Father Frost and Snow Maiden Day is a traditional Slavic holiday, which most people in Russia have never heard of. But in former times, January 30 was considered one of the most important winter dates. On this day, our ancestors honored Frost, who is the prototype of the majestic god Veles, symbolizing wealth, happiness and good luck. At the same time, these characters are mandatory components of winter, New Year holidays and general fun. This is a real holiday for all children, as well as for adults who have not lost faith in fairy tales and magic. On this day, it is customary to tell legends about Frost and his icy companion. For example, there is an old Slavic belief about how the god of love and marriage Lel, due to his wayward character, made the Snow Maiden fall in love with an ordinary young man. With the onset of spring, she refused to fly to the northern regions, thereby the heroine in love doomed herself to death, because as soon as the sun touched her, she immediately melted. The image of the Snow Maiden is not noted in Slavic rituals, but is found in folklore, where she is the heroine of the fairy tale about the girl Snegurka (Snezhevinochka) fashioned from snow. Also on January 30, the day of Perun’s main rival, Father Frost, who serves as the prototype of Veles, is celebrated. In other words, Frost is the winter personification of the god of fertility, wealth and family well-being. And in the spring months, his hypostasis is Yar, the son of Diva and Veles. It was this Slavic deity that became everyone’s favorite Father Frost, bringing children a sea of ​​joy and long-awaited gifts. It is to him that they recite poems and sing New Year's songs, rejoicing and expecting a real miracle. It is noteworthy that Frost’s wife was the Snow Queen. The couple had a child - Snegurochka. Therefore, the girl who is Grandfather Frost’s main assistant is actually his daughter, and not his granddaughter, as is commonly believed. The Day of Frost and the Snow Maiden symbolically ends the reign of the mighty winter. After this, the generous Maslenitsa begins its majestic procession.

Every year on January 30, World Princess Anastasia Day is celebrated. This is a rather strange holiday associated with the execution of the family of Russian Emperor Nicholas II. After the execution, rumors spread that the Tsar's youngest daughter, seventeen-year-old Anastasia, was able to escape by hiding in a nearby house. Immediately there were girls who swore that they were those same princesses. Over the entire period, there were about 30 such impostors.

January 30 is the School Day of Nonviolence and Peace. The initiator of its establishment was the Spanish teacher and poet Lorenzo Vidal, who was a supporter of pacifism. He made his proposal back in 1964. Initially, this non-state holiday was celebrated on a voluntary basis only by some educational institutions in Spain.

Holidays of Azerbaijan - Day of Azerbaijan Customs Workers

In 1885, the intelligentsia created the Indian National Congress party, which fought for self-government and independence of the country. Its leader in 1915 was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, nicknamed Mahatma. Numerous attempts were made on the life of the party leader, but this could not stop him. On January 30, 1948, Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated after speaking to supporters.

According to the folk calendar, January 30 (January 17, old style) is the day of Anton the Winter Winter. The day takes its name from the Christian date of honoring the memory of Saints Anthony - the Great, Chernoezersk and Dymsk. Anthony the Great (3rd century) was distinguished by his serious character and great love for the Lord. Having given part of his inheritance to the poor, he went to live in the desert. He built a monastery in it, performed good deeds, and hundreds of parishioners asked the sage for advice. Anthony of Chernoezersky (16th century) became a monk, and then founded a monastery in the Novgorod lands near the Black Lake. Anthony of Dymsky (12th century) was humble before the Lord, and together with his parishioners he built a church in honor of Anthony the Great. Among the people, Anton the winter-winter was sometimes called Antonina - half of winter, because the first part of the winter period had been passed, and the second brought closer to spring. Usually by this date the weather became warm, and sometimes the snow melted. But warming occurred for a short time, after which the cold descended again. During Anton the Winter Winter, peasants protected their homes from the penetration of evil spirits. To do this, in the morning they went out to a street fork and walked backwards towards their yard. It was necessary to walk carefully so as not to fall, and to cover up the traces left behind with branches. Residents believed that this way the spirits would not find their way to the house. To protect themselves from damage, the owners crossed the road to their lands with a sharp tool. But not all spirits were considered bad. Helper spirits were considered to be the brownie - the keeper of the hearth, the goblin - the keeper of forest lands, the bagan - the caretaker of the household, the barn and barn - helpers in construction, the vostrukh - the keeper of household goods. To get along with them, the peasants tried to appease them. Housewives baked round buns for Anton the Winterman. For their dough, oats or barley swollen from soaking were used. By adding flour, eggs and sugar to it, they sculpted bread in the shape of the sun. It was the luminary of the sun that could protect the people from the machinations of evil spirits living in darkness and bring spring closer. They used signs to navigate the future weather. An early spring was expected if there was a sharp warming on the day of Anton the Winter Winter. A snowstorm meant a long winter. If you noticed squirrels hiding together or tits chirping in the yard, you were expecting a cold snap. A cloudy sky at night foreshadowed a rich harvest, and a clear sky foreshadowed poor seedlings.

Orthodox holidays on January 30:

On January 30, Orthodox Christians remember the father of hermit monks, Anthony the Great. This monk is considered the founder of desert living, or hermitage. Born in 251 in Egypt, Anthony the Great (Egyptian) was raised according to Christian precepts from childhood. His family lived in prosperity, but the boy could not be called spoiled: he was an easy-going child who often attended religious services. At the age of 18-20 he was left without parents. Housekeeping and caring for his younger sister fell on his shoulders. It is worth saying that he carried this cross with dignity. Once, while visiting a temple, Anthony heard the words of a clergyman that in order to achieve perfection one must abandon everything and follow the Savior. Taking these words to heart, the young man sold all his property and distributed the money to those in need. Leaving his little sister in the care of noble maidens, he indulged in solitude and prayer. Anthony the Great occasionally left his place of hermitage to talk with the righteous. He did not disdain physical labor, earning a living, and sharing his excesses with those in need. The hermit ate only salted bread and water, and slept on bare ground. But the devil did not leave Anthony. The evil one came either in the form of thoughts about his allegedly abandoned sister, then in the form of a woman trying to lure him, or in the form of demons brutally beating the monk. The devil tried to arouse love of glory or love of money in the hermit - and was left with nothing. Wild hyenas and wolves attacked the recluse - Anthony was able to cope with everything, praising the Lord. Then the monk decided to go even further away from people. Anthony locked himself in the tomb and blocked the entrance with a boulder. An acquaintance brought him bread from time to time. So, glorifying God, the monk lived in the tomb for another 15 years. Afterwards, he completely went to a mountain near the Nile, filled with reptiles. People were drawn to Anthony, settling near him in hermitages and imitating his way of life. The voluntary recluse rarely came out to see them. If he met people, they were healed, and demons were completely cast out of some. The monk performed many miracles while struggling with his own flesh. For example, one day he caught one animal and asked him to tell the others not to spoil Anthony’s garden: since then, wild animals have avoided the plantings. Once, when on the way to the monastery he ran out of water and his spiritual comrades were already dying of thirst, the power of Anthony’s prayer helped a clean spring break through. The life of the saint and his struggle with temptation formed the basis for paintings and literary works. Prayer to St. Anthony in the Middle Ages helped fight the disease named after him - Anton's fire. He was depicted with a staff with bells to scare away the evil spirits. The image of an ascetic, according to legend, saves from fires. The saint knew about his death in advance: on January 30 (new style), 355 or 356, he gave up the ghost. On the day of memory of Anthony the Great, clergy and ordinary people read the troparion (a short song about the essence of the holiday) and kontakion (sermon) to St. Anthony the Great.

Memorial Day of St. Anthony of Chernoezersk

Memorial Day of St. Anthony of Dymsky