Volgograd residents told about holidays and folk traditions on October 8

Orthodox calendar

On this day, the repose of the great Russian ascetic - hegumen Sergius of Radonezh (1392) is celebrated. He is revered as one of the most important saints of the Russian land. The founder of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, the spiritual mentor of Prince Dmitry Donskoy, the Monk Sergius blessed the Moscow prince before the Battle of Kulikovo and played an important role in the unification of Russia around Moscow.

Other saints commemorated on October 8:

St. Euphrosyne of Alexandria (V century) – to avoid marriage imposed by her father, she changed into a man’s dress and spent 38 years in a male monastery under the guise of a eunuch, reaching the height of spiritual life.

St. Euphrosyne of Suzdal (1250) – in the world Princess Theodoulia, daughter of the holy martyr Michael of Chernigov. She became abbess of the Pokrovsky monastery in Suzdal and became famous for her strict monastic life.

• The transfer of the relics of St. Herman, Archbishop of Kazan (1592) - one of the first enlighteners of the Kazan region, a companion of St. Gurius, who made a great contribution to the establishment of Christianity in the newly annexed lands.

St. Dosithea (Tyapkina), recluse of Kiev (1776) – ascetic, who bore a male name and lived in seclusion. It was she who instructed and blessed the young Prokhor Moshnin – the future Monk Seraphim of Sarov – on the monastic path.

The Monk Martyr Paphnutius the Egyptian and with him 546 martyrs (III century) – suffered for their faith in Christ during the era of persecution against Christians in the Roman Empire.

St. Nicholas Rozov, confessor, presbyter (1941) – took the priestly rank in pre-revolutionary Russia, in Soviet times was subjected to repression and imprisonment for his faith, died in exile.

The Relics of the Hieromartyrs Alexander Smirnov and Theodore Lebedev, Presbyters (1985) – pastors who suffered during the persecution of the Church, whose honest remains were found decades later.

On this day, their namesakes celebrate: Alexander, Athanasius, German, Eugene, Euphrosyne, Maxim, Nikolai, Ostap, Pavel, Prokhor, Roman, Sergey.

Folk traditions

October 8 in the national calendar, the date was called Sergius Cabbage or Chickenhouse. From this day in Russia traditionally began to harvest cabbage for the winter: chopped it, fermented in barrels, arranged joint gatherings with work and feast. The second nickname, Chicken Coop, is associated with the custom of cooking noodles on chicken broth.

On this day, we watched the weather to predict what the coming winter and the future harvest will be. If Sergey Kapustnik is clear and warm, the weather will be good for another 3 weeks. If the first snow falls, the winter will not be more than a month. If the snow is dry, then the summer will be good. A thick layer of snow on damp land will mean a good harvest in the coming year.

Secular holidays

october 8, 2026 is quite a busy day in the secular calendar.

The day of the commander of the surface, submarine and airship of the Russian Navy was established in 2007. The date was chosen in memory of the Navarino naval battle of 1827, where the battleship Azov was especially distinguished under the command of Mikhail Lazarev.

Day of workers of additional education in Russia is a holiday of teachers of circles and sections, coaches, methodologists and mentors who help children to reveal talents outside the school curriculum.

World Sight Day is celebrated on the second Thursday of October at the initiative of WHO. In 2026 falls on October 8. The goal is to draw attention to the prevention of eye diseases, the availability of ophthalmic care and early diagnosis. According to the WHO, at least 2.2 billion people worldwide suffer from visual impairment, and almost half of cases are preventable.

International Podiatrics Day is a professional holiday of foot and ankle health specialists supported by the International Federation of Podiatricians.

World Octopus Day is an informal ecological holiday dedicated to one of the most intelligent sea creatures. The name took root because of the consonance: “October” and “octopus” both come from the Latin root meaning “eight”.

International Off-Road Day is a holiday of fans of off-road equipment and travel on difficult terrain.

International Birth Registration Day is a reminder of the importance of official documents for a child’s access to education, health care and social protection.

Informal holidays

Quince Day is dedicated to aromatic autumn fruit, from which jam, compotes are brewed and which can be added to meat dishes.

Sauerkraut Day reminds of the traditional harvest, which occupied an important place in the life of the Russian village.

Boring Day is an ironic holiday that appeared in the early 2000s at the initiative of online communities. It’s a humorous look at perfectionists whose pedantry actually makes the world more orderly.

The day of sunny smiles is an easy reason to smile and share a good mood.