According to the folk calendar - Fedot Vetronos

According to the folk calendar, Fedot Vetronos is celebrated on March 15 (March 2, old style) In the church calendar, this date is dedicated to Saint Theodotus of Cyrene, who served as a bishop in the 3rd-4th centuries Having received the rank of bishop in the city of Cyrene, on the territory of Cyprus, Theodotus was engaged in the open vestment of pagans and converted them to Christianity The ruler of Cyprus, on the contrary, was a pagan, therefore, having learned about the bishop’s deed, he subjected him to painful torture Theodotus did not renounce his faith in the Almighty and he was imprisoned Thanks to the influence of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, Christian believers were freed from captivity, so Theodotus became free again The people called Fedot Vetronos, since strong winds often blew on that day There were gusts so strong that roofs were torn off and tree branches were broken The peasants did not risk sticking their heads outside the house unnecessarily, believing that Fedot could catch a cold Snow sometimes fell along with the winds, but they were not happy about it, because it covered the ground and blocked the appearance of grass Hay supplies were running low, and livestock were especially in need of young grass They believed that the snow on Fedot Vetronos melted with the help of heat coming from the ground If the winds died down, the men went out to cultivate the land, and the women sowed seeds for seedlings The first crops sown were cabbage, tomatoes, and peppers Usually on Fedot Vetronos the Easter fast had already begun, so the residents tried not to swear or use foul language It was allowed to eat only once on a given day and after sunset, and raw vegetables, nuts and fruits were taken from food The weather on Fedot determined how July would turn out Wind from the north predicted a cool summer, and from the south - humid and hot Long icicles meant that spring would be delayed Falling snowfall and frost foreshadowed poor haymaking in the summer, since the first grasses germinate later Sunny weather promised grain yields