On October 19, Christians remember one of the twelve apostles of Christ – Thomas. The man lived in one of the cities of Galilee, and upon hearing the preaching of Jesus Christ, he became His follower, and later – a disciple.
Thomas was present at the crucifixion of Christ. When he heard about the miraculous resurrection of the Lord, he doubted and told the other disciples that he would not believe until he personally saw the wounds on His body. Hence the expression "Doubting Thomas". On the eighth day after the resurrection, the Lord appeared to His disciples and offered Thomas to put his finger into His wounds, and the apostle believed in the miracle.
After these events, the apostles scattered to different countries to preach the true faith, and Thomas went to India. He managed to bring many pagans to the faith, including the wife and children of the ruler of India. For this, he was captured, imprisoned, and killed with spears.
It was believed that if on Thomas Day a sick person was treated with a crust of bread, he would recover.
This day was considered a day for counting income and summarizing the year. People thanked the saint on this day if their granaries were full. It was believed that Saint Thomas patronized the thrifty and frugal.
In folk tradition, recalling Thomas, he was often associated with Jeremiah. Thomas and Jeremiah became one of the most famous pairs in folk folklore. "Some talk about Thomas, some about Jeremiah," "They were looking for Jeremiah, but found Thomas," our ancestors would say when they wanted to emphasize the connection between polar opposites.
