In ancient times, young ladies waited long and anxiously for December, because on the 13th came the feast of St. Andrew the First-Called. According to tradition, during this event, you can find out who your betrothed is by conducting folk fortune-telling. Despite the fact that they began to celebrate this day a long time ago, in our time the event has not lost its popularity. Almost every Orthodox person takes traditions and customs very seriously, so this day is special, holy for him.
The Apostle Andrew - who is he?
Of course, the knowledge that December 13 is the Day of St. Andrew the First-Called is very common, but far from everyone knows the history and origin. The Holy Scriptures indicate that John the Baptist was his teacher, and it was he who decided to send an intelligent student to serve Christ. Andrew became one of the twelve apostles and traveled together with everyone for a three-year journey. After the appearance of the Holy Spirit, the disciples of the Son of God cast lots, whichdetermined the further path of the servants of the faith. The territory of the eastern lands fell to the share of the Apostle Andrew. Now this is the distance from Asia Minor to Kyiv. He had to overcome this path and tell everyone he met about the Son of God.
It is believed that Andrei devoted himself entirely to serving the truth, leaving worldly problems, including marriage, to ordinary people. He died painfully, he, like Christ, was once crucified on the cross. The only difference is that Andrew made sure that he was executed on an X-shaped cross, because, in his opinion, he did not deserve the same death as the Son of God. Subsequently, such crosses began to be called Andreevsky. After the decision on such an execution, the apostle did not stop trying to convey to people the truth about faith. And the people began to support him, so the authorities, in an attempt to prevent an impending rebellion, decided to cancel the sentence. And at that moment Andrei began to pray, his appeal to the Lord consisted in a request to take the saint to heaven. The legend is passed from mouth to mouth that when the apostle was dying, a piercing light shone from heaven, which could not be looked at. No one could come closer and see what was happening there. That is why congratulations on the Day of St. Andrew the First-Called contain not only happiness and joy, but also part of the sorrow for the great martyr.
What happened after his death
From biblical sources it is known that Andrew the First-Called performed a large number of miracles, healed many ordinary people. Therefore, the people to whom he carried the knowledge of Christand the Gospel, there was no doubt that it was the Lord who carried out his work through the apostle. Everyone believed in the righteousness and holiness of this servant of God.
When the apostle died, quite a lot of states drew up an act that spoke of the patronage of St. Andrew the First-Called over their lands. These countries included Scotland, Sweden and Russia. Most of all, the saint was revered in the latter country. The St. Andrew's Cross was even placed on the flag of the country's navy to protect sailors in their travels and serving the people and the country.
There is no information about why December 13 is the Day of St. Andrew the First-Called. Historical information and the study of old documents by contemporaries made it possible to learn only that the church had to make compromises after Russia had passed the rite of baptism. That is why many celebrations began to be named after the ministers of the Christian faith.
Great rulers honoring an apostle
After a while, the great figures and rulers serving on Russian soil took up the perpetuation of the name of the apostle. The name of Andrew the First-Called was revered in Orthodox Russia. Almost all of them that day ordered a sermon on the day of memory of St. Andrew the First-Called. During the reign of Vsevolod Yaroslavovich, more than one church and countless churches were built in honor of this apostle. And in 1699, on December 11, by decision of Peter the Great, a cross was placed on the flag of the navy, which is considered St. Andrew's. Besides,this ruler created the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, which could be received by people who made special achievements for the state. Then everyone believed that every victory of the fleet was obtained precisely thanks to the patronage of the apostle.
Beliefs
For ordinary people, St. Andrew's Day was special, and many customs and beliefs have developed over the centuries. It was believed that the real winter begins on St. Andrew's Day. Many believed that if you go to a pond and listen to the water, you can find out exactly what the weather will be like this winter. The ancestors believed that if they heard the noise and vibrations of the reservoir under the ice, then blizzards, strong winds and frosts awaited them ahead. In case of calm on the reservoir, the belief said that the winter would pass quietly and calmly, and it would be warm enough outside.
It was also important to observe what the weather will be like that day. According to Orthodox residents, the snow that fell on the feast of St. Andrew the First-Called will lie all winter and even capture the first spring month. If on this day the weather is cold and clear, everything good and joyful awaits people ahead. If it gets warmer, then you should expect trouble, because this is a bad omen.
Rites
The rites on St. Andrew's Day are special, because the roots of this holiday come from pagan beliefs. According to some beliefs, the apostle patronized wild animals. Therefore, each housewife had to cook some corn and take it to the field, scattering it there. Some threw it into the chimneys. It was thought that it would savefuture crops and domestic animals from being attacked by wild animals.
Many housewives also did needlework on the feast of St. Andrew, as there is a legend that this activity can save young girls from meeting with a bear or other wild animal. The veneration of this day was considered very important and special. If the inhabitants of the house wanted to get a good harvest next year, then they should seriously prepare. It was necessary to celebrate very well, congratulations on the Day of St. Andrew the First-Called should have been sincere and good.
Divination on small objects
The most important entertainment for girls on this holiday is fortune telling. Many rural girls, and not only, gathered together under one roof. Together they performed special ceremonies that allowed them to know the future, to predict their fate. Many guessed on small objects in order to find out the time when the long-awaited wedding will take place. Everyone could participate in this ritual.
Girls and boys gave away their small things, which were then folded under a large dish, and after they put all the items and pieces of bread in it, it was covered with a towel on top. Then they all sang a special song in unison, in the intervals between couplets uttering a conspiracy saying that the object returned to the owner testifies to the imminent realization of a dream. When the singing stopped, people blindly pulled out the objects. An early wedding was foreshadowed by those whose things the person of the opposite would pull out.gender.
Fortune-telling on a torch of a birch
It is believed that this is the fastest and easiest way to predict your fate. It was necessary to get a splinter of birch from the fire and dip it into clean water. After that, it was necessary to light the torch. According to legend, a quickly and evenly burning torch meant a long and happy life, and also foreshadowed a good year ahead. If she began to burn unevenly and crackle, it means that the fortuneteller is in for hard times. The year ahead will be very turbulent, there is a high probability that a person’s he alth will deteriorate.
Fortune telling on straw and spoons
Fortune-telling, using straw, on the feast of St. Andrew the First-Called is as easy as shelling pears. You just need to take her bundle and throw it to the ceiling. It is believed that the number of straws that stick and do not fall corresponds to the number of members of the future family. With the help of spoons, they learned what the coming year would be like. A bowl of water was collected, spoons of all family members were put into it, then the vessel was dangled so that the objects changed their location in a chaotic manner. If at the end of the procedure all the items are nearby, then everything will be fine. A spoon lying on the side meant that its owner was in for a long journey or death.
