National holiday on September 26 — Kornilov Day: history, traditions, omens

Every year on September 26, Orthodox believers honor the memory of St. Cornelius the Centurion, one of the first pagans converted to Christianity. In the national calendar, this day is known as Kornilov Day or Cornille. In Russia, it symbolized the end of the root harvest season. In 2025, the holiday falls on a Friday. Read about its history, traditions, signs and strict prohibitions in the Izvestia article.

What is the church holiday on September 26th?

The Hieromartyr Cornelius the Centurion, who lived in the 1st century, served as a centurion of the Roman garrison in Caesarea in Palestine and was famous for his generosity, piety and good deeds.

After resigning and returning to his native home in Palestine, Cornelius had a vision — an angel appeared before him, ordering him to find Simon, named Peter. The centurion sent servants to Joppa to summon the apostle.

The Apostle Peter, having received a similar revelation, arrived at the house of Cornelius, where he delivered the first sermon in the history of Christianity addressed to the Gentiles. Under the influence of the grace of the Holy Spirit, the owner and all his household believed in Jesus and were baptized, thereby marking the beginning of the spread of Christianity not only among Jews.

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The Orthodox Church celebrates the celebration on September 21

Later, with Peter's blessing, Cornelius was appointed bishop of Caesarea in Palestine. He accompanied the apostle in his preaching labors, and after that he found an independent ministry, spreading the faith of Christ among the inhabitants of Asia Minor.

The saint spent the last years of his life in the city of Skepsia, where, according to legend, he performed numerous miracles. Chronicles attribute to him the destruction of a pagan temple, which was a turning point — a large number of former idolaters were so impressed by this event that they converted to Christianity.

Traditions of the national holiday Kornilov Day, celebrated in Russia on September 26

In folk tradition, the memory of the saint is closely intertwined with the agricultural cycle — on September 26, peasants completed harvesting root crops: potatoes, beets, radishes, carrots and turnips. Hence the name of the holiday — Kornilov Day. It was believed that frosts would occur after this date, which could destroy the un-harvested crop. "On Cornel Day, get the last turnip out of the garden," they said in the villages.

In Russia, this day began with prayer — in the morning, the ancestors went to temples, where they asked Cornelius the Centurion for protection in matters of the household and the heart. It was believed that the saint helps farmers and protects family well-being.

On September 26, women traditionally prepared dishes from freshly harvested root vegetables, especially radishes, which were considered a symbol of prosperity. She was treated with great respect in Russia.

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The root vegetable was valued for its healing properties, so it was present on the table in a variety of forms — with butter, with kvass, with onions or just with salt. On this occasion, the ancestors sentenced: "There are seven changes on the table, and it's all one radish."

Special importance in the villages was attached to the ritual meal of the newlyweds — they had to eat one turnip with honey for two, so that the union would be strong and durable.

What not to do on the Kornilov Day holiday on September 26

Kornilov Day was filled with prohibitions, the violation of which, according to beliefs, could lead to troubles or protracted troubles. So, on a holiday, one should not start cleaning the house — sweeping and mopping the floors could "clean out" happiness and peace from the dwelling. For similar reasons, the guests were not allowed to wash their dishes, so as not to "wash away" the prosperous fate of the hosts.

What else you can't do on September 26th:

• quarreling and swearing — the conflict can drag on for many months.;
• Planning a wedding and getting married will not be a happy marriage;
• lonely people sleep on two pillows, otherwise they will have to look for a soulmate for a very long time.;
• girls look in the mirror for a long time — they can "give" all their beauty and youth to the mirror;
• making big purchases and meeting new people — new things and people will not bring joy.;
• laugh out loud — laughter can attract evil spirits.

Folk signs for September 26

On Cornel Day, peasants observed nature to determine what the winter months would be like.:

• chickens and ducks are actively molting — the winter will be mild;
• warm rain — for a rich harvest next year;
• The rooks have already flown away, ready for the onset of cold weather.;
• The red moon is for wind and bad weather.

Also, the ancestors were afraid to see a flock of birds in the sky on September 26, it was believed that such a sign promised trouble soon. But a rich turnip harvest foreshadowed family well-being.

Earlier, Izvestia told about the traditions and signs of a special national holiday of Fedorina Vecherka.