Saint Catherine's Day: history of the holiday, omens, traditions, prohibitions, and greetings in prose, poems, and postcards.

Saint Catherine's Day is a feast celebrated in honor of one of the most venerated saints. The day is filled with folk traditions and beliefs, and young girls pray for a happy marriage.

The great martyr Catherine of Alexandria is considered the patroness of fertility, motherhood, marriage, and family happiness. Therefore, on the days of the saint's memory, prayers are offered to her. Additionally, one of the traditions of this holiday involves performing various divinations related to those sentenced to death.

'Glavkom' has prepared for you historical facts, folk omens, and prohibitions for Saint Catherine's Day. It also includes a selection of greetings in prose, poems, and vibrant postcards.

When is Saint Catherine the Great's Day in 2024

On November 24, Orthodox Christians and Greek Catholics celebrate Saint Catherine's Day.

The great martyr is honored by both western and eastern Christians. In Catholicism, she is considered the patroness of learning and knowledge. In the eastern tradition, she is the protector of pregnant women and marriage. Before the adoption of the new church calendar in Ukraine on September 1, 2023, the holiday was celebrated on December 7.

What does the name Catherine mean?

The name Catherine has Greek origins and comes from the Greek name 'Hekaterine', which means 'eternally pure.'

Katia is an honest and open person. She does the right things and always tries to tell the truth. This characteristic often harms her in life, but she does not change her behavior. For her, doing the right thing is more important than temporary gains. Usually, she is cheerful and easy to communicate with.

Katia can be characterized as a pleasant, sociable girl.

The history of the holiday

Saint Catherine was born in 287 AD. She was the daughter of the ruler of Alexandria, Egypt. The girl was extraordinarily beautiful and intelligent. She loved knowledge and studied a lot. She knew the works of many contemporary writers and philosophers and spoke several languages. However, she refused to marry, wishing for a husband who would surpass her in knowledge and wit.

An elder revealed to her the mystery of the Christian faith. After she accepted Christianity, Catherine had a vision in a dream where the Child in the hands of the Virgin Mary turned to her.

Catherine became a devoted Christian and even attempted to convince the emperor of the wrongness of worshiping pagan gods. The emperor tried to turn Catherine away from Christianity and ordered her to be tortured for her refusal. But the girl was not afraid; she willingly placed her head under the executioner's sword, remaining faithful to her beliefs. According to legend, instead of blood, milk flowed from Catherine's wounds.

The relics of the saint are located in Egypt at the monastery on Mount Sinai.

Prayer on Saint Catherine's Day

O, holy great martyr Catherine, chosen vessel of purity, pillar of orthodoxy, our reliable intercessor, who has revealed to us to plead with you, law-abiding ascetic, holy on the holy mountain, pray! We beseech you: come down from above, hear the voice of our supplication, look upon the afflictions of your servants, enlighten the darkness of our minds, grant us the strength to be wise, not earthly! Grant us all that is beneficial: you can ask for many things from the Beloved Bridegroom, Christ our God. We know how much the prayer of the righteous can do, hastening the mercy of the gracious God; to Him be glory, honor, and thanks always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Celebration traditions

• believers pray for a happy marriage;
• our ancestors would organize sleigh races in the evening, hence the name of the holiday - Catherine's Sleigh;
• it is not customary to celebrate with loud festivities;
• they serve lean food on the table;
• in the evening before Catherine's Day, unmarried girls gathered for evening gatherings and divined on their betrothed.

Divinations on Catherine's Day

There are several ways to divine:

• The most popular divination of the day is associated with cherry branches. An unmarried girl should pick a cherry branch in the morning and place it in a container of water. If the branch blooms by Christmas, her marriage will be very happy.
• The crust of bread from dinner should be placed under the pillow, and she should say 'My betrothed, come to me sooner, I will feed you.' Then the girl is supposed to dream of her betrothed.
• In the morning, one should fill a basin or large bowl with water and wash their face. If the ripples in the water disappear quickly, the girl will soon meet her betrothed.

What is forbidden to do

• one should not quarrel or curse - it can bring misfortune to the family;
• one should not perform heavy physical work, especially men;
• one should not hold loud celebrations;
• one should not refuse help.

Omens on Saint Catherine's Day

• if there is a strong frost on Saint Catherine's Day, it was believed that it would last for another three weeks;
• if there is a lot of hoarfrost on the trees in the morning, it means that the harvest next year will be abundant;
• if the day is windy, next summer will be rainy;
• if the night before Saint Catherine's Day is clear and starry, winter will be cold but fruitful.