Tryphon fixes a fur coat, and Pelageya sews mittens. What signs on October 21 predicted a harsh winter and what you tried not to do on this day

In the national calendar on October 21, Triphon and Pelagia were celebrated, and this day was also called Chills and Repairs. The Orthodox Church on this date remembers St. Tryphon of Vyatka and St. Pelagia of Antioch.

The main task of the day was to prepare for the cold. People checked winter clothes, repaired fur coats, took out warm handkerchiefs and mittens. It was believed that you need to meet frosts fully armed, otherwise winter will take you by surprise.

There is a famous saying: “Triphon repairs a fur coat, Pelageya sews mittens.” In the autumn, they tried not to postpone household affairs: they warmed homes, checked stocks and put the economy in order.

Special attention was paid to nature observations on October 21. They tried to understand when the steady cold will come and what the coming winter will be like.

There were signs among the people:

With the day of Tryphon and Pelageya associated and household bans. For example, it is not recommended to wear warm clothes, unless it was previously cleaned. It was believed that negligence in preparation for the winter will turn into additional trouble.

Also tried to avoid despondency, bad thoughts and rash meetings with strangers. These ideas referred to popular beliefs, and not to mandatory church regulations.

The main meaning of the traditions of October 21 was to prepare for winter: it was necessary to take care of clothes, house and household, until the cold finally came into its own. For residents of the Murmansk region, where the autumn cold snap is especially noticeable, this idea remains quite practical today, regardless of the attitude to folk signs.