The Day of Saint Peter and Saint Fevronia (russian: День Святых Петра и Февроньи / ) also known as the Day of Family, Love and Faithfulness (russian: Де́нь семьи́, любви́ и ве́рности / ), the Orthodox patrons of marriage, was officially introduced in Russia in 2008. Svetlana Medvedeva is among the most active promoters of the new holiday. Its symbol is a white daisy.

History

The Day of Saints Peter and Fevronia since the days of

Kievan Rus Kievan Rusʹ, also known as Kyivan Rusʹ ( orv, , Rusĭ, or , , ; Old Norse: ''Garðaríki''), was a state in Eastern Europe, Eastern and Northern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.John Channon & Robert Hudson, ''Penguin Hist ...

and until

1917 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 9 – WWI – Battle of Rafa: The last substantial Ottoman Army garrison on the Sinai Peninsula is captured by the Egyptian Expeditionary Fo ...

, was broadly celebrated in Russia because it is believed that the Saints Peter and Fevronia are the patrons of

marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

and

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

, as well as the symbols of love and fidelity. On this day it was common to go to church, where the people asked for love and family grace. The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of

Murom Murom ( rus, Муром, p=ˈmurəm; Old Norse: ''Moramar'') is a historical city in Vladimir Oblast, Russia, which sprawls along the left bank of the Oka River. Population: History In the 9th century AD, the city marked the easternmost settle ...

(which literary treatment relates to the period of the mid-16th century),

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...

Peter was the second son of Duke Yuri Vladimirovich of Murom. He ascended the throne in 1203. A few years before Peter’s principality he became seriously ill that no one could cure him. One day the duke had a dream that he could be healed by a peasant girl, named Fevronia. Fevronia (

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

''Φεβρωνία'') was beautiful, pious and good, plus she was a wise woman, she knew the properties of herbs and could cure ailments. Fevronia promised the prince that she could indeed cure him, but she said that he must also marry her. Since she was a commoner, the prince believed that he could not do such a thing because of his noble status, but he desperately wanted to be cured, so he vowed to marry her after the healing. The girl cured the duke, but he went back on his promise and did not marry her. The disease came back, this time even worse, and, humbled by this situation he returned to Fevronia, and Fevronia cured him once again. This time the duke married the girl. This marriage was marked by Peter and Fevronia's profoundly deep love for one another, which they nourished by God's grace for their whole lives. After the death of his brother Peter inherited the throne. The

nobles Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteri ...

(or

boyars A boyar or bolyar was a member of the highest rank of the feudal nobility in many Eastern European states, including Kievan Rus', Bulgaria, Russia, Wallachia and Moldavia, and later Romania, Lithuania and among Baltic Germans. Boyars wer ...

) respected his duke, but the haughty nobles’ wives disliked Fevronia, not wanting to be ruled by the

peasant A peasant is a pre-industrial agricultural laborer or a farmer with limited land-ownership, especially one living in the Middle Ages under feudalism and paying rent, tax, fees, or services to a landlord. In Europe, three classes of peasant ...

. The nobles demanded that the duke leave her. Peter, after he heard of the intentions of separating him from the beloved wife, chose to voluntarily relinquish the power and wealth and go with her in exile. So Peter and Fevronia left Murom. Soon the

unrest Unrest, also called disaffection, is a sociological phenomenon, including: * Civil unrest * Civil disorder * Domestic terrorism * Industrial unrest * Labor unrest * Rebellion * Riot * Strike action * State of emergency Notable historical in ...

began in Murom, nobles were quarreling, fighting for the

throne A throne is the seat of state of a potentate or dignitary, especially the seat occupied by a sovereign on state occasions; or the seat occupied by a pope or bishop on ceremonial occasions. "Throne" in an abstract sense can also refer to the mona ...

. Then they came around, gathered a council and invited the duke and his wife back. The duke and duchess returned and Fevronia managed to earn the love of the urban counterparts. They ruled after that long and happily. In his declining years, Peter and Fevronia took the vows in various

monasteries A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...

and asked God to die in one day. They bequeathed to bury them in a specially prepared coffin with a thin partition in the middle. Peter and Fevronia died, each in his or her own cell, on the same day and hour - on 8 July 1228. But people wickedly refused to honor their request to be buried in one coffin and they broke the will of the dead: their bodies were placed in the different realms. But the very next day they were found together. Twice their bodies were carried out to the different churches, but twice they miraculously were found side by side. And the spouses were buried together in the city of Murom at the cathedral church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin. Since that time the history of the spouses of Peter and Fevronia is the embodiment of the unquenchable love and loyalty and every year on 8 July the

Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops vi ...

celebrates the memory of Saints Peter and Fevronia. Leucanthemum vulgare 'Filigran' Flower 2200px

Controversy

The two saints feast day is like the Orthodox antipodes of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

feast of couples in love –

Saint Valentine Saint Valentine ( it, San Valentino; la, Valentinus) was a 3rd-century Roman saint, commemorated in Western Christianity on February 14 and in Eastern Orthodoxy on July 6. From the High Middle Ages, his Saints' Day has been associated with a ...

. Part of Saint Valentine’s

relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tang ...

was deposited in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow several years ago, during the life of late Patriarch Alexiy II. According to a recent opinion poll,

Saint Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, thro ...

has become popular among Russians, yet this holiday has more opponents than supporters. Some Russians said's “our culture does not benefit from foreign holidays” or "it is a commercial holiday: not for people but for merchants". According to sociological data, the demand for flowers, souvenirs and perfume in Russia grows by almost 15% ahead of All Lovers’ Day. At the same time, statistics shows that the number of those who mark All Lovers’ Day becomes smaller every year. This may be explained by the fact that the Russian Orthodox Church introduced its own lovers’ day in 2008.

References

* "История древнерусской литературы". Курс лекций; compiled by В.В. Кусков, 2 ed., Высшая школа, — М.: 1966. pp. 139–143.
"Повесть о Петре и Февронии Муромских в её отношении к русской сказке
Скрипиль М.О. ТОДРЛ vol. 7 М. — Л. 1949.

Всероссийский день семьи, любви и верности

Russians Still Can't Decide About St. Valentine's Day

History

Controversy

References

See also