Today's necessity emphasizes consuming bread with onions as per popular signs.
On August 18th, the folk holiday of Eustathius the Farmer, also known as Nightless Night or Onion Day, is celebrated in Eastern Europe and Russia. This holiday, steeped in agricultural traditions, is believed to have originated from the veneration of Eustathius, a saint revered as a protector of farmers and the rural community.
During this holiday, various rituals were performed to ensure a bountiful harvest and protect homes from evil spirits. For instance, to protect their fields, people would fill a bowl with hemp oil, face east, and recite a spell before pouring the oil into the ground and leaving quickly without looking back. To safeguard their homes, garlic braids were hung both inside and outside, and people would eat a piece of bread with garlic and salt, washed down with kvass.
The natural world was also closely observed on this day, as signs from the environment were believed to predict the weather and the success of the harvest. For example, a tree turning yellow early on August 18th foretold an early autumn, while a spider spinning a web on the same day signified good weather. Heavy morning dew on August 18th indicated good weather all day, and water lilies rising above the water by nine in the morning predicted rain in the afternoon.
Birds gathering in flocks and making loud noises on August 18th were believed to signify cold weather approaching. Conversely, the absence of these signs was thought to indicate a mild winter. Interestingly, the presence of rain on August 18th was believed to predict a good rye harvest.
These customs reflect the interweaving of Christian saints’ days with older pagan agricultural rites, a common practice in Eastern Orthodox Christian regions. The holiday serves both practical agricultural purposes and fosters community identity and continuity through ritual and folklore.
While specific historical texts naming Eustathius the Farmer or definitive documentary sources on Nightless Night or Onion Day may not be easily found, the understanding of this holiday aligns with broader knowledge of Eastern European folk traditions intertwining saint veneration with agrarian customs. This holiday continues to be celebrated today, carrying on the rich agricultural and cultural heritage of the past.
On this holiday, garlic braids are hung inside and outside homes to safeguard them, mirroring the importance of home-and-garden protection in the lifestyle observed during the Eustathius the Farmer celebration. Additionally, the practice of filling a bowl with hemp oil and pouring it into the ground to protect fields is a testament to the deeply rooted farm-and-garden lifestyle associated with this holiday.
