According to the folk calendar - Agathius the Half-Bread Man

According to the folk calendar, February 5 (January 23, old style) is celebrated as the day of Agathias the Half-Bread Man It is named after the church date of honoring the martyr Agafangel the Roman, Bishop of Ankirk, who died for his faith in Christ in the 3rd century From childhood, Agafangel was raised by his Christian mother After her death, the boy was taken in by another woman, thanks to whom Agafangel learned the Word of God Bishop Clement became his mentor Agafangel began serving the Lord in the rank of deacon, by the age of 18 he became a presbyter, and he was awarded a bishop in Ancyra on his twentieth birthday When the emperor persecuted Christians, the young man was tortured and then executed by sword People checked the remains of grain and flour in the barns for Agathia the Half-Grainer Usually there were a lot of them left until the summer harvest If there were fewer supplies left, the owners began to save They also monitored the condition of the barns and drains: they sealed holes that appeared in the walls, and stirred up the grain so that it would not stagnate Particular attention was paid to Agathia the Half-Bread Farmer to take care of the house Women washed floors, walls, ceilings and furniture, and men repaired houses, barns and stables But on this day the healers read a plot to the wind for love spells There was a tradition of caring for the poor and disadvantaged The peasants believed that holy spirits and angels, reincarnated as wandering vagabonds, traveled to Agathia the Half-Grain Farmer To become closer to the Lord, they were fed, treated to bread and salt, and a place to spend the night was arranged It was considered a sin to refuse those asking If snow-covered fields were observed on Agathia, a good grain harvest was expected in the summer Singing tits in the morning meant the onset of severe cold, and squirrels emerging from the hollow and running on the ground foreshadowed warming Frost and sunny weather promised early spring and sultry August