According to the folk calendar - Epiphan's Day, Ryabinovka

Epiphan's Day, still called Ryabinovka, is popularly celebrated on May 25 (May 12 according to the old calendar style) The name is partly related to the name of Saint Epiphanius of Cyprus, whose memory is celebrated by the Orthodox Church on this date Epiphanius lived in Phenicia (modern Lebanon) in the 4th century and was educated Having met the monk Lucian, he converted to Christianity: he lived in a monastery, prayed, and copied books Then he headed into the desert for solitude, where a monastery was subsequently created Years later, Epiphanius was elevated to the rank of bishop Until the end of his days, the saint helped the disadvantaged and supported the Christian faith in his parishioners People called the day Ryabinovka, because by this date the mountain ash began to bloom It was revered among the people on a par with birch, viburnum and willow Residents believed that it was a talisman against various misfortunes On this day, girls dressed in scarlet outfits came to the rowan tree and asked to protect their shelter from fire and fire Rowan was considered a symbol of prosperity and fertility, so the newlyweds planted it in the yard after the wedding Brides used rowan berries for weddings, as decoration and a talisman against the evil eye Also, a rowan branch helped out the traveler, helping him find the way to his native land However, it was forbidden to simply break a rowan tree, otherwise troubles could befall the family On Epiphan's Day they also honored the water lily, popularly called “overcome grass” They said that it contained magical properties and was able to protect against adversity, but the water lily could bring trouble to the offender if he was treated rudely Peasants used the plant as a talisman against evil spirits, and healers made love potions from water lily flowers They did not bring white flowers into living quarters, believing that this would cause the cattle to perish There was a popular belief that mermaids turn into water lilies in the morning It was forbidden to cut them, otherwise, by damaging the stem, one could destroy the mermaid and incur the wrath of the mermaid family The flowers had to be plucked abruptly by the stem, but at a certain period of the day and always whispering an affectionate address to her If on Epifan's day the sunrise was observed in burgundy shades, summer was expected with rare rains, but a cloudy day promised a rainy summer The flowering of rowan on this day foreshadowed a good harvest of flax crops A fox running into the village meant that trouble was about to happen Evening blue clouds predicted a change in weather the next day