A special holiday on September 23rd — Peter and Pavel Ryabinniki: history, traditions, omens

Every year on September 23, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of Saints Peter and Paul, Bishops of Nicaea, who made a significant contribution to the fight against heretical teachings. In 2025, the celebration falls on a Tuesday. In the national calendar, it is called Peter and Pavel Ryabinniki. On this day, in many regions, the collection of mountain ash and harvesting of this berry for the winter began. Izvestia tells about the traditions, signs and prohibitions of the national holiday.

What is the church holiday on September 23rd?

Little is known about the life of Saints Peter and Paul. Peter headed the episcopal see in Nicaea in the 9th century. At that time, the Orthodox Church was being attacked by iconoclasts who opposed the veneration of holy images. The heretical doctrine was supported by some Byzantine emperors, including Leo the Armenian, who ruled in 813-820.

Saint Peter openly condemned iconoclasm, for which he was persecuted. Four letters from Theodore the Studite, a well-known iconoclast of that time, addressed to the saint, have survived to this day. Peter died around 823, shortly after the end of the reign of Leo the Armenian.

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There is even less information about St. Paul. It is only known that he was bishop of Nicaea. For the first time his name is mentioned in the so-called "Peter" Greek Prologue of the XI century, which is a collection of short lives of saints. Nevertheless, he is also revered by the church.

Traditions of the national holiday Peter and Pavel Ryabinniki on September 23

In Russia, the day of remembrance of the two saints was called Peter and Pavel Ryabinniki. The name of the holiday is due to the fact that by September 23, rowan harvesting began in many regions, as after the first frost its berries lost their natural bitterness, becoming sweet and fragrant. "From St. Peter's Day, eat strawberries in the summer, and from autumn — rowan," they used to say in the old days.

Rowan harvesting was an important part of the autumn preparation for winter. Our ancestors used it to prepare various preparations: compotes, kvass, fruit drinks and liqueurs. The berries were also dried to add to tea and medicinal decoctions.

Mountain ash was considered by the people to be a powerful talisman against the evil eye and evil spirits. On the day of Saints Peter and Paul, people decorated houses with mountain ash branches — it was hung on windows, doors and under the roof. It was believed that this would help protect the family from evil spirits and attract prosperity. In order to keep evil spirits out of the house, mountain ash was specially planted in the courtyard. It was believed that otherworldly visitors would not be able to pass by this tree.

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Rowan was also used to make amulets for future grooms — the root was placed in their shoes to protect them from the evil eye. People suffering from insomnia also resorted to the help of the magic tree. To restore sleep, they took a rowan branch and drew a circle around themselves.

What not to do on September 23rd on Peter and Paul Ryabinnikov Day

On the day of Peter and Paul Ryabinnikov, the ancestors adhered to a number of strict rules. On the holiday, the windows were necessarily opened to let the sun into the house — it was believed that during the autumnal equinox (September 22-23) it has a special power and can dispel all the negativity in the house.

What not to do on September 23rd

• ignore intuition — it can suggest the right decision in a difficult situation.;
• Women quarrel with men — conflicts can bring suffering and tears over the next three months.;
• Crying and being sad can prolong the depression.;
• girls walk down the street with their heads uncovered and their hair down — according to beliefs, evil spirits can settle in their hair.;
• leaving a mess in the house leads to domestic troubles;
• insulting a rowan tree, breaking its branches, sticking a knife into it, using it to make a fire — leads to misfortune and failure.

Folk signs on September 23rd

Peter and Pavel Ryabinnikov's ancestors drew attention to various signs. Rowan was considered one of the main "indicators" of the weather for the coming months. If there was a lot of it on the trees, they understood that autumn would be rainy and winter would be harsh. There were other signs, too:

• rowan has not been born — autumn will be dry and winter will be warm.;
• the sky is high — for clear and cloudless weather in the coming days;
• There are a lot of hares in the forest — the winter will be frosty;
• The stump is damp — it's going to rain soon;
• There are no frogs in sight — the weather will get worse soon.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the history and traditions of the Akim and Anna national holiday.