The Orthodox Church of Ukraine marks September 13, 2026 as the feast of the renewal of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Jerusalem, according to the church's new calendar. The date also opens the forefeast period leading up to the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, one of the twelve great feasts of the church year.
The Church of the Resurrection, built in the year 335, stands on the site of an earlier pagan temple to the goddess Venus that Roman authorities had erected on Golgotha in an attempt to erase the memory of Christ, following the destruction of Jerusalem in the first century. In the early fourth century, Saint Helena, mother of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great, located the site of Jesus's burial there. The pagan shrine was dismantled and the Church of the Resurrection was built in its place. Also known as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the complex still stands in Jerusalem today and includes Golgotha and the cave associated with Christ's burial and resurrection.
Forefeast of the Exaltation of the Cross
September 13 also begins the forefeast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, one of the twelve major feasts of the Orthodox calendar. Its date recalls Saint Helena's discovery of the True Cross, and churches hold special prayers in the days before the main celebration.
Services on September 13 follow the Paschal rite in honour of the church's renewal, which is why the day is sometimes referred to as an "autumn Easter." The occasion is said to symbolise spiritual renewal, with believers encouraged to let go of bad thoughts, do more good and help others, since assisting those in need on this day is thought to bring prosperity to the home.
Old calendar feast
Under the old church calendar, September 13 corresponds to the feast of the Placing of the Venerable Sash of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Kornyliv Day and harvest customs
In folk tradition the day is also known as Kornyliv Day, honouring Saint Cornelius, whose memory is marked on the same date and who is regarded as the patron of root vegetables. The day is traditionally devoted to gathering the harvest, with carrots, beetroot, radish, turnip, rutabaga and late potatoes dug from the ground.
Radish holds a special place among the vegetables gathered, referred to in folklore as the "queen of vegetables." It is eaten raw, steamed or boiled, and its juice is traditionally used against colds, with radish long considered a natural antibiotic beneficial for the joints, stomach and overall health. According to belief, eating a radish dish on this day ensures good health through the winter.
What not to do today
Tradition holds that people should avoid quarrels, judgment, gossip, envy, greed and despair on this day, and should not refuse help to anyone who needs it.
Folk custom attaches a number of prohibitions to the date. Noisy feasts and celebrations are discouraged, since belief holds they lead to tears, and starting a house cleaning is avoided, as it is thought that prosperity leaves the home along with the dirt. People are also advised against making important decisions alone, since this is believed to risk failure, and against sharing their deepest secrets, with another day recommended for candid conversations.
The day is also one on which people traditionally try to avoid overeating, avoid wasting time in front of the television or online, and avoid giving in to despair, since gloomy thoughts are said only to hinder efforts to overcome difficulties.
What the day's omens suggest
Folk omens tied to the date are said to hint at the weather, the harvest and even the coming winter. A red-coloured moon is said to signal strong winds ahead, while rooks that have already flown south point to an early and cold winter. Hens beginning to moult, on the other hand, are taken as a sign that winter will be mild.
If rain falls on September 13, tradition holds that it marks the last precipitation of the year and that a rich harvest can be expected the following year.
Name days on September 13
Those celebrating their name day on September 13 include Illia, Korniliy, Yulian and Leontiy. People born on this date are said to have an accommodating character, to be difficult to offend, and to be capable of reconciling enemies with ease, making them reliable friends and faithful spouses.
