The spring holiday of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is May 22. They pray to the saint when their hearts are heavy, and they also ask him for help, prosperity, and well-being along the way. Before asking St. Nicholas for something, they read a prayer.
Prayer to Saint Nicholas
“O all-merciful Father Nicholas, shepherd and teacher of all who flow with faith to your intercession and call upon you with warm prayer! Strive quickly and deliver Christ’s flock from the wolves that are destroying it; and protect every Christian country and save it with your holy prayers from worldly rebellion, cowardice, invasion of foreigners and civil strife, from famine, flood, fire, sword and vain death. And just as you had mercy on three men imprisoned, and you delivered them from the king’s wrath and the beating of the sword, so have mercy on me, in mind, word and deed, in the darkness of sins, and deliver me from the wrath of God and eternal punishment, as through your intercession and With the help of His mercy and grace, Christ God will give me a quiet and sinless life to live in this world and will deliver me from this place, and will make me worthy to be on the right hand with all the saints. Amen."
During his lifetime the saint performed many miracles. Thanks to his prayers, the city of Myra was saved from famine. Appearing in a dream to an Italian merchant and leaving him three gold coins as collateral, which he woke up in the morning and found in his hand, he asked him to sail to Myra and sell rye there.
More than once the saint saved those drowning in the sea, and brought them out of captivity and imprisonment in dungeons.
Appearing in a dream to Saint Constantine, Equal to the Apostles, Nicholas urged him to release the military leaders unjustly condemned to death, who, while in prison, prayed to the savior. He still helps now, you definitely need to pray to him and ask for help.
Spell for joint pain
“Aches, pains, bone birthmarks, all joints and semi-joints, tops, don’t creak, don’t hurt the servant of God... (name), so that she doesn’t suffer anymore, let her sleep. Amen."
After pronouncing the spell, light a church candle and read the prayer to St. Nicholas three times.
Conspiracy of fear
On Sunday at noon, read the prayer to St. Nicholas, light a church candle and, approaching the icon, say:
“There is no fear, neither in the dark night, nor in the light of day, nor in the deserted desert, nor in fire, nor in water, nor in military affairs, nor in fistfights, nor in the face of the deceased, nor in earthly judgment. There is no fear in the heart of the servant of God/servant of God... (name). In the name of Jesus Christ himself, the Son of God, who was not afraid of death on the cross. Amen."
Spell to cleanse the body
If you feel tired throughout your body, suffer from insomnia, are tormented by premonitions of trouble, and also after communicating with unpleasant people, you need to take Nikolai after prayer cold and hot shower of seven ablutions. For women, the procedure begins with hot water, for men - with cold. After you wash yourself for the seventh time, looking at the water running away, say: “Water, holy water! You wash everything and cleanse everything! Wash away from me, God's servant/slave... (name) the touches, ghosts, troubles, adversity. Amen". And read it three times "Our Father".
To prevent the child from getting into bad company
This conspiracy is also read after a prayer to Nicholas the Wonderworker, at the head of the bed of a sleeping child.
“Go, child, to your home and do not bow to anyone else except your father, except your mother. Bow to the icon (Nicholas the Pleasant) (3 times) and submit to your parents. Amen."
“May God rise again, and may His enemies be scattered, and may those who hate Him flee from His presence. As smoke disappears, let them disappear, as wax melts from the face of fire, so let demons perish from the face of those who love God and signify themselves with the sign of the cross, and say in joy: Rejoice, Most Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, drive away the demons with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has been buried on you. , who descended into hell and trampled upon the power of the devil, and who gave us His Honest Cross to drive away every adversary. O Most Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord! Help me with the Holy Virgin Mary and with all the saints forever. Amen."
Safe words on the way
“The Road is a princess, The Path is my king. There was faith in Christ in ancient times, and there is faith to this day. With me is my shield, Jesus Christ himself, the hand of Savior from every enemy. Whoever reaches out to me will become a dead man himself. The key is in the mouth, the lock is in the river, the amulet is on me. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen."
Ritual to fulfill a wish
Today you can perform a ritual to fulfill your wish. Buy twelve church candles and place them in front of the icon of St. Nicholas. Light the candles and, while they are burning (about an hour), ask the Pleasant of God to fulfill your deepest desire (however, not related to finances).
We wish you all the best and no troubles! Be happy and healthy!
St. Nicholas Day is one of the most revered holidays by the Christian Church. The celebration is timed to coincide with the day of the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas to the city of Bari, located in Italy. In Orthodoxy, Nicholas the Wonderworker is considered the patron saint of children, couples, soldiers, merchants, and merchants. In addition, the Saint is also a defender of people who have undeservedly suffered punishment.
Every year this holiday is celebrated on one day - May 22 according to the new style (May 9 according to the Julian calendar). The name "Nikola Letniy" is the most common. However, the celebration also has many other names: St. Nicholas, St. Nicholas the Spring, St. Nicholas, Summer Day, St. Nicholas, St. Nicholas with Warmth, Grass Day, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Warm Day.
Nicholas the Wonderworker is the intercessor of all the persecuted and offended, the helper of the poor, as well as the patron saint of sailors and protector family hearth. It is known that the saint more than once came to the aid of those in distress on the water, calming storms with the power of prayer.
And as for family happiness, then a whole story from the life of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is connected with him. One bankrupt city dweller decided to improve his affairs by giving his daughter to a rich groom. But, as usual, the rich man’s relatives were against the unequal marriage. Having learned about this, Saint Nicholas helped arrange the girl: he secretly threw a purse of gold out the window and provided the bride with a good dowry.
Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker occupied a special place in the life of the Orthodox, so many customs and rituals are associated with the holiday in his honor. What, according to traditions, needs to be done on this day?
Traditions on the holiday of St. Nicholas the Summer
To avoid misfortunes throughout the year, on May 22, ritual dinners are held in honor of the Wonderworker: it is imperative to feed the poor, crippled, and vagabonds. Only after this is a big dinner “organized” for the family.
Since Nicholas the Wonderworker is the patron and protector of couples in love, young girls at the dawn of May 22 prayed to the Saint that he would grant them a meeting with their soulmate. The unmarried girls asked Nikolai to send them good husband, generous, handsome, hard-working, brave, kind.
Saint Nicholas is also the patron of animals, including sheep and horses. By St. Nicholas Day, the fresh grass in the fields had already grown sufficiently. Therefore, on the night of May 22, all owners of horses and sheep drove their cattle into the fields. The animals frolicked all night, ran, and nibbled grass. To prevent horses and sheep from running away, shepherds - young and physically strong men - were assigned to them.
In the evening, before the start of herding the animals, a special dinner was prepared for the shepherds, consisting of porridge and pies. Then fires were lit around the perimeter of the large field. Few of the villagers went to bed early, because everyone wanted to watch the animals being pastured. Parents allowed even small children to walk until midnight on this day. A little later, when the villagers went to their huts, the shepherds were joined by girls - unmarried residents of the village. Then the real party began with dancing, songs and fun games. It was believed that on this night young men and women entered adulthood, so older relatives did not particularly control the “ardent young hearts.”
In order for the harvest to be rich and the land to be fertile, at dawn people went out into the fields and vegetable gardens, stood facing the rising sun and performed a special ritual. They read prayers addressed to Nicholas the Wonderworker, asking him to protect their lands, for generous gifts, for a well-fed existence.
St. Nicholas Day is an important date in the agricultural calendar (the saint is a kind of “heir” of the pagan god Veles, the patron saint of agriculture and domestic animals). Therefore, this day is the most favorable for sowing spring crops: it is believed that there will be no more frosts harmful to the crops, and the harvest will go uphill. Also, it is on May 22 that you can already plant cucumbers. Interesting to know. If it rains on Nikola, the harvest will be rich and will delight all owners.
It is believed that dew, as well as water from springs and wells, acquires life-giving power and if you wash or drink it, you will not get sick all year.
To increase your well-being, on St. Nicholas's Day you need to bring a candle home from church, take out the wick, light it on both sides, quickly say the spell words and put out the wick.
The fire is eternal, and my spirit is marked with gold, silver and all good things. Amen.
The wick should be placed in your wallet or wherever you keep your money.
How to behave correctly and what to do on St. Nicholas Day?
In order for happiness to smile throughout the year, May 22 must be spent in prayer and caring for family, home, and livestock. It is desirable that all household members, young and old, be busy with useful things.
In the morning and evening, it is advisable to pray to Nicholas the Vereshny and the Lord. You can ask God and the Saint for everything you need. If your prayers are sincere and you truly deserve what you ask for, you will definitely be rewarded.
On this day you need to start sowing some crops. As a rule, buckwheat and potatoes were planted. It was believed that after St. Nicholas Day there was no point in planting them. First of all, there won't be decent harvest, secondly, the crops will not have time to grow ugly.
In the morning, after going to church and praying, it is advisable to go to the bathhouse, take a good bath and change into clean or even new underwear. Outerwear should also be washed and ironed. While bathing, you can read a prayer.
The housewives began to work from the very morning general cleaning houses, garden areas, non-residential outbuildings where livestock were kept. The animals were intensively fed with various delicacies. Artiodactyls and ruminants were grazed, and other pets were walked.
Unmarried girls and unmarried boys changed into beautiful outfits after the bath. The guys wore shirts embroidered with gold, wide light-colored linen trousers, and tied with satin belts. The girls dressed up in long sundresses, and tied multi-colored scarves on their heads or wore wreaths with ribbons.
After work in the field and entertainment, all family members had to gather at the table to taste festive dinner. There are no special recommendations regarding the dishes placed on the table. We ate everything that God sent. Usually it was unpretentious food: milk, pancakes, chicken eggs, cheese, porridge, boiled potatoes, lard and all kinds of dishes prepared from the listed products.
What not to do on Nikola Letniy?
On May 22, it was inappropriate to be sad, indulge in memories of past negative events, or be lazy. The only thing you should give up regarding housework is knitting and sewing.
It is undesirable to use scissors and other sharp objects ( kitchenware and gardening tools do not count).
It was believed that if a person refuses to help someone who turned to him, he and his family will experience need and fail for 7 years in a row. Remember, helping the poor, orphans and everyone who asks is one of the rules of life that St. Nicholas always adhered to during his life.
It is not advisable to deny anything (within reason, of course) to children. Nikolai Ugodnik is their patron, so all the children need to be given gifts. It is not necessary to buy something expensive, let it be simple gifts, for example, souvenirs, toys or their favorite treats. Traditionally, gifts were always placed under children’s pillows or hidden in socks, which were then hung on a rope over the stove (fireplace).
It is inappropriate to indulge in riotous revelry. Dancing until you drop, heavy alcohol intoxication and loud chants are unacceptable. Also, clarification of personal relationships, much less quarrels, scandals, and fights, is not encouraged. Swearing on May 22 means inviting failure.
Nikola Summer is a holiday that is loved by many, especially children. This is a celebration dedicated to the end of spring and the beginning summer season. It is important to spend this holiday correctly, so that St. Nicholas fulfills all your wishes and becomes a patron and reliable protector for you and your family!
Saint Nicholas(Nikolai Ugodnik; Nicholas the Wonderworker; OK. 270 – approx. 345) - Christian saint, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia (Byzantium). Saint Nicholas is revered as a miracle worker and is considered patron of travelers, sailors, merchants And children. In European folklore, the prototype of Santa Claus.
Saint Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, the miracle worker, became famous as a great saint of God. He was born into a wealthy aristocratic family 250 years after the birth of Jesus Christ on the outskirts of the Byzantine Empire, in the seaside city of Patara in Lycia (today Turkey). His parents, Feofan and Nonna, were pious, noble and rich people. His family then moved to the port city of Myra. Here the saint spent his entire life.
From birth, he surprised his pious parents: at baptism he stood in the font for 3 hours, thereby giving honor to the Holy Trinity; on Wednesdays and Fridays he refused mother's milk for fast days. Growing up, he strove more and more towards God, spending a long time in prayer.
After the death of his parents, Nikolai received a large inheritance and began to distribute it to the poor. But he helped people secretly, so that they would not know who was giving them and would not thank him.
From childhood, Nikolai excelled in the study of Divine Scripture. During the day he did not leave the temple, and at night he prayed and read books. In matters of faith he was like an old man. Such service to God could not go unnoticed. After the death of Archbishop John of Myra, the question arose: who will take his place? And one of the bishops saw in a dream that a young man should be chosen as bishop, who would be the first to enter the temple in the morning - his name should be Nikolai. At dawn, the first to open the doors of the temple was the Blessed Nicholas, who later began to be called the Wonderworker of Myra.
While making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Nicholas the Wonderworker, at the request of desperate travelers, calmed the raging sea with prayer. Holding the executioner's sword, Saint Nicholas saved from death three husbands who had been innocently condemned by the self-interested mayor.
Christians believe that even today he performs many miracles to help people who pray to him.
Not only believers, but also pagans turned to him, and the saint responded with his constant miraculous help to everyone who sought it. In those he saved from physical troubles, he aroused repentance for sins and a desire to improve their lives.
During his earthly life, he performed so many good deeds for the glory of God that it is impossible to list them, but among them there is one that belongs to the number of virtues and to what served as the basis for their accomplishment, what moved the saint to the feat - his faith, amazing, strong, zealous.
Saint Nicholas died in the middle of the 4th century at a very old age. According to church tradition, the relics of the saint remained incorrupt and exuded miraculous myrrh, from which many people were healed. In 1087 relics of Nikolai Ugodnik were rescheduled to the Italian city of Bar (Bari), where they are to this day, in the crypt of the Basilica of St. Nicholas. Part of the relics of St. Nicholas are kept in Venice(Lido Island) and in the Archaeological Museum of Antalya.
The folk calendar distinguishes two days dedicated to St. Nicholas: winter St. Nicholas - December 19, and spring (summer) St. Nicholas - May 22.
Nicholas the Wonderworker is revered by both the Western Church and the Orthodox world. But it is in Russia that even people far from the church know Nikolai Ugodnik as the most revered saint by the Russian people. In addition to the special holidays dedicated to him, the Church celebrates the memory of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker every Thursday. Saint Nicholas is often remembered at services and on other days of the week.
Saint Nicholas showed mercy even to a person who had committed a terrible sin, if he deeply and sincerely submitted. So, he forgave the ruler of the city, who condemned the innocent for bribery, and did not complain to the emperor about him. And he could also be unexpectedly harsh: at the Ecumenical Council in Nicaea (325), indignant at the stubbornness of the heretic Arius, he hit him on the cheek, for which the assembled bishops decided to deprive Saint Nicholas of his hierarchical (episcopal) rank. According to legend, he was even imprisoned. But the sign that the bishops received in a dream convinced them to return the saint’s freedom. The meaning of his act for believers is by no means in permissiveness, but in the active rejection of any untruth: the harshness of the saint was caused by the same feeling that once prompted him to snatch the sword from the hands of the executioner.
Saint Nicholas is also glorified as a miracle worker: through his prayers, miraculous healings and even resurrections from the dead occurred, storms at sea subsided, and the wind carried the ship to where the saint needed it. The Church also knows of many cases when the prayers of believers to St. Nicholas turned out to be miracles even after his death.
A quick and merciful helper to the suffering, an unmercenary and benefactor, sensitive to the misfortune and pain of people; a strict shepherd-mentor, acutely sensitive to any untruth and resolutely rebelling against it - in these features of St. Nicholas, the Orthodox see not the inconsistency of character, but evidence of the living fullness of his holiness.
The miraculous image of St. Nicholas is located in the Epiphany Cathedral in Elokhov (metro station Baumanskaya).
Greatness
We magnify you, Father Nicholas, and honor your holy memory, for you pray for us to Christ our God.
Prayer to Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker
O all-holy Nicholas, exceedingly saintly servant of the Lord, our warm intercessor, and everywhere in sorrow a quick helper! Help me, a sinner and a sad person, in this present life, beg the Lord God to grant me forgiveness of all my sins, which I have sinned greatly from my youth, in all my life, in deed, word, thought and all my feelings; and at the end of my soul, help me, the accursed one, beg the Lord God, the Creator of all creation, to deliver me from airy ordeals and eternal torment, so that I may always glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and your merciful intercession, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
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In the folk calendar, the date of May 22 is Nikola Spring, spring, summer, warm, grassy, Nikola’s day. Signs for Nikola (May 22) will tell you what the harvest will be like this year. Orthodox Church This day marks the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker from the city of Myra to the city of Bari.
The saint was born in the 3rd century in the colony of Patara (Greece), was very religious from childhood, and excelled in the study of the Holy Scriptures. During the day he did not leave the temple, and at night he read books and prayed. Nicholas distributed the property he received after the death of his parents to those in need, and dedicated his life to serving God.
The saint and wonderworker lived in the Malaysian city of Myra, where he was buried around 345. Seven centuries later, Muslims attacked the city and destroyed it. To protect the relics of Nicholas the Ugodnik from desecration, they were transported to the city of Bari, located in Southern Italy. In 1087, the city's residents placed the saint's relics in a specially built temple, where they remain today, attracting believers from all over the world.
May 22: traditions and customs of the day
The holiday of St. Nicholas the Spring is an important agricultural date. There are many signs, proverbs and sayings associated with this day. Many ritual events and agricultural activities are dedicated to it. Many texts relating to the day of warm St. Nicholas contain a comparison of either two St. Nicholas dates (and May 22), or two large spring holidays– ) and Nikolina of the day.
The people were looking forward to this day with great impatience. It was called Nikola veshniy (spring), warm, herbal. From this date, the onset of real warmth and grass growth was expected.
Until Nikola, be strong, even if you fall apart, but live with Nikola - don’t worry.
Nikola would come and it would be warm.
Knowing from experience that spring warmth is changeable and can give way to bad weather at any moment, they said:
Before Nikola, don’t shear the sheep, not this buckwheat.
Praise winter after Nikolin's day.
IN northern regions It was believed that there could be 12 more frosty matinees from Nikola, which could stretch all the way to ). If the weather remained cold that day, they relied on: Nikola poisons, and the Trinity rules.
Grass begins to grow well from Nikola. For the peasants, this was not only gratifying and beautiful, but also very important, because it became possible to switch horses and livestock to pasture, and to significantly enrich their diet with greens. Therefore, the theme of Nikolskaya grass is widely represented in signs and sayings:
There are two Nikolas a year: one is herbal, the other is frosty.
Egory with warmth, and Nikola with food.
Egory with water, Nikola with grass.
Don’t boast about Yegory’s sowing, but rather boast about Nikola’s grass.
In the old days, they especially respected the land, ready for the growth of grass. Therefore, it was forbidden to hit it with a stick.
The rain that began on this day was considered a real blessing, which was so necessary for the growing grass, already sown spring crops, for good soil moisture for sowing other grain crops.
Great is God's mercy if it rains on St. Nicholas of the Spring.
If it rains on Nikolin’s day, then the summer will not be dry and the grain will be harvested.
Therefore, if there was no rain on that day, then they prayed to Nicholas the Pleasant, asking him to have mercy and give spring land long-awaited moisture.
In some places, from this day they began to sow wheat and oats. Where already early sowing spring crops took place, Nikola warm accounted for the average sowing. When preparing for sowing, they relied not so much on the calendar date, but on the state of nature. For example, it was believed that it was impossible to sow wheat until the leaf on the oak tree unfurled or until the bird cherry blossomed. But if the birch tree has “spread out,” it’s time to sow. Also, farmers began to sow wheat when their bare feet could withstand the cold in a plowed furrow.
There was another interesting saying dedicated to this day: “ Saint Yegoriy stores cows, St. Nicholas stores horses.” She points out that from St. George's Day (May 6) the first grass appears and grazing of cows begins, and from Nikolin's Day - horses. The horses switch to pasture. In general, spring Nikola is considered the patron saint of horses. On the day of his memory, they ordered a prayer service with the blessing of water to give the animals health and protect them from wild animals. From St. Nicholas Day, they began to drive horses into the “night”, tying copper bells to them, by the sound of which one could easily find a village herd. The cattle breeders turned to the saint, asking: “ Nicholas the Wonderworker, look after our cattle", and each cow and horse was called by name.
From each village, single guys were chosen as grooms, and then the whole world saw them off. Pies with porridge were baked especially for them and gifts were prepared. After a plentiful meal, the grooms went to the meadows, where they had fun all night. By the light of the fires, they celebrated their simple feast: they brought vodka, snacks, fried eggs, and after sunset the girls joined them. The youth had fun, sang songs and danced in circles until the morning. For this reason, Nikola Veshny in Rus' was traditionally considered a men's holiday.
In connection with the transfer of cattle to pasture, from that day onwards they “ordered” meadows, i.e. At the boundaries they stuck branches and twigs into the ground. In this way they designated places where it was forbidden to graze animals.
After Nikolin's day, go to town.
On May 22, they finished planting potatoes, which in the old days were valued no less than bread. On this day, peasants laid out crosses from twigs or chips near the house, and burned alder branches near the porch to protect the home and its inhabitants from snakes.
In religious consciousness, Nikolai Ugodnik is directly associated with the water element. He is the patron saint of sailors, fishermen and everyone sailing the oceans, seas, rivers and lakes. This is connected with episodes from the life of the saint, which tell about Nicholas the Wonderworker saving people who were drowning or caught in a storm. There are many conspiracies and prayers in which they turn to the saint with a request to save and preserve “on the waters.” As before, so today, the image of St. Nicholas is obligatory on any ship.
The folk calendar reflected this connection in its own way. It was believed that before the spring St. Nicholas, hemp should not be wetted, but the soaked hemp should be pulled out, so that later the drowned person would not have to be pulled out. Until this day we had not bathed.
May 22: signs and beliefs
- Rain on Nikola Veshniy means a good harvest.
- If the frogs croak at Nikola, then the oats will be good.
- Before St. Nicholas, don’t shear sheep, don’t drink buckwheat, don’t swim in ponds.
- A dream from May 21 to May 22 will come true for people born on this day. A dream seen on the day of May 22 will come true in 5 years, when you will already have forgotten about it.
Video: May 22 – “Nikola Veshny”
St. Nicholas of Summer is a holiday that Orthodox Christians celebrate every year on May 22. The closest to the labor of peasants in Rus', Nikolai Ugodnik is revered as a national saint. This day is accompanied by many signs and traditions.
May Day is associated with the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas the Pleasant. He is one of the most beloved and revered saints among Orthodox Christians, to whom they turn with a variety of requests for help.
Signs of the holiday
On the day of the celebration, peasants began to take their horses out to distant pastures, shear sheep, and plant potatoes. All this was accompanied by prayers and thanks to the saint, who looked after the animals and prevented the crops from dying.
The lovers revered him as their patron, and on the day of St. Nicholas the Summer they offered prayers to the holy elder for the search for love and blessing for the wedding.
If it rained on the day of the holiday, the peasants considered it a good sign, which promised a rich harvest and the absence of drought. Damp weather in the period from May 22 to June 10 was also considered a lucky omen, because it was during the Pre-Year period that our ancestors determined what the summer would be like.
The croaking of frogs carried good news - a rich harvest of fruits and vegetables was expected.
On the day of the holiday, prayers to the saint have great power, and everyone can ask St. Nicholas the Pleasant for healing of ailments, love and forgiveness of sins.
The alder blossoms on this day promised financial well-being: if the tree blossomed in someone’s yard, the family did not have to worry about their well-being.
It is undesirable to use scissors and sharp objects for needlework on the day of the holiday.
Traditions of St. Nicholas Day
On the night before the holiday, families baked a treat consisting of pies and porridge, and large bonfires were lit in the fields. This was done before driving the cattle to summer pastures and was a kind of ritual that protected living creatures from harm.
On this day, peasants performed a ritual that protected livestock from the encroachment of wolves. They did this with a sharp knife, which they stuck into the threshold of the house or into the table. A stone was placed in the oven, which was covered with a pot, and the words of the conspiracy were uttered:
“My little cow, nurse and waterer, stay at home, don’t show your nose, and the hungry wolf bites his sides, and don’t look at my cattle.”
Our ancestors went out into the field early in the morning and washed themselves with dew. This tradition protected from adversity and illness, increasing health for the whole year.
After washing with dew, people went to their homes, stood facing the sun and asked Nikola for a rich harvest, prayed and praised the Wonderworker, who listened to everyone’s requests.
Traditionally, on the day of the holiday, everyone in the family did something useful. Work and prayers were considered a good sign. The ancestors believed that Nikola Letniy watches over everyone and notes diligent and hardworking people, helping them overcome difficulties.
After visiting the church, the peasants washed themselves in the bathhouse, offered prayers to the saint, and then put on clean clothes and bowed three times, making the sign of the cross, saying:
“Father Nikola, turn your gaze to my family and protect them from harm. Help us with our work so we can live the winter carefree.”
Each housewife began general cleaning so that the house was clean and attracted the attention of the saint. On this day, the cattle received many delicacies, they were groomed, thorns and insects were removed, they were cleaned and the bedding was changed. The chickens were allowed to peck porridge cooked with butter so that they would lay eggs and not get sick.
To protect poultry, men drove poles decorated with strips of multi-colored fabrics into the ground. This tradition, according to beliefs, provided protection from predators who tried to get to the settlements in order to feast on available prey.
We ended the celebration of St. Nicholas of the Summer with a family dinner. Numerous relatives gathered at the table and were treated to what God had sent.
On this day, requests for help are never refused. It is believed that refusal brings seven years of troubles to the family, so everyone considered it their duty to give to the poor and needy. This was done not so much out of fear of misfortune, but out of one’s own free will. Nikolai Ugodnik always helped those in need, and believers tried to adhere to the same behavior.
Spend this holiday with your family and be sure to offer prayers to the Wonderworker. Your sincerity and desire to get rid of troubles will definitely be rewarded. We wish you a good mood, health, prosperity, and do not forget to press the buttons and
22.05.2017 04:41
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