According to the folk calendar - Oatmeal, Yarilo with oatmeal, Yarilo with a harrow

On March 3 (February 18, old style), according to the folk calendar, Ovsyanki is celebrated; the holiday is also called Yarilo with oatmeal or Yarilo with a harrow The day was dedicated to the bunting bird, which looked a little like a sparrow, but with a distinctive yellow breast and neck In severe cold weather, the bird flew to warm regions, and with the arrival of spring returned to its former habitats It was believed that Yarilo himself, the god of warmth and fertility, sent oatmeal to notify residents of the arrival of real spring The people especially anticipated her arrival; peasants even went out into the streets to look for buntings, because their appearance meant the retreat of frost And in order to appease the birds who brought the good news, the housewives of Ovsyanka baked cookies in the shape of the sun from crushed oats and honey A few pieces were crumbled on the street for the birds, and the rest were treated to family and friends The first days of March were dedicated to the Slavic god Yaril The peasants believed that on this day he was checking the readiness of his harrow Hence the name of the holiday - Yarilo with a harrow A harrow was an agricultural tool with teeth for loosening the soil In wealthy families, the harrow was pulled by horses or oxen; the poor had to harness it themselves On March 3, the men took out field equipment for inspection, and repaired it if necessary Blacksmiths had to work the hardest on Yarila’s day with a harrow, since all the iron tools were brought to them for repairs Carpenters were busy repairing wooden plows, carts, and rakes If there was no love between the spouses in the family, on the day of Oatmeal a love spell was cast to renew lost feelings To do this, they secretly collected March snow on Friday and drowned it in the house While the snow was melting, it was necessary to have time to read a special plot Looking at the blackened tops of the forest on Ovsyanki, they talked about the approach of warmth Clear stars and a month meant the return of cold weather; a small number of stars and a dim moon promised snowy weather The abundance of snow foreshadowed an excellent grain harvest, and rivers overflowing their banks were observed as a sign of a large harvest of hay