What church holiday is celebrated on February 26 according to the new and old style, what can and cannot be done and who has a name day.
On February 26, according to the new church calendar, Orthodox Christians remember St. Porfiry, Archbishop of Gaza. In the folk calendar – the holiday of Porfiry the Late. About the prohibitions and signs of the day that are celebrated in the Orthodox Church on February 26 according to the old style – in the material.
February 26, 2024 – what church holiday is today according to the new and old calendar
February 26, new style (March 11, old style) is the day of remembrance of St. Porphyry, who dedicated his life to the construction of churches and the spread of the Christian faith.
Porphyry lived in the 4th century, in Thessalonica. At the age of 25, he decided to become a monk and went to Egypt, to the monastery of the Nitrian desert. He spent 5 years there, during which time he visited many holy places. Then he settled in the Jordan Desert and decided to devote himself to prayer and solitude.
Porfiry lived in difficult conditions, and his health deteriorated. He decided to go to the foot of Mount Golgotha to find healing. Then the monk had a dream in which Jesus Christ appeared to him, healed him and said: “Take this Tree and keep it.” A little later, Porfiry was made a presbyter and appointed guardian of the Venerable Tree of the Holy Cross (part of the Cross on which Jesus was crucified and which was kept by the ruler of Constantinople).
Some time later, when Porfiry turned 50, he was appointed bishop of the Palestinian city of Gaza. There were only three Christian churches in the city and many pagan ones. Therefore, Porfiry began building churches and monasteries.
According to legend, one day Saint Porfiry stopped a severe drought with his prayer – it began to rain and the harvest was saved. The pagans who witnessed this were baptized, and by the end of the bishop’s life the entire city professed Christianity.
Holiday February 26th according to the old style – Memorial Day of Martinian of Caesarea.
What do the signs say for February 26?
In the folk calendar, February 26 is the holiday of Porfiry the Late. On this day, the weather is usually changeable; it is used to judge what spring and summer will be like:
- fog in the morning – bad weather;
- sparrows gather in flocks – spring will be warm;
- the rooks have arrived – the snow will soon melt;
- many bright stars – for a hot summer;
- if there is sudden snow or snow starts, the summer will be rainy;
- pigeons hide under the roof – it will be cold.
Popular omens, despite the warming, do not advise putting away warm clothes and preparing for sowing too early – after the thaw there may be late frosts. This is where the name of the day came from – Porfiry the Late.
What not to do on February 26
Among the prohibitions, what you cannot do today are swearing, swearing, wishing harm, having noisy feasts and drinking alcohol.
According to popular belief, you should not tie any knots on this day – this will lead to financial problems, as well as leaving empty dishes after eating. You should also not plant anything on February 26, especially willow.
What can you do on February 26
They pray to Saint Porphyry for healing, health for family and friends, they ask them to strengthen their faith and perform a miracle.
On this day, birds returning from warm countries are fed. It is good to do the cleaning; it is believed that order attracts goodness to the house and harmony to the family.
February 26 – name day today
Name days today according to the church calendar are celebrated by Anna, Ivan, Nikolai, Peter, Porfiry, Sergei and Sevastyan.
Previously, we published a church calendar for February 2024 with holidays for every day in a new style.
