Old Style Date: August 20. On this day, the biblical prophet Samuel or Shmuel (meaning “heard by God”) is commemorated. Samuel was born in a very difficult time for the Israelites and was destined to guide his people on the right path. Under the weak leadership of the high priest Eli, the moral decay of the Israelites reached a critical point. The result of their depravity and physical weakness was their defeat by the Philistines, who captured the greatest sacred object—the Ark of the Covenant. However, Samuel, gathering his compatriots for solemn repentance, managed to inspire them to drive out the Philistines. After this, the revival of the people began. A significant role in this was played by the “prophetic assemblies” organized by Samuel, whose task was to enlighten people and awaken patriotism in them. Samuel wisely ruled the people as a supreme judge, but when he grew old, the people, fearing the return of anarchy, began to ask him to appoint a ruler over them. Thus, they rejected the heavenly King and desired an earthly king. Then God told Samuel to do as the people asked, but warned that they would face misfortunes due to the greed and cruelty of earthly rulers. The prophet warned the Israelites and asked them to reconsider their decision, but they were adamant. Samuel appointed Saul as king, but during his lifetime, he secretly anointed David as another king, as the first ruler had disappointed him. In Russia, the prophet Samuel was considered the protector of men, and it was said: “Samoilo the prophet prays to God for the man.” Therefore, Samoil’s Day became a sort of men’s holiday: daughters would present their fathers with a new shirt in the morning, and wives would prepare a lavish table so that the head of the family could start his day well-fed and in good spirits. On Samoil’s Day, people prayed for good weather for the autumn work. The time for it was running short, as winter was inevitably approaching. On this day, the first winter mushrooms would already appear in the forests, and children would go out with baskets to gather them. A common dish on this day was fried mushrooms with potatoes. Name days on this date: Alexander, Victor, Vladimir, Ivan, Lev, Maxim, Nikolai, Samuil, Stepan, Timofei, Fyodor.