Coming Saturday, February 27, in the national calendar is called “Cyril Vesnaukazchik”. On this day, in Russia, several rituals were performed that could attract wealth into life. So what can and cannot be done?
On February 27, Orthodox Christians remember Saint Cyril, a missionary from Byzantium who, together with his brother Methodius, created the first Slavic alphabet. Tradition says that in 862, ambassadors from the Moravian (historical region of the Czech Republic) Prince Rostislav arrived in Constantinople, where the brothers lived. They asked to send teachers together with them to their homeland, who could explain to everyone living there the basics of faith in their native language. Cyril and Methodius became these teachers.
Later they were engaged in the translation of church books from Greek into Slavic, and also taught people to read, write and conduct divine services.
Our ancestors called Saint Cyril Vesnookazchik. The fact is that on the day of memory of this Byzantine enlightener in Russia, they tried to predict the weather for the spring months. If the day was fine, there was no need to rejoice. This weather promised severe frosts in the first months of the new season.
To “scare away” the cold, enlist the support of higher powers and attract wealth, on February 27 it was decided to drink hot sbiten [ред. напиток из мёда с пряностями]… This drink, according to our ancestors, not only warmed, but also performed a magical function.
What else needed to be done:
– waking up in the morning, pay attention to the windows in the house (the absence of frost and frost on them was a bad sign and foreshadowed a long way out into the field due to frost);
– drink sbiten at least three times a day to ward off frost and attract wealth to the house;
– collect guests in the house and treat them with fresh pies;
– men go to the arable land to trample the snow.
The last rite was due to the fact that the peasants in the northern parts of the country on February 27 tried to keep the snow cover in the fields. It was believed that by melting as late as possible, it would saturate the soil with moisture and ensure a good harvest. Large companies were sent to trample him. At the same time they sang and danced. There was even a saying: “Snow settles – fields grow fat“.
In the southern regions, in the meantime, manure has already begun to be removed to the fields.
However, on this day you cannot:
– to sit back and be lazy;
– throw away food;
– starting quarrels with household members.
Name days on February 27 are celebrated:
George, Isaac, Cyril, Constantine, Mikhail, Raphael, Trifon, Fedor.