According to the folk calendar - Savvin, Cart Day

On March 29 (March 16, old style), Savvin Day is celebrated according to the folk calendar, but among peasants the holiday is more often called Cart Day In the church calendar on this date, the memory of Saint Savin of Ermopolis, who died a martyr for the Christian faith in the 3rd century, is honored The name of the day was given on his behalf Saint Savin believed in Christ and was the ruler of the city of Hermopolis (Hermopolis), located in Ancient Egypt When the pagan emperor allowed persecution of Christians, Savin and his friends hid nearby in caves However, the Christians were betrayed by a poor man for a few coins They were forced by torture to change their faith and admit paganism, but in vain Then Savin and his supporters were tied up and drowned People called the day Cart Day, since attention was paid to preparing carts for the warm season The snow was just melting from the roads, and strong winds were drying the mud The peasants could not move on the ground on sleighs, but with the help of carts they could easily navigate the path On Cart Day, men hid the sleighs and took out the carts They were inspected, lubricated, repaired or broken ones were replaced While there was free time from field work, a dozen spare wheels were prepared for the summer An owner was considered unlucky if he harnessed a horse to a cart without first checking it There was a tradition on Savvin day to go around the village on a cart Residents believed that this ritual would bring good luck in economic affairs They also listened to the creaking of wheels: the sound from the front wheel on the left side foreshadowed illness, on the right - an improvement in material wealth The squeaking of the rear wheel on the left meant problems with debts, and on the right - success If on Savvin day residents observed fast-flying clouds, they prepared for fine days Clouds blocking the sun promised rainy weather Low water levels in rivers predicted a poor harvest year, and high levels predicted frequent rains in the summer If the birds began to swim in puddles, the peasants waited for warmer weather