August 4th is Mary, or Magdalene Day. On this day, Mary Magdalene, a follower of Jesus Christ, is honored.
This day is also associated with moisture: rains and bad weather from the previous "wet" days of Macrina and Illya. People say: "Magdalena - water to the knee", "Mary has big dews - there will be gray flax and braids". On August 4th our ancestors put flax on the dewy grass.
Mary is also called Mary-berry (yagadnica), or good day-Mary (Mar'ya dobrydzen'). This day is the beginning of the berry season: people start to pick currants and go to the forests for blueberries.
August 4th is also called a Thunder Day. The ancestors believed that if there was a thunderstorm on this day, there would be much hay. BUT, it was prohibited to go for field works because the storm could kill you.
