January 31 Afanasiev is a lunar holiday. Afanasyev Day (Feast of the Months). Sayings and signs

Afanasyev Day (Afanasy Lomonos) January 31, 2018: what kind of holiday is this and how it is celebrated, signs and beliefs of this day, traditions, rituals, history. Every year on January 31st the national holiday Afanasyev Day or Afanasy Lomonos is celebrated. People also call this holiday Afanasy - take care of your nose, Clematis freezes your nose, Afanasy Moroz.

In the Orthodox calendar, this is the day of remembrance of Saints Athanasius and Cyril. On January 31, believers honor the memory of St. Athanasius the Great and Cyril, archbishops from Alexandria.

History says that Afanasia Mother brought him to the temple of God. She handed him over to the hands of Alexander, the Patriarch of Alexandria, so that her son would serve the Lord God. In 319, Athanasius became a deacon in the Church of Alexandria. Selflessly carrying out his service, he noticed that those who had come again did not honor the Word of God and scolded Jesus Christ and the Mother of God. One of these was Aria. Athanasius, speaking at the Council of Nicaea, spoke out against him. This was in 325. In 326, when Saint Alexander died, Athanasius was appointed bishop of the See of Alexandria. He continued his attacks against the Arians. This happened during the reign of Constantine the Great. The emperor was distinguished by his simplicity and good nature, and the heretics, taking advantage of this, were able to occupy all positions. They slandered Athanasius. Then Constantine suggested that the bishop hide. Athanasius went into exile, but the heretics did not calm down, they wanted his death. They continued to weave intrigues, as a result of which Athanasius had to stand trial. He was accused of debauchery and murder. However, all the accusations of the heretics were unfounded; Athanasius was able to refute them with his speeches and actions. He was acquitted and Konstantin returned him to the pulpit.

After the death of Emperor Constantine the Great, the throne went to his son Constantius, who began persecuting Christians. Then Athanasius decided to go to Rome. He lived there for three years. And when Valens ascended the throne, Athanasius returned to the pulpit. He died at the age of 76.

Kirill was born into a family of noble Christians. He received an education, mastered the sciences, but he was always drawn to know the truth and the Holy Scriptures. As a youth, he entered the monastery of St. Macarius and spent six years there. Soon Cyril was ordained a deacon and counted among the clergy. So he became a minister of the church.

When the Patriarch of the Alexandrian Church Theophilus died, Cyril was appointed in his place. He fought with all his might against statements against the Almighty and refuted their opinions. To do this, he even had to send messages to Emperor Theodosius, Pope Celestine I and to the monasteries. Cyril presided over the Third Ecumenical Council in 431. And in 444 he died.

Afanasyev Day (Afanasy Lomonos) January 31, 2018 has its own ancient traditions, customs, rituals, beliefs and signs. On this day, it is traditional to carry out various rituals to protect against unclean forces and evil spirits.

It is believed that this holiday is best spent at home. You should not plan surgical operations on such a day. It is not recommended to engage in any legal issues or file lawsuits.

On Afanasyev Day, January 31, 2018, boys cannot be baptized. Also on this day, under no circumstances should you quarrel or swear with anyone. It is undesirable to start moving Afanasy Lomonos.

It is believed that a snowstorm on this day indicates that winter will last for a long time.

A thaw on Afanasy Lomonos foretells a bad summer and a poor potato harvest.

If a blizzard swirls around on this day, then spring will not come soon.

If a circle is visible around the Sun and the month on this day, it will soon become colder.

If the crows are circling high on such a day, the weather is frosty, and the sunset is clean and clear, then the frost will not go away soon.

Afanasy - "immortal"
So, live forever!
Let the excitement be dimensionless
Will not fade away in blood!

You are sympathetic, kind,
You are the most attentive
Let it be huge
Success is around the corner!

Afanasy, congratulations,
Be happy and not in pain,
Let your wallet be full
Euros, dollars, rubles.

Let the Ferrari purr steadily,
And the Maldives are waiting for vacation,
Let the beauty wait on the bed
Let comfort reign in the house.

My, Afanasy, congratulations to you,
Let life make you happy with every moment.
Let fate give gifts, don’t skimp,
Let your dream come true.
Let the immortal name prophesy glory,
And in life everything will be as you want.

For a smile and enthusiasm
Let there be more opportunities,
Live happily, with a sparkle
I wish, Afanasy.

Always be confident in yourself
Follow your dreams
May great victories
They are waiting, Afonya, ahead.

Our dear Afanasy,
Your character is a treasure
Know, to be friends with you, to communicate
Everyone will be very happy
We wish you well
Always be on top
Just get better
And strive for your dream!

Our beloved Afanasy,
A sensitive, honest person.
There is talent and a thirst for knowledge,
There is love in the heart forever.

We only wish him
Be friends with a sense of humor
And always be optimistic
Have a fun and cool life!

Let me wish you
Warmth, love and kindness.
I just adore you
You know this for sure.

My Afanasy, I want
May you light a candle for happiness.
And let love fill the house,
You will feel comfortable in it.

Afanasy, congratulations,
Happy holiday to you,
I wish you good days,
And always be healthy.

Let all your dreams come to life,
Happiness, joy, victories,
I wish you from the bottom of my heart,
You will never grow old!

And also, I wish you faith,
Never lose
It can be difficult without her
It's a beautiful world to conquer.

Congratulations, Afanasy,
On this solemn day, accept
I wish you take off in business,
Money, happiness and love.

So that with confidence only
Moved forward towards the dream,
Let it be around a new turn
The desired result awaits.

Never stand still
And don’t blame fate
Enlist the help of a friend
Be sure to win.

I wish Afanasy never to be sad,
May the light of success illuminate your path forever.
May your beloved friends appreciate you immensely.
I wish you longevity, health, strong feelings.

May the angel tirelessly protect you
May your path be full of joy.
And let your days delight you,
And they won’t let you breathe out of sadness.

January 31 is celebrated in the folk calendar as Afanasyev Day. According to the old style, this day falls on January 18th. This national holiday is dedicated to honoring the memory of Athanasius the Great.

Athanasius the Great is considered one of the fathers of the Greek Church; he was Archbishop of Alexandria in the 4th century. In Rus', he was nicknamed “clematis” because severe frosts usually occurred on his day. People spoke about Afanasyev Day like this:

“Athanasius the clematis has come - take care of your cheeks and nose.”

Folk signs associated with Afanasyev's Day say: if the day is blizzard, then early spring will not happen, but if the weather is clear, then we can expect that spring will come early. There is also a sign of Afanasyev’s Day that flocks of crows circling the sky on this day foreshadow a big frost.

There are popular beliefs according to which on Athanasius Day, witches gather for their Sabbath. There they have fun and then, when they return, they try to harm people as much as possible. Therefore, on Afanasyev’s day it is necessary to drive out evil spirits from one’s home. There is even a special ritual for this: at the stroke of midnight, the healer must speak to the chimney in the hut, through which, it is believed, the witch can enter the house.

Folk signs January 31, Afanasyev Day

On Ofonasiev's day there is the deepest hesitation, the very frosts live.
Afanasy the clematis has arrived - take care of your cheeks and nose.
Afanasy and Kiril are taken by the snout.
On Ofonasiev's day there is a sign on the walls, so this is for the green year. (Pinezhye.)
At noon the sun is early spring.
Earrings near the moon - for blizzards and frost.
A clear sunset in frosty weather indicates that frost will continue.
The samovar hums loudly - it means frost.
The coal on the burner flares up on its own - towards frost.
Two friends - frost and blizzard.
Well, it's frosty - nails out!
Well, the frost - it hits the bird on the fly!
Take care of your nose in the extreme cold.
The frost in winter is not terrible when the nose is warmly covered.

- 1878

Afanasy Lomonos (Afanasyev Day) is a day of the Slavic folk calendar, falling on January 18 (31). At Athanasius in Rus', witches were driven away, the Belarusians called the day a “goose holiday,” and among the Bulgarians this day was considered the middle of winter and a “plague day.”

Other names of the day

Lomonos, "Expelling the Witches", "Chumin Dan" ("Plague Day") (Serbian), "Gusinae Holy" (Belarusian), "Panas" (Belarusian), "Atanasovden" (Bulgarian), Ofonasiev Day ( north.), Athanasius the bug-eyed*, Athanasius the take-care-of-nose, Athanasius the winter, Athanasius the frost, Afanasy the Athonite, Afanasy, Cyril.

Athanasios (from ancient Greek Athanasios / Ἀθανάσιος, in Latin transcr. Athanasios /, formed from the word “thanatos”, which means “death”, with the addition of the negative prefix “a”, meaning “without-”/”without- ") is a male name meaning "immortal".

* In the southern regions they said: “On Peter (January 29/16) there are chains, the wings are rubbing.” Kryga are ice floes, and the saying meant the beginning of ice drift. And according to Athanasius, “The ice heaves (heaves) with water.”

Rituals in Rus'

In Rus', St. Athanasius was called Lomonos, because of the usual severe frosts around his holiday (often called Afanasyevsky after the saint). The peasants said about this day: “Athanasius the clematis has come - take care of your cheeks and nose,” or: “Athanasius and Kirilo are taking you by the snout” (meaning that at this time of severe frosts, many freeze their faces and especially their noses).

Among the Eastern Slavs, Winter Athanasius was not considered a particularly big holiday, although some significant rites and rituals were associated with it. For example, among the Russians, Saints Athanasius and Cyril were considered protectors of domestic animals (and especially draft animals and horses); therefore, on the day of their memory, in some places they resorted to special rituals to protect livestock from disease and damage.

In addition, in ancient times on St. Athanasius, healers performed symbolic rites of expelling witches and evil spirits. Among Russian peasants it was believed, for example, that during the Afanasiev frosts, witches fly to their sabbaths and there “lose their memory from excessive fun,” so it was at this time that houses and livestock were protected from their harmful influence. For this purpose, a healer was invited, and only the owner and hostess should know about his arrival. At midnight, the healer began to charm the pipes, drive wedges under the “princeling”, scatter the ash collected in advance from seven furnaces over the “pressure”; After that, he went to the village outskirts, sprinkled ash there and called out incantations. The peasants believed that a witch, wanting to harm someone, flies into the chimney; but if the trumpet is enchanted, then the whole house and yard are protected from its witchcraft. In addition, it was believed that if the western village fence was also enchanted by the healer, then the witch flying to the Sabbath would either throw herself “far away” from the village, or break her head if she even stepped barefoot on the scattered ashes.

In some regions of Belarus, this day was considered a goose holiday. From this day on, they begin to feed the geese grain.... and they grow well and withstand frost, and the carcasses are marketable and good for breeding.

The day of Athanasius was considered the middle of winter in relation to the accumulated feed for livestock. When more than half remains, the peasant can calmly wait for the first spring grazing. If there was less left, it was necessary to feed more carefully, since, according to popular observation, an animal that is well fed in the fall and in the first half of winter, although it starves in the spring, is still not afraid of spring. Athanasius was called the protector of livestock from frost.

South Slavic rituals

The Southern Slavs celebrate St. Athanasius was considered a much more significant holiday. For example, in many South Slavic regions there was a legend that St. Athanasius controls snow and ice, as well as winter snow clouds, so he seems to control the change of seasons.

Saint's Day Athanasius the winter was considered the “turning point of winter” (cf. Bulgarian, Maced. “Wednesday winter”, “sredzimo”, Macedonian “strede zima kolozhega”) and the turning of winter to summer, while the day of Athanasius the summer (Athanasius of Athos - 5.VII Art. Art.) was perceived as the turning point of summer and the turn to winter. According to popular belief, on the day of Athanasius in winter, the sun begins to warm up more strongly, the day increases “by the leap of a deer,” and winter “is divided in half,” “decreases,” “turns toward spring,” etc. (cf. sentence: “Saint Athanas, turn towards us!”, etc.). Everywhere among the Bulgarians and Macedonians there was a widespread belief that on January 31/18 Athanasius takes off his winter jacket, puts on a silk shirt and goes to the mountains, from where he shouts: “Go away, winter, let summer come!”

As for the seasonal border, for St. Athanasius was associated with many different rituals and customs. For example, in the Rhodope Mountains, on this day, women together cooked porridge from various grains, and some of this porridge was buried in the ground to stimulate fertility, and some was distributed to neighbors. In the Pirin region, the owner of St. Athanasia symbolically plowed the field and buried a silver coin taken from the ritual bread at Christmas into the ground. In the same areas, ritual maiden rounds were performed on Athanasius, during which the girls collected various products (flour, eggs, butter, beans) and then kneaded them into flat cakes, “so as not to remain old maids.” In many places in Bulgaria, oradova unleavened flatbread was also baked, which was smeared with honey and decorated with a sprig of basil, and then carried to neighboring houses or distributed on the street to the first people they met to ensure a good harvest and the health of the whole family.

In Macedonia, Winter Athanasius was considered a fairly large winter holiday, ending the unclean and dangerous period starting with Christmas Eve (among the Eastern Slavs - the time of Christmastide). This time was considered a time of special revelry of unclean spirits, in particular the Karakonjuls; and with the onset for St. Afanasy, all evil spirits, according to popular belief, leave the earth, they are expelled by “Sveti Atanas”. For this reason, Winter Athanasius was celebrated widely and wildly; in many villages on this day they celebrated “glory”, gathered a common meal at the church, and sacrificed rams. In southeastern Bulgaria, on Winter Athanasius, a rural holiday was also held, accompanied by a joint meal; Moreover, such “brotherhoods” were sometimes organized in those places that were associated with Saint Athanasius, with his name or legends about him. In honor of the holiday, traditional prohibitions on work were observed everywhere, and especially on women's work - weaving, sewing and other activities with sharp tools; It was believed that if the ban was violated, the livestock could be killed by wolves.

The customs associated with the day of Winter Athanasius, in some places, were also confined to the previous or subsequent days. For example, in southern Thrace, on the eve of Winter Athanasius Day, all household members gathered together at the table and the mistress of the house smoked the bread with the sentence: “How we have gathered together here, so that in a year it [the bread] will find us.” In some areas of southern Serbia, it was customary to fast for the entire week before the day of Winter Athanasius; and in Montenegro they strictly fasted for three days between St. Savva (27.I/14.1st century) and Athanasius in winter, calling them Atanasov’s week. In some areas of Macedonia, women from Christmas until the day of Athanasius observed the ban on knitting and spinning, fearing the machinations of unclean spirits and wolf attacks on livestock.

Plague Day

The Bulgarians have St. Athanasius and St. Anthony (whose memorial day is celebrated the day before) was considered the patron of crafts, in particular blacksmithing. According to legend, the brothers Athanasius and Anthony were blacksmiths, and one of them invented pincers; There was also a story that the blacksmiths Athanasius and Anthony caught the Plague and bound her in chains. Actually, the feast of St. Athanasius (or the days of St. Anthony and Athanasius together) in many areas of Bulgaria and eastern. In Serbia it was considered a “plague day” and was celebrated to protect against the plague and some other pestilences. In northern Bulgaria they believed that on St. Athanasius of the Winter "The Plague Is Born"; and the Serbs believed that on the first of the “plague days” - St. Anthony - The plague does not leave its refuge and “glorifies” the saint, and the next day - on St. Athanasius of the Winter - comes out into the world and wanders around the world, looking for the “guilty”, i.e. violating the ban on working on holidays. If she meets a person who works contrary to the ban, she will immediately strike him with a fatal illness from which he will never recover (for this reason, St. Athanasius was especially strict in abstaining from all work). To appease the Plague on St. Afanasy or the day before, they always cut up chicken (usually black); in Thrace they even prepared a special ritual dish from black chicken, believing that it “avoided diseases.” In Bulgaria, to protect against the plague on St. Athanasius was given specially prepared bread; and in Serbia on the eve of St. Athanasius kneaded ritual bread especially for the Plague, brought out warm water, fresh eggs, as well as clay, shards, etc., sang songs for the Plague so that it would cheerfully celebrate its “glory,” etc.

In Bulgaria, they slaughter a black chicken as a sacrifice to the plague and distribute specially prepared bread. In Thrace, a ritual dish is prepared from black chicken, because they believe that it “avoids diseases.” In southwestern Bulgaria, Athanasius is celebrated for protection from any disease. They strictly observe the prohibitions on weaving, spinning, and knitting. Women are advised to comb their hair thoroughly to “comb out” the disease.

Sayings and signs

Afanasy pulls out his nose and ear.
Afanasy Lomonos - take care of your nose.
Most of all, take care of your nose when it comes to Afanasy - you won’t see it break off.
On Ofonasiev's day there is the deepest hesitation, the very frosts live. (north.).
In the Afanasyevsky frost and the old man is jumping
Frost grabs the lazy by the nose, and takes off his hat in front of the agile one.
Afanasy and Kirillo are taken by the snout.
Afanasyevsky frosts do not like to joke.
Well, the frost - it hits the bird in flight!
They jokingly said: “It’s no wonder that Afanasy Lomonos has a freezing nose, but you wait for Timofey Poluzimnik (January 22/February 4), Timofeevsky frosts.”
To know from the world that time is moving towards summer. Adding more families to the dens.

A circle around the sun or the month means frost. Earrings near the moon - for blizzards and frost. The samovar hums loudly - it means frost. At noon the sun is early spring. If there is a blizzard and blizzard on Afanasy, spring will be delayed. A clear sunset in frosty weather - the frosts will continue.

The national holiday Afanasyev Day is celebrated on July 18 (or July 5 according to the Julian calendar) every year. On this day, the Orthodox Church honors St. Athanasius of Athos, abbot.

Afanasyev Day is a month-long holiday. In the evening, people go out to watch the month as it plays a game in the sky. If it is visible, it seems to run from side to side. Those born on this day are protected by the month. They should wear alexandrite.

One day, July 5, our ancestors went outside and watched the night luminary, its “play” in the sky. Because they believed that lunar energy gives a person new strength.

Other holiday names: Athanasius, Athanasius of Athos, Athanasius Day, months holiday, lunar holiday.

Athanasius (baptismal name Abraham) was born in the Cappadocian city of Trebizond approximately from 925 to 930. His parents were Christians. When they were gone, a nun took in the orphan. After receiving his education, the young man was called to the court of the Emperor of Byzantium as a student of Athanasius, a famous orator and teacher of literature. A few years later, Abraham himself became a teacher. But this was not what his soul was striving for. He retired to the Kiminsky Monastery, became a student of its founder Mikhail Malein and took monasticism with the name Athanasius.

In 960 he came to the holy Mount Athos. In the first years, the hermits who lived nearby were against his ideas of uniting the monasteries. But already in 963 they built the first monastery, after which they built three more. A hostile attitude forced Athanasius to leave Athos and move to Cyprus. There he saw the Mother of God, who promised her help and protection.

Athanasius returned to the mountain as abbot. He continued to build monasteries until he died in the collapse of the wall on July 5, 999 or 1000.

Signs for Afanasyev Day

If the potato leaves face the sky on July 18, there will be no rain.
A raven flies high - for good weather.
A rainbow in the morning or at noon in the west means increased wind.
When the rye ripens, the eel bites well.
Too many insects flying into the fire mean worse weather.
Rainbow in the evening sky - the next day will be warm and clear.
Yellow clouds mean it will rain soon.
A clear month indicates that autumn will be warm and sunny.
If the month is shrouded in fog and this makes it seem longer, then bad weather will soon begin.
If the night light is white and bright, then the temperature will drop and there will be no precipitation.
The month seems greenish - it will start raining soon.
If the month “plays” - jumps from place to place, changes color, fades or, conversely, becomes very bright, hides behind the clouds and peeks out again, then the harvest will be good.
If on July 18 it started to rain since lunchtime, it will last for a day.
If it is hot in July, then it will be frosty in December.
If there is heavy dew and fog in the morning - good weather, no dew - rain.
Dull thunder means quiet, light rain, and booming thunder means heavy rain.
Droplets formed on the leaves of the maples, which meant that it was three days before rain and dampness.

Traditions on Afanasyev Day

- On the evening of July 18, it was supposed to observe the month - it was believed that if the month plays, that is, it seems to move from place to place or changes its color and hides behind the clouds, then one should expect a good harvest. This day was considered the holiday of the month. If the month shines clearly, autumn will be dry and warm.

- On this day, the heavenly body loses its coldness, becomes warm and is ready to bestow its power on everyone. If you watch it for a long time in the evening or at night, you can replenish your vitality and improve your health.
The old people used to say: “Watching the moon play is a way to accumulate strength.”

— There was also a tradition - on the month of the month they began to harvest plants.