St. Catherine's Day (Day of the Great Martyr Catherine). St. Catherine's Day - Catherine's Angel Day St. Catherine's Day: traditions
St. Catherine's Day is celebrated annually on December 7th. This is a very important holiday both in Christianity and among the people. Therefore, it is not surprising that on this day there are many traditions, beliefs and even prohibitions.
Saint Catherine is considered the patroness of marriage, women, and especially brides. On this day, our ancestors told fortunes about their betrothed.
Saint Catherine is the patroness of milliners and tailors. And also - those who believe in fate, because the Great Martyr Catherine helps young ladies get married successfully.
history of the holiday
The Great Martyr Catherine was the daughter of the ruler of Alexandria. Many suitors approached her, but the girl refused them all. “If you insist, I will get married,” she told her parents. “But find me a young man who will be like me in four aspects: in nobility, in beauty, in wealth and in intelligence.” For a long time the parents looked for a groom for their child, but in vain.
On advice, they turned to the elder, who had long inquired about Catherine’s high moral qualities and decided to persuade her to “know Christ, the King of Heaven.” Catherine chose the heavenly groom - Jesus Christ. She was baptized as an adult. After baptism, the Mother of God appeared to her with a baby. The Savior handed her the ring as a symbol of engagement.
Then Catherine was not given life by Emperor Maximian, who tried to seduce her with wealth and fame in order to get her as his wife. But each time she refused him, because she was faithful to the Heavenly groom - Christ - and turning to him with prayer, she herself lay down under the executioner’s sword.
Since that time, the Holy Great Martyr Catherine has been the patroness of marriage, and especially of brides. And most of all, unmarried girls were looking forward to this holiday with anticipation and impatience, and even now they are looking forward to it no less. They consider this holiday to be a girl’s holiday - after all, on this day many girls wanted and still want to know their fate, which is why they tell fortunes about their betrothed.
Do's and Don'ts on St. Catherine's Day
It should be noted that almost all the prohibitions on St. Catherine’s Day are not directly related to the holiday itself on December 7th. All believers know that the Nativity Fast is in effect. Of course, the girls had parties, got together and walked.
But, for example, the table can only be set with permitted dishes, and these were porridge and borscht. And dancing on St. Catherine's Day is prohibited by fasting.
Of course, any work on the land or physical labor was excluded. It was impossible to build, repair or sew anything.
It should be noted that on St. Catherine’s Day you can tell fortunes, and almost everyone did this - both girls and boys.
The most common way was to pull out a cherry branch and put it in a vase before Christmas. If she dissolved, it meant that the marriage would be very successful and happy.
It's time for evening parties
From this day on, cold weather set in in Russia, which means you won’t have much fun outside in the cold and frost. Therefore, the girls began to organize gatherings, which in our tradition are called evening parties. The evening parties were attended only by girls who dined together and told fortunes. It was customary to cook porridge, which was then used to tell fortunes.
Usually they sang and had fun, but did not dance, because at that time the Nativity Fast lasted.
How to tell fortunes about your betrothed on St. Catherine's Day
Before dawn, the girls cut cherry branches and placed them in water at home. If the branch bloomed before Malanka (January 14), it promised a quick marriage.
Note that the guys also performed a similar manipulation. The more luxuriantly the guys’ branches bloomed, the more beautiful their wife should have been.
Before going to bed, our ancestors put leaves from different trees under their pillow. Among them there had to be an apple tree - a symbol of virginity. When she went to bed, the girl read a prayer, if only fate would be merciful to her, and in the morning she asked the smallest boy in the family to draw out one of the leaves, whichever one he pulled out, she would marry. If the apple tree falls out, he will be a girl for another year.
Early in the morning the girl went to the well to find out her maiden destiny, and looked into it, looking at her reflection. If the water in the well was calm, it means she will get married soon. And if the reflection in the water is chipped, the water is not calm, which means you still need to wait until you get married.
At the end of the evening of Catherine’s Day, each in turn took a bowl of supper into the yard, wrapped in a new towel, and called “Destiny, come to dinner with me!” If the morning rooster crowed, then the girl will get married this year.
In the evening, on Catherine's Day, girls who want to tell fortunes can go to the windows of one of the neighboring houses to listen to what the owners are talking about. Their words on this day can help them determine their destiny.
Fortune telling by ring, ribbon, handkerchief and cross. All these things are laid out on the table and each one is covered with some kind of dishes so that girls who want to tell fortunes cannot see what is where. After this, the girls come up one by one and choose one of the items blindly. The ring will mean marriage, the handkerchief will mean an illegitimate pregnancy, the ribbon will mean that she will not be able to get married for another year, and the cross will mean death.
Fortune telling: This kind of fortune telling was used to determine how rich or poor the future groom was. To do this, all you need is some fairly deep container and some grains, into which you throw something gold, something silver and something iron. The wealth of the future groom depends on what kind of metal can be pulled out of the cereal blindly.
On Catherine’s Day, a girl of marriageable age carried a bunch of immortelle flowers to the ancient family grave at midnight so that her fate would not die. The girls also made a “sacrifice to the poplar”: they threw an embroidered scarf over the branches so as not to remain a widow. Near the icon of St. Catherine’s mother lit three candles “so that the birth would not be interrupted.”
Folk names of the holiday
Katerina Sannitsa, Katerina's day, Katerina the woman-giver, Katerina - the lungs of the motherland, Sunny girls, First sleigh ride.
Traditions and signs
Not only girls turn to St. Catherine on this day. The guys pray and fast, asking God to send them a good wife - affectionate and hard-working. It was believed that one had to come to the church before 11 am and light a candle to the icon of St. Catherine, because on this day, addressing the saint greatly enhances wishes.
On this day, they watched the weather to find out what winter and spring would be like.
– Clear weather for Katerina – there will be a frosty winter
- Snow fell on dry ground - the winter will set in, and next year will be a poor harvest.
The Holy Great Martyr Catherine was the daughter of the ruler of Alexandria of Egypt, Constus, during the reign of Emperor Maximin (305 - 313). Living in the capital - the center of Hellenic learning, Catherine, who had rare beauty and intelligence, received an excellent education, having studied the works of the best ancient philosophers and scientists.
Young men from the most eminent families of the empire sought the hand of the beautiful Catherine, but not one of them became her chosen one. She announced to her parents that she agreed to marry only someone who surpassed her in nobility, wealth, beauty and wisdom.
Catherine's mother, a secret Christian, took her for advice to her spiritual father, a holy elder, who performed a feat of prayer in solitude in a cave not far from the city. After listening to Catherine, the elder said that he knew a Youth who surpassed her in everything, for “His beauty is brighter than the sun’s radiance, His wisdom governs all creation, His wealth is spread throughout the world, but this does not reduce it, but multiplies it, the height of His family - ineffable." The image of the Heavenly Bridegroom gave birth in the soul of the holy virgin to an ardent desire to see Him. The truth to which her soul was yearning was revealed to her. At parting, the elder handed Catherine an icon of the Mother of God with the Infant Jesus in her arms and ordered her to pray with faith to the Queen of Heaven, the Mother of the Heavenly Bridegroom, for the granting of a vision of Her Son.
Catherine prayed all night and was honored to see the Most Holy Virgin, who asked Her Divine Son to look at Catherine kneeling before Them. But the Child turned His face away from her, saying that He could not look at her, because she was ugly, ugly, poor and insane, like every person who had not been washed by the waters of holy Baptism and not sealed with the seal of the Holy Spirit. In deep sadness, Catherine again went to the elder. He accepted her with love, instructed her in the faith of Christ, commanded her to maintain purity and chastity and to pray unceasingly, and performed the sacrament of holy Baptism over her. And again Saint Catherine had a vision of the Most Holy Theotokos with the Child. Now the Lord looked at her tenderly and gave her a ring, betrothing her to Himself. When the vision ended and the saint awoke from sleep, a ring shone on her hand - a wondrous gift from the Heavenly Bridegroom.
At this time, Emperor Maximin himself arrived in Alexandria for a pagan festival. On this occasion the holiday was especially magnificent and crowded. The cries of sacrificial animals, the smoke and stench of the altars, which burned incessantly, and the hubbub of the crowds on the lists filled Alexandria. Human sacrifices were also made - confessors of Christ who did not retreat from Him under torture were doomed to death in fire. Holy love for the Christian martyrs and a heartfelt desire to alleviate their lot prompted Catherine to go to the chief priest and ruler of the empire, the persecuting emperor Maximin.
Having identified herself, the saint confessed her faith in the One True God and wisely exposed the errors of the pagans. The beauty of the girl captivated the ruler. To convince her and show the triumph of pagan wisdom, the emperor ordered to convene 50 of the most learned men of the empire, but the saint prevailed over the wise men, so that they themselves believed in Christ.
Saint Catherine made the sign of the cross over the martyrs, and they courageously accepted death for Christ and were burned by order of the emperor.
In the folk calendar, this date was called the day of Katerina Sannitsa. On December 7, the sleigh road was opened, children rode on sleds, and older ones rode on sleighs harnessed to a decorated horse. Single girls and guys were looking at potential brides and grooms to get married after the Nativity of Christ.
People called this day differently:
- Ekaterina Sanitsa;
- Catherine's day;
- Katerina Zhenodavitsa;
- Saint Catherine.
The name of the day comes from the name of the Great Martyr Catherine of Alexandria, who is considered the patroness of the Russian city of Yekaterinburg and the Italian commune of Zluderno.
Catherine was born in 287 in Alexandria. In the world she bore the name Dorothea. The girl was educated, she studied the manuscripts of pagan writers, ancient sages, philosophers and poets. A Syrian monk converted her to Christianity and baptized her under the name Catherine. According to legend, after the baptism ceremony, Jesus Christ appeared to the girl in a dream and gave her a ring, calling her his bride.
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At the beginning of the 4th century, Katerina accepted martyrdom. She came to the temple of Emperor Maximin during a sacrifice to the pagan gods and tried to convince him to renounce his faith and accept Christianity. The king was struck by her beauty and invited her to his place after the holiday in order to convince her to leave the faith. Since Catherine was very smart, philosophers were invited to talk with her, whom she defeated in an argument, for which the emperor demanded that they be burned.
Then Maximin himself tried to convince the girl to worship the pagan gods, but she refused. Then, on his orders, Catherine was beaten with ox sinews and imprisoned, where she was secretly visited by the emperor’s wife and his military leader Porfiry. Their girl was also able to convince them that she was right.
After this meeting, the wife decided to talk to the emperor and tried to persuade him to Christianity, for which she was executed.
Maximin invited Catherine to renounce her faith and become his wife, but seeing her steadfastness, he ordered her beheading. According to legend, it was not blood that flowed from the wound, but milk.
After the execution, the girl's body disappeared. According to legend, he was carried away by angels to the highest mountain of the Sinai Peninsula. Three centuries later, the monks, obeying a vision, found the remains of the great martyr and identified them by the ring.
Video: Holy Great Martyr Catherine
December 7: rituals, traditions and fortune telling
The Great Martyr Catherine is considered the patroness of marriage. They pray to her for good brides and grooms, for family well-being and during difficult childbirths.
On this day it was customary to organize sleigh races. All the residents of the village gathered on the hill and rode on carts. Boys and young men took part in the races, and girls cheered for them.
Sleighs served as a serious help in the peasant yard. On Catherine Sannitsa it was customary to roll them down the mountain. All the village people were also supposed to ride. The girls tried to ride in the same sleigh with their loved ones. They believed that this would make their union strong.
The newlyweds were in the spotlight on December 7. In front of their house, a sheepskin coat was placed with the fur turned outward, along which they had to walk. This ritual helped protect family happiness from the evil eye.
The girls baked kolobok (round-shaped bread) and rolled it on the ubrus (a towel decorated with embroidery, which was part of a married woman’s headdress). On one side of the ubrus they put a loved one’s thing, and on the other - a rye ear. At the same time they said:
In the evening, it was customary to tell fortunes about Catherine. Girls dreaming of marriage planted young cherry branches in tubs. If the twig blooms for the New Year or Christmas, then next year its owner will walk down the aisle.
The girls also placed cherry branches in the water. The one who blooms first will get married sooner.
December 7: signs and beliefs
- If the weather is clear on December 7, then the winter will be cold.
- If it’s warm outside, then frosts will hit in the second half of December.
- Thaw or fog foreshadows a strong cold snap that will come after.
- If snow has not fallen before this day, then next year will be a poor harvest.
- Cows shake their hind legs - it means frost.
- If the moon is in the circle, then there will be glaciation.
- Small stars - snowfall is expected.
A person born on December 7th, according to the horoscope is Sagittarius. These people have a cheerful and easy-going disposition, they know how to enjoy life and find positive moments even in failures. Onyx is suitable for them as a talisman. This stone inspires in business, gives peace of mind and self-confidence.
Video: December 7 – Ekaterina Sannitsa
Saint Catherine was born in the capital of Egypt - Alexandria, in the family of the ruler of this city. Possessing rare beauty and intelligence, she received an excellent education, having studied the works of the best ancient scientists and philosophers.
Young men from the most eminent families sought her hand, but Catherine announced to her parents that she agreed to marry only someone who would surpass her not in nobility, wealth and beauty, but in wisdom.
Catherine's mother, a secret Christian, sent her daughter to her spiritual father to help her reason wisely about her decision. After listening to Catherine, the elder said that he knew a Young Man who surpassed her in everything. The image of the Heavenly Bridegroom gave birth in the soul of the wise girl to an ardent desire to see Him. At parting, the elder handed Catherine an icon of the Mother of God with the Infant Jesus in her arms and advised her to pray with faith in front of the image.
Catherine prayed all night and was honored to see the Most Holy Virgin, who asked Her Divine Son to look at the kneeling Catherine, but Christ did not honor her with a glance.
In deep sadness, Catherine went to the elder for the second time. He told her about faith and performed the sacrament of Baptism on her. Again Catherine had a vision of the Mother of God with the Child, who looked at her and gave her a ring as a sign of betrothal.
The vision ended, Catherine woke up, but the ring was glowing on her hand.
Soon the Roman Emperor Maximin arrived in Alexandria for a pagan holiday. The celebration had to be celebrated with special pomp and with many sacrifices, including human ones. Death awaited Christians who refused to worship pagan deities. Catherine went to the Emperor Maximin himself with the intention of easing the lot of the Christian martyrs.
The saint named her name, confessed her faith in the One True God before the emperor, and wisely condemned the errors of the pagans. The emperor liked the girl, so he ordered the gathering of fifty wise men from all over the empire to dissuade the girl from her faith. But the conversation with Catherine conquered them so much that they themselves believed in Christ and then accepted martyrdom. The emperor also tried to influence her with promises of wealth and fame, but was refused, so he ordered her to be brutally tortured and then thrown into prison.
The next day, Saint Catherine was again taken to court, where, under the threat of being impaled on the wheel, she was asked to renounce the Christian faith and make a sacrifice to the gods. The saint confessed Christ, and she herself approached the instruments of torture, but they all broke and did not harm her.
Seeing this miracle, Empress Augusta and the courtier Porfiry with two hundred soldiers confessed their faith in Christ in front of everyone and were beheaded.
Maximin again tried to seduce the saint and proposed marriage to her, but was again refused. For this, the Holy Great Martyr Catherine was beheaded.
The relics of the holy martyr were miraculously transferred to one of the peaks of Mount Sinai, which to this day bears her name.
Troparion
With virtues, like the rays of the sun, you enlightened the unfaithful sages, and, like the bright moon walking in the night, you drove away the darkness of unbelief and you convinced the queen, and you also exposed the tormentor, the divinely called bride, blessed Catherine, with desire you ascended into the Heavenly palace to the beautiful The Bridegroom Christ, and from Him you were crowned with the royal crown: To Him also, with the angels coming, pray for us, creating your most honorable memory.
On December 7, the church celebrates the feast of St. Catherine the Great Martyr. Catherine from the Greek name means always pure. In their prayers, Christians pray to St. Catherine asking for a good husband, a strong marriage, and a painless birth. The Great Martyr Catherine is considered the patroness of brides.
Catherine lived during the reign of Emperor Maximin. At that time she was 18 years old. She lived in Alexandria where her father ruled the city. The girl's mother was a secret Christian.
A beautiful girl, of noble family with a brilliant mind and good education, did not want to marry noble suitors, despite the persuasion of her parents. She believed that there were no equal and worthy men for her. But one day, due to circumstances, Catherine met an old hermit who promised to introduce her to a groom with amazing beauty and intelligence that could surpass the girl in everything. The elder gave her an icon of the Blessed Virgin, which was supposed to help her see her fiancé.
The next night, when Catherine prayed to this icon, at night the girl had a dream in which the Mother of God was seen surrounded by angels. She was holding a baby in her arms, the image of which the girl could not see, since the child kept turning away. And when Catherine asked the Mother of God how she could see the baby’s face, she heard the answer: “Return to the elder and you will find out everything.” Waking up in the morning, the girl ran to the elder so that he could interpret her strange dream. After a conversation with him, she finally believed in the faith of Christ and soon accepted Christianity. One day, when Catherine was praying to the Mother of God, the infant Christ looked at her, then he gave her a ring, thus choosing Catherine as his bride. From that day on, the girl decided to devote herself to the Christian life and forget about earthly marriage forever, since she made a mysterious union with God and took a vow of celibacy.
Soon the pagan emperor Maximian visited Alexandria. When the emperor arranged a pagan festival, the girl appeared at it and, in front of all the guests, turned to the king so that he would know the true God, who came to earth for our salvation, and not pray to vile idols. Despite the incomparable beauty of Catherine, which amazed the emperor, Maximian ordered the girl to be locked in prison, because she allowed herself to humiliate the king in front of the guests and all the people. He also ordered his wise men to convince Catherine to change her opinions about the pagan religion. But all the efforts of the sages were in vain, the girl was adamant about neither words nor expensive gifts. One day, the Tsar’s wife decided to look at Catherine and secretly visited the dungeon at night. After a conversation with the girl, she also believed in Christ, and with her, the military leader Porfiry and his soldiers, who visited Catherine in prison, believed in God. Having learned about this, Maximian ordered to cut off their heads, and for Catherine he ordered to make an instrument of torture, which was supposed to tear the girl’s body to pieces. But an invisible force destroyed this structure, killing many people who wanted to watch the execution. After the death of the queen, the emperor invited Catherine to become his legal wife in exchange for her renunciation of Christ. But when his proposal was again rejected, the enraged Maximian ordered the martyr’s head to be cut off with a sword.
Beautiful Catherine began to pray and put her head on the block under the executioner’s sword, but instead of blood, milk was spilled. The girl's body was carried by angels to the highest Mount Sinai. Currently, the relics of St. Catherine, which were found by the monks of the Transfiguration Monastery, are preserved in the Sinai Monastery.
On the eve of this holiday, the girls gathered and told fortunes about their betrothed in order to find out their immediate fate. Those who want to find their happiness in marriage should definitely visit the church on this day and light a candle to the icon of St. Catherine.
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