Spring begins in March, and at the same timeRussia was preparing for the sowing season. All beliefs and signs of Christians about the harvest, the weather from ancient times were associated with the Orthodox calendar. The people, thanks to their observations of the behavior of animals, the direction of the wind, created a calendar in bits, which described folk signs and holidays for each day of March. This month was affectionately called the pro-warrior, the pre-spring.
Maslenitsa
During this period, very often by the churchcalendar Pancake week falls. Traditions and signs of March oblige such a holiday to visit the mother-in-law on pancakes on Friday, to invite friends or sister-in-law on Saturday, to treat them to the main course - pancakes.
This March week is considered preparatory.before Lent. Although the custom of celebrating Maslenitsa came from paganism, it is closely related to the Christian calendar. The last seventh day of the holiday is called Forgiveness Sunday, kisser. On Sunday evening, after the cleansing of the soul by the forgiveness of all the loved ones, there is still the custom to burn the straw stuffed Shrovetide. Folk omens for March testified that in the kisser snow - to harvest.
Is it cold or hot?
A popular saying says:"Martok has come, put on seven stockings." If during this period the snow quickly melts and the water runs in streams, then the summer will be wet - so say folk signs about the weather in March. They said if in January March, then wait for January in March.
Signs by day
March 1 was called "Yarylo with a pitchfork."This day was celebrated merrily, meeting the spring with dances, lighting fires and dancing around them all night. It was accepted to meet the morning sun for pregnant women - it was this day that gave strength to bear the child.
Dreams on the night of March 1 and 2 were considered prophetic. On the second day of this month, St. Fedor Tyrone is honored, and they also pray to him for the return of the stolen.
March 3 was called "Yarylo with oatmeal bird."The kids treated everyone with oatmeal cookies in the form of oatmeal birds. The old men looked at the sky and foreshadowed the cold, if the stars gleamed and twinkled, and the moon shone clearly. If firewood cracked in the stove - to be fierce cold.
Shout the sun, so that it "rolled to the summer",Girls started on March 4th. The popular name of the day is “Spring Philip.” On this day, they baked a loaf, round as the sun, thrice brought it up to God, then they divided it among all relatives, treated the remnants of the poor, and threw the crumbs to the birds.
About the fifth day of the month, people say that winterrunning out, you need to catch a sled ride. Folk omens for March on the day of St. Leo promised a man death if he saw a falling star. On this day, people were afraid to get sick, so as not to die soon, therefore, as a rule, people with armpit were given pieces of bread under their armpits, and if by the morning they dried up, the bad omen would come true. As for good customs, on this day there was a joking theft of a coal smith, who carried it to the field to a rich harvest.
On Timothy, March 6, in accordance with the custom in the villages, the old men came out to bask. Another sign of the weather: on Timothy the Springtime - spring at the door.
March 7 - the day of St. Athanasius the Confessor. On this day, the snow is rough - to harvest, smooth - to crop failure.
March 8 is popularly called “Sour Girls”. The girls, who did not get married before Shrovetide, were supposed to hide the dowry, which means that they would sit in “girls”.
The ninth day of the month and national signs for Marchassociated with the church holiday finding the head of John the Baptist. It was believed that the birds find nests. Migratory birds returned to their homeland on this day.
March 10 - the day of memory of St. Tarasius. Omens said that you can not sleep during the day, otherwise the fever will attack. If on this day the door is blown off the hinges with wind, wait for grief in the family.
Namedas Basil celebrated on the national calendar on March 12. The day is called "Basil Kapelnik" - it was believed that the melting of snow begins.
The Day of the Martyr Evdokia
14 марта считался по народному календарю не only the first day of spring. It was New Year's ancestors. On this day, the weather for the summer was predicted: if the wind comes from warm edges, wait for that summer. These are signs in March. Rites in March prescribed from that day children to go from house to house and celebrate the coming of spring with freckle songs, to give baked larks. The morning sun promised the greatest harvest. On Evdokia, the snow was considered a good sign and promised good honey collection, at the same time he reported that the winter was still tightening for another 2 weeks.
How to cause the sun?
On the day of March 15 they judged the spring and the harvest of hay. If long icicles are hanging, spring will be delayed, if snow drifts do not wait for grass in March, but water in April.
Народные приметы на март говорили, что 16-е число - the day of the bear's awakening, when it comes out after hibernation from its lair In the villages of the peasants, it was customary at this time to bypass their fields from one end to the other, crosswise, to cause the sun, which was supposed to melt the snow on the grounds.
"Gerasim is a rookery" - this is how the old day was called March 17th. As is clear from the name, they commemorated St. Gerasim, waited for the arrival of the rooks and watched where they would sit: if on the nest, spring would be fast.
March 18th was worshiped by Konon the Isaurian, keeperchildren from smallpox. On Konon it is necessary to plow a kitchen garden, then the harvest will be the best. We looked at the behavior of rooks - if you sat on the nests, then after 3 weeks you can begin to sow.
Birthday March 20 - Emilian, Dmitry, Basil, Ephraim, Paul. If this day the wind blows from the south - there will be a stormy summer.
Day of spring equinox
In the first month of spring there is a special day - March 22.This is the day of the vernal equinox, which is associated with many beliefs and will accept. It is called by the people "Magpie", from the church festival "40 holy martyrs." Folk omens about the weather in March state that day and night is measured, winter ends. Forty days after March 22, buckwheat was sown. If forty times in a row were the morning frosts after the Forty, a warm summer was foreshadowed. It was believed that 40 birds arrived this day: what bird was first seen, this weather will be in spring. A starling and a lark see to heat in spring, a chaffinch to cold.
On March 25, Theophanes was treated to birds in his compound, feeding them grain. The yield of flax and oats was judged by the presence of fog.
From March 27, the cattle were taken out of the sheds and spoke from the evil eye. At domestic animals the spring molt began from this day.
March 29 hid sled, transplanted to the cart. It was believed: who will sit on the sled, that will pass by desires.
March 30 was called warm Alexy. From that day, it was noticeably warm, all insects and reptiles crawled out.
To believe or not to believe?
People signs for March, discussion of whichoften happens to ordinary users of the calendar, cause many people mistrust. Especially among those who are skeptical of beliefs. But customs bring to life a certain color, joy and fun, so do not completely ignore them.
