Memorial Day of the Martyr Nikander the Egyptian

On March 28, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of the martyr Nikander the Egyptian, a saint who lived during the times of early Christianity, when followers of the faith of Christ were persecuted and tortured In addition to arrests and torture, under the Roman emperor Diocletian, cruel spectacles demonstrated in amphitheater arenas spread throughout the empire Spectators, accustomed to bloody scenes from childhood, watched as predatory animals attacked and tormented captured Christians The unfortunates died from unbearable suffering under the triumphant cries of the crowd, which knew no mercy And even after death, the tortured did not find peace, their bodies were thrown outside the city, and no one cared about their burial In the place where Nikandr lived, terrible sights also happened within the walls of the amphitheater Christians died from the fangs and claws of powerful predators, but Nikander himself managed to remain unharmed for a long time He was a healer, provided invaluable help to people and, having a merciful heart, could not indifferently observe the suffering of his brothers and sisters in faith The saint visited prisoners in captivity, healed their emaciated bodies from illnesses, and healed wounds after torture One day Nikander saw the discarded bodies of those who had recently been tortured by wild animals in the arena for the entertainment of the public The saint, fearing accusations, waited until nightfall and performed the burial ceremony under its cover, but one of the pagans happened to witness Nikander’s merciful deed Based on his denunciation, the saint was arrested and subjected to cruel interrogation, and seeing the steadfastness of faith, he was subjected to the most cruel tortures The executioners tortured Nikander for a long time and slowly with unprecedented brutality; upon completion, they beheaded the body of the holy martyr, already deprived of skin The steadfastness and devotion of Nikander the Egyptian became a model for many Christians; his name and feat were not forgotten even after many centuries, and folk tradition connected the legend of the holy martyr with the signs of his day On Nikandra, it was considered the most correct thing to go to the forest, where the abode of local spirits was located Here the first herbs were collected, a decoction of which could heal various ailments, including headaches, which could best be cured by turning with prayers to the martyr Nikander the Egyptian, who knew the art of healing Also in the forest one could find material for making amulets and amulets And the weather on March 28 helped predict how soon warm days would come and what kind of harvest the coming year would bring: - the unhurried flow of spring waters promised low yields; - the chirping of sparrows indicated clear days; - the arrival of seagulls indicated the imminent arrival of warmth