Yegoryev day of the year. Traditions and beliefs associated with Yegory of the Spring

In the article we will talk about what St. George's Day is, what is the history of this holiday, as well as in whose honor it is celebrated. Saint's Day George, which in Rus' was called St. George's Day, is associated with many of us with the history of serfdom. Indeed, this holiday was special for the peasants. None of them asked the question: “What is St. George’s Day?” Its significance for them was enormous. Intrigued? Read this article and you will find out what St. George’s Day is in the history of our country.

When was St. George's Day celebrated, how was it connected with serfdom?

This holiday was celebrated on November 26 according to the old style, and on December 9 according to the new style. Between the 16th and 17th centuries it fell on December 6th.

You can briefly answer the question of what St. George’s Day is for Russian peasants as follows. Firstly, it was on this day that the landowners settled with them. The calculation took place based on the results of the harvest, when the financial year ended in the village. It was from Yegoryev’s day, as Yuryev’s day was called, that the word “to cheat” came from, which meant to pay dishonestly. Secondly, it was then that leaving the landowner was allowed. Peasants in the 15th century knew very well what St. George’s Day was, because on this holiday they could freely leave their land and go to another landowner. To do this, however, it was necessary to pay debts to the former landowner, as well as a fee for the use of land and yard (elderly). Those who lived for 4 or more years with the landowner paid "all old age" in case of transfer. Others, who had been under his command for less than four years, gave only a portion, depending on how long they had stayed with him. Let's talk about what St. George's Day is in the history of Russia in subsequent years.

Law books of Ivan III and Ivan the Terrible

After the Russian lands were united under the rule of the Moscow prince, a unified order was established throughout the territory of the state. In 1497, the Code of Laws was adopted (under Ivan III). In accordance with it, the right of peasants to leave the landowners during the year was limited. Now they could leave them only after completing field work, that is, a week before St. George’s Day and another 7 days after. In the Code of Laws of 1550, published under Ivan the Terrible (his portrait is presented above), the right to “exit” was preserved. This is what the right of St. George's Day is - the opportunity to leave the landowner.

Reserved years regime

The word "commandment" translated means "prohibition." on the initiative of B. Godunov, he forbade peasants to move from one owner to another on St. George’s Day. But not always, but only in certain years, when scribe books were created, in which an inventory of the land fund and population was presented. This ban came as a surprise to the world. The following saying appeared: “Here’s St. George’s Day for you, grandma!”

"Lessons of the summer"

However, the peasants could still hide from the landowners. Back in 1597, a decree on fixed summers was issued. For the first time, it specified a time frame for searching for fugitive peasants. It was 5 years. This time was called "lesson years." If during this time the landowner did not find the peasant and did not file a petition to find him, the right to him was lost to him. The fugitive peasant was legally assigned to a new owner. “Reserved summers” applied not only to tax-paying peasants, who were tied to the land for 5 years, but also to their wives and children, who had not previously been subject to “reserved summers.” Moreover, any transition of a peasant was considered an escape. The one who committed it was subject to return along with his property and family.

Boris Godunov subsequently either canceled this period or reintroduced it. After some time it was canceled, and the residents of our country forgot about what St. George’s Day is in history. Today, not everyone can talk about this holiday. However, its echoes have survived to this day in the culture of our country.

So, we answered the question: “What is St. George’s Day?” The definition of this holiday, as you learned, is associated with the name of St. George. But we have not yet talked about this saint himself. We invite you to get to know him better.

Brief biography of George

This saint was born in Beirut (Belit) in the 3rd century AD. e. His parents were rich people. Despite the fact that Christians were persecuted at that time, they raised their son in the traditions of the faith. George was a handsome, strong and brave young man. Like many of his peers, he decided to enter military service with Diocletian, the emperor who lived from 284 to 305 AD. e. He soon earned the favor and respect of the ruler of the Roman Empire. Diocletian, however, persecuted Christians. One day, George could not stand it and accused the emperor of injustice and cruelty. He said that he was one of his favorites, and yet George was a Christian, like those whom Diocletian was persecuting. Of course, this act meant death for the brave young man. The emperor, making sure that he would not renounce Christ, ordered George’s head to be cut off. This happened in Nicomedia in 303.

Memorial Day of St. George

The day of memory of George-Yuri itself is a purely Russian holiday. It is not found in other Orthodox Churches. The memory of the warrior George, who suffered for his faith, who lived under Emperor Diocletian, is celebrated on May 6 according to the new style. Among many Orthodox peoples, for example, among the southern Slavs, George is the patron saint of farmers. Everyone knows the murder of the snake he committed, depicted on the Moscow coat of arms.

Miracle of the Serpent

Each of you has probably seen the image of St. George sitting on a white horse and slaying a serpent writhing on the ground with a spear. It illustrates an event that occurred after the death of St. George. According to legend, not far from the place where this saint was born, in Beirut, there lived a snake in a lake. He often devoured the local population. In order to satisfy his hunger, the residents began to regularly bring him to eat a girl or a boy who was chosen by lot. The lot once fell on the daughter of the man who ruled this area. The girl was taken to the lake and tied here. She waited in horror for the monster to appear. When the snake began to approach her, a young man suddenly appeared on a white horse. He pierced the monster with a spear and thus saved the girl. Of course, this young man was George, the holy great martyr. With this miraculous phenomenon, he put an end to the destruction of girls and boys within Beirut. George converted the population of this country, whose inhabitants had previously been pagans, to Christ.

Symbols in the miracle of the serpent

This story is called the miracle of George about the serpent. It is reminiscent of folklore stories from various countries about heroes and warriors who defeated the monster. However, the saint’s victory, despite all the similarities with them, was more spiritual than physical. It is no coincidence that the image of a hero slaying a serpent is often explained allegorically. The princess saved by him personifies the Church, and the snake symbolizes paganism. The fact that George is depicted on a horse is also not accidental. This symbolizes the victory over the “ancient serpent,” that is, the devil. The victory over the dragon, as well as the fact that George was a warrior by profession, became the reason for his veneration as the patron saint of the army.

Resurrection of the Ox

But, besides killing the snake, he was revered for another act. George once met a poor peasant on his way. This man's only ox died. George begged God with his prayer to revive the ox. The peasants interpreted the victory over the snake as an opportunity to pray to this saint asking for protection from the bites of poisonous snakes that attack livestock, as well as from predatory animals in general.

Memory of the Saint

Since the 10th century, the names “Yuri” and “George” have become common in Rus'. Yaroslav the Wise, the son of Vladimir, who baptized Rus', was named George in baptism. Yaroslav, in honor of his patron, built the St. George Church in Kyiv, the Yuryev Monastery located in Veliky Novgorod, and also founded the Baltic city of Yuryev. The church, located in Kyiv (pictured above), was destroyed and rebuilt several times during the Middle Ages. It was finally destroyed only in 1934. Today, only the name of a lane in Kyiv, located near the Golden Gate (Georgievsky Lane), reminds us of this church. Nowadays, the city of Yuryev belongs to Estonia. It was renamed Tartu. And located in (pictured below) is still in operation today. It is one of the main attractions of this city. Thanks to him, many of our compatriots remember what St. George’s Day is.

Did a history definition given by a teacher, or just an interest in the traditions of our country, prompt you to get acquainted with this holiday? We hope that in any case you found the necessary information. You can talk for a long time about what St. George’s Day is in Rus', but we tried to select only the most important information.

Today, May 6, is a holiday for Orthodox Christians in honor of St. George the Victorious. People call it St. George's Day. About the history of the holiday and folk signs associated with it in this material

Who is St. George the Victorious?

George was born in the 3rd century in the city of Beirut (in Asia Minor) into a Christian family. He entered service in the Roman army, where he became famous for his bravery. The warrior performed many feats of arms and miracles, for which he was called Victorious.

When Emperor Diocletian began persecuting Christians, George distributed his property to the poor, appeared before the emperor and declared himself a follower of Christ. Nothing could persuade him to paganism - and by order of the emperor, George was beheaded. The execution took place on May 6 (new style) 303.

The most famous of the miracles performed by the Holy Great Martyr George is depicted in iconography. This is the defeat of the serpent that lived in the lake at the foot of the Lebanese mountains, near Beirut, and devoured people. By killing the serpent, Saint George saved the royal daughter, who was to become the serpent’s next victim, from certain death.

According to tradition, in Rus' St. George the Victorious has long been revered as the protector of the Orthodox army. The founder of Moscow, Yuri Dolgoruky, bore the name of the saint. With the reign of Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy, Saint George acts as the patron saint of Moscow, his image becomes the coat of arms of the Moscow sovereigns, and later becomes part of the Russian state emblem - the Russian Eagle.

St. George's Day: signs, traditions of the holiday

St. George is traditionally considered the patron saint of livestock, as well as a protector against disease and predators. The Great Martyr protects warriors and travelers.

In the folk calendar, Yuryev's Day or Yegoriy Veshny - May 6 - is the final date for the onset of spring. On this day they began to plow the arable land.

Sometimes on St. George’s Day, cattle were driven into the field for the first time; before driving the animals out, they walked around with prayers and with an icon of the saint in their hands. This protected the cattle from evil spirits, kept away diseases, deaths and wild animals.

The peasants rode on the first dew - this should give them strength and health for life. Church services were held, which ended with a meal with the family. They went out to the games. The girls chose a handsome guy and walked with him, singing an appeal to St. Yuri. Then they broke off pieces of the pie so that there was enough for everyone who wanted it. Whichever girl had more filling was supposed to get married in the fall.

There were a number of signs about St. George. For example, if on May 6 a cuckoo crows in a still bare forest, then the year will be unsuccessful for agriculture as a whole. But if a person heard the cuckoo, and at that moment he had money in his pocket, then the whole year will be monetary.

The girls asked the birds how long they would remain in their father's house. When the cuckoo was silent, it meant that a quick marriage was planned. And how much she crowed was determined by the number of years before the wedding.

Warm weather on St. George's Day promises early summer, heavy rain is a harbinger of good grass growth. But snow or hail on this day meant that buckwheat should have grown well; with abundant dew, a millet harvest should have been expected.

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St. George's Day or St. George's Day in 2016: signs, traditions

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On May 6, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of St. George the Victorious. This date is popularly called Yegoryev Day. On May 6, the ritual of the first pasture of livestock was held, and people bathed in dew, collected medicinal herbs, burned bonfires, performed agricultural rituals and had ritual meals.

• Yuriev day,
• Egoriy Veshny,
• Yegoryev day.

St. George's Day: celebration traditions

St. George's Day is a holiday of shepherds. In the field they were fed with worldly scrambled eggs and given gifts. Among the southern Slavs, Yuryev day, together with the year, was divided into two half-years: “Yuryevskoye” and “Dmitrovskoye”.

Among the Eastern Slavs, Yegoryev Day is the main cattle-breeding holiday of the year. At this time, cattle were driven out to pasture for the first time. Among the southern Slavs and in the Carpathians, on this date, ritual milking of sheep was carried out, and the first milk measurement was taken. The sheep intended for the first milking was decorated with a wreath of flowers and herbs. A separate wreath was hung on the cauldron in which she was milked.

On St. George's Day, many magical rituals were performed to protect livestock from wolves, the evil eye, evil spirits, insect bites, and also aimed at the fertility and well-being of animals during the summer grazing period.

In Belarus, Ukraine and Bulgaria, peasants went out into the fields to inspect their crops. Sometimes clergy were invited to conduct prayer services and consecrate the land. In the morning, the owners walked around the plots of land they owned and had a meal in the field. The remains of food after the meal were buried in the ground. To increase the yield of crops and protect them from drought and hail, the owners tumbled on the ground. To protect the land from bad weather, branches blessed in the church on Palm Sunday were stuck into the field. In order for cows to have more milk, in some areas they were taken to green fields of cereal crops.

It was customary to “call out” to the newlyweds. For this purpose, youth groups went to the houses of those couples who got married less than a year ago, called them by their patronymic names, and performed wedding songs for them. For “calling out”, the young people received food and gifts from the couple.

In Western Russian territories and eastern Belarus, large community bonfires were burned. Among the South Slavs, Yuriev day was considered the beginning of the half-year, which lasted until).

Since St. George's Day, many food bans have been lifted. You could eat young meat, greens, dairy products, young vegetables. The first milk produced was distributed to neighbors to remember the souls of deceased ancestors.

St. George the Victorious (the patron saint of this day) was considered the protector of fields, earthly fruits and livestock. They prayed to him for a good harvest, as well as for the protection of animals from diseases, witches and other misfortunes.

St. George's Day: signs for May 6

Based on the weather conditions of that day, they determined what the harvest would be like:

1. If it’s warm in Yegoria, then summer is just around the corner.
2. On this day you cannot knit anything, or even pick up woolen products. Otherwise, the wolves will gnaw all the sheep.
3. You can’t swear or shout at Yuri, otherwise a thunderstorm will kill you.
4. It rains heavily and a lot of grass will grow.
5. If on Yegoria the moon is in the waxing stage, a gusty wind is blowing and it is cloudy, then such weather will last for quite a long time.
6. Mosquitoes gather in flocks - this means warming.
7. Seeing dew in the morning means a good millet harvest.
8. Frost on the trees means a rich harvest of buckwheat.
9. Rain means an excellent harvest of cereals, but buckwheat will not be harvested this year.
10. A calm, clear morning is a good sign. Early sowings are successful, harvesting from them will be excellent.
11. If it was cold, cloudy or rainy in the morning, and the weather cleared up in the evening, then late sowings will be successful.
12. If the night is warm from May 6 to 7, then the bread will ripen before the first frost.
13. A south wind means a rich harvest, a north wind means early frosts in autumn.
14. If the leaf on the birch tree is large, then expect a good harvest.
15. Housewives hung a damp towel outside at night. If it dries out by morning, there will be a lot of cucumbers this year.

A person born on May 6th will take good care of animals. Onyx suits him as a talisman.

Video: Yegoryev day

The life of Russian people in the distant past consisted of a series of everyday life and holidays. Everyday life is a time filled with hard peasant labor and worries, “sadly monotonous with simple-minded joys and sorrows.” Weekdays were contrasted with holidays, the most ancient of which were associated with the agricultural calendar. Yegoryev's day was one of these holidays.

Yegoryev Day (Yegory, Yegor the Brave, Yuri the Green, Yuryev Day) is the popular name for two church Orthodox holidays, days of remembrance of the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious. In Russian folk tradition, St. George the Victorious was considered one of the main saints.

People used to say: “There are two Yegories in Rus': one is cold, the other is hungry.” The first - Yegoriy Veshny ("Summer", "Warm", "Hungry") - was celebrated on April 23/May 6. The second - Yegory Autumn, Yegory Winter, Yegory Kholodny was celebrated on November 26/December 9

In the minds of the common people, Saint Yegor was the personification of the creative forces of nature, a symbol of spring cleansing and renewal of nature. Russian peasants said that spring comes to earth with Yegory: “Egory brought spring to the threshold,” “There would be no spring in Holy Rus' without Yegory.” It was believed that he “opened” the earth, gave fertility to the fields, and protected livestock.

The sowing of spring crops begins in Yegor. “There will be frost on Yegoria - there will be millet and oats,” “On Yegoria there will be rain - there will be an easy year for the cattle, and there will be a failure of buckwheat,” the farmers said. From Georgiy they begin to sow root crops - beets, carrots.

Saint Yegoriy was considered the patron saint of wild animals and guardian of livestock. In popular legends, Saint George protects livestock, helps shepherds, or punishes them for wrongdoing and negligence. Therefore, Egoriev's Day is especially characterized by ritual actions aimed at protecting domestic animals.

Spring Yegor was the day of the first cattle pasture in the field. After almost two hundred days of stabling, the ceremonial first drive of cattle into the field acquired a solemn and ritualistic overtones.

It is firmly established in the popular consciousness that the first time to drive cattle into the field must be on Yegoriy. Peasant belief said that on this day Saint George himself grazes cattle.

The ritual of the first pasture was performed to preserve the livestock and obtain a good offspring and consisted of several stages:

· crawling of livestock by owners in the yard,

· ritual feeding of livestock,

· driving cattle into the herd,

· walking around the herd as a shepherd,

· giving gifts to the shepherd and a meal for the shepherds and owners in the pasture.

On the eve of Yegoriev's Day, the peasants did not work, “so that the wolf would not eat the sheep.” The herding of cattle was carried out solemnly in compliance with numerous rules.

The ritual began with a walk around the courtyard - it was performed silently or with the utterance of some incantations or words asking Saint Yegor to preserve the cattle.

Everywhere there was a custom of ritually feeding cattle before grazing with special bread baked on Maundy Thursday. Bread provided offspring, strength and health. The bread fed to livestock had different shapes and names.

The customs of the western districts of the Moscow province, of course, had a regional flavor, but were not very different in essence.

So, in Volokolamsk district, the owner of each hut turned out his fur coat, put it on top with wool, took the image of St. George and a dish with flour, put an egg in it and put a wax candle. With this, he walked around his cattle, driven out of the barns into the yard in a heap. After this, the image and dish were placed over the gate for a week.

The cattle were first driven out of the yard by the collector, followed by all the peasants. When the herd was gathered, the collector walked around it with a secular icon - then he handed the icon to the shepherd. The cattle were driven into the field using willow. Having brought it in, each one stuck the willow in his own strip. The herd was not in the field for long, because the feed was still thin. The shepherd was given cakes and eggs

IN Ruza district in 1851 This is how the first cattle drive took place.

On Yegoryev's day, after mass, the priest was invited to the pasture, where the blessing of water was performed. In the morning, a shepherd, playing the horn, walked through the village, and the widows, who were respected and reputed to be pious, drove out the cattle with willow. At the end of the prayer service, the shepherd took the icon and walked around the entire flock three times. Finally the cattle were driven into the field; he was accompanied by peasants of both sexes. Arriving in the field, each peasant woman placed a willow in the rye in her strip and prayed to God. They returned from the field to the village, giving the shepherd bread, eggs, and cakes with cottage cheese.

In the 60s of the last century in the Ruza region, a rare family did not have cattle, so the customs of Yegoryev’s Day are still preserved in the memory of old-timers. They didn’t bake ritual bread back then, but they always saved a separate loaf for pasture, cut it into slices and seasoned it with salt. A yoke or poker was placed on the ground in front of the gate so that the cow would step over it.

The hostess led the herd on a rope with a willow branch. Having been released into the flock, she baptized three times and herself went to the meeting at the edge of the field.

It was believed that on Yegoryev's Day it was necessary to drive cattle out to pasture, even if it was cold and there was snow in some places, otherwise the cow would not be “sentenced to the herd.” Even if, depending on weather conditions, the cattle were driven out before or after the holiday, the ritual was observed.

On the first day of herding cattle, shepherds played a special role. Having driven the herd out of the village, the shepherd walked around it three times, as if casting a talisman against the attacks of animals. On this day, the shepherds had to be thanked and honored.

Housewives, festively dressed, with bundles of provisions in their hands, went with the herd to the field for pasture. The shepherd was given eggs, pies, meat, sweets, booze and money. The shepherd often placed two baskets in the pasture, where offerings were supposed to be placed. The women also treated each other to food and drink they brought with them after going around. On the one hand, the owners wanted to win the shepherd over to themselves and their cattle with gifts, and on the other hand, the gifts were supposed to have a magical meaning - to preserve the cattle, to receive offspring from it.

Thus, the customs and rituals of Yegoryev's day were very significant for the peasants. And a striking example of this is the first cattle pasture after winter, which turned into a folk holiday with protective, protective ritual actions.

LITERATURE

Volkov N. N. Description of the Ruza district of the Moscow province / / Moscow Provincial Gazette. 1851,

Egoriy Veshny/Korinfsky A.A. People's Russia. - Smolensk: Rusich, 1995. pp. 233-242.

Yegoryev day/ Russian holiday. Holidays and rituals of the folk agricultural calendar. - St. Petersburg: Art of St. Petersburg, 2001.SS.151-160

Yegoryev day, chapter in the book. Shmelev I. Summer of the Lord

Holidays in Ruza district in 1851//Folklore treasures of the Moscow land. T.1. Rituals and ritual folklore / comp. Introductory article, commentary, index and dictionaries by T.M. Ananicheva, E.A. Samodelova.- M.: Heritage, 1997.-424 p.

First cattle drive. Ruza. 1904. From the funds of the Ruza Museum of Local Lore

George's Day falls on the day of remembrance of St. George the Victorious. In Rus', it signified certain economic and financial relationships. Thanks to the economic reforms of Boris Godunov, the phrase “St. George’s Day” acquired a negative connotation.

St. George's Day: origins

One of the early Christian saints, George, won many hearts with his actions and strength of faith and contributed to the conversion of a large number of people to Christianity. In Rus', Saint George is also known as Yuri or Yegori.

The days of the Great Martyr Yuri are celebrated twice in the church calendar: in spring and autumn. Spring celebrations fall according to the Gregorian calendar, adopted by the Orthodox on May 6. Catholics celebrate St. George's Day of Remembrance on April 23.

What date is St. George's Day in 2018?

The autumn meeting of St. George's Day falls on November 26 according to the Julian calendar, and on December 9 for the Orthodox. This is the celebration of the Consecration of the Church of the Great Martyr George. The church was built in Kyiv by Tsar Yaroslav the Wise, and on November 26 (old style), 1051, the temple was consecrated, and Yaroslav issued a decree to celebrate this day throughout Rus'. On December 9, birthday boys Georgy, Egor and Yuri accept congratulations.

Thus, in 2018, St. George's Day falls on May 6 and December 9. These dates are fixed and always fall on the same days.

In the old days in Rus', the days of the Great Martyr Yegor had economic and everyday significance. On spring Yegor (Yegory Osenniy) the cattle were first driven out to pasture, the villagers went out to the fields, and the priest read prayers for the future harvest and fertility.

In the autumn of Yegor, the financial year and all work related to the harvest ended. All cash payments were tied to this day; the peasants paid the landowner a fee for the use of the land. It is with this date that the expression “to cheat” is associated, that is, to deceive in calculations.

Until the 15th century, serfdom in Rus' was not absolute. The peasant, having paid the landowner, could at any time go to another landowner. This forced landowners to “lure” peasants with material assistance, reduction of taxes, and payment of allowances.

Absolute serfdom came to Rus' in the 15th century with the judicial codes of Tsar Ivan III. From now on, peasants had the right to leave the landowner only in the weeks tied to St. George’s Day: the week before and the week after the autumn St. George’s Day. Ivan the Terrible enshrined these provisions in the Code of Laws of 1550. From now on, peasants in Rus' lost the right to freely leave the landowner, and St. George’s Day began to be associated with serfdom and received a negative connotation.

George became one of the early Christian saints, who won the hearts of believers in all countries and inspired many artists to create bright, expressive canvases. The whole life of Saint George was extraordinary. The life tells that the great martyr was born in the 3rd century in Palestine, in the city of Lida. His family was very rich and professed Christianity.

The saint was distinguished by his strength, courage and intelligence. He became a thousand-man and a favorite of Emperor Diocletian. When the persecution of Christians began, he openly took their side and distributed his property to the poor. He was captured and tortured for being a Christian. The torture of the Great Martyr George lasted 7 days, but every day all his wounds were miraculously healed.

They broke the saint's bones, threw him into quicklime, tortured him with a hot iron, gave him poisonous decoctions - nothing could harm him. He also held out during torture with unprecedented courage and did not renounce his faith in Jesus. He dreamed of a Savior with a golden crown on his head, who promised him paradise.

The servant wrote down the martyr's dream, as well as his order to take his body to Palestine. The saint's dying wish was to visit the temple of Apollo. In the temple, George made the sign of the cross over the statue of Apollo, forcing the demon in the statue to declare himself an idol. After this, all the idols in the temple were destroyed.

Empress Alexandra on her knees asked the martyr to forgive the sins of her husband - the miracles she saw forced her to convert to Christianity. Diocletian ordered the execution of both: George and Empress Alexandra. The Great Martyr accepted death with a clear smile. The posthumous miracles of Saint Yuri are also known: the resurrection of a man, the resurrection of a bull, the battle with a dragon.

Yuri's relics are kept in the city of Lod in Palestine (this is the martyr's hometown - Lydda). The Temple of St. George, a temple of the Jerusalem Orthodox Church, was built above Yuri’s tomb. The saint's sword is kept in Rome.

The life of St. George struck the hearts of believers all over the world. There was a place for him in Rus'. In Russia, Yuri exists in two forms. In the first incarnation, Yuri is the patron of livestock, protecting them from disease, death and wolves. This incarnation of Yegoriy was worshiped by the peasants, linking the days of his memory with the time of the first walking of cattle and carrying out cash payments.

Yegory also patronizes farmers, since the martyr’s name means “farmer.” On St. George's Day the fields are consecrated. The second hypostasis of the saint is a warrior, brave and devoted. In this incarnation, the saint patronizes soldiers, courageous and honest defenders of the Motherland.

Yuri is also considered the patron saint of travelers. Some gypsy tribes consider St. George their patron. On St. Yegori's Day, birthday people are congratulated, as well as all acquaintances. In congratulations on St. George's Day, they wish well-being to soldiers, as well as success in peasant labor, offspring and health to livestock.

On spring Egor, the nightingale sings and the cuckoo crows for the first time. An important sign on St. George's Day was the cuckoo's cuckooing. Cuckooing in the bare forest on spring Egor foretells a difficult year for both livestock and humans. Hearing the cuckoo while having money in your pocket means having money all year.

The girls asked the cuckoo how long they would stay with their father. Silence in response meant marriage that same year. Each cuckoo meant a year spent in the father's house, waiting for the wedding. On Yegorov's day, dew was considered healing. Early in the morning you had to go out into the meadow and wash yourself with dew, roll in the dew-covered grass.

Empress Catherine the Great established the Order of St. George the Victorious on November 26, 1769. The order had 4 degrees and could be awarded to officers and lower ranks for their bravery, wisdom and courage in defending the Fatherland. The order was accompanied by an annual pension. The order could be revoked for defamatory actions of the recipient.

In 2000, the Order of St. George was restored by Presidential Decree in the Russian Federation. Simultaneously with the order, Catherine established the St. George ribbon. Description: silk ribbon of two yellow and three black stripes. The ribbon was worn in a buttonhole, around the neck or on a sling. It also came with a lifetime pension.

In 2005, the “St. George Ribbon” campaign began in Russia - as a sign of memory of the feat of veterans of the Great Patriotic War. The motto of the action is “I remember, I am proud.” St. Yuri's Day is the day of remembrance of St. George the Victorious, known for his courage and unshakable faith.