On February 4, the Orthodox Church commemorates Saint Timothy, one of the 70 apostles who lived in the 1st century. In the folk calendar, this day is called Timofey's Day. In the past, people avoided long trips during this time and tried not to look into other people's windows. We will discuss this further.
On February 4, Orthodox believers remember Saint Timothy in their prayers. He was the first bishop of Ephesus and, according to tradition, was born in the Greek city of Lystra.
Timothy's father was a pagan, while his mother and grandmother secretly accepted Christianity after hearing the preaching of the Apostle Paul. The Apostle Paul healed a lame young man in front of the townspeople, which led to their conversion to Christianity.
The influence of his mother and grandmother determined Timothy's life path. He also accepted baptism and decided to dedicate his life to serving Jesus Christ.
Timothy became a disciple of the Apostle Paul, who served God with devotion. Recognizing Timothy's readiness, Paul appointed him as the bishop of Ephesus.
Pagan people, unhappy with the honest Christian, sought a reason to deal with him. During a pagan festival, the bishop addressed the idolaters, urging them to be baptized, for which he was stoned and beaten.
Folk Calendar: Timofey's Day
Timofey's Day, dedicated to the holy apostle Timothy, was also called the Midwinter Day by the people, indicating that winter was at its midpoint.
In Russia, Timofey's Day was considered a family holiday. Shared meals with relatives were seen as a good omen.
On this day, housewives prepared hearty dishes: borscht, stewed meat, porridge. If they managed to make a dough starter the day before, they baked pies with various fillings, which was considered a good sign.
After finishing household chores, women would wake their children and go to church. They prayed to the holy apostle, the patron of families, for the health of their loved ones, strengthening their faith, and assistance in educating their children.
What Can Be Done on Timofey's Day
Traditionally, on Timofey's Day, people would count their food supplies. This was also done a month earlier, but the supplies quickly diminished, requiring strict economy. They knew that if they did not take care of this now, they could run out of food, and their pets could run out of feed. “By spring, it’s harder for the man — bread is ground from the chaff.”
Beekeepers listened to the bees on Timofey's Day. If a light buzzing was heard from the hives, beekeepers rejoiced, understanding that the bees were doing well. If the bees buzzed loudly, it indicated problems in their family.
Girls engaged in handicrafts would take a board (a board for strengthening the ridges) and slide down hills. This was done not only for pleasure but also for practical purposes.
Those young ladies who managed to slide the farthest believed they would have a lot of good flax. “Hold on to the flax — you will secure your life,” “The longer the flax, the greater the income,” they used to say in olden times.
On Timofey's Day, they also made brooms for the bath and conducted rituals for love. For example, girls would bring a handful of snow into the house to learn about the character of their future husbands. If the snow sparkled, the husband would be cheerful; if it melted quickly, he would be calm. Dark snow foretold a quarrelsome husband.
Jealous wives performed a ritual to deter mistresses from their husbands. As soon as the head of the family stepped outside, the wife would light a splinter and ask the fire for help. The extinguished splinter was to be placed under the bed where the spouses slept.
On Timofey's Day, a health ritual was also performed. To prevent their children from getting sick, mothers would melt snow and wash their little ones, saying: “I washed with Timofey's water, washed away all the whims.”
Timofey's Day: Folk Signs
In the past, everyone knew that fierce frosts began on Timofey's Day, which were called “Timofey's frosts.” There were sayings about these frosts: “Timofey's frost takes half of winter with it”; “Athanasius the frost freezes the nose, but wait — Timofey will bring the rains.”
These frosts were associated with several signs that were considered true. For example, if the windows fogged up during the Timofey cold, it meant that it would soon warm up. If the windows were covered with patterns, the cold and blizzards would linger for a long time.
During the day, people would look at the sky. If they saw the sun, they understood that spring would come early. If it started snowing on Timofey's Day, it was considered a good omen, predicting a good grain harvest in the summer.
On the night of Timofey, prophetic dreams could reveal the future. To decipher them, one needed to remember the details, and the answer would surely come.
Timofey's Day: What Not to Do
Severe frosts on Timofey's Day serve as an obstacle to travel. Therefore, people have long known that during this time, they should engage in household chores rather than seek adventures on long trips. On Timofey's Day, it is also forbidden to:
Throw noisy parties with gatherings until the first star. This may lead to problems in personal life.
Engage in a general cleaning, making noise while moving furniture. The house spirit also conducts an inventory of its supplies on this day. Disturbing it can bring misfortune to the whole family.
Look into other people's windows. This may attract someone else's troubles and problems.
Tell dreams. Good dreams will not come true, and bad ones may come to pass.
Throw out the trash — along with it, one might throw away luck and family peace.
Wise elders knew that on Timofey's Day, one should not interfere in the family matters of their sons. If this advice is ignored, a son may fall under the influence of his wife and become henpecked. On Timofey's Day, one should not interfere in someone else's life at all; otherwise, one can turn their own life into a nightmare.
