According to the folk calendar - David Strawberry

According to the folk calendar, David Strawberry is celebrated on July 9 (June 26, old style) David named the holiday in the name of Saint David of Thessalonica, whose memory is revered by Orthodox Christians on this date The story of David began in the mid-5th century in Mesopotamia From his youth he studied the Holy Scriptures and prayed a lot Having moved to Thessalonica, he accepted monasticism, and a few years later became a hermit David built a hut near an almond tree, where he lived as an ascetic for about 70 years For this, the Lord rewarded the hermit with the gift of healing the infirm; townspeople who came to him were cured of serious illnesses The people called David the Strawberry Man At this time, the strawberries were ripe, so the peasants went into the forest to pick them This task took a long time, but the result was justified, because red berries were valued not only for their taste, but also for their medicinal qualities Residents believed that if you eat a large handful of strawberries, you can recharge yourself with vital energy until next summer Strawberries were a storehouse of useful vitamins and microelements Its berries were consumed fresh as a delicacy, especially valued by children for their pleasant taste and aroma They were also used to make jams and preserves, add them to pies, and prepare liqueurs For the winter, strawberry leaves were collected, dried and drunk as herbal infusions Strawberry berries, leaves and roots were used for medicinal purposes They helped in the treatment of heart diseases, stomach ulcers, kidney ailments and to strengthen the immune system Women prepared special masks from strawberries to remove freckles and smooth skin; they also used strawberries to remove tartar If there was a thunderstorm on David Strawberry, then the rest of the summer was predicted to be rainy An abundance of strawberries in the forest was observed during the frosty winter Dry soil, quickly absorbing moisture, signaled hot days, wet soil - rainy days If you hide a strawberry leaf in your pocket on a given day, you can always count on trouble-free money loans