According to the folk calendar - Nikita the fireman

According to the folk calendar, Nikita the Fireman is celebrated on February 13 (the date according to the strict style is January 31) The day is named after the church holiday of veneration of St Nikita of Pechersk, Bishop of Novgorod in the 11th century As a young man, Nikita became a monk and wished to become a recluse It was then that the Devil appeared to the inexperienced monk in the guise of an Angel and convinced him to stop reading the Gospel and study the Old Testament However, the monks exposed the reason for his behavior and saved Nikita with prayers from obedience to the Devil The young man returned to the true path, fervently prayed to the Lord, led a humble lifestyle, for which he was able to surpass the surrounding brethren Soon Nikita was appointed to the post of bishop in Novgorod, and the Almighty endowed him with the talent of miracles With prayer, the saint could summon a thunderstorm during a drought or stop a fire in the city Among the people, Saint Nikita was considered the guardian of lightning and flame, so the peasants prayed to him to preserve their homes from fires This is where the name of the day came from - Nikita the Fireman For a long time, ridges were built on roofs, representing an overlap for two joints, and a figure in the form of a horse’s head was attached to the edge of such a canopy It served to protect the house from evil spirits Residents believed that the goblin could play pranks on Nikita the firefighter - climb on his skate and shake the house Therefore, caring owners were busy repairing their homes They said that on the 13th, disagreements often occur between people That is why the healers were engaged in conspiracies on the day of Nikita the Fireman to cause a quarrel between spouses and their lovers For this ritual, they took a new hair comb and, breaking off its teeth, began to start a quarrel Then he was thrown to the opponent’s house By the signs of the day, Nikita recognized the upcoming weather Long-burning and smoking logs in the firebox predicted warmth If the firewood glowed with a white flame, they expected spring ahead of time, and with a red flame, they expected a strong cold snap Before the snowstorm, crows were observed cawing