“On November 28, according to the new church calendar, the Orthodox honor the holy reverend martyr and confessor Stephen the New. This day is rich in traditions and folk beliefs, and our ancestors always carefully followed its signs. According to the old style (December 11), the Orthodox Church also remembers Reverend Paisius Velichkovsky. Stephen was born in 715 in Constantinople. It was a period of brutal iconoclasm: veneration”, — write on: ua.news
On November 28, according to the new church calendar, the Orthodox honor the holy reverend martyr and confessor Stephen the New. This day is rich in traditions and folk beliefs, and our ancestors always carefully followed its signs.
According to the old style (December 11), the Orthodox Church also remembers Reverend Paisius Velichkovsky.
Stephen was born in 715 in Constantinople. It was a period of brutal iconoclasm: veneration of icons was forbidden, and believers were persecuted. “Stephan’s family was forced to hide, and Stephen himself had to go to the hermit John on the mountain of St. Auxentius,” historians say. Later, a monastery appeared at this place, and Stefan became its abbot.
The emperor, having learned that icons are venerated in the monastery, ordered the arrest of the saint. He was exiled to a distant island, but the disciples again began to gather around him. Then the saint was imprisoned in a dungeon, where he organized a “monastery”, and people came to the prison walls to pray.
“The emperor was angry, but did not dare to judge the saint openly – he was afraid of the people,” the sources say. When the emperor treacherously accused Stephen of intending to overthrow the government, the soldiers attacked him, and the saint was killed. The next day, Constantinople was covered by a storm and fog, which became a sign of his holiness.
In addition to Stephen the New, on November 28, according to the new style, martyr Irinarch of Sebastien, seven holy women, as well as martyrs Stephen, Basil, two Gregorys, John and others are honored.
In the folk calendar, this date is known as Soykin’s day. The jay is revered for its bright plumage and ability to imitate human speech, and it is also considered a “prophetic” bird:
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To see a jay – to good luck;
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To hear her singing – to happy changes;
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A jay screams at the window – to good news;
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Screaming above the house – a warning to be careful;
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A pair of jays nearby – success in negotiations.
Found jay feathers were considered a strong amulet, and a feather near the threshold was a sign of prosperity. According to custom, on this day, lean cookies were baked in the form of birds, which were treated to acquaintances – they brought good luck to the house.
People turn to Saint Stephen with prayers for intercession, healing and support in difficult times. On a church holiday, it is recommended to avoid:
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quarrels, brutality and envy;
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image of people and animals;
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laziness and refusal to help.
You should not offer to lend money yourself – they say that this gives well-being. But you cannot refuse those who ask for help.
According to folk beliefs, on November 28 you can “read” the weather for winter, spring and harvest:
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The wind howls – winter will be windy until the end of December;
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Warm weather and wet snow – May will be warm and spring will be rainy;
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Cold and dry – summer is hot;
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Crows circle in the sky – to the snow, walk on the ground – to the thaw.
If it snows on this day, it usually doesn’t melt until spring itself.
We will remind you that November 20 was the Children’s Protection Day in Ukraine. The faithful honored the memory of Saint Gregory the Decapolitan.
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