Folk signs for November 15: what can and cannot be done

In Russia, signs and beliefs were given special importance. They were used to judge when to sow and harvest, when to have weddings, and when to pay extra attention to the house and outbuildings. The national calendar was full of traditions and rituals. Izvestia tells about the signs for November 15 and the church holidays that fall on this date.

Folk signs for November 15, 2025

In folk tradition, November 15 is known as the day of Akindin and Pigasia, or the Granary. This holiday was dedicated to taking care of the harvest and preparing for the long winter. "Akindin kindles the ovine, and Pigasy extinguishes the sun," the people noted, pointing to the beginning of active drying of grain.

In the old days, grain was dried in special structures, ovines, on the lower tier of which a fire was lit, and on the upper one the harvested crops were laid out. To protect the supplies from fires and evil spirits, the peasants tried to appease the house spirits — ovinnik, humennik and rizhnik, who, according to legend, guarded the barns and sheep. To do this, treats were left in secluded corners: a slice of bread, a handful of cereals or a little honey, thereby expressing respect and hoping for their patronage.

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On Akindin and Pigasia, the ancestors closely followed the weather signs. If it snowed on a holiday, it was understood that there would be heavy flooding in the spring.

Other signs of the day:

• mud on the roads — warm weather will last until December;
• bullfinches sing — to severe frosts;
• There are a lot of jackdaws and chickadees in the yard — it's going to snow soon;
• cloudy skies lead to prolonged warming;
• Clouds float against the wind — towards a snowstorm;
• the titmouse huddles closer to the house — for the imminent onset of winter.

What not to do on November 15th

Akindin and Pigasy's day was associated with a number of strict prohibitions, the violation of which, according to popular belief, could cause financial losses, illness and family strife. During the holiday, they tried not to lend or repay the borrowed money. It was believed that this could lead to poverty.

What else can't be done on November 15th:

• drinking alcohol and sweets leads to diseases;
• buying cheap things — such a purchase will bring setbacks and disappointments;
• telling other people's secrets can turn into a black streak in life.;
• offending loved ones leads to scandals and strife in the family;
• to transfer money from hand to hand — you can get bogged down in debt for a long time.
• to encounter ill—wishers - such a meeting can lead to a major scandal and aggravation of hostility.

What is the church holiday on November 15th?

On November 15, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of the holy martyrs Akindin, Pigasy and 7 thousand other Christians who suffered for their faith in the fourth century. Akindin and Pigasy were noble nobles at the court of the Persian king Sapor II, but they secretly professed Christianity. When the persecution began, the ill-wishers denounced them to the king, and the saints were sent to trial. They did not renounce their faith, for which they suffered severe tortures.

During the torment, numerous miracles were performed: Akindin and Pigasy were hung over a fire, but the ropes disintegrated from the heat, and the king, who blasphemed the Lord, was speechless. Seeing this, many pagans, including the tsar's mother, converted to Christianity. In a rage, Sapor ordered the execution of all believers — on his orders, 7 thousand people were killed.

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How and what to bring to the temple

The feast of the Shuisko-Smolenskaya Icon of the Mother of God is also celebrated on November 15. The history of this miraculous image is connected with the city of Shuya, which was struck by a terrible plague epidemic in 1654. Residents ordered a list of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God from a local iconographer in the hope of the intercession of the Mother of God. During the work, the master noticed several times that the position of the arms and legs of the Infant Christ on the icon was miraculously changing. He took this as an instruction from above and left it in the form in which it was "written" by itself.

After the shrine was placed in the temple, the pestilence stopped and healings began to be performed from the icon. In 1667, by decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, her veneration as miraculous was officially established.

Prayer for November 15th

Orthodox believers pray to the Holy Martyrs Akindin and Pigasy on November 15. They are asked to protect themselves from enemies, heal illnesses, and strengthen faith in difficult life situations. Also on this day, prayers are read in front of the Shuisko-Smolenskaya icon of the Mother of God. It is believed that it helps during epidemics and natural disasters, in reconciling loved ones, having healthy children and finding family happiness.

Prayer to the Holy Martyrs Akindin and Pigasy

"Holy Martyrs Akindine, Pigasia, Elpidiphora, Affonius and Anempodiste! Look down from the heavenly palace upon those who require your help and do not reject our petitions; but as our eternal benefactors and intercessors, pray to Christ God, that He who loves mankind and is full of mercy, may preserve us from every cruel situation: from cowardice, flood, fire, sword, invasion of foreigners and internecine warfare. May He not condemn us sinners according to our iniquities, and may we not turn the good things bestowed upon us by the all-merciful God to evil, but to the glory of His holy name and to the glorification of your mighty intercession. Through your prayers, may the Lord grant us peace of mind, abstinence from harmful passions and from all defilement; and may He strengthen throughout the world His one Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, which He has acquired through His honest blood. Praying diligently, holy martyrs, may Christ God establish in His Holiest Orthodox Church the living spirit of right faith and piety; may all its members, pure from superstition and superstition, worship Him in spirit and truth and diligently take care of the observance of His commandments; may we all live in peace and piety in the present and attain bliss eternal life in heaven, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom belong all glory, honor, and power, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen to that."

Prayer to the Shuisk Icon of the Mother of God

"To my most gracious Queen, my hope, Theotokos, friend of the wise and strange intercessor, joy of the sorrowful, patroness of the offended! See my trouble, see my sorrow, help me because I am weak, feed me because I am strange. Weigh my offense, resolve it, for you will: For I am the Imam of no other help to You, no other intercessor, no other kind comforter, but to You, O Mother of God, may You preserve me and cover me forever and ever. Amen to that."

Earlier, Izvestia told about the signs and traditions of the national holiday Kuzminki autumn.