Memorial Day of the Righteous Eudokim the Cappadocian

On August 13, all Orthodox Christians celebrate the day of remembrance of the Holy Righteous Eudokim the Cappadocian, the patron saint of family and home. Evdokim was born in Cappadocia (a region in Asia Minor) in the 9th century into a family of very pious Christians. Despite the fact that his Mother Evdokia and Father Vasily were from a very noble family, close to the emperor himself, they preached a God-fearing and humble life. It is not surprising that from his earliest years, young Evdokim devoted all his time to God and prayers, and at a young age he took a vow of celibacy and chastity. Evdokim avoided conversations with women and never looked at them when meeting them, but he loved to have conversations with his mother, the only woman in the saint’s life. The virtuous life of Evdokim, his desire to help his neighbors and the disadvantaged did not go unnoticed by the emperor. Theophilus appointed the young Evdokim ruler of the Kharsian region. All the time that the righteous Eudokim the Cappadocian was in power, the inhabitants, especially orphans, widows, the poor, the sick and the disadvantaged, did not need anything. However, he kept his personal exploits secret, not sharing them with anyone. The reign of Evdokim in the Kharsian region is noted as the most benign and fair. Life's actions, Christian humility, fear of God and absence of evil thoughts turned out to be pleasing to the Lord. He called Evdokim to him when he was 33 years old. Dying, Evdokim bequeathed to be buried in the clothes in which he would die. After the death of the righteous man, miracles began to happen near his tomb: the sick were healed of their ailments. Later, the miraculous relics of the saint were transported to Constantinople and kept in the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In Rus', on this day the Slavs revered turnips. It was consumed raw, boiled, steamed, baked and dried. It was on the day of remembrance of St. Eudokim the Cappadocian that they always baked a pie with turnips and prepared porridge. The feasts were noisy and fun, especially for young people: unmarried girls put on their best outfits and danced in circles and played games. In addition, on this day it was customary to work in the field, to leave a reserve “for a good and rich harvest,” offering prayer to Saint Eudokim. But it was strictly forbidden to offend the homeless, orphans, or deny them shelter and food. Currently, on this day it is customary to pray for strengthening the family and improving relationships between family and friends.