A special Russian holiday on September 16 is Domna Dobrodnaya: history and traditions

Every year on September 16, Orthodox believers honor the memory of two saints, Domna and Vasilissa of Nicomedia. In 2025, the celebration falls on a Tuesday. In the national calendar, the holiday is called Dobra Dobrodnaya. Read about its history, traditions and prohibitions in the Izvestia article.

What is the church holiday on September 16?

Saint Domna lived in Nicomedia in the late third and early fourth centuries. She was a priestess at the court of Emperor Maximilian. At that time, Christians were subjected to severe persecution: churches were destroyed, liturgical books were burned, and believers were deprived of their civil rights.

While at court, Domna accidentally got acquainted with the books "Acts of the Apostles" and "Epistles of the Apostle Paul". What she wrote resonated with her, and she believed in Christ. She secretly met with Bishop Kirill and was baptized by him.

After that, Domna, having decided to give her life to Christ, began to get rid of her riches: she distributed jewelry and fed the poor with food from the imperial table. When this became known, the saint and her faithful servant, the eunuch Indis, were arrested. They were thrown into a dungeon and starved to death, but thanks to the help of an angel, the martyrs managed to survive.

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In order to no longer live with pagans, Domna pretended to be insane. This allowed her to be released and hide in a convent. There, the saint cut off her hair, put on men's clothes, and then retired to a cave.

Meanwhile, the persecution of believers continued. 20,000 believers were burned alive at a church service. The monastery in which Domna was hiding from persecution was also devastated. By order of the emperor, the bodies of Christians were thrown into the sea without burial.

One day, Domna, along with fishermen, pulled ashore the bodies of three martyrs, among whom was her former servant Indis. The saint buried her brothers in Christ and began to take care of their graves. She was arrested for this and executed after much torture. Other martyrs who died at that time are revered along with her.

Vasilissa of Nicomedia also suffered at the beginning of the fourth century. She was only nine years old when she was handed over to Ruler Alexander for trial. Despite her young age, the girl refused to sacrifice to idols. For this, she was subjected to terrible torments, but not a single weapon of the executioners could harm the saint. Seeing this, Alexander came to believe in Christ. He was baptized and released Vasilissa. Soon after, they both passed away peacefully.

Traditions of the national holiday Domna Dobrorodnaya on September 16

In Russia, the memorial day of Domna and Vasilissa of Nicomedia was celebrated by Domna Dobrodnaya. One of the key traditions of the holiday was the general cleaning of the house. It was believed that getting rid of unnecessary things on this day would help purify not only the home, but also the soul. All unnecessary items were burned with potato tops or distributed to beggars.

An exception was made only for old bast shoes. They were not thrown away, but were pegged or hidden under a canopy. Bast shoes served as a talisman against dark forces and evil people — according to beliefs, evil spirits or a sorcerer would not be able to pass by and would start counting them. To attract good luck, a horseshoe was hung above the door, always with the "tails" up, so that happiness would not slip away from the house.

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The peasants were completing the flax harvest at the Dobrorodnaya Blast Furnace. Postponing work for later was impractical, because the weather could turn bad at any moment.

What not to do on September 16 on Domna Dobrodnaya Day

On the day of Domna Dobrodnaya, the ancestors adhered to various prohibitions. During the holiday, they tried not to overeat, as they believed that gluttony could lead to financial difficulties.

What else can not be done on September 16

• to sort things out with loved ones — the quarrel will drag on for a long time;
• to get married or arrange weddings — the marriage will be short-lived;
• Picking up other people's money and objects from the ground will bring misfortune and illness.;
• for girls, looking in the mirror leads to the loss of beauty and youth;
• Going into the woods is believed to confuse evil spirits and prevent them from getting out.

Folk signs on September 16

On the day of Dobrorodnaya's Blast Furnace in Russia, various signs were closely watched. Here are some of them:

• It's raining — the storm will last a whole week.;
• fog in the morning — for easy work in the field;
• If the day is warm, autumn will be long and dry.;
• thunder — for a warm and long autumn.
• the appearance of large anthills in the forest leads to a harsh winter;
• lots of cones on the fir trees — winter will be warm;
• there are few berries and mushrooms in the forest — next year will be lean;
• A red sunset leads to a cold snap.

Earlier, Izvestia told about the traditions and signs of the national holiday Mammoth Day.