Maxim the Comforter: Why Not Complain About Fate on February 3
A clear sky on this day foretells frost and a poor harvest.
Apr 20, 2026 0
Heavy snowfall — to a warm but rainy spring
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February 3 in the Orthodox calendar is considered the day of religious publicist and translator Maxim the Greek, who translated the Psalter into Russian. In Rus, he was nicknamed the Comforter. Ancestors believed that he helps people in troubles.
The saint was asked to intercede for widows and orphans. On Maxim«s Day, each person was also supposed to remember with a kind word all who had ever come to their aid, and if possible, to thank them with deeds.
Moreover, on this day, people prayed for the well-being of the family. Spouses would go out into the yard, holding hands, and together shake the frost from the trees, repeating: «What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.»
However, quarreling and cursing, especially with loved ones, was strictly forbidden. People believed that anger could long destroy peace in the family and even lead to divorce. It was also not worth complaining about fate, as problems could only worsen from this.
It was considered a bad omen to pick up found money or jewelry from the ground — ancestors believed that through them one could «pick up» someone else«s misfortune or fall victim to the evil eye.
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