Folk traditions- wisdom proven over centuries. In combination with the weather forecast and information gleaned from the lunar calendar for May 2010, this knowledge can serve well all those who want to get a good harvest on their site or achieve lush flowering of ornamental plants. Everything must be done on time! Read our recommendations for the week from May 5 to May 11.
According to the folk calendar, May 5 is Luke's Day. “Whoever eats onions will be freed from eternal torment.” If there is a frost at night on this day, then the spring will be cool: forty morning frosts will still fall on the bread, forty morning frosts will fall for the whole summer, while the grain is standing in the field. If the morning is clear, you can sow; if it is foggy, you should wait to sow. Sowing should be early if the moon is young on this day, as early autumn frosts are expected; and if the moon is in decline, you don’t have to rush to sow - the autumn will remain warm (this year the aging phase of the moon fell on May 5). On this day, it is customary to plant onion sets in the beds, but it is advised to refrain from planting until May 8th.
Oak and linden are blooming. It is believed that a fully expanded birch leaf means the soil has warmed up to +7°C. You can plant potatoes (May 5-10). Starting from May 5th, strawberries begin to bloom. The same day is considered the beginning of the week, during which it is recommended to plant celery seedlings in the ground. From this day on (adjusted for the phases of the moon), planting seeds of annual flowers in the ground is allowed.
Yegoriy Veshny (spring St. George's Day) is celebrated on May 6th. Egory is also known as Saint George. This is one of the most revered saints of the Russian people. George is the patron of arable land and cattle breeding, the guardian of livestock, the patron of wild animals and especially wolves. This is the holiday of the shepherds: from this day on, they drive the flock into the field. Round dances began in the villages from Yegor, and gatherings were postponed until Dmitry (November 8). Popular wisdom resulted in the following maxims: “A clear morning on Yuri means early sowing, a clear evening means late.” “These early peas are before George, the late ones are after George.” Starting from this day you can sow beets and carrots.
It is useful to watch birds on this day. If you notice the arrival of swallows, expect spring thunderstorms: “The swallow has arrived, soon the thunder will roar.” If the cuckoo crows before Yegor, then this means crop failure and loss of livestock. Those who want to get rich should especially listen to the cuckoo, and as soon as they hear the first “cuckoo”, they should shake the money in their pocket or grab their wallet: “When you hear the cuckoo for the first time, grab your wallet so that you can have money all year long.”
May 8 - Mark's Day, arrival of songbirds in flocks. It is useful to go around the “rooms” with nettles, and wash the floors with its infusion. It was believed that Mark unlocked the heights of heaven, summoned moisture, and asked it to descend to earth. Moon calendar recommends starting to plant strawberries and some, and in the garden on this day the trees are sprayed with herbal infusions and decoctions of garlic, mustard, yarrow - against pests and diseases.
Glafira Goroshnitsa is celebrated on May 9. On the day of Glafira, the Pea-women charmed the peas so that they would grow beautifully, dug ridges in the garden and began early planting of potatoes if, as was already said before, the birch leaf had fully unfurled. The phase of the moon favors such work.
May 10 - rejoicing in honor of Semyon Ranopashets. On this day, all sorts of “unclean creatures” shake off their sleep, emerge into the light of day, and take on the form of animals and birds. On this day, people work in the fields and gardens with caution; they do not bother animals. From May 10, it is recommended to water fruit-bearing trees if there is no rain. Dig in the raspberries, adding peat-ash mixtures and a little superphosphate under them. Sweet varieties of onion sets are planted in the beds. From 10 to 15 May - last deadlines sowing seeds of beets, carrots, parsley, peas, kohlrabi cabbage, cauliflower, turnips into the soil.
May 11 - Maxim's Day. Warm wind brings health. On Maxim, patients begin to be given birch sap. Watch the weather: if the night is warm and starry, it’s for the harvest; a clear sunrise - for a great summer. It is believed that the warm (south) wind on this day brings health. Winter rye begins to ear. Primrose blooms. To combat powdery mildew, berry growers spray the bushes with a 0.5% solution of soda ash and soap.
On May 6, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of St. George the Victorious. This date is popularly called Yegoryev Day. On May 6, the ritual of the first pasture of livestock was held, and people bathed in dew, collected medicinal herbs, burned bonfires, performed agricultural rituals and had ritual meals.
- Yuriev day,
- Egoriy Veshny,
- Yegoryev day.
St. George's Day: celebration traditions
St. George's Day is a holiday of shepherds. In the field they were fed with worldly scrambled eggs and given gifts. Among the southern Slavs, the Yuryev day, together with the year, was divided into two half-years: “Yuryevskoye” and “Dmitrovskoye”.
Among the Eastern Slavs, Yegoryev Day is the main cattle-breeding holiday of the year. At this time, cattle were driven out to pasture for the first time. Among the southern Slavs and in the Carpathians, on this date, ritual milking of sheep was carried out, and the first milk measurement was taken. The sheep intended for the first milking was decorated with a wreath of flowers and herbs. A separate wreath was hung on the cauldron in which she was milked.
On St. George's Day, many magical rituals were performed to protect livestock from wolves, the evil eye, evil spirits, insect bites, and also aimed at the fertility and well-being of animals during the summer grazing period.
In Belarus, Ukraine and Bulgaria, peasants went out into the fields to inspect their crops. Sometimes clergy were invited to conduct prayer services and consecrate the land. In the morning, the owners walked around the plots of land they owned and had a meal in the field. The remains of food after the meal were buried in the ground. To increase the yield of crops and protect them from drought and hail, the owners tumbled on the ground. To protect the land from bad weather, branches blessed in the church on Palm Sunday were stuck into the field. In order for cows to have more milk, in some areas they were taken to green fields of cereal crops.
It was customary to “call out” to the newlyweds. For this purpose, youth groups went to the houses of those couples who got married less than a year ago, called them by their patronymic names, and performed wedding songs for them. For “calling out”, the young people received food and gifts from the couple.
In Western Russian territories and eastern Belarus, large community bonfires were burned. Among the South Slavs, Yuriev day was considered the beginning of the half-year, which lasted until).
Since St. George's Day, many food bans have been lifted. You could eat young meat, greens, dairy products, young vegetables. The first milk produced was distributed to neighbors to remember the souls of deceased ancestors.
St. George the Victorious (the patron saint of this day) was considered the protector of fields, earthly fruits and livestock. They prayed to him for a good harvest, as well as for the protection of animals from diseases, witches and other misfortunes.
St. George's Day: signs for May 6
Based on the weather conditions of that day, they determined what the harvest would be like:
- If it’s warm in Yegoria, then summer is just around the corner.
- On this day you cannot knit anything, or even pick up woolen products. Otherwise, the wolves will gnaw all the sheep.
- You can’t swear or shout at Yuri, otherwise a thunderstorm will kill you.
- Heavy rain goes - a lot of grass will grow.
- If on Yegoria the moon is in the waxing stage, a gusty wind is blowing and it is cloudy, then such weather will last for quite a long time.
- Mosquitoes gather in flocks - this means warming.
- Seeing dew in the morning means a good millet harvest.
- Frost on the trees means a rich harvest of buckwheat.
- Rain means an excellent harvest of cereals, but buckwheat will not be harvested this year.
- Windless clear morning - good sign. Early sowings are successful, harvesting from them will be excellent.
- If it was cold, cloudy or rainy in the morning, and the weather cleared up in the evening, then late sowings will be successful.
- If the night is warm from May 6 to 7, then the bread will ripen before the first frost.
- A south wind means a rich harvest, a north wind means early frosts in autumn.
- If the leaf on the birch tree is large, then expect a good harvest.
- Housewives hung a damp towel outside at night. If it dries out by morning, there will be a lot of cucumbers this year.
A person born on May 6th will take good care of animals. Onyx suits him as a talisman.
Yegory and Yuri are names whose difference our ancestors did not recognize. In Rus', two Egories were celebrated: one cold - on December 9, and the other hungry - on May 6. And indeed, at this time the belts had to be tightened. Winter supplies were running out, and in early spring there was nothing to replenish them with. But since Yegoriy was considered the patron saint of livestock, the first pasture of livestock in the field, on the spring grass, was timed to coincide with this day. It was perceived as a great holiday and was decorated with various rituals, sentences and songs.
First, according to the old custom, on May 6 they made “juiced milk” to find out if the cattle were healthy. To do this, hemp and flaxseed were swept into bins, mixed, pounded in a mortar and diluted with water. Animals that drank this “milk” were considered sick and were not taken into the general herd. The rest, hungry during the winter, but quite healthy, were herded by the shepherd boys from all the yards into a huge herd and went with it to the pasture. They were escorted by the whole village, and the cattle were lashed with willow left from the willow week, and shouted: “Willow from across the sea, give me health, willow!” Willow, whip - hit until you cry! Take a twig and drive out the cattle!”
On May 6, the pasture took place, as a rule, at dawn. After all, Yuriev’s dew, according to knowledgeable people, helped animals become surprisingly fat and healthy. In some regions of Russia, a green branch was tied to the tail of the first cow in the herd: sweeping away the night dew from the grass, it seemed to provide a rich milk yield for those following her.
According to an ancient custom, the shepherds were doused with well water, “so that they would not sleep all summer,” and then they were treated to worldly scrambled eggs. In the evenings, in the villages, for the “cow guides,” a real holiday: tables were set, round dances were performed, ritual songs were sung, which always ended with choruses about the preservation of herds.
But no matter how important the first drive of cattle to pasture is, most of the signs associated with May 6 are still addressed to the upcoming summer and the future harvest: “If spring Egor is with food, then autumn Nikola (December 19) will be with a bridge,” then if winter sets in, there will be a good sleigh ride; “If on Yegory’s day there is a leaf in half, on Ilya’s day put bread in a tub”, “Sow seedlings on Yegory, there will be plenty of cabbage soup”, “On Yury, snow means a harvest for buckwheat, on Yury, rain means there is a shortage of buckwheat”, “On Yury dew - there will be good millet.”
However, Yuriev’s dew was also valued for other qualities. Previously, for example, on Yegoryev Day, peasants went out into the sown fields to serve a prayer service with the blessing of water, sprinkling the fields with holy water. After this, men and women rolled around the field to become strong and healthy, like “St. George’s Dew”: “St. George’s Dew - from the evil eye, from seven ailments.”
And another interesting legend is associated in the folk calendar with St. George’s Day. In time immemorial, peasants began to carry out trade transactions and, according to the old custom, were hired as workers “from spring Yuri to Semyon Day or Pokrov.” Why, you ask, was this particular time period chosen? But the fact is that there was a legend among the people that there are people in Lukomorye who die on December 9, and come to life on May 6. Before death, they take their goods to a certain place, where in winter their neighbors could take them for known price and without any deception. They settled accounts with deceivers and unscrupulous buyers in the spring, dealing with them mercilessly. These were called amazing people trading people, but no one knows how they kept accurate records of purchases.
On this day, there was a widespread tradition of organizing festivities in the streets. They said that spring comes on this day. It was May 6th that was considered the day when the shepherds finally drove the flock of sheep into the field. They said that morning dew has healing powers specifically for Yegor. If you collect it, you can use the healing moisture to treat diseases and remove the evil eye. However, such dew can only be collected before sunrise.
On this day, they were waiting for the arrival of swallows, because they were returning from warm regions at exactly this time. May beetles also appeared on this day.
IN Orthodox Church On May 6, the memory of Saint Yegori was revered and he was considered the patron saint of the fields. That is why on this day we held a large number of rituals for a good harvest in the future. The priests also blessed the fields with water and said a prayer. They said: “Sow the seedlings on Yegoriy - there will be plenty of vegetables.”
Pasturing cattle on May 6 was a big holiday for peasants. The animals were urged on with willow branches, which were specially prepared for this purpose on Palm Sunday. They also placed a table in the field and an icon on it. After this, a prayer service was performed. It was customary to feed the shepherds scrambled eggs, gift them with linen and money so that they would not sleep and protect the flock.
Yegory is also known as St. George the Victorious. He was considered the patron saint of fields and earthly fruits, and therefore the tradition of consecrating fields was widespread. It was believed that George protected livestock, and peasants tried to pray to the saint on May 6th to ask him to protect horses, cows, and sheep from disease and pestilence. There was even a special prayer called cattle herding.
People said that the care of the livestock should be entrusted to Yegory, who entered into an agreement with the goblin, and the latter would not touch the domestic animals. But there were special conditions for this agreement - for example, it was necessary to bring milk to the devil. There was also a widespread tradition, according to which the shepherd would pronounce a special spell and throw a padlock, locked with a key, into the forest. The goblin needed to lift this lock and unlock it or leave it the same - this is how he confirmed or denied the extension of the contract.
Saint George was often perceived as the master of all forest animals. They believed that it was George who rode around the villages on a white horse and gave orders to the forest animals. In addition, George was considered the patron saint of brides, and the girls prayed to him to send good grooms. There were round dances, but gatherings were no longer held at that time. In some villages they could perform rituals related to horses and notice signs. The horses were washed, bathed, and fed with special cookies in the shape of a cross, baked for Epiphany.
Folk signs for May 6
- Warm weather in Yegoria - summer will come soon
- You can’t knit anything on May 6th or even just hold wool products in your hands - the wolves will gnaw all the sheep in the herd
- You can’t shout or swear on this day - it can kill you with a thunderstorm
- Heavy rain on Yegoria - a lot of grass will grow
- A waxing moon, strong winds that drive clouds in a cloudy sky - this weather will continue for quite a long time
- Mosquitoes flock in swarms on May 6 - expect warmer weather soon
- Dew has appeared on Yegoria - there will be a good millet harvest. If it snows or hails, frost is noticeable on the trees - buckwheat will grow. Rain portends, on the contrary, a failure of the buckwheat harvest, but excellent growth of bread
- The rivers in Yegoria overflowed heavily - a sign that there will be grass on Nikolina’s day (May 22)
- A clear, windless morning - early sowings will be successful and a rich harvest will be possible. If the weather was initially bad, but improved during the day, late sowing will be successful
- The night from May 6 to 7 is very warm - the bread will have time to ripen before the first frost
- The south wind blows - there will be a rich harvest. The north wind on May 6 foreshadows early frosts in the fall
- A large leaf on a birch tree means the year will be fruitful
- A damp towel was hung out overnight. If it dries in the morning, the cucumber harvest will be rich.
Show picture
Winter has just begun to gain strength, and I’m already thinking about the sowing calendar.
Not about the purchased one, but about our own - a little lunar, a little scientific, according to signs.
I remembered my grandfather and grandmother, who in the garden adhered to their old traditions.
May 18 Arina Kapustnitsa, Arina Rassadnitsa. Strictly on this day, grandmother planted cabbage seedlings.
June 5 Levon Ogorechnik. Grandfather called this day Levontius. Grandma was sowing cucumbers.
I also stick to these dates.
What folk signs help you in your garden?
Below are the details of my signs.
Folk signs have their roots in distant Old Russian antiquity. Based on centuries of observational experience, signs initially provided the most important information for our ancestors. There were no other analogues of weather forecasting. Carrying an applied function, signs are also the oldest monument of the Russian language. With its originality, reflecting the living and colorful world of our folklore.
the 6th of May
Yegoryev day
Active field work began on Yuriev (Yegoriev) day. People went out to serve prayer services in those fields that had been sown earlier, and sprinkled the fields with holy water. There were many sayings on the topic of agricultural labor: “Egory with warmth, and Nikita with food”; “This spring on Yegoria”; “Sow the seedlings until Yegoriy - there will be plenty of cabbage soup”; “Only a lazy plow doesn’t go out on St. George’s Day.” The peasants also observed the weather - from it it was possible to draw conclusions about the future harvest. “It’s frosty in Yegoria - there will be millet and oats,” people said.
May 18
Arina Kapustnitsa, Arina Rassadnitsa
On Arina, they planted seedlings in the beds - mainly cabbage and cucumbers. By the way, it was believed that only women should do this - and preferably completely alone, so that no one would jinx it. Having planted the first sprout of cabbage, it was covered with a large pot, and the pot with a white tablecloth, so that the forks turned out to be just as large, white and tight. Nettles were sown along the edges of the beds, which were supposed to scare away evil spirits and harmful insects. At the same time they said: “Nettles for the devils, cabbage for us!”
Cabbage was one of the people's most favorite vegetables. There were many sayings about it: “Without cabbage, cabbage soup is not thick”; “Wisdom is in cabbage soup, strength is in cabbage”; “Why fence a garden if you don’t plant cabbage?”
June 5 Levon Ogorechnik
It was customary to plant cucumbers on Levon (Leonty). At the same time, they paid attention to signs: if a lot of gadflies appear, this promises a good harvest of vegetables.
June 19
Larion Propolnik
On Larion - as St. Hilarion was called in Rus' - it was customary to go out into the field and weed it from weeds. “Larion has come - the bad grass is out of the field,” the peasants said. The people knew: if you don’t deal with the weeds in time, they will let you go around the world. “To weed a field, prick your hands, and don’t weed, don’t grind bread,” they said during unpleasant work. However, it was believed that weeds should be weeded only when the month is waning. Weeding on the full moon is useless, even on Larion - the weeds will soon take over again.
Today, November 27
Filippovka, Zagovenye
Old style date: November 14 Today we honor the memory of St. Philip, one of the twelve apostles - disciples of Jesus Christ.
In Rus', after Filippov's Day, a strict Christmas (Filippovsky) fast began.. Weddings and other things were ending noisy holidays. All time was supposed to be devoted to work and pious pursuits.
However, in the evening of Filippov's day one could do fortune-telling: the girls left a piece of beef from dinner and put it under their pillow, inviting their betrothed to “make a fortune.” After this, one could see the future groom in a dream.
“Women's gatherings” began from Filippovka: women gathered in one hut, spun flax and wool, and at the same time sang quiet songs or talked. Many sayings and proverbs have been preserved that emphasize the importance of needlework: “A careless spinner doesn’t even have a shirt to wear”; “If you don’t weave in winter, there will be nothing to weave in summer”; “The plow feeds, the spindle dresses.”
It was also customary for Philip to take food out into the yard. It was intended for spirits who protect domestic animals.
In some areas, a ritual of expelling cockroaches was held on this day. To do this, the whole family had to pull a cockroach tied by a leg out of the hut by a thread.
On this day, they paid attention to signs. Frost foreshadowed the oat harvest, rain - the wheat harvest. If a raven croaked, they were waiting for a thaw. And cloudy and snowy weather promised bad weather at the end of May.
Yegoryev day- The popular name of the holiday of the Orthodox Church in honor of the Great Martyr George. Remembrance Day is celebrated twice a year: November 26/December 9. Russian peasants said: “There are two Yegor’s in Rus': one is cold, the other is hungry.”
In the Russian folk calendar, St. George the Victorious was considered one of the main saints. The celebration of Yegoryev's Day occurred in the early spring period of the folk calendar. St. George was the personification of the creative forces of nature; Russian peasants said that spring comes to earth with Yegory: “Egory brought spring to the threshold,” “There would be no spring in Holy Rus' without Yegory.” St. George revived the earth, releasing dew; St. George, if asked, gives the fields the first rain.
The first day of honoring St. George was installed in the era of early Christianity in memory of his martyrdom, according to legend, through beheading. The second day of remembrance, autumn, is an establishment of the Russian Orthodox Church. In the popular imagination, St. Egory is perceived as the initiator of spring. On a spring day, St. For the first time, Yegory drove the cattle into the field and lashed them with willow. The willow is the plant that comes to life first with the onset of spring, and its touch was supposed to increase the fertility of livestock. Everywhere this day was considered a shepherd's holiday. In the Central Russian zone, agricultural rituals were dedicated to this day: religious processions to sown fields, prayer services with an appeal to St. Yegory, rolling on the ground and Yegoryevsk dew early in the morning. In Ukraine they used to say: “Saint Yuri walks across the field, breaks the grain, and brings down the dew.” The peasants believed that, buried in the boundaries, the remains of Easter dishes, along with a prayer to St. George about sending down the harvest, protecting crops from hail.
The peasants believed that the water blessed on St. George's Day had a beneficial effect on the growth of field crops. During the religious procession, this water was sprinkled on crops and grass on which cattle should graze.
In a number of Russian provinces, only from the feast of St. George, they began to sow spring grain, oats, barley and garden crops.
As with other folk Orthodox holidays, this day is associated with many signs, observations, and sayings that testify to folk wisdom and predict the fate of the future harvest. ""The cuckoo cuckoos until Yegorya - to a crop failure", "On Yegoriya there will be frost - there will be millet and oats", "Egoriy with water, and Nikola with grass", ""On Yegoriya there will be frost - there will be oats under the bush." “On Yegor’s frost - buckwheat is good”, “On Yury’s dew - there will be good millet”, “On Yury’s dew - the horses don’t need oats”, “Don’t boast about sowing on Yury’s day, be proud of the grass on Nikolin”, “These early peas before George , late - after George", "From George they begin to plant beets, sow carrots and seedlings", "Sow seedlings on George - there will be plenty of cabbage soup."
Yegory Zimny was completing the household chores and hiring deadlines. Yegor the Winter - beliefs associated with the day of Yegor the Winter are in contact with the beliefs of Yegor the Veshny. It was believed that on this day the snakes that were defeated by St. George, become very angry, and Yegory Zimny tries to protect people and animals from them. One of the legends tells how snakes tried to bite St. Paraskeva Friday, who walked through the forest on the day of Egor the Winter, but Egor drove away the snakes. St. George was also considered the patron saint of wolves: in the fall, when the wolves are hungry, it is St. George gives them food.
