On the day of Indian porridge, it was customary to honor midwives. They were brought generous gifts and treats. They came with children so that their grandmothers could bless them. Especially on this day, expectant mothers and young girls were recommended to go to their grandmothers.
Later, the Orthodox Church began to celebrate the Feast of the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary on this day.
Midwife — in the village is a distant relative. Not a single homeland could do without a midwife. Grandma helped the woman in labor. Knowing the customs of antiquity, the grandmother knew her business. During the torment, the woman in labor flooded the bathhouse and hung the woman in labor in the sun. Granny — midwifery — pretended to be a kind word, kind herbs, good prayers. Smoking a woman in labor, that is, burning a birch ray and setting fire to wormwood with immortelle grass, the grandmother cared about her easy homelands.
Many sayings were made about the holiday, one of them: «On the holiday of porridge, everyone walks around with a spoon — a complete scoop will not disperse the family». This meant that the customs of this day were aimed at strengthening the family. Mother gathered the children in the evening and taught them to glorify Christmas, sprinkle grain — for a long time, for good luck, for well-being. It was easier than ever to give out a slice of pie during the holiday hour and pamper the children with cranberries on honey. But mother knew: «The loaf is not baked in every home, and even so that the whole family gets enough».
The children had to earn a treat and taste the whole world of children equally both satiety and sweets. «Serve a cow, an oilseed head, a liver on the pillow, a gilded cow!». In the children's box from every house they carried out both big shoes and maiden-brides ritual cookies, which in their appearance were akin to cattle. And the kids encouraged: «You, hostess, give it to me! You, jerk, give it to you! Serve — don't break! If you break it off a little — it will be Ermoshka. If you break off the hump — it will be Andryushka. And give the middle — to be married!». So the child's box was heavy. The glorifiers ran in a crowd to someone's well-worn bathhouse and divided the treat among themselves.
We also observed signs: if this day is clear, then there will be a good millet harvest. Porridge in the oven will brown — to the snow. If titmice squeak in the morning, you can expect frost by nightfall, but the continuous cry of crows and jackdaws promises snowfalls and blizzards.
Postcard «8 January — Day of midwives and beautiful birth» Story « midwife»