According to the folk calendar - Marya Pusty cabbage soup

April 14 (April 1, old style) according to the folk calendar, Marya Empty cabbage soup is celebrated. Part of the name is given to the holiday in honor of St. Mary of Egypt, whose memory is mentioned by the Orthodox Church on this day. Maria lived in the 5th-6th century. As a young girl, she left her native land and headed to Alexandria. There she led an obscene lustful life, but one day, on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, a girl could not get into the temple - an unknown force threw her away from the entrance. Then the sinner realized her fall and vowed before the icon of the Mother of God to return to the righteous path, leaving behind her dissolute days. The saint went into the desert and before her death she prayed to the Lord to forgive her sins. The people called Saint Mary the intercessor of women who returned to the righteous path after repentance. In prayers they asked her for support when it was difficult to survive temptations. On Marya's day, peasant women went to healers and performed rituals against the evil eye and witchcraft. On Marya Pustye Shchi, residents in their cellars were running out of vegetables. The sauerkraut required for cooking cabbage soup was also running low. If in the fall they were cooked so thick that a spoon could stand, then in the spring the cabbage soup looked empty. To survive hunger, peasants added sorrel and nettle to them. That is why the day was called Empty cabbage soup. In the southern regions, residents were busy cultivating their gardens, and in the northern territories there was sometimes snow. But the sun shone brighter and melted him. The resulting reflections on the snow resembled the flickering of lights. The snow seemed to be on fire. This led to another name for the date - Marya Light the Fire or Dissolve the Fire. If there was a flood on the day of Marya, then they prepared for a large haymaking and generous fishing. They also expected a rich harvest, noticing the bright stars in the sky. A cloudy sky foreshadowed good weather, but the roar of livestock meant bad weather. A rainy day promised a dry summer.