Folk calendar - St. Hilarion's day

In the popular calendar, November 3 marks the holiday of St Hilarion's Day On this date, it is customary to honor the memory of the three Hilarions (the Great, Meglinsky and Pskovoezersky) People were waiting for the first powder that day, so they didn’t plan any trips And those who were forced to hit the road were often in for trouble Hilarion the Great lived and preached the Word of God in Palestine in the 3rd-4th centuries In his youth, he studied various sciences in Alexandria, and upon returning to his native place, he settled near Gaza and led a hermit’s life He became the founder of the first monasteries in Palestine He died during a pilgrimage to Cyprus, where he went to venerate the relics of Anthony the Great He predicted his death on his last journey in advance Hilarion Meglinsky was from Greece He made the decision to become a monk at the age of eighteen, when he realized that he was ready to give up worldly life He was consecrated to the rank of bishop in 1134 He devoted most of his life to serving God He became famous for his ability to heal various diseases Meglinsky died in 1164 After 40 years, his relics were transported to the city of Ternov Illarion of Pskovoezersky was born in the 15th century in the vicinity of Lake Peipus, where he lived his entire life He was a student and follower of St Euphrosynus of Pskov, who founded the Spaso-Eleazarovsky Monastery in the Pskov region In Rus', on St Hilarion's day, powder almost always began to fall, which covered all the roads so that it was very difficult to drive along them If someone decided to hit the road at this time, then impassable mud awaited him, from which it was almost impossible to get out Before harnessing the horse to the cart, the owner read the “Our Father” prayer over it three times, and then applied a pectoral cross to its head It was believed that in this way the animal could be protected from harm that could happen on the road On St Hilarion's Day, women were engaged in needlework: sewing, knitting and embroidery Before lunch they cooked food, and when the family was already fed, they gathered in a separate room There they told each other interesting stories, sang songs, and young girls learned skills on the advice of their elders We spent a lot of time knitting People believed that during the holiday the thread runs very smoothly and quickly folds into a beautiful pattern In the evening, it was customary to invite a witch into the house, who knew many powerful spells and could perform various rituals They were often performed at crossroads, to which people have always attached a special mystical meaning It was believed that the place where the roads intersect belonged to demons and that evil spirits gained power over a person there To get rid of a disease or transmit it to another person or animal, a special ritual was performed at crossroads It is still believed that it is impossible to lift anything at a crossroads, otherwise trouble cannot be avoided On Hilarion's Day, you can use signs to find out what the weather will be like in the coming days and months:• From November 3, frosts begin to intensify• If the snow on Hilarion does not melt, then next spring there will be a lot of snowdrops• If there is a lot of snow on the holiday, next spring year, you can expect a good harvest• When the smoke from the chimney rises in a column, the weather will soon improve• Clear sunny weather indicates that it will soon get colder• If at sunset the sun is bright red and the sky is starry at night, the weather is the next day will be frosty and sunny• If during a snowfall the snow is dense and settles on the branches, then the weather will not improve soon• Warm air on Illarion's day indicates an approaching thaw People born on November 3rd are distinguished by their courageous and decisive character They often achieve success at work and occupy leadership positions They love money and work hard to get rich Emerald, which they should wear as a talisman, can bring them peace of mind and victory in all endeavors