According to the folk calendar - Nine Healers

According to the folk calendar, the Nine Healers is celebrated on May 12 (April 29, old style) This date is dedicated to the nine holy martyrs of Cyzicus - Antipartus, Artemos, Magnus, Rufus, Theodotus, Faumasius, Philemon, Theostichus and Theognis, whose memory is revered on this day among Orthodox believers The saints lived in the 3rd century in the city of Cyzicus (modern Turkey) near the Dardanelles Strait, were devoted Christians and spread the word about the Lord However, the idolaters of the city imprisoned them and subjected them to various tortures, urging them to renounce their faith and embrace paganism All of them courageously endured torture in the name of the Lord, for which they were executed In the 4th century, a temple was built in honor of the Cyzitic Christians, where their relics were transferred There, the relics of the martyrs radiated miracles and helped cure the sick from various ailments The people called the day the Nine Healers, because prayers to the martyrs of Kiziki helped heal and protect from diseases The peasants asked the saints to deliver them from nine misfortunes: tears, sadness, loneliness, loss of a breadwinner, unholy temptation, temptation, clouding of the mind, lack of will and spiritual sadness Also on this day, residents went out into the open during the day and gained health for the year ahead from the warm wind On the Day of Nine Healers, local healers went to collect herbs People believed that on this date they had great healing power, so infusions were prepared from them According to legend, God drew a human image on the sand, but when the Devil saw this, he made 77 holes in the image and called them various diseases In order to protect humanity, the Lord created 77 types of herbs that cure every disease Field work continued on Nine Healers Residents started them based on certain signs If you saw that the crane was building a nest low, it means that cereals could be sown even in damp soil, nest high - then you should wait until the ground dries out The younger generation of farmers always listened to the advice of their elders, considering their experience invaluable And before plowing and sowing, they prayed to the Lord for successful cultivation of the land and a rich harvest If residents of Nine Healers observed an abundance of cockchafers, they prepared for dry days The transition of ants to dry areas or the cry of an oriole, similar to a meow, meant the coming rains A cloudless dawn foreshadowed a hot summer The sky, dotted with stars, promised great harvests