The Feast of Saints Peter and Paul: beliefs, customs, signs, and greetings in prose, poetry, and postcard.

Today, June 29, Christians of the Eastern rite celebrate one of the greatest Christian holidays - the feast of Saints Peter and Paul. This day marks the end of Petrovka - a fast that has lasted for several weeks.

Starting from September 1, 2023, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church transitioned to the new Julian church calendar, and now all fixed-date non-movable holidays are celebrated 13 days earlier. Thus, for believers, today, June 29, is a significant church holiday - the feast of Saints Peter and Paul.

History of the Holiday

The Feast of Saints Peter and Paul has been celebrated since approximately the 4th century. It is observed with the greatest celebration in Catholic countries, especially in Italy (specifically in Rome) and the Vatican, where the relics of the saints are buried.

Saint Peter is considered in Christianity The Guardian of the keys to heaven and the first Pope in history, as well as the author of two books of the New Testament. Before meeting Jesus, he was an ordinary fisherman, and then became his closest disciple.

Traditions and Customs

In Ukraine, many beliefs and customs are associated with the Feast of Peter and Paul. On this day, for the first Time after the fast, it was allowed to prepare dairy dishes. Hostesses cooked dumplings with cheese and baked mandryky - cheese puddings.

On this day, people in Ukraine traditionally prepared for a grand celebration: whitewashed houses, decorated walls with towels, and cleaned the yard. In the morning of this day, everyone would go to church. Girls adorned their heads with wreaths made of field flowers, especially red poppies. Upon returning from church, people broke their fast with mandryky. On this day, hosts invariably treated the public shepherds with a snack: a mandryk and a lump of butter.

In the Boykivshchyna region, shepherds would gather in the pastures, build a 'Petrivnyk' - a small earth hut or enclosure decorated with greenery, and have lunch together. They ate dairy products so that cows would milk better.

In the eastern regions of Ukraine, there was a custom on Peter 'to rinse the udder'. Women would have lunch together and then pick yellow-flowered herbs to feed to cows: 'so that the milk would be yellow.'