On January 21, Ukraine and the world celebrate a number of important events and holidays, including the church day of memory of St. Maxim the Confessor, International Hug Day, and International Children's Day. In addition, this day is rich in historical events and folk traditions, writes IZ.
Church calendar: day of memory of St. Maxim the Confessor
Saint Maximus the Confessor is an outstanding theologian and defender of the Orthodox faith. He was born in Constantinople, received a brilliant education, and became the secretary of Emperor Heraclius. However, Maximus chose the path of monasticism and dedicated his life to the fight against the heresy of Monothelitism, defending the idea of the two wills of Christ — divine and human. For his beliefs, he was persecuted and exiled, where he died a martyr's death. Saint Maximus left a rich legacy of theological works and was canonized as one of the most prominent saints.
What not to do on January 21
• You should not quarrel, slander, or enter into conflicts.
• It is forbidden to borrow or lend money.
• It is not recommended to leave the house before dawn.
Folk signs on January 21
On this day, our ancestors determined the future harvest:
• If the moon is in the clouds, the year will be rich in rye.
• A sunny day promises severe frosts.
• If the day is clear and fine, spring will be warm.
• Birds fly low – you should expect bad weather.
Also on January 21, couples performed a ceremony with snow to strengthen their marriage. They held hands, shook the snow off the tree and said: “What God has joined together, no man can separate.”
Name Day on January 21
The birthdays of this day are: Yevgeny, Ivan, Ilya, Maksym, Anastasia, Anna. The amulet stone for those born on this day is considered to be hyacinth, which protects against illness and misfortune.
Holiday January 21: International Hugging Day
This holiday was founded in 1986 in the USA. The idea of the day is to hug, give warmth, joy and support to each other. It is believed that hugs reduce stress levels, help improve mood, and strengthen emotional bonds between people.
International Children's Day is also celebrated, the purpose of which is to draw attention to the needs of children around the world by organizing various entertainment events for them.
Outstanding individuals born on January 21
• 1881 – Stepan Charnetsky, author of the hymn “Oh, the red viburnum in the meadow.”
• 1969 – Andriy Annenkov, Ukrainian football player and coach.
• 1992 – Oleg Adamovsky, Hero of Ukraine, who died during the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Previously, we wrote about what is celebrated on January 20 and what makes this day special
