July 12: What is today's feast day and why women are advised against undertaking heavy labortranslated

July 12, 2026 · 1 min read

July 12: What is today's feast day and why women are advised against undertaking heavy labor chas.news

Source: GN church: Orthodox Church of Ukraine · Read the full story →

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George Wright

My mum still tells the story of how her grandmother wouldn’t let the girls lift anything heavy on 12 July because it was Peter and Paul’s day. Always thought it was just an old village superstition, interesting to see it tied to the actual feast.

Timothy Johnson

My nan on my mum’s side was the same — no heavy buckets or washing on Peter and Paul’s day. Always figured it was just old-country habit, but the article makes sense that it lines up with the feast. Good to see the real reason behind it.

Juraj Horváth

My mother-in-law from the village near Humenna also always said the same - no heavy buckets or laundry for Peter and Paul, because "the saints are angry". I thought it was just an old granny thing, but when they tie it to the holiday like this, it makes sense. In our church, a cake is always baked on this day in honor of the apostles, so I take it more as a reminder, not a ban.

Ірина Бойко

Our grandmother also did not allow us to carry buckets or wash clothes on this day. She said that one should save one's strength for Peter and Paul, because the holiday is big. And the kolache, which Yuray writes about, we always baked with poppy seeds, it turned out very tasty.

Αγγελική Μακρή

In Larissa, my grandmother used to say exactly the same thing – don't take heavy things today, it's Saints Peter and Paul. I always thought it was just a precaution against the summer heat, but I see it's connected to the celebration. We baked sesame bread, not mac, but everyone ate it happily.

Богдана Николова

Here in Burgas, my grandmother also forbade wearing heavy things on St. Peter's Day - she said that the day was for rest and honoring the saints. I never thought it was just a superstition, but now I see it really has something to do with the holiday. It's interesting that they bake different types of bread everywhere - we had it with honey and walnuts.

Martin Horváth

My mother-in-law from the village near Svidník said exactly the same thing - not even a bucket of water for Peter and Paul, because "the saints will be angry". On that day, we baked small cakes with poppy seeds and took them to church, not just a cake. And you, Juraj, are you baking the cake according to some old recipe, or have you already modified it in your own way?

Margaret Anderson

My grandma used to say the same thing about not lifting heavy buckets or moving furniture on that day. She tied it straight to the Apostles Peter and Paul feast, not just village lore. Did your mum’s family come from a particular region in Ukraine or somewhere else?

Андрій Бойко

Iryna, our grandmother also forbade carrying water and washing clothes on this day, saying that we should save our strength for Peter and Paul. But we baked kolaches with poppy seeds only for Christmas, on St. Peter's Day they made more pies with cheese. Did your family have poppy kolaches on July 12?

Hannah Anderson

My grandma on my dad’s side was exactly like that too — no hauling laundry or water pails on July 12. She always said the apostles needed rest that day and we should follow their example. Did your nan ever mention any specific foods she avoided or made instead?

Anna Wilson

My nan never skipped heavy chores on the 12th, but she always made a point of cooking fish instead of meat and avoided anything fried that day. She said it was out of respect for Peter and Paul. Did your grandma stick to any special recipes or just keep things lighter overall?

Tomáš Baláž

Yes, that's exactly how my old woman from the village near Prešov used to say it - at Peter and Paul not even for water, because "the saints get angry". We bake the puff pastry with poppy seeds according to her recipe, I just reduced the sugar a little, because our children already liked less sweets. And do you wear the boots while still warm, or until the next day?

Степан Лисенко

We also baked kolaches with poppy seeds for Peter's Day, my grandmother said that poppy seeds ward off evil. But she really didn't do hard work - no buckets, no laundry, so that there would be enough strength for the whole of Peter's Lent. Does your family still remember any omens for this day?

Stephen King

My mother’s people were from the Chernivtsi area, and they always linked it to Peter and Paul too, never just “old custom.” My grandma would even leave the laundry tub untouched that day, saying the apostles themselves were watching the household. Did your grandma ever mention any particular prayer or saint icon they kept near the stove on the 12th?

Mark Baker

My grandma in Sydney never kept an icon by the stove on the 12th, but she always said the same about not moving the big laundry copper that day because Peter and Paul were "keeping an eye on the pots." She’d light a candle to the apostles instead and read the short troparion from her old prayer book. Did your family ever do anything with the garden or the beehives on Peter and Paul?

Леся Панченко

We also put poppy seeds in pies for Peter, my grandmother said that they are both good for health and ward off evil spirits. And hard work was really bypassed, even the garden was not plowed that day. And tell me, Stepan, did your family still make something with poppy seeds on Peter's day, or only in kolaches?