Story
On December 19, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates the Day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Nicholas the Wonderworker; Nikolai Ugodnik; Saint Nicholas (about 270 - about 345) is a saint in historical churches, archbishop of Myra in Lycia (Byzantium). In Christianity, he is revered as a miracle worker, considered the patron saint of sailors, travelers, merchants, and children. And he is one of the most revered saints in the Orthodox world.
In ancient biographies, Nicholas of Myra was usually confused with Nicholas of Pinar (Sinai) due to similar details in the lives of the saints: both were from Lycia, archbishops, revered saints and miracle workers. These coincidences led to the misconception that existed for many centuries that in the history of the church there was only one Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker.
Saint Nicholas, who lived in the 3rd and 4th centuries, became famous as a great saint of God, which is why people usually call him Nicholas the Pleasant. Saint Nicholas was considered “the representative and intercessor of all, the comforter of all the sorrowful, the refuge of all those in trouble, the pillar of piety, the champion of the faithful.” Christians believe that even today he performs many miracles to help people who pray to him.
Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of seafarers, often turned to by sailors who are in danger of drowning or shipwreck. According to the biography, as a young man, Nikolai went to study in Alexandria, and on one of his sea voyages from Myra to Alexandria, he resurrected a sailor who had fallen from a piece of ship's equipment in a storm and crashed to his death. From another case in the biography, Nikolai saved a sailor on the way from Alexandria back to Mira and upon arrival took him with him to church.
While making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Nicholas the Wonderworker, at the request of desperate travelers, calmed the raging sea with prayer. Holding the executioner's sword, Saint Nicholas saved from death three husbands who had been innocently condemned by the self-interested mayor.
Not only believers, but also pagans turned to him, and the saint responded with his constant miraculous help to everyone who sought it. In those he saved from physical troubles, he aroused repentance for sins and a desire to improve their lives.
During his earthly life, he performed so many good deeds for the glory of God that it is impossible to list them, but among them there is one that belongs to the number of virtues and to what served as the basis for their accomplishment, what moved the saint to the feat - his faith, amazing, strong, zealous.
Saint Nicholas died in the middle of the 4th century at a very old age. According to church tradition, the relics of the saint remained incorrupt and exuded miraculous myrrh, from which many people were healed. In 1087, the relics of St. Nicholas the Pleasant were transferred to the Italian city of Bar (Bari), where they remain to this day.
Who is Saint Nicholas and why do children wait for him so much?
St. Nicholas Day, which we celebrate on December 19, 2020 , is a holiday of magic and kindness. Nicholas the Wonderworker is considered the patron of children and the patron of all travelers, sailors, students and merchants. According to legend, he was born in the city of Patara, in modern Turkey, in the year 270. Saint Nicholas was a bishop and became famous for his good deeds.
For example, he helped children from poor families, throwing coins, food, and toys into the shoes displayed outside the door. Another legend tells how Bishop Nicholas gave a poor girl money for a dowry, and she was able to marry her lover.
In memory of the deeds of Nicholas, in the 10th century in the legendary Cologne Cathedral they first began distributing sweets to small parishioners . And later - in Germany and throughout Europe, on the eve of the celebration of St. Nicholas Day, shoes and socks were hung in houses so that in the morning they could find sweets and gifts in them.
Traditions and rituals on St. Nicholas Winter
— In Rus', St. Nicholas has long been considered the defender of the slandered, they believed that he could help the innocently convicted. He is also called the patron saint of sailors, merchants and children. Farmers also prayed to him - for good weather, for a good harvest. “The second intercessor after God,” this is what our ancestors said about Saint Nicholas. Beggars, asking for alms, also referred to the heavenly protector: “Whoever loves Nicholas, who serves Nicholas, Saint Nicholas helps him at every hour.”
— Peasants set St. Nicholas the Winter Day as a deadline for various kinds of transactions, payments and economic contracts. “Nikolsky bargaining is a decree for everything”; “Bread prices are set by Nikolsky bargaining”; “The Nikolsky convoy is more expensive than gold for the boyar treasury,” people said, implying that on this day prices were set for a long time in advance.
“Also on December 19, brotherhood parties were held, which were called “Nikolshchina.” In the morning, people went to church, served prayers to St. Nicholas, and after that they set large tables together and began to have fun. “For her godfather Nikolshchina cooks mash, for her godfather she bakes pies”; “Invite a friend to Nikolshchina, invite your enemy too - both will be friends”; “The men go to Nikolshchina with an eye, and after Nikolshchina they lie under the bench,” people said.
- No one was allowed to be sad about Nikola - it was believed that this would bring severe frosts. However, on this day the weather was usually cold anyway. People paid attention to how Nikola continued the work of Saints Barbara and Sava - freezing rivers and lakes. “Nikola will nail down what Savva will pave,” our ancestors noted.
Saint Nicholas or Santa Claus?
It should be noted that Roman Catholics , unlike Greek Catholics and Orthodox Christians, celebrate St. Nicholas Day on December 6th. In the popular consciousness of Western Europeans, the image of St. Nicholas merged with a fictional folklore character.
This is how the well-known Santa Claus appeared. In Germany, the Saint is called St. Nicholas (or simply Nikolaus ), which is very similar to the fairy-tale Santa Claus we are used to.
Signs and sayings on Nikola Winter
- The first serious frosts are Nikolsky.
- If winter closes in on Michaelmas Day (November 21), it will unshackle on Nikola.
- If winter covers its tracks before Nikolin's day, the road will not stand.
- We brought the winter on a sled to Nikola - and here’s the thaw you’ve been waiting for.
- Egory (December 9) is paving - Nikola is nailing.
- Nikola Zimny will drive the horse into the yard, and Veshny (May 22) will fatten it.
- What a day on St. Nicholas the Winter, such a day on St. Nicholas the Spring.
- Frost on Nikola - for the harvest.
- As much snow as there is on Nikola, there will be as much grass in the spring.
- Those born on December 19th are marked by fate. They are able to overcome any difficulties. They should wear lapis lazuli or rhodonite.
- If winter covers its tracks before Nikolin's day, the road will not stand.
- If winter closes in on Michaelmas, it will unshackle Nikola.
- There is frost in front of Nikola - the oats will be good.
- Frost on St. Nicholas (also: about Christmas time, at Epiphany) - for the harvest.
- If there is frost before winter Mikola, then barley must be sown earlier, if after Mikola - later.
- What a day in Mikola Winter, the same in Mikola Summer.
Folk calendar: December 11-20 - NIKOLA WINTER. HABACKKUM
It’s already mid-December, New Year is coming soon!
And in anticipation of a real, “strong” winter, we honor Nikola the Winter and “our” Avvakum... We are publishing a continuation of the folk calendar from Pushkin local historian, candidate of geological sciences Igor Prokuronov. DECEMBER 11-20
NIKOLA WINTER.
HABACKKUM
According to the calendar, it is, of course, winter here...
Alexander Nikolaevich Strizhev writes: “December begins the cold winter.” But at the same time, “the combination of weather in December is complex, because the continents and waters have not yet completely cooled down, and cyclones soften the harsh winter regime, threatening outbreaks of snowstorms. It has been noticed that the angriest December cold sets in in the middle of the month, when the anticyclone puts winter on its feet again”...
With all this, “the sun is getting lower and lower, the days are getting shorter and darker. Snow cover almost entirely reflects radiant energy. When it's cold, the sky clears of gloomy clouds, and frosty nights brighten with stars. The first portions of warm sea air do not significantly change the weather situation: passing through snow-covered expanses, it cools down, adjusting to the local atmosphere. With the intensification of thermal contrasts between the continent and oceanic waters, cyclones more and more persistently disturb the atmosphere, resulting in a sharp change in weather. The sky becomes clouded with heavy clouds, frosts subside or even disappear completely, and the ground air warms up.
In some Decembers, heat waves are so long that the snow cover noticeably thins and disappears. Sometimes rivers even open up. In the [last] century, Central Russian rivers opened up in December at least ten times due to warming.
...This happened in 1960, when the ice melted not only on the Don and Oka, but also in the upper reaches of the Volga. It was like April and December 1964: in the Moscow region then, until the 19th, the daytime temperature jumped to 3 degrees Celsius. It only froze on the 20th, with the arrival of arctic air.
Similar problems with the calendar have been observed before. So in the chronicle of the times of Ivan the Terrible we read: “On the same month of December, on the 9th day (1563), there was great rain, and the flood was great, and the frozen rivers were broken, and the ice began to flow, and there was a flood for two weeks, they traveled along the rivers in ships until The Nativity of Christ... The same winter of December, on the 3rd day, a week, the Tsar and Grand Duke Ivan Vasilyevich went from Moscow to the village of Kolomenskoye. And he lived in the village of Kolomenskoye for two weeks, due to bad weather and no way, that there were rains, there was a great rein in the rivers and roofs ( ice floes. - A.S.
) passed in the rivers. And as the rivers rose, the sovereign went to the village of Taininskoye, on the 17th day of December, a week”...
Like this.
And in general, “December thaws are traditional for our climate. It happens that the leaves of the December calendar are already flying off, but the real winter is still “standing at the entrance and does not dare to enter”! The stagnation of warm sea air over a vast territory sometimes leads to unheard-of deviations: when the frost is supposed to strike, the mercury in the thermometer rises above zero”...
But still, in the popular calendar, it is not for nothing that December is nicknamed “Icy”. “December will pave, and nail, and give the sleigh a go,” suggests the people’s calendar. “From time immemorial,” continues A.N. Strizhev, - at such and such a time, Voivode Frost lays sleigh tracks and builds bridges along rivers. And no matter how strong autumn is, you still can’t cope with winter. The sorceress will breathe a breath of snow, blow snow and blizzards - and there is no sign of autumn. Apparently, it was not in vain that they interpreted: “December is a cold day that chills the earth all winter.”
Winter doesn't come right away. It will forge, then separate, and thaw. By December, the earth has not yet completely cooled down, and the heat it gives off softens the severe frosts. Sometimes they completely wilt. The thaw may be so prolonged that the dampness picks up only at the end of the month...
Winter is a long time, which is why it seems that it passes too slowly: “Summer runs skipping, winter wanders with its head down.” The days are short, dull, and the nights seem to have no end... December brings the year to a close and the beginning of winter. From December the increase in light will begin, and with it the intensity will increase. No matter how you judge it, this is not an easy month!
In the morning, young ice crunches underfoot. The sandy loams have seized and petrified, and the fine earths and clays will freeze behind them. And the frost jumps through the spruce forest, birch forest, steep yars and lower reaches - now he is in a hurry: to know, it’s time to harden the snow, to take on the first ice”...
* * *
Our days are like this...
December 11th.
Soykin day. Irinarch
According to the folk calendar, this is Soykin Day. This bird from the crow family was revered and used to tell fortunes about fate: “The jay bird asks for intercession for the one born on this day from a flock of crows, from a snowstorm. If on this day she flies to the window or starts screaming at the porch, then this is a sign to follow her”...
On Soykin's day one could find out whether there would be money in the family. To do this, they looked into the well and listened to the water: if you hear splashing, it means your wallet will be full.
Crows staged a round dance in the sky - for snowfall, sitting on the ground - for a thaw, and sat on the lower branches of trees - for the wind.
Birthday people:
Andrey, Vasily, Gregory, Daniel, Erofey, Ivan, Irinarkh, Konstantin, Pavel, Peter, Sergey, Stepan, Timofey, Fedor, Khariton.
Sunrise 08:48
Sunset 15:56
Day length 07:08
12 December.
Paramon
According to legend, since December 12, “Winter walks in a bear coat, knocks on the roofs, orders the women to get up, light the stoves, and bow to the men in the forest, stock up on firewood.”
If there is snow on Paramon, there will be snowstorms until Nikolina Day (December 19).
Crimson dawn - to a clear day. The morning is red - it will be clear in December.
Birthday people:
Akakiy, Daniil, Denis, Ivan, Nikolai, Paramon, Urvan, Fedor.
December 13th.
Andrew the First-Called
Day of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called, First Baptist of Rus'. They prayed to him for peace on earth and in the human soul.
The night of St. Andrew the First-Called was called “St. Andrew’s Night.” According to popular belief, on this night the image of the betrothed could appear to the girls; When they went to bed, they put a piece of bread they had baked with their own hands under the pillow, saying: “Betrothed, come and taste my bread.”
On this day they “listened” to the water. Even before dawn, the guys poured water into a bowl and, going out onto the porch and leaning their ear towards the bowl, tried to hear the name of the future bride in the sound of the water.
Old people especially respected this custom. In the morning they went to the river to the ice hole, pressed their ears to the ice and listened. If the water is noisy, you have to wait for a cold snowstorm; if it’s quiet, the winter will be good and quiet. They carried water from the ice hole home: when the water was “noisy,” they calmed it down and did not pour it into tubs so that noise would not enter the house with it. They read the plot: “Shum-shumok, why did you come to your senses? If you're happy, knock. If you're on the mountain, shut up. At the plow, writhing, oppressing, don’t call me to my stove.”
Before St. Andrew the First-Called, healers kept the protective herb Veronica - “St. Andrew’s herb, tart, bitter.” A head wreath made from it protected against the “evil one.”
If the snow starts to fall and settles, it will remain there for another hundred or more days.
Birthday boy:
Andrey.
December 14.
Nahum the Gramotnik. Filaret
On this day, children were sent to study: “The Prophet Nahum will guide the mind (helps to learn).”
The father, holding his son by the hand, handed him over to the clerk-teacher with a request to teach him wisdom, and to severely punish him for negligence.
The boy was brought to the mentor, who was sitting in the red corner, and he taught the person who wanted to learn to read and write three times with a whip on the back, after which he took out the primer and the teaching began. While they were learning the first letter “az,” mother, shedding tears, begged the teacher not to bother her child too much to learn to read and write. Here the teaching was interrupted and, given a pie wrapped in a towel, the teacher ordered at the gate that the boy should now come to him. The peasants treated the teaching with reverence, rightly believing that: “A smart head feeds a hundred heads, but a thin one cannot feed itself,” “Whoever is literate will not be lost.”
And regarding the alphabet, they composed the following essay: “ Az, Buki - take the pointer in your hands; Fita, Izhitsa - the whip is approaching. Az, Buki, Verendey - flies flew into the kvass; Er, Er - grandfather fell from the mountain; Er, Yus - I’ll rise myself; Izhitsa - the whip is moving towards the goose
».
They believe that you cannot eat while studying: you can eat what you have learned.
Filaret the Merciful, like Nicholas the Wonderworker, helps to successfully marry a daughter, saves drowning people and brings them out of captivity.
If the month or the moon is in mittens (with side pillars) - it means frost, and if the young moon “lies on its back” - it means warming. The clouds go against the wind - towards the snow.
Birthday people:
Anton, Dmitry, Naum, Filaret.
December 15.
Habakkuk
Day of the Prophet Habakkuk.
On this day, “crixes” and “night bats” were driven away from the windows. Nocturnal bats and crixas were nocturnal demons that frightened children, preventing them from sleeping. Invisible or resembling bats or will-o'-the-wisps, they occasionally appeared as women dressed in black. It was believed that night bats could enter the house, stand at the head of the bed, or even climb into the cradle, torturing the child. Therefore, out of fear of them, mothers after sunset were careful not to leave diapers in the yard, to leave the hut with the child, did not bathe the children and did not wash diapers and linen in “night” (that had stood overnight) water. They drove out the night bats with the help of special spells.
If there is a lot of snow on Avvakum, expect rich haymaking in the summer.
Birthday people:
Avvakum, Andrey, Afanasy, Ivan, Kirill, Stepan.
December 16.
Ivan Molchalnik
In Rus' this day was called the “Day of World Silence.” Old people advised to hold your tongues and remain silent: “Whoever keeps silent about John the Silent will be eloquent all year long.”
If a house spider descends on its web to the floor in the evening, there will be a thaw.
If the moon is round, full, the month is “on its hooves”, its horns are steep and bright - expect frost.
Birthday people:
Alisa, Gabriel, Ivan, Mamant, Savva, Fedor.
December 17.
Varvarin day
Saint Barbara needs to pray for deliverance from the threat of sudden death, with sadness and despondency.
It seems to be getting a little brighter outside: “Varvara stole from the night, but brought it to the day.”
«Varyukha is cracking: take care of your nose and ear
». «
Everything is warm and warm, just wait - Varvara will come, there will be brewing and frosts
».
We looked closely at the chimneys: the smoke stretches in a column - towards frost, hangs like a rocker, hits the ground - towards thaw. For cold weather, the sky is sprinkled with sparkling stars; to heat – blind, dull. If the sunset is red, the day will be clear. If the sunset is in the clouds, expect snowfall.
And in general: “ Varvara is paving, Savva is sharpening nails, Nikola is nailing.”
Birthday people:
Varvara, Gennady, Ivan, Seraphim.
December 18.
Savva-salnik
A strong sleigh path was established from Sava.
Anyone who owns a horse must not utter swear words.
According to popular belief, Savva continues Varvarin’s work: “Savva will grease the path, lay down ice floors,” “Savva’s frost scares the people.”
If there is a strong wind on Savva, expect wind until the end of the month after Peter.
Birthday people:
Gury, Zakhar, Savva, Filofey.
December 19th.
Nikola Winter
Day of St. Nicholas the Confessor, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, wonderworker.
Nikola is the second intercessor after God, the patron of agriculture and cattle breeding, the owner of earthly waters.
St. Nicholas the Saint is one of the most revered saints in Rus'. They believed that Nikolai Ugodnik helps people even without special appeal to him. He bestows abundance, fertility, wealth: “Before Mikola there is no goodness.”
The parables told how the saint walks from house to house, looks into barns and cellars and tries to fill them with various goods: “Still Nikola walks through the cellar, Still looks for Nikola incomplete, What is incomplete, uncovered, Nikola still wants to complete”...
Fishermen and sailors tried to appease St. Nicholas. On the eve of St. Nicholas the Winter, old people gathered on the shore of the lake before the all-night vigil, made a stuffed animal out of straw, put it in a leaky boat and floated it on the water. They asked Nikolai Ugodnik to accept a “straw figure in ports and a shirt”, who had no wife or children, for whom there was no one to cry and lament, they begged to leave the fishermen and sailors alone.
In the villages, the Nikolskaya fraternity chipped in with the votive mash-beer and worldly pies: “ They go to the fraternity even if they are not invited - the gang will not let anyone go hungry or cold
"
They lamented, however, about the revelers: “ What he forged, he pierced
,” “
He got to the bottom of his pocket
.”
And where there was a patronal feast, noisy St. Nicholas fairs took place, at which they certainly sold grain grain. Here they set a price for it: “Nikola sets the price for bread.” “Nikolin’s day is bright with beer and pies.”
Nikolai Ugodnik was also considered a good healer, a healer: “ On the Okiyan-Sea there is a golden chair, on a golden chair sits Saint Nicholas, holding a golden bow, pulling a silk bowstring, laying a red-hot arrow, he will begin to shoot lessons and prizes.”
The people believed that he could resurrect the dead and save a person from any disease; healers claimed that Nikolin's day was the most favorable for the treatment of serious illnesses.
Nikola's day is the beginning of winter matchmaking. Those who are planning to get married serve prayers to St. Nicholas...
Nikolsky frosts are no match for Vedenko’s: “ Winter hits Nikola with nails.” “Nikola will screw up what Yegoriy paved.”
However,
“If winter closes in on Michael’s Day, it will unshackle on Nikola,” “If on Nikola’s Day it covers its tracks, the road will not stand.”
“As much as Nikola the Winter gives snow, so much Nikola the Spring will give herbs.”
If there are frosts before Nikola, then after that there will be a thaw until the solstice of Spiridon (December 25).
“Praise winter after Nikola,” grandfathers used to say. But what should you do if winter has arrived in the fall, gave you hope, and then suddenly it starts to fog up and gives off warmth? “We brought winter on a sled to Nikola - here’s the thaw you’ve been waiting for,” experts will chuckle at the mild weather.
Birthday people:
Maxim, Nikolai.
20th of December.
Ambrose
The end of the winter holidays of the year: “ Amvrosy – the holidays were thrown away
».
The young ladies took to sewing with special zeal in order to get new clothes in time for Christmas: “Amvrosy stayed with Nikola, instilled faith in the girls’ souls: holy evenings are just around the corner, secret, unexpected meetings.”
If the weather is clear on Ambrose, then frosts will strike. If the snow piles up close to the fence, it’s a bad summer, but if there are gaps, it’s a good summer.
Birthday people:
Anton, Gregory, Dementy, Ivan, Ignatius, Leo, Neil, Pavel.
Sunrise 08:56
Sunset 15:57
Day length 07:00
* * *
And here’s something about “our” great martyr, whose 400th anniversary we will celebrate next year.
Back in 1667, in our Bratovshchina, on the way to Pustozersk exile, the famous preacher and writer Archpriest Avvakum (aka Avvakum Petrovich Kondratyev: 1620-82) was kept in custody for three days.
His companions were also brought here; The preacher described: “When Lazarus’ tongue was cut out, the prophet of God Elijah appeared to him and commanded him to testify to the truth. He spat out blood from his mouth and began to speak clearly, kindly, and very harmoniously. His right hand was covered in blood, and he blessed the people of God with it. When he was being transported near Moscow... here, to Pereslavsk, along the Troetskaya road, to Bratovshina, they brought both of them to me. And by the grace of God he spoke to me clearly, with a cheerful face, smiling. And he told of their treachery, how they were executed, and that they were reprimanded: “There were two execution blocks and two axes, and when they were planted, they cut out their tongues with knives.” Lazarus spoke clearly, but the elder did not speak at that time, “so God wills it”...
Novgorod clerk Stefan Cherny testified: “When we were in Moscow in the Kremlin-city at the Ugreshsky Nikolsky metochion, then many people came to us from the king and from the Nikonian congregation: they called us and forced us in many ways to believe in the Nikonian faith, and we did not listen to them. And then Avvakum the archpriest and Nicephorus the archpriest quickly grabbed and rushed from Moscow to Bratoshino, 30 versts from Moscow. And after them, the head of the streltsy with the streltsy, Vasily Bukhvostov, soon came to us, like an evil and fierce robber - may the Lord reward him according to his deeds! - and they grabbed us, the priest Lazarus and me, by the arms and rushed off very quickly and very unmercifully and godlessly. And they rushed to the Swamp. And he put us on the scaffold, and cut out our tongues, and again grabbed us, like a fierce, cruel, cruel beast, and rushed us off just as quickly. We are exhausted from illnesses and bitter wounds; we cannot run away with them. And they grabbed the cab driver, and put us on the cart, and again rushed us off; and then you put us on Yamsky carts and took us to Bratoshino. Then on the way from me, a sinner, my soul was not shaken out on carts: but then the disease was very fierce and severe. Oh oh! Woe, woe of those days! And they put us in the courtyards in Bratoshkino. Then I, a sinner, sighed on the stove from illness and from bitter melancholy and great sadness, and lay down on the stove, and began to think within myself: “Woe is me, the poor one! How to live? There was nothing to speak, there was no language. If I lived in a monastery or in the desert, I would have a language. Forgive me, Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, I have sinned before you, the light, and before the Mother of God, and before all the saints! He went to Moscow from the desert, wanted to save the Tsar: and he did not save the Tsar, but harmed himself - his tongue was gone, and there was nothing to say that needed to be said. Woe! How to survive until the end? And I sighed to the Lord from the depths of my heart. And he rose up and came down from the oven and sat down on a bench, grieving over my tongue. Oh, speedy hearing of the light of our Christ God! Then my tongue crawled from the root and reached my teeth. I rejoiced greatly at this and began to speak clearly with my tongue, glorifying God. Then Archpriest Avvakum, having heard the miracle, soon came running to me, crying and rejoicing. And we sang together “It is worthy” and “Glory even now,” and all the way to the end according to custom. And for three days they took us to imprisonment in Pustoozerye, all four of us together. And in Pustoozerye you will put us in prisons”...
Avvakum and his companions lived in distant northern exile for fifteen long years, and the harsh Pustozersk became known not only as a symbol of holiness, but also as a kind of spiritual and literary center of Rus'. After all, here, in an earthen prison, Avvakum wrote his famous “Life,” a world-class monument, and several dozen other works (and in total he has 43 works!).
The unbending prisoners - Archpriest Avvakum and his faithful priest Lazar, deacon Fyodor and monk Epiphanius - for their devotion to the patristic Orthodox faith, the faith of St. Sergius of Radonezh, were burned in a wooden frame on Pustozerskaya Square on Good Friday, April 14, 1682.
But the memory of the ascetics lives on. The living Russian speech of the “fiery” author is still heard, which Avvakum himself called “free conversation”, “vernacular” and “blathering” - “... I still love my natural Russian language.” Highly appreciating his native word, he taught Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich himself: “You, Mikhalych, are a Russian, not a Greek. Speak in your natural language; do not disparage him in church, at home, or in proverbs”...
The writer and publicist Avvakum was highly valued by Turgenev and Goncharov, Dostoevsky and Tolstoy, Leskov and Bunin.
And today, remembering the hieromartyr and confessor, spiritual writer of the 17th century. and the founder of Russian literature, who left his mark on our land, it would be nice to turn to his legacy...
* * *
And in our “gallery” – St. Nicholas Church and the ascetic Avvakum...
I've been keeping an eye on the calendar
Igor Prokuronov
P.S. ,
“Old Pushkino: Summer Seasons,” was published. The reader can find out how the fate of our famous summer resident Nikolai Ivanovich Pastukhov turned out, get acquainted with the adventures of his “dacha guest” in Pushkino and the surrounding area, find out what the Armands did during the religious procession of 1892 and the fire of 1899.
Of course, in the concluding Year of the Theater, it will be interesting to find out which of the revolutionaries shone on Armand’s stage, how theatrical and concert events took place at Pushkin’s “circle”, and finally, why did we not “welcome” the young Chaliapin?.. There are good ones in the assortment old theater posters...
And also two original plays.
We hope we found something informative...
“Adult” fun for St. Nicholas Day: traditions and beliefs
In ancient times, not only children, but also adults looked forward to St. Nicholas Day. In Rus', in honor of the holiday, villagers gathered together and brewed beer. And then, after tasting the drink, they harnessed the sleds and rode a sleigh around the village. This is how our ancestors “rolled” new snow to check how well it glides this year.
Unmarried girls sorted out their dowry on St. Nicholas Day , because by Christmas they could meet grooms with matchmakers. In some regions, in honor of the holiday of St. Nicholas the Pleasant, the first kutya was prepared and a compote was made from dried apples and pears so that there would be a good harvest next year. Part of the treat was given to livestock, and the animals were also sprinkled with holy water .
People asked St. Nicholas for protection and blessings for all family members and for the entire household. The saint has long been loved for his kindness and selflessness, so Christians immortalized his name in a wonderful holiday - St. Nicholas Day.
People celebrate several St. Nicholas days. On August 11, believers glorify the birth of the saint and call this day Summer Nicholas. December 19 commemorates the date when the saint rested in peace. This day was popularly nicknamed Winter Nicholas . There is also another memorable date - May 22, when the relics of the saint were transferred from Myra Lycia to the city of Bari (Italy).
What did children used to find under their pillows on St. Nicholas Day?
In Rus', gifts from St. Nicholas were placed under children's pillows. These were simple treats and sweets - apples, nuts, cookies, gingerbread, candy. Traditionally, in honor of the holiday, housewives baked St. Nicholas gingerbread , which the kids dreamed of finding under their pillow! But Nicholas the Wonderworker brought his treats only to obedient children.
According to legend, he quietly watched the child throughout the year and wrote down all his good and bad deeds in a magic book. There is a belief that on the night of December 18-19, the Wonderworker comes to every child’s house , accompanied by two angels and two devils. They tell the saint what good and bad the child has done over the past year. If the baby’s behavior leaves much to be desired, the Saint puts a twig under his pillow. This is a signal that it is time for the child to improve.
Miracle on St. Nicholas Day
Saint Nicholas worked miracles during his lifetime, as well as after completing his earthly journey. For example, he saved the city of Myra in Lycia from famine and helped sailors get out of a terrible storm. Traditions also mention a case when Saint Nicholas resurrected a man.
Today, many people turn in their prayers to the Holy Saint, and he helps, brings healing and grace.
Cases of the appearance of St. Nicholas before believers in churches and monasteries have been recorded It is believed that if you light 40 candles in front of the icon of Nicholas and pray to the Holy Wonderworker until they burn out, then the request you are making will certainly be fulfilled.
This is how he is - Saint Nicholas - a kind wizard for children and a protector for adults.
What do they ask Saint Nicholas for?
The Christian world prays to Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker every day, and on the days of his veneration with special heartfelt diligence. It is generally accepted that this saint is the patron saint of sailors, travelers and merchants. It is they and their loved ones who fervently ask him for the protection of ships and aircraft from natural disasters, from robbery and safe travel.
They also resort to the help of the Wonderworker with prayer in special life difficulties: in resolving lawsuits, industrial and family difficulties, in the desire to successfully resolve them. With special concern, believers ask this saint for help for sick, unhappy, orphaned children, so that, according to the will of the Lord, he would help them in illness and hardship.
Every year, Orthodox Christians celebrate December 19 with special reverence - the Day of Remembrance of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker . It is commonly believed among the people: if you make a wish on this day and pray in front of the image of St. Nicholas the Pleasant, then all your good wishes to your family, friends and yourself will certainly come true.
Celebration traditions
Children look forward to the day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker with special impatience, because St. Nicholas will definitely put some kind of gift under their pillow. So, on the eve of the holiday, boys and girls write letters to the saint asking him to make their dreams come true. And on the morning of December 19, they immediately look under their pillow, expecting Nikolai Ugodnik to fulfill their desires.
It is believed that St. Nicholas the Wonderworker quietly gives gifts to kind and obedient children at night, and stones or rods to those who misbehaved. Therefore, children try not to be capricious and behave well in order to please St. Nicholas.
