February 21, 2023: Zacharias Serpovidets – what can not be done today?

What happened today:

Today, the Orthodox Church commemorates Zechariah, one of the twelve minor prophets. The saints call him the Sickle-See, because in one of his prophetic revelations, Zechariah saw a scroll flying through the air, resembling a great sickle. The surname also signifies the beginning of the period when people first think of the approaching fieldwork season after winter and control one of their agricultural implements, the sickle. Zechariah was specially prayed for help at work. It is believed that on February 21, St. Zacharias descended to the ground and checked the villagers’ readiness to work on the land in the future.

Things not to do on February 21:

• envy;
• be lazy;
• filling teeth;
• performing surgical operations.

Folk signs and beliefs:

• a young sickle-shaped moon – to the harvest;
• for a successful year you should sharpen your knives;
• The auction will be successful today.

Angel Day is celebrated:

Zakhar, Makar, Savva, Stepan and Fedor.

Born today:

1925 – Igor Shamo (d. 1982), Ukrainian composer, People’s Artist of the Ukrainian SSR;

1946 – Alan Rickman (d. 2016), English actor, director, Golden Globe and other award winner;

1962 – Chuck Palahniuk, American author

1996 – Sophie Turner, English actress

Also on this day:

1784 – the city of Nikolaev was founded;

1925 – The first issue of The New Yorker is published;

1947 – Polaroid camera appears in the USA;

1993 – in Donetsk, Sergei Bubka sets a world record in the pole vault in the hall – 6 m 15 cm;

1995 – American Steve Fossett becomes the first person in the world to cross the Pacific Ocean in a hot air balloon;

1998 – Celine Dion’s song “My Heart Will Go On” topped the charts.