Peter's Day: traditions, rituals, signs. Feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul: different paths - common joy Signs for Peter's Day

What date do we celebrate the Feast of Peter and Paul in 2017, what day is it, what traditions and signs have survived to this day.

Saints Peter and Paul's Day: holiday date in 2017

Feast of Peter and Paul in 2017 © Depositphotos

Today, July 12, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of the holy apostles Peter and Paul. The 2017 holiday falls on Wednesday. Saint Peter is considered the patron saint of fishermen; he is asked for a successful and large catch of fish.

Also, Peter's Day is the end of the summer fast of Peter and Paul, established in memory of these saints, which in different years can last from 8 to 42 days, depending on when it begins. The Fast of Peter and Paul 2017 started on June 12, and therefore this year it lasted exactly a month.

Saints Peter and Paul's Day: history of the holiday

Apostle Peter and Paul holiday © Depositphotos

Saint Peter, one of the 12 apostles of Christ, was the son of a fisherman. At birth he was given the name Simon, but later he received from Jesus the nickname Cephas (stone), that is, firm in the faith, which in Greek means Peter. Initially, he betrayed his teacher three times, but then redeemed himself and became the founder of the Christian church and the first Pope.

Saint Paul, unlike Peter, was not one of the 12 apostles. Initially, he was even one of the persecutors of the Jews, but later, having met Jesus and believed in Him, Paul began to preach Christian teaching in the territory of Asia Minor and the Balkan Peninsula. His sermons are included in the New Testament.

According to church canons, the holy apostles Peter and Paul accepted martyrdom for their faith on the same day - July 12 according to the Gregorian calendar. The Apostle Peter was crucified head down, and the Apostle Paul's head was cut off.

Feast of Peter and Paul in 2017: traditions of the day

Feast of Peter and Paul Day © Depositphotos

The popular name of the holiday is Peter's Day, short for Peter and Paul Day. This period is considered a kind of peak of summer, after which nature begins to turn towards autumn.

Among the people, the day of Peter and Paul, together with the holidays of Agrafena Bathing and Ivan Kupala, constitute a summer holiday cycle dedicated to nature, the sun, herbs, flowers, harvest and courtship.

It was believed that on the day of Peter and Paul the sun plays, i.e. shines with all the colors of the rainbow. To see this miracle, young people gathered in the field in the morning and waited for the sun to rise. Happiness awaits those who see the sun playing.

Also on Peter’s Day, wreaths and tree branches were woven, round dances were performed, and Peter’s festivities began, which lasted until the first Savior. And young girls on the day of Peter and Paul wondered about their betrothed. For example, you need to collect 12 different flowers from 12 fields, wish for a guy, put the flowers under your pillow and wait for a prophetic dream.

On the day of Peter and Paul you cannot work, especially in the field, so as not to disturb the ears of grain and so that the harvest is good. After Peter's Day, haymaking time began.

Feast of Peter and Paul: signs of the day

Feast of Peter and Paul © Depositphotos

• The cuckoo goes silent on Peter and Paul. If the bird does not crow a week before Peter’s Day, winter will be early, but if a week after Peter and Paul’s Day, winter will be late.
• Rain on Peter's Day promises a rich harvest.
• Rain on Peter and Paul - it will give birth.
• If the grain is harvested, then neither Peter nor Paul will take away the harvest.
• On Peter's Day there is an ear of corn, on Ilyin's day there is a kolob.
• Peter and Paul shortened the day, because... the day was already waning.
• Peter and Pavel turned up the heat, because... The hottest days began.
• It's always warm on Petro.

Peter and Paul Day has always been one of the most important holidays for Christians. It always becomes a reason to think about spiritual life, as well as about physical condition, because it is on this day that Peter’s Fast ends.

The July church calendar contains the most important date: the Feast of Peter and Paul, which is accompanied by Peter's Fast. Due to its great religious importance, we publish in our material all the important information about the feast of Peter and Paul, as well as points that definitely cannot be missed: what not to do on Peter and Paul.

Feast of Peter and Paul in 2017

The holiday called Peter and Paul Day 2017 is traditionally celebrated on July 12. During this period, Peter's Fast ends for Christians, during which meat, dairy products and eggs must be excluded from their diet. Many people are interested in whether the Feast of Peter and Paul is included in the days when it is still necessary to fast, and the answer to this question is always the same - on this day you can already start eating food that was prohibited during Peter’s Fast.

Peter and Paul were followers of Jesus Christ who, after His death, preached the Gospel, spreading the good news among people. It is not for nothing that Christians revere the apostles Peter and Paul so much, because for many centuries their teaching has been an example for many church ministers.

Peter and Paul Day 2017: history

It is interesting that Paul denied the truth for a long time and was a persecutor of the Jews. But having met the resurrected Jesus Christ, he became one of the most sincere preachers talking about God. And Peter was one of the twelve disciples of Christ - he, as Christ prophesied, betrayed Him three times, but soon sincerely repented and became what is now called the creator of the Christian church.

The Feast of Peter and Paul is dedicated to the two of them for a reason. The apostles died as martyrs on the same day - June 29 according to the Julian calendar. Now we remember this day on July 12, according to the Gregorian calendar. Peter and Paul were devoted to Christ, so they were ready to die for Him. Thus, Peter, during his visit to Rome, where he arrived to preach, was crucified upside down. And Paul was executed in the same city, cutting off his head. From information that has survived to this day, it is known that this happened a year after the death of Peter.

Feast of Peter and Paul 2017: signs

On Peter and Paul Day, a large number of signs appeared among the people, which were a reflection of the observation skills and traditions of many generations who lived long before us. We have collected the most common ones for you in this material.

They say that Peter's Day is the peak of summer. During this period, forty hot days enter the realm of summer.

On the Feast of Peter and Paul it is not customary to work in the fields. It is believed that on this day everything growing from the earth gains special power, which cannot be touched. People believed that the harvest would be rich if they did not go into the field on Peter's Day.

Also, based on the weather on Peter and Paul Day, people determined what kind of harvest they should expect this year. If it rained on the Feast of Peter and Paul, it was believed that the harvest would definitely be harvested.

Among the signs for the Feast of Peter and Paul there is also news about what the winter will be like. If the cuckoo is heard one or two weeks after this day, then winter will be late. If she is silent, then you should wait for early cold weather.

Feast of Peter and Paul: what not to do

We are also happy to answer the question of what not to do on Peter and Paul. This is really important information for everything about the bans on Peter and Paul.

The Orthodox Church does not perform the sacrament of marriage for Peter and Paul.

On this day, work is not prohibited, but it is still recommended to replace hard physical labor with spiritual care.

In the morning you should go to service and pray. And throughout the day you should not swear, think about bad things or wish anything bad for others.

On this day, it is customary to have festive family dinners and spend time communicating with loved ones in nature, but you cannot start a feast with excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, because this is a religious holiday.

You cannot swim at Peter and Paul, as there are large statistics of tragedies on the water.

Now you have all the relevant information about the Feast of Peter and Paul in your arsenal, including what you should not do on Peter and Paul. Spend this day in a sincere atmosphere with dear people. We also recommend reading the material about what date is the summer solstice.

July 12 is an annual date, including for 2019, what date will Peter's Day be. In fact, it is not entirely correct to call this holiday exactly that, because in the Christian calendar it is precisely the day of the holy apostles Peter and Paul. The holiday does not have a moving date, so not only in 2019, but every year it is celebrated on this date.

It should be noted that July 12 is the date of the holiday according to the new style; the Catholic Church, which adheres to the old calendar, celebrates Peter's Day in 2019 on June 29 annually. This day was established during the times of early Christianity and was celebrated everywhere in the Roman Empire. From the name it is clear that the Christian Church honors the holy righteous, the disciples of Christ, the apostles Peter and Paul.

After the ascension of Christ and the descent of the Holy Spirit, the disciples of the Messiah set off to wander the world and tell people about the Christian faith. The saints revered on the day of the holiday in different years accepted martyrdom for their faith.

Interesting! Peter and Paul were executed on different dates, but their relics were transferred to Rome on July 12, according to the new style, which happened in 258.

Veneration of the Holy Great Martyrs

Peter's Day is celebrated in 2019 on July 12, with the onset of the holiday ending the summer. But they began to venerate the holy great martyrs immediately after their execution and burial. At a service in an Orthodox church on the day of the holiday, the spiritual strength of St. Peter and the intelligence of St. Paul are necessarily praised. Moreover, both apostles had a rather difficult path to faith; they, each at one time, renounced Christ and faith, and then returned to it with new strength and a new understanding of all things.

Slavic traditions on the day of Peter and Paul

After the holiday, active preparations for haymaking began; weddings also took place quite often during this period, because before that there is fasting and the church does not hold weddings: there are no exceptions here. Be sure to set the festive table, bake pies and pancakes with meat. What did the Slavs do on St. Peter's Day, what of this remained for centuries in history, and what can be repeated in 2019?

If you want to make a talisman for livestock against diseases for the rest of the year, then you need to tie a red ribbon to your legs. On this day, the shepherds tied bells to sticks so that the sheep would not run away and the wolves would not approach them.

For beekeepers, the arrival of July 12 means that several bees need their wings trimmed. The people believed that this ritual would protect against the beehive being stolen. At this time, the last cherries were collected from the trees and it was believed that part of the harvest must be given away so that the next year would be fruitful for the trees. You can safely bring it to the holiday table quickly, tasty and healthy.

What every Orthodox believer should do on St. Peter's Day 2019, which this year falls on Wednesday, is to find time to go to church. The churches hold themed holiday services in the morning and evening, so even a working person can adjust his schedule and be sure to attend a beautiful and important service.

On July 12, all Christians celebrate a holiday in honor of the holy apostles Peter and Paul. What traditions are associated with this holiday, what signs promise on this day, and what can and cannot be done on this holy holiday - read in our article.

The church holiday of Peter and Paul has long been not only a religious holiday, but also a truly popular one, because this time after the summer solstice marks the beginning of the harvest and the approaching autumn. Also on this day, July 12, Peter's fast ends and Petya and Pasha celebrate their name days.

Peter is one of the most revered saints in Christianity, who received the appointment from Christ to become the founder of the church. It was Peter who became the first of the apostles to whom Christ appeared after his own resurrection. But the Apostle Paul is a historical figure, one of the main historians of Christianity, his works have survived to this day.

Traditions and customs for the Feast of Peter and Paul

Once upon a time, people celebrated Peter and Paul Day in a special way - they set rich tables and invited wanderers and the needy. Celebrations, round dances and games were indispensable elements of the celebration of Peter's Day. Young boys and girls were wondering about a quick wedding. But if a couple wanted to have a wedding on July 12 on the feast of Peter and Paul, they were not advised to do this - a bad sign.

In preparation for the holiday, people put things in order in their homes and yards, made bouquets and wreaths from various wildflowers, which they then took to church services. Also on this day, flat cakes were baked, which were popularly called mandariki, in honor of the world travels of the holy apostles Peter and Paul. It was believed that if you wash your face from three springs on Peter’s Day, the water will give you strength and health.

In Ukraine, according to tradition, after the end of Peter's Lent, the wedding season begins. Also, after July 12, you can plan the baby's christening.

Feast of Peter and Paul 2017: what you can and cannot do on this day

On Peter and Paul, it is traditional to have festive family dinners and spend time communicating with loved ones in nature, but swimming is not recommended. Women try to prepare fish dishes so that an atmosphere of peace and love reigns in their family, because it is also believed that Peter and Paul are the patrons of fishermen.

On the Feast of Peter and Paul, housewives are not recommended to do household chores: it is better to postpone ironing, washing and cleaning the house to another day. But what is really worth doing is visiting relatives, helping the sick and disadvantaged, taking time for yourself and your inner world. In the morning you should go to service and pray. And throughout the day you should not swear, think about bad things or wish anything bad for others.

Peter and Paul Day: signs

Our ancestors attached great importance to natural phenomena and knew how to interpret any changes in nature. Nowadays, folk signs on July 12 are given less importance, but in some regions people still rely on them.

• Rain on Peter's Day promises a harvest: one rain - the harvest will be good, two - good, and three - rich.
• Peter is always warm. At the same time they said: “Peter and Paul turned up the heat,” as the hottest days began.
• If on St. Peter's Day it is hot, then on Christmas it is frosty.
• The cuckoo goes silent on Peter and Paul. If the bird does not crow a week before Peter’s Day, winter will be early, but if a week after Peter and Paul’s Day, winter will be late.

Feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul - what date does it fall on in 2017? You will learn about this by reading the article on the Orthodoxy and Peace portal.

Feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul in 2017 - July 12

Peter is a fisherman, a man of deep faith, a hot faith, maybe even too hot, about which the Lord tells him: you will deny Me, because now on an emotional wave you confess fidelity, and then on the same emotional wave you will get scared and step aside.

The Apostle Paul is a man of a clear and sober mind and very great knowledge. Pharisee, scribe, who went through a very serious theological school with the famous scribe and Pharisee Gamaliel - a teacher with a capital T.

In the early Christian community there was a discussion about what should be included in the proclamation of the faith of Christ, what obligations are imposed on a person in the Church, what he should do, how to live, whether he should accept all the burdens of the intolerable Old Testament law and Jewish rites or whether they should be abandoned .

This discussion is especially interesting because Peter, who represented a people that was not the richest and perhaps not as educated as the Apostle Paul, was in no hurry to extend the gospel beyond Israel. He believed that first of all it was necessary to go to the lost sheep of Israel - to the Jews, to those who knew the prophets, thirsted for salvation, dreamed of the Messiah. And therefore, Peter was in no hurry to abandon the Old Testament ritual institutions, fearing that this refusal might alienate someone from the Jewish community, from those who could come to the Church and become a Christian.

The Apostle Paul, who had a colossal store of Old Testament knowledge, knowledge of rituals, meticulous adherence to the letter of the law, turns out to be much more radical. He abandons this baggage, proclaiming freedom in Christ and turning his word to the pagans - to people of other cultures, other traditions. In order for them to come to the Church, to Christ, he clears this path from everything secondary and unprincipled.

We know that the Apostle Peter walked a long way with Christ, was next to Him for three years, ascended Mount Tabor, and saw the Transfiguration of the Lord.

Whether the Apostle Paul saw Christ in His earthly life is unknown - this does not follow from the New Testament - but the Lord calls him outside the Church, where calling grace operates. And it was Paul, to whom the Lord reveals Himself, already Risen, in glory, Paul, who for the sake of his Jewish ideas persecuted the Church of Christ, sincerely persecuted Christians, considering Christianity a heresy, believing that violence can stop this “wickedness”, force people to abandon their faith in resurrected Galilean, who declared himself God, this Paul, having seen Christ in a vision, coming to the Church and receiving healing there, becoming one of the preachers, turned out to be a bridge thrown from Christ, the apostles, the early Church to other people, external, very far from Israel and Jewish ideas.

It seems to me very important that Luke, the disciple and companion of the Apostle Paul, in his Gospel, and then in the Acts of the Apostles, emphasizes that not only Jews came to Christ, that the love of Christ extended to everyone, that Christ is in every person, regardless of his faith or lack of faith, he saw the image of God and hoped that the human heart would respond, the soul would stir and the person would come to God, become a son or daughter - a child of God.

It seems to me very important that, with all the difference in paths, the Church celebrates the memory of these apostles on one day, remembering not only the importance of the fatherly traditions, the importance of the Old Testament for all Christians, but also that many layers - little things, rituals - can become people as an obstacle, sometimes insurmountable, on the path to God.

What is needed here is the zeal of the Apostle Peter and the openness and wisdom of the Apostle Paul. And the most important thing is to remember that Peter and Paul laid down their lives together for the sake of that Word, in Whom the world was created and in Whom it stands, were constantly in communion with God, had the gift of inner prayer, passed on their gifts and knowledge to their disciples, and through the Church - the sacrament of worship - through the experience of the saints, this knowledge and knowledge of God comes to us.

Therefore, everyone can enter into the joy of the Apostle Paul and the Apostle Peter. The Lord calls everyone to join the uncreated Divine light, calls to share the joy of the Easter of Christ, to become a Christian not only by name and external attributes, but also to change, be transformed internally and enter the Kingdom of God and eternal life. Amen.