Signs and superstitions for April. Signs of April by day
Three rains in April and one in May are worth thousands of rains.
Cold April brings bread and wine. If the first days of April are windy, there will be heavy rain in June.
Signs of April 1st. Martyrs Chrysanthos and Daria Dirty Ice Holes. The ice holes are clouding over Daria. They noticed: if the spring water comes to Daria with noise, there are good herbs, and when it is quiet, bad grass will grow.
Signs April 2. Photinia of the Samaritan. If the day of Photinia is not frosty, and the birds are starting mating games, the summer will be warm.
Signs April 3. Nikita the Confessor. By this day, according to popular superstitions, the ice should have disappeared from the reservoirs. If it hasn’t gone down yet, the fishermen won’t see any spring fishing!
Signs April 4. Vasily Solnechnik. If the sun is in red circles on Vasily Teply, according to folk signs, there will be a rich harvest. Icicles hang from roofs, scales fly off fir trees.
Signs April 5. Nikon Day. Finches flew to Nikon. On this day, the birds were attracted to their porch and fed bread crumbs, grains and seeds.
Signs April 6. Zakhary Postnik. On this day, peasants cleared their huts and courtyards of evil spirits, lit fires outside the courtyards, and walked around the huts in circles. They hung a wet towel in the yard at night. If it dries out, the year will be fruitful, but if it remains wet or freezes, the summer will be wet and early frost will occur at the end of summer. In addition, April 6 was the day of remembrance of the Monk Eutyches and the martyr Jeremiah. Folk signs for April did not advise sowing spring crops (oats, buckwheat, millet) if the day was stormy, and be sure to sow them if the day was good. It was also customary to sow peas on this day.
Signs April 7. Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Spring has overcome winter, although the famous Annunciation frosts are also known. If there is wind, frost and fog - for a fruitful year. If the Annunciation is frosty and cold, expect forty frosts in the morning.
Wind, frost and fog on the Annunciation foreshadowed a fruitful summer, rain - a rich harvest of rye and mushrooms, frost - a harvest at the bridle, a thunderstorm foreshadowed a warm summer and a harvest of nuts, but good sunny weather foreshadowed a menacing and fire-hazardous summer. If the night on Annunciation is warm, spring will be early.
Noticed: spring before the Annunciation - a lot of frosts ahead.
Signs April 8. Gabriel Blagovestik. The peasants, noticing the bright sunrise that day, removed all the sleigh harness and said: “On the day of Gabriel, remove the shafts from the sleigh.”
Signs April 9. Matryona Nastovitsa. On this day, the remnants of the snow melt away and lapwings and buntings arrive. They said: the lapwing screams in the evening - for clear weather, the bunting starts singing - leave the sleigh, take the cart (now you need to move only on wheels).
Signs April 10. Hilarion. If on April 10 the sun is blood-red at sunrise and then hides in the clouds, rain is possible during the day. If the voice of the cuckoo is heard on this day, it means the frost is over. The coltsfoot has bloomed - wait for the warmth to come soon.
Signs April 11. Kirill, Martin's Day. People believed that if the geese went out onto the ice that day, it would still be cold. The explanation for this sign is very simple: the main feeding place for geese in cold times is considered to be a pond, so they, arriving before the onset of heat, go out onto the ice, feeling that they will have to feed here for a very, very long time.
Signs April 12. Ivan Climacus. The beginning of the woodcock's draft (the beginning of mating games). If the craving suddenly stops, expect a quick cold snap or snow.
Signs April 13. Fire. A peasant woman born on this day carried coals into the field, made a fire, and burned last year's grass.
Signs April 14. Mary of Egypt. If the rivers flood on Mary of Egypt, then there will be a lot of grass. If the ice disappears suddenly (quickly), the year will be easy and good.
Signs April 15. Tit Icebreaker, Poly carp. People monitor the condition of ice on rivers. If the ice floats down the river, it means the year will be good, and if it sinks, it will be a difficult year. Beekeepers began to listen to the hives to see if the bees had begun to buzz.
If floodwaters spill from Marya on Polikarpov's day, then we must expect large grasses and early mowing.
Signs April 16. Nikola Icebreaker. If frost suddenly formed in the morning of this day, it was a symbol of the warm beginning of summer.
Signs April 17. Joseph the Songsinger. From this day on, crickets wake up. The crane gives its voice to Joseph for the first time. On this day, when you go outside, turn to the cranes as protectors from all evil.
Signs April 18. Fedulov day. Fedora Vetrenitsa. April puffed up her lips - the heat blew. The crickets are waking up.
Signs April 19. If Eutychius gets angry and blows the wind, woe to the peasant: he will knock off his ear. On Eutyches the day is quiet - for the grain harvest.
Signs April 20. When it rains on Akulina, viburnum will be good if spring grain (spring grain, especially oats and barley) is bad.
On Akulina the birch tree turns green. On Akulina there is strong frost and sun - for a harvest of bread and buckwheat.
Signs April 21. Rodion and Ruth. Rodion Turn out the shafts. First trip to the field. If the meeting between the red sun and the month is good - a clear day and a good summer, and if it is bad - bad weather and a bad summer.
Signs April 22. On this day we walked around springs and springs. Underground water, we open the spring paths for you!
Signs April 23. Terenty Marevny. If the sun rises red in a foggy haze, the year will be fruitful. If something in the palm of your hand rolls out from behind the mountains, you will have to plow up the winter field and sow it with spring grass.
Signs April 24. Antip Polovod. If the rivers have not opened up, then spring is late, which means you should expect a bad summer. If the waters have not yet spilled, it means that the summer will be cold and there will be practically no harvest. “Antip without water is a granary without grain.” If it’s frosty in the morning and it snows in the afternoon, then it will be cold for another whole month. If there is a snowstorm, spring is cold. Nettle shoots appear.
Signs April 25. Vasily Pariysky. Antip pours water on the floodplains, Vasily gives a couple.
Signs April 27. Martin Lisogon. According to popular belief, ravens release one-year-old crows to new nests.
Signs April 28. Memorial Day of the Holy Apostle Pud. Previously, the day fell in the middle of the month and, according to the proverb, “cut it in half.” On this day, beekeepers had special concerns: it was customary to expose the hives from their winter rooms to the air. “On Holy Pud, get the bees from under the bushel,” that is, from the omshans. On Puda, viburnum and mountain ash are budding.
Signs April 29. Irina (Arina) Nursery. On this day, people paid attention to what was growing in the forest. If there were a lot of plantains, it means that everything will grow beautifully this year.
Signs April 30. Zosima Pchelnik. The bees are taken to the apiary with sentences. They noticed: whatever bread the bee went for will be good for grain. If bees land on cherry blossoms, the cherries will be born; if not, there will be no cherries. Warm rains in April, and especially at the end of the month, are a blessing to the fields.
April is approaching - a month of contrasts, when the bright sun gives way to drizzling rain, when it starts dripping, but there is still snow in the forest (and may lie until May), when green grass is already breaking through from under the snow, snowdrops are blooming, and sometimes it starts snowing again . It is not for nothing that even the folk signs of April are mostly associated with the weather in this spring month. What folk signs of April exist? And what is the history behind the name of this month?
History of the origin of the name of the month
The very name of the month “April” comes from the Latin “aprecus” or “aperire” (there is still no consensus). “Aprecus” translated from Latin means “warmed by the sun”, “the month of Aphrodite”, and “aperire” means “to open”, that is, the month when the first grass begins to emerge, spring actually “opens” and flowering begins.
The Romans dedicated all their months to various gods, and April was dedicated to the goddess Venus (or Greek Aphrodite) - the goddess of love and beauty. In addition, with the arrival of April, the season dedicated to the gods opened and was the longest among the Romans (19 days). During these 19 days, all judicial institutions were closed.
In various European countries, April had its own names, and there was even an opinion that the name of the month was based on the name of the Easter holiday. In Rus', April was called “pollen”, “snow fly”, “aquarius”, “caddis fly”, “birch zol”, etc.
And each name of April in Rus' reminded of natural features during this period, which, as already said, formed the basis of the folk signs of April.
It is the folk signs of April that tell us that this month the snow finally melts and the grass and snowdrops appear:
- “April the snow is dying - the snowdrift is burning,”
- “April picks up water, opens flowers,”
- "April streams awaken the earth"
- “February is rich in snow, April – in water.”
But, despite this, folk signs of April also warn that this month is very fickle and the bright, warm sun can always be replaced by cold:
- “Don’t break the stove - it’s still April”
- “April is neither colder than March nor warmer than May,”
- “April is wheezing and blowing, promising warmth to the woman; and the man looks: something else will happen,”
- “April will deceive, May will let you down. And the month of May, ah, ah, is both warm and cold.”
In addition, April was considered an important time for starting field work, which could not but be reflected in the folk signs of April:
- “April worries will drive away from the stove”
- “April does not like the lazy, but loves the agile one,”
- “If you sow deeper in the spring, you will have bread in the winter,”
- “Wet April is good arable land.”
Well, what are the folk signs of April without predicting the weather for the future? Based on the April weather, it was easy to predict what awaits us ahead:
- “In April it’s wet - mushroom summer, thunderstorm - for a warm summer, for a mushroom harvest,”
- “Thunderstorm in early April - for a warm summer and a nut harvest,”
- “At the end of April there are warm rains - for the harvest,”
- “What’s the weather like on April 1st, will it be the same on October 1st,”
- “It’s hot during the day in April and cool at night - good weather,”
- “The night of the Annunciation (April 7) is warm - the whole spring will be the same,”
- “In April, spring finally overcomes winter: the snow cover completely disappears in the city, and the first mosquitoes appear. But if the swallows haven’t arrived yet, the whole spring will be cold.”
Folk signs of April by day
Literally every day of April has its own signs that help predict the weather for the future, the abundance of the harvest or some other natural phenomena. Folk signs of April, distributed by day, help you navigate the long list of signs and know what you should pay attention to on a given day.
This day was popularly called “Daria Dirty Ice Holes”, because it was on April 1, according to popular superstitions, that the snow began to actively melt. An important folk sign of April for this day was this: “If the spring water comes to Daria with noise, there are good herbs, and when it is quiet, bad grass grows.” Most likely, this was due to how saturated the earth was with water. If the waters flow noisily, it means there is a lot of water, and it will fertilize and moisten the earth well, and if the waters flow quietly, it means there are few of them.
This day was popularly called the day of Photinia. There is such a folk sign associated with this day: “If the day of Photinia is not frosty, and the birds are starting mating games, the summer will be warm.”
This is the day of Nikita the Confessor, on which, according to folk signs of April, the ice was supposed to disappear from the reservoirs. If it hasn’t gone down yet, the fishermen won’t see any spring fishing!
This day in Rus' was called Warm Basil, and the folk sign of April associated with this day read: “The dawn sun in the sky on Warm Basil in red circles - this year there will be a good harvest of vegetables.”
Among the people, this day was the day of Fedul - and any natural phenomena were mentioned using his name. For example, if it was sunny and warm, they opened all the windows and said: “Fedul came - the heat blew.” If it was cool that day, they said: “Fedul pouted his lips.” Folk signs of April include the following pattern, noticed by people in the old days: “The siverko (north wind) blows to Fedul, and the warmth comes from Fedul.”
In addition, April 5 in Rus' was also Nikon’s day, when, according to folk signs of April, finches arrived. On this day, the birds were attracted to their porch and fed bread crumbs, grains and seeds.
April 6 was the day of Zechariah the Faster. Folk signs of April associated with this day advised on this day to cleanse the house “of evil spirits,” wash and clean, light fires outside the yards and walk around the huts in circles. And at night it was necessary to hang a wet towel in the yard to look at it in the morning. If the towel was dry by morning, then, according to the folk signs of April, the summer was expected to be fruitful; if not, then it would be very rainy, at the end of which frost might even appear.
In addition, April 6 was the day of remembrance of the Monk Eutyches and the martyr Jeremiah. Folk signs for April did not advise sowing spring crops (oats, buckwheat, millet, etc.) if the day was stormy, and be sure to sow them if the day was good. It was also customary to sow peas on this day.
April 7 was the day of the Annunciation and was accompanied by a large number of different folk signs of April. According to folk signs in April, swallows were supposed to fly to the Annunciation, otherwise spring would be cold. If the snow has not yet melted from the roofs of houses on Annunciation, you should not expect that it will melt in the field until May 6 (Yegorya).
In general, a lot of folk signs are associated with the Annunciation:
- “From the cold Annunciation there are 40 cold mornings left” (that is, even if April 7 is cold, the cold morning will not be endured for so long),
- “Thunderstorm for the Annunciation - for a warm summer or a nut harvest,”
- “It’s rainy for the Annunciation - in the summer there will be a lot of mushrooms and a good harvest of rye,”
- “The sun is shining brightly and cloudless on Annunciation - there will be thunderstorms in the summer,”
- “If by the time of the Annunciation the birch leaves already appear, and the alder is still bare, it means that the summer will be very sunny and warm,”
- “On the Annunciation, clouds with unclear contours, layers, halos - signify a change in weather,”
- “If there is wind, frost and fog on Annunciation, expect a fruitful summer,”
- “If it’s frosty on Annunciation, there will be a lot of milk mushrooms in the summer.”
According to the folk signs of April, on the Annunciation it was forbidden to comb your hair too thoroughly to avoid hair loss, and it was also forbidden to work. This folk sign of April resulted in the saying: “The bird does not build a nest on this day, the maiden does not braid her hair.”
Among the people, it was Rodion's day, dedicated to observing the “meeting of the sun and the month” (that is, in the morning hours). According to the folk signs of April, if this meeting was good, it means the day will be clear and the summer will be warm. If this meeting was rainy, the day was also expected to be rainy, and the summer would be rainy.
April 9 is the day of Matryona Nastovnitsa. According to folk signs of April, on this day the remnants of the snow melt away and the lapwing and oatmeal arrive. There was such a folk sign of April, associated with birds: “The lapwing screams in the evening - for clear weather”, “The oatmeal sang - leave the sleigh, take the cart” (that is, now it was necessary to move only on wheels).
If on April 10 the sun is blood-red at sunrise and then hides in the clouds, rain is possible during the day. According to another folk sign of April, if the voice of the cuckoo is heard on this day, it means that the frosts are over.
Folk signs of April also include the following:
- “The road to Rufa is collapsing, the snow has melted, there is mud all around - it’s impossible to pass or pass,”
- “Coltsfoot has bloomed - expect warm weather soon.”
Folk signs of April call this day Martin's Day. People believed that on this day the geese would go out onto the ice - it would still be cold. The explanation for this sign is very simple: the main feeding place for geese in cold times is considered to be a pond - therefore, when they arrive before the weather gets warm, they go out onto the ice, feeling that they will have to feed here for a very, very long time.
On the same day, the fox rutting season begins, when the foxes begin to move from old holes to new ones. According to folk signs of April, by the 11th the crows already have chicks.
According to folk signs of April, it was on this day, on average, that woodcocks (a breed of bird) began to crave. If there is no traction yet or it suddenly stops abruptly, this can be regarded as a symbol of an imminent cold snap or even snowfall!
In addition, April 12 is the day of Ivan Climacus. And the folk signs of April involve baking special cookies - ladders - on this day to call for rain.
April 13 was called “Ognishche” in Rus'. On this day, the firewoman - that is, the peasant woman who had her birthday on this day - collected all the coals in the house, carried them to the field, lit a fire and burned last year's grass.
This day in Rus' was the day of Mary of Egypt (Mary lit the snow). On this day, according to folk signs of April, the ice from the reservoirs and the snow from the fields completely disappeared. If this did not happen, the year promised to be difficult. And if the ice melted and a flood began, it was worth waiting for the rapid growth of young grass.
Usually by this day the peasants no longer had any reserves of sauerkraut - the most important ingredient of cabbage soup and simply a tasty dish, so April 14 was called “empty cabbage soup.” On this day, it was customary to eat those very “empty cabbage soup”, “fasting” in this way - after all, Mary of Egypt was also the patroness of repentant fornicators and harlots at the Last Judgment, and also, she herself judged those who did not repent.
In addition, folk signs of April on this day also suggest the beginning of the brownie's wakefulness after hibernation. And in order for the brownie to be happy, the people believed that on this day it would be good to deceive their household members about something!
Another mystical folk sign of April is associated with the fact that, according to an ancient legend, on this day an old raven releases crows, who are one year old, into a separate nest so that they begin an independent life. And the raven was considered a very respected bird among the people - after all, it lived for 300 years and, as it was believed, was a bird of sorts.
This day was popularly called Titus Icebreaker and Polycarp. According to folk signs of April, if at this time the weather is good and the sky is clear, it means that the summer will be warm and fruitful. On this day, crows actively croak and wood grouse scream.
But there are also negative sides to this day. For example, by April 15, all supplies of bread are already depleted, so there is even such a folk sign of April: “The crow croaked, croaked, and croaked for the peasant Polikarpov’s day.”
This day is called Tit Icebreaker, because right now people monitor the condition of ice on the rivers. If the ice floats down the river, it means the year will be good, and if it sinks, it will be a difficult year. By this time, according to folk signs of April, the water is already actively spilling.
On April 15, beekeepers began to listen to the hives to see if bees had begun to buzz, and if the region was warm, they even put the hives outside.
This day in Rus' had several names associated with the same phenomenon - the maximum flood of rivers and lakes. April 16 was called Nikita Vodopol and Irina-urvi (break) of the shore. And even if by this day the ice had not yet broken, the folk signs of April gave their verdict: there would be no more good fishing.
And if the ice did break, the fishermen tried to play it safe by sacrificing a horse to Vodyany. For this purpose, the most unsightly horse was bought from the gypsies, which was then sent into the river with the words: “Here’s a housewarming gift for you, grandfather: love, favor our family.” Folk signs of April explain this by saying that in this way the fishermen tried to appease Vodyanoy so that he would give them more fish and lure fish from nearby lakes and rivers.
And if frost suddenly formed in the morning of that day, people rejoiced, as it was believed that this was a symbol of the warm beginning of summer.
On this day, the peasants made their first trip to the field, and also predicted summer weather. What a morning it was on this day, so the summer promised to be, according to the folk signs of April.
April 24 in Rus' was considered the day of Antipas (Anton) Polovod. If the waters have not yet spilled, it means that the summer will be cold and there will be practically no harvest. Folk omens for April promise exactly this:
- “Guess about the bread by antipodean water”
- “Antip without water is a granary without grain.”
This day in Rus' was called Arina - play the ravines. The fact is that, according to folk signs of April, the water in the ravines during this period ran quickly and cheerfully. This was the key to a good harvest this year. If the water in the ravines froze, the harvest was expected to be poor.
On this day, they also paid attention to what was growing in the forest. If there were a lot of plantains, it means everything will be beautiful this year!
In Rus', every month of the year had a sufficient number of signs that were confirmed in real life. A striking example of this is the above folk signs of April. Try to observe the weather and other factors throughout the month - and perhaps you will see for yourself that the folk signs of April can really be used to predict the future. Let it be only in terms of weather and yield for now!
It’s not for nothing that April is called the month of contrasts, because it is during this period that spring comes into its own and winter completely recedes. The sun came out and the spring drops began to ring, but then the clouds rolled in again and a cold north wind blew. The difficult nature of the second spring month is reflected in many different beliefs created by the people and passed on from generation to generation. What are they, folk signs for April?
April signs
The name of the month comes from the Latin verb "aperio", which means "to open". It is during this period that spring truly begins, the buds on the trees swell and the snow melts. There is another version of the origin of the name of the month, which is based on the Latin word “apricus”, which means “warmed by the sun”. And you can’t argue with this, because it is in April that the spring sun begins to shine brighter and warm more intensely.
For our ancestors, who traditionally relied on agriculture, monitoring the April weather was extremely important, because it was on these days that it became clear what the coming summer would be like and what kind of harvest would be harvested. In this regard, a huge number of folk superstitions appeared, passed from mouth to mouth. So, if the surface of the snow cover in April is slightly rough, this is a harbinger of a good harvest.
According to popular belief, if April is damp, the summer will be mushroom. A large spill of meltwater in the first ten days of the month promises a good harvest.
There is another interesting belief that says: “Whatever the weather will be like on the first of April, the same will be the case on the first of October.” A large amount of birch sap is a harbinger of a rainy summer. April lightning without audible thunderclaps warns of a dry, hot summer.
For our distant ancestors, every day in April had a special meaning, because the weather this month is very changeable and unpredictable. In addition, peasant work knows no days off, except that several major church holidays gave the villagers the opportunity to rest a little. In this regard, folk signs of April were born by day.
First decade
Beliefs of the first ten days of the second spring month are associated with the active melting of snow. During the period when March gives way to April, the ice on the rivers becomes fragile, and islands of melted snow appear in the forest. It is at this time that the earth is actively saturated with water, which affects the yield of the year.
Signs for April 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6
According to popular belief, if on April 1st you hear distant rumbles of thunder and glimpses of lightning, the weather will soon begin to improve. The noisy flow of spring waters is a harbinger of a riot of grass, and the early arrival of wagtails is an indicator of early spring. If a large number of buds are visible on the hazel bushes on the 1st, there will be a rich harvest of oats this year.
Seeing a crane on the crust on the 2nd means a bad harvest, but fast flowing ice on the river, on the contrary, promises a fruitful year.
According to signs, if blue clouds float across the sky on April 3, this is a clear sign of upcoming warm but rainy weather. The thunderstorm on this day is also an indicator of warming. When analyzing folk signs for April 4, special attention should be paid to the behavior of crows. So, if birds sat on a fence or tree branches, lowered their wings and ruffled their feathers, this is a sure sign of impending precipitation, and if on this day crows bathe in spring puddles, this is a sign of warmth.
The signs for April 5 are dedicated to the first thunder of spring. If on this day a thunderstorm thundered over the snow that had not begun to melt, a cold summer awaits ahead. If, during the first thunder, the ice on the reservoirs has not yet broken, thunderstorms will become a frequent guest of the coming summer.
According to popular belief, on the afternoon of April 6, on the eve of the great church holiday of the Annunciation, it is imperative to cleanse the house of dirt and evil spirits. On the evening of the 6th, it was customary to hang a wet towel outside and leave it overnight. If the towel was dry by morning, it meant that the summer would be warm and fruitful, and if the towel remained wet or froze, it promised a lot of precipitation in the summer.
Annunciation
On April 7, the Feast of the Annunciation, nature finally wakes up from hibernation and spring fully comes into its own. On this day in April, according to popular belief, any work, even the lightest, was prohibited. To improve your health and protect your household from illness, various cleansing rituals should be performed on the Annunciation. So, the owners of the estates burned fires and smoked their clothes. Particular attention was paid to Annunciation water, which was considered healing and helped girls and women maintain beauty and youth.
- If the weather is clear and sunny on this day, the coming summer will be warm and pleasant.
- A warm Annunciation night is a sure sign of good weather in May.
- If the sky is clear and cloudless on this holiday, the summer will be fruitful for wheat. However, this same sign is a harbinger of frequent summer thunderstorms.
- Rain on Annunciation promises a large number of mushrooms in summer and autumn.
- Light frosts on this day predict a good harvest of cucumbers.
- If there was thunder on the Annunciation, there would be a lot of nuts.
- The absence of swallows on this holiday marks the arrival of cold spring.
- The presence of snow on the roofs of houses promises a long spring.
Signs for April 8, 9 and 10
Folk signs of April consider the 8th as an indicator of a warm or cold summer. So, if the morning of this day turned out to be warm and sunny, the summer will be the same. If it rains on the morning of April 8, then the summer months will also be rainy.
According to signs, if noticeable mold forms when the snow melts on April 9, this indicates a mushroom autumn. By this day, lapwings usually return home from hot countries. Our ancestors knew that by observing their behavior, we could predict the weather. So, if the lapwing is noisy in the morning and flies low, the coming day will be clear and dry.
Folk signs for April 10 advise paying attention to the edges of the snow that is melting. If they are steep, this is a sign of a cold, lingering spring. You can tell what the coming summer will be like by observing the behavior of birds. If they build their nests on the sunny side, the summer will be cool.
Second decade
The second 10 days of April are pleasing with greater intensity of snow melting, the singing of arriving birds and sunny weather. It was during this period that our ancestors closely observed the behavior of animals and birds, analyzing it and comparing it with subsequent weather changes. They also paid attention to plants awakening from winter hibernation.
Signs for April 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15
Folk signs of April recommend paying attention to birds on the 11th. If magpies build their nests low to the ground, the weather in summer will be rainy and stormy. The appearance of a large number of swans clearly marks the onset of a warm spring.
If the dandelion blooms by April 12, this is a sign of a short summer. High-flying geese on this day are harbingers of large water from melting snow. A sunny and fine day on April 13 is a sign indicating imminent warming. If birds returning from warm countries do not chirp, this means that the cold weather will continue.
Folk signs of April suggest taking a closer look at the bees on the 14th. If they have already flown out of their hives by this day, this is a sign of a warm, pleasant spring. The calendar for April 15 says that if the weather is good on this day, the coming summer will be warm and fruitful. In ancient times, almost everyone knew that if ice floats freely on the river on April 15, this means that the coming year will be favorable for life, and if the ice blocks sink, it will be difficult.
Signs for April 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20
According to popular belief, in April the 16th was the day when fishermen could find out whether they should expect a good bite in the near future. If by this day the ice on the river had broken, fishing promised to be successful, but if the ice cover remained intact, fishing could be unsuccessful.
On the 17th, our ancestors paid attention to the bark of trees. If it is cracked, this is a harbinger of clear weather.
If on the 18th it is warm outside during the day and cool at night, this is a harbinger of stable clear weather.
According to popular wisdom, in April it is worth taking a closer look at the behavior of wild ducks; this should be done exactly on the 19th. If by April 19 they have placed their nests near the water, the coming summer will be dry. If by the 20th a large number of catkins have blossomed on the aspen tree, this promises a good pea harvest.
Third decade
The third ten-day period of April is the final one; it is at its end that the last spring month - May - comes into play. The snow has melted and the peasants are beginning to prepare for spring field work. The April signs of the third ten days are designed to help farmers determine the timing of sowing and determine what the coming year will be like relative to the harvest.
Signs for April 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25
It was on April 21, according to folk signs, that the first trip to the field was scheduled on peasant farms. In addition, it was believed that whatever the morning of this day would be, the same would be the case all summer. On April 22, it is customary to observe magpies. If they fly high until late in the evening, the coming day promises to be clear, without precipitation.
On April 23, farmers traditionally watched the sunrise. It was believed that the appearance of a red sun in the sky, shrouded in a haze of fog, promised a good harvest of grain.
According to popular belief, in April, if the rivers are still not free of ice on the 24th, spring will be cold. As for the 25th, it was not allowed to go into the forest on that day. Such a superstition was associated with the sally of hares, which, crossing a person’s path, made his day unlucky.
Signs for April 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30
April 26 is the period of intense flowering of lungwort. It is on this day that it comes into full force and its properties become healing.
The 27th is called the period when foxes move from old holes to new ones. In addition, it is on this day that old crows release their grown-up children - crows - into adulthood. People say about crows that they can crow about impending misfortunes.
April is a wonderful spring month: in just 30 days it makes truly fabulous transformations in nature: it drives away the remnants of winter, warms the earth, and unfurls early green leaves. It was not for nothing, apparently, that people believed that only April, the only one in the family of brother months, held the keys to the warm season: “The April flower breaks the snowball,” and “The sun rolls down the April hill into summer.”
There is a prediction that April received its name from the Latin word “aperire”, which means “to open”. And the ancient Romans, who gave the name to the month, seemed to expand and clarify its interpretation, “revealing his gifts.” And truly “April picks up water, opens flowers,” “April colors the earth.”
And among the Russians, its names were associated with the awakening of living nature, just listen to these words - kveten, pollen, birch, grass. But as the rumor stated, “Don’t break the stoves while April is around your shoulders”. The weather in April is warm and unstable, but it is famous for its water. Any day now the rivers will open up, the ice will “move”, and a furious, uncontrollable flood will begin. From time immemorial, peasants lived in the hope that “April will give everyone a drink”: “If only there was water, greenery would appear.”
In Rus', ice holes were used not only for fishing, they drove cattle to them to water, imagine what was going on around them. In April the ice melted and all the dirt came out. In fact, Daria was a neat person; she helped the village housewives bleach their canvases. The old recommendation was: “You can remove any stains from your laundry if you soak it exactly as the spring sun rises and spread it out on clean snow.” .
Those interested can try the ancient method.
Signs for April 4 - Vasily Solnechnik
If any of you, dear friends, are concerned about the fate of this year's harvest, then on this day you need to wake up early and look at the sunrise. If you notice red circles around it, you can go get some sleep with a calm heart - the year will be fertile.
On this day, according to legend, Archangel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary that she had found grace from God and would give birth to the Savior of the world. Since then, this weekday has been considered by Christians as one of the brightest and most significant holidays. On this day, according to popular belief, not only the earth rejoices and rejoices, even angels in heaven celebrate it, even sinners in hell stop torturing. On Annunciation, the sun at sunrise shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow. On this day, the Mother of God herself sows the earth's fields from heavenly heights, scattering the grains and seeds of all the blades of grass growing on the earth. Only in the evening will she finish her good work. And while the Mother of God is working, no one, “neither people, nor birds, nor reptiles of the earth, nor beasts of the forest,” can do even the most trifling work. They say that the cuckoo was left without a nest because that day she tried to curl it, and the mole became blind because he disobeyed the ban. Therefore, it is considered, on this day, out of harm’s way, “The bird does not build a nest, the red maiden does not weave her braids.”
Also, on the day of the week on which the Annunciation holiday falls, you cannot start new things all year.
Signs for April 12 - John Climacus
This day was usually fussy, noisy and troublesome, because the wandering Brownies gave no rest to anyone. They said to John Climacus, the old skin fell off from the Brownies and they could not find a place for themselves from pain. He was always considered the patron of the family, a guarantor of peace and well-being, so when moving to a new place, they took their Brownie with them. To do this, they took a bast shoe and said: “Grandfather Brownie, come home. Come live with us." —
they carried the bast shoe to the new house and hid it under the stove.
The heroes of this spring day were water and sun. They said: “The snow melts on Mary and behind the deck”, “Marya the flood begins.” And people also called her: “Marya - empty cabbage soup”. The housewives inspected the drains and cellars; they had become noticeably empty over the long winter. They tried their best to survive until the new harvest. This is where all kinds of stews, hodgepodges, pickles and soups came to the rescue.
In the folk calendar, this day was considered the beginning of ice drift, when “Mother River is walking.” It was this day that Russian traders chose for their holiday; they called it “Barysh Day”. They celebrated it very diligently so that the whole year would be profitable, and the money received from trade would be used for future use.
Signs for April 19 - Eutyches
On Eutychius they wished for the pea harvest. If the day was quiet and the night was starry, there was no need to worry about anything, and everyone on the farm would be happy with the peas.
Since time immemorial, people have had superstitions and customs associated with peas:
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They say that a pod with twelve peas brings happiness and prosperity.
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Scattering peas means quick tears.
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Eating two people from the same pod means a quarrel.
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In a house where ghosts roam at night, you need to scatter peas in the corners, everything will immediately calm down.
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Lichens, calluses, warts will disappear if you touch them with a pea and then burn it in the oven.
But even if all this is classified as an “old wives’ tale”, peas will still have one important quality - they are delicious!
Signs for April 29 - Irina - seedbed
On this day, cabbage is sown for seedlings.
“Irina - snatch the shores, tear up the shores.” The shore cannot resist Irina's water. Irina, play the ravines. Noticed: “If the ravines play and freeze again, expect interference with the harvest.”
April got its name back in ancient Rus', then it was called “berezozol”, which meant evil for birches. At this time, they were collecting birch sap, after which deep wounds were left on the birch trees. In some regions, this month was called “pollen”, since it was at this time that the first flowers bloomed.
About the weather
Morning fog always means that you need to wait for clear sunny weather. People said that if the cumulus clouds did not disappear by evening, the weather would deteriorate sharply and it would rain.
The weather was cloudy in the morning, which cleared up by lunchtime, but by evening clouds appeared in the sky? The weather will remain sunny all day tomorrow.
Bird cherry blossoms in April - expect frost, and if golden-yellow bells bloom, warm days will come soon.
Fog spreads across the water in this spring month - it means clear weather, and if it rises up - it will rain. And when the April rain begins in large drops, it will not last long. Are the sparrows sitting, ruffled? It will rain soon.
Jackdaws sit on the tops of trees - this means warmth; they hide in the middle of a tree - this means frost. If the rooks are calling, gathering in groups and fussing over their nests, the weather should change. If spring birds arrive in the second half of the month, it means there will be no more cold weather.
The southwest wind in April foreshadows prolonged bad weather, and if the larks sing long and often, clear weather without precipitation will continue for another week. True, if you can’t hear them in the morning, it should rain soon.
Can you hear the chorus of frogs all April night? The weather is expected to be clear for the next day. When there are a lot of cobwebs flying at the end of April, the summer will be hot. It's hot during the day and cool at night - good weather.
Popular observations say that if there was a thunderstorm during the first days of the month, then the summer is expected to be warm and dry. If the first April rain is accompanied by thunder, there will definitely be good harvests of grains and berries this year.
Warm April nights foreshadow a good fall harvest. Also, if a clear starry sky is often visible at the end of the month, the harvest this year is expected to be rich.
When April was rainy, in May there will be good germination of the sown crops. Also, April rains are signs that there will be a large number of mushrooms and nuts in the summer.
Signs for every day
- April 1 is Daria's day. There are no stars visible in the sky at all - the coming days will be warm and sunny, and whatever the weather is like during the day, it will be the same on October 1st.
- April 2 is the day of Fotinya the Well. If the ice on the rivers has not yet melted, there will be very little fish in the waters this year.
- April 3 is the day of Cyril Katanik. The coltsfoot bloomed and the first mosquitoes appeared - it was warming up, the ice did not begin to melt - the fishermen could not see the spring catch.
- April 4 is St. Basil's Day. We looked where the streams from the drops flowed - they did not build a house in that place. At dawn, the girls read fortunes from the sun: if it has a red halo, there will be a good harvest.
- April 5 is Nikon's day. The first spring thunder with snow that has not yet melted means a cold summer. If the waves on the river go against the current, expect rain and worsening weather.
- April 6 is the day of Jacob and Zakhar. Snow fell on this day - for a good buckwheat harvest. A warm night means spring will be quick and warm.
- April 8 is the day of Gabriel Blagovest. If there is still snow on the roofs, it will last another 30 days. If the bird cherry blossoms, you can plant potatoes.
- April 9 is the day of St. Matrona. It was considered a bad omen to quarrel on this day - you won’t be able to make peace later. In the morning, the lapwing screams - for clear weather.
- April 10 - Hilarion's Day. Collecting coltsfoot. Thick fog in the morning portends a good harvest of vegetables, fruits and grains.
- April 11 is St. Mark's Day. Heavy rain or downpour for a good harvest of oats this year, a lot of birch sap - for a rainy summer.
- April 12 is the day of John Climacus. Domovoi was furious and outrageous, he was cajoled in all sorts of ways. The bees have flown out of the hives, which means it will already be warm.
- April 13 is the day of Hypatius the Wonderworker. A sunny day means prolonged warmth, morning fog means rain, a calm wind means frost, rain in the morning means a wet summer.
- April 14 is Maryin's day. Suddenly the ice melted - the last two weeks of the month will be warm.
- April 15 is the day of St. Titus the Icebreaker. The river overflows its banks - expect a good grain harvest and early mowing.
- April 16 is Nikita's day. The merman wakes up, and they brought him a treat. Long rumbles of thunder - expect bad weather in the coming days.
- April 17 is Osip's day. The cricket started singing, which means it’s time to start field work, the cranes have flown in - stay warm.
- April 18 - Fedulov's day and Fedora Vetrenitsa. They opened the windows wide and created drafts to drive the dampness out of the house. A warm, windless day with a cool night means warm weather in the near future.
- April 19 is the day of Eutyches and Jeremiah. If this day is quiet and sunny, there will be a good spring harvest.
- April 20 is Akulina's day. It was believed that if frost and sun were combined on this day, there would be an excellent harvest of grain.
- April 21 – Rodionov day. Sunny day - the summer will be good, warm, and if it is cloudy or raining on this day, it will rain all summer.
- April 22 is Vadim Klyuchnik’s day. The weather is unstable - droughts are expected in the summer, but it will be warm on this day - it will get a little colder in early May.
- April 23 is the day of the Holy Martyrs Terenius and Pompius. Rainy day - dry summer. Young spiders have appeared, which means it will soon be warm.
- April 24 is the day of Antipas Polovod. They wondered about the upcoming weather and harvest; they did not carry out sowing and planting work that day. If there is still ice on the river, summer will be rainy and cold.
- April 25 is the day of St. Basil the Venerable and St. Basil of Paria. The willow has blossomed - the rest of spring will be cool.
- April 26 is Thomas Day. The lungwort was blooming. The oak tree has blossomed - the summer will be warm, and if there are a lot of acorns left on it, autumn and winter will be early.
- April 27 is St. Martin's Day. They arranged bridesmaid shows and went to get married. Wet and dirty - to good arable land.
- April 29 is Irina's day. If the day is clear, warm and the alder has bloomed, then buckwheat will delight you with its harvest.
- April 30 is the day of Zosima the Bee. They sown parsley and carrots. Whatever bread the bee lands on, you can expect more grain harvests. Whichever plant or tree the most bees land on will be the most productive this year.
April 7 – Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A warm night means it will be warm all month, a cold day means there will be frost for another 7 days. A damp day for mushroom summer.
April 28 is the day of the Apostles Aristarchus, Pud, Trophimus. Working late is bringing misfortune to the whole family. In the evening, a clear day became cloudy - foreseeing bad weather and rain soon.
Wedding in April
April is an amazing month when, together with nature, human feelings awaken and boil. A wedding in April foreshadows difficulties in the first years of life together, but if the newlyweds are able to overcome everything and maintain their relationship with each other, then their future life will be filled with happiness, stability and prosperity.
If you decide to get married on April 1, then everything is fine with your sense of humor, because it’s not for nothing that they say: “Getting married on April 1 means having fun all your life!” Such a holiday will definitely be remembered for a lifetime and not only by the newlyweds, but also by all the guests.