Date in the old style: September 14. The church holiday, the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, was established to commemorate the finding of the Cross, which took place in the 4th century in Jerusalem. According to tradition, it was found by Empress Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great. She organized excavations, during which the Tomb of the Holy Sepulcher was discovered, and nearby, three crosses. The identification of the cross on which Christ was crucified was aided by a miracle: a sick woman, touching it, was healed. The main festive events of this day were held in churches. Returning from the temple, peasants would resume their daily chores. However, the name of the holiday was reflected in folk sayings. The Exaltation in Russia was also called the "Shifting" or "Moving" — words indicating some kind of movement or change in state. "The Shift has come — the coat has moved with the fur," people said, noting that winter was "approaching," while summer and autumn were "moving away." The holiday was a fasting day. It was believed that "whoever fasts on the Exaltation will have seven sins forgiven." Most often, cabbage and dishes made from it were eaten on this day. "At the Exaltation, a good fellow has cabbage at the doorstep"; "Think, woman, about the cabbage — the Exaltation has come," people said. Three days before the holiday, cabbage heads were harvested from the garden, and for the next week, or even two, peasant women would prepare cabbage for winter. This was usually done communally — at "cabbage evenings," accompanied by jokes and stories. Girl gatherings also continued at this time. There was a belief that if a girl, before going to the gathering, read a special incantation seven times, the boy she liked would fall in love with her. However, important tasks should not be started on the Exaltation, or else everything could go wrong. It was also forbidden to go into the forest, where at this time the bear was making its den, and the forest spirit was inspecting its domain. Snakes, too, were preparing for winter, hiding under rotting stumps and lying there motionless. It was said that if a snake bit someone on the Exaltation, it would not be able to crawl away and hide from the frost. Frosts already occurred at this time, but they were not yet dangerous. "The Exaltation frosts are no big deal, we'll see what Father Pokrov (Feast of the Intercession) has to say," people noted. Name Day on this day: Ivan