A special holiday on November 26 is St. John Chrysostom: history, traditions, omens

Every year on November 26, Orthodox believers remember John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, one of the three Ecumenical hierarchs along with Basil the Great and Gregory the Theologian. In the national calendar, the holiday is called St. John Chrysostom or Autumn Chills. In 2025, it falls on a Wednesday. Read about its history, spiritual significance, traditions, prohibitions and omens in the Izvestia article.

What is the church holiday on November 26th?

John Chrysostom, who lived in the fourth and fifth centuries, entered the history of the Church as an outstanding preacher, theologian and interpreter of the Holy Scriptures. He was born around the year 347 in Antioch in the family of a noble military commander. Soon the father died, and the upbringing of the child fell on the shoulders of the mother, the pious Anfusa. Thanks to her care, the future saint received a high-quality education, studied rhetoric, philosophy, the basics of law, and then theology.

Since his youth, John was drawn to the Holy Scriptures and prayer, but he was baptized at an advanced age, about 20 years old. After his mother's death, he chose the monastic path, which he called "true philosophy." He retired to the desert, where he spent four years in strict asceticism, and two more in almost complete silence in a cave, writing works on monasticism and Christian love of wisdom. However, his health, undermined by austerity, forced him to return to Antioch.

In 381, Meletius ordained John a deacon. In the following years, the saint wrote a number of theological works on God's providence, virginity, Christian widowhood, and Saint Babylon.

In 386, John became a presbyter, he was entrusted with the task of preaching sermons, thanks to which he soon became famous and received his nickname "Chrysostom." The words of the saint, imaginative, profound and extremely understandable, were listened to not only by ordinary citizens, but also by representatives of the nobility. People traveled great distances to hear his spiritual guidance.

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John was later elected Archbishop of Constantinople. The period of his ministry became a time of serious transformations. The saint demanded modesty and honesty from the clergy, sharply condemned luxury and injustice, actively supported missionary work, took care of Christians in Thrace, promoted the establishment of the episcopal see in Bosporus, and wrote letters seeking the return of schismatics to the bosom of the Church.

The saint's open position regarding moral vices and abuses of power provoked resistance from court circles. John was deposed and exiled several times. He died in exile in the Alps, and his last words were words of gratitude to God. 31 years later, his relics were solemnly transferred to Constantinople, and according to legend, his body was found incorruptible.

The Orthodox Church especially honors John Chrysostom. His memory is remembered three times a year — on November 26, September 27 (repose day) and February 9 (transfer of relics). His works still influence theology, and the name of the saint is constantly heard in the liturgical life, primarily in connection with the Divine Liturgy of John Chrysostom.

Traditions of the St. John Chrysostom national holiday on November 26

In the national calendar, John Chrysostom fell in late autumn, when the field was already "given over to winter," the main work was completed, and the cold and long evenings in the family were ahead. Hence one of the names of the holiday — Autumn chills.

In Russia, it was customary to start the morning of November 26 with a visit to the temple. The ancestors tried to listen to the service, order prayers for family peace, the health of loved ones, protection from evil words and slander. John Chrysostom was treated as a wise mentor, asked for prudence, restraint in words, especially in relation to loved ones.

After the service, the families gathered at a common table. There was very little time left before the start of the Christmas Fast, so the meal was quite satisfying, but without frills. In Russia, dumplings were traditionally made on St. John Chrysostom, and several generations were involved in this business at once — the elders showed the young how to roll out the dough correctly, how to make the filling, and how to carefully pinch the edges.

Dumplings, according to legend, symbolized prosperity and a strong family. The more friendly and fun the work was, the calmer and more prosperous the next year promised to be. Some of the blanks were used immediately, some were left for future use, so that on frosty days there would be something to quickly feed the household.

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At the same time, they began to prepare lean dishes "for the future" — dumplings with cabbage, potatoes, and berries. So the housewives imperceptibly transferred the house to a more modest diet, anticipating the Christmas fast.

In the villages, they tried not to leave the house unnecessarily in the evening. It was believed that at this time, Zyuzya was "walking around" — a figure who personified the winter cold, harsh wind and cold. The children were told that it was undesirable to run down the street and make noise once again, it was better to spend time doing needlework, reading and quiet conversations.

What not to do on the feast of St. John Chrysostom on November 26

In the folk tradition, John Chrysostom was associated with many prohibitions concerning behavior and speech. It was believed that it was on this day that a person was especially responsible for what was said. The people said: "The word for Chrysostom is like an arrow. If it crashes, you won't catch it." In the house, they preferred to talk about the good, to recall instructive stories from the lives of saints and their own family.

Many tried to put an end to old conflicts with John Chrysostom, asked for forgiveness, reconciled with their neighbors, and tried to "clear" the house of accumulated resentments and difficult conversations.

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

• quarreling and raising your voice — any swearing on this day was perceived as a harbinger of long family conflicts.;
• offending children and the elderly with words was considered a grave sin that would "pay off" the offender.;
• gossiping and discussing absentees — according to beliefs, what was said could return in the form of slander against the gossip himself;
• to start lawsuits — disputes over land or money could drag on and turn into losses;
• Having noisy feasts was considered a sign of disrespect for the saint.

Folk signs for November 26

On St. John Chrysostom, the peasants closely monitored nature and animal behavior in order to make a forecast for the coming months.:

• the coals in the stove smolder especially brightly and for a long time — to the imminent bad weather and winds;
• The Milky Way is clearly visible at night — severe and prolonged frosts are expected.;
• hares run out to the edge of the forest or closer to the village — to a noticeable cooling;
• Crows are cawing loudly and persistently — for the thaw;
• a sharp cold snap and dry snow in the evening — severe, prolonged frosts will soon hit.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the traditions and prohibitions of the special national holiday Ivan the Merciful.