A special national holiday on May 17 is Pelageya the Intercessor: history, traditions, omens

Every year on May 17, Orthodox believers honor the memory of the martyr Pelagia of Tarsus, who suffered for the Christian faith at the end of the third century. In the national calendar, the date was named Pelageya the Intercessor. In 2026, the holiday falls on a Sunday. Read about its history, traditions, signs and strict prohibitions in the Izvestia article.

What is the church holiday on May 17th?

Pelagia was born in the 3rd century in Tarsus, a large city in the south of Asia Minor. Her family belonged to a noble pagan family, the girl received a good education, grew up in prosperity and, according to legend, was distinguished by her rare beauty. She was expected to have a profitable marriage and a high position at court, but even in her youth she believed in Christ.

During this period, the Roman Empire was ruled by Emperor Diocletian, who went down in history as the initiator of the most severe persecution of Christians. According to legend, he wanted to marry Pelagia to his adopted heir. The young man was captivated by her beauty and counted on her consent. This union was arranged by the girl's mother, but she refused, as she already considered herself the bride of Christ and was not going to enter into an earthly marriage.

Pelagia aspired to be baptized. Bishop Klinon was hiding in Tarsus at that time. The girl asked her mother to let her go to the nurse, but the real purpose was to meet with the bishop. The life tells us that the day before he appeared to her in a dream, and when the future saint saw him in reality, she immediately recognized him.

Pelagia asked to be baptized, and the bishop, seeing the firmness of her decision, performed the sacrament. According to legend, at that moment a spring of water flowed out of the ground. And the girl's servants, shocked by what they saw, also believed. When the convert returned, the wet nurse immediately realized that she had become a Christian and asked her to leave, fearing the consequences. At home, the girl tried to convince her mother to accept the new faith, but instead of supporting her, she informed the royal heir that his bride had devoted herself to Christ.

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The rejected groom committed suicide, which further hardened Pelagia's mother. She brought her daughter to Diocletian, no longer as a rebellious bride, but as a Christian. The emperor, shocked by the beauty of the girl, wanted to make her his wife. He tried to seduce her with promises, wealth and high position, but she refused.

The enraged ruler sentenced Pelagia to torture and execution. The girl did not allow the executioners to rip off her clothes, and she threw herself into the red-hot bull. Her remains, according to the hagiography, were thrown out of the city. Soon four lions came to them and began to protect them from animals and birds. Later, the place where the relics of the saint are located was revealed to Bishop Klinon. He collected them and buried them on a hill. After the end of the persecution of Christians, under Emperor Constantine, a temple was built over the burial place of the martyr.

Traditions of the national holiday Pelageya Intercessor on May 17th

In Russia, the name of Saint Pelagia was transformed into a more familiar one — Pelagia. Her ancestors revered her as an advocate for girls and all those who seek protection from slander and injustice. Hence the name of the holiday — Pelageya the Intercessor. May 17 was also called Baklushnikov Day. During this period, peasants made buckets, wooden blanks for spoons.

The believers began the morning with a visit to the temple. The saint was asked to strengthen her faith, protect her from bad thoughts, help in family disputes, and reconcile with her loved ones. The girls believed that Pelageya could help in matters of the heart and protect against slander, so they turned to the martyr with requests for a happy fate. And those who considered themselves unfairly accused, prayed for intercession and the restoration of a good name.

The peasants actively planted seedlings on Pelagia. To ensure a good harvest, special rituals were performed in the gardens, which, according to legend, could protect the plantings from pests and the evil eye. To do this, old bast shoes or cracked pots with nettles pulled out by the roots were brought to the beds. They were supposed to distract the evil eye and prevent the "envious" force from harming cabbage, cucumbers and other vegetables.

At that time, the woodworkers chose a suitable trunk, separated the logs and made buckwheat — rough blanks, from which spoons were then cut. Nowadays, the expression "beating the bucket" means loafing, but in the old days this job required effort and experience. It was necessary to correctly determine the type of tree, part of the trunk, the direction of the fibers and to know how the workpiece would behave after drying.

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In popular beliefs, Pelagia the Intercessor was also the patroness of birds, especially crows. The birds were not driven out of the yard, on the contrary, they were fed, considering it a good sign for the house.

In the villages, a special magical power was attributed to the holiday, so on the night of May 16-17, unmarried girls guessed at their betrothed, tried to remember the dream, looked at the signs and believed that on this night they could see the image of the future groom.

What not to do on the feast of Pelagia the Intercessor

In Russia, Pelagia the Intercessor was subject to a number of prohibitions, the violation of which, according to beliefs, could lead to diseases and troubles. First of all, on May 17, birds should not be harmed, their nests destroyed, chickens slaughtered, and poultry dishes prepared. An intruder could anger the saint, their patroness, and bring quarrels, illness, and setbacks to their home.

What else you can't do on May 17th:

• slander, spread rumors — lies will come back to a person in trouble.;
• to refuse help to those in need — stinginess and callousness on a holiday will deprive a person of prosperity and will be the beginning of a "black streak";
• carelessly handle knives, needles, axes and fire — there is a high probability of cuts, burns and other injuries on this day.;
• cutting your nails is a risk of "shortening" your health;
• quarreling with relatives — the conflict on Pelagia can drag on for a long time;
• Giving gifts will bring discord and sadness, with the exception of a painted wooden spoon, a symbol of prosperity and family harmony.

Folk signs for May 17th

On Pelagia, the peasants carefully observed nature, the behavior of birds and insects, in order to determine by signs what the summer would be like, whether to expect a good harvest.

• lots of May bugs — summer will be dry;
• The cuckoo is loudly crowing — for good weather;
• there is no dew in the morning — the weather will change soon;
• sparrows rush about in flocks and do not find a place — in the face of a strong wind;
• Heavy rain on May 17 will bring a rich harvest.
• Viburnum bloomed — you can sow cucumbers, pumpkins, corn and beans;
• earrings appeared on the maple tree — it's time to plant beets.;
• the leaf on the oak tree has expanded to the size of a nickel — for good spring shoots.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the signs and strict prohibitions of the special holiday of Mavra Rassadnitsa.