Holy Wednesday, Lakomka (3rd day of Maslenitsa week)

Kalmyk Poetry Day

For tourists who decide to visit Thailand in the spring, there is an opportunity to attend a unique holiday - National Thai Elephant Day. Once upon a time, the image of this strong and powerful animal appeared on the coat of arms of Siam, as Thailand was called in ancient times. And today the elephant, as a symbol of wisdom, adorns the emblem of the Thai Ministry of Education. Celebrations in honor of the state symbol take place annually on March 13 and are accompanied by colorful performances and shows. Elephants have long been a mainstay of Thai culture. With their help, they dragged heavy loads, moved long distances, built palaces and temples, and won military campaigns. A hundred years ago, there were about one hundred thousand wild and domestic elephants in Thailand, but today their number has decreased to 3-4 thousand, while there are practically none left in the wild. The holiday is one of the opportunities to draw attention to the catastrophic decline in the number of Thai elephants, and also to emphasize the gratitude for the help that elephants have provided to humans over the centuries. Their good-natured disposition and funny appearance made these leisurely bumpkins everyone’s favorites. On March 13, elegant animals walk freely through the streets, accepting congratulations and words of gratitude. In the cities of Phuket and Pattaya, events are held near temples, where locals and visitors to Thailand flock. Anyone can attend the show completely free of charge. Here you can see animals of all ages in bright blankets, painted with fancy patterns. The culmination of the festival is feeding the elephants with fruits. To do this, tons of juicy fruits are brought to the temple, as well as specific elephant delicacies - sugar cane and pickles. Residents of Ayutthaya, the ancient Thai capital, organize sports competitions between elephants and schoolchildren. These types of football matches cause a lot of laughter and often end with the ball bursting. White elephants are given special treatment in Thailand. They symbolize monarchical power and are considered royal animals. Thai belief says that the Milky Way is a family of thousands of snow-white shining celestial elephants.

March 13 (February 28, old style) is the day of Vasily Kapelnik in the folk calendar. According to the church calendar, on this date the memory of St. Basil Dekapolit, a monk-protector of icons in the 8th century, is honored. Vasily was a monk in the Decapolitan country, located near Lake Galilee. Together with his mentor friend Prokofiy, he tried to protect the icons from the emperor. The latter brought heresy to the people, comparing icons with pagan idols. For opposing the ruler, Vasily and Procopius were imprisoned and kept until he died. After his release, the monk continued to guide believers on the true path and do good deeds. The people called the saint the Dropman. As it became warmer outside, the snow on the roofs began to melt, and the flowing drops were called drips. They said that on this day winter itself sheds tears goodbye. Long icicles frozen at night foreshadowed long stalks of flax and hemp in the fall. There was a tradition for Vasily Kapelnik to carry coniferous branches into his home: spruce, juniper, pine. The aroma of pine needles in the house promised health to all household members. Healing tinctures were prepared from needles and buds, strengthening the immune system and helping with respiratory diseases. It was believed that pine decoction contained many vitamins. Healers advised Vasily to carry out a ritual of treatment for sheep dyspnea - a disease in which excess fluid accumulated in the abdominal cavity, also called abdominal dropsy. The patient was wrapped in sheep skin and placed on the floor, then the sheep were brought into the room. The peasants believed that when animals passed by a sick person, they would take the disease with them and carry it away. Young women baked butter rolls in the morning, accompanying the baking process with stoneflies - songs inviting spring. Then relatives and friends were treated to such baked goods. Eating kalach on an empty stomach for Vasily Kapelnik foreshadowed prosperity in life. The men went into the forest to hunt hares. The melting snow opened up the ground, where young grass was growing, and hungry hares gathered around it, losing their vigilance. Therefore, the hunters returned with good catch. In the evening they prepared game dishes and shared stories. If it was a cloudy day on Vasily Kapelnik, frosty weather was expected at night. The lack of snow on the roofs meant warming soon. The sun during the day foreshadowed the fertility of the earth in the summer, and the rain - the summer season with fine days.

Romance is a candlelit dinner, reading poetry under the moon, a marriage proposal during a hot air balloon flight. Moments of life that evoke a sentimental mood and pleasant memories are often accompanied by drinking alcoholic beverages - wine, champagne, martinis. A raised glass becomes a symbol that consolidates the agreement reached and a cordial union. March 13 is the Day of Romantic Drinking - a holiday shrouded in mystery and lyrical flair. You can celebrate an unusual celebration either sitting at home or in a cafe, or at a themed event - for example, wine or whiskey tasting. Yes, light alcohol is most associated with romance - sparkling champagne, sweet martinis, cocktails with names like “Cranberry Kiss”, “Excitement”, “Between the Sheets” or “The Bee’s Knees”. But in honor of the holiday on March 13, you can drink something stronger. The main thing is to control the amount of cognac, brandy or whiskey you take and not to forget about the romantic mood. A certain dose of alcohol is needed in order to relax, overcome shyness and finally voice your innermost dreams and desires to your loved one. “I’ll drink,” A. Myagkov’s hero said to his girlfriend in E. Ryazanov’s film “The Irony of Fate or Enjoy Your Bath,” “I’ll get wild, I’ll become brave and, finally, I’ll tell you everything I have to say!” Shy and insecure people find it easier to confess their love or propose with a glass in hand. Romantic Drinking Day is designed to help you overcome yourself and boldly step towards destiny. The holiday cannot be missed by those who have already met their soulmate. Especially if a lot of time has passed since the creation of the union. Everyday life and the routine of daily affairs kill romance even in those relationships at the dawn of which real Mexican passions reigned. March 13 is ideal for reviving old feelings by rewinding time. Use Romantic Drinking Day to go back in time! A Long Island cocktail, a dry martini and whiskey with ice will help you get into the time machine. “Lord, how boring we live! The spirit of adventurism has disappeared in us! We have stopped climbing into the windows of our beloved women,” lamented Ippolit, rejected by his beloved, another hero of E. Ryazanov’s film. Indeed, there is practically no romance in the life of a modern person. People are lonely, disconnected, have a hard time getting closer, and therefore often cannot meet a soul mate. March 13th is a great occasion to drink in brotherhood, kiss and get on first-name terms. After all, this is exactly what Romantic Drinking Day was invented for.

Orthodox holidays March 13:

Popular belief claims that John Cassian Day is celebrated only in leap years on the last day of February according to the old style or on March 13 in the new style. But this is a misconception, since in non-leap years Kasyanov’s day is moved to February 28th according to the old style and the date of March 13th is left unchanged according to the new calendar style. Christian theologian John Cassian the Roman was a prominent theorist of monastic life at the turn of the 4th and 5th centuries. At the beginning of his ascetic activity, he made a pilgrimage to the Holy Lands, where he took monastic vows in one of the monasteries of Bethlehem. For several years, Cassian travels through the wastelands and hermitages of Egypt, studying the features of the monastic rule. Enriched with knowledge, the Roman accompanies Saint John Chrysostom on his way to Constantinople, where he is ordained a deacon. Further in Marseilles, already in the rank of presbyter, the monk founded and equipped monasteries for men and women, similar to those that he studied in Egypt. Cassian's further life was devoted to writing theological texts, which described in detail the rules and customs of Egyptian monasticism and revealed many moral Christian concepts. Despite his righteous life, the Monk John Cassian the Roman received a negative connotation in the popular imagination among Eastern Christians, for which there are no objective explanations. Perhaps the memory of the people reflected a more ancient cult of a pre-Christian creature with a consonant name, and most likely this is the ruler of the underworld Kashchei. But perhaps this attitude towards the saint is connected with the date of his memory, which falls on February 29th according to the old style, and with the idea of ​​leap years as unlucky. There is a belief that explains why Kasyan earned disfavor and became embittered with people. This happened while he was walking on earth. One day, Kasyan the saint neglected the request of a man whose cart got stuck on the road. But Saint Nicholas came to the peasant’s aid, and when both saints returned to heaven, the Lord asked where the first came from so clean and where the second could get dirty. Having heard the story about the unfortunate man and his cart, the Lord decided that Kasyanov’s day would be celebrated only once every 4 years, and in memory of St. Nicholas the saint, prayer services would be held twice every year. Since then, Kasyan has harbored a grudge against the entire human race, and on the day of his veneration he tries to harm and take revenge. Kasyanov's day was considered the most dangerous and unlucky in the national annual calendar. They believed that no business could have a positive outcome, and even a simple exit into the street could result in illness or even death. A sad fate awaited anyone born on St. Kasyan's Day, and this was the fault of the saint himself, who carried obvious demonic features in his image. Kasyanov’s gaze, hidden under huge eyelids, was especially terrifying. As a result, plants withered and livestock died. Kasyan was also subject to weather phenomena; the saint was able to return the winter cold and severe snowstorms.

Feast of the Icon of the Mother of God of Devpeteruvka