Orthodox Ukrainians honor Saint Andrew the Apostle as one of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ; he was the first to respond to the Savior's call.
Saint Andrew is credited with prophesying the establishment of a city on the hills of Kyiv.
When is the feast of Saint Andrew the Apostle in 2024?
Before the Orthodox Church of Ukraine transitioned to the new Julian calendar, we celebrated Andrew's day in early winter – on December 13, but the dates of most church holidays have changed.
In 2024, we will celebrate Saint Andrew the Apostle on November 30.
On the Feast of Saint Andrew, the holiday Kalita was celebrated. For the occasion, girls would bake flatbreads, and various games and divinations were held with the kalitki.
The main condition for divination was that the bread should be round in shape and reminiscent of the sun, and it was smeared with honey.
Andrew's Day was considered a good time, auspicious for divining about a suitor.
How to perform divination on the night of Andrew:
One well-known method of divination on Andrew is for a girl to go outside in the evening and ask the name of the first person she meets – that will be her future husband’s name.
During dinner, one can discreetly break off a piece of bread, place it under the pillow, saying: "Beloved, come to dinner with me" – in a dream, she might see her suitor.
Girls can also place a bowl of water under the bed and put a mirror, a knife, or a man's hat under the pillow – these items may invoke a prophetic dream.