When did holidays appear?
The tradition of celebrating Peter and Fevronia Days originated in Murom in the 1990s. In 2006, at the initiative of the city administration, a petition was held to collect signatures in support of establishing Family Day in Russia. More than 20,000 signatures were collected.
Well, in 2008, when the Year of the Family was declared in Russia, the Federation Council committee of Russia approved the proposal for an all-Russian Day of Marital Love and Family Happiness.
The holiday was first celebrated in July 2008 and was finally renamed the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity. It was organized by the Foundation for Social and Cultural Initiatives, headed by the wife of the President of the Russian Federation, Svetlana Medvedeva.
In 2022, the holiday received official status.
Which countries celebrate Family, Love and Fidelity Day?
The Day of Family, Love and Fidelity is celebrated in Russia and other countries: Bulgaria, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Germany, Great Britain, France.
Symbolism and traditions
Despite its youth, the holiday is full of traditions. It is celebrated on July 8th or the weekend before if the date falls on a weekday. It also has a main symbol: chamomile, a delicate wild flower that girls use to predict love and marriage.
Photo: Victor Stokhalsky / RG
Recently, a tradition has emerged to award married couples who have been married for 25 years or more with the public medal “For Love and Fidelity” on this day. The reverse of the award depicts a daisy; the obverse is decorated with the faces of Peter and Fevronia and the motto “For love and loyalty to the family.”
Another useful tradition of Family, Love and Fidelity Day is the “Give Me Life” campaign. Its goal is to prevent abortion and preserve family values, and it is all expressed in photo exhibitions, distribution of posters and educational brochures.
Unlike Valentine’s Day, on this day people give “Fevronki” – cards with images of daisies or bouquets of fresh wildflowers. The tradition of getting married on July 8 is gaining popularity: on this occasion, some registry offices work longer and refuse to register divorces. But the Russian Orthodox Church has a negative attitude towards this custom, because it is the Peter’s Fast, when the sacrament of marriage is not performed. As an alternative to weddings on December 26, 2012, the Holy Synod proposed the date of the uncovering of the relics of Peter and Fevronia on September 13.
Where does the main celebration take place?
The main celebration with theatrical performances, reconstructions of scenes from the biography of Saints Peter and Fevronia and master classes on rare crafts is traditionally held in the city of Murom in the Vladimir region. Pilgrims visit holy places and venerate the relics of Murom miracle workers, asking them for help in finding their other half or harmony in families, respect and mutual understanding.
How do we know about Peter and Fevronia?
The source of our knowledge is the Old Russian “Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom”, which was written in the middle of the 16th century by the church writer Ermolai. His monastic name is Erasmus. It is not known what surname the monk had; he called himself the Sinner. The plot is based on oral stories that have been known since the 12th century.
History of the Saints
Before his reign, Peter fell ill with leprosy and could not be cured. In a dream, the prince dreamed that he would be helped by the beekeeper’s daughter, Fevronia, a peasant woman from the village of Laskovoy in the Ryazan land. Fevronia was a beautiful, pious, intelligent and kind girl, and she knew how to treat ailments. The prince fell in love with Fevronia and swore to marry her after he was cured. The girl cured the prince, but he did not keep his word. The illness returned, Fevronia cured the prince again, and then married the healer.
But the boyars did not want to have a princess of simple rank and demanded that the prince give her up. Peter did not want to part with his beloved, so he voluntarily gave up power and wealth. Together they went into exile, left Murom and sailed on a ship along the Oka. And in the city the boyars divided the throne, things came to blood. Having responded to the request to return, the prince and princess again began to live in Murom, and Fevronia won the love of the townspeople.
The story tells of Fevronia’s loyalty and wisdom as follows. Once she was sailing down the river on a boat and a boyar began to show her persistent signs of attention. Then Fevronia invited him to take a handful of water from the right and left sides and drink from each. The boyar, inflamed with passion, drank and Fevronia asked him if there was any difference in the water. “No, the taste is the same,” the suitor replied. “Female nature is the same, it is in vain that you forgot your wife and are thinking of another,” replied Fevronia.
In their old age, Peter and Fevronia entered monasticism and were given the names David and Euphrosyne. They bequeathed to be buried together in a specially prepared coffin with a thin partition in the middle. As legend has it, this is what happened: each died in their own cells on the same day and hour: July 8 (June 25, old style), 1228.
But miracles continued even after the death of David and Euphrosyne. The monasteries decided that burial in one coffin was incompatible with monastic rank. However, the separated deceased were found together the next day. As a result, the holy couple was buried in the city of Murom in the Cathedral Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Where are the monuments to the holy spouses?
The first monument was unveiled on July 7, 2012 in Murom, near the walls of the Holy Trinity Convent. It is the work of sculptor Vladimir Surovtsev and architects Oleg and Vladimir Syagin. Peter holds a sword in his hands, which symbolizes power, protection and strength. Fevronia’s veil, draped over her husband’s shoulders, signifies female wisdom and care. At the feet of the princess, as in “The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom”, sits a hare.
Monuments to Peter and Fevronia were also erected in more than 60 Russian cities (Yaroslavl, Yoshkar-Ola, Kaluga, Irkutsk, Krasnodar, etc.).
Where are the relics of Saints Peter and Fevronia?
300 years after the death of Peter and Fevronia, they were canonized. After the establishment of Soviet power in 1921, their relics were transferred from the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the museum of the city of Murom. And the church itself was destroyed shortly before the Great Patriotic War.
In 1989, the relics of the saints were returned to the Russian Orthodox Church. They were transferred to the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Murom, and on September 19, 1992, to the Trinity Cathedral of the Holy Trinity Monastery.
In 2018, it was decided to restore the cathedral in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The ceremony of consecration of the foundation stone with the participation of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia took place on July 8, 2018, the day of remembrance of Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom.
