According to the folk calendar - Fedulov day

On January 5 (December 23, old style), according to the folk calendar, Fedulov Day is celebrated, named in honor of the holy martyr Theodulus He lived during the reign of the pagan emperors in the 3rd century in Thessalonica in Greece I read the Holy Scriptures in the Evangelical Church, and was a righteous and devoted Christian to the Lord When the persecution of Christians began, Theodulus was offered to embrace paganism and renounce Christ, or die The martyr chose certain death for the sake of faith in the Almighty While awaiting execution in prison, Theodulus and his friend the deacon Agathopodos managed to convert the prisoners to Christianity with sermons about God Afterwards, the saint was drowned in the sea, with a stone tied to his feet On Fedulov's Day, people tried to complete preparations for the Nativity of Christ Women were preparing sweet cookies for Christmas It was wrapped in a towel and hidden in bins to prevent evil spirits from entering it According to legends, on this day it was impossible to cut, prick, or drip, because if a wound occurs, it will not heal within a year Housewives should not shorten their clothes so as not to shorten their lives Medical operations were also avoided The Fedulov day was dedicated to household chores, in particular taking care of livestock and birds So that the evil spirits could not reach them, the owners covered the holes that appeared in the barn with rags, removed the manure, laid a straw bedding, covered the manger with thistles, and fed the animals to their fill Housewives baked bran cakes and fed every last crumb to their livestock The birds were given millet that had been calcined in the oven The weather on Fedulov's day promised similar weather for November The strong wind predicted a rich harvest If a cat climbed near the stove, severe frost was expected The activity of chickens and the snoring of a horse foreshadowed an imminent snowstorm