A special national holiday on September 21 is the second Autumn: history, traditions, omens

Every year, on September 21, Russia celebrates one of the oldest Slavic holidays — the second Autumn, also known as Ospozhinki, Pasekin Day, Harvest Festival, because it marks the completion of field work and farewell to summer. It coincides with an important Orthodox celebration — the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary — and falls on Sunday. Read about the history, traditions and meaning of this date in the Izvestia article.

The second Autumn – 2025: the history of the holiday

Autumn days is one of the most striking autumn holidays, the history of which goes back to pre—Christian Russia, where the calendar cycle was closely connected with nature. This celebration has long symbolized the farewell to summer and the meeting of golden autumn.

Autumn holidays were celebrated three times in the folk tradition. The first ones fell on September 14 (the Day of the Seed of the Pilot) and marked the end of summer. The second was celebrated on September 21, the day of the autumnal equinox, when day and night become equal. And still others celebrated on September 27, on the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, and were associated with the final preparations for winter.

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The Orthodox Church celebrates the celebration on September 21

The second Autumn was the central day of the autumn cycle, which symbolized the end of the harvest. They were popularly called by various names: Harvest Festival, Ospozhinki, Pasekin Day, and since Christian times, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This day was a time of joy and gratitude. The work in the fields was coming to an end, and for the first time in many months, the peasants could afford to rest. The holiday was perceived as a kind of "peasant vacation."

Traditions of the national holiday of Autumn, celebrated on September 21

One of the most important traditions of Autumn was the renovation of the house fire. On this day, the old flame was extinguished in the houses, which, according to the ancestors, had "accumulated" the fatigue of the year, and a new one was lit, extracted with the help of flint or wood friction. It was believed that it brings strength, health to people, and also cleanses the home.

Stoves were lit from a new fire, living quarters were illuminated, a new life was started, old unnecessary things were burned, saying goodbye to the hardships of the past year.

The women performed a special ceremony on September 21. At dawn, they would go to the river or lake with oatmeal bread and jelly. The eldest of them read a prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos, while the rest danced and sang. Then the bread was divided among the participants, and part of it was given to pets so that they would remain healthy and fertile in the new year.

On the second Autumn, the housewives baked pies from the flour of the new harvest, brewed beer, kvass, and cooked kutia with honey — in memory of the departed. Special attention was paid to bread — it symbolized well-being and family happiness. Treats were given to relatives, neighbors, and be sure to leave some for the brownies.

On September 21, the young couple invited guests and showed the household. Wives demonstrated the ability to cook and run a house, and husbands stored grain in barns and livestock in yards, treated guests to beer in the garden.

In the villages, bratchina was held, a common feast for the whole village. The richer the harvest, the more lavishly the tables were set.

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After the baptism of Rus, the holiday acquired new traditions. On the day of the Nativity of the Virgin, believers went to churches in the morning, where they prayed for health and family happiness. The newlyweds asked for children, and the women, who dreamed of having a child before the next Nativity of the Virgin, set tables for the poor and asked them to pray for the future babies.

What not to do in the second Autumn

In Russia, during the Autumn period, the ancestors observed a number of prohibitions, they believed that improper behavior could attract trouble, illness and poverty into life. So, according to beliefs, on September 21, knives and other sharp objects should not be used – they can "cut off", shorten their own lives.

• to dig and disturb the earth so that it can "rest" and restore its own fertility;
• Doing hard work is a day for gratitude and peace.;
• sewing, knitting, embroidery — you can "sew up" your own luck;
• cut your hair — so as not to "shorten" your health;
• swearing and arguing — conflict on this day portends long-term quarrels;
• leaving crumbs on the table leads to losses.

Folk signs for September 21

On the second Autumn, the peasants carefully observed nature in order to predict what the weather would be like in the coming months:

• scarlet sunset or dawn — bad weather is expected in the coming days;
• hoarfrost on the grass is a harbinger of cold weather;
• warm sunny day — autumn will be mild and long;
• The foliage has fallen almost completely — winter will come early.;
• Smoke spreads across the ground — towards the frosts;
• birds fly low — for wet and rainy weather.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the traditions and signs of the national holiday of Zachary and Elizabeth.