Today the church honors St. Athanasius of Athos, but the people call him Midsummer or Reaper, because it is the middle of summer and the harvest begins.
Unlike the winter St. Athanasius, who takes off his coat and goes to the top of the mountain to chase winter and call summer, his summer namesake puts on his coat, pulls on his cap, drives the storks to the south and calls winter. They call him more Midwinter. The old people say: “Athanas has come and summer has come!”
Reverend Athanasius lived in the 10th century. He was born in Trebizond and at his baptism he was named Avramius. Orphaned in early childhood. A pious nun took care of his upbringing.
Later he went to Constantinople. There he became acquainted with and perfected the sciences of the time. Even in his childhood years, little Avramius strongly desired to serve God through monastic works. He became a disciple of Venerable Michael Malein and was ordained a monk under the name Athanasius.
After a while, he went to the Holy Mountain, where he devoted himself to a difficult ascetic life, trying to hide from everyone both his learning and his great gifts. But that turned out to be impossible. Both his great knowledge and his holy and virtuous monastic life became famous. Many began to honor him. He was also respected by the dignitaries and generals of the empire, Leo and Nicephorus, who were prominent at that time.
Nicephorus later became the Byzantine emperor. He generously assisted Athanasius in the construction and expansion of the monasteries of Mount Athos, and especially in the construction of the monastery founded by Athanasius, now called the Great Lavra of St. Athanasius of Athens.
The pious monk Athanasius received from God the gift of working miracles. With a fervent and fervent prayer to the all-giving God, he brought abundant water to his laurel. To this day, this spring is named after him.
St. Athanasius of Aton completed his earthly journey at the end of the 10th century.
Beliefs and customs
It is believed that on this day, St. Athanasius puts on his cloak and goes to the god to pray for winter, since the summer has already halved. It is accompanied by ritual-magical actions.
Every housewife on this day drives a black hen. The custom is called hen church.
In the Middle Rhodopes, village sacrifices are slaughtered. Women distribute fresh cakes for rain and blessing.
In the western regions, St. Athanasius is revered as the patron saint of ploughmen, and in Eastern Bulgaria, the customs against drought Butterfly and German are performed.
On July 5, the Church honors the memory of one of the greatest Russian saints - Sergius of Radonezh.
Name day today is celebrated by: Atanas, Atanaska, Nasko, Nacho, Zhivko, Zhivka, Zhivan, Zhivana, Trajan, Traiana, Tasko, Traiko, Traika.