Ilyin is a very popular holiday. It is on August 2, according to popular belief, summer meets with autumn, when the days become shorter, and the nights are longer and colder. Why not swim on Ilin Day - in this article.
History of the appearance of the holiday
The great prophet was born before 900 years before Christ and spent his whole life dedicated to fasting, prayer and service to God. It so happened that he was called to serve the idol-worshiper King Ahab. The Lord was angry with Ahab and warned through Ilya that if he did not turn to the true God , his subjects would know what drought and hunger were. Ahab did not heed the prophet, for which he paid. But the situation was saved by Ilya, who invited the people of Israel to build two altars: one to Baal - the sun, which the king worshiped, and the other to God and see which one will come down after the sacrifice. The fire descended on the altar that the prophet made, and after this miracle the people again believed in God.
Today, with this day is associated a lot of proverbs and sayings, which explain why not bathe in Ilin day. According to legend, on August 2 the prophet drives around the sky on horseback. Fast driving leads to the fact that one of the horses loses the horseshoe, which, when dropped into the water, lowers its temperature. That is, water simply becomes cold for bathing. In support of this is another saying: "Before Ilyin's Day the peasant bathes, but from Il'in, the day with the river is forgiven." The constantly diminishing light day just does not allow the water that has cooled down during the night to warm up properly. The people note the change of nature in the autumnal mood: in the evenings mosquitoes and flies cease to bite.
In some regions, with the arrival of this day, severe thunderstorms begin, and everything from the fact that Ilya flying across the sky showered the earth with lightning. The sun is not so scorching and sultry, and even "dew on the wasteland does not dry up." The ancestors were very afraid of the August thunderstorms, for it was noted that the "harsh" Ilya was able to level the huts with the land and beat the cattle in the field.
Other versions
On Ilin day you can not swim and that's why - the water becomes dirty and muddy, all kinds of seaweed start to bloom, the surface is tightened with duckweed. At the same time they say: "Ilya has cooled the water". And there is another version, which has pagan roots. To bathe in Ilin day is not recommended because after August 2, the water evils leave their shelters - all kinds of mermaids, water, etc. They feast and walk till the freeze-up and it is with their revelry that they associate deaths on the water that occurred after Ilyin's day.
In the network, you can find a lot of stories told by those who ventured to swim after August 2. Some say that they began to be dragged out in a strange place from where the whirlpool came from, others even felt on the ankle a strong human grasp. Some died sharply and without reason - the heart stopped. How to know, maybe there, in the depths, a man shortly before his death saw something that led to such a tragic ending? In any case, those who are interested in whether Ilyin bathe on the day, decide on this themselves, based on their own fears and prejudices.
Many believe that Ilyin can swim not only during the day, but also because it is August that is considered the most popular holiday month, when most tourists go on holiday on the seaside and oceans. Water this month is the warmest - well-warmed and most suitable for recreation with young children. Moreover, in September the flow of tourists does not fall, and even there are daredevils who bathe in the sea in October. Therefore, whether or not to believe in signs, everyone decides for himself, but excessive safety measures on the water will not hurt anyone.