On September 24, Volgograd residents remember the icon before which Peter the Great prayed
On September 24, 2026, the Orthodox Church will celebrate the memory of several saints and one of the revered icons of the Mother of God, there will be two holidays in the secular calendar, and in folk tradition this day is associated with the completion of autumn works and preparations for winter
September 24 is the day of remembrance of St. Silouane of Athos, a monk of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, who lived at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. Silouan’s whole life was a heartfelt prayer “to great tears,” an exceptionally high feat of love for the Lord. In 1938, Elder Schemonach Silouan died peacefully. In his life, he showed an example of meekness, humility and love for others. 50 years later, in 1998, the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople listed the blessed elder as a saint.
Also on this day the memory of the saints: the Monk Theodora of Alexandria the Younger, who lived in the V century; the families of the martyrs Demetrius, Evanthia, Demetrius (I century); the martyrs Ia, the martyrs Diodorus and Didymus of Syria (362–364); the Monk Euphrosine (IX century); the hieromartyrs Nicholas, Victor (1918) and Karp (1937) presbyters; the hieromartyr Nicholas deacon (1942).
Transfer of the relics of St. Sergius and Herman of Valaam. St. Sergius and Herman are the founders of the Valaam Savior-Transfiguration Monastery. According to the Novgorod chronicle, during the attack of the Swedes in 1163-1164, the relics were transferred from Valaam to Novgorod, and later, “when the military danger passed”, in 1182 they were returned back. In 1819, the Holy Synod established the All-Russian veneration of the Valaam wonderworkers and determined their holiday. The relics of the monks still rest today in the lower temple of the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Valaam Monastery.
Feast of the icon of the Mother of God Kazan (Kaplunovskaya). In 1689, priest John Umanov from the village of Kaplunivka, Kharkiv province, in a dream it was discovered that in his house there is a miraculous icon of the Mother of God, which must be found and glorified. The icon, called Kaplunovskaya, became one of the revered shrines. Emperor Peter I prayed before the Battle of Poltava in 1709.
On September 24, the namesakes celebrate: Evdokia, Iya, Victor, German, Dmitry, Lev, Nikolai, Peter, Roman, Sergey.
In the national calendar, September 24 was called “Theodora – everything for the future” or “Theodorina evenings”. By this day, the harvest was completed, and the period of autumn housework began. The hostess chopped cabbage and harvested it for the winter – hence the expression “cabbage evenings”, which were going to help each other. Girls at this time guessed about the future and arranged gatherings with songs.
This day is also associated with natural observations:
As on other days, meteorologists treat signs with caution: they reflect centuries of observational experience, but do not replace scientific forecasting.
