On October 23, Christians commemorate the brother and sister Evlampiy and Evlampiya, who accepted death for their faith under Emperor Maximilian in 303.
Evlamip was born and lived in Nicomedia, he practiced Christianity and was a very kind and pious man. One day he saw a decree in his city in which the ruler commanded to deal with all Christians.
The young man did not understand that this document was serious and had the imprudence to comment on it, for which he was captured and subjected to torture. Evlampiy was forced to renounce his faith and was brought to a pagan shrine to worship the god Mars. After his words: “In the name of the Lord, I command you, mute and soulless idol, to fall to the ground and turn to dust” — the statue fell with a crash and shattered into small pieces. Witnesses of this act believed in Christ, and Evlampiy was subjected to even more terrible tortures.
When his sister — Evlampiya — learned what had happened to her brother, she herself came to the torturers and confessed that she was also a Christian. After that, the brother and sister were tortured and killed.
From that day on, peasants prepared more and more for the upcoming winter. “On Evlampiy,” they harvested torches. For this, a part of the log was prepared and secured in a special device, a svetets, resembling a forged fork. To ensure the svetets was stable, a metal hoop was placed at its base.
The forms and variety of svetets are impressive. Many became true works of art, as blacksmiths tried to forge a unique product that had no equal.
In times when electricity had not yet entered everyday life, torches were used everywhere. They were the only source of light in the huts during the dark hours of the day.
Weather Signs
Mud and slush on this day — there will be no snow until November 4. The sky in the west is clear — there will be no rain. The leaves have fallen from the willow — winter will come early. A northern or eastern wind — it will get colder.
