A special holiday on April 29 is Arina Rassadnitsa: history, traditions, omens

Every year on April 29, Orthodox believers honor the memory of three sisters – the Holy Martyrs Irina, Agapia and Chionia. In the national calendar, the date was named Arina Seedling. In 2026, it falls on Wednesday. Read about the history of the holiday, its traditions, signs and strict prohibitions in the Izvestia article.

What is the church holiday on April 29th?

Saints Agapia, Irene, and Chionia were sisters and lived near Aquileia, an ancient city in northern Italy, in the late third and early fourth centuries during the reign of Emperor Diocletian, who unleashed the persecution of Christians. Left without parents at an early age, the girls led a pious life. They believed in Jesus and refused to marry, despite the persistent offers of the suitors.

The sisters' spiritual mentor was Priest Zinon. According to the hagiography, it was revealed to him in a dream that he would soon die, and the girls would be tested for their faith. The same revelation was given to the Great Martyr Anastasia, who was called the Usurper for helping imprisoned Christians. She came to Agapia, Irina, and Chionia to support them before the coming persecution and strengthen their resolve not to renounce Christ. Soon the prediction came true: the elder died, and the sisters were captured and brought before the emperor for trial.

Diocletian tried to persuade the girls to renounce Christ, offering them noble gentlemen from his entourage. However, they replied that they had already devoted themselves to Jesus and called him their Heavenly Bridegroom.

By order of the emperor, Agapia, Irene, and Chionia were sent to Macedonia and handed over to the ruler Dulcicius. He, struck by the beauty of the girls, promised them freedom in exchange for fulfilling his wishes. But they declared that they were ready to die, but not to abandon the Christian faith.

At night, the ruler tried to force the girls to submit. However, according to legend, heavenly punishment immediately befell him: Dulcicius lost his mind and, in his confusion, accidentally got dirty with soot. When he saw himself like this, he decided that his sisters had bewitched him, and he planned to take revenge.

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At the trial, Dulcicius ordered the martyrs to be exposed in front of those present, but the soldiers could not take off their clothes. She seemed rooted to the girls' bodies. Then the ruler himself suddenly fell asleep, and it was possible to wake him up only after he was carried into the house.

When this was reported to Diocletian, the emperor became angry and transferred the case to another judge, Sisinius. He began the interrogation with the younger Irina, but, convinced of her firmness, sent her to prison and tried to break Agapia and Chionia. The sisters remained adamant.

Then the judge sentenced them to be burned. The martyrs took the verdict as a path to Christian achievement and met death with prayer. When the fire went out, the eyewitnesses saw that the bodies and clothes of Agapia and Chionia were not singed, and their faces remained calm.

In the morning, the day before Holy Easter, Sisinius brought Irina to court. He informed her about the death of her older sisters, tried again to persuade her to renounce Christ, and then threatened to send her to be insulted, but the girl did not give in.

When the guards led Irina to the place of the massacre, they were, according to legend, met by two bright young men and ordered to take the girl to a high mountain, as if on the orders of Sisinius himself. It later turned out that the judge had not given such an order. Together with the soldiers, he went to the mountain and saw Irina on the top, but for a long time he could not find his way up. Then one of the soldiers struck the martyr with an arrow from a bow. Before her death, according to her life, she thanked God and gave her soul to Christ. Later, the Great Martyr Anastasia learned of the sisters' demise and honorably buried their bodies.

Traditions of the national holiday Arina Rassadnitsa on April 29

In Russia, the name of Saint Irina was transformed into the more familiar Arina. By the end of April, the peasants began the main spring work — sowing seeds and planting seedlings. Therefore, April 29 was named Arina Seedling in the national calendar.

The ancestors believed that seedlings planted on a holiday tolerate temperature changes better, take root faster and get less sick. The main crop of the day was cabbage, which fed the family in the summer and was harvested for the winter. The women uttered special harvest spells so that the plants would take root and grow strong.

During this period, tomatoes of late varieties were planted, as well as celery, leeks and early varieties of cauliflower. In addition, on April 29, cucumbers were sown for seedlings in greenhouses and warm rooms.

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The men were preparing for plowing that day. The younger family members were assigned to take care of the garden. The trunks of fruit trees were whitewashed to protect the bark from pests, sudden temperature changes and the spring sun.

Another name for the holiday is Arina Urvi Berega. By April 29, the flood began to recede in many places, leaving washed-out banks and ravines, and the fragile edge of the land near rivers and streams. Therefore, during the holiday, they tried to be careful near the water and not approach the cliffs.

What not to do on Arina Rassadnitsa holiday

In Russia, a number of prohibitions were associated with the Arina Rassadnitsa holiday, the main one concerned negativity in words, deeds, and even thoughts. The ancestors believed that everything "sown" by a person on April 29, good or bad, would "germinate" and receive its continuation. Therefore, it was forbidden to quarrel on this day, especially with relatives. Such conflicts, according to beliefs, could drag on for a long time and deprive the family of well-being and prosperity.

What else you can't do on April 29th:

• swearing, envying, and slandering — bad words and thoughts return to the person who utters them.;
• to borrow things or money — together with them you can give prosperity and luck.;
• Going on a long journey, especially to the east, will be a difficult and hectic trip.;
• taking out the trash after sunset is a risk of "taking out" health, prosperity and family happiness from home;
• sewing and embroidery — with a thread you can "sew" troubles and discord to the house;
• Cutting hair and nails is a procedure that can weaken a person and deprive him of vitality.;
• wash — water on April 29 is able to "take away" health and energy;
• Saying goodbye on the threshold or stairs can lead to a falling out.

Also, bad dreams should not be told on a holiday. Dreams on the night of April 29 were considered prophetic, and retold aloud, according to beliefs, they could come true in 40 days.

Folk signs for April 29

At Arina's Breeding Ground, the peasants carefully observed nature, trying to predict by signs what the summer and the future harvest would be like.

• The birds fly alone, looking for a place to nest — for a good grain harvest.;
• heavy rain — for a hot and sunny summer;
• Thunder rumbles loudly — there will be a lot of bread in the fall;
• The ravines are still frozen, leading to a poor harvest.;
• Sunny day — spring will be warm;
• windy and cool — this weather will last until the beginning of summer.

Earlier, Izvestia told about the traditions and signs of the national holiday of Fomaid Medunitsa.