A special Russian holiday on July 5 is Evseev Day: history, traditions, omens

Every year on July 5, Orthodox believers honor the memory of Bishop Eusebius of Samosata, a fourth-century confessor. In the national calendar, the holiday is called Evseev Day. In 2025, the date falls on a Saturday. Read about the origins, traditions, prohibitions and signs of this day in the Izvestia article.

National holiday Evseev Day – 2025: the history of the holiday

The Holy Martyr Eusebius, who lived in the Syrian city of Samosaty in the 4th century, is considered one of the outstanding figures of the early Christian era. He was bishop at a time when the Arius heresy was spreading in the church.

Eusebius devoted his life to fighting this phenomenon, he defended the decisions of the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea, striving to preserve the spiritual unity of the church in the face of political pressure and religious persecution. For his commitment to the faith, he was persecuted more than once — he was deprived of his chair and sent into exile.

During the reign of Julian the Apostate, Eusebius, disguised as a warrior, traveled secretly through the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire. He supported the flock, ordained Orthodox priests and bishops, and strengthened the church. After the pious Emperor Jovian came to power, he became one of the organizers of the Local Council in Antioch, where Orthodox dogmatic teaching was reaffirmed.

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In 364, Valens, a supporter of Arianism, became emperor, and the persecution resumed. To avoid imprisonment, Eusebius secretly left Samosaty, calling his flock to Orthodoxy.

After returning from exile under Emperor Gratian, he continued to restore the church structure, establishing Orthodox bishops in place of heretics.

Eusebius ended his earthly life as a martyr. In 380, while in the city of Dolikhiny, he was mortally wounded by an Arianka. Dying, the saint forgave the murderer and forbade him to avenge him. The saint's body was honorably transferred to Samosaty, where he was buried among his flock.

Traditions of the national holiday celebrated in Russia on July 5th

In Russia, the memorial day of Eusebius of Samosata was called Evseev's Day. In the folk tradition, it was associated with love and family happiness. The ancestors used to say on this day: "Ulyan did not find Ulyana the day before, but today she goes to him on her own."

This phrase referred to another national holiday, which was celebrated on July 4th. It was called Ulyanovsk Day, or lovers' day, doomed to separation. There was an old legend about a young man and a girl who, having fallen in love with each other, remained forever separated due to a misunderstanding. He was waiting for her in the field, she was looking for him by the river. Constantly confusing the meeting place, they were unable to meet. The people repeated with longing: "Ulyana calls Ulyana, and Ulyana calls Ulyana," "Ulyana Ulyana will not look in the face." However, on July 5, the legend had a positive ending, and the long-awaited reunion became possible.

From the very morning of July 5, believers went to church, where they asked Saint Eusebius for intercession in family matters, health for children and fertility for the land. The day was considered ideal for declarations of love, building relationships, and reconciling spouses.

Our ancestors had a tradition of giving a small gift to their loved ones on Evsei Day — any little thing given on that day became a talisman.

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On this day, they tried to find a coniferous tree in the forest. According to beliefs, pine, fir or spruce are able to share their power with a person, heal and restore mental balance.

The healers also went to get a bathing suit, an herbaceous plant popularly called "cat's nap", so that the next day, at the Agrafena Bathing Suit, they could brew medicinal bath brooms from it. This plant has also been used in folk medicine for edema, stomach and liver diseases, as well as for boils and tumors.

Evseev's Day was considered favorable for cleaning wells and cleaning the house. These rituals for the ancestors symbolized purification not only from dust, but also from quarrels and insults.

What not to do on Evseev Day

There are many prohibitions associated with Evseev Day. First of all, you shouldn't go to the sauna on a holiday. According to beliefs, evil spirits gather there on this day and soaring can turn into misfortune.

It was not recommended to start new business before noon, as any undertaking was doomed to failure. Also, one should not go on a long journey to Evsei, especially alone, the road could be hectic. Girls on this day were forbidden to walk barefoot on the grass, so as not to stray from the right path of life.

Fishermen tried not to take the whole catch home, it was necessary to share some of the loot, otherwise luck might turn away from a person.

Folk signs for July 5th

On Evseev Day, the ancestors carefully observed nature to determine what kind of weather was expected in the coming days.

So, the fog over the river foreshadowed bad weather. A rainbow at noon leads to changeable weather with wind and rain. And a lot of mosquitoes in the air — for warm and calm days. If it rained in the morning, it promised to be a fruitful year.

Earlier, Izvestia told when and how Peter and Fevronia Day is celebrated in Russia.