A special holiday on April 26 is Fomaida Medunitsa: history, traditions, omens

Every year on April 26, Orthodox believers honor the memory of the holy Martyr Thomas of Egypt, who lived in the 5th century. In the national calendar, the holiday is called Fomaida Medunitsa. In 2026, it falls on a Sunday. Read about its history, traditions, signs and strict prohibitions in the Izvestia article.

What is the church holiday on April 26th?

Saint Thomas was born in the 5th century in Alexandria, one of the largest cities of the Christian East. She grew up in a pious family, was brought up in the faith, knew the Holy Scriptures, and from a young age was distinguished by meekness and chastity.

When Fomaida turned 15, she was married to a young Christian fisherman. After the wedding, the couple moved into the house of her husband's parents. In the new family, the young daughter-in-law was soon loved for her kind disposition, gentleness and modesty.

One night in 476, Thomas's husband went fishing. Left alone with his daughter-in-law, the father-in-law succumbed to temptation and tried to persuade her to sin. She refused, reminding him of God's judgment and punishment for lawlessness. When persuasion did not work, the man grabbed his sword. But the girl was not afraid and firmly declared that she would not deviate from the Lord's commandment even under pain of death. Enraged, he struck a fatal blow.

The punishment followed immediately — the murderer was instantly blinded and could not escape. In the morning, her husband's friends and family found the body of Fomaida and the distraught criminal, who confessed to what he had done and demanded the death sentence for himself.

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At the same time, St. Daniel arrived in Alexandria. He ordered the monks of the nearby Oktodekad monastery to bury the girl in the monastery tomb. When some of the brethren objected to the burial of the woman next to the monks, the priest insisted, stressing that the martyr died for the sake of purity and righteousness.

Over time, Fomaida began to be revered as a special intercessor for those who ask for spiritual purity, chastity and deliverance from carnal temptations. In the life of the saint, it is said that one of the monks who suffered from this sin, on the advice of St. Daniel, came to pray at her tomb. There he fell asleep, saw the martyr in a dream, received her blessing, and after that he got rid of the passions that tormented him.

Traditions of the national holiday Fomaida Medunitsa on April 26

In Russia, on the day of the veneration of St. Thomas, honeydew appeared in forests and on the edges — one of the first spring herbs, which was valued for its medicinal properties and unusual appearance. Flowers of different shades could bloom simultaneously on the same stem — pink, bluish, purple. For a country person, such a changeable color was a symbol of spring, its gradual flowering. Hence the name of the holiday – Fomiada Medunitsa.

It was believed that on April 26, the honeydew was gaining special strength, so the eldest woman in the family, an experienced housewife who was well versed in herbs and knew where to look for the first shoots, went for her. Decoctions for coughs and colds were prepared from the plant, tea was brewed, young leaves were added to salads and lean spring dishes to maintain health and make up for the lack of vitamins.

There was a curious legend associated with this plant. In the old days, it was said that bees avoided it, although it was considered honey-bearing. Such a strange contradiction was explained by the legend of a bee that hid from God that it was the honeydew flowers that produced the sweetest nectar. As a punishment, she was forbidden to approach this grass.

Simultaneously with the honeydew, the first sorrel shoots began to be harvested in the villages. Cabbage soup was cooked from them, salads were prepared.

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In 2026, Orthodox Christians will celebrate the event on April 19th.

The ancestors always went to the church on St. Thomas the Medunitsa, where they prayed to the saint for chastity, inner fortitude, deliverance from evil thoughts and destructive passions.

Another name for the holiday is "Rabbit name day." At the end of April, hares were often spotted in the clearings and forest edges. Hunting them during this period was considered inappropriate by their ancestors. But the meeting with the animal itself was perceived as a good sign. According to the beliefs, the whole year should have been successful after that.

What not to do on the holiday of Fomaida Medunitsa

In Russia, a number of prohibitions were associated with the holiday of Fomaid Medunitsa, the violation of which, according to beliefs, could deprive a family of good luck and prosperity. On April 26, one should not disrespect women, argue or humiliate their dignity. Such behavior contradicted the meaning of the day of veneration of St. Thomas, who suffered for purity and fidelity, and could lead to personal setbacks, discord in relationships and loneliness.

What else you can't do on April 26th:

• staring at other people's wives or husbands leads to illness and mental turmoil;
• Going on a long journey will be an alarming journey, with dangers and unforeseen obstacles.;
• arguing with family members — the conflict will last longer than usual;
• sitting on the corner of the table leads to loneliness and unsettled personal life;
• taking out the trash after sunset leads to monetary losses;
• to cut your hair, you can "trim" your own vitality and health;
• counting money on the table leads to loss of luck and financial troubles;
• leaving sharp objects in plain sight leads to quarrels, harsh words and tension in the family.;
• Wearing other people's clothes is a risk of taking on other people's troubles, worries and problems.;
• to make large purchases — such a thing will quickly break down or turn out to be useless.;
• inviting guests into the house and going to other people's houses yourself unnecessarily — the meeting may end in a quarrel or misunderstanding.;

Folk signs for April 26

On Fomaida Medunitsa, the peasants carefully observed nature, and they tried to determine from the condition of the trees and the behavior of the birds what the coming summer would be like and whether the year would be fruitful.

• clear starry sky on the night of April 26 — the year promises to be generous and fertile;
• the oak tree has already blossomed by the holiday — by the hot summer;
• The cuckoo is loudly crowing in the forest in the forest — for a series of warm days.

On Thomas the Great, the ancestors also had everyday signs by which they judged the near future. If pigeons cooed near the house, it was perceived as good news for an unmarried girl — the family expected an early matchmaking or wedding. But getting dirty on this day was considered a bad omen. People believed that after this, a person could be haunted by minor troubles for 40 days.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the signs and strict prohibitions of a special Vasily Parilshchik holiday.