A special holiday on December 7 is Katerina Sannitsa: history, traditions, omens

Every year on December 7, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of the Great Martyr Catherine of Alexandria. In 2025, the celebration falls on a Sunday. In the national calendar, it is called "Katerina Sannitsa". Read about the history, traditions and signs of the holiday in the Izvestia article.

What is the church holiday on December 7th?

Saint Catherine was born in the 3rd century into a noble Alexandrian family. Since her youth, the girl was distinguished by her beauty and rare intelligence. Many noble men sought her hand, but Catherine refused them all. When her family began to insist on marriage, she declared that she would marry only someone who would be her equal in nobility, wealth, beauty and wisdom.

Then Catherine's mother, a secret Christian, decided to introduce her daughter to a pious hermit elder. He listened to the girl and said that he knew a young man who surpassed her in everything. After that, he gave her an icon of the Virgin, promising that she would help her see this extraordinary Bridegroom.

That night, Catherine had a dream in which the Mother of God appeared to her with the Christ child in her arms. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't look at the Divine Boy's face. Finally, the Son of God ordered Catherine to return to the elder and learn from him the mysteries of the Christian faith — then she would be able to see him.

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In the morning, the shocked girl went to the hermit, who introduced her to the Holy Scriptures. Subsequently, Catherine was baptized by him. Soon after, she had a wonderful dream again, and this time she was able to see the face of Christ. He put a ring on her hand, saying, "Do not know an earthly bridegroom." From that moment on, Catherine realized that she was betrothed to Christ, and fully devoted herself to the faith.

One day, Maximian, the co—ruler of Emperor Diocletian, arrived in Alexandria. He organized a big pagan festival and invited all the citizens to it. Catherine openly denounced Maximian of dishonor and idol worship. The saint was arrested for this.

At first, the tsar tried to convince the girl to renounce Christ, but seeing her adamancy, he sentenced her to torture and execution. As soon as the torment began, an invisible force destroyed the instrument of execution, leaving the saint unharmed. Seeing this, Maximian's wife, Queen Augusta, who secretly visited the prisoner and converted to the faith, publicly reproached her husband. In a rage, Maximian ordered the execution of his wife first, and the next day, Catherine. The relics of the Great Martyr were subsequently found on Mount Sinai, where they are kept to this day.

Traditions of the national holiday Katerina Sannitsa on December 7

In the folk tradition, St. Catherine's memorial day was named Katerina Sannitsa, since the season of toboggan festivities officially opened on that date. By December 7, a solid tobogganing track had already been established in many regions, and milestones were set up along the roads — special landmarks so as not to get lost in a snowstorm.

The newlyweds who got married last fall became the central figures of the holiday. They opened the ceremonial departure on a painted sleigh decorated with bright ribbons and bells. A whole motorcade of relatives and friends was moving behind the newlyweds' sleigh. After the skating, a festive feast was held in the house of the young family. Small children who were not taken on an adult walk were presented with gifts and small sleds.

Those who did not have painted sleighs took simple sleds or even slats and went for a ride from steep river banks and slides. The newlyweds were the center of attention here, and when leaving the house, they always stepped on a fur—lined sheepskin coat - this was done to protect them from the evil eye.

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In the evening, it was time for girlish fortune-telling. Unmarried girls who dreamed of meeting their betrothed put a branch torn from an apple tree under their pillow, hoping to see the groom in a dream. If the girl already had a specific guy in mind, she would imperceptibly take his thing, and then roll a loaf around it, believing that this would make the young man "walk in circles" near her house.

The Great Martyr Catherine was revered as the patroness of marriage, brides and women in labor. To preserve the family and procreate, three candles were lit near the icon of the saint on Catherine's day.

What not to do on December 7 on Katerina Sannitsa Day

The ancestors adhered to a number of strict prohibitions on Katerina Sannitsa. It was believed that Saint Catherine did not tolerate abuse and quarrels, so on the holiday they tried to restrain their anger, avoided any conflicts and did not raise their voices.

What else can not be done on December 7

• for a married woman to wear new shoes is to betray her spouse;
• repair shoes — they will quickly become unusable;
• Staying up late at a party promises quarrels and discord with friends.;
• sweeping the floors — you can "sweep" the prosperity out of the house;
• to wash, especially by hand, you can pick up bad energy from clothes.;
• men should do repairs, and women should do needlework, so as not to lose financial stability.

Folk signs for December 7th

The weather on Katerina Sannitsa was considered a reliable predictor of the nature of the coming winter and the future harvest. The peasants carefully observed the natural phenomena. If the day was clear, they understood that the winter would be frosty. There were other signs, too:

• stars are smaller than usual — for snowfall;
• cows shake their hind hooves — to the cold snap;
• There are circles around the moon — frosts are coming soon;
• Thaw — frosts will return in 10 days;
• snow falls on dry land, leading to poor harvests.

Earlier, Izvestia told about the traditions and signs of the national holiday Prokopiev Day.