“Nicholas the Wonderworker descends from the heavenly fields onto the snowy earth and walks across the face of the Russian Land, traversing it from end to end. And all the spirits of darkness flee from him...” This is how Russian legends described December 19, when the Church commemorates Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker. In Russia, Saint Nicholas was revered equally with Jesus and the Virgin Mary, above all other saints. Saint Nicholas was also called the "peasant god." In many villages, on Winter Nikola, a specially fattened calf called "mikolts" was slaughtered, and a special men's feast was held. It was a holiday for the elders and “masters” (heads of families and clans), and for a Russian man, it was unthinkable to avoid participating. During the grand feasts (called "bratshiny"), men brewed beer together and then spent several days drinking, reconciling disputes, and resolving conflicts between enemies.