A special holiday on June 11 is Feodosia Kolosyanitsa: history, traditions, omens

Every year on June 11, Orthodox believers remember the Venerable Martyr Theodosia of Constantinople, who suffered in the eighth century during the iconoclastic persecutions in Byzantium. In the national calendar, the date was named Theodosia Kolosyanitsa, or Theodosia Buckwheat. In 2026, the holiday falls on a Thursday. Read about its history, traditions, signs and strict prohibitions in the Izvestia article.

What is the church holiday on June 11th?

Theodosia was born in the early 8th century in Constantinople into a wealthy and pious family. The girl was orphaned at an early age and was raised in the convent of St. Anastasia. When she grew up, she decided not to return to worldly life, distributed her parental property to the poor, donated part of the funds to the needs of the monastery and took monastic vows.

At this time, iconoclasm intensified in Byzantium, whose supporters considered the veneration of icons to be idolatry. They demanded the removal of sacred images from temples and public places. Emperor Leo III the Isaurian supported this movement and unleashed the persecution of Christians who worshipped the shrines.

In Constantinople, during this period, an order was issued to remove the image of the Savior over the Copper Gates of the city, which had been in this place for several centuries and was well known to the townspeople. When the guards tried to fulfill the imperial will, nuns and believers opposed them. Among the defenders was Theodosia.

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – 2026: why is this holiday associated not with mourning, but with hope

In 2026, the end of the Dormition Fast is postponed by one day due to Friday.

The resistance ended in violence. The defenders of the image were dispersed, some of the nuns died, and Theodosia, as one of the most determined participants, was captured and imprisoned. During the week, she was tortured, demanding that she accept and give up venerating icons.

On the eighth day, Theodosia was taken out of prison and led through the streets of Constantinople, continuing to be beaten. In the town square, the saint fell dead, and the guards left her body on the ground. Later, Christians buried her in the Diocritis monastery.

Traditions of the Feodosiya Kolosyanitsa national holiday

By June 11, rye was beginning to be planted in central Russia, so the day of veneration of St. Theodosia was called the Corn in the old days. Our ancestors greatly appreciated this culture. Wheat was more often grown for sale or for the festive table, and rye bread was fed every day.

On this day, "rye screenings" were held in the villages. The peasants walked around the fields, assessed how good the seedlings were. If the ears of corn were strong and tall, the family could count on bread and livestock feed in winter.

Young people also went to the cornfield to "magnify the rye" and ask the land for a generous harvest. The girls danced and sang, the boys played funny games, rode on the shoots, saying: "The grass grows to the forest, and the rye to the barn."

Buckwheat and legumes were also sown on Feodosia Kolosyanitsa, hence the other name of the holiday — Feodosia Buckwheat. Buckwheat was considered an unpretentious crop, helped poor families and complemented the peasant diet well.

Livestock was also not ignored on June 11. The housewives always treated the animals with bread so that they would be fertile and strong.

We tried to spend the day actively and cheerfully, without sadness and heavy conversations. It was believed that the mood for Feodosia could set the tone for the coming months.

Yablochny Spas – 2026: important traditions and the spiritual meaning of the Orthodox holiday

Yablochny Spas is the popular name of the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

What not to do on the Feodosiya Kolosyanitsa holiday

In Russia, Feodosia Kolosyanitsa was associated with a number of prohibitions, the violation of which, according to beliefs, could lead to crop failure and deprive the family of happiness and prosperity. On June 11, it was not necessary to disturb the earth by jumping, running and rough work. The ancestors believed that at this time the earth was "heavy" because rye was growing into an ear. Disrespectful behavior was fraught with crop failures, diseases, and setbacks.

What else you can't do on June 11:

• to lend money — together with the bills, you can give prosperity;
• Going on a long journey will be difficult and unsafe.;
• swearing and swearing — a quarrel can drag on or end in illness.;
• starting a new big business will bring more expenses and troubles than benefits.;
• to woo and have a wedding — a marriage concluded on this day will be fragile;
• looking at your reflection in the water can cause problems in your personal life.;
• to be discouraged and sink into sadness for a long time — such a state can "stick" for the whole year.;
• When leaving home, gazing intently at the sun leads to illness, weakness, and mental confusion.;
• If you go hunting, there will be no prey, and the hunter himself may get into trouble.

Folk signs for June 11

On Feodosia Kolosyanitsa, peasants carefully observed nature in order to determine by signs whether the year would be fruitful, whether to expect an abundance of mushrooms, and what the beginning of autumn would be like.:

• rye earns well — it will be a grain year.;
• June is hot and dry, and there won't be many mushrooms.;
• Bees are quickly returning to the hives — a downpour is about to begin.;
• Fog is spreading on the ground, and the weather will be clear.;
• The wind is picking up at night — there are frequent rains ahead;
• There is silence and intense heat — thunderstorms or hail are possible.;
• Sunny day — September will be warm;
• rain on June 11 leads to a wet, lingering autumn.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the traditions and prohibitions of the national holiday Fedorin Day.