According to the folk calendar - Semyon Ranopashets

According to the folk calendar, Semyon the Early Plowman is celebrated on May 10 (April 27, old style) Part of the name of the holiday is taken from the Orthodox calendar - the date of honoring the memory of St Simeon of Jerusalem, an apostle of the 70 Simeon witnessed Christ’s miracles, after which he accepted Christianity and began to learn God’s word from the apostles Then Simeon, as an apostle of the 70, set out to spread religion among the pagans, converting them to Christianity In Jerusalem, the saint was elected bishop, but 40 years later, idolaters slandered Simeon and he, already a venerable old man, was tortured by crucifixion on a wooden cross, where he died The people called the saint Semyon the Early Tiller, since the period of early plowing began in the northern and central regions Before sowing grain, the soil was checked for readiness, because too wet or cold soil was detrimental to the crops The seeds did not germinate in cold soil; they could rot in wet soil To check, they took a handful of earth in their hands: if the earth gave off warmth and easily crumbled, then it was just right to sow First, rye was sown - bread was baked from it for satiety, then wheat - for sweetness The beginning of the arable period was determined by the greening of trees, the croaking of amphibians, or the first rumble of thunder In some regions, it was forbidden to sing songs near a sown field Peasants always took plowing seriously and tried to sow the field as quickly as possible, because their existence depended on the resulting harvest Lost grain seedlings meant the family would be hungry until next summer Residents believed that an evil spirit awoke on Semyon the Early Tiller, left its lair and headed towards human lands In order for the peasants to let her in, the evil spirits reincarnated into some kind of animal: a bird, a kitten or a puppy Therefore, on this day, it was not allowed to accept and feel sorry for those who strayed More compassionate owners could cross them with the sign of the cross and sprinkle them with holy water; if the animal continued to behave calmly, then it was allowed into the yard and fed If a rainfall descended on the Seeds of the Early Tiller, they prepared for a generous harvest of rye A green birch tree announced the beginning of potato planting time The cry of an owl in the middle of the day foreshadowed inclement weather Grass without morning dew was observed before the rain The evening fog on this day promised warming