On May 25, 2026, one of the early Church Fathers, Saint Epiphanius of Cyprus, is remembered. He is considered one of the great miracle workers. In folk tradition, he is called Rowan. On this day, rowan trees usually begin to bloom.
What is remembered in the Church on May 25, 2026
Epiphanius lived in the 4th century in Phoenicia (now part of Lebanon). He came from a good family and received an excellent education. He came to faith as an adult — he accidentally saw a monk giving his clothes to a beggar, was surprised by this situation, talked to him, and heard a sermon about the Lord.
Soon he accepted Christianity and went to a monastery. He was a learned man, so he engaged in copying Greek books there. He prayed so much and so fervently that he received the gift of miracles for his exploits. Then he went alone into the desert.
There, he was once captured by robbers, but he managed to preach so passionately that soon they released him, all of them stopped doing evil deeds, and one even became a faithful disciple of Epiphanius for many years. Later, together they built the Spandidrion Monastery in the desert. Then, at the request of the inhabitants of the Cypriot city of Salamis, he became the bishop there.
He was remarkable in that he had the gift of seeing the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the holy gifts during every liturgy. By divine providence, he predicted his own death. His body was buried in a specially built temple in Cyprus. At the seventh ecumenical council, he was called the father and teacher of the Church.
The meaning of the holiday
On this day, the saint who laid the foundation of our faith is remembered, who created its basis.
What can be done on May 25, 2026
- It is customary to plant rowan trees.
- It is good to go to a body of water and admire the water lilies that bloom on this day.
- It is good to wear red clothing.
- It is very important to engage in charity.
- One should behave gently and kindly.
- One should clean the kitchen.
What cannot be done on May 25, 2026
- One should not take sharp objects in hand.
- Do not approach the fire closely.
- Do not do manicures or visit a cosmetologist on this day.
- It is very dangerous to show greed.
- It is very dangerous to drink alcohol; one can say a lot of foolish things.
- Unmarried women should not wear black.
