December 9

The Ukrainian Orthodox and Catholic Churches celebrate the dedication of the Church of St George in  Kyiv by Yaroslav the Wise in 1051 on 26 November (Julian calendar), which currently falls on 9 December on the Gregorian calendar.  This is known as “Холодний Юрій” (Cold Yuriy).

In folk tradition this holiday is called the Day of Cold Yuriy, or Winter Yuriy. It was believed that on December 9, bears went into hibernation in their dens because it was so cold.

People went to their wells and listened to the water so as to understand what the winter would be like. If the water was quiet and without disturbances on December 9, then the winter would be warm, without snowstorms and frost. If noise and hum were heard from the bottom of the well, then it was a sign that winter would be frosty, with many snowstorms.

Traditions

It was believed that in Yuri winter fully comes into its own: "Yuri paves, and Nicholas nails." By December 9, our ancestors were shutting down windows and lining doors to protect their homes from the frost.

If a person was departing for a long journey on December 9th, it was imperative to order a prayer service at the church and pray for a favorable end to your future journey.

You should also repay all debts, otherwise you will spend all your life in debt. It was accepted that in order to live well and have no debt, it was necessary to get rid of debt or pay bills before December 9.

As Yuriy was considered a protector of household animals, people prayed to the saint for the safety and health of their livestock, and so that wild predators would not attack them.  Rituals on the subject were common. For example, on December 9th, they threw embers into the water, and then a few of those embers (extinguished) were taken to the barn or cattle shed where there were domestic animals and birds, in order to protect them.

St. George's Day was a very important holiday for our ancestors: on this day, during the period of serfdom, peasants had the opportunity to move from one master to another. But this tradition was abolished by Boris Godunov at the end of the sixteenth century. Probably many of you have heard the adage "Here's to you, Grandma, and St. George's Day," denoting lost opportunities.

Signs and Portents for December 9th

If by December 9 there was a lot of snow, then by May 6 (on spring the feast of St. George), everything will melt and new grass will grow.

If it is cold or frosty on Yuri's day, winter promises to be very harsh and long.

If you hear wolf howling near the house on Yuri's day, this portends a severe frost.

If there is hoarfrost on the ground on Yuri's day, there will be a good harvest next year.

Strong wind, or a northerly wind, on December 9 portends frost.

If you have a snowstorm all day on December 9th, it will be an early bee “watering.”