According to the folk calendar - Martinian day

Martinian Day is celebrated on February 26 according to the folk calendar, and on February 13 according to the old style On this day, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of Saint Martinian of Caesarea, a Christian hermit who lived in the 4th-5th centuries As a youth, Martinian went into seclusion for many years in the desert, prayed to the Lord and was endowed by Him with the gift of curing ailments After some time, a dissolute woman visited him; she made a bet with her friends that she could seduce the monk But Martinian was able to resist - he stood on the hot coals of the fire, imagining that the fire of hell was much stronger Seeing what she had done, the girl repented and asked the monk to guide her on the path of righteousness, and then went to the monastery Among the people, the saint was considered the patron of a faithful family and a protector from temptation They prayed to him for the well-being of the family, so that spouses would avoid love affairs on the side And on Martinian Day, the newly-made spouses went to visit old friends, remembered previous years, and shared new events On Martinian Day, deceased relatives were remembered The people believed that even after death their souls took care of their living relatives Therefore, before dusk, we went outside and peered into the sky if it was clear The white stars seen were considered the souls of relatives, and by shouting their names, they showed the memory of the dead In the temple they lit a candle for their repose, and the poor were given small money or food The day was devoted to putting the home in order: sweeping the floors, washing the windows Women avoided embroidery or yarn work so as not to lose their eyesight There was no need to sort things out and worry about money issues During the day the snow often melted, and at night frost fell, so the paths became slippery It was not uncommon for residents to slip and get injured To recover from them, peasants on Martinian Day turned to healers for special spells for dislocations or bruises On this day the weather for spring was determined If it was clear and warm, we were preparing for a pleasant spring season; cloudiness or snow promised dampness and coolness Watching the sonorous singing of birds, residents prepared for imminent warming