According to the folk calendar - Efimov's day

March 24 (March 11, old style) according to the folk calendar is Efimov's Day. It is named Efim in honor of St. Euthymius, Archbishop of Novgorod, revered by Orthodox believers on this date. Euthymius was born at the end of the 14th century and was involved in the church from a young age. He was raised as a pious Christian, and at the age of 15 the young man became a monk. For his hard work and diligent monastic deeds, by the age of 33, Euthymius received the rank of archbishop in Novgorod. Until old age, he diligently ruled the diocese, was engaged in the construction of new churches and the revival of old ones, rewrote church books, and devoted himself to good deeds. On Efimov's day, lapwings and finches returned from warmer climes, and the cuckoo began its first spring song. This usually happened at dawn, which is why the day was also called the cuckoo dawn. They believed that if you shake the coins in your pocket after hearing the cuckoo, your wealth will increase. Also, by cuckooing, they calculated how many years of life remained ahead. But it was not recommended to leave the house again, otherwise a person could experience cuckoo tears - tears that come for no reason. Birch trees began a period of sap flow and lasted several weeks until the first catkins appeared. Residents went to the forest to get birch sap, which has beneficial properties. They tried to collect it very carefully and only from mature trees, so as not to damage the trunk. In general, Efimov’s day was spent in gardening. The owners removed excess snow, dug furrows to drain the melted snow, and fertilized the soil with manure. To protect the beds from fungal diseases, the plots were sprinkled with stove ash. On Efimov’s day, healers treated teeth and read special spells. Ointments and powders made on this day to relieve toothache were considered especially effective. According to signs on Efimov's Day, residents predicted the coming weather. The frost that appeared promised no precipitation in a day. A strong cold wind foreshadowed a not warm spring. Spotting a lark meant that it would be warm soon. Cranes flying close to the ground were observed before the rain.