Today, believers honor the memory of the holy great martyr Euphemia. She lived in the late 3rd - early 4th centuries in the city of Chalcedon, now a district of Istanbul. Euphemia refused to renounce the Christian faith and offer sacrifices to pagan gods, for which she was subjected to cruel torture and martyrdom around 304.
The Church honors her as a great ascetic who left an example of steadfastness and unwavering faith.
Prohibitions of this day
• you should not go on long journeys - they may be unsuccessful;
• it is forbidden to work with fire, because it “does not obey” a person;
• it is not recommended to get married - family life may be difficult.
Folk signs
Our ancestors observed nature on this day:
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warm and sunny weather - to a long autumn;
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rain - to a wet and cold season;
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a lot of cobwebs - for a long warm autumn;
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the rapid clearing of the fog in the morning - to a clear day;
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The moon in a circle means rain.
Name day
Viktor, Grigory, Joseph, Oleksiy, Serhiy and Lyudmila celebrate their name days on this day.
Memorable dates
In different years, important events took place on September 16:
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1658 — Hetman Ivan Vyhovsky signed the Treaty of Hadiatsk with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth;
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1810 - The Mexican Revolution began;
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1908 — General Motors Corporation was founded;
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1930 — the Polish government began “pacification” against Ukrainians in Galicia;
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2000 — Ukraine commemorates the memory of journalist Georgy Gongadze.
International holidays
In addition to the church holiday, the world celebrates today:
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World Barber Day — launched in 2015 as an initiative to help children;
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International Day of Science, Technology and Innovation for the South (UN, 2024);
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International Interventional Cardiology Day (UN, 2022);
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International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, which reminds us of the importance of protecting the environment;
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International Identification Day, dedicated to the right of every person to have a legally recognized identity document.
Thus, September 16 combines several events at once - from the church memory of Saint Euphemia and folk signs to important international dates that emphasize the importance of science, health, and environmental protection.
