Tomorrow, March 9, in the Orthodox calendar,

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They were 40 soldiers of the Roman XII Legion (Legio XII Fulminata) who died in 320 near the city of Sevastia (now the Turkish city of Sivas) for refusing to renounce the Christian faith.

Their martyrdom took place during the reign of Emperor Leo IV Khazar.

The warriors, originally from Cappadocia, refused to sacrifice to the pagan gods.

For this, their dinners were stripped, put on the ice on the lake, and in the morning their number increased to forty.

One of them, Aglai, saw a vision of angels carrying 39 beautiful wreaths for the martyrs.

He turned to Christ, went to the ice, and became a forty-year-old martyr.

The torturers broke their legs, threw them into the fire, and threw the charred bones into the river.

Some of the holy relics were preserved.

Signs of March 9

Folk signs of March 9 / Photo: Pexels

What can't be done tomorrow

It was forbidden to wash the floor on this day.

Our ancestors believed that many tears would be shed after such a thing.

Needlework and hard physical work were also prohibited - they will not bring the desired results.

What can be done tomorrow

Our ancestors baked larks from dough and distributed sweets to children.

There was a tradition of throwing pastries into the sky to call the birds back from their flight.

There was also a belief that a dream on the night of March 9 could warn a person about something.