Frolov Day on August 31: what not to do on a horse holiday
Orthodox Christians annually celebrate Frolov Day on August 31. The holiday is dedicated to the holy martyrs Florus and Laurus, who were considered patrons of horses in popular beliefs. There are many folk traditions and customs associated with the event. In Russia, on this day, animals were fed with selected grain, brought to church for consecration, and work with their participation was prohibited. Strict bans on the last day of summer are in the Izvestia article.
Frolov Day: What kind of holiday is August 31?
On August 31, Orthodox tradition honors the memory of the holy Martyrs Florus and Laurus. In the folk calendar of the Eastern Slavs, this date was fixed as Frolov Day, or Equine (horse) holiday — a day of special reverence for horses and the end of basic field work.
Despite the fact that the saint's name was Flor, the name Frolov Day became firmly established among the people. The fact is that the name Frol appeared in Russia as a colloquial version of the Latin name Flor.
In the church calendar, the saints are commemorated on August 18 according to the Julian calendar (August 31 according to the new style).
Flor and Laurus were brothers, stonemasons who lived in the second century. First they worked in Byzantium, then in Illyria, where they built a pagan temple on behalf of the local ruler.
The brothers observed strict fasting, distributed their earnings to the poor, and preached Christianity. The hagiographic story notes a miracle: through prayer, the martyrs healed the eye of the son of the priest Mamertin, after which he was baptized with his family.
When the construction of the temple was completed, Florus and Laurus, together with the Christians, destroyed the idols and erected a cross. For this, they were thrown into an empty well and covered with earth. Later, the relics of the saints were found and transferred to Constantinople.
The connection of Flora and Laurel with horses in the Slavic tradition is especially pronounced among the Russian and partly among the Belarusian people. On this day, the horses were not harnessed, they were given a hearty meal, their manes were decorated with rags, and after the service the priest went out to the church fence and sprinkled the brought cattle with holy water.
The meaning of the ceremony is a prayer request for the protection of horses "from any evil," which is recorded by ethnographic sources and collections of proverbs. In a number of places, equestrian competitions were held between villages, and housewives baked ceremonial cookies in the shape of horses, hooves or horseshoes.
The historical context of the veneration of horses on this day is connected not only with the agrarian way of life, but also with the special role of the horse in the peasant economy. "A man without a horse is like a house without a ceiling," people said. Therefore, the date in the national calendar marked the milestone of the agricultural season.
The modern history of the date has received an additional dimension: on August 31, Russia celebrates the Day of the Veterinarian, established by order of the Ministry of Agriculture of June 11, 2014 No. 188; even earlier, in 2011, with the blessing of Patriarch Kirill, the memorial day of Flora and Laurus was declared a church holiday of veterinarians.
Frolov day on August 31: folk signs and traditions
The Orthodox ritual circle of this day includes a prayer commemoration of the martyrs Florus and Laurus at the liturgy and, where there is a parish tradition, a prayer service with the consecration of water and sprinkling of livestock. In many communities, it was on August 31 that parishioners brought horses to the temple to be blessed for the upcoming work season.
Folk customs developed around the idea of the welfare of the "horse yard". In the morning, the owners cleaned the horses, fed them fresh hay and oats "by hand", and watered them from a winter hat with a silver coin inside (the coin was then hidden under a manger "for luck").
Manes were decorated with colored patches, and children were taught to handle horses gently and carefully. In some provinces, after the service, the procession went beyond the fence, where the priest sprinkled the horses. It was believed that the "begged Frol and Laurel" protected them from death and the evil eye.
Of the Christian virtues, peacefulness and generosity were especially emphasized on Frolov Day: it was considered a good thing to give neighbors oats, help a poor family with fodder, and "let go of resentments" so as not to "seize luck" at the turn of autumn work.
What is strictly forbidden to do on August 31
A set of prohibitions in the folk tradition was formed around a key idea: on August 31, one should not "offend" horses and "ruin" their forces. Hence, the first and main prohibition is not to work on horses: not to harness, not to burn brands, not to carry heavy loads, not to arrange forced training.
According to the signs, it is forbidden to trample grass, run through meadows and burn vegetation. In a number of regional beliefs, hunting and fishing were added to the bans on this particular day.
On August 31, one should not quarrel with relatives, start lawsuits, arrange repairs, engage in squabbling and swearing. Gossip on this day delays the trouble for the whole autumn. In some lists, there is a ban on sowing: "If you sow after Frost, you'll pick up weeds."
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
