According to the folk calendar - Yermilov Day

January 26 (January 13, old style) is celebrated as Ermilov’s Day according to the folk calendarAccording to the folk calendar - Yermilov Day This holiday is named in honor of the church date of honoring the memory of Saints Hermilus and Stratonik of Belgrade, who died in the 4th century for their faith in Jesus Christ According to legend, Yermil worked as a deacon in the church, and his comrade Stratonicus worked as a guard in prison and secretly professed the Christian faith When the persecution of Christ's supporters began, Yermil was imprisoned and tortured Stratonicus grieved over the torment of his friend, for which he was convicted of Christianity Both were executed by being tied up with a net and thrown into the waters of the Danube Three days later the bodies were found and buried near Singidon Among the people, a cold usually set in on Ermilov’s day Due to severe frosts, peasants stayed at home, avoiding illness It was forbidden to work for Yermil, so the people had fun and exchanged stories On Ermilov's day special attention was paid to the cat On the one hand, it was considered an “unclean” animal People believed that cats could be possessed by a witch or devil The souls of sinners after death were reincarnated into a mustachioed pet, and death came to a dying child in the guise of a cat That's why they said that you can't kill cats, otherwise you'll ruin your happiness They were kicked out of the church and not taken on trips because cats brought bad luck A cat of any color crossing the road foreshadowed trouble In order not to jinx a serious matter, they did not remember this animal out loud On the other hand, the mustachioed pet personified home comfort and security According to legend, he saved Noah's Ark from sinking: when a mouse sent by Satan made a crack in the wall of the ship, the cat plugged it with its tail It was believed that cats avoided the “rotten” place, they found safe corners in the room, and the owners placed beds in those corners In order for the baby to sleep soundly in the cradle, a black cat was first placed there But sleeping with an animal was strictly forbidden, otherwise the sleeper could go crazy Watching a meowing friend on Ermilov's day, they determined the coming weather A cat curled up in a circle predicted an impending cold If she ground her claws down, a blizzard was expected, and if she stretched out to her full length, the arrival of warmth

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