According to the folk calendar - Mitrofan Navoznik

Mitrofan Navoznik is popularly celebrated on June 17 (June 4 according to the old calendar style) The date was named Mitrofan in honor of the Christian saint - Mitrofan of Constantinople, revered by the church on this day The saint was born at the beginning of the 3rd century in Rome His father was a pagan, but he believed in the Lord During that period, persecution of Christians began, so the whole family had to move to Constantinople Father Mitrofan was appointed bishop; after his death, brother Probus took the post, then Mitrofan At the request of Emperor Constantine I, Mitrofan was elevated to Patriarch of Constantinople The saint died at a ripe old age in 326 Mitrofan was popularly nicknamed the Dung Man for the custom on this day of enriching the soil with manure when it was resting from sowing and planting Peasants did not disdain working with livestock waste, because the future crop harvest depended on it The best fertilizer was considered to be a mixture of manure, grass and vegetable remains that had rotted over the year By sprinkling it on the soil, residents received more intensive growth of garden and field crops It was forbidden for Mitrofan Navoznik to go to bed early or rest at lunchtime The peasants worked from sunrise to its last setting rays, because they believed that their harvest depended on their work on a given day In addition to fertilizing the soil with manure, residents dedicated the date to the second sowing of buckwheat, and it should be sowed at the sight of reddening strawberries We also observed the active growth of flax; by this day it was stretched to its maximum Particular attention was paid to the wind on Mitrofan's Day The healers went out onto the hill and spoke to him, relying on the prevailing weather If the days were hot and the fields needed watering, then the wind was asked to drive the rain clouds During prolonged heavy rains, when the soil needed drying, the healers asked for a dry wind to appear If Mitrofan Navoznik felt stuffy at sunrise, residents prepared for worsening weather An intensified floral aroma was felt for the approaching thunderstorm The rain that happened foreshadowed the next days with precipitation Flowering of the night violet was observed on clear days