CrimeaPRESS reports:
As a rule, the frosts on January 9 are quite severe, and they indicate that real winter has come. The day of the Holy Apostle and First Martyr and Archdeacon Stephen was considered one of the main annual dates for hiring farm laborers. And in the north of Russia at that time there were elections of shepherds, with whom it was customary to conclude agreements, including on payment, which sometimes cost the peasants a pretty penny. A good shepherd was “valuable” in those days, having the reputation of being a respectable and respected man. Therefore, the village housewives gladly gave their growing sons as shepherds, telling them: “If you hire a shepherd, the whole village is in debt.”
Believers honor the memory of the Holy Great Martyr Stephen, the archdeacon who accepted death in the name of faith in Jesus Christ.
And on Stepan’s Day, January 9, girls predict their early marriage. Scatter the seeds on the table and count them in pairs. If you get an even number, it means you may be able to find a mate this year. The remaining one seed means that the girl will not get married soon.
Signs of the day:
- Anyone born on Stefan will be a good and zealous owner of his home.
- Frost on the trees portends a large harvest of grain crops.
- Frost and sun outside the window — the year will be fruitful.
- The most popular fortune telling for girls on this day is for a quick marriage. The unmarried girls scattered sunflower seeds on the table and counted them in pairs. If you get an even number, you have a chance to find a mate this year. If in the end there was only one seed left, you won’t be getting married soon!
- If on this day you water a horse from a bucket containing a silver coin, it will be quiet all year. In addition, this ritual protects horses from diseases. In this case, the coin was not spent, but placed in the stable.
- Snowfall on Stefan — the year will be mushroom and berry.
- Crows nest in the snow — foretells warm weather soon. If they gather in flocks on the treetops, the frosts will not subside for a long time.
- If you fence your house with aspen stakes on this day, no evil spirits will enter the yard.
- Small birds are not visible on the street — it’s snowing.
- The horse snorts — indicates mild weather. Behaving restlessly, shaking his mane — a snow storm. Lying on the ground — it will be warm.
- The horses have sweaty hooves — the long-awaited warmth will soon come.
- On Stephen’s Day, shepherds were especially honored. They entered into a rental agreement with them, the whole village visited them, and treated them to various sweets. If a shepherd had witchcraft abilities, everyone sought to become friends with him on that day, so that during the grazing season he would better protect the cattle.
- The geese are tucking their paws in for the winter cold.
- Fog over the field means warm weather.
- The moon is red at night — by morning it will be warm and snow will fall.
- The hare ran into the village — to a lingering cold.
Name days are celebrated today by: Antonina, Stepan, Tikhon, Fedor.
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