Dimitar's day

Dimitrov Day, Dimitar Day - is a day in the national calendar among the Slavs, falling on October 26 or November 8. The name of the day comes from the name of St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki. In the Eastern and Southern Slavs, the day belonged to the annual holidays and was considered the border of winter. In the Eastern Slavs, this day ends the autumn marriage period. The Sabbath day before or when it is celebrated is especially revered when it is given to the dead. In different Slavic peoples the day bears different names.

In Russia it is Dmitry Day, in Ukraine it is Dmitry, Zmitra, in Belarus it is Dmitry, in Serbia it is Mitrovdan, in Bulgaria - Dimitrovden, in Northern Macedonia it is Mitrovden, in Slovakia - Mitra. Orthodox and Catholics, including Dimitar Thessaloniki, whose name is present on behalf of the day, are honored on this day. On this day, the Eastern Slavs pray to Dimitar Thessaloniki for help on the battlefield, as well as for giving courage and patience, for healing eye diseases, for enlightening the blind. St. Dimitar's Day is considered to be the beginning of the winter, which goes away in the spring of St. George's Day - May 6th. It is believed that on the night of Dimitrovden (as well as St. George's Day) the witches throw the moon out of the sky, turn it into a cow and milk it. There are various proverbs related to the beginning of winter: "On Dmitry's day, winter climbs the fence. "; "St. Dmitry came to us on a white horse." In Bulgaria they say: "St. Demetrius brings winter and St. George - summer."
In one folk tale, both saints are twin brothers. St. Dimitar rides a fiery horse and is the ruler of winter. According to the Bulgarian legend, that day "Grandfather Dimitar" shakes his white beard and the first snow falls from it. Among the southern Slavs, Dimitrov Day is considered to be the main economic boundary of the year, separating its summer part from the winter one. The day after the day of St. Dimitar has been called in many places "debauchery." Then the employment contracts are completed, the employers pay for six months of work for the servants and shepherds, after which new contracts are concluded for the next half of the year. In Northern Macedonia, on Mitrovden, a wooden calendar is installed in the village, indicating the amount of debts, as well as the names of debtors and creditors.
Dimitar's day marks the end of the cattle year, beginning on St. Georgi, and saints Georgi and Dimitar themselves are considered patrons of the cattle. In this regard, shepherds, herdsmen and goats hold festivities in the tavern, which lasted several days, giving a kurban (ram), attending similar "gatherings" in neighboring villages. Serbs, Montenegrins and partly Bosnians, have customs for this day, just as they do with Croats and Slovenes. In some places in the mountainous regions of central Bulgaria the day is called the "slope" - this is the name of the guest who first crossed the threshold of the house. It is believed that if he is a kind and rich man, next year he will be successful and with a good harvest.
Sewing, cutting, spinning, weaving, wool cutting and livestock bans are in place to avoid wolves that attack shepherds and the flock.


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