St. John's Day. Ignatia the God-Bearer - Chicken Christmas

St. Ignatius the God-bearerOn this day, in Serbian families, the hostess gets up early in the morning, gathers chickens and other animals around her and gives them remnants of food prepared on St. Barbara’s Day. The first guest who comes to the house is declared a "chicken anointed". They put him on a pillow to carry eggs. Then he is given a pumpkin, which the guest breaks so that its seeds spread in all directions, so that the chickens are born in large numbers. Then the guest is given hot raki and snack, and he must sit still all this time so that the chickens also sit at attention and lay eggs. If the chickens run well during the year, the same guest will be called for the next year.

Also on this day, all family members throw into the fire on a log and a branch for happiness and luck in life. Sometimes those branches are stuck under the roof of the house and kept there until Christmas, and sometimes until the chickens begin to spread.

If St. George. Ignatia is snowing or raining, the year will be harvested.