On October 8, Ukraine celebrates a number of professional, church, and national holidays. The main professional holiday in the country is Lawyer's Day, so today it is appropriate to congratulate relatives and friends who work in the legal field. Famous Ukrainians were also born on this date: athlete Ivan Piddubny, artist Oleksa Bulavytskyi, and translator Les Gerasymchuk.
Internationally, October 8 is celebrated, in particular, as Dyslexia Awareness Day, a learning disability in which a person has difficulty reading and understanding text, despite normal intellectual development. The purpose of this date is to raise awareness of the problem and emphasize the importance of supporting children and adults with dyslexia. This day also commemorates Biometrics Day, Birth Registration Day, SUV Day, Octopus Day, Spinning Top Day, and Podiatry Day. Famous birthdays on this date include actor Matt Damon, politician Ursula von der Leyen, writer Frank Herbert, and musician Bruno Mars.
According to the church calendar (new style), today the martyrs Pelagia of Antioch and the venerable Taisia are commemorated; according to the old style, the venerable Euphrosyne of Alexandria is commemorated. On this day, believers can turn to Saint Pelagia in prayer with a request for the salvation of loved ones who lead an unrighteous lifestyle, for healing from addictions, or for peace in the family.
Folk signs and traditions on October 8 are associated with preparation for winter. Our ancestors compared the leaves on cabbage, told fortunes about the weather in October and paid attention to the direction of the wind: a northern wind predicted a frosty winter, a southern wind predicted a warmer one. They believed that a rich harvest of nuts was promised by a snowy January. On this day, preparations for winter were completed in the household: buildings were repaired and insulated, barns were cleaned, carts were hidden and sleighs were taken out; women repaired clothes and knitted warm things.
According to popular beliefs, October 8 is not the best time for long trips; the day advises avoiding laziness and idleness. There are also restrictions on behavior: it is not recommended to curse, gossip, enter into conflicts, or recklessly say unnecessary things. Traditionally, on this day, a ban was imposed on cutting down trees, and in general, people were advised to take care of work and peace in the family.
