The Orthodox Church honors today St. Germanus, Patriarch of Constantinople. Name day is celebrated by Gerana, Gerasim, Gerda, German, Gero, Iskra, Iskren, reports offnews.bg.
In popular belief, the day is associated with the ruler of summer storms. A custom of praying for rain is performed. It is also called the German Hailmaker because it protects people from hail.
St. German is known for his pious life and as an ecclesiastical writer. Forced to renounce icon veneration, he left the patriarchal throne. Hymns for glorifying the saints and God's grace, sermons and interpretations of the difficult places in St. Writing.
St. Germanus was the son of a senator killed by Emperor Constantine Pogonatus (668-685). From a young age, he dedicated himself to serving God. Because of his pious life and his spiritual enlightenment, he first became the bishop of Kyzis, and in 715 he was elected patriarch of Constantinople. In the reign of Leo III the Isaurian (717-741), who declared himself against the worship of icons, Germanus used many efforts to reason with the king and divert him from error, but in vain. Leo demanded that the veneration of icons be condemned at a council.
St. Germanus died in 740 at the age of 95 and was buried in the Hora Monastery in Constantinople. Later his relics were transferred to France.