Snake Day September 25: what folk signs promise good luck, and which – trouble
September 25 in the national calendar is a special day known as Artamon Serpentine
The basis of the national holiday is the church memory of the Hieromartyr Avtonom (in the Russian tradition - Artamon), a bishop who suffered for the faith in the IV century. In Russia, the name of the saint organically woven into the agrarian calendar: September 25 coincided with an important natural border - the completion of the summer activity of snakes.
According to legends, on this day reptiles massively left fields and meadows, moving to forests and hidden burrows, where they remained until spring. Hence the name, the Serpentine. The peasants said: “Artamon the serpent lets out the last time, and then shuts them in the depths of the earth to a castle.” This perception reflected not only fear of dangerous animals, but also an attempt to explain seasonal changes: cooling, shortening of daylight hours, the transition of nature to “winter mode”.
Folk signs on Artamon Day primarily concerned the weather and harvest. Observations of animals, plants and atmospheric phenomena helped to predict winter and plan spring work.
These signs were formed for centuries and reflected the real climatic patterns of the Central strip of Russia. For example, the behavior of mice is indeed associated with waiting for cold weather, and the abundance of acorns is often correlated with weather conditions favorable for the harvest.
Despite the "dangerous" reputation of the day, there were also permitted, even encouraged, actions:
Artamonov’s day was surrounded by many taboos, the violation of which, according to legend, threatened with trouble:
