Yegoryev Day - signs and traditions of the Spring and Autumn holidays. What is St. George's Day in history?

George's Day falls on the day of remembrance of St. George the Victorious. In Rus', it signified certain economic and financial relationships. Thanks to the economic reforms of Boris Godunov, the phrase “St. George’s Day” acquired a negative connotation.

St. George's Day: origins

One of the early Christian saints, George, won many hearts with his actions and strength of faith and contributed to the conversion large quantity people to Christianity. In Rus', Saint George is also known as Yuri or Yegori.

Days of the Great Martyr Yuri in church calendar It is celebrated twice: in spring and autumn. Spring celebrations fall on Gregorian calendar, adopted by the Orthodox on May 6. Catholics celebrate St. George's Day of Remembrance on April 23.

What date is St. George's Day in 2018?

The autumn meeting of St. George's Day falls on Julian calendar on November 26, and for the Orthodox - on December 9. This is the celebration of the Consecration of the Church of the Great Martyr George. The church was built in Kyiv by Tsar Yaroslav the Wise, and on November 26 (old style), 1051, the temple was consecrated, and Yaroslav issued a decree to celebrate this day throughout Rus'. On December 9, birthday boys Georgy, Egor and Yuri accept congratulations.

Thus, in 2018, St. George's Day falls on May 6 and December 9. These dates are fixed and always fall on the same days.

In the old days in Rus', the days of the Great Martyr Yegor had economic and everyday significance. On spring Yegor (Yegory Osenniy) the cattle were first driven out to pasture, the villagers went out to the fields, and the priest read prayers for the future harvest and fertility.

In the autumn of Yegor, the financial year and all work related to the harvest ended. All cash payments were tied to this day; the peasants paid the landowner a fee for the use of the land. It is with this date that the expression “to cheat” is associated, that is, to deceive in calculations.

Until the 15th century, serfdom in Rus' was not absolute. The peasant, having paid the landowner, could at any time go to another landowner. This forced landowners to “lure” peasants with material assistance, reduction of taxes, and payment of allowances.

Absolute serfdom came to Rus' in the 15th century with the judicial codes of Tsar Ivan III. From now on, peasants had the right to leave the landowner only in the weeks tied to St. George’s Day: the week before and the week after the autumn St. George’s Day. Ivan the Terrible enshrined these provisions in the Code of Laws of 1550. From now on, peasants in Rus' lost the right to freely leave the landowner, and St. George’s Day began to be associated with serfdom and received a negative connotation.

George became one of the early Christian saints, who won the hearts of believers in all countries and inspired many artists to create bright, expressive canvases. The whole life of Saint George was extraordinary. The life tells that the great martyr was born in the 3rd century in Palestine, in the city of Lida. His family was very rich and professed Christianity.

The saint was distinguished by his strength, courage and intelligence. He became a thousand-man and a favorite of Emperor Diocletian. When the persecution of Christians began, he openly took their side and distributed his property to the poor. He was captured and tortured for being a Christian. The torture of the Great Martyr George lasted 7 days, but every day all his wounds were miraculously healed.

They broke the saint's bones, threw him into quicklime, tortured him with a hot iron, gave him poisonous decoctions - nothing could harm him. He also held out during torture with unprecedented courage and did not renounce his faith in Jesus. He dreamed of a Savior with a golden crown on his head, who promised him paradise.

The servant wrote down the martyr's dream, as well as his order to take his body to Palestine. The saint's dying wish was to visit the temple of Apollo. In the temple, George made the sign of the cross over the statue of Apollo, forcing the demon in the statue to declare himself an idol. After this, all the idols in the temple were destroyed.

Empress Alexandra on her knees asked the martyr to forgive the sins of her husband - the miracles she saw forced her to convert to Christianity. Diocletian ordered the execution of both: George and Empress Alexandra. The Great Martyr accepted death with a clear smile. The posthumous miracles of Saint Yuri are also known: the resurrection of a man, the resurrection of a bull, the battle with a dragon.

The relics of Yuri are kept in the city of Lod in Palestine (this is hometown martyr - Lydda). The Temple of St. George, a temple of the Jerusalem Orthodox Church, was built above Yuri’s tomb. The saint's sword is kept in Rome.

The life of St. George struck the hearts of believers all over the world. There was a place for him in Rus'. In Russia, Yuri exists in two forms. In the first incarnation, Yuri is the patron of livestock, protecting them from disease, death and wolves. This incarnation of Yegoriy was worshiped by the peasants, linking the days of his memory with the time of the first walking of cattle and carrying out cash payments.

Yegory also patronizes farmers, since the martyr’s name means “farmer.” On St. George's Day the fields are consecrated. The second hypostasis of the saint is a warrior, brave and devoted. In this incarnation, the saint patronizes soldiers, courageous and honest defenders of the Motherland.

Yuri is also considered the patron saint of travelers. Some gypsy tribes consider St. George their patron. On St. Yegori's Day, birthday people are congratulated, as well as all acquaintances. In congratulations on St. George's Day, they wish well-being to soldiers, as well as success in peasant labor, offspring and health to livestock.

On spring Egor, the nightingale sings and the cuckoo crows for the first time. An important sign on St. George's Day was the cuckoo's cuckooing. Cuckooing in the bare forest on spring Egor foretells a difficult year for both livestock and humans. Hearing the cuckoo while having money in your pocket means having money all year.

The girls asked the cuckoo how long they would stay with their father. Silence in response meant marriage that same year. Each cuckoo meant a year spent in the father's house, waiting for the wedding. On Yegorov's day, dew was considered healing. Early morning I had to go out into the meadow and wash myself with dew, roll around in the dew-covered grass.

Empress Catherine the Great established the Order of St. George the Victorious on November 26, 1769. The order had 4 degrees and could be awarded to officers and lower ranks for their bravery, wisdom and courage in defending the Fatherland. The order was accompanied by an annual pension. The order could be revoked for defamatory actions of the recipient.

In 2000, the Order of St. George was restored by Presidential Decree in the Russian Federation. Simultaneously with the order, Catherine established the St. George ribbon. Description: silk ribbon of two yellow and three black stripes. The ribbon was worn in a buttonhole, around the neck or on a sling. It also came with a lifetime pension.

In 2005, the “St. George Ribbon” campaign began in Russia - as a sign of memory of the feat of veterans of the Great Patriotic War. The motto of the action is “I remember, I am proud.” St. Yuri's Day is the day of remembrance of St. George the Victorious, known for his courage and unshakable faith.

Yegoryev Day (Yegor Yuri). Egory Veshny. George the Victorious. Festival of the Shepherds- they drive the herd out into the field. During Yegoryevsk week, swallows arrive.
Yegory is the organizer of the Russian land. Until the 15th century, he alone was on the state coat of arms. He is also the patron saint of the capital city of Moscow. Moreover, he is considered the patron saint of fields and all fruits of the earth, which predetermined the tradition of consecrating fields and crops on this day. George - the Water-Bearer, he was also the patron saint of springs and rivers. Therefore, on the saint’s day, the blessing of water was also obligatory. Yuriev's dew has a healing effect even on hopelessly ill people. St. George's Day is celebrated twice a year: on May 6 and December 9. Therefore, the signs and sayings that developed for St. George’s Day corresponded to the time of year. George was called, according to the popular transformation of the name, both Yegor and Yuri. Since our modern calendar“shifted” forward by 13 days, then all signs should be attributed to how they developed on April 23. By the day of St. George the Spring, field work was already underway everywhere.
The peasants asked Yegor to open up the land and release the dew. Yuriev's dew from the evil eye, from seven ailments. "Be healthy, like Yuriev's dew!" On Yegoryev's day, they hung a damp towel in the yard: if it dries overnight, there will be no frost for a long time, but if it freezes, there will be frosts in August.
There are two Yegoriyas in Rus': one is cold, the other is hungry (December 9 and May 6). If the spring Egoriy is with food, the autumn Nikola (December 19) will be with a bridge (i.e. winter will set in, there will be a good sleigh ride). It's frosty in Yegorya - there will be millet and oats. When there is frost on Georgia and it will happen again in a week, we should expect warm autumn. Just as it freezes on Yegorievsk night, forty matinees will still fall on bread. On Yegorya dew - there will be good millet. On Yurya, rain is a non-genus. Early spring sowing from Yegorye, late - from Yeremey (May 14). A clear morning on Yurya means early sowing, a clear evening means late sowing. These early peas are before George, the late ones are after George. From George they begin to sow beets, carrots and seedlings. The first day of cattle grazing. Round dances began with Yegory, and gatherings were postponed until Dmitry (November 8). Yuriev spring day. Egory with warmth, and Nikola with food. Egory with water (dew), and Nikola with grass. Yegory with a bridge, and Nikola with a nail. Yegory with a burden (with a body), and Nikola with a cart. Don’t boast about sowing on Yegoryev’s day, or boasting about grass on Nikelin’s day! On Yegoryev's day, doesn't the lazy plow go out? Swallows arrive in Yegoria. There is dew on Yuri - the horses don't need oats. Yuri stores cows, Nikola stores horses. Yuri is a holiday of shepherds (since on his day cattle are driven out into the field with willow for the first time Palm Sunday). Yuriev's dew from the evil eye, from seven ailments. Be healthy, like Yuri's dew! If Yuri has a birch leaf in his bowl, put bread in the tub for the Assumption. Yarovaya this to Yegorye or from Yegorye. The rich man is well-fed even on St. Yegoryev’s Day, but the poor man endures until the Savior. They don’t work near Yegorye Veshny so that the wolf doesn’t eat the sheep. On St. George's Yegory rides through the forests on a white horse and gives orders to the animals. Every animal is at Yegor's fingertips. What the wolf has in its teeth, Yuri gave. Egory begins spring, Ilya ends summer.

Egory Veshny. Festival of the shepherds - they drive the flock into the field. During Yegoryevsk week, swallows arrive.
During a thunderstorm, the thunder will soon stop - the weather will improve.
Birds build nests on sunny side- to the cold summer.
U healthy person an unreasonably depressed mood means rain.
The evening dawn is crimson-red - to bad weather.
Clouds have appeared in the sky, shaped like lenses or elongated lentil seeds - a thunderstorm will begin in 1-1.5 hours.

Other folk signs of May.

Today, May 6, is a holiday for Orthodox Christians in honor of St. George the Victorious. People call it St. George's Day. About the history of the holiday and folk signs related to him in this material

Who is St. George the Victorious?

George was born in the 3rd century in the city of Beirut (in Asia Minor) into a Christian family. He entered service in the Roman army, where he became famous for his bravery. The warrior performed many feats of arms and miracles, for which he was called Victorious.

When Emperor Diocletian began persecuting Christians, George distributed his property to the poor, appeared before the emperor and declared himself a follower of Christ. Nothing could persuade him to paganism - and by order of the emperor, George was beheaded. The execution took place on May 6 (new style) 303.

The most famous of the miracles performed by the Holy Great Martyr George is depicted in iconography. This is the defeat of the serpent that lived in the lake at the foot of the Lebanese mountains, near Beirut, and devoured people. By killing the serpent, Saint George saved the royal daughter, who was to become the serpent’s next victim, from certain death.

According to tradition, in Rus' St. George the Victorious has long been revered as the protector of the Orthodox army. The founder of Moscow, Yuri Dolgoruky, bore the name of the saint. With the reign of Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy, Saint George acts as the patron saint of Moscow, his image becomes the coat of arms of the Moscow sovereigns, and later becomes part of the Russian state emblem - the Russian Eagle.

St. George's Day: signs, traditions of the holiday

St. George is traditionally considered the patron saint of livestock, as well as a protector against disease and predators. The Great Martyr protects warriors and travelers.

IN folk calendar Yuriev's Day or Yegoriy Veshny - May 6 - this is the final date for the onset of spring. On this day they began to plow up the arable land.

Sometimes on St. George’s Day, cattle were driven into the field for the first time; before driving the animals out, they walked around with prayers and with an icon of the saint in their hands. This protected the cattle from evil spirits, kept diseases, deaths and wild animals.

The peasants rode on the first dew - this should give them strength and health for life. Church services were held, which ended with a meal with the family. They went out to the games. The girls chose handsome guy and they walked with him, chanting an appeal to Saint Yuri. Then they broke off pieces of the pie so that there was enough for everyone who wanted it. Whichever girl had more filling was supposed to get married in the fall.

There were a number of signs about St. George. For example, if on May 6 a cuckoo crows in a still bare forest, then the year will be unlucky for Agriculture generally. But if a person heard the cuckoo, and at that moment he had money in his pocket, then the whole year will be monetary.

The girls asked the birds how long they would remain in their father's house. When the cuckoo was silent, it meant that a quick marriage was planned. And how much she crowed was determined by the number of years before the wedding.

Warm weather St. George's Day promises early summer, heavy rain- a harbinger of good grass growth. But snow or hail on this day meant that buckwheat should have grown well; with abundant dew, a millet harvest should have been expected.

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If you want to find out what date St. George’s Day is and everything about this holiday, read this article.

It's St. George's Day religious holiday or as it is also called the Day of St. George the Great Martyr, which patronizes all people working on earth. St. George's Day is the end of autumn and the beginning of winter on the ninth of December.

When is St. George's Day and how is it celebrated?

On this holiday, in ancient Rus' peasants who worked for the landowner had the right to change their employer, that is, to move from one landowner to another. The law giving this right gave the peasants the opportunity to choose their own master.

The peasants did not have their own land or had very little, and cultivating the land did not bring enough income to feed their family. Therefore, peasants rented land from landowners and cultivated them. For this, the peasants had to give part of the harvest grown in the landowner's fields to the owner, and themselves be content with what was left.

Very often, landowners set such a price for their land that the peasants had almost nothing left. The owner of the land was not interested in what harvest was in the fields in a given year; he demanded his share of the harvest, which he himself assigned for the land.

In connection with this, a law was passed giving peasants the right to move from one landowner to another. Although in the hope of finding Better conditions peasants faced the same problems. Looking for better attitude sometimes they fell into even greater bondage.

From the history of the holiday. What happened on St. George's Day?

The law established a certain period when the peasant had the right to leave one owner and go to another. It was the day when all harvesting work was completed in the fields. This period was appointed a week before St. George's Day, on which the peasants were obliged to fully pay off the landowner from whom they rented the land.

A week after St. George's Day, the peasants moved to another owner. Previously, they could not leave, this was stipulated by law, but the landowner did not have the right to expel the peasants while the crop was in the field and had not been harvested.

St. George's Day is the end of autumn and the beginning of winter on December 9, autumn is already over, and winter has not fully come into its own. The landowner did not benefit from the fact that the peasants were free cultivators, and over time this led to serfdom.

There is another Yuryev day, which is also called Yegoria, since Yuri, Yegor and Georgy are considered one name. This holiday is celebrated in the spring on the sixth of May, on which some rituals are carried out: they go around the fields, check the quality of seedlings in the fields, drive cattle out to pasture for the first time after winter, bathe in dew, and spring festivities begin.

There are a lot of interesting and educational things associated with this day, many sayings and proverbs, rituals and signs.

the 6th of May Orthodox Church celebrates the day of memory of St. George the Victorious. This holiday has acquired special meaning in Russia - St. George sitting on horseback is depicted on coins and in the center of the Russian coat of arms.

History of the Day of Remembrance of St. George the Victorious

Why was Saint George so famous? The Great Martyr lived at the end of the 2nd - beginning of the 3rd century in the Roman Empire in a Christian family. Thanks to his tenacity and courage, he entered the military service and earned the title of military leader. Being a true Christian, George did not renounce his faith when Emperor Diocletian invited him to renounce Christianity. He died in suffering for his faith and began to be read as shining example valor and steadfastness.

Why is St. George the Victorious depicted with a spear piercing a serpent?

Legends were made about the miracles that St. George the Victorious performed and about his brave deeds. One of them served as the plot of a painting in which the saint is depicted on a horse and with a defeated monster. As the legend says, in Beirut, in the lake, he settled huge snake, which gave no rest local residents. In order to somehow appease the snake, the residents were forced to give him a child every day. Saint George the Victorious was able to hit the serpent with a spear and save people from suffering. It was this story of the victory of the holy warrior that became a symbol of the triumph of good over evil.

Signs on the holy day of St. George the Victorious May 6 or Yegoryev's Day

People call this holiday Yegoryev day. According to legend, on this day Egor Veshny opens the spring earth with his keys and releases dew, causing grass to begin to grow.

In folk tales, Yegory is considered the patron saint of livestock. That is why on this day, May 6, the peasants drove their livestock into the meadow for the first time after winter. This day was celebrated on a special scale, because the warmest time of the year began.

On Yegoryev Day, the first work in the field began. Later, with the adoption of Christianity, the fields were sprinkled with holy water on this day, and the priests read a prayer service for a rich harvest. By signs on Yegoryev's day they judged the weather for the future.

• Dew had special power on this holiday. It is believed that if you walk barefoot through the Egoryevsk dew in the morning, no illnesses will affect you throughout the year.
• On Yegoria it's raining- good offspring of cattle will be born.
• It’s warm on Yegoryev’s day - look forward to summer soon.
• On this day, swallows fly in and nightingales begin to sing. Special attention paid attention to the cuckoo's singing. It is believed that if this bird crows, the livestock will die.

We wish you good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and

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