St. Catherine's Day - Catherine's Angel Day. St. Catherine's Day - Catherine's Angel Day What they pray to St. Catherine

The representatives of the fair sex, professing Orthodox Christianity, pray for the saints of God about the arrangement of their personal lives. The so-called female saints are especially popular with them. The names of these pious old women, matrons and virgins in our country are known to everyone: Matrona of Moscow, Great Martyr Barbara, Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, Xenia of Petersburg, St. Catherine ... The Day of Remembrance, which closes this far from complete list of intermediaries between God and needy women, the martyr falls at the beginning of winter - 7 December. Good suitors are asked from St. Catherine and quite often they receive what they ask for.

The childhood and youth of the Great Martyr Catherine

The future bride of Christ was born in the 3rd century AD. in Alexandria of Egypt. Her parents were noble and very wealthy people. In addition, the father of the holy virgin served as the ruler of the region indicated above and was a representative of the royal family, therefore Catherine had a noble origin. She also distinguished herself with her mind, from an early age demonstrating to her relatives and other environment remarkable abilities in the sciences. By the age of 17, Catherine already had an excellent education, especially excelling in such areas of knowledge as philosophy, literature, and history. In addition to outstanding mental inclinations, the young lady also had an excellent appearance. The beauty of Catherine drove many young men who came from the aristocratic families of the imperial power crazy. All of them at one time asked for the hand of a beautiful maiden, but each was refused.

Why did Catherine treat her fans like that? The fact is that for herself the girl decided: she will become a legal wife only to that young man who is much more beautiful, richer, smarter and nobler than herself. But where to find such a young man? In order to get an answer to this question, Catherine's mother, who secretly professed Christianity, went with her daughter to a wise old man who lived alone in a cave near an urban settlement. This man listened attentively to the daughter of the Alexandrian ruler and called the girl the name of a young man who surpasses her in everything: Jesus. Having seen the Son of God on the holy images, Catherine realized that she madly wanted to see this man with her own eyes and realized that she wanted to become his wife. Before the women left, the elder gave the girl an icon depicting the Mother of God with the Child, and advised her to pray to the Virgin Mary for the right to meet with the Heavenly Bridegroom.

Catherine followed the recommendation she received, and her efforts were rewarded: the Most Pure One herself appeared to the maiden. The Mother of God turned to her son with a request to pay attention to the girl praying in front of the image, but Jesus found that the kneeling young lady was ugly and devoid of mind, and most importantly, she was sinful, like any unbaptized person who ignores the commandments of the Lord. Then Catherine again visited the old elder and converted to Christianity. From that time on, the girl spent her days in prayer and firmly decided to remain chaste throughout her existence in the earthly world. After her spiritual father performed the rite of Baptism over her, the Mother of God with the Divine Infant again had a vision of the future saint. Only now Jesus looked kindly at Catherine, and when she woke up, she was surprised to find a ring on her hand of marvelous beauty. This is how the betrothal of a newly-made Christian woman to the Savior happened.

Catherine and Caesar

Catherine of Alexandria lived in an era of prosperity of paganism, during the reign of Emperor Maximian. This ruler was distinguished by bloodthirstiness and was a zealot of idolatry. After Catherine became a Christian, a pagan celebration was held in the city where she lived, to which the emperor himself arrived. He longed to see the spectacle: the torment to which the followers of Jesus were about to be subjected, invariably ending in the execution of the sufferers. Catherine was unbearable at the very thought of the forthcoming human sacrifices, and she bravely went to Maximian. Appearing before the emperor, the girl frankly admitted that she professed Christianity, and then condemned the idolaters, calling faith in the Messiah the only correct one.

Maximian was struck by the unearthly beauty of Catherine. And he wanted to save her. To this end, the emperor convened a council of fifty wise men who were supposed to prove the girl wrong. However, Catherine managed to defend her point of view, and even convert all these venerable elders to Christianity. Then the ruler of the empire went the other way: he promised the righteous woman gold and honors if she renounces her God. But the girl refused Maximian's offer and was given over to terrible torment. At the end of the torture, the barely alive girl was locked up in a prison cell.

Death of Saint Catherine

On the morning of the next day, the trial of the young Christian took place. The emperor again demanded from Catherine the renunciation of faith in the one and only Lord. And again the girl firmly stood her ground, not even afraid of the wheel that threatened her. However, when the people of Maximian took the girl to the instrument of execution, by the command of God, it fell apart and became unusable. In addition, the pieces that flew off from the killing wheel brought death to a large number of idolaters.

Being a witness of a real inexplicable miracle, the emperor came to the conclusion that there was no point in further subjecting Catherine to various tortures - nothing would come of it anyway, because some unknown force was clearly guarding the extraordinary maiden. And Maximian ordered the young Christian to be executed. However, Catherine again surprised her tormentors: having prayed to God, she voluntarily bowed her head to be beheaded with a sword. When the saint's body was deprived of its honest head, it was not blood that flowed from the opened wound, but milk. Church tradition says that immediately after the execution, the relics of the Great Martyr ended up in Sinai - they were allegedly taken there by the Angels of God.

Glorification of the righteous

The discovery of the relics took place more than two centuries after the death of the saint. In the first half of the 6th century, the inhabitants of the monastery, located on the Sinai Peninsula, received a revelation from the Powers of Heaven that the body of the Great Martyr Catherine lay in the ground near their monastery. The Lord commanded his earthly servants to transfer the incorrupt remains of the holy virgin to the temple of the monastery. The monks did just that. A wondrous fragrance emanated from the holy relics. In fairness, it should be noted that at that time the inhabitants of the monastery did not find the body of the martyr in its entirety, but only its parts: the left hand and the honest head.

Today, the incorruptible relics of Catherine rest in the voiced monastery on the Sinai Peninsula and are open for worship. To look at them, pray to the saints and venerate the relics in order to receive a piece of grace, streams of pilgrims flock to the monastery. The relics lie in a small marble shrine. The latter is located in the altar of the temple, but from time to time it is taken out to the faithful. Partial remains of the martyr are placed on a silver tray. The head of St. Catherine is adorned with a golden diadem, and a noble metal ring sparkles on her hand.

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The Holy Great Martyr Catherine was the daughter of the ruler of Alexandria of Egypt, Konsta. The girl received a brilliant Hellenic education. Unusually gifted, she studied Greek and Roman literature, knew literature and philosophy brilliantly, even "having managed to write according to medical writing", "doctors take good books." She had a rare beauty and intelligence. But the paganism in which she was brought up did not satisfy her either with her beliefs or customs.

Young men from the most eminent families of the empire sought her hand, but not one of them became her chosen one. She announced to her parents that she would only agree to marry someone who surpassed her in nobility, wealth, beauty and wisdom.

The mother of Saint Catherine was a secret Christian. She took the girl for advice to her spiritual father, the holy elder, who performed a deed of prayer in a secluded cave not far from the city. The elder listened to Saint Catherine and said that he knew the Young Man, who surpasses her in everything, for “His beauty is brighter than the sunshine, His wisdom governs all creation, His wealth is spilled all over the world, but this does not reduce Him, but multiplies, the height of the family His is indescribable." The image of the Heavenly Bridegroom gave birth in the soul of the holy virgin to an ardent desire to see Him. The Truth was revealed to her, to which her soul was torn. In parting, the elder handed St. Catherine an icon of the Mother of God with the Divine Infant Jesus in her arms. The elder ordered with faith to pray to the Queen of Heaven, the Mother of the Heavenly Bridegroom, for the granting of a vision of Her Son.

She prayed all night and was honored to see the Mother of God, Who asked Her Son to look at the girl kneeling before Them. But the Child turned His face away from Catherine, saying that he could not look at her, for she was ugly, thin-born, poor and insane, like any person who was not washed by the waters of holy Baptism and unsealed by the seal of the Holy Spirit. In deep sorrow, Saint Catherine again went to the elder. He lovingly taught her the mysteries of the faith of Christ, commanded her to remain chaste, to pray without ceasing, and performed the Sacrament of Holy Baptism over Catherine. And again she had a vision of the Most Holy Theotokos with the Child. Now the Lord tenderly looked at her and gave her a ring, betrothing her to Himself. When the vision ended and the saint awoke from her sleep, a ring shone on her hand - a gift from the Heavenly Bridegroom.

Just at this time, Emperor Maximinus Daza (305-313) himself arrived in Alexandria for a magnificent pagan festival. The cries of sacrificial animals, the smoke and stench of the constantly burning altars, the hubbub of the crowd on the stadiums filled Alexandria. Human sacrifices were also made - the confessors of Christ, who did not depart from Him under torture, were doomed to death in the fire. Life time of St. Catherine had just the last persecution of Christians before the adoption of the Edict of Milan in 313, when Emperor Constantine the Great, after the sign of the cross, defeated his opponent Maxentius with small forces, united the empire and, having canceled the edicts on the persecution of Christians, returned their freedom. According to the historian Socrates Scholasticus, "Maxentius treated the Romans cruelly and followed a more tyrannical than royal way of government: he shamelessly raped noble women, killed many citizens, and committed other similar acts." Together with Maxentius, the board was shared by Maximinus, who around 307 AD. and denounced St. Catherine, having confessed Christ before him.

Saint Catherine, "radiant with the goodness of virginity," appeared to Emperor Maximinus, confessed her faith in the One True God, and wisely exposed the errors of the pagans. Captivated by the beauty of the girl, the ruler tried to return her to paganism, but was unable to shake her faith. To show her the triumph of pagan wisdom, he called together 50 most learned men of the empire, philosophers and orators. Appearing at the meeting, she turned out to be stronger than them in scientific knowledge, in height and solidity of thoughts, in the power of the word, and, "fortress of mind" of her confounding "false knowledge" and "worldly wisdom, having exposed vanity", with her sermon about Christ "to the salvation of many from idolatry." They believed in Christ and were burned.

Seeing the failure of his attempts, the ruler tried in another way to seduce Saint Catherine, offering her to share the kingdom and power with him. But wealth and fame did not tempt her, and the chaste virgin refused these proposals, saying that she "desires the garment of martyrdom more than any royal scarlet." Having received a firm refusal, the enraged emperor subjected the saint to cruel torments - he ordered her to take off her clothes and beat her naked with ox sinews. After two hours of torment, her virgin body was shattered by wounds. Saint Catherine endured the tortures with great patience. The fierce tormentor ordered to put her in prison and starve her. But Jesus Christ did not leave his bride without care and every day sent her food with an angel, and He Himself visited the prisoner, breathing strength into her. When the Empress Augusta, accompanied by the governor Porfiry with a detachment of soldiers, came to the dungeon, the Holy Martyr revealed the Christian doctrine to those who came, and they believed in Christ.

Again brought to the judgment seat, Saint Catherine appeared completely healthy, beautiful and strong, her face shone. Under the threat of the wheel, she was offered to sacrifice to idols. And now she did not bow to the pagan gods, she confessed Christ and herself went to the wheels. But the Angel crushed the instruments of execution. Seeing this miracle, the Empress Augusta and the courtier Porfiry with 200 soldiers confessed their faith in Christ in front of everyone and were beheaded. Maximin again proposed marriage to the holy martyr, but was refused. Saint Catherine firmly confessed her fidelity to her Heavenly Bridegroom, Christ, and with a prayer to Him she herself laid her head on the chopping block under the executioner's sword, was "beheaded by the sword."

For a long time, the holy relics of Catherine remained in obscurity in the ground and were discovered only after more than 200 years. It happened in the following way. Once, approximately in the 30-40 years of the 6th century after the Nativity of Christ, the brethren of the Sinai monastery, founded by the Byzantine emperor Justinian, 800 miles from Alexandria, were miraculously informed from above that the relics of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine rest incorruptibly not far from them, and at the same time they received the command to transfer them to the newly created temple of the Sinai monastery. The pious elders happily hurried to the mountain indicated to them not far from the monastery. This elevation reached 1200 fathoms; but the hermits, moved by religious inspiration and assisted by the grace of God, overcame all the difficulties of the path and soon reached its summit, where they found the holy relics of the great martyr Catherine incorrupt and fragrant. Only angels could put them here. The relics of St. Catherine were not found in full, but only her head and left hand. These parts of the incorruptible body of the glorious martyr of Christ were then solemnly transferred to the Sinai monastery and still rest in this monastery, remarkable in its antiquity. In 1689, the Russian Emperor Peter the Great donated a silver-forged shrine to the Sinai monastery for the relics of St. Catherine. “Fear from the greed of Muslims, from the publicity of travelers,” notes the famous bishop Porfiry, who was in Sinai, “accustomed the Sinai to hide this jewel.” At present, the holy relics of the Great Martyr Catherine are preserved in a small marble reliquary in the altar of the great temple of the Sinai monastery in the name of the Transfiguration of the Lord, on the right side of the throne. The holy head of the bride of Christ is now covered with a golden crown, and a precious ring is put on her finger, in memory of the solemn betrothal of St. Catherine with the Heavenly Bridegroom - Christ. In the shrine, the holy parts of the relics rest on a silver tray, under which lies a large layer of fragrant cotton wool. When parts of the relics are taken out for veneration by the brethren, they are placed in the middle of the temple, along with other relics of the shrine, on a table specially prepared for this. The relics of St. Catherine are opened for a distant pilgrim at any time, but for the brethren and near strangers - only at the end of Matins on the Lord's feasts.

“Oh, great martyr, Catherine, from the heavenly chambers she saw Your Bridegroom, Christ our God. Pour the dew of your prayers on the field of our souls, dry and exhausted, and teach us to grow in prayer and strengthen in virtue, and in our thoughts and feelings, deeds and desires, prayers and hymns, in tears and sighs, the honorable and magnificent name of the Triune God is sanctified , Father and Son and Holy Spirit. Amen".

The Holy Great Martyr Catherine was the daughter of Constas, ruler of Alexandria of Egypt, during the reign of Emperor Maximinus (305-313). Living in the capital - the center of Hellenic learning, Catherine, who had a 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 none 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, the holy elder, who performed a deed of prayer in solitude in a cave not far from the city. After listening to Catherine, the elder said that he knows the Young Man, who surpasses her in everything, for "His beauty is brighter than the sunshine, His wisdom governs all creation, His wealth is spilled all over the world, but this does not reduce it, but multiplies it, the height of His kind - unspeakable." 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 yearned, was revealed to her. In parting, the elder handed Catherine the icon of the Mother of God with the Divine Infant Jesus in her arms and told 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 Blessed 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, thin-born, poor and insane, like any person not 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 received her with love, instructed her in the faith of Christ, commanded her to keep purity and chastity and 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 tenderly looked at her and gave her a ring, betrothing her to Himself. When the vision ended and the saint woke up from her 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 celebration was especially magnificent and crowded. The cries of the sacrificial animals, the smoke and stench of the altars that burned incessantly, the hubbub of the crowd on the stadiums filled Alexandria. Human sacrifices were also made - the confessors of Christ, who did not depart from Him under torture, were doomed to death in the fire. Holy love for the Christian martyrs and a heartfelt desire to alleviate their plight prompted Catherine to go to the chief priest and ruler of the empire, the persecuting emperor Maximinus.

Having named 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 most learned men of the empire, but the saint took precedence over the sages, so that they themselves believed in Christ. Saint Catherine overshadowed the martyrs with the sign of the cross, and they courageously accepted death for Christ and were burnt at the command of the emperor.

Maximinus, no longer hoping to convince the saint, tried to seduce her with the promise of wealth and fame. Having received an angry refusal, the emperor ordered that the saint be subjected to cruel tortures, and then thrown into prison. The Empress Augusta, who had heard a lot about Saint Catherine, wished to see her. Having persuaded the governor Porfiry with a detachment of soldiers to accompany her, Augusta came to the dungeon. The Empress was struck by the strength of the spirit of St. Catherine, whose face shone with Divine grace. The holy martyr revealed the Christian teaching to those who came, and having believed, they turned to Christ.

The next day, the martyr was again brought to the court, where, under the threat of being struck on the wheel, they offered her to renounce the Christian faith and offer sacrifice to the gods. The saint adamantly confessed Christ and herself approached the wheels, but the Angel crushed the instruments of execution, and they shattered into pieces, killing many pagans. Seeing this miracle, the empress Augusta and the courtier Porfiry with 200 soldiers confessed their faith in Christ in front of everyone and were beheaded. Maximin again tried to seduce the holy martyr by offering her marriage, and was again refused. Saint Catherine firmly confessed her fidelity to her Heavenly Bridegroom - Christ, and with a prayer to Him, she herself laid her head on the chopping block under the executioner's sword. The relics of St. Catherine were transferred by Angels to Mount Sinai. In the 6th century, by revelation, the honest head and left hand of the holy martyr were obtained and transferred with honors to the newly created temple of the Sinai monastery, built by the holy emperor Justinian.

St. Catherine's Day: history

In the second half of the 3rd century, Catherine was born in Alexandria into a rich and noble family. By the age of 17, the girl received a brilliant Hellenic education and was distinguished by rare beauty and intelligence. Young men from the most eminent families of the empire sought her hand, but not one of them became her chosen one. She announced to her parents that she would only agree to marry someone who surpassed her in nobility, wealth, beauty and wisdom. The mother of Saint Catherine was a secret Christian. She took the girl for advice to her spiritual father, the holy elder, who performed a deed of prayer in a secluded cave not far from the city. The elder listened to Saint Catherine and said that he knew the Young Man, who surpasses her in everything, for "His beauty is brighter than the sunshine, His wisdom governs all creation, His wealth is spilled all over the world, but this does not reduce Him, but multiplies, the height of the family His is indescribable."

Then the image of the Heavenly Bridegroom gave birth in the soul of the holy virgin to an ardent desire to see Him. Saint Catherine was revealed to the Truth, to which her soul was torn. In parting, the elder handed St. Catherine an icon of the Mother of God with the Divine Infant Jesus in her arms. The elder ordered with faith to pray to the Queen of Heaven, the Mother of the Heavenly Bridegroom, for the granting of a vision of Her Son.

Saint Catherine prayed all night and saw the Mother of God, Who asked Her Son to look at Catherine kneeling before Them. But the Child turned His face away from Catherine, saying that he would not be able to look at her, for she was ugly, thin-born, poor and insane, like any person who was not washed by the waters of holy Baptism and unsealed by the seal of the Holy Spirit.

In deep sadness, the girl again went to the old man. He lovingly taught her the mysteries of the faith of Christ, commanded her to remain chaste, to pray without ceasing, 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 tenderly looked at her and gave her a ring, betrothing her to Himself. When the vision ended, and the saint awoke from her sleep, a ring shone on her hand - a gift from the Heavenly Bridegroom.

At that time, Emperor Maximin himself (305-313) arrived in Alexandria for a magnificent pagan festival. The cries of sacrificial animals, the smoke and stench of the constantly burning altars, the hubbub of the crowd on the stadiums filled Alexandria. Human sacrifices were also made - the confessors of Christ, who did not depart from Him under torture, were doomed to death in the fire.

Saint Catherine went to the chief priest - Emperor Maximin, 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 show her the triumph of pagan wisdom, the emperor summoned 50 most learned men of the empire. But the saint took over the sages. They believed in Christ and were burned. Maximin tried to seduce Saint Catherine with wealth and fame. Having received an angry refusal, the emperor subjected the saint to cruel tortures, and then threw her into prison. Empress Augusta, accompanied by the governor Porfiry with a detachment of soldiers, came to the dungeon. The holy martyr revealed the Christian teaching to those who came, and they believed. The next day, the martyr was again brought to the judgment seat. Under the threat of being wheeled, she was offered to make a sacrifice to the gods. The saint confessed Christ and herself went to the wheels. But the Angel crushed the instruments of execution. Seeing this miracle, the Empress Augusta and the courtier Porfiry with 200 soldiers confessed their faith in Christ in front of everyone and were beheaded.

Maximin again proposed marriage to the holy martyr, but was refused. Saint Catherine firmly confessed her fidelity to Christ - and with a prayer to Him she herself laid her head on the chopping block under the executioner's sword.

The relics of St. Catherine were transferred by Angels to Mount Sinai. In the 6th century, her head and left hand were discovered. They were transferred with honors to the newly built temple of the Sinai Monastery.

St. Catherine's Day: Traditions

It is believed that the holy Great Martyr helps in the search for a successful marriage, since Catherine of Alexandria is considered the patroness of brides. Therefore, during this holiday, unmarried girls guessed.

But at the same time, the girls still arrange evening parties and festivities, but they did not dance.

The easiest way was to pluck a cherry branch and put it in a vase before Christmas. If she blossomed, the marriage will be strong and successful.

The Day of Catherine, the Holy Great Martyr, is widely celebrated throughout the world. Catherine is a saint legendary among Christians. She is loved and revered by all Christians: Catholics, Orthodox, Lutherans, supporters of the Armenian-Gregorian and Coptic directions. Catherine is especially idolized and respected in our country.

Brief description of the life path of the Great Martyr Catherine

The day of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine is celebrated on December 7 (November 24 according to the old style). On this holiday, all Christians honor the feat of the great saint in the name of faith.

A saint from Alexandria. During her lifetime, fame went around about her as a very smart, beautiful and wealthy woman. Having adopted Christianity in 304, she was a preacher of the faith and teachings of Christ.

An ardent opponent of Christianity, he tried in various ways to force Catherine to renounce her faith and convert to paganism. She was kept in prison without water and food, beaten until her body became like a continuous wound, tortured, tied to wheels with sharp teeth, and cut off her head with a sword.

The suffering and steadfast faith of the girl in the teachings of Jesus Christ caused many pagans of that time to renounce their faith and become pious Christians.

The remains of Catherine are considered a great shrine for all Christians; they can be worshiped at the monastery that bears her name.

The place where Catherine was executed, tourists can still see when visiting Alexandria. In honor of the Great Martyr, many churches and temples have been erected all over the world, in particular in Russia.

The meaning of the name Catherine

It is the name that is the key to Catherine's act. “Katarina” is Greek for “pure”, the particle “e” carries the semantic meaning - “always”. In other words, this name means - "clean always."

Saint Catherine became a symbol of purity of faith, integrity and truth. Even in prayer, Christians call the saint a pure, immaculate virgin who was martyred because of her unshakable faith in God.

sounds like shit. Christians turn to a pure, immaculate virgin, who was martyred because of her love for God, with a request to help in solving many life issues.

What do they pray to Saint Catherine

December 7 - St. Catherine's Day - is significant in that it gives hope to all unmarried girls to find their happiness. They pray to the saint with a request to get a good, pious groom, marry successfully and live a happy family life.

The saint helps during difficult childbirth, so they resort to her in prayer for the help of a woman in labor.

The day of Catherine, the Holy Great Martyr, is considered by philosophers and preachers to be their holiday. They believe that the saint is their heavenly patroness, they pray to her for the enlightenment of the mind and the acquisition of new knowledge. Students and teachers ask her for support, because it is Catherine who patronizes knowledge and new teachings.

Praying from the heart, believers hope for the speedy fulfillment of their plans. And often faith does work miracles.

Day of Catherine, the Holy Great Martyr - signs of the holiday

This day is really festive, signs are associated with it, predicting what the next year's harvest will be like. According to the beliefs of our ancestors, a poor harvest should be expected if a lot of snow falls on dry land by this day.

Among weather forecasts, the most popular was the forecast before the holiday of Barbara (December 17). If on the day of Catherine, fog and thaw, we should expect the same weather before Varvara, there will be no frost.

Feasts on Catherine

This is a winter holiday. Usually on this day, winter is in full swing: the ground is covered with snow, frost and cold reign.

December 7, the day of St. Catherine, in the old days was famous for folk festivals, they were called so - Catherine's. It was strictly forbidden to sit at home and be bored on this day. People had fun, because the obligatory rite of this holiday was sledding or cart riding down the hill. The guys who were going to get married, on this very day, among the walking crowd, looked out for brides to play a wedding during the winter meat-eater. In order to get a good wife, the guys fasted on the eve of the holiday.

Holiday fortune-telling for the betrothed

Unmarried girls of marriageable age converged on this day in one of the houses. After congratulations on the day of Catherine, the Holy Great Martyr, gatherings were arranged, at which porridge or cabbage soup was prepared together from common products.

Exactly at midnight, those who were guessing and dreaming of knowing their future took cooked food and, going out with it to the gates, invited their fate. It was believed that if a rooster sings for prizes somewhere, it means that the girl will have a successful marriage and a good family life. Silence, on the contrary, did not bode well.

It is on December 7, the day of St. Catherine, that is considered the best holiday to find out the future. Before the sun rises, on this day, the girls tried to cut off a branch of cherries. At home, a cut branch was placed in the water to make a forecast - they were waiting for the old New Year. A dry branch is a sign of "shrunken" happiness, an unhappy fate. Cherry blossomed - wait for the matchmaker girl next year.

Congratulations on the day of Catherine, the Holy Great Martyr, are widely used by believers in our time. Be sure to congratulate women who have the same name as the saint. This can be done simply with words, in poetic form, by writing a congratulatory letter, but the best manifestation of love and care for a loved one will be a prayer coming from the heart.

This holiday is known and revered. Believers visit churches and temples on this day in order to place a candle and make a request to the saint, believing that sincere prayer can work wonders.