A special national holiday on January 16 is Gordeyev Day: history, traditions, omens

Every year on January 16, Orthodox believers honor the memory of two saints at once: the Old Testament prophet Malachi and the Martyr Gordius of Cappadocia. In the national calendar, the holiday is called Gordeyev Day. In 2026, it falls on a Friday. Read about its history, traditions and signs in the Izvestia article.

What is the church holiday on January 16?

The Old Testament prophet Malachi lived about 400 years before the Birth of Christ, at a time when the Jews returned from Babylonian captivity, rebuilt Jerusalem and began to worship in the temple again. According to church tradition, he came from the tribe of Zebulun, and was distinguished by his meekness and piety.

The name Malachi in Hebrew means "angel" or "my messenger." The saint led a righteous life, and in his prophecies he denounced a formal approach to faith, called for honesty, mercy, and loyalty to God. His teachings became an important milestone in the spiritual history of Israel.

On January 16, the Orthodox Church also honors another confessor of the faith, the Martyr Gordius. He was born at the end of the third century in Caesarea of Cappadocia into a Christian family and was raised in the Orthodox faith from childhood. He was educated, distinguished by his prudence and courage, therefore, having entered military service, he quickly moved up the career ladder and became a centurion in the Roman army.

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When the brutal persecution of Christians began under the emperor Licinius, Gordius voluntarily left military service and went into the desert. In solitude, he spent his days fasting and praying, preparing, according to church tradition, for an open confession of faith.

The decisive moment came in 320. Noisy pagan games were held in Caesarea in honor of the god of war Mars. In the midst of the festivities, Gordius came to the town square and confessed himself a Christian in front of all the people, openly declaring that he refused to worship idols and recognized only Jesus.

He was captured and persuaded for a long time to at least apparently renounce Christ for the sake of saving his life. However, the martyr replied that he would not deceive either with his tongue or his heart. After being tortured, he was sentenced to death and beheaded. In the church consciousness, Gordius became a model of Christian courage and loyalty to God even in the face of death.

Traditions of the national holiday Gordeev day on January 16

In the national calendar, the memory of the prophet and martyr Gordius eventually intertwined with winter rural concerns, transforming into a special holiday — Gordeyev Day. In Russia, January 16 fell at the height of Yuletide— the "terrible" days when, according to beliefs, the boundary between the human world and the afterlife is especially thin. People went to visit, speculated, and had gatherings, but at the same time they tried to protect their home, family, and livestock from evil spirits.

On the morning of January 16, believers went to churches, addressed the Martyr Gordius and the prophet Malachi with requests for health and healing from serious illnesses. They also prayed for strengthening their strength, for the protection of children and the elderly, for the well-being of the family and the preservation of the home. In the villages they said: "If you go to Gordius and Malachi in trouble, it will become easier."

According to legend, on January 16, "hungry witches" returned from winter festivities, attacked cows and milked them dry, which could kill the animals and leave the owners without milk for the whole winter. To prevent this, the ancestors conducted special rituals to protect the house and stable — they hung a tallow candle over the gate or entrance — it was believed that its dim fire and smell scared away evil spirits.

It was also customary to ask the brownie to protect the cows. In the evening, the owner or hostess would leave a piece of bread, cheese, or a spoonful of porridge for him in a secluded place, and ask him aloud to "water and feed the cow, drive it smoothly" so that the milk "ran through the veins into the udder, and from there into the pail and along the wings, onto thick sour cream." The words could change, but the meaning remained the same — the spirit of the house was asked for protection and prosperity.

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On the holiday, the cattle were treated to a special meal — oatmeal porridge with milk, "so that the milk would not be transferred and the strength would not go away." And the owners themselves, in order for the year to be full and prosperous, should definitely try cottage cheese — at least one spoonful. This was considered a sign of prosperity and health for the coming months.

Gordeyev Day falls on the continuation of Yuletide, the time when, according to popular belief, fate is "open for reading." The girls guessed at the betrothed, looked in the mirror with a candle, listened to conversations under the windows, threw a boot over the threshold to find out where the groom would come from.

It was believed that on January 16, rituals were especially effective, therefore, healers and witches were in great "demand". They were invited into the house to remove damage or the "evil eye" from the household, protect the house from envious people, "untie" diseases and failures, and strengthen the health of children.

In addition, you should definitely go to the sauna on Gordey. Water and steam were perceived as a means not only of bodily, but also of spiritual purification — the heat of the bath "drove out" longing and helped to endure the long winter more easily.

What not to do on the holiday of St. George's Day on January 16

In Russia, Gordeyev Day was considered a time when it was necessary to pay special attention to words and deeds. Our ancestors believed that on January 16 it was easy to "scare off" luck and bring bad luck. On a holiday, envy, malice, complacency and pride should be avoided, as these emotions "open the door" to troubles.

Dreams on the night of Gordey were considered prophetic in Russia, good ones could not be told to anyone, otherwise they would not come true. And the bad ones, on the contrary, should be spoken out loud in order to scare away a bad omen.

What else you can't do on January 16:

• cleaning and taking out the trash — together with the litter, you can "throw out" prosperity, family happiness and good luck in business.;
• to start new projects and invest money in serious business — the undertaking will either be delayed or not implemented at all.;
• to receive guests and go to visit yourself — noise and fun attract the kikimore and other small evil spirits, which can "stick" to the house and bring anxiety;
• needlework, sewing, spinning, knitting — such activities "tie up" luck and block cash flows.;
• bragging about success — your own or children's — bragging on Pride Day takes away what you are proud of (health, talent, well-being);
• talking about your plans and dreams — words make a person vulnerable to envy and the "evil eye."

Folk signs for January 16

On Gordeyev Day, the peasants observed the signs of nature, making weather forecasts for the coming days, as well as predicting events in their personal lives.:

• snow during the day leads to severe night frost;
• bright winter sun — for an early cold snap;
• the moon is clearly outlined in the sky — for prolonged and severe frosts;
• The sun is setting in a cloud — there will be heavy snowfall in the coming days.

The ancestors believed what the weather was like on January 16, and the first month of spring would be like that. If it was frosty and clear on Gordeev Day, we expected a dry but cool March, if there was a thaw and a blizzard, it was wet and unstable.

The peasants paid special attention to what was happening near the house and in the dwelling itself.:

• a titmouse is knocking on the window — to some news or news from afar;
• on the night of Gordey, I dreamed of a witch — for luck in love, reconciliation or a quick acquaintance.

Earlier, Izvestia was told when Household Day, or Christmas Meat-eater, is celebrated in Russia.