Memorial Day of St. Ignatius the God-Bearing — Chicken Christmas (02/01)

On January 2, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of the Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-Bearer, Bishop of Antioch, who lived in the 1st-2nd centuries and was a student of John the Theologian.

On this day, the hostess of Serbian families gets up early in the morning, collects chickens and other animals around her and gives them leftover food prepared on St. Barbara's Day.

The first guest who comes to the house is declared a "chicken anointed". He is placed on a pillow to bear eggs. Then he is given a pumpkin, which the guest breaks so that its seeds scatter in all directions, so that the chickens are born in large numbers.

Then the guest is given hot crayfish and treated to a snack, and all this time he must sit still so that the chickens also sit still and carry eggs. If the chickens run well during the year, the same guest will be invited next year.

Also on this day, all family members throw a log and a branch into the fire for happiness and good luck in life. Sometimes those branches are shoved under the roof of the house and kept there until Christmas, and sometimes until the chickens begin to rush.

It is believed that if it snows or rains on St. Ignatius, then the year will be fruitful.

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