Spiridon Solstice — December 25: how the saint from Cyprus became a weather forecaster

      Orthodox Christians observe the feast day of Saint Spyridon of Trimythous.

      On December 25 Orthodox Christians commemorate the feast day of Saint Spyridon of Trimythous — one of the most venerated saints among the people, whose feast in the peasant calendar coincided with the most important astronomical event and gave rise to unique traditions that have been preserved to this day.

      The story of Saint Spyridon: from a Cypriot shepherd to a Father of the Church

      Saint Spyridon lived on the island of Cyprus at the end of the 3rd — mid-4th century. According to hagiographical sources, including Sozomen’s Ecclesiastical History (5th century), before becoming a bishop he was a simple shepherd and farmer, and after his elevation to the see of Trimythous (modern Tremithousia) he retained a modest way of life. Historically reliable is his participation in the First Ecumenical Council at Nicaea (325), where, according to contemporaries, he defended the Orthodox doctrine of the Trinity, vividly demonstrating its unity and triune nature by using a brick (clay, water and fire). In popular memory, accounts of his miracles have been especially preserved, connected with helping peasants and ordinary people: reviving oxen for a poor peasant, turning a snake into gold to help someone in need, and predicting the weather for the harvest.

      Spyridon’s Day in the folk calendar: the solstice and the beginning of winter

      In the Russian tradition December 25 is known as Spyridon’s Day, Spyridon the Sun-Turn or Spyridon the Turning. This date coincided with the winter solstice according to the Julian calendar, which determined the main rites of the feast.

      The key traditions of the day were associated with the sun’s turning toward summer:

      - Peasants performed the rite of “rolling the sun” — they rolled a burning wheel down hills, symbolizing the luminary.

      - Housewives baked “sun” round loaves with a cross in the middle.

      - Working the land was forbidden so as not to disturb its winter sleep.

      - There was a custom of “feeding the frost” — a spoonful of kissel or kutya was set on the windowsill.

      - Special importance was attached to protecting domestic fowl — on this day the ritual of “calling the hens” was performed so they would lay well in the coming year.

      What to do and what not to do on December 25, 2025

      Recommended actions:

      - Attend the festive service and pray to Saint Spyridon for help with everyday needs, especially concerning housing and prosperity.

      - Do household chores not related to working the land.

      - Prepare dishes from grain and vegetables (in memory of the saint’s agricultural past).

      - Inspect and repair agricultural tools.

      - Give alms, especially to shepherds and livestock-breeders.

      Strict prohibitions:

      - It is strictly forbidden to work the land — digging, plowing, driving stakes.

      - It is not recommended to begin long journeys.

      - Quarreling and making noise is forbidden, so as “not to frighten away the returning sun.”

      - Do not throw away leftovers of the festive baked goods — they should be fed to birds.

      Weather omens for December 25

      Spyridon’s Day was considered the main meteorological landmark of midwinter:

      - If the sun shines clearly — the days during the Yuletide will be frosty and clear.

      - Hoarfrost on the trees — to a warm and rainy Christmas.

      - A southerly wind — to an early and warm spring.

      - A snowstorm on Spyridon’s Day foretells a long winter with frequent blizzards.

      - If a crow walks along the road — to a thaw.

      - A warm day — the winter will be mild and the grain will yield large kernels.

      Interesting facts about the feast and the saint

      Saint Spyridon is one of the few saints whose incorrupt body (kept on the island of Corfu) retains the temperature of a living person (+36.6°C), which is documented by church authorities.

      After the miraculous saving of Moscow from an epidemic in 1770, Saint Spyridon became especially venerated in the Old Capital. In the Pokrov Church of the Danilov Monastery a shoe from his relics is kept; it is changed every year because of wear — believers trust that the saint continues to walk and help those in need.

      Unlike many church holidays, Spyridon’s Day preserved almost all pre-Christian agrarian rites, organically merging with the image of the saint-farmer. This is a rare example of the full integration of pagan traditions into a Christian context without their condemnation by the Church.

      By the way, observations related to the weather on Spyridon’s Day have entered modern agrometeorological handbooks as an example of folk experience in long-term forecasting.

      Gulchechek Izmaylova

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