pray to St. Theodore and St. Stephen the New on December 11. They pray for the strengthening of faith, guidance on the right path of the lost, healing from diseases and help in difficult situations.
Prayer to St. Theodore, Archbishop of Rostov
"O most honorable and sacred head and full of the grace of the Holy Spirit, dwelling of the Savior with the Father, great bishop, our warm intercessor, to Saint Theodora, standing at the Throne of all Kings and enjoying the light of the consubstantial Trinity and cherubic angels, proclaiming the trisagion hymn, and having great and unexplored boldness towards the all-merciful Master, pray for the salvation of the flock of Christ by the people Confirm the well-being of the holy churches: bishops, adorn the monks with the splendor of holiness, strengthen the monks with the asceticism of the good current, preserve the reigning city and all cities and countries with goodness, and keep the holy immaculate faith, pacify the whole world through your intercession, deliver us from gladness and destruction, and preserve us from the attacks of foreigners, comfort the old, guide the young, Be wise to the insane, have mercy on widows, intercede for orphans, raise up infants, bring back captives, free those who are weak and pray to you from all adversity and trouble through your intercession: pray for us to the All-merciful and Loving Christ our God, that on the day of His Terrible Coming He may deliver us from our suffering, and grant us the joys of the saints with all the saints in forever and ever. Amen to that."
Prayer to the Holy Martyr Stephen the New
"O holy head, Venerable Father, Most Blessed Abba Stephen, do not forget your poor to the end, but always remember us in holy and auspicious prayers to God: remember your flock, which you have saved yourself, and do not forget to visit your children. Pray for us, holy Father, for your spiritual children, for you have Boldness to the Heavenly King: do not be silent for us to the Lord, and do not despise us who honor you with faith and love: remember us unworthy at the Throne of the Almighty, and do not stop praying for us to Christ God, for you have been given the grace to pray for us. We don't think you're dead.: For though you have passed away from us in body, but you are still alive after death, do not depart from us in spirit, preserving us from the arrows of the enemy and all the charms of demons and the machinations of the devil, our good shepherd. For even though your relics of cancer are always visible before our eyes, your holy soul, with angelic hosts, fleshless faces, and heavenly powers, stands at the throne of the Almighty, rejoicing worthily, leading you in truth and being alive after death, we fall down and pray to you: pray for us to Almighty God, for For the benefit of our souls, and grant us time for repentance, so that we may safely pass from earth to heaven, and may we be delivered from bitter ordeals, demons of the air, and eternal torment, and may we be heiresses of the heavenly Kingdom with all the righteous who have pleased our Lord Jesus Christ from the beginning.: To Him belongs all glory, honor, and worship, together with His Beginningless Father, and with His All-holy, Good, and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen to that."
Earlier, Izvestia reported on the signs of the Romanov Day national holiday.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
