#plowing

Ilya Repin, Portrait of Leo Tolstoy Plowing

On Svaty Řehoř Day (celebrated in folk tradition on March 12, though in modern times the feast day has been moved to Sep. 3) spring really came to the Czech villages and the farmers prepared for the first plowing.

It was said: "On Svaty Řehoř, every farmer is lazy who does not plow.” The actual start of spring plowing also had its own magical ceremony – the farmer sprinkled himself, the plow and the ground with holy water and blessed the field and the first furrow with a cross. When he returned home, the housewife doused him with water to keep him strong in the days to come. Sieving was done on days when the moon was waxing – this was especially true for grain and flax. And finally, when the field was sown, it was walked around, which was related to the belief in the magical protective power of the circle.

There is a well-known old saying associated with March 12th: "On St. Gregory's Day, the stork flies over the sea and the frog opens its mouth". Although in recent years there have been recorded cases of storks wintering in Czech territory, the stork remains one of the most prominent messengers of spring and a symbol of bird migration.

The First Sowing (1896) Piotr Stachiewicz

The blessing of candles was not the only tradition associated with the celebration of Hromnice (Candlemas, Feb. 2). Wells and springs were also blessed , ensuring enough water and moisture for the entire year.

It was also a solemn holiday for the people . Any rejoicing, dancing and celebrations were forbidden. No joking or other fun was allowed. But a lot of noise and clatter was allowed. Whether you had an axe, hammer or broom in your hand, you had to bang it hard. Only in this way could you drive away evil spirits and other spirits of darkness.

On this day, housewives were not allowed to sew anything . It was believed that the tip of a needle could bring storms and lightning in the future. It was also important to pull out the plow after winter and plow the first furrow , to let the soil know that it should prepare for spring, because winter was slowly ending. For a better harvest, pieces of bread and cheese were put in the furrow.

Pieces of bread and cheese were then placed in the furrow to make the earth more fertile.