Today, Ukrainians and the world celebrate several important holidays at once - professional, international, and church. In addition, the day has its own special place in the folk calendar and history.
According to the new church calendar, on December 5, believers honor the memory of the holy Monk Sava the Sanctified. The future great ascetic was born in 439 in Caesarea of Cappadocia. At the age of nine, he voluntarily entered a monastery, where he was distinguished by humility, wisdom, and spiritual maturity.
At the age of 17, Sava went to Palestine, then the center of monastic life. There he spent many years in prayer and solitude, and in 483 he founded his famous Great Lavra, Mar Saba. This monastery became one of the most important spiritual centers of the medieval East.
Sava actively opposed heresies and even undertook missions to the emperors in Constantinople, defending Orthodox teachings. He died in 532 at the age of 93.
In the folk calendar, the date is known as Savin Moroz - this is when the first strong cold days usually occur. It was believed that "Sava sanctifies the earth with frost."
What not to do on December 5:
• avoid quarrels — they can ruin relationships for the entire winter
• do not go out after the event — it was believed that from this day on, winter "comes into its own"
• do not think badly — negativity returns to the one who spreads it
Folk omens:
• morning frost - to a mild winter
• clear weather - to a calm winter
• strong wind - to blizzards
• frost in the morning, but warming during the day - to unstable weather
On December 5, Ukraine celebrates the Day of Statisticians - specialists who collect and analyze data necessary for making government decisions and forecasting the country's development.
Also, December 5 is Soil Scientist Day and World Soil Day. Both holidays emphasize the importance of a responsible attitude towards the land, because according to the UN, more than a third of the world's soils are in a state of degradation.
In addition, today is International Volunteer Day, a celebration of people who help others without reward, moving social change, humanitarian initiatives, and mutual support forward.
And it's also the unofficial International Ninja Day — dedicated to the legendary Japanese warriors who have become symbols of agility and the ability to act unnoticed.
Gennady, Zakhar, Ilya, and Sergey celebrate their name day on December 5.
The talisman of those born on this day is considered to be garnet, a stone with strong energy, known since the times of the Scythians.
December 5 went down in history with many events: the discovery of gold in California, the repeal of Prohibition in the USA, the creation of the first automatic telephone exchange, the opening of the Ukrainian Academy of Arts, the signing of the Budapest Memorandum, and the first census campaign in Ukraine in 2001.
