Date according to the old style: June 18. This day in Russia has long been dedicated to the god Yarila. Even with the spread of Christianity, this tradition did not cease, but received a new interpretation: it was said that in the middle of summer all the saints compete in strength with the pagan god, but cannot defeat him. Interestingly, there is still no consensus on who exactly Yarila was considered to be by people. There are, for example, versions that he was the sun god, the god of love and passion, the god of nature's forces. It was believed that on Yarila's Day, all living things "come into yar", that is, begin to bear fruit. "Yarila — a handsome young man on a white horse, with red curls — a crown in his left hand — a sheaf of rye in his right hand — a club. Yarila waves the rye — the fields swell, the grain ears; waves the club — thunder rumbles, rain pours. Wherever the horse steps, silky grass with blue flowers spreads" — this is how the people depicted the deity's image. Yarila's holiday was considered special; it was said to be "waited for a whole year" and that it is "the day of all days". On Yarila's Day, supernatural phenomena were expected: the sun slowed its course, and special "holes" formed on the earth through which one could look at the other side of the world, and even the afterlife. To do this, one had to braid strong birch branches into their hair at noon and look through them from a steep riverbank; it was believed that this way one could see loved ones who had not been heard from in a long time. On this day, people would go mowing, fill mattresses with freshly cut and dried grass. In the evenings, they gathered around bonfires, had fun, danced in circles, and brewed aromatic herbal teas. They also organized "Yarila's games", fairs, and visits to relatives. The celebrations were accompanied by fist fights, songs, dances, and rowdy merrymaking. Name days on this day: Alexander, Vasily, Victor, Ipaty, Leonty, Nikanor, Sergey.