We tell you which church holiday is celebrated on September 20 according to the new and old styles, the prohibitions of the day, and who has a name day.
On September 20, according to the new church calendar, the Blessed Prince Michael of Chernigov and his boyar Theodore, as well as the great martyrs Eustathius Placida, his wife and children are remembered. We talk about the traditions and signs of September 20 and what holiday is celebrated today in the church according to the old style.
September 20, 2024: What church holiday is today according to the new and old church calendar
In 2023, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church switched to a new calendar style and all Orthodox holidays with a fixed date were moved forward by 13 days. But some believers continue to adhere to the old calendar; preserving the old style remains the right of religious communities and monasteries.
What is today’s church holiday in Ukraine according to the new style?
September 20 according to the new church calendar (October 3 according to the old one) – Day of Remembrance of Blessed Prince Michael of Chernigov and his boyar Theodore and the Great Martyrs Eustathius Placida, his wife and children.
Prince Michael of Chernigov took the throne of Kyiv in the 13th century. In the autumn of 1240, the Mongols approached the city and kyiv needed help to defend itself. The prince tried to take Hungary, Poland and Germany as allies, but, unfortunately, he failed and Batu’s army took kyiv. After this, the Khan’s ambassadors came to Russia to impose tribute on him. In addition, to reign in Kiev it was necessary to obtain permission from the khan – a label. Therefore, Prince Mikhail and boyar Fedor went to the Horde, but upon arrival they were executed.
There are several versions of why this happened, one of them is that the prince and the boyar were supposed to pass through a purifying fire and bow to the sun before appearing before Batu’s eyes, but the Orthodox prince and boyar refused.
***
The Holy Great Martyr Eustathius Placidas lived in the 1st century and served as a military leader under the Roman Emperors Titus and Trajan. Before his baptism, Eustathius bore the name Placidas and was known as a merciful and generous person. Once, while hunting, chasing a deer, he witnessed a miracle: between the horns of a tired animal there was a cross with the crucifixion of the Lord. Upon returning home, Plakida was baptized along with his entire family.
The future fate of Eustathius was not very favorable: he lost his property and, during his travels, his wife and children. The military leader became a simple peasant and lived like that for 15 years. But he spent all these years in prayer and humility. Meanwhile, Emperor Trajan started a new war and remembered his commander. Eustathius was sent on a long campaign, and in two soldiers he recognized his children, and in one of the villages he found his wife, who had been kidnapped earlier.
When the military leader returned victorious to Rome, the emperor organized a feast with a sacrifice. The commander refused to bow down to the pagan gods and declared that he professed faith in Christ. Eustathius was demoted and later he and his family died as martyrs.
Church holiday September 20, old style.
Previously, UNIAN told what church holiday is celebrated today according to the old calendar style: what can and cannot be done on it. the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the day of remembrance of the Venerable Martyr Macarius of Kanevsky, Archimandrite of Ovruch, Pereyaslavl.
What do the posters for September 20 say?
According to the signs of the day, you can determine what the weather will be like in the future, as well as winter:
- There are many husks in the onion: the winter will be frosty;
- honey mushrooms appeared: summer is over;
- The cherry tree has not yet lost its leaves: the winter will be warm and humid;
- white clouds – bad weather;
- If the cones on the trees grow low, there will soon be frost, and if they grow high, there will be frost only at the end of winter.
Among the people, September 20 is the holiday of the Astafiy Mill, the Astafiev winds. On this day, the weather was predicted by the wind: the north wind – for cold, the south – for warming, the west – for precipitation, and the east – for warm and sunny weather.
What not to do on September 20th
On September 20, like any other day, the Church does not approve of quarrels, bad words, gossip, and opposes slander, condemnation, and envy, as well as greed, revenge, and despair. You must not reject those who ask you for help.
Popular signs of the day do not recommend counting small change in your wallet today – otherwise there will be no large coins in it, and you will not be able to return someone else’s empty plates or utensils – your plates will be just as empty.
What can you do on September 20?
People ask Saint Michael for healing from illnesses and protection from enemies. Saint Eustace is considered the patron saint of hunters, warriors and foresters; people pray to him for help in military affairs, a good harvest and the preservation of the family.
In Astafia, it is necessary to take blankets, pillows and bedding outside and air them, so that the wind “carries away” all diseases and troubles.
September 20th – name day today
Today’s name days according to the church calendar are celebrated by Fedor, Alexander, Oleg, Mikhail, Ivan, Vasily, Tatyana, Hilarion.
According to the old style, name days are celebrated by Makar, Andrei, Peter, Nikolai, Alexander, Ivan, Lev, Evgeniy, Mikhail, Stepan, Vasily.
Previously, we published a church calendar for September 2024 with dates in both the old and new style.
