Old-style date: April 30th. The Church honors Jacob of Zebedee on this day—one of the apostles mentioned in the New Testament. He was the older brother of John the Theologian. The brothers, Jacob and John, were called by their father's name, Zebedee. Along with the Apostle Peter, they were considered Jesus Christ's closest disciples. Only they were witnesses to His Transfiguration. In Russia, starting from Yakov (Jacob), that is from April 30th old style, all marriage proposals were ceased, as the upcoming month of May was considered extremely unsuitable for marriage. Therefore, even a proposal of marriage was considered offensive: bad things were said about the family that thought about a wedding during this time. Even today, there is a saying: "To marry in May is to struggle all your life." On this day, it was not customary to embark on a long journey without first bathing in water from March snow, specially preserved for such occasions. Peasants believed that diseases began to roam the earth on Yakov, and only March water could save them. On Yakov, the sunrise was observed. If the sky was clear and bright, then the summer was expected to be sunny. If stars appear in the evening and a warm wind blows from the south, then the summer will be stormy, yet warm and plentiful. Names celebrated on this day: Vasily, Ephraim, Ignatius, Clement, Maxim, Nikita, Yakov