20 May 2026: a church holiday, prohibitions and superstitions

On 20 May (New Style), Orthodox Christians in Ukraine commemorate the holy martyrs Falaleus, Alexander and Asterius.

According to church tradition, they died for their faith in Christ in the 3rd century.

Falaleus was an 18-year-old youth from the city of Aegae. When the local governor ordered that Christians be sought out and forced to renounce their faith, Falaleus came forward himself and openly declared himself a Christian.

He said that he was skilled in the art of medicine, but would not renounce his faith and was ready to accept death.

His executioners, Alexander and Asterius, seeing the young man’s courage, could not bring themselves to lay a hand on him and came to believe in Christ themselves. After this, the governor ordered all three to be put to death.

The Eve of the Ascension of the Lord

20 May 2026 also marks the conclusion of the Easter celebrations – the end of the forty-day Easter feast.

On this same day, Orthodox Christians celebrate the eve of the Ascension of the Lord, one of the twelve major Orthodox feasts.

In the evening, a festive All-Night Vigil will begin in churches, as the church day is counted from the evening. A solemn Liturgy is to take place the following morning.

According to the old church calendar, 20 May is the day on which the miraculous Lyubets Icon of the Mother of God is honoured.

Customs on Falalei-Ogirchik

In popular tradition, 20 May is known as Falalei-Ogirchik or Falalei-Gryadochnik.

People pray to Saint Falalei for health and a good harvest. They ask him for healing from illness, protection of the fields from drought, and good rain.

On this day, it is traditional to finish sowing cucumbers. According to popular belief, this must be done in secret, as a stranger’s or an envious eye could spoil the work.

As well as cucumbers, 20 May is considered a good day for planting aubergines. According to folk belief, the soil is now warm enough, and anything planted with care and prayer will grow well.

What not to do on 20 May

As with other church holidays, on this day it is advised to refrain from foul language, envy, gossip and insults.

Folk wisdom warns: whoever quarrels on Falalei will not make up for a long time.

It is also advised not to lend money. According to belief, it may not be returned.

People also do not give away children’s clothes that the child has outgrown. It was believed that after this, the children might fall ill.

What to do before Ascension

On the eve of the Ascension of the Lord, special attention was paid to keeping the home clean.

According to folk beliefs, one must not leave a mess before a major holiday – unwashed dishes, untidy belongings and a dirty floor.

Our ancestors believed that celebrating the holiday in an unclean home meant inviting misfortune into the house and driving away good luck.

Therefore, they tried to finish cleaning, washing, and other household chores by 20 May.

The night before the big holiday is known among the people as ‘nightingale night’. It was believed that it was at this time that nightingales sang particularly sweetly and clearly.

Weather omens for 20 May

In ancient times, people kept a close watch on nature on this day, as omens suggested what the weather and harvest would be like.

If dew fell in the evening, the next day would be clear and warm.

If ducks are splashing about in the pond, it will rain.

If the bees were angry, this was considered a sign of approaching bad weather.

Rain on Falaleya heralded a dry June.

The main folk sign of the day is linked to cucumbers: if frogs croak loudly throughout the neighbourhood, this was considered a good omen for the future cucumber harvest.

Name days on 20 May

Name days on 20 May are celebrated by Oleksandr, Oleksiy, Volodymyr, Ivan, Mykyta and Tymofiy.

Those born on this day are described as hard-working, intelligent and attractive people. It was believed that they easily attract others, know how to bring people together and inspire them with their energy.

They were also said to possess a keen intuition, the ability to sense danger in advance and avoid it without losing friends or dignity.

Follow us on Telegram