Eastern Rite Christians celebrate the Day of Constantine and Helena on June 3. This holiday is dedicated to the memory of Saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and his mother Queen Helena. Elena, at the request of Constantine, went in search of the Life-Giving Cross, on which Jesus Christ was crucified. The emperor himself ordered the construction of a temple to the glory of Christ over the cave of the Holy Sepulcher.

Also, this holiday is popularly called Elenin's Day, Elena and Konstantin, Elena's Spit, Elena-Lenosiyka. The main traditions of this day are associated with flax and its sowing..

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Holiday traditions.

On this day, our ancestors sowed flax and performed rituals for its good harvest.. Two baked chicken eggs were collected from each housewife in the village.. When flax was sown, they were eaten, and the shells were returned home. Also, some threw baked eggs as high as possible so that the flax grew tall..

In addition, on this day they paid attention to cucumbers, saying: “Elena - flax, Konstantin - cucumbers”.

On the holiday, they also treated water sources and wells with special respect..

What not to do on this day.

In the old days, on the Day of Constantine and Helena, girls were forbidden to braid braids.. It was believed that all day long you need to walk around with simple hair so that your hair is long and beautiful..

On this day you can not gossip, swear, drink alcohol.

Also, on a holiday, you can’t smoke at the well, because according to popular belief, on this day all the deceased relatives of a person look out of it: “Spitting into a well is the same as a native mother in the eyes”.

Folk signs on the Day of Constantine on Helena.

In ancient times, our ancestors believed in such signs:.

If you throw moss into the well, it will rain.

To treat deceased relatives, they threw the remains of a festive dinner into the well.

Rainy weather on this day - to a generous harvest.