A special holiday on December 20 is Abrosimov Day: history, traditions, omens

Every year on December 20, Orthodox believers honor the memory of St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan. The holiday is considered a time of spiritual reflection and the beginning of preparations for Christmas. In the national calendar, it is called Abrosimov Day. In 2025, the celebration falls on a Saturday. Read about its history, traditions and folk signs in the material.

What is the church holiday on December 20th?

St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, lived in the fourth century, during the period of the Western Roman Empire. He came from a noble Roman Christian family, and among his relatives was the Holy Martyr Soteria, who suffered for her faith during the persecution under Emperor Diocletian.

In his youth, Ambrose received a brilliant education in Rome, studied law and public speaking. His abilities were appreciated at court, and in the 370s he was appointed prefect (governor) of Northern Italy with residence in Milan, a city that became one of the centers of political and ecclesiastical life of the empire.

In 374, the difficult election of a new bishop took place in Milan, which exacerbated the contradictions between Orthodox Christians and followers of the Arian heresy. Ambrose, as a representative of the authorities, came to the temple to calm the people. According to legend, at that moment a child's voice was heard in the church: "Ambrose is a bishop." The crowd supported this decision, and the secular official became the main candidate for the post of head of the church.

Ambrose had not even been baptized at that time. However, accepting what was happening as God's will, he agreed. On November 30, he was baptized, ordained a priest, and on December 7 he was elevated to the rank of Bishop of Milan — in just seven days, having passed all the levels of the church hierarchy.

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Having ascended to the episcopal see, Ambrose distributed his possessions, choosing for himself a modest and strict lifestyle. He quickly became known as one of the best preachers of his time and became one of the four great Teachers of the Church. The saint left behind numerous theological works and spiritual hymns that influenced the formation of Christian worship.

A special place in church tradition is occupied by his role in the fate of Blessed Augustine — it was Ambrose's sermons that helped Augustine come to the faith, and the saint himself subsequently baptized him.

Already during his lifetime, Ambrose enjoyed national love, and his memory is surrounded by stories of miracles performed by the bishop's prayer. After his death, his relics were placed in a church built by his order in Milan. Later, a basilica was erected on this site, where they remain today.

Traditions of the national holiday Abrosimov Day on December 20th

In Russia, peasants associated with Abrosimov Day an important transition to the Christmas period — after December 20, before Christmas, major celebrations were not expected in the calendar, according to beliefs, the time of silence, work and spiritual preparation began with this holiday.

"Abrosimov day — order in the house, silence in the soul," they used to say in Russia. The day progressed steadily, without fuss. The men went to the barn in the morning, cleaned the stalls, repaired fences, and harvested firewood. Pigs and poultry were often slaughtered, lard was salted, meat and fish were smoked — "so that the table would be full on Christmas Eve."

The women checked the stocks in the cellars, sorted out vegetables and pickles, cleaned the house, changed the curtains and "updated" the red corner. This order was perceived as a symbol of purification before the winter holidays.

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Unmarried girls started sewing dowries — shirts, towels, tablecloths. Married women were engaged in mending clothes, knitting, and embroidery. It was believed that careful work with threads on this day "stitches" well-being in the coming year.

In some places, the eldest woman in the house, a "big woman", wore a sheepskin coat and mittens inside out. So, according to legend, it was possible to "turn out" troubles and illnesses from the house and not let misfortunes into the family.

On Abrosim's day, loaves were often baked, into which a stalk of oats was put. Bowls of honey and water were placed next to the bread. It was believed that treats attracted happiness, health, and financial luck to the home, while oats in bread "tied" the future harvest to the family.

What not to do on the Abrosimov Day holiday on December 20th

In folk tradition, there are many prohibitions and warnings associated with December 20, the violation of which, according to beliefs, can cause trouble and spoil the whole coming year. Abrosimov Day falls on the Christmas fast (from November 28 to January 6), for believers it is a period of conscious restraint in food, entertainment and emotions. Therefore, meat and dairy products, animal fats, eggs, rich pies and cream cakes, and alcoholic beverages were not served on the table.

The ancestors tried to spend the holiday quietly, without too much noise, with their family, not to arrange noisy festivities with games, songs and dances. "Ambrose has thrown away the holidays," they said.

What else can't be done on December 20th

• do laundry — the water is "heavy" on this day, you can "rinse out" your health and luck;
• women perform hard physical labor — excessive labor on Ambrose will result in illnesses and weakness in winter;
• girls wash and comb their hair — there is a risk of "washing away" beauty, happiness and spending another year without a betrothed;
• Wearing bright, eye—catching clothes, especially when leaving home, can attract evil spirits and envious people.;
• quarreling and swearing loudly — words spoken in anger on December 20 promise protracted conflicts throughout the year;
• to lend and borrow money in the evening — together with the money, you can "give away" prosperity, but it will not be easy to repay debts.;
• going on a long journey without extreme necessity — the path started on this day can be difficult and troublesome.;
• to engage in risky business and large spontaneous purchases — they will not bring benefits.

Folk signs for December 20th

On December 20, the peasants carefully observed the sky, wind, birds and snow cover to make a forecast about the future harvest and the "nature" of winter.:

• bullfinches can be clearly heard in the morning due to frosts and weather changes.;
• severe frost and clear skies — for a fertile, fruitful year;
• Sparrows huddle together in dense flocks, sitting huddled, leading to a sharp cold snap and increased wind;
• Gale—force winds lead to harsh, snowy winters with frequent snowstorms;
• sleet or snow with rain — for rainy summer and wet autumn;
• dry, light snowfall — for a hot and dry summer;
• The sun is in a haze, a misty halo around the disk — a blizzard or big snow is coming soon.;
• the snow at the fence lay in a solid, dense line — to a meager harvest, there are gaps between the snow and the hedge — the year promises to be more favorable.

The ancestors believed that the weather on Abrosimov Day shows the character of January. "Like Ambrose, like January," they said.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the signs and strictest prohibitions of the special national holiday Savva Day.