Date in the old style: September 11. On this day, the memory of St. Theodora of Alexandria, who lived in the late 5th century, is commemorated. According to legend, Theodora lived in love and harmony with her husband, but a wealthy townsman, captivated by her beauty, tried to seduce her. He bribed a matchmaker who deceived Theodora, telling her that a sin committed at night is not considered sinful. Theodora gave in and cheated on her husband, but soon realized the vileness of adultery. Theodora began to despise her body and subjected herself to various torments. A familiar abbess, seeing the sinner’s suffering, reminded her of the story of Mary Magdalene, who washed Christ's feet with her tears. This inspired Theodora to secretly enter a monastery. She understood that in a women’s monastery her husband would find her, so she disguised herself in men’s clothing and entered a men’s monastery under the name Theodor. After Theodora’s death, her husband, upon learning of her sacrifice, also took vows in the same monastery. In Russia, on Fedora’s (Theodora’s) day, the third meeting of autumn was celebrated. “Every summer ends, autumn begins,” people would say. During this time, the rains were in full swing, and the roads became muddy. Hence, the joke: “Fedora – soak your tail.” Another Fedora day, a winter one, was also remembered: “Two Fedoras in a year. Autumn Fedora hikes up her skirts, while winter Fedora covers her face with a scarf.” Peasants would take stock of their autumn work: they gathered the last of the onions from the gardens and brought the bee hives to winter shelters. “St. Theodora – the end of all work,” people would say. On this day, they also went to the fields to check the growth of winter crops. If strong, thick shoots were visible from the ground, it promised a good harvest for the next year. On Fedora’s day, there was a custom of the entire village collecting gifts for the priest of the nearest church. Parishioners helped the priest’s wife prepare supplies for the winter and clean the house and yard. This tradition was called “osenchina.” From Fedora’s day, cabbage gatherings would begin. For two weeks, girls and women would chop cabbage, ferment it for winter, tell stories, joke, and laugh. Such gatherings were also called “kapustniki” – a word that survives to this day. At these gatherings, dishes made from cabbage were served – stuffed cabbage rolls, pies, and cabbage soup. Men, meanwhile, brewed beer. The most delicious was considered “korchazhnoe” beer, aged in large clay pots. There was a saying about this drink: “Beer that doesn’t get you drunk – that's a sin. Drunken beer – even more sinful. But when there’s no beer – that’s the worst of all.” Names celebrated on this day: Victor, Herman, Dmitry, Evdokia, Iya, Karp, Lev, Nikolai, Peter, Roman, Sergey, Theodora.