Date in the old style: July 20. Elijah's Day was considered one of the most important holidays of the year in Russia. On this day, the prophet Elijah, who lived in the Kingdom of Israel 900 years before the birth of Christ, was honored. According to legend, he was a fervent advocate of Judaism, denouncing idolatry and all iniquity. During Elijah's time, Israel was ruled by the weak-willed king Ahab, whose wife Jezebel decided to establish the cult of the pagan deity Baal. The prophet Elijah intervened for the desecrated Jewish shrines. Endowed with a special gift, he performed many miracles to instruct the king and his wife. One of the punishments Elijah sent upon the country of the ungodly rulers was a three-year famine. In addition, he personally executed the pagan priests who had performed sacrifices on Mount Carmel. The prophet's deeds angered Jezebel, who swore to kill him. However, Elijah hid in the desert. Later, returning to the Kingdom of Israel, he managed to subdue King Ahab. It is believed that Elijah was taken to Heaven alive: "suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared" and took the prophet away. Thanks to this image, the saint received the nickname Elijah the Thunderer among the people: it was said that he, riding through the sky in a fiery chariot and trying to strike the unclean serpent, sent thunder and lightning. In ancient Russia, on Elijah's Day, processions were held and people prayed to the prophet for rain or, conversely, for clear weather — depending on what was needed. In addition, it was believed that rainwater collected during this time cured both the evil eye and eye diseases. From Elijah's Day, autumn began, despite the fact that it was still far off according to the calendar. The nights became cold, morning frosts occurred, and the daytime heat waned. From this day, people stopped swimming (incidentally, this custom is still alive). "Prophet Elijah threw ice into the water"; "From Elijah's Day, the night is long and the water is cold"; "Until Elijah, a man swims, and from Elijah, he says goodbye to the river"; "On Elijah's Day, it's summer until noon, and autumn after noon" — people said. The air became humid, and housewives noticed: "Until Elijah's Day, it dries under the bush, and after Elijah's Day, it doesn't dry even on the bush". Rains were frequent: "Until Elijah, the priest cannot pray for rain, but after Elijah, a woman brings it with her apron". The days became noticeably shorter. "Peter and Paul shortened the day by an hour, and Prophet Elijah by two", people noted and added: "From Elijah's Day, the night is long: the worker sleeps well, the horses get enough to eat". On Elijah's Day, it was customary to bake the first bread from the new harvest, which was enjoyed by the entire village. In the prophet, peasants saw a benefactor capable of giving a good harvest. In some provinces, a cup with grains of rye and oats was placed at the gate on this day, and the priest was asked to "praise Elijah for the fertility of the bread". At the same time, it was not customary to work on Elijah's Day, especially in the field. It was said that for such a "misdeed" the prophet could punish: "On Elijah's Day, do not toss haystacks — Elijah will burn them with a storm". However, this custom was also connected with the belief that only until this time does the grass gain taste and strength: "Until Elijah's Day, if you mow hay, it's like putting a pound of honey into it". The hay collected on this day was used to fill beds, saying: "Elijah's straw is the village's feather bed". Peasants believed that on Elijah's Day, wild animals and reptiles came out of their burrows and roamed the meadows and forests, so livestock should not be let out to pasture to avoid being torn apart by predators or bitten by snakes. It was believed that evil spirits inhabited wild animals, and only the thunder of Prophet Elijah could drive them away. Also, on this day, it was avoided to let dogs and cats into the house — it was said that this could attract lightning to the house. Name Days on this Day Alexander, Alexei, Athanasius, George, Yefim, Ivan, Elijah, Constantine, Kuzma, Leonty, Nicholas, Peter, Savva, Sergey, Tikhon, Theodore