According to the folk calendar - Simon Posev

Simon Sowing is celebrated according to the folk calendar on May 23 (May 10 according to the old calendar style) The name of the day is borrowed from the church date of honoring the memory of St Simon the Zealot, a disciple of Jesus Christ and an apostle of the 12 Simon was the son of Joseph from his first wife, the half-brother of the Savior During the celebration of Simon's wedding, the supply of wine ran out of wine, which threatened the family with shame, but Mary asked Jesus for help He managed to create wine from ordinary water Having seen a miracle from Christ, the groom believed in the Messiah, became his disciple and was always with him, leaving his young wife After Christ's torment and resurrection, Simon set out to spread Christianity throughout the world The saint died at the hands of the pagans during painful torture Since ancient times, this day was considered the name day of Mother Raw Earth She was revered by the people and called the nurse The day began with a bow to the Earth; it was considered beneficial to walk barefoot on it in order to absorb strength All work related to agriculture was postponed, and the day off was dedicated to the Earth It was also forbidden to stick stakes, pitchforks, shovels or plows into the ground On Simon's Day, plants were endowed with healing properties, so residents went to collect herbs, flowers and roots They were dried in attics, and medicinal tinctures for common diseases were prepared from the tested plants One had to collect herbs alone, with a clean body and clean clothes Some herbs were not allowed to be plucked with bare hands; to do this, they were wrapped in a scarf or rag In order for the herb to bring benefits, they performed rituals with spells, and also asked Mother Earth to bless it On Simon's day, there was a tradition of bringing brooms of freshly picked herbs into the home They were hung over beds, in the kitchen, over thresholds Residents believed that if a broom was seen near a child’s bed earlier than usual, it meant that the child might become ill in the near future A broom that accidentally fell on a visiting guest indicated his unclean thoughts Simon was called the patron saint of treasure hunters, so this day was considered successful for finding buried treasures Believing this, young people and adventure lovers went in search of them To find a place with a treasure, they read special spells If it rained on Simonov's day, the peasants prepared for a wet summer The abundance of bees in the morning promised a clear day Seeing cumulus clouds in the evening meant good weather the next day Mole pits with scattered earth foreshadowed rain