Orthodox Christians mark August 2 by honoring the transfer of the relics of Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr, from Jerusalem to Constantinople. The date is observed under the new church calendar as a day of prayer, folk ritual, and quiet family life.
Saint Stephen lived in the first century and led the original seven deacons of the Jerusalem church. He was condemned for openly preaching Christianity and became the first follower of Christ to die for his faith. Tradition holds that his relics were discovered roughly 400 years after his death before being moved to the Byzantine capital. Fragments of those relics are now kept in churches around the world, and believers pray to Saint Stephen for spiritual strength, forgiveness, help in times of hardship, and healing.
In folk tradition the day is known as Stepan Sinnyk, or Stepan the Haymaker, because the hay harvest is typically finished by this point in the season. Customarily, people gather medicinal herbs on August 2, including mint, chamomile, tansy, and clover, and weave them into a wreath kept at home as a protective charm. During illness, the wreath is brewed into a healing infusion.
Saint Stephen is also regarded in folk custom as the patron of domestic animals, and the day calls for extra attentiveness to pets and livestock. Spending the evening around the table with family is considered a way to bring harmony and well-being into the household.
Folk prohibitions for the day advise against starting major undertakings, travelling long distances, or lending and borrowing money, which is said to risk financial loss. Working in the garden is also discouraged.
Weather signs attached to August 2 suggest that rain points to a rainy month ahead and a good potato crop, while a sunny day forecasts a warm September. The overall weather of the day, according to tradition, tends to hold for roughly six weeks.
The Dormition Fast is currently under way, and observant believers follow a meatless diet and set aside time for prayer and charitable acts.
