Blessed Virgin Mary September 21 signs. Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary: signs and interesting facts about this divine holiday of the Orthodox calendar

On Friday, September 21, all Orthodox believers celebrate the Nativity of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary

This twelfth immutable feast of the Mother of God is celebrated as one of the great holidays, considered the day of the beginning of the Russian state, as indicated on the monument to the Millennium of Russia, erected in Novgorod in 1862, during the reign of Emperor Alexander I.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary: history

When the time approached for the birth of the Savior of the world, in the Galilean city of Nazareth lived a descendant of King David, Joachim, with his wife Anna, pious people and known not for their royal origin, but for their humility and mercy. Their whole life was imbued with love for God. They distributed most of their money to the poor, fed and watered the poor, and often visited synagogues, which they decorated at their own expense. They lived to a ripe old age, but did not have children, this greatly upset them. At that time, every Jew hoped through his offspring to be a participant in the kingdom of the Messiah, and if there were no children, this was considered a great punishment from God for sins.

One day, on a big holiday, Joachim went to the temple to make a sacrifice. The priest, having learned that Joachim was childless, did not allow him to do this. The Jews who were here began to laugh at him and insult him. The incident saddened Joachim so much that he did not want to return home, but went to the desert where his flocks grazed. Here, in his prayers to God, he promised not to eat, drink or return home until God heard his prayers.
Anna, his wife, stayed at home. Hearing about what had happened, she began to pray to God even more fervently and made a promise to give the child to serve the Lord if He wanted to hear their prayer. During this prayer, an Angel appeared to her and said: “Your prayer has been heard, the Lord will send you a daughter, whom you will name Mary.” At the same time, an Angel appeared to Joachim and announced the same good news.

For patience, great faith and love for God and for each other, the Lord sent Joachim and Anna this great joy - at the end of their lives they had a Daughter. At the direction of the Angel, her parents gave her the name Maria, which means “Lady, Hope” in Hebrew. The birth of Mary brought joy not only to Her parents, but also to all people, because She was destined by God to be the Mother of the Son of God, the Savior of the world. The parents treasured their Most Holy Daughter like the apple of their eye and not only loved them like a daughter, but also revered them, remembering what the Angel said about her. When She was three years old, they brought Mary to the temple and, as promised, dedicated her to God. This event is celebrated as the Entry into the Temple. Holy Mother of God December 4 (November 21, old style).

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary: traditions

At any service, the Most Pure Virgin Mary, who was honored to be the Mother of our Savior Jesus Christ, is praised, and Her parents, Saints Joachim and Anna, are mentioned. Righteous Joachim and Anna, according to folk faith- the main assistants in marital infertility, they are called Godfathers.

The service in the temple begins before sunrise, all the women light candles and leave notes with requests near the icon. During the service, they sincerely pray and ask for health for children and loved ones, harmony in family relationships, well-being in the family, healing from illnesses and giving the opportunity to give birth to a healthy child.

Also on this day, it was customary to help the poor by distributing food to them (bread and pastries baked in advance, different types self-grown cereals, vegetables and fruits).

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary: traditions

There are many signs associated with this day that are passed down from generation to generation:

Before the holiday, the Orthodox tried to harvest the entire harvest and end the agricultural season;

Our ancestors noted that if a woman manages to swim before the first rays of the sun, then her beauty will last until old age;

On the day of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary unmarried girls read prayers for a happy future family life, about the birth of healthy firstborns and glorified the Most Holy Theotokos;

The newlyweds invited relatives to visit: the young wife tried to surprise them with her culinary skills, and her husband tried to surprise them with housekeeping, in particular, showing his relatives the animals raised in the farmstead for a year.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary 2017: what not to do on this holiday

On the day of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, the following actions cannot be performed:

swear or quarrel with family, friends and strangers;

work hard, you need to allow yourself rest on this day;

throw away crumbs after eating (they must be left for the animals);

calling someone bad names, or using obscene and angry words.

Customs and traditions of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

It has long been believed that this is a holiday for all women and mothers. On this day they thank the Most Holy Theotokos for the possibility of procreation, for Her birth of the Son of God.

What prayer should you read before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos?

Celebrating the Birth of the Virgin Mary is gratitude to God for salvation and the opportunity to get rid of sin. Believers, putting on their festive clothes, go to church to sing praises to the Lord, thank Him, pray to the Mother of God, and light a candle to Her. On this day you can turn to her with your troubles, requests, and worries. Appeals made to Her on this holiday will be heard. However, on other days, the Mother of God never ignores those who pray to Her, rejoicing that people turn to Her. They read prayers in front of the icon, asking not only for themselves, but also for others.

Prayer to the Mother of God:

“Oh Holy Mother of God! Look with mercy at the prayers of us, Thy sinners and humble servants, and pray to God Thy Son, that He may bestow upon us and all who flow to You, mental and physical health and all that is necessary for eternal and temporary life, and forgive us every free sin and involuntary; May he deliver us from all sorrows and illnesses, and misfortunes, and all evil circumstances. To her, our Blessing Queen, our indestructible Hope and invincible Intercessor! Do not turn Your face away from us for our many sins; but extend to us the hand of Thy Motherly mercy and create a sign for good with us. Show us Thy rich help and prosper in every good deed; Turn us away from every sinful undertaking and evil plan, so that we may glorify the Most Honest your name and we worship Your honest image, and magnify God the Father, and His Only Begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit with all the saints, forever and ever. Amen"

Make a wish in front of the icon of the Mother of God. How to ask the Mother of God for well-being for your family and yourself?

Women asked the Mother of God for well-being for their home and family members. They lit candles for Her, the bottoms of which were wrapped in advance with pieces of paper with written wishes. When the candle was burning, they watched which edge would be burned first - the wish written there would come true. Completely burnt paper meant that mother of God I heard all the requests. The best gift for the Most Holy Theotokos is the faith of people, the purity of their souls, the ability to love.

Crispbread for all diseases for the Nativity of the Virgin Mary

On this holiday, housewives bake bread with the first letters of its name - “Nativity of the Virgin Mary” for each family member. They were kept until the Nativity of Christ under the icons. When one of the family members fell ill, he was given bread with holy water, which is consecrated on the feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God. Sometimes, for treatment, they were crushed into holy water and given to drink.

What can you eat on the feast of the birth of the Virgin Mary?

This day falls under Lent, but you can eat fish on the holiday. Prepared dishes were treated to loved ones and always to the poor. Women should give alms in the form of food and money so that God will give them children and family well-being. He punishes women who skimp on alms with infertility.

The tables are laid generously on this day. It is believed that this is gratitude to nature for giving a rich harvest. They bake pies with with different fillings, set the table with the gifts of the earth. The holiday is celebrated for a long time - from several days to two weeks, depending on whether the harvest was rich or poor.

Is it possible to get married on the Nativity of the Virgin Mary?

The owners of apiaries removed the hives from them so that the bees did not freeze. They were given sugar to feed them.

Onion week begins with the holiday. Vegetables were harvested from the fields and gardens, and it was time for the girls to gather together. Young people came to them, brought food, sang songs.

This holiday begins wedding time. All the summer things are done, you can devote time to celebrating. Nature begins new round your life, then it’s time to start a family.

How to ask the Mother of God for the conception and birth of a child?

On the Nativity of the Mother of God, childless people turn to Her in prayer, asking for pregnancy, an easy birth, and the birth of a healthy baby. They read the following prayer near Her image:

Prayer to the Mother of God for the birth of a baby:

“Oh, Most Pure and Most Blessed Virgin, asked of God with holy prayers, dedicated to God, beloved by God, and chosen for purity for the sake of Your soul and body by the Mother of the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ. Who will not please You or who will not sing of Your glorious Nativity, for Your Birth is the beginning of our salvation. Accept your praise from us, the unworthy, and do not reject our prayer. We confess Your greatness, we fall to You in tenderness and we ask Your child-loving and compassionate Mother to intercede quickly: ask Your Son and our God to give us sinners, sincere repentance and a pious life, so that the opportunity to live is pleasing to God and beneficial to our souls. O Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of heaven and earth, look mercifully on Your servants who have not yet been able to bear offspring and through Your all-powerful intercession have granted them healing from infertility. O Mother of God and Nourisher of our life, help us and save the faithful children of the Holy Church, hear our prayers, heal the sick, quench sorrow, direct courage for good. In the same way, we humbly resort to You and ask: ask us from the All-Merciful Lord God for forgiveness of all our sins, voluntary and involuntary, for salvation, peace, silence and piety for our suffering fatherland. And ask us for everything that is so necessary for our life and salvation from Thy Son, Christ our God. You are our hope in the hour of death, grant us a Christian death, and the inheritance of the eternal and ineffable blessings of the Kingdom of Heaven. Together with all the saints, we tirelessly ask you for your intercession and glorify the one True God, worshiped in the Holy Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen"

Or this prayer:

Prayer to the Virgin Mary for the birth of a baby:

“O My Most Holy Lady Theotokos, my indestructible hope, accept these prayers with great hope and faith in Your immeasurable mercy, have mercy on the servant of God (name) and grant me healing from my infertility and the opportunity to conceive a child from my husband.”

How to charge your home with luck and prosperity next year?

The Nativity of the Virgin Mary is celebrated hospitably. It is customary to visit friends and relatives.

A young family invites their parents to visit them, treats them to goodies, and boasts about their household. Not only parents come - grandfathers, grandmothers and elders visit the house. The young hostess must please her guests delicious pie, prepared with your own hands. If the dish turns out to be tasty, she is given a gift. If not, they give instructions and advice on how to become a good housewife. At the table, old people tell young people about signs and rituals. If a couple follows them and listens to the recommendations of the older generation, their life will be friendly and cloudless. The crumbs left over from the eaten pie are scattered near the barn so that the cattle do not get sick, are not destroyed by wandering animals, and the harvest is not spoiled by birds.

You definitely need to visit your parents. They go to them in the evening, not empty-handed, but with delicious treats. To prevent the couple from being afraid of a bad eye, the wife ties a braid with the embroidered letters “P” and “B” on her clothes. If she gets untied from her clothes, this is a sign of envy from others.

It is believed that with the birth of the Virgin Mary begins new life. To make the year prosperous and successful, in the old days they renewed the fire. Everyone had a torch in their hut that was always burning. On the Nativity of the Virgin Mary it was extinguished and then relit. It was believed that this would help leave sorrows and illnesses behind, and take only good health and joy into a new life.

Ritual of protection of children from diseases and misfortunes

In the old days, people lit fires and burned worn-out shoes and clothes in them. This protected them from damage, disease and adversity. It was customary to douse children with water when they crossed the threshold.

On this day, the Second Autumn and the autumn equinox are celebrated. The holiday is associated with the entry of autumn into its rights. From early morning, women go to the reservoirs to meet Osenina. They took treats with them - jelly, oatmeal bread. Autumn is dedicated to gratitude to nature for the harvest. In order not to lose their beauty right down to their gray hairs, women washed their faces before the sun will rise. The girls did this so that the groom would get married. Two holidays merge into one, although they have different origins.

0 SEPTEMBER 21 Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary: signs, customs, rituals...

IN Orthodox Church On September 21, the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated.

But this is a significant day not only for visiting the temple. Since ancient times, September 21 has been associated with folk signs and rituals that were performed annually on this date. Some of them have long been forgotten, but, nevertheless, certain observations can be very useful.

History of the holiday Joachim and Anna, the future parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, lived in Nazareth. Being righteous Christians, they prayed to God for a long time for children. After a while, when Joachim was in the desert, and his wife was alone in the house, an Angel appeared to them at the same time. He told the couple that Anna would be able to conceive a child, the Virgin Mary, through whom salvation would come to people, and they would know about her all over the world. Immediately after this they met at the Golden Gate in Jerusalem. Having embraced, the couple already knew that they would have a daughter.

Just 9 months after conception, on September 21, the Virgin Mary was born. She lived in her parents' house for only three years, after which, according to her vow, given to God, was sent to the temple. On this day, Orthodox Christians all over the world celebrate the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

What should we pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary for?

Since ancient times, the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary has been considered a holiday for all women and mothers. On this day you should put on your best clothes and go to the temple for service. Here the Virgin Mary is thanked for the birth of the Son of God. On the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, omens will certainly come true, and prayers will be heard. Requests, anxieties, troubles - this is what people turn to the Virgin Mary with. Women always prayed for the well-being of their homes and the health of their children. They turned to the Mother of God not only for themselves and their family, but also for other people.

A festive candle was always lit in the church, celebrating the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on September 21. The following signs were associated with this. A piece of paper with a request was tied to the end of the candle. When it burned completely, it meant that the Mother of God had heard all the prayers. On this day, women must give alms, food and money so as not to become infertile.

Folk rituals and customs

On this September date, the 21st, folk calendar The holiday of Harvest or Second Autumn is celebrated. They fell just on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The signs and rituals that were carried out on this date by our ancestors have been preserved in some regions to this day.

By September 21, almost the entire harvest from the fields was collected. Beekeepers hid their hives to prevent the bees from freezing. Onion week has begun. Not only onions were removed from the fields, but also the remaining vegetables.

There was a popular saying: “When the Most Holy One comes, it will become pure and pure.” From this day on, evening gatherings began in houses. On Orthodox Christmas The signs of the Most Holy Theotokos mainly applied to women. They got up on September 21 before sunrise. If women managed to wash their faces before dawn, this meant that they would be able to preserve their beauty until their gray hairs. Young girls did this to quickly match the groom.

After this, early in the morning the women went to ponds with oatmeal bread and jelly. There they sang songs and thanked the Blessed Virgin Mary for harvested, welcoming autumn at the same time. The bread was broken into pieces and distributed to the cattle. After the rituals on the banks of the reservoirs, everyone went to visit the newlyweds.

Holiday September 21st. Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary: family signs

On this day, parents, village elders and other relatives visited the young people. Since this date fell on the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, signs at the bride's show were necessarily taken into account. The hostess greeted the guests with a pie. If it was tasty, she was praised. If the pie was not a success, the young housewife began to be taught wisdom. On festive table There were other dishes that the guests rated.

The owner showed his buildings and livestock to visiting relatives. He was praised or taught for this, just like his wife. Also on September 21 (Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary) the signs concerned future life spouses. In the evening they went to their parents. To protect herself from the evil eye, the wife tied a braid with the embroidered letters “P” and “B” onto her sleeves. If she got lost or untied, it meant that there were envious people nearby.

With the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a new life began. It was customary to extinguish the old candle in the house and light a new one.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary: signs folk weather forecasters. What will winter be like?

It is known that people always monitored weather changes outside the window and already in the summer they knew what type of winter to expect. IN autumn holiday On September 21, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, signs indicated the following: if the day turned out to be clear, then such weather would continue until the end of October; if there is fog in the morning, rainy weather should be expected; if the fog clears unexpectedly quickly, the weather will be changeable; if it started to rain in the morning, it will rain for another 40 days, and the winter will be cold; If bright sun In the morning it quickly dries the dew on the grass - you shouldn't expect a lot of snow in winter.

On this date it was not allowed to work, but the day should be devoted to spiritual reflection and prayer.

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also called the Mother of God Feast, is celebrated by Ukrainians on September 21, 2017. This day is counted a joyful event, families go to church services together and do not take part in hard work. We invite you to find out what you can do on this day and what you should abstain from.

Christians of the Eastern rite celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or the “Second Most Pure Mother of God” or “Osenina”, since on this day, according to the popular calendar, autumn begins. Christians have long turned to the Mother of God, who became the unifying principle between God and the human race, and asked her for protection and blessings.

The feasts of the Mother of God are celebrated magnificently in places where churches were consecrated in her honor. Temple (throne) holidays usually take place with a divine service and a meal following it. Dinners are always held where all relatives gather around a round table.

Customs of the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary - what can and should be done on this day

1. This holiday is also traditionally considered a women's holiday, when a woman is honored as the continuer of the family. He obviously inherits the ancient Aryan holiday of Mothers in Birth, when our ancestors expressed gratitude to the guardians of the fields and the harvest, the grandfathers.

2. Women who do not have children arrange a dinner and invite the poor - “so that the Mother of God prays for their children.” Women also order services in the church, and after the service they invite people to their place for lunch. They say that prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary of expectant mothers for the health and happiness of the children they are expecting have special power on this day.

3. The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated as a holiday of true joy. Therefore, on these days they did not work, did not fast, and after prayers they gathered cheerful feasts in the temple.

4. Also, the holiday has long been the last date for preparing a “magic” potion. It was believed that love herbs collected between the First (Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - August 28) and the Second Most Holy Feasts had the special property of attracting a guy to a girl (a man to a woman) and vice versa.

Women collect a "magic potion" for the feast of the Virgin Mary

5. From the day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, it was possible to send matchmakers to girls. Also on this day it is good to have a wedding and visit families for a feast.

6. Since ancient times, also on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, women tried to go to the pond early in the morning. It was believed that if a woman washed her face with water before sunrise on this day, her beauty would remain until old age. And for good health, children were doused with water on the doorstep.

7. Also on this day, onion week began - housewives removed this vegetable from the beds. And by the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the owners tried to collect the entire harvest; at this time, beekeepers began to prepare the bees for wintering - cleaning the hives.

8. At this time it usually gets cold, so before the Second Most Pure Church the potatoes should have been completely dug up and the ground sown with rye.

Signs and proverbs of the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary:

- The First Most Pure One came - nature put on a necklace, the Second Most Pure One came - she took the unclean mosquito, the Third Most Pure One came - the oak grove became leafless.

The Most Pure One came - the tree was clean, but the Intercession came - the tree was bare.

Preclean - clean potatoes.

The Most Pure One came and the unclean One brought matchmakers.

The Dormition sows the rye, and the second one waters it with rain.

If the weather is sunny on the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, then the autumn will be warm and clear, without heavy rains. If the sky is gloomy on this day, then the autumn cold will come with rain.

If a girl washes herself towards the east of the sun, then she will definitely be wooed this year.

To avoid “evil eyes,” slander and illness, burn old clothes and shoes on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Completion of grain harvest for the Nativity of the Virgin Mary

history of the holiday

The holiday was first included in the church calendar in the 4th century. The basis for it is the legend of the conception and birth in Nazareth of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, from the childless and elderly couple Joachim and Anna.

Future parents had already begun to fall into despair, since among the Jews, infertility was a sign of God’s disfavor. One day, the clergyman of the temple refused to accept gifts to the Lord from Joachim, accusing him of sinfulness. This caused great sorrow in righteous Joachim, and he went into the desert, where he prayed long and desperately.

In the desert, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to a praying man, who informed good news about the upcoming birth of his daughter and ordered to name her Maria. He also said that through Mary the whole world would be given salvation.

Christmas Day in Orthodoxy is celebrated exactly 9 months after the celebration of the Conception on December 22, and lasts for 5 days (from September 20 to 25). On these days, believers perform solemn church services and liturgies. On this day, infertile couples ask the Lord for heirs, and pregnant women ask for an easy and quick birth. The celebration does not fall during Lent, so believers can consume any food.

Folk traditions and rituals

People associate the holiday with the beginning of the harvest and call it Malaya Prechistaya or Gospozhinki (Osenins).

From the very morning, women went to the river to wash themselves. The belief says that river water on this day prolongs youth, and river bathing helps girls get married successfully. After this, they visited church, where they lit candles wrapped in paper flowers, under which they placed notes with requests. If the leaf burned to the ground, then the Mother of God will fulfill the request of the praying woman.

For the holiday, housewives prepared dishes with mushrooms or fish, treated everyone who entered the house, and distributed food to the poor. Sharing food with the poor was considered very symbolic, otherwise the Lord could leave the woman without heirs. If she generously distributed the prepared food, then God will not be stingy with children and well-being.

Guests were not invited, but came with gifts: if the food on the table was tasty, then they gave it to the hostess beautiful scarf. If not, then the husband was symbolically left with a whip so that he could teach the woman to cook. The owner of the house finished the remaining unappetizing dishes himself.

The Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was considered a family holiday, so young people always visited their parents with a baked pie. The wife attached a belt with the letters P and B on top of her elegant clothes, symbolizing the name of the holiday. The belt was considered a talisman against the evil eye. Crumbs from the pie brought by the young people were taken to the barn to protect against death and disease of livestock.

For the holiday, peasants baked bread, which was then blessed in the church and distributed to loved ones. Several pieces were placed under household icons. People believed that consecrated bread had healing power and in case of illness, they broke off a small piece and gave it to the sick person to eat. They washed down the baked goods with blessed water.

Small children were doused with holy water upon entering the hut to protect them from the evil eye. The old fire in the stoves was extinguished and a new one was lit, symbolizing cleansing and the arrival of new life. Old clothes were burned.

Signs for a gardener for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

All agricultural work was completed by this time, and onion week began, when onions were harvested. The villagers also prepared bee hives for wintering and mowed the wheat. They thanked the Virgin Mary for the bountiful harvest and asked for help in the next season.

The completion of field work is associated folk proverbs: “On the Prechista, the field is clean” and “When the Prechista comes, it will be clean, clean.” Watched the weather:

• If on holiday good weather, then autumn will be warm and sunny until the end of October.
• If the stars are clearly visible before dawn, it will quickly become colder, but there will be little rain.
• A foggy morning foreshadowed precipitation, but if the fog quickly dissipated, the weather in the coming days would be changeable.

People believed that if birds fly high on a holiday, then the cold will not come soon, but if it is low, then expect frost soon. If it rains in the morning, then this weather will remain for another 40 days, and in winter the weather will be very cold and harsh.

Bottom line

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is not included in the list of public holidays and is a working day, but believers prefer not to do hard work on this day. For a gardener, this holiday is a good reason to watch the weather in order to know when to cover wintering plants and trees, and for a real housewife - to call guests and set the table to please family and friends with fresh pickles and delicious pies.

As you know, this holiday is one of the twelve (twelve most important holidays after Easter). Reports podrobnosti.ua

In every family, it is customary to set a large table in honor of this holiday. Our ancestors believed that the richer the housewife prepared for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the more generous the harvest would be. next year. Therefore, do not forget to pay tribute to nature by placing a basket of apples, pears, plums and grapes on the table. If the harvest was large, this holiday used to be celebrated for two whole weeks,

What not to do on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary:

Do not engage in heavy physical labor: leave housework, gardening and gardening for later;
- When you sit down with the whole family at the table, you cannot sweep crumbs onto the floor. If there was bread left after a meal, it was given to domestic animals.
- You should also not quarrel with loved ones or conflict with others (if the situation is close to critical, try to resolve any controversial issues peacefully);
- On the day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, you must have pure thoughts. Don't raise your voice to people close to you - it's a sin. You also cannot wish harm on others or think badly about someone.
- On this day, fasting is observed: it is not allowed to consume meat and alcohol.

Traditions and signs:

In ancient times, women tried to go to the river early in the morning and celebrate the day by the water. It was believed that if a woman washed her face with water before sunrise on this day, she would be beautiful until old age. And if a girl washed her face before sunrise, she will be matched this year.

And in order for everything to be safe in the house, the women went to church in the morning and lit candles for the Blessed Virgin Mary, which were wrapped in paper flowers. A piece of paper was placed on the bottom of the candle, on which requests to the Blessed Virgin were written. They looked at which side the piece of paper would burn, because it was this request that would be fulfilled. If the piece of paper burned completely, it means that all requests were heard.

There are also many folk signs associated with the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

On this day it is customary to watch birds: if they huddle close to the ground, winter is expected to be harsh. Birds circling in the sky and not descending to the ground promise a warm and protracted autumn.

The morning of the Nativity of the Ever-Virgin, which began with fog, means rain. A clear and starry sky before dawn on September 21 predicts dry and very cold weather. A warm sunny day promises October without bad weather.

Fallen dew is a sure sign that frost will fall on the grass in a month. The amount of snow in winter is judged by how quickly the dew dries. If the dew dries quickly, a winter with little snow is expected. If the leaves and grass remain wet for a long time, then a lot of snow will pile up.

Windy Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary promises harsh winter with severe frosts. This sign is especially true if it suddenly gets colder after lunch that day.