Memorial Day of Saint Lupus of Thessalonica

The holy martyr Lupp lived in Greece at the end of the 3rd and beginning of the 4th centuries and was a devoted servant of the governor of the Thessalonian region - Demetrius of Thessalonia Ruler Demetrius was a secret Christian and not only defended his region from enemies, but also eradicated paganism by preaching Christianity, which caused great anger among the emperor Sentenced to execution, Demetrius distributed all his property to those in need and devoted himself to prayer By order of the emperor, Demetrius was pierced with spears, and the dead body was thrown to be devoured by wild animals, but the devoted followers of the great martyr stole the body and buried it in accordance with all Christian canons After time, a temple was erected on the site of the saint’s grave, where his incorruptible relics were kept, and on November 8, the Orthodox Church celebrates the day of remembrance of this saint The faithful servant Lupp was present at all the torment and death of his master After the brutal execution, Lupp took Demetrius's ring and soaked his clothes in his blood, thanks to which he performed many miracles and healings According to one legend, Lupp himself smashed the Hellenic idols and drowned them in the sea, for which the pagans began to persecute him and condemned him to death However, despite all efforts, the pagans were unable to capture the saint, since he was under the protection of the Lord According to legend, the two warriors who were ordered to execute Luppa, instead of piercing the saint with a sword, wounded each other Then the pagans decided to shoot at the saint with arrows, standing in the distance, but this time, instead of the martyr, the arrows struck their own soldiers Saint Lupp was not baptized, but he understood that his death was inevitable, and in order not to die as a non-Christian, he prayed a lot, and at one moment a cloud formed above him, from which water poured Thus, the martyr accepted divine baptism and voluntarily surrendered himself to all torture and execution The day of remembrance of St Lupus of Thessalonica is celebrated by the church every year on September 5; this day is also popularly called Lingonberry In honor of the holiday, they baked various lingonberry pies, made jam and other treats According to popular belief, if on this day the cranes were heading south, it means that winter will be early, and if they flew quickly and silently, the first frosts are coming