Believers will celebrate the holiday in honor of the two holy martyrs Alexander on March 28, 2024

On March 28, the memory of the two holy martyrs Alexander is honored. Also today, Saint Agapius and five other martyrs who suffered for the faith in the 4th century are remembered. In the folk calendar – Alexander’s Day, Forest Grooming. The date according to the old style is March 15. Public news service I learned what traditions, prohibitions and signs fall on March 28, 2024, Alexander’s Day, for Forest Grooming.

Date traditions

On March 28, we waited for the first seagulls to arrive. It was believed that their appearance heralded spring warmth and the imminent start of ice drift. However, according to the sign, if the birds began to swim that day, then there will be bad weather.

People associated this day with wolves. It was rumored that this time was the height of “wolf weddings,” so the animals were aggressive and could even attack a person.

On Alexander’s Day there was a ritual: wolves in the forest usually howled at night, and in order to get rid of fear and fall asleep, our ancestors turned over the pillow.

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Also in Rus’ this day was called Forest Grooming. It was forbidden to treat or talk badly about the forest. After all, for the peasants the forest was the breadwinner, because it provided mushrooms, berries, game, and medicinal herbs. Our ancestors tried to speak about the forest with great respect, and in order not to get lost, they uttered special spells.

What not to do on Alexander’s Day

• On March 28, it was forbidden to walk in the forest. They believed that if you disobey, you could meet the dissatisfied owner of the forest – Leshim, who, angry, would confuse the person. In turn, the poor fellow will get lost, fall into a trap or end up in the clutches of a predator. Therefore, if you need to go to the forest at this time, it is better to postpone the trip to another day.
• In order to sleep soundly that day and not wake up, one could not fall asleep on the warm side of the pillow.
• You should not scratch yourself on March 28, especially scratching your head. They said that otherwise there would be minor troubles.
• It is forbidden to shout or treat dogs badly on Alexander’s Day, otherwise you may lose your faithful friend.
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• You cannot quarrel, scold or conflict with other people. You should also not envy someone, spread gossip, or dwell in negative thoughts. Otherwise, by such actions you can bring trouble and illness in your direction.
• On Alexander’s Day it is recommended to refrain from visiting stores. The exception is planned purchases; spontaneous purchases will not bring anything good, but only disappointment.
  

  What can you do on Alexander’s Day?

  

• On March 28, people were supposed to talk about the forest with respect; it was not for nothing that the day was called Forest Grooming. In order not to get lost, special spells were uttered.
• People went to Forest Grooming in the forest and thanked for the gifts of nature, and also asked for forgiveness for everything they had done.
• On this day, the first arrival of seagulls was expected; this was considered a good omen, so people fed the birds.
• Meeting a black cat on March 28 is a good omen.
  

  Signs

• Today we watched birds: if the sparrows chirped loudly, the sky will be clear and sunny;
• If a person saw a starling on Alexander’s Day, it means that spring is already at the porch;
• If a seagull flew in on March 28, it was worth waiting for ice on the roads;
• Warm weather was foreshadowed by the arrival of a lark, and if you saw seagulls splashing in the water and preening their feathers in it, precipitation;
• The sunset this evening was colorful and bright – for a whole series of rainy days;
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• If spring waters flow very slowly, the year is likely to be lean;
• We looked carefully at the weather that day: if there was no sun outside the window in the morning and it was dark, we expected rain in the evening.
  

  Name day

Name days on March 28th are celebrated by: Alexander, Alexey, Denis, Mikhail, Timofey.

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