On March 16, according to the new church calendar, St. Gregory Palamas is honored and the Council of All the Venerable Fathers of Kyiv-Pechersk is celebrated, writes IZ. This is an important day for Orthodox believers, which is filled with deep spiritual meaning. Let's consider the traditions of this holiday, signs and the main prohibitions of this day.
Content
- What church holiday is celebrated in Ukraine today?
- What church holiday is March 16, old style?
- Folk omens for March 16
- What not to do on March 16
- What can you do on this day?
- Who celebrates Angel Day on March 16?
What church holiday is celebrated in Ukraine today?
According to the new style, on March 16, Orthodox Christians commemorate Saint Gregory Palamas, an outstanding theologian and teacher of the Church. He became famous for his teachings on hesychasm, a mystical practice of continuous prayer and spiritual solitude. Gregory Palamas defended Orthodox theology against opponents of hesychasm and was unjustly imprisoned. He was later recognized as a saint, and his teachings became the basis of the hesychast tradition.
In addition, today the church honors all the venerable fathers of Kyiv-Pechersk – saints who made a huge contribution to the development of Orthodox spirituality. Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra became a center of monasticism and spiritual enlightenment, and its saints are considered the patrons of Ukrainian believers.
What church holiday is March 16, old style?
According to the Julian calendar, today is the feast day of the martyrs Eutropius, Cleonicus, and Basiliscus. These saints suffered for the Christian faith in the 4th century, refusing to renounce their faith before Roman persecutors.
Folk omens for March 16
The people called March 16 Savin's Day , because they remembered the martyr Savin of Ermopol. On this day, they watched the weather to predict what the summer would be like:
- If there is fog in the morning, there will be a lot of rain in the summer.
- A sunny day heralds a warm spring.
- If clouds are floating quickly across the sky, expect good weather.
- Rain or snow – to a poor harvest.
It was also believed that even if it gets colder on Savin, spring will not retreat.
What not to do on March 16
There are three main prohibitions on this day:
- You can't quarrel or swear – conflicts and negative emotions can ruin the entire next year.
- You can't lend money – it was believed that this would attract poverty.
- You can't throw away trash – you can take happiness and prosperity out of your home with it.
What can you do on this day?
- To turn in prayer to Saint Gregory Palamas and the venerable Kyiv-Pechersk Fathers, asking for protection and spiritual enlightenment.
- Do good deeds and help others.
- Shopping – it was believed that any purchase made today would be successful.
- Observe Great Lent: on this day it is allowed to eat hot dishes with oil.
Who celebrates Angel Day on March 16?
Name days are celebrated today: Ivan, Pavlo, Julian, Omelyan, Trokhym, Oleksandr, Roman, Denis.
According to the old style, it is the day of the angel of Martha and Michael.
Today's holiday reminds us of the importance of spiritual life, prayer, and good deeds. By following traditions and signs, we can attract prosperity and harmony into our lives.
We remind you that we wrote about what church holiday is celebrated on March 15, the traditions and prohibitions of this day.