According to the folk calendar - Alexey Rybny

February 25 (February 12, old style) is marked in the folk calendar as the day of Alexei Rybny The origin of the name comes from the Orthodox date of veneration of the memory of St Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow in the 14th century From a young age, Alexy chose the path of serving God At first he was a monk in the Moscow monastery, then he led the court affairs of the temple, and years later he was appointed bishop After the death of Metropolitan Theognostus, Alexy took over his position During his long life, he built churches, healed the sick, conducted government activities, and acted as a diplomat On Alexei Rybny there was often a thaw, the reservoirs became accessible for fishing, so the men went fishing The traditional dish of the day was dishes from the caught catch The women fried fish, cooked fish soup and baked pies Rasstegai were often served with the fish soup - oval pies, open at the top and stuffed with fish Housewives took the sowing seeds out into the frost in the morning, kept them for a short time and brought them back into the house so as not to freeze them This ritual was performed to harden future seedlings so that they would not be harmed in the spring by sudden temperature changes and diseases Along with the seeds, flax fibers and yarn were exposed to the frosty air, believing that then the thread would become smooth and soft, and the clothes would last longer than usual On this day, prayers were read to Saint Alexei, asking for help in treating eye ailments Those suffering from fear or phobia went to healers and whispering grandmothers for treatment It was believed that it was more difficult to relieve fear in an adult than in a child; for this reason, stronger spells and rituals were used If a blizzard or thick fog descended on Alexei Rybny, they expected the summer season with frequent rains Drops foreshadowed successful fishing in reservoirs An abundance of stars in the sky indicated a good harvest The frosty weather during the day promised an early and mild spring