Ecological holiday on November 12 — Sinichkin Day: history, traditions, meaning

Every year on November 12, Russia celebrates an ecological holiday — Sinichkin Day, designed to remind of the importance of caring for wintering birds. Also on this day, Orthodox Christians honor the memory of Saints Zinovy and Zinovy. In 2025, the celebration falls on a Wednesday. How its traditions developed, why it was the tits that became the symbol of the holiday, and what the signs say, read in the Izvestia material.

Sinichkin Day — 2025: the history of the holiday

Sinichkin Day, celebrated annually on November 12, combines two traditions — ecological and folk. The ecological holiday was officially established in the early 2000s on the initiative of the Russian Bird Conservation Union as a reminder of the importance of helping wintering birds.

Scientists and ornithologists emphasize that a well—fed bird can survive even severe frost, however, with the onset of late autumn, when snow hides the ground and berries remain only on the treetops, it becomes increasingly difficult for birds to find food. It is during this period that human assistance becomes particularly important.

In the Orthodox calendar, November 12 is the day of veneration of Saints Zinovy and Zinovy, brother and sister, who lived in Cilicia (the territory of modern Turkey) in the III century. Raised in the Christian faith, from a young age they led a pious life, renounced wealth, giving inheritance to the poor, and devoted themselves to the service of God.

For his mercy, Zinovy received the gift of healing and became bishop of the Yeghei Christian community. During the period of persecution under Emperor Diocletian, he was arrested and, despite the threat of death, refused to worship pagan gods. His sister, having seen her brother's torment, also openly confessed her faith in Christ. Both were severely tortured and executed. Today, Saints Zinovy and Zinovy are revered as symbols of perseverance, spiritual fidelity and brotherly love, strengthened by common faith.

Saint Zinovy was revered by the people as the patron saint of birds, and the beginning of the winter period was associated with his holiday. In popular culture, it was believed that on November 12, chickadees signaled the coming cold weather, and caring for birds was perceived as a spiritual duty.

Sinichkin Day ecological holiday — as celebrated in Russia in 2025

Sinichkin Day is one of the most important environmental holidays in Russia. He reminds us of the need to take care of those who stay near humans for the winter — chickadees, bullfinches, pipits, goldfinches, jays and other birds.

On this day, in many Russian regions, citizens actively harvest food (dried mountain ash, unsalted lard, raw sunflower seeds, pumpkins), and hang feeders on trees in parks, yards, and schools. These simple actions become a real salvation for birds in a season when access to food is limited and the cold weather is getting worse.

The organizers of Sinichkin Day, including the regional offices of the Russian Geographical Society, hold children's drawing contests, photo exhibitions and creative workshops aimed at developing a sense of responsibility for the world around the younger generation.

Employees of nature reserves and nature conservation areas conduct educational lectures and actions, explaining how and how to properly feed birds in winter. In particular, they remind you that it is unacceptable to use salty, sweet, fried foods, rye bread, spoiled food — this can cause irreparable harm to the health of birds.

Traditions of the national holiday Sinichkin Day on November 12

The Sinichkin Day holiday is also based on a folk tradition — St. Zinovy was popularly called the Sinichnik. According to the signs, it was at this time that the birds began to flock en masse to the villages, "predicting" the imminent frosts and hoping for help from people. This behavior of birds was perceived as a sign — it's time to prepare for winter, but also not to forget to share the good, literally and figuratively. The Slavs considered the titmouse itself to be a bird of God.

In the villages, the holiday traditionally began with a morning trip to church. Believers ordered prayer services for health, and asked Saints Zinovy and Zinovy for healing from diseases, especially those related to hearing and vision.

After the service, the ancestors gathered at a lavish festive table. On this day, the housewives baked pies, served pancakes, dumplings, prepared meat dishes and pickles. The men brought liqueurs made from wild berries, which symbolized the completion of autumn work and the beginning of the winter lifestyle.

Hunters and fishermen were also honored in Russia on November 12. Early in the morning, the men went fishing. In the forest, you should definitely shoot a hare — it was called the birthday and was considered a symbol of good luck and prosperity for the whole year. People used to say on this occasion: "Put down the horse, but leave the hare." The fishermen were not far behind. If the catch was generous, the fish soup was cooked right by the water, making a fun feast.

What not to do on the Sinichkin Day holiday on November 12th

Sinichkin's Day is associated with many popular prohibitions, the violation of which, according to beliefs, leads to trouble. First of all, on a holiday, you should not offend birds, drive away or destroy their feeders — aggressive emotions will return to their author through failures in business and family life.

What else you can't do on November 12th:

• getting married and arranging weddings — marriages concluded on this day will not be happy;
• Being lazy or procrastinating can lead to lack of money in winter.;
• to borrow or borrow — the money transferred to another person will not be returned.;
• to make deals with strangers — they will not be successful and will lead to losses;
• throwing away leftovers leads to a shortage of food in the house.;
• unmarried girls eat meat — such dishes can "spoil" their appearance and deprive them of the prospect of a successful marriage.

Folk signs for November 12th

On November 12, the ancestors carefully observed nature. Special attention was paid to the behavior of tits. On this day, it became the main source of forecasts, as these birds are believed to be especially sensitive to weather changes.

• The titmouse sings loudly and loudly — the weather will be clear;
• Birds flock together and approach their homes — to the frosts.;
• chickadees are squeaking plaintively — a sharp cold snap is expected;
• Chickadees peck the bark of trees — spring will be wet;
• flocks of bullfinches and pipits near housing — for a prolonged winter;
• clear skies and sunny weather lead to frosts without snowstorms.

A special omen concerned hunters — if a hare managed to cross their path, the hunt should be stopped, as the day promised bad luck.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the traditions and strict prohibitions of a special national holiday Avramiy Ovchar and Anastasia Ovechnitsa.