Folk signs for December 24: what can and cannot be done
In Russia, signs and beliefs were given special importance. They were used to determine when to sow and harvest, when to prepare for winter, get married and go on a trip. Every day of the national calendar was full of rituals and superstitions. Izvestia tells about the signs for December 24 and the church holidays that fall on this date.
Folk signs for December 24, 2025
In folk tradition, December 24 is known as Nikon's Day. The ancestors believed that at this time evil spirits are especially active and roam the streets, looking into houses and stables. Therefore, the peasants tried not to leave their homes unless absolutely necessary, and if they had to leave, they would return before sunset. At dusk, as many candles and lamps as possible were lit in the house, illuminating even dark corners to protect themselves from evil spirits.
The meal on this day, which falls on the Christmas Fast, was modest and lenten: porridges, vegetables, pickles and pies without skoromny were on the table. Noisy feasts were inappropriate; quiet family conversations were preferred. It was believed that if light, peace and harmony reigned in the house on Nikon's day, then the whole next year would be spent in prosperity.
On Nikon's day, the ancestors paid attention to the weather signs, hoping to find out what the winter would be like. If crows circled near the dwelling with loud cawing in the morning, they understood that long and severe frosts were coming.
- squirrels hide in hollows — for a prolonged and harsh winter;
- a clear frosty day leads to a stable winter without thaws;
- In the evening, the wind increases with fine snow, leading to snowstorms and changeable weather.;
- the sun with reflections on the sides leads to frost;
- Crows fly from place to place in the evening — towards the storm.
What not to do on December 24th
On Nikon Day, the ancestors adhered to a number of strict prohibitions in order to protect themselves and their loved ones from misfortune. On the holiday, they did not resort to fortune-telling and other ways to look into the future, fearing that this could lead to possession by an evil spirit.
What else can't be done on December 24th
- Leaving the house after sunset is a risk of encountering evil spirits.;
- Doing hard work in the evening, especially for women, leads to illness and constant fatigue.;
- Wearing other people's clothes and jewelry can take on other people's illnesses, troubles, and failures.;
- to meet the day in dirty or torn clothes — a year will pass in need and trouble;
- quarreling and cursing can lead to long—term strife and financial problems.;
- If men go hunting or fishing, they can get lost in the woods or drown.
What is the church holiday on December 24th?
On December 24, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of St. Nikon of the Caves, who lived in the XI–XII centuries. He was born into a noble and wealthy family, but chose the path of monastic service and took vows at the Kiev Caves Lavra. In 1096, during the raid of the Polovtsian Khan Bonyak, the saint, along with other monks, was captured. Khan subjected Nikon to severe tortures, starved him, and drove him outside into the cold and unbearable heat. However, the monk accepted all the trials with gratitude.
One day Nikon predicted to his tormentor that he would return to his monastery. Then they cut his tendons and reinforced the guard, but on the third day the prisoner was miraculously transferred to the Dormition Lavra church during the liturgy. Later, when Khan came to the monastery, he recognized Nikon, believed in Christ, and took monastic vows himself. St. Nikon died at the beginning of the 12th century and was buried in the Nearby Caves of the Kiev Caves Lavra.
Also on December 24, believers remember St. Daniel Stylites. He was born in Mesopotamia in the 5th century after much prayer from his parents. At the age of 12, the boy secretly entered a monastery, where he soon took vows. His humility and diligence surprised the brethren. After visiting the famous Simeon Stylites, Daniel received a prophecy from him that he himself would bear this most difficult feat. Following instructions from above, the saint retired to the Thracian desert, where he erected a pillar on which he spent 33 years in unceasing prayer. People flocked to his pillar, and all those who turned to him with faith received help, healing, and spiritual guidance. He possessed the gift of foresight and predicted, among other things, the great fire in Constantinople. The holy ascetic died at a very old age around the year 490.
Prayer for December 24th
Orthodox believers pray to St. Nikon of the Caves on December 24. He is asked to get rid of fears and anxieties, for family well-being and strengthening in faith. Also on this day, they pray to St. Daniel Stylites. They turn to him for protection from enemies, help in the fight against temptations and healing from ailments.
Prayer to St. Nikon Sukhoi, Pechersky
"O holy head, Venerable Father, Most Blessed Abbess Nikon, 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."
Prayer to St. Daniel Stylites
"O our venerable and God-bearing Father Daniel, we bless the great labors of your life—fierce tribulations, illnesses, temptations, and you have appeared to them as a victorious victor. We magnify the gifts of the Lord's grace, which you have revealed in many ways and in many ways to the sick and the sorrowing, to sinners and the lost, for their salvation. We remember you, the wise mentor, who speaks to people as a teaching word from the word of the Lord, touching souls and turning minds and hearts to God. We pray to you: do not forget, O most blessed Father, our faith in you and the hope of our trust in you, who always stand before your holy icon and warmly pray. Vouchsafe us, who look wisely upon the end of thy dwelling, to imitate thy faith and love. Remember us, the unworthy, in your holy and auspicious prayers to God, as a priest of God, standing before the Throne of the Almighty. We beseech you, great prayer-bearer and miracle-working saint, always be to us a comforter, healer, helper and intercessor, and a faithful patron and mentor. Do not be silent, crying out for us to the Lord, so that with patience we may strive for the salvation of our souls, looking to you, our holy teacher, and piously and justly, in unity of spirit, in unity of mind of faith and love, we may live in the present age; in the future, may we be worthy to glorify the grace and humanity of the One glorified in the Trinity. God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen to that."
Earlier, Izvestia reported on the signs of Mina's Day.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
