Saint Martin’s Day reveals the future, and women shouldn’t do this

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On November 24, the Serbian Orthodox Church and its believers celebrate the feast of the Holy King Stefan de Decani, that is, Saint Martin’s Day.

King Milutin’s son and Tsar Dušan’s father were blinded by their father’s order. When he became blind, according to legend, Saint Nicholas appeared to him in the temple of Ovče polje and showed him his eyes, saying: Stefan, do not be afraid, here are your eyes on my palm, in due time I will bring them back silent.

He spent five years in Constantinople as a prisoner in the Svedržitelj monastery, and with his wisdom, feat, meekness, piety, patience and benevolence, Stefan won not only all the monks but also all of Constantinople. After five years, Saint Nicholas called him again to say: I have come to fulfill my promise. After that, legend has it, Stefan saw and built the Dečani temple in honor of this saint, one of the wonderful works of Byzantine art and one of the most famous monuments of ancient Serbian piety.

The Holy King Stephen, along with Saint Sava and Saint Prince Lazar, forms a triad of “holiness, nobility and self-sacrifice” given by the Serbian people. As a martyr, he lived his earthly life and ended up as a martyr in 1336, receiving a crown of immortal glory from the Almighty, whom he served faithfully. The Day of the Holy Martyr Stefan de Decani is a black letter in the calendar of the Serbian Orthodox Church. It is a day of alliance for all those who suffer from eye diseases. There is a saying among the people: “Santa Mrata, snow for the door”, which marked the beginning of winter, the cold and snowy time of the year. In the people, especially in eastern Serbia, there are interesting customs associated with this holiday that, according to ethnologists, originate in pagan times.

One by one, on the day of St. Martin, the ancient Slavs celebrated the cult of the wolf, which is at the same time a powerful opponent and protector of demons.

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Thus, the belief arose that on November 24, Santa Mrata summons all the wolves and determines how many sheep the host can eat that winter, so that they do not cause too much harm to anyone.

Today is the end of the Wolf Days period, which began on Đurđić.

These days nothing is given away outside the home, wool is not spun and nothing is washed. Tailors and shoemakers rest, and women do not make crafts. Older people believe that if Mratindan falls into foggy weather, winter will be changeable. In case of a clear day, the winter will be icy and angry.

On the day we celebrate Holy King Stefan of Decani, our people use a strange name for that great feast. The reason for this is a saint from Western Europe. By distorting his Martin name, we got Mratindan.

He is Saint Martin, and that German saint is known among Serbs because his cult was probably brought by German miners who came to non-monastic Serbia as labor.

Saint Martin of Turkey (after the city of Tours in France) was born in Pannonia, Styria. His father was a Roman officer, so Martin was preparing for military service against his will.

After an unusual event when he gave the beggar his military cape, Jesus Christ appeared to him in a dream. Martin left the military after that, was baptized, and became a Christian. Soon after, he became a monk in the diocese of St. Hilary de Poitiers and lived a life full of Christian feats there. Against his will, he was appointed bishop in the city of Tours. The radio was dedicated in the Turkish diocese and fought hard against pagans and Aryan heretics. San Martín died in 397.

Until the 16th century and the Gregorian reforms, the Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches used a common Julian calendar.

According to the Julian calendar, St. Martina’s day was November 11, indicating that this cult was strong also among Serbs, because even after the reform, on November 11, Serbs still routinely celebrated a day called “Mratindan” or “Mratinje”, as well as a saint named “Santa Mrata”. November 11 according to the Julian calendar, in the 20th and 21st centuries, falls on Gregorian November 24.

On this day the feast of the Holy Martyr Mina is also celebrated.

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