People say: "Elijah the prophet - two days fired." From August 2, when the day of this great prophet is celebrated, autumn gradually begins to take its rights: the day becomes shorter, and the night is longer, here and there foliage turns yellow on the trees, and mosquitoes completely stop biting. There are a lot of signs associated with this holiday, including one that touches the rain on Ilyin's Day.
The most common sign
In the pagan culture for this day was the feast of Perun - God of fire and thunderstorm. With the spread of Christianity, he began to evoke associations with St. Elijah, but the essence of the holiday, as well as the image of the patron remained the same. According to legend, on this day Ilya travels across the sky on a chariot drawn by horses, and throws lightning everywhere. Hearing the thunder of thunder - the harbingers of the storm, people said: "Ilya the prophet is riding in a chariot". Rain on this day was considered a good sign , because it meant that there would be a good harvest. If the weather remained clear, then it was worth waiting for drought and fires.
But more specific signs:
- if it rains on Ilyin, then all those who fall under it will not know their wounds the whole next year;
- dry hot weather foreshadowed a serious drought for the next 6 weeks;
- on the behavior of the rain it was possible to predict and what thunder will be. With silent rain, thunder is always deaf, with a heavy shower - echoing, and hailstones should be expected if the rumbles are almost uninterrupted;
- rain with thunder promised a severe headache, and if it is continuous and continuous, then it should be heavier in the chest;
- The rain on Ilyin's Day was recommended to be collected in a cup and used for washing. It was believed that such water can remove the evil eye, protect it from many diseases.
It was to this day that it was recommended to finish the haymaking and after that to start the autumn harvest. The peasants believed that Ilya could burn everyone working on that day. But this omission has a rather prosaic explanation: simply a thunderstorm can begin so suddenly and swiftly that people working in the fields will not have time to reach any shelter. And to get in the rain and storm in Ilin day is also dangerous, as in any other. That is why the house immediately curtained all the mirrors and removed from the windows all shiny - so as not to attract lightning into the dwelling.
The storm on Ilin day cooled and the water in the river, therefore it was forbidden to swim in the reservoirs after this holiday. In addition, it was believed that all the evil spirits out of their hiding places and only waiting for an opportunity to drown someone.