What Orthodox holiday do Christians celebrate on February 13 and what is important to remember on this day – find out at .

Saint Nikita lived in those times when Prince Izyaslav Yaroslavovych ruled Russia. Exact data about his life have not been preserved, it is only known that Nikita took monastic vows early and constantly struggled with the temptations of the devil. There is a legend that one day the devil appeared to the saint in the form of an angel and told him to stop praying and only read holy books. Nikita lived like this for a long time, until the abbot of the Kyiv-Pechersk monastery expelled the devil from the saint’s soul.

After that, Nikita became an exemplary ascetic, and later – the bishop of Novgorod. During his life, he performed many wonderful deeds, he could even put out fires.

In honor of the memory of the saint, the national holiday of February 13 – Nikita the Fireman – is celebrated today.

The Orthodox holiday of February 13 is the day of commemoration of the silverless martyrs Cyrus and John

It is known that Cyrus lived in Alexandria, was a doctor, treated people free of charge. He preached the Gospel, converted many pagans to Christ. He believed that it is necessary to heal not only from physical, but also from mental ailments. At the time when King Diocletian began to persecute Christians, Cyrus went to the Arabian desert and became a hermit, but continued to help people through prayer.

John lived at the same time in the city of Edessa. He heard about Saint Cyrus, found him and became a faithful follower. Soon, the penniless heard that a Christian woman and her three daughters had been captured in Egypt. Cyrus and Ivan went to help her, fearing that the girl in torment would deny the Lord. They visited her in prison and strengthened her spirit. The ruler of the city found out about this, arrested the men as well, subjected all the Christians to terrible torture, and then executed them.

Signs of February 13

Folk signs today / photo

• birds dig in the snow – there will be wet weather;
• crows scream loudly – to a blizzard;
• there was a fire on this day – damage was caused to the owners of the house;
• people born on the 13th have a good imagination and a talent for art.

What can’t be done today

Our ancestors noticed that if the weather is bad on this day, then autumn will be like that. If the prohibition is ignored, a number of misfortunes and evil spirits await a person. You should also not light a fire – in the house and in relationships. It is not recommended to quarrel and be offended, otherwise you will live a year in poverty and loneliness.

What can be done on February 13

The Orthodox Church believes that on this date it is worth praying to Nikita of Novgorod for health and protection from troubles. On February 13, our ancestors were engaged in strengthening the house, making repairs, checking the serviceability of all structures. It was especially important to check the reliability of the roof, because if it is weak, a housekeeper can climb on it and destroy it.