13 March – what church holiday is today and what to do with water

On 13 March, the Orthodox Church commemorates the transfer of the relics of Saint Nikiforos, Patriarch of Constantinople.

In folk tradition, this day was considered special because of the power of water. It was believed that on this day, water could cleanse winter ailments and strengthen health.

Saint Nikifor was born in Constantinople and served as an imperial advisor to Emperor Leo IV Khazar.

Later, he took monastic vows and was elected patriarch.

Nikifor became a well-known defender of icons and died in exile because of his beliefs.

Many years later, his relics were transferred to Constantinople, where they were found to be incorrupt, symbolising the victory of faith over persecution.

On 13 March, the Church also commemorates the martyr Christina of Persia, the Venerable Anina of Chalcedon, the holy martyr Savin, the martyrs Africanus, Publius and Terentius, and the martyr Alexander.

The people called this day Nikifor's Day.

People prayed to Saint Nikifor for healing from illness and strengthening of the spirit.

People prayed to him especially if someone close to them was seriously ill.

Water was considered the main tradition of the day.

According to popular belief, if you wash yourself with spring water from a spring on 13 March, you can "wash away" all winter illnesses.

That is why on this day it was recommended to bathe, go to the bathhouse or at least wash with clean water.

Another tradition was to wash the floor in the house.

People believed that this helped protect the whole family from illness for the whole year and kept the house from damage.

Fishermen also had their own superstitions for this day.

They believed that Nikifor's Day marked the beginning of the best time for catching pike and perch, because the fish could already feel the warmth.

At the same time, 13 March was accompanied by a number of prohibitions.

On this day, it was forbidden to quarrel, envy, wish harm on someone, use foul language, or hurt animals.

It was also forbidden to be lazy and lie.

A separate prohibition was considered to be going to the forest, because, according to beliefs, after hibernation, bears wake up and come out of their dens.

It was not recommended to chop trees and firewood on this day, as it was considered a great sin.

Any kind of hunting was strictly forbidden.

People believed that shooting a migratory bird on 13 March was a very bad omen that would bring misfortune to the hunter and his loved ones.

It was also not recommended to refuse hospitality.

It was believed that if you closed your door on someone in need of help or shelter on this day, you would scare away good luck from your home.

Folk omens on 13 March were mainly associated with the weather.

If there was fog on this day, the summer would be rainy and cool.

If finches and swans have arrived, cold weather and snow are still possible.

Fast-moving, high clouds in the sky promise stable warming.

Thunder on 13 March portends a cold spring but a rich grain harvest.

If geese are already bathing in the water, real heat will soon come.

If the sun sets behind clouds, prolonged rain is expected the next day.

A southerly wind on this day promised a sunny summer and lots of berries.

Strong winds on 13 March were considered a sign of intense heat in summer.

Today is the name day for Nikifor, Marina, Roman, Kira, Alexander, Mikhail, Grigory, Christina, and Teresa.

Several historical events are also associated with 13 March.

In 1781, William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus with a homemade telescope.

In 1839, the Polotsk Cathedral of the Russian Uniate Church attempted to join Greek Catholicism to Moscow Orthodoxy.

In 1888, Anton Makarenko, a Ukrainian educator, was born.

In 1917, it was decided to raise the blue and yellow flag over the building of the Central Council.

In 1938, the Soviet authorities introduced Russian as a compulsory subject in all schools in the USSR.

In 1961, the Kurenivska tragedy occurred in Kyiv - the Babyn Yar dam burst, killing more than 1,500 residents.

In 1989, the World Wide Web, or the Internet, was invented. Its inventor is considered to be English scientist Tim Berners-Lee and his colleagues.

In 1997, Ukraine and NASA signed an agreement on the space flight of the first Ukrainian cosmonaut, Leonid Kadenyuk.