Folk calendar - Efimy Autumn

On October 28, the folk Christian holiday Efim Autumn is celebrated. It is associated with the name of the Christian saint Euthymius the New. Euthymius, in the world Nikita, was born in 824 in Galatia, which was located on the territory of modern Turkey. His noble parents Anna and Epiphanius were famous throughout the area for their piety and godly deeds. In the seventh year of his life, Nikita lost his father. The boy began to help his mother run the household and look after his sisters. When the time came for him to fulfill his military duty, he never ceased to be Anna’s assistant. The mother found a modest, kind bride, Euphrosyne, for her son. The couple had a daughter, Anastasia. After making sure that his wife and older sister zealously helped Anna in running the household, Nikita decided to leave the family and become a monk. On the day of remembrance of the martyr Nikita, the man left the house without explaining the reason to anyone. Nikita went to travel, in unfamiliar lands he tried to learn love for God and obedience. One day he had a chance to attend the sermon of Joannicius the Great at Mount Olympus. He, seeing the young man, decided to test the strength of his obedience. He told the crowd of people that Nikita was a murderer and ordered him to be detained. The young man did not make excuses and allowed himself to be grabbed. Struck by his humility, Ioannikis predicted great glory for him in the work of serving God. Then Nikita left this place because he did not want to gain the glory of a great ascetic. He came to Elder John, who named him Euthymius and taught him silent monasticism. One day a monk was passing near his native place. He sent a cross to his family with the news that Nikita was no more, but the monk Euthymius was there. The man advised his relatives to follow his example. All the women from Nikita's family, except for the recently married daughter, listened to Euthymius and became nuns. Euthymius became famous for the fact that he zealously and humbly served the Lord. At first he ate nothing but grass for forty days, crouching close to the ground like an animal. Then he spent three years in a cave in silence. Trying to escape fame among the ascetics, Euthymius went to live on Novy Island. After this, the Lord ordered him to go to Thessaloniki and build a monastery there. The inhabitants of Thessaloniki accepted Euthymius as an angel sent by God. Here the man was able to restore a long-forgotten temple. Then a monastery arose near the temple. For his virtue, Euthymius of Thessalonica was awarded by God with the gift of healing and a vision of the future. In 889, the elder died painlessly. On this day, the people continued to prepare for winter. People cleaned beehives, insulated their homes, and repaired warm clothes. It was customary to wear flax on Efim, so the holiday was sometimes called Flax. Special shows were held: they took flax out into the yard and looked at who had it thinner and softer. It was believed that on this day the kikimora sneaks into the home from the swamps and sits down at the loom, where it becomes visible to people. On October 28, women prayed to Saint Euthymius for protection from evil spirits. Signs on Efim Autumn: • A red sunset foreshadows imminent frosts. • An owl screams during the day - bad weather. • If you meet a mosquito on this day, it means the winter will be mild. • The stars are dim - the warmth will last for another half a month.