Why you can’t speak loudly and go outside the fence
Wednesday, November 24, got two names in the national calendar – “Fedor Studit” and “Fedor Moroz”. Ancient customs on this day ordered to carefully observe everything that was happening around and predict the future. It is interesting that virtually any person could make forecasts on this day. How? And what else did you need to do?
On November 24, believers honor the memory of the Byzantine monk Theodore the Studite. It is believed that he was born into the family of an official in the 8th century, received a good education, but then, under the influence of his uncle, who was the abbot of the monastery, he decided to leave worldly life and took monastic vows. After some time, Saint Theodore himself received the rank of hegumen and remained in the people’s memory as an ascetic and a preacher of Christianity.
From the life of the saint it follows that he fearlessly denounced the vices of the rulers, defended shrines from the iconoclasts, for which he was repeatedly imprisoned and tortured. By the way, by the end of the century, the saint and his disciples settled in the Studiosky monastery.
Russian people simplified the name of St. Theodore to understandable “Fedor“. And the nickname “Studite“And completely interpreted it in their own way. Due to the fact that several centuries ago winter weather was established in November, the reservoirs were shackled with ice, and snow fell on the ground, the peasants called Saint Theodore Frost… Sayings and sayings were added about this pious abbot. For example, such: “Fedor Studite the ground»; «From Studite, the cold is worse every day».
However, November 24 was considered special despite the bad weather outside the window. What did folk customs demand to do at this time?
– not to leave the yard without urgent need (it was believed that this could bring misfortune);
– do not shout or sing loudly (they said that this could attract evil spirits);
– observe the weather and nature, and then make a forecast about the future.
If the weather was damp on that day, rain was pouring from the sky, and the roads turned into slush, it was said that long thaws would last until the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos (4 december). If the day is warm, then the winter will be warm, if it is cold, then the whole winter is cold. The cry of the crows that day foreshadowed the coming of trouble. A dog whining in a kennel is a disease of one of the household. If there were many stars in the sky on November 24, then next year life will be well-fed and happy, and there will be many mushrooms and berries in the forests.
By the way, in order for the omen to come true, tea with dried berries – raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, was necessarily brewed on this day.
Happy birthday on November 24, you can congratulate:
Vikentiy, Viktor, Eugene, Maxim, Stepan, Timofey, Fedor.
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