Ognyena Maria July 17

This divinity also appears among Slavs of the south, and is generally considered the sister of the god/saint of thunder. She was also associated with rain or the sea, or with Lazarus (Марина Лазоревая) and azure lightning. The feast of Ognyena Maria in the folk calendar of the Slavs is July 17, on the Julian calendar (around July 30).

In Belarus, people pray for healing from ailments: “Добры вечар, цёмна ноч! , and give me my health in return. ")

In Bulgaria, it is celebrated on July 22, as the day it prevents fires. A strict ban is observed on household work to prevent any disastrous fires on this day, as the July summer was hot enough to trigger such outbreaks. They believe that anyone who violates the ban will suffer destructive fires that will break out against them and their families. Its festival ends with a celebration from July 15 to 22, linked to the Goreshtnitsi festival from July 28 to 30.

As a mistress of snakes, people were also forbidden to use ropes and wires on feast days. At that time, snakes were said to hide in the underworld.

The first day of Goreshtnitsi was the time when all fires were extinguished, and no new fires will be lit until the third day, when Bulgarians celebrate the fires of the Holy Spirit. Some do it to celebrate Ognyena Maria's power over fire.

Some Bulgarians believe that, as she is the sister of Saint Elijah, she hides from him on Saint Elijah's Day, to make sure that he would not be so delighted, that his lightning and thunder would destroy everything.

In Russia, she is considered the daughter of a sea king. As she was bored with life in her palace, she fled to land. His father became angry because of this, and so he made it rain lightning on his birthday, that whoever saw the lightning will be blind. His birthday falls around Trinity Week (also known as Русальная неделя, or Rusalka Week), or St. Elijah's Day.

People were advised not to swim or bathe in the days leading up to Trinity Week, as it is believed that the mermaids would drown anyone who did so in any water. If one had to, crosses, garlic, magical charms and wormwood were used to ward off the mermaids.

In Ukraine, villagers paid attention to lightning in the sky, hoping that on the day of Ognyena Maria, it would indicate that God would send rain for their crops.