Today, Orthodox believers honor the memory of the Apostle Matthew, who was one of the closest disciples of Jesus Christ.
Among the people, this celebration is called the Day of the Apostle Matthew.
In Rus', on this day it was customary to fear snakes, since they were most active and dangerous.
Matthew was born in Bethlehem in the first century AD. He was raised by the future saint Simeon the God-Receiver.
Since Matthew's teacher was a very pious man, the boy adopted many qualities directly from him.
Having grown a little older, the future disciple of Christ became completely immersed in religious teachings. He learned the rules of Christian life and began to observe them quite zealously.
Matthew was very well read and educated, so he learned the Law of God quite quickly.
This became the reason why the now young man subsequently became one of the closest disciples of Christ.
At first Matthew was among the seventy younger apostles, but later he took his place among the twelve disciples.
What you shouldn't do on St. Matthew's Day
On this day, many people followed certain rules:
- did not boast, especially about their wealth;
- did not indulge in the sin of gluttony;
- They didn’t go into the forest, didn’t prepare any decoctions, and didn’t drink them.
It was on August 22 that it was considered a grave sin to commit ungodly acts, namely, to make plans for the future. Otherwise, according to beliefs, they would hardly come true later.
What can you do on St. Matthew's Day?
Today it is recommended to start a new work activity. It can be any.
Next, you need to deal with issues of concluding transactions, as well as buying and selling certain things.
It is also recommended to bake pancakes or crepes on this day.
