CrimeaPRESS reports:
People believed that this day could bring any weather surprise. Unpleasant, as a rule. And it often rained on July 20. Peasants believed: the sign is bad! Literally means that the showers can last as long as you like. This was a big hindrance for harvesting hay — wet and rotten it was not suitable for feeding cattle, which foreshadowed a hard winter. That is why the day was called «Avdotya-hay-nognoyka».
If the weather was good, the peasants would go to the field that day. The first harvest had begun. In the old days, they would reap by hand, with sharpened sickles. The harvested ears of corn were gathered into sheaves. The first sheaf was especially revered. It was called the name day. Such a sheaf was taken straight from the field to the church to be blessed, then placed in the red corner of the house. And then it was fed to the livestock on the feast of the Protection of the Holy Mother of God.
And after the first harvest, all family members would tell fortunes about the future. Everyone would throw their sickle on the floor of the hut. If the sickle stuck in the floor, it meant the person would die this year. If it lay on the floor, it meant luck.
On July 20, the Church honors the memory of Saint Euphrosyne, known in the world as Avdotya or Evdokia. She was born into the family of the Suzdal Prince Dmitry Konstantinovich, later becoming the wife of the Moscow Prince Dmitry Donskoy. During her reign, Avdotya built several churches, the most famous of which was the Ascension Convent on the territory of the Moscow Kremlin. Few knew that Avdotya observed a strict fast and wore chains under her princely robes. Avdotya had 5 sons, and they were very surprised when Avdotya decided to take monastic vows, after which she received the name Euphrosyne. It is known that before this, there was a rumor that the princess wore so many clothes and jewelry to please her lovers, and her sons were very upset by this. However, Avdotya threw off her clothes, and underneath them was an emaciated and thin body, which proved that she believed in Christ, and it was impossible to reproach her for sin. In the last years of her life, Euphrosyne (Avdotya) prayed a lot and did good deeds.
Signs for July 20:
- If it rains on this day, it will last for seven weeks.
- If it rains in the morning, it will cause crop failure.
- Oak brooms made on this day have a special healing power. If there is no bathhouse, you can simply sit under an oak tree, and you will notice how your strength is restored.
- You can’t swim on July 20th — the water spirit will drag you away.
- If you fumigate your house with oak leaf smoke, there will be no fire in it.
- If a beautiful butterfly lands on your hand and you manage to read “Our Father” 40 times before it flies away, any illness will go away.
- If July 20th falls on a Friday, then doing laundry on this day means poverty.
- Those born on July 20 will be lazy but rich.
Today’s name days are celebrated by: Alexander, Herman, Nikon, Ostap, Polikarp, Sergey, Evdokia and Euphrosyne.
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