How to Tell Fortunes on Great Martyr Catherine's Day/Channel 24 Collage
Great Martyr Catherine's Day is celebrated on November 24. And we will tell you how to tell fortunes on this holiday and what you should pay special attention to.
Fortune-telling is an ancient rite, inherent in many cultures, which allows you to look into the future or comprehend the hidden aspects of reality. In Ukraine, such rites were popular not only among fortune-tellers or magi, but also among ordinary people. Fortune-telling was especially popular in late autumn and early winter, when field work was completed and time for entertainment appeared.
A special place in this tradition is occupied by the evening before St. Catherine's Day, when girls, and sometimes boys, used to tell fortunes about fate and future love.
Saint Catherine: Christian Great Martyr
The Day of St. Catherine, which falls on November 24, is dedicated to the memory of a young girl from Alexandria. Catherine was the daughter of a noble ruler, famous for her beauty, intelligence and wealth. In 304 she converted to Christianity and openly preached the faith, for which she was persecuted by the Emperor Maximian.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000Catherine suffered cruel tortures that could not break her spirit. According to legend, the angel of the Lord saved her from being wheeled, and after being executed by sword, her body became a symbol of purity and courage. Today, Saint Catherine is honored as the patron saint of teachers, scholars and all who devote themselves to knowledge.
Fortune-telling on St. Catherine's Day
The evening of November 23 was considered ideal for fortune-telling. Girls stole a cherry branch from a neighboring garden and put it in water. If it bloomed before Christmas, it foreshadowed a quick marriage.
Fortune-telling continued on St. Catherine's Day itself. One of the methods was “inviting” the betrothed to dinner: the girls went outside with a bowl of porridge, beat on the gate with makogons and said: “Go, go, betrothed, eat porridge!”.
Another rite was determining the fate of family members by the state of the branches: those that did not bloom were considered a bad sign.
Catherine's Day in the present day
Today, this day retains its spiritual and cultural aspects. Fortune-telling, although it has lost mass popularity, remains part of the Ukrainian heritage. On this day, people pray for success in studies, a happy marriage and fate. And sacred rites remind of the connection with the past and the folk wisdom of our ancestors.