Church holiday March 16, 2023: who is revered, signs and prohibitions of the day
Orthodox holiday today – the icon of the Mother of God “The Sign” and the day of memory of the holy martyrs Eutropius, Kleonicus and Basilisk.
On March 16, Orthodox believers honor the memory of Saints Eutropius, Cleonikos and Basilisk of Amasia – martyrs who died in the name of the Christian faith. Also today is the feast of the icon of the Mother of God of the Sign of Zlatoust. How to spend this day and what not to do on March 16 – read the material from UNIAN.
Church holiday March 16 – the day of memory of the holy martyrs Eutropius, Kleonicus and Basilisk
Eutropius, Cleonic and Basilisk lived in the III-IV centuries and were Amasian martyrs who suffered for the faith.
During the reign of Emperor Maximian, they were imprisoned in the city of Amasia to force them to renounce their faith. The men were tortured for refusing. At this time, Jesus Christ appeared before those present with angels and Saint Tyrone, and the people asked to stop the torture. Eutropius allegedly renounced the faith for the sake of appearance, but decided to keep it in secret. After the prayers of the saints, the statue of Artemis collapsed in the temple, so the men were again seized and tortured. The saints were adamant in their faith, so they were executed.
Signs for March 16
According to the signs of this day, they judged the weather:
- if on this day tits chirp, it will soon be warming;
- birds fly low – to shallow water;
- wild geese have arrived – spring floods will begin;
- sonorous thunder on this day – to clear weather, deaf – to inclement weather.
On Eutropian Day, according to tradition, they walked around the field crosswise: they believed that after that the snow melted faster, and the crops would be protected from frost and pests. Also on this day, the sign of the cross was overshadowed by the windows in the house, the door and the gate.
What can you do on March 16
On this day, it was necessary to give alms to the beggar or help friends – good will return a hundredfold. The girls washed themselves before sunrise with water, in which a silver object was left overnight – this will preserve youth. If on March 16 the first spring thunder rumbled, then it was necessary to prop up a tree or a wooden wall with your back – so that your back would not hurt all year. And if at this moment you go out into the street, then this year you will get rich.
What not to do today
On March 16, you can’t swear, boast, be greedy. It is believed that on this day at sunset you can’t borrow or lend anything – you will be in debt all year. Also, you can’t take out the garbage from the house in the afternoon – you will endure family harmony and well-being. People tried not to go to the forest on March 16 – a bear came out of the den at that time.