Saint Ilie Day in Romania: traditions and customs celebrated on July 20

Saint Ilie, a miracle worker and one of the most important prophets in the Old Testament, is celebrated on July 20 in Romania. Similar to most of the religious celebrations in Romania, the day of Saint Ilie also comes with many traditions and superstitions.

According to Holy Scripture, Ilie (Elijah) was born in the city of Tishbe, in the land of Gilead, located east of the Jordan River. He lived in the 9th century BC, during the reign of King Ahab, when many in Israel had turned away from faith in God and adopted the worship of the god Baal. He confronted the king and Queen Jezebel, condemning idolatry and calling the people to repentance and a return to God. According to the biblical accounts, through his prayer, God withheld rain for three and a half years, and after the people's repentance, He sent rain upon the earth once again.

For this reason, Romanian folklore says Saint Ilie brings rain in times of drought, but also causes thunder, lightning, and even hail.

Holy Scripture also mentions other miracles attributed to the Saint. During the drought, he was fed by ravens sent by God, multiplied flour and oil, raised people from the dead, and called down fire from heaven on Mount Carmel, demonstrating God's power.

One of the best-known moments of Ilie’s life is his ascent into heaven in a fiery chariot, an episode recounted in the Fourth Book of Kings. In Christian tradition, this moment symbolizes his closeness to God and the triumph of faith. For this reason, he is considered the spiritual patron of aviators. Not coincidentally, Romania celebrates its Air Force on July 20.

If it rains with thunder and lightning on Saint Ilie’s Day, the Saint is said to be crossing the skies with his chariot of fire, hitting the devils with his whip.

Customs and Traditions

According to local customs, people don’t work on this day, as it is said that this may bring lightning, rain, and hail upon them, causing damage to their crops. Some say that if thunderstorms appear on this day, the apples and hazelnuts will be wormy.

In some regions, Saint Ilie is considered an angry saint who would punish those who work on July 20. A legend says that this is why God never told Ilie when his day of celebration is, to keep people safe from his fury. Instead, the faithful pray for health, peace in the family, protection, and abundance. Tradition says that the prayers spoken on this day have special power, especially for those who bear the name of Saint Ilie. Those who cannot attend church light a candle and incense their homes, gestures regarded as symbols of spiritual purification and of calling God's blessing upon the household, according to Digi24.

On the morning of Saint Ilie’s Day, people picked medicinal herbs, especially basil, and put them to dry in the attic, under the roof, or in the pantry.

Women also took basil to the church, where the priests blessed the plant. Then, they returned home and burned the basil. They were using the ash for therapeutic purposes, such as to cure mouth sores, according to Crestinortodox.ro.

Ilie is honored for his unwavering faith, the courage with which he defended the truth, and the miracles performed through prayer. On his day of celebration, numerous localities across Romania hold patronal feasts, fairs, and events. In communities with an agricultural tradition, the feast has special significance. People pray for timely rain, abundant harvests, and the protection of crops from hail, storms, and other extreme weather events. In the past, processions were held through the fields in many villages, and priests blessed the grain fields, orchards, and farmland in the hope of a fruitful year.

In many regions of Romania, families prepare packages containing seasonal fruit, traditional bread, honey, and other foods, which they distribute as alms in memory of the departed on Saint Ilie’s Day. The gesture is regarded as an act of charity and Christian love.

Saint Ilie’s Day also marks the middle of the summer for shepherds, who are now allowed to return to the villages for the first time during the season. Beekeepers harvest honey for the first time during the year on the same day.

More than 140,000 Romanians named Ilie, Eliade, Iliuta, Ilinca, or Lia celebrate their name day on July 20.

radu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Jozef Sedmak|Dreamstime.com) ...