The national holiday on December 26 is known as Eustratiyev Day, Witches’ Gatherings.
Christians celebrate a church holiday on December 26 in honor of the martyrs Eustratius, Oxentius, Eugene and Orestes. Our ancestors noticed if the weather was bad on this day. It was believed that on this day, witches flew to the ground and arranged gatherings. According to beliefs, witches raised a snowstorm and carried a blizzard with them, trying to freeze people to death.
The day is considered auspicious for various rituals, fortune-telling and love spells. On this day, you can find out about your fate, cast a spell on your loved one, or make a wish come true. But it is worth remembering that the church does not approve of such rituals.
From December 26, the weather was monitored for 12 days. Each of the 12 following days determined what the weather would be like for the next 12 months of the year. Accordingly, the weather on December 26 corresponds to January.
What not to do on December 26
- On this day, you can’t fight and curse with a mat, otherwise the witches can take the person with them.
- On this day, you should not scold or tease pigs, otherwise the animal may get irritated.
- Saddle a white horse today – to trouble.
- Do not leave brooms, shoes and other items on the doorstep, otherwise witches can steal them at night. Our ancestors believed that such things should be brought into the house.
Weather signs for December 26
- Big and white cumulus clouds foretell a snowstorm today.
- What is the weather like today – it will be like this all January.
- If the night is cold, and the day has warmed up, then the winter will be changeable.
- Little boys are singing today – until early spring.
- If magpies burrow in the snow, it will soon warm up, and if they do not descend to the ground, it will be frosty.
- To see a web today is to a rapid warming that will drag on until the New Year.
