What can not do Volgograders on October 23, the day of Evlampiy Winter Indicator

Folk traditions: fire, cakes and the month

In Russia, on October 23, they called Evlampiy the Winter Indicator or Evlampiy Svetilnik. Daylight by this time became quite short, and the peasants began to harvest rays – thin chips of resinous logs about a yard (about 71 cm) long. They were inserted into special metal holders – lights – and lit instead of candles.

The fire was associated with signs: if the ray burned smoothly and brightly, the house will be in harmony and prosperity. But if it was constantly rotten or smoked, the ancestors believed that the dwelling was “jinxed”. To protect themselves from the dashing guest, they took a new knife, stuck it in the doorstep, read the conspiracy, and then removed it away.

The hostess tried to get up early and knead the dough: pies for breakfast promised a full and prosperous year. Men checked tools and repaired what had broken, and women spinned and counted supplies. Another tradition of the day is to feed the birds. It was believed that this would bring a full winter.

The main “predictive” function of the day concerned the month. We looked where his "horns" were directed: if to the north - wait for quick frosts and harsh winter, if to the south - autumn will linger, and cold will come later.

Orthodox Saints: Martyrs and Elders

The Church of October 23 honors the memory of the holy martyrs Eulampius and Eulampia, who lived at the beginning of the IV century in Nicomedia. They were brother and sister and suffered for their faith under the emperor Maximian. Eulampius, indignant with the decree on the execution of Christians, was captured and tortured, but did not renounce his faith. According to legend, he destroyed the pagan idol by the power of prayer. His sister Eulampia voluntarily came to trial, declared herself a Christian and shared the fate of her brother.

Also on this day, believers remember the Monk Ambrose of Optina, one of the most famous Russian elders of the XIX century. Both ordinary peasants and great writers came to him for advice, including Fyodor Dostoevsky and Leo Tolstoy. It was Ambrose who became the prototype of Elder Zosima in the novel The Brothers Karamazov.

The Day of Resurrection: What the Ancestors Avoided

Our ancestors believed that on October 23 there were strict rules and tried not to break them.