According to the folk calendar - Mavra Thrush, Mavra Rasadnitsa, Mavra Green cabbage soup

On May 16 (May 3 according to the old calendar style) people celebrate Mavra Rasadnitsa, also called Thrush or Green cabbage soup Part of the name of the day comes from the name of the holy martyr Maura, whose memory is celebrated in churches on this date Mavra lived in the 3rd century, and before her marriage she believed in false gods During the period of persecution of Christians, her husband Timothy, a Christian reader, was seized by pagans and accused of possessing books of an incorrect religion He was tortured, after which Mavra declared that she was a Christian The girl's hair was pulled out and she was put in a vat of boiling water Seeing that torture was powerless against the faith of Christians, the spouses were crucified on the cross After 10 days they died Among the people, Mavra was sometimes called by a more consonant name - Martha It was called a nursery for the tradition of planting grown cabbage and pepper seedlings in open ground on a given day In order for it to take root and produce a good harvest, and to avoid evil spirits and pests, it was sprinkled with water blessed in the church before planting If Mavra Rassadnitsa fell on Thursday, then planting was postponed, believing that this day of the week would provoke in the future invasions of worms on cabbage heads Women have always been involved in planting seedlings During this period, men plowed the fields and sowed grain crops: rye, barley, oats, wheat To prevent chickens from pecking at the young shoots, women were forbidden to eat bread at Mavra Rassadnitsa Mavra the thrush was called for her increased milk yield by this date The weather was good outside, the grass grew tall and lush By eating it, cows and goats produced tasty thick milk Peasants cooked and ate milk porridge from it, believing that it would give them health Mavra was also given the nickname Green Shchi Sorrel, nettle and quinoa were growing in full swing in the gardens Green borscht, cabbage soup, and salads were prepared from them They were of particular benefit to residents because they contained enough vitamins, so necessary in the spring In some regions there was a ritual of whipping nettles To give strength to work in the fields and gardens, the youth cheerfully lashed each other with nettle branches In order to ward off an unfaithful husband from his mistress, wives put nettle insoles in their husband's shoes It was also used to drive away evil spirits, treat diseases in livestock, weave ropes and make brooms for the bathhouse If at Mavra Rassadnitsa an oak blossom was observed before an ash tree, the summer season was expected with rare rains Bird cherry blossoms signaled the approach of cold weather If poultry flapped its wings frequently, residents were preparing for inclement weather A sunny day and abundant morning dew foreshadowed a bountiful harvest of cucumbers