February 18 — Trojan Winter, Day of Remembrance of the Dead, Agafya Cowgirl

By CrimeaNEWS On Фев 17, 2024

CrimeaPRESS reports:

Our Slavic ancestors celebrated Trojan Winter on February 18th. This is a day to honor the heroes who were able to defend their lands against the invincible Roman legionnaires. The exact date of the battle in the Danube region, near Troyan Val (the etymology of the name has not yet been clarified) has been lost for centuries — historians suggest that the event took place around 101 AD. But this glorious episode was described in the Book of Veles, as well as in “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”:

The Romans were jealous of us and planned evil against us — they came with their carts and iron armor and attacked us, and therefore they fought them off for a long time and drove them away from our land; and the Romans, seeing that we were firmly defending our lives, left us… And they died on the direct path to the funeral feast, and Stribog’s grandchildren dance over them, and cry about them in the fall, and in the cold winter they lament about them. And the wondrous doves say that they died gloriously and left their lands not to their enemies, but to their sons. And so we are their descendants, and we will not lose the land.

Trojan Day in Rus’ was considered one of the greatest military celebrations. It was celebrated magnificently: every warrior on this day had to do something heroic, dangerous and useful for himself, his homeland and family. They showed off their skills in public. In the evening, a large feast was held: the Slavs commemorated those to whom they owed their freedom.

As for the martyr Agathia, whose memory is venerated by believers on February 18th. She was the daughter of eminent and wealthy Christian parents. The family lived in the Sicilian city of Palermo. According to legend, during the persecution of Christians under Emperor Decius (249-251), the girl was tortured for her faith. In Rus’, the name of the saint “Agathia” was transformed into a more familiar name — Agafya, and was accompanied by the prefix “Cowgirl”, because they believed that she was the patron of cattle. They prayed to her for the health of pets, asking her to protect them from the evil eye and damage.

Also, February 18 is listed in the national calendar as the Day of Remembrance of the Dead. We need to pray for the souls of the departed. Especially those who left this world after going through a violent death.

The weather signs for today are as follows:

Frosty day — spring will be early and warm, and there will be no rain in summer.
No snow on February 18 — expect drought in the summer.
If frost strikes, summer will most likely be sultry.
If it’s warm on Agafya, then winter is already over – we can expect spring.
If the weather is frosty outside on February 18, summer will be warm and rainless.

Name days are celebrated today by: Agafya, Alexandra, Vasilisa, Feodosius, Mikhail, Makar.

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