Paraskeva Gryaznuha: Church holiday, folk traditions and signs on October 27

Today, the Russian Orthodox Church honors the memory of the Monk Paraskeva of Serbia and marks the appearance of the Yahroma Icon of the Mother of God. In the national calendar, this date is known as Paraskeva Gryaznuha, Lnyaniha or Trepalnitsa. The name "Mud" was fixed for the day because of the characteristic for the end of October muddy, when rain and wet snow made the roads almost impassable.

The Monk Paraskeva lived in the XI century in the city of Epivat on the shore of the Marmara Sea. After the death of her parents, she renounced her inheritance, distributing it to the needy, and took tonsure in Constantinople. After making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, she settled in the Jordan Valley, and before her death returned to her homeland. According to the church tradition, the acquisition of her relics was accompanied by miraculous healings.

In Russia, this day marked the beginning of winter women's work. The hostess began to tremble and mint flax. The process was collective: women gathered together for work and communication, which is reflected in the alternative names of the holiday - Lnyaniha and Trepalnitsa. Saint Paraskeva in the popular consciousness was considered the patroness of women's winter needlework.