CrimeaPRESS reports:
May 4th – people believed that in spring not only nature awakens, but also various evil spirits. In the autumn, with the arrival of cold weather, all the evil spirits hide in holes and dens, and in the spring, having gained strength, they return to their possessions again. To appease the forest spirits, at the beginning of spring it was customary to go into the forest and leave a basket with treats in the clearing. On Proklov Day in Rus’, people tried to resist evil spirits and sent curses to them, intending to drive them back into forest holes. In the old days, people also believed that on the night of May 4, witches turned grass into poison, so they tried to drive out evil spirits from gardens and fields so that livestock would not suffer.
They also turned to the brownie for help, asking him to protect the home, outbuildings and livestock from the machinations of evil spirits. Brownie awakening day is April 1st. The night before, various treats were left near the stove for the house spirit. To help the brownie and completely drive out evil spirits, with the arrival of spring, they carried out general cleaning in the house, washing the windows to let more sunlight into the home.
In the old days, May 4 was called differently: Fedor-lyalnik, Fedor, Prokul, Lyalnik. They tried not to work on this day, but to pay attention to various rituals, since it was believed that witches could harm and destroy livestock. But it was on domestic animals that human life directly depended in the old days.
On the day of Proclus, there was a widespread tradition of dancing around the apple tree, and young girls did this. They said that they cherished (lyalili — old) good weather. Therefore, May 4 was nicknamed Lyalnik.
May 4: signs and beliefs
- The bird cherry blossomed early — for a warm and fine summer. The sooner the tree blooms, the hotter the summer will be.
- If the ant on Proclus is clean and well-fed, then the wheat will be born well.
- It is raining from high clouds — the ground is well saturated with moisture.
- Poplar fluff has appeared — it’s time to plant cucumbers.
- The stars are twinkling strongly, and in the morning clouds have appeared — there will be a thunderstorm at noon.
- A lot of sorrel — the winter will be warm and snowy.
- There are a lot of flowers on the bird cherry — for a wet summer.
- The birch grew pubescent earlier than the maple — in anticipation of a dry summer. If the maple has pubescent earlier than the birch, then it will often rain in the summer.
- In a bare forest, a nightingale sang — a sign of crop failure.
- The day is favorable for searching for missing people and things.
- Dreams from May 3 to 4 warn about something.
Memorial Day of the Hieromartyr Iannuarius (Januarius) and Deacons Sosius and Proclus
Saint Iannuarius was seized and brought to trial before the ruler of Campania (Central Italy), Timothy. For his firm confession of the Christian faith, the saint was thrown into a red-hot oven. But, like the Babylonian youths, he emerged from there unharmed. Then, by order of Timofey, he was stretched out on a bench and beaten with iron rods so that his bones were exposed.
Among the assembled crowd were the holy deacon Faustus and the holy reader Disiderius, who wept at the sight of their bishop’s suffering. The pagans realized that they were Christians and threw them into the prison of the city of Puteola along with the holy martyr Iannuarius. In that prison were two deacons, Saints Sossius and Proculus, who had previously been imprisoned for confessing Christ, and two laymen, Saints Eutyches and Akution.
The next morning, all the martyrs were taken to the circus to be torn to pieces by wild animals, but the animals did not touch them. Timothy announced that all miracles occur from the witchcraft of Christians, but he immediately became blind and began to cry out for help. The meek hieromartyr Iannuarius prayed for his healing, and Timothy received his sight. Spiritual blindness did not leave the tormentor, and he, with even greater fury accusing Christians of witchcraft, ordered the heads of all the martyrs to be cut off outside the city walls.
Also on this day, May 4th, they celebrate:
- Dog Happiness Day
- International Firefighters Day
- International Respect for Chickens Day
- Star Wars Day
- World Naked Gardening Day
- Birthday folding umbrella
- Noodle soup lovers day
- World Give Day
- World Labyrinth Day
- International Scrapbooking Day
- May 4 – Anti-Bullying Day
- Memorial Day of the Hieromartyr Iannuarius, Bishop of Benevento
- International Female Ride Day
- Bird Day — USA
- National Orange Juice Day — USA
- May 4 – Greenery Day – Japan
- Labor Day — Zambia
- Youth Day — China
- May 4 – Free Comic Book Day – USA
- Youth Day — Fiji
- Memorial Day — Netherlands
- May 4 – Kassinga Day – Namibia
- National Renewal Day — USA
- Civil Aviation Workers Day — Turkmenistan
- May 4 – Day of Restoration of Independence – Latvia
- Crown Prince Day — Tonga
- Rochester Chimney Sweep Festival — UK
- St. Florian’s Day — Austria Tax Workers’ Day — Tajikistan
- Name days for Alexey, Isakiya, Denis, Kondrat, Maxim, Fedor, Ivan, Nikolay, Alexander
- Proklov Day
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