On February 21, Ukraine and the world celebrate International Mother Language Day. At the same time, according to the new church calendar, on this day, the hermit Timothy of Olympia, Saint Eustachius of Antioch, and the Kozelshchansk Icon of the Mother of God are honored. The people associate the date with signs about spring and a ban on working with plants.
International Mother Language Day
The holiday was established by UNESCO in 1999 to support linguistic diversity and multilingualism in the world. In Ukraine, this day is traditionally accompanied by educational events, competitions, lectures, and cultural initiatives.
For most citizens of Ukraine, Ukrainian is their native language, but the country is home to representatives of many national communities — Crimean Tatars, Jews, Poles, Roma, and other peoples, each of whom has their own linguistic and cultural tradition.
In addition, the world celebrates International Tour Guide Day on February 21. There are also lesser-known thematic dates - Kombucha Day, Pangolin Day, Jam Bun Day, and Bear Protection Day.
Church holiday February 21
According to the New Julian calendar of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, on this day they honor Timothy of Olympia and Saint Eustachius of Antioch. Separately, churches commemorate the Kozelshchansk Icon of the Mother of God, which comes from the Poltava region and is considered miraculous.
In the old church calendar, February 21 was the day of remembrance of the martyr Theodore Stratilates, who is traditionally considered the patron saint of warriors.
Folk omens and prohibitions
In folk tradition, this date is associated with the expectation of spring. It was believed that if thunder rumbled on this day, the year would be fruitful for livestock, and if the chaffinch began to sing, spring would come early. The melting of ice on the rivers was perceived as a signal to prepare seedlings.
The day was considered auspicious for a big cleaning, washing, and getting rid of old things. According to legend, if you remove broken and unnecessary items from your home on February 21, it will bring good luck.
At the same time, there were also warnings. On this day, it was not recommended to work with plants and sow seedlings, as it was believed that this could harm the harvest. Also, long trips, fishing, and alcohol abuse were considered undesirable.
Thus, February 21 combines both a modern international holiday and church and folk traditions.
