CrimeaPRESS reports:
6th January — not only the Day of St. Claudia and St. Eugenia. It is also Christmas Eve or Christmas Eve, when people go from house to house and sing carols for good luck. Today ends the Filippov Fast, which began on November 28. According to legend, it was on this night that Jesus Christ was born.
It is interesting that, despite church prohibitions, in ancient times in Rus’ girls gathered together on January 6 to tell fortunes, since, according to beliefs, fortune telling at Christmas is always true. Until the first star rose, they tried not to eat. They prepared a rich table for the holiday, did the cleaning, and rubbed the floors with juniper grass so that the house had a pleasant smell.
Memory of the Venerable Martyr Eugenia
Saint Eugenia acquired the gift of healing
She brought many virgins to Christ, and Claudia set up a hospice and served widows. After several quiet years, Emperor Gallienus (260–268) again began the persecution of Christians, and many of them took refuge with Saints Claudius and Eugenia. At that time, an orphaned young Roman woman from the royal family, Vasilla, having heard about Christians and about Saint Eugenia, wanted to meet the saint and wrote her a letter. In response, Saint Eugenia sent her friends and associates, Protus and Iakinthos, who enlightened Vasilla, and she received Holy Baptism. Basilla’s maid told her fiancé Pompey that his bride had become a Christian, and Pompey complained to the emperor about Christians preaching celibacy.
Brought to account, Vasilla refused to marry Pompey, and for this she was stabbed with a sword. Saints Protus and Jacinthos were dragged into the idol temple to make a sacrifice, but as soon as they entered there, the idol fell and broke. The holy martyrs Protus and Iakinthos were beheaded. Saint Eugenia was also forcibly brought to the temple of Diana, but before she had time to enter it, the entire temple, along with the idol, collapsed. The holy martyr was thrown into the Tiber with a stone around her neck, but the stone fell off and she remained unharmed. She remained unharmed in the fire. Then they threw her into a ditch, where she remained for 10 days. At this time, the Savior Himself appeared to her and announced that she would enter the Kingdom of Heaven on the day of the Nativity of Christ. When this bright holiday came in 262, the executioner killed the holy martyr with a sword. Soon Saint Claudia also accepted the crown of martyrdom. The Venerable Martyr Eugenia warned her about the day of her death.
Signs and traditions of January 6:
- Despite the prohibitions of the church, unmarried girls and boys sought to tell fortunes on this day. It is believed that fortune telling on Christmas Eve always comes true.
- Until the first star rose in the sky, eating was not allowed at all. Housewives were finishing the final preparations for the holiday, preparing a hearty meal, doing light cleaning in the kitchen, and scrubbing the floors with juniper grass to make the house smell better. Only in the evening did the Nativity fast end and people sat down to a richly laid festive table.
- You cannot take trash out of the house on this day. Everything that accumulated was collected and hidden in a secluded place, and then burned.
- The day is clear and sunny — the year will be fruitful.
- Roads in thawed areas — buckwheat will grow well.
- Starry night — to a harvest of berries, mushrooms and good, abundant offspring from livestock.
- The night sky is overcast — there will be few berries in the forest.
- Based on the weather on Christmas Eve, the weather for the whole of December was determined.
- Anyone born on Christmas Eve is sure to be rich.
- You cannot sit at the Christmas table dressed in black — this is the color of sadness.
- A special Christmas tradition is carols. On Christmas Eve, young people dressed up in festive costumes and visited their fellow villagers. Guys and girls sang comic songs (carols) in exchange for food and hard cash. Not letting carolers into the house was considered a bad omen — good luck would leave the house. While the hospitable meeting of the messengers of Christmas promised the owners wealth and prosperity.
- Severe frost outside means good harvest.
- The Milky Way is clearly visible in the night sky — for a warm summer.
- A mandatory procedure on this day is a bath. It was believed that this protected against disease for the whole year.
Also, on January 6, they judge what the month of December will be like. Signs help with this. On Claudia’s Day they say: “The day has increased by a chicken foot.” According to ancient signs, the most severe frosts are coming right now. “Winter frolics not only in the forest, but also on a person’s nose,” people say.
And on January 6 they celebrate:
- Christmas Eve (Nativity Eve)
- Khur-khrum-day
- Catholic Epiphany
- Shortbread Day — USA
- Holy Nativity and Epiphany – Armenia
- National Bean Day — USA
- Little Christmas – Ireland
- Feast of the Three Kings — Germany
- Maroon Day — Jamaica
- Armed Forces Day — Iraq
- Holiday of Banking and Financial Workers – Belarus
- Pathet Lao Day – Laos
- Befana Day – Italy
- Traditional Day of Offering – Bhutan
- Jordan’s Day – Bulgaria
- Name days for Evgenia, Claudia, Artyom, Nikolai, Sergei
based on materials: azbyka.ru
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