St. Nicholas Summer 2019: how we celebrate and what not to do on the Day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker / Social networks In Orthodoxy, there are such holidays in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker as St. Nicholas of the Spring (that is, spring), St. Nicholas of the Summer, St. Nicholas of the Autumn and St. Nicholas of the Winter. And on May 22, believers celebrate St. Nicholas Day in honor of the arrival of his relics in the Italian city of Bari.
When is St. Nicholas the Wonderworker's Day celebrated in 2021?
Prayers can always be offered, not limited to certain dates. But you should know that the birth of Nicholas is celebrated and praised after death on certain days. At the same time, the connection with the Divine strengthens. They also glorify St. Nicholas when his relics were transferred from one city to another. On any of these days the celebration of the Wonderworker is carried out. Moreover, traditions are always different.
Summer holiday
It is believed that there is Nikolin Day, summer and winter. In fact, there are 3 holidays of the Wonderworker marked on the calendar. The warm period accounts for 2 of them: August 11 and May 22. People call the first of them autumn due to its proximity to autumn, despite the fact that the holiday is celebrated in mid-August. The second is summer, although it falls in May (22nd of this month).
The holidays received such names not because the days belong to a certain time of year, but because of the peculiarities of weather conditions. So, in May (closer to the end) it is often already as hot as in June, so the 22nd day of this month is not called Nikola spring (spring), but summer.
On this day many centuries ago (after 1087 AD), St. Nicholas’s relics were transferred from Myra Lycia to the city of Bari (Italy).
This festival
celebrated by clergy of Orthodox churches.
Among Catholics, it does not have significant religious significance; Nicholas the Summer is celebrated only directly on the territory of Bari. The exact date is not reliably known.
Another date (August 11) is also celebrated, since Nicholas was born, who during his lifetime will begin to honor God and will be called the Wonderworker for good deeds. The summer celebration of St. Nicholas in 2021 is not yet celebrated as widely as the winter one. This is due to the fact that the saint’s birth was celebrated on the church calendar quite recently (in 2004).
Nikola was born in the middle of the third century AD near Lycia on the Malaysian Peninsula. The parents were childless for a long time and asked the Lord for a child. One day God heard their prayers. When Nikolai appeared, he began to join Christianity from infancy and studied the light of God. Thus, at birth, his sick mother was healed.
In life
The saint studied the Divine Scripture from childhood and excelled in his study.
Nicholas then followed in the footsteps of his uncle the bishop. Already from a young age, it became known about the miracles that he performed. Many people began to turn to Nikola for help. Moreover, he helped everyone in need.
Winter holiday
St. Nicholas Day during this period of the year is celebrated with the purpose of praising the good deeds and holiness of the Bishop of Myra in Lycia. It is not his death that is celebrated, but his reunion with the Lord after death. The celebration takes place on December 19th.
Traditions, customs and folk signs on St. Nicholas Day
In addition to all the above names for this holiday, here and there you can hear the following: Grass Day. At this time, the fields are usually already covered with a layer of fresh grass, and on May 22, when the holiday comes to Orthodox Christians, also known as St. Nicholas the Spring, people drive their livestock: sheep and horses to open pastures, so that they can catch plenty of spring and summer lush and green meadows.
And to prevent the herds from scattering across the fields, young and strong shepherds were attached to them, having first fed them a hearty dinner of porridge and pies. Festive bonfires blazed along the sides of large rural areas. We walked at this time until midnight. Then unmarried village girls came out to the fires, and real merry holiday festivities began...
It should be noted that Saint Nicholas the Pleasant was also considered the patron saint of the family hearth. There is even a story on this topic from his own life. One of the townspeople, wanting to improve his financial situation, decided to give his daughter in marriage to a wealthy groom. But, as usually happens in such cases, rich relatives opposed this. Nikolai became aware of this - and he solved the problem of an unequal marriage by throwing a wallet with gold coins to the bride and thereby providing her with a quite good dowry...
Since then, Nicholas the Wonderworker has also become the patron saint of married couples. The morning before the holiday, young ladies began by turning to the Holy Wonderworker with prayers so that he would help them meet their betrothed. And not just any man, but a man who would be generous, handsome, brave, kind and hard-working.
Who is Saint Nicholas and why do children wait for him so much?
The day, which is celebrated in winter, is revered by everyone as a holiday of kindness and miracles. Initially, St. Nicholas was known as the patron saint of children. He became the prototype of modern characters who are called differently: Santa Claus, Grandfather Frost and others. On this day, congratulations are said on St. Nicholas Day, and children find gifts under their pillows. He became famous for his good deeds, selflessness, and became the patron saint of travelers, students, and sailors. But in fact, the Saint helps all people who are in need.
Saint Nicholas or Santa Claus
Long before the Orthodox holiday of St. Nicholas the Winter appeared, good deeds were being done by the Saint. So, he helped 3 sisters get married, giving them a dowry - each a bag of gold. In order not to embarrass the girls with his beneficence, he provided help secretly - he threw a bag through the window. The last one landed in a sock that was drying in front of the fire. It is believed that this is how the image of Santa Claus was formed.
What children used to find under their pillow on St. Nicholas Day
The saint patronized children from poor families. He threw coins, sweets, and toys into their shoes, which were put out the door. Then they began to distribute candy on the street in memory of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker; the holiday began to be celebrated after the 10th century AD. e., then throughout Europe people hung socks by the fireplace for gifts. These miracles are associated mainly with Nicholas the Winter.
Previously, children used to find simple treats under their pillows: apples, nuts, gingerbread, and candy. Moreover, only obedient children received gifts. The kids were also looking forward to the St. Nicholas gingerbread cookies. There is a legend according to which the Wonderworker walks from house to house, accompanied by 2 angels and 2 devils. They tell the Saint how the child behaved during the year. In accordance with this, on the day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, children receive a twig or sweets.
How to behave correctly: what to do and what not to do on St. Nicholas Day
To make happiness smile on you all year, it will be right:
- Do useful things on this day;
- Take care of your home, pets, and your family;
- In the morning and evening, do not forget about prayers to God and Saint Nicholas: ask for everything you need: if you deserve it, you will be rewarded;
- After prayer in church, go to the bathhouse and wash thoroughly, then change into clean clothes.
- Housewives should tidy up their house and their yard.
- In the evening, at the end of the work and fun, gather the whole family at the festive table to try everything that, as they say, God sent.
What you can’t do and what’s wrong to do on Nikola Letniy
If you don't want to be in a state of need and failure for seven years in a row, remember the first thing:
On this day you cannot:
- Being sad and immersed in the past: remembering any kind of sad or unpleasant events;
- Needlewomen should not sew or knit.
- You cannot refuse help to everyone who asks for it.
- Try not to refuse children their requests and do not be afraid to give them small gifts on this day. Children, as a rule, previously discovered them under their pillow or in special holiday socks, hung on a string near the stove or fireplace.
- With all the celebration of the holiday, it would be wrong to greet it with riotous revelry and inappropriately lavish entertainment.
- And even more so - there is no way to swear or sort things out on this holiday.
History of the celebration
Thanks to his good deeds, Nikola received the status of Saint. But both during his life and after his death, he continued to help people. Nikolai Zimny is the patron saint of sailors. More than once he resurrected sailors after death on the water. The rescue of sailors is not the only miracle that the Saint performed.
He helped
girls to get married, protected children, rescued those unjustly convicted.
St. Nicholas Day (December 19) began to be celebrated much later than the death of the Wonderworker - after the 10th century AD. e. Later, during the Soviet Union, this date was forgotten. The holiday was canceled, since the goal was to consign old customs to oblivion. After the collapse of the USSR, the festive mood returned on December 18-19 (St. Nicholas Day).
Rituals for St. Nicholas of the Summer
Saint Nicholas’ patronage of agriculture and everything connected with it allows us to consider him a kind of successor to the work of one of the pagan gods Veles. He also favored the rural workers of his time. So it turns out that for all Nicholas’s rejection of paganism as such, he - wittingly or unwittingly - also professed in practice some pagan (may Christians forgive me) traditions.
And as a result, as soon as dawn broke on St. Nicholas Day, the villagers went out to their meadows, vegetable gardens and fields, facing the rising sun... - This was one of the sacred rituals on this day. They had to read prayers and ask Nicholas the Wonderworker to send them a comfortable existence, protect their lands and present generous holiday gifts.
On the holiday of May 22, it was necessary to plant spring crops, sow cucumbers, buckwheat, plant potatoes and other crops, since frosts were no longer expected after Nikolin Day and everyone was counting on a bountiful harvest after this holiday. People were especially happy if it rained that day: this instilled even more hope for their future agricultural prosperity.
On May 22, dew and well or spring water acquired magical life-giving powers: they carried away illnesses and illnesses if people washed themselves at dawn.
Adult fun for St. Nicholas Day, traditions and beliefs
People always started looking forward to the holiday in advance. Adults harnessed horses to teams and rode in the snow. It was believed that this was how they tested how slippery it was. Before this, a large crowd often gathered and brewed beer. The girls were sorting out their dowry, preparing for a possible marriage, because it was customary to send matchmakers by Christmas. They also prepared kutya, which was partially distributed to the animals. Another ritual: during this period, compote of apples and pears was cooked, thanks to this there was hope for a good harvest next summer.
What date is celebrated
What the merchants did in 1087 became a significant event for the entire Christian world. Only the Greeks do not celebrate this day. And this is understandable. Lycia was inhabited by the descendants of the Greeks, and they lost the shrine. The Catholic world celebrates St. Nicholas of the Summer on May 9 according to the new style, the Orthodox - on May 9 according to the old style, that is, May 22, 2021. This holiday is not transferable, with a constant date. Among the people, the Day of Transfer of the Relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker received the following names:
- Nikola Letniy;
- Nikola Veshny (Spring);
- Grass Day;
- Nikola herbal.
The Orthodox believed that, in addition to all his virtues, St. Nicholas the Pleasant was the patron of cattle. Therefore, on a holiday, it is customary to ask St. Nicholas the Wonderworker for a blessing for livestock. On the eve of the holiday, horses were driven out to graze at night. It was believed that as this night went, so would the whole year. Therefore, horse owners prayed to St. Nicholas the Pleasant, and even ordered prayer services so that the saint would protect horses from wild animals and diseases, and send them good offspring.
Features of the celebration
Nikola Summer is not as bright as winter. Many beliefs and traditions are associated with the celebration of the repose of the Saint and his union with the Creator. At the same time, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Day is celebrated widely, but quite modestly. So, you can tell fortunes, prepare holiday dishes, perform rituals for harvesting, maintaining health, and good luck.
But not recommended
drink large amounts of alcohol.
Traditions and rituals
In the summer, fasting is not observed, since August 11 falls between the Great Lents (Uspensky and Petrovsky). But in winter, during the celebration of St. Nicholas Day (a religious holiday), it is necessary to eat only lenten dishes. They should be without meat, eggs, milk. Other traditions and rituals:
- unmarried people engage in divination, but fortune telling is the simplest;
- children are given nice little things and sweets under their pillows;
- traditional dishes: Lenten borscht, pies with potatoes, cabbage, mushrooms, dumplings;
- if possible, one should help those in need, as the Wonderworker did;
- after St. Nicholas Day, you can begin to prepare for the next holidays, but you must not forget about God;
- events and performances are held.
Sayings for St. Nicholas Day
Some of the sayings:
- If winter covers its tracks before Nikolin's day, the road will not stand;
- If winter closes in on Michaelmas, it will unshackle Nikola.
Most sayings reveal the relationship between weather conditions on Nicholas and throughout the winter/next year.
What can you eat?
The celebration of St. Nicholas Day falls during the Nativity Fast. For this reason, only lean foods are prepared. It should not contain meat, milk, or eggs. It is acceptable to cook fish, baked goods, and sweet pastries. It is allowed to eat mushrooms, vegetables, fruits, first courses (without meat), nuts, dried fruits, honey. Common drinks include jelly and compote.
Can
Celebrate the holiday with a glass of dry red wine.
What not to do?
It is recommended to engage in good deeds, thereby glorifying the Wonderworker. But you should not do general cleaning of the house, washing, sewing. Hard physical labor distracts from aspirations for the Divine and prayers to the Wonderworker. It is important to sometimes take a break from worldly affairs in order to draw closer to God.
For this reason
It is better to refrain from hard work in order to turn to the Lord through the Saint.
Fortune telling on St. Nicholas Day
The girls were preparing outfits for Christmastide and telling fortunes about their betrothed. Popular methods of divination:
- they wrote men's names on scraps of paper, mixed them up and put them under the pillow, and on the morning of December 19, they pulled out one piece of paper with the name of their betrothed;
- On the feast of St. Nicholas, they cut a twig of cherry, put it in water, if the color appeared by spring, one could expect a quick wedding.
What kind of holiday is Nikolai Letny
On May 9, 1087, merchants from the city of Bari, in modern-day Italy, knew that the Lycian city of Myra, where the remains of St. Nicholas were buried, was being harassed by the Ottomans. The merchants conspired to steal the relics of the saint from the Lycians in order to take them to a safe place. The atheist Ottomans sought to seize the relics of the saint in order to break the morale of the Lycians, but they spared neither strength nor lives in protecting the revered saint.
What the enemies could not make obvious was accomplished by the merchants, whom the Lycians trusted and did not fear. They made their way to the shrine at night and opened it, tying up the guards. The cancer was filled with fragrant peace, which further strengthened the merchants in the correctness of their actions. The stone sarcophagus was prohibitively heavy, and it was impossible to carry it out. Then the merchants decided to divide the relics and carry them away under their cloaks.
The day when the merchants returned safely to their homeland became a holiday for the townspeople of Bari. Subsequently, by order of the bishop, a temple was built in the city in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, and the day became a holiday that spread throughout the Christian world. Yesterday's pagans, the Slavs, quickly believed in the miraculousness of St. Nicholas. There is a legend that in the 10th century the saint saved a drowning baby. Desperate parents prayed to Nicholas and the incredible happened. Nicholas the Wonderworker took the baby out of the water and brought him to the Cathedral of St. Sophia. This event strengthened the faith of the people of Kiev that the holy saint helps the victims.
Signs and beliefs on St. Nicholas Day 2021
If weather changes occur on a church holiday, they are interpreted in a special way. Beliefs, signs and decoding:
- if the first snow falls, there will be a good wheat harvest;
- rainy weather - cabbage and cucumbers will grow;
- low air temperature - the whole winter will be cold;
- Saint Nicholas fulfills wishes that are voiced on December 19; by the way, no less powerful is the prayer for the summer Christian holiday of the Wonderworker;
- It is not recommended to accumulate debts for St. Nicholas Day, this may mean that the coming year will be difficult;
- The feast of the Saint (winter, spring, summer) should be celebrated by doing good for others, not for oneself.
Miracle on St. Nicholas Day
On this holiday, various events occur that are inexplicable from the point of view of human events. For example, there is evidence of the appearance of the icon of the Wonderworker. This happened 3 days after the celebration of St. Nicholas Day (2017) in the village of Velikoretskoye (in the barnyard at the monastery). This is not the first phenomenon here. Much earlier, the appearance of the image of the Wonderworker had already occurred. Where this happens, temples are built. People come from different parts of Russia to connect with the Divine.
Life of Nicholas the Wonderworker
He was born in a Greek colony (III century AD). The parents were wealthy, but did not prevent their only son from becoming familiar with God’s Scripture. When Nikolai began to show success in his studies, he was patronized by his uncle, the bishop. At first the young man was appointed reader. He soon became a priest and then a bishop. According to another version, he immediately received a high rank (at that time this was possible).
Nicholas prayed a lot; the years of his ministry came at the peak of the persecution of Christians. At the same time, he fought against paganism. According to legend, it was Nicholas who destroyed the temple of Artemis. At the same time, he helped ordinary people in troubles, poverty, and finding a better life.
How does St. Nicholas the Wonderworker help?
You can offer different prayers:
- about marriage;
- to sailors about rescue and assistance on the water;
- prisoners who have been unjustly convicted can also ask for the help of the Saint;
- requests are voiced to strengthen faith and bring the unbeliever to the Lord;
- You can ask the Saint for help in various hardships.
Who is Nicholas the Wonderworker, and why do the Orthodox treat him with special respect?
First of all, because Saint Nicholas, as he is also called, patronized sailors, merchants and children, and was also the protector of people who were undeservedly punished: all those innocently convicted. In the history of Christianity, this man gained fame as a people's guardian and comforter. The saint performed and showed the world many miracles: he saved the poor, healed the sick, and even raised the dead. For which he received the name Wonderworker among the people.
It is no coincidence that Christians still remember St. Nicholas the Wonderworker to this day. And they don’t just remember, but celebrate a day dedicated to his name twice a year: in late spring and autumn. It must be said that this is the only case of such a double Christian commemoration of one person.
Saint Nicholas in summer
It is known that Nicholas the Wonderworker (Saint) was born around 270 into a Christian family from the Greek city of Lycia. Nikolai’s uncle served as a bishop, so the boy’s passion for religion from childhood was not accidental. Later, it was his uncle who promoted his nephew to the priesthood and attached him to the local flock. Thus began the ministry of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker to the world and the laity.
He was merciful and attentive to people, their problems and sorrows. After the death of his parents, a considerable amount of their fortune was distributed by Nikolai to local beggars. What, however, this man did not talk about at all: he did alms secretly, without publicity and without attracting public opinion to his good deeds. Publicity in the modern understanding of the word was alien to him.
But good deeds (as well as bad ones), as they say, cannot be hidden in a bag: the news about this amazing, generous and humble man quickly spread throughout the area... And after his pilgrimage to the Holy Land, the inhabitants of Lycia elected him as their bishop.
Nikolai Ugodnik thus accepted the rank of bishop, but this did not change his character and attitude towards his new flock. He remained the same meek, gentle and selflessly loving person, despite all their sins and imperfections. The only thing that Nicholas always struggled with and what he always opposed was heresy and paganism.
And even after his death, his holy relics, kept in the cathedral, exuded healing myrrh and continued to heal people.
