A special national holiday on June 12 is St. Isaac's Day: history, traditions, omens

Every year on June 12, Orthodox believers honor the memory of St. Isaac of Dalmatia, a monk who defended Orthodoxy during the era of the Arian controversy. In the national calendar, the date is known as St. Isaac's Day, St. Isaac's Serpentine, Snake Feast. In 2026, it falls on a Friday. Read about its history, traditions, signs and strict prohibitions in the Izvestia article.

What is the church holiday on June 12th?

Isaac of Dalmatia lived in the IV–V centuries. The exact place of his birth is not known, according to church tradition, he came "from the East," probably from Syria. Before coming to Constantinople, he labored in the desert, led a strict monastic life, and avoided worldly fuss.

During this period, Rome was ruled by Emperor Valens, a proponent of Arianism, the doctrine according to which Jesus was not equal to God. The authorities closed Orthodox churches, and believers were oppressed.

In 378, the ruler was preparing for a campaign against the Goths. Isaac approached him several times and demanded that the churches be opened. For the last time, the saint warned Valens that he would be defeated and die if he did not stop the persecution. The enraged emperor ordered the monk to be imprisoned until his return.

The prediction came true: Valens' army was defeated at Adrianople, and the emperor himself died while fleeing. After that, Theodosius I the Great came to power in the eastern part of the empire. When he heard about Isaac and his prophecy, he ordered that he be released and received with honors.

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Isaac most of all wanted to return to the desert, but his disciples and noble townspeople asked the saint to stay near Constantinople. A cell was built especially for him outside the city walls. People reached out to the ascetic, they asked for prayers, blessings and help in need. A monastic community gradually developed around the saint's refuge. Later, the monastery was named the Dalmatian monastery, after Isaac's disciple, Dalmatian, whom he appointed as his successor before his death.

In Russia, St. Isaac of Dalmatia's memorial day coincided with Peter the Great's birthday on May 30, Old style. The emperor considered the saint his heavenly patron, so the main cathedral of St. Petersburg was named St. Isaac's Cathedral.

In the church tradition, Isaac is called a confessor, he openly defended the faith during the period of persecution, but was not executed for it.

Traditions of the national holiday St. Isaac's Day on June 12

In Russia, the saint's memorial day fell on the beginning of summer, a time of warm days, active field work and tall grass, when snakes became active in forests, meadows and fields. Therefore, in the national calendar, the holiday was called St. Isaac's Day, St. Isaac's Serpentine, or Snake Feast.

The peasants believed that on June 12, snakes would crawl out of hiding, gather together, and arrange "weddings." In folk tales, such a gathering was led by a seven-headed serpent, and a chance encounter with him that day promised great trouble.

Therefore, the ancestors tried not to go unnecessarily into the forest, meadows and thickets. The children were kept closer to home, and the road through the tall grass was chosen only if absolutely necessary. If it was necessary to pass, they took with them amulets, which were attributed protective power — a Mary root was attached to a cross, veronica flowers were placed in shoes, and in their hands they held a fern, a thistle or an ash stick. According to beliefs, these plants caused snakes to freeze, and they could not approach humans.

In Russia, the attitude towards snakes was ambivalent. They were feared and associated with evil spirits, but at the same time they were considered useful. Healers used snake venom and skin in folk medicine, they tried to treat inflammations, boils, eye diseases, and wounds that did not heal for a long time.

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The morning of St. Isaac's Day began with prayer. Believers went to the temple, remembered St. Isaac of Dalmatia, and asked him for help in difficult matters, firmness in faith, and spiritual and physical healing.

On the holiday, they always tried to give alms to those in need — the life of Isaac emphasized his mercy to the poor, so such help was considered the right way to honor the saint.

After church, the peasants returned to their daily chores. Legumes were planted during this period. Before planting, the seeds were soaked in meltwater, which was collected in advance in spring in the ravines, where the snow came last. To ensure that the harvest was good, a special spell was pronounced during work.: "Be born, beans, both large and large, for all shares, old and small, baptized for the whole world."

What not to do on St. Isaac's Day

In Russia, since June 12, there have been a number of prohibitions, the violation of which, according to beliefs, could lead to losses and troubles. They tried not to tempt fate and not to disturb the snakes on Isaac the Serpent. The ancestors believed that a bite on this day was deadly, and the help of a healer could be powerless.

What else you can't do on June 12th:

• raise the money you find — along with coins or bills, you can "pick up" other people's illnesses, troubles and failures.;
• to lend or borrow money, it will be difficult to repay it.;
• buying kitchen utensils and new dishes — the purchase will not last long and will bring money troubles.;
• lying and inventing tall tales can "attract" financial difficulties into life.;
• Giving a jewelry box to a loved one is a parting gift.;
• making casual acquaintances — a new person will bring anxiety or empty hopes to life.;
• telling a dream seen on the night of June 12 — a bad dream can "take hold", but a good one, on the contrary, will not come true.

Folk signs for June 12

On St. Isaac's Day, the peasants carefully observed nature, plants, birds and insects in order to predict the weather in the coming days by signs, as well as to determine what autumn would be like.

• The grass is dry in the morning, without dew, and rain is possible in the evening.;
• The morning fog is low, and the day will be clear and calm.;
• the water lilies close their petals and go under the water, the bumblebees are restlessly rushing about — for a quick downpour;
• The fern twists its leaves in the morning, and sunny and warm weather will set in during the day.;
• rain on St. Isaac's Serpentine — autumn will be wet and stormy;
• dry and hot day — the same dry weather will last a long time in autumn;
• Rosehip blooms profusely in St. Isaac's — the winter is expected to be harsh, with severe frosts;
• the owl screams loudly at night — to a sharp cold snap;
• spiders are actively weaving their webs — the weather will change soon;
• grasshoppers chirp loudly in the evening — warm days ahead;
• Golden sunset on June 12 — the next day will be clear and sunny.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the traditions and strict prohibitions of the Feodosiya Kolosyanitsa national holiday.