When does the Shift occur? Holiday Shift: traditions and rituals. It’s better not to go to the forest on this day

The Feast of the Movement, or the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, is one of the twelve important Orthodox holidays. It began to be celebrated only three centuries after the crucifixion of Jesus. At that time, an expedition was sent, its goal was to find the cross on which the Savior was crucified. The expedition was led by Queen Helena. After a long search, she managed to find the shrine and return it to the Orthodox people. In honor of this event, the Movement began to be celebrated on September 27, which became one of the most revered holidays by Christians.

history of the holiday

Emperor Constantine the Great was the first of the kings to stop the persecution of Christians. He won three wars over his enemies. A sign of God appeared to him in the sky - the Cross. On it was the inscription “This way you will win.” After this, Constantine decides to find the Cross on which Christ was crucified.

The search was not easy. The Roman pagans tried to destroy all mention of the sacred places where Christ was crucified and resurrected. Emperor Hadrian covered the Holy Sepulcher and Golgotha ​​with earth. On the resulting hill, he installed the temple of the goddess Venus and a statue of Jupiter.

However, this did not stop the search. As a result of excavations in 326, the Holy Sepulcher was found, and not far from it - three crosses. According to one legend, the true Cross was found by applying all three crucifixes to a sick person in turn. After applying another cross, the patient was healed.

There is another legend that speaks of the resurrection of a deceased person who was carried along the street for burial. After coming into contact with the Cross, the man was resurrected.

The Shift holiday is based on another important event - the return from the Persian lands. King Khozroes captured Jerusalem in the seventh century. There he plundered the Church of the Resurrection. All treasures and shrines were removed from it. In 628, King Heraclius, after his victory over the Persians, discovered the Cross and brought it to Jerusalem, where its erection took place on September 14.

When is the holiday

What date is the holiday Shift according to the new calendar? The holiday is celebrated on September 27. From this period, autumn begins to transfer rights to winter. When the church holiday of the Movement passes, frost sets in. It will still be warm during the day, and in the mornings and evenings people will start to dress warmer.

Features of the holiday

The Movement differs from other Christian holidays in its joy. On this day, the Cross on which Christ was crucified returned after many years. It symbolizes the memory of all humanity about the terrible suffering that he had to endure, remaining faithful to his Father until the last moments of his life.

The Shift holiday is a symbol of tribute to Christ, a symbol of faith. Without sparing himself, at the cost of his own life, Christ atoned for the sins of all the people of the planet.

The Cross is believed to have great power. It is capable of healing from various ailments and protects against evil spirits. It helps to find hope, love, humility in the heart, and also to evaluate the attitude towards living people.

Every person has a purpose in life: there are obstacles, through which people find their place in life. Everyone carries their own burden, and often it seems unbearable and unfair.

If you imagine how strong Christ was and what torment he endured, then everyday life is understood more clearly, and difficult problems seem completely solvable.

They prepare in advance for the Orthodox holiday of the Movement: they read prayers, go to services in churches. The main icon that is prayed for on this day is the icon of the “Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord.” It depicts the place where Queen Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, found the Cross. This icon helps to get rid of diseases.

Traditions

Religious traditions have always been strictly revered; there were various signs that were revered by all Christians.

  • On the holiday of the Movement, they bought three candles in the church and took them home. These candles were used to baptize the corners of the house. It is believed that this protects the house and its inhabitants from evil spirits and the bad eye.
  • Crosses were placed on the doors of the house to protect property.
  • It is believed that no work should be done on the holiday of the Shift. By this day, the peasants had completed all earthworks: they were preparing for arable land.
  • It is believed that on this day the bride should be matched. She should read a special prayer in which she would ask to give her a happy family life, support and mutual understanding. If the weather is bad on September 27, then it is customary to go on a visit, and on a sunny and rainy day, mass celebrations are held.
  • Strict fasting must be observed during the Shifts. On this day you cannot eat food of animal origin, fish. But everything that is grown on the ground is welcome. Previously, on this day they prepared dishes from cabbage and lentils, baked pies, made dumplings, made amazing cabbage casseroles, cabbage rolls with mushrooms.
  • If you give alms on a holiday, you can atone for your sins and cleanse yourself of evil thoughts.

The elders saw how the warm days were leaving after the celebration of the Exaltation. From that moment on, the mornings and evenings became cold, and only during the day it was still possible to bask in the rays of the warm sun.

In order not to sin

On the holiday of the Shift, all sorts of feasts were held: weddings, mass celebrations, a harvest feast! But most importantly:

  • You can't take on a new business. If you start one, it will be disastrous and end in failure and conflict.
  • It is forbidden to raise your voice or swear.
  • Handicrafts are prohibited.
  • It is forbidden to open windows and doors, otherwise snakes may climb into them to hibernate. It is believed that on the holiday of the Shift, snakes go into hibernation and look for a warm place.

You can't go into the forest on Sdvizki. It is believed that whoever goes there will disappear.

Signs

Signs of Shift:

  • On this day, the last birds fly away for the winter.
  • If you do not fast on the day of the Movement, you will suffer seven sins.
  • Autumn is moving faster towards winter.
  • During the Shift, the house is rid of evil spirits.

On September 27, you need to watch for geese. If they fly high, there will be severe flooding in the spring. If a cold wind blows on the day of the Shift, a warm summer will come.

Icon

The current version of the icon was received in the fifteenth century. The image is of a crowded scene with a temple behind it. In the very center is the partisan, holding a cross above his head. It is decorated with plant branches.

In the foreground of the icon are saints, singers and people who came to worship the shrine. On the right are Tsar Constantine and his mother, the great Helen. Sometimes images are depicted that helped to identify the real Cross from the three found: a dead person who was resurrected by the touch of a shrine, a sick person who was cured of an illness.

There are many options for icon images. Earlier versions depict Helen and Constantine holding the Cross or standing on either side of it. There are versions where the king and queen are depicted on either side of the patriarch holding the Cross. Later, this option was supplemented by the image of Tsar Alexei and Queen Evdokia. This option is becoming the most common.

The icon “Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord” tells about the discovery of the shrine by Helen, the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine. After the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Christ, the instrument of torture was lost. Queen Helen managed to find him centuries later. This is shown on the icon.

The icon “Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord” is capable of healing from any ailment. If you sincerely pray to the Cross, then any illness will recede. The image helps to heal from infertility, heal bones and joints, get rid of migraines, toothaches, and also get rid of various incurable diseases.

In honor of the holiday

Emperor Constantine built a temple in Jerusalem dedicated to the Resurrection of Christ. It took ten years to build. On September 26, 335, the church was consecrated, and the next day, September 27, a celebration was established in honor of the Exaltation of the Cross.

The movement is a great holiday. On this day, snakes go to sleep, and people should celebrate and rejoice. There is a belief that if a person is bitten by any snake on this day, it will die in winter.

Another interesting thing on this day is that during the service the Gospel is read not in the middle of the church, but in the altar.

    Snakes actually gather for the winter at the end of September, because they can no longer survive at subzero temperatures, and in most areas of our country, the end of September is the beginning of the first frosts and even snows. However, I have been in the autumn forest many times and I cannot say that at this time there are more snakes than usual, or that they are somehow aggressive. rather, on the contrary, the snakes at this time are already calm and inactive, they really want to quickly hide somewhere under stones or branches. Well, if you step on a snake, then in any case it will try to sting in response. There are probably favorite places for snakes where they gather, but I haven’t come across any like them.

    As on all other holidays, all sorts of miracles also happen on the occasion of the elevation. For example, tits and court birds flew from the forests, and all sorts of devils, on the contrary, ran towards the forest, and there is such a funny sign that if some kind of snake ever bit a person, he will freeze, and the one that no, they will find somewhere to hide and spend the winter.

    I personally checked it from my own experience. Then, not knowing about the holiday, we went into the forest with our parents, got out of the car, walked about 50 meters and there they were simply teeming with this huge tangle in which there was an unimaginable number of snakes, they were everywhere, so it’s better to sit at home and read a book , or take a walk.))))))

    The Movement, or more correctly the Exaltation, is a holiday that has Orthodox roots and is celebrated by the Orthodox Church as the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord.

    After the death of Jesus Christ, crucified on Calvary, the cross from which the Savior was taken down, and other crosses on which the thieves were then crucified, were buried. Then Jerusalem was destroyed by the soldiers of Emperor Titus, and Golgotha ​​and the Holy Sepulcher were deeply buried.

    For a long time the crosses could not be found, and when they were found, they could not find out which of them Jesus Christ was crucified on.

    Patriarch Macarius ordered all three crosses to be placed on the deceased in turn. And when the Cross of the Savior touched the deceased, he came to life and rose from the grave.

    Many signs are associated with the holiday.

    People say that during the Shift only those snakes that have bitten a person remain to freeze, and all the rest hide underground to spend the winter with their snake mother.

    But in addition, people also call this day shift, putting into it the concepts of everyday life. By this day, the entire harvest should be moved from the fields to the threshing floor, and after it the work of chopping and salting cabbage began. And on the day itself, September 27, no significant business was started; it was believed that everything would go to waste.

    Moreover, on this day it was forbidden to go into the forest. It is believed that right now snakes are settling in for the winter, gathering in large numbers in one place. And although there is no documentary evidence of this phenomenon anywhere, people still try not to go into the forest unnecessarily.

    According to popular belief, you should not go into the forest on September 27th. On this day - the Shift - all forest snakes crawl out to bask in the sun - for the last time of the year, and then hide in their burrows for the winter. There is also a sign that the bear hides in a den on this day.

    And the church honors this day as the Exaltation, the Movement of the Cross of the Lord.

    On September 27, the Day of the Exaltation was celebrated, after which it was believed that it was no longer possible to meet a snake in the forest or in the field - they all went to bed on this day. And how snakes go to sleep - they gather in heaps, curl into balls, and hide in secluded places. However, going into the forest on this day was forbidden not because of snakes. There was another tradition or superstition on this day - it was believed that it was on Exaltation that the goblin puts his possessions in order. bypasses them and makes an audit. It was considered bad manners to disturb him. In addition, bears preparing to lie down in a den made such walks more dangerous than snakes preparing to hibernate. In addition, there was such a sign among the people that if some unlucky snake bites a person on this day, it will be on its own head, since it will not have time to lie down with its friends and will end up alone.

    September 27, Orthodox holiday - Exaltation of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. According to folklore, during the Shift, autumn shifts to winter. And as for the snake lawlessness, it’s really so, I saw it myself, it’s just some kind of mysticism. After moving, you will not see the snake.

    The father and the dog on September 27 this year in the evening, or rather closer to night, went fishing. It so happened that that night the moon was bloody. We got out of the car and walked. The father immediately noticed that the dog was behaving strangely, because usually he immediately runs away into the forest, but then he pressed himself to his leg and walked quietly. About an hour passed, my father photographed the moon many times. The dog was no longer afraid to run into the forest. Suddenly he runs out of the forest and presses himself against his father’s leg. He curls up his ears and whines. After about 30 seconds, a heart-rending howl or squeak was heard from the forest. He began to approach. The father put on a headlamp and angrily shouted in the direction of the howl. Father was terribly afraid. The howl stopped approaching, and then began to move away altogether. My father sat in horror all night and had no time for fishing. I waited until morning, the fishermen arrived, only then did my father dare to go to the car. The road was right through that forest. I arrived home at about ten o'clock in the morning. I went to bed in horror. He no longer walks through the forests and only goes fishing during the day. I decided to Google it. It turned out that that night the church holiday of the Movement was celebrated. Neither my father nor I believe in God, but after what happened near the forest, I somehow feel uneasy at night.

    On September 27, the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord is celebrated annually in the Orthodox Church calendar.

    Services are held in honor of the holy martyr Callistratus and his squad. Celebration of the People's Movement. In September, snakes prepare to hibernate. If there is a lot of rain, they crawl more often in search of shelter. September is big, but we chose September 27th. People were going to a church service when they saw a cluster of snakes. A belief remains in people's memory - on September 27, the most snakes are found.

    This is the second name of the holiday of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

    On this holiday one must fast and 7 sins will be forgiven, as was believed in Rus'.

    Regarding snakes that settle down for the winter, I think that this does not happen in all places. Our territory is too large and the climate is different everywhere, but snakes sense when they need to huddle together for the winter. If you noticed it in some place, it does not mean that this is true in all regions and all other signs also cannot come true everywhere.

This is what today is about. On our way out, we increasingly encounter these amazing creatures of nature - Snakes. This is what happened this time:

The sun was hot and, walking along the dirt road, we kept meeting vipers that were languidly warming themselves and had no intention of leaving, despite our approach! This impudence somewhat surprised us; this had never happened before. One in particular, a rather large viper, did not pay any attention to us at all, having grown soft under the sun and did not want to crawl away. There was no need for us to harm her. We had provisions, thank Heaven, so this subject was not considered as food. And yet, it was necessary to pass, but she did not crawl away!! Only after we started throwing pine cones at her did the beauty reluctantly crawl away from the road, so I want to point out, comrades: now you need to walk very carefully even on the road, and watch your step, as vipers blend in very well with the road and are difficult to notice by the peripheral vision. I even had to jump over one, instantly reacting to my husband’s warning when I gaped, admiring the nature around..

in this regard, it is good to know

1. WHAT IT LOOKS AND WHERE IT IS FOUND

2. CALENDAR OF VIPERA ACTIVITY BY MONTH OF THE YEAR.

3. HELP WITH A VIPER BITE. ANTI-SHOCK KIT.

SO, LET'S BEGIN...

1. VIPER.

In the forests of the middle zone, you can quite often find a small motley-colored snake - the common viper.

Usually its length is about 50 centimeters, but there are specimens that reach even 90 centimeters.

As a rule, vipers have a characteristic zigzag pattern on their backs. The general background color can be gray (light and dark shades), brown, red, cherry red.

The zigzag pattern on the back of the viper is very similar to the broken shadow of fern leaves and various small bushes. This coloring allows the snake to blend in with the pattern of sun glare and shadows.

Neither man nor animal notices the viper lying motionless and approaches it too close. A frightened snake resorts to self-defense - it bites an unexpected guest.

In what other cases can a viper bite?

Unless, of course, they suddenly press her with a hand or foot.

In general, the behavior of snakes when meeting a person depends largely on the degree of warming up.

In cool, cloudy or rainy weather, when vipers are chilled, their movements are sluggish, slow, and uncertain.

They do not pose a serious danger because they are easy to dodge.

It's a different matter in dry and hot weather. However, even an active snake, having noticed a person, usually tries to crawl to the nearest shelter. Soon she appears again and, having looked around, lies down in her original place.

When an active snake is being pursued, and there is nowhere for it to hide, it begins to defend itself: curled up into a ball, with a hiss it throws its head towards the pursuer. But even in this case, she strives to approach any shelter and slide into it.

When persistently pursued, the viper becomes ferocious and becomes quite dangerous. Quickly shrinking into a ball and immediately expanding to its full length, as if jumping above the ground, it tries to get closer to the person. Her movements are so rapid that it is difficult to follow them.

To avoid an unwanted encounter, when walking through the forest or through dense thickets, have a stick in your hands with which you can push them apart in front of you. the snake will crawl away and the meeting will not happen. at least unexpected.

It so happened a long time ago that everyone who sees a viper pronounces a merciless death sentence on it. But does he have the right to do this? Of course not!

Firstly, wonderful medicines are made from viper venom.

In addition, this snake is a natural regulator of the number of rodents: forest and field mice - carriers and keepers of a dangerous disease - tularemia.

Our country has adopted a law prohibiting the pointless extermination of poisonous snakes, including the common viper.

To avoid unpleasant collisions, you need to know where they settle, where they crawl to feed, in what places they like to bask in the sun - in a word, to know the calendar of their life. Here he is.

2. VIPER CALENDAR:

JANUARY FEBRUARY. Vipers are found in shelters located in mossy hummocks of high marshes, rotten stumps and trunks of long-fallen trees, burrows of mouse-like rodents, passages of rotten roots, heaps of rotten hay, rock crevices... Usually snakes choose places where the ground cannot freeze and where spring waters are scary. During wintering, vipers hide either singly or in whole groups.

MARCH. In the last ten days of the month, the first snakes appear in thawed forest glades and clearings, on moss swamps, on hillsides, near piles of stones, in areas heated by the sun and sheltered from the wind. They are inactive, sometimes lying in groups.

APRIL. Snakes lie on hummocks, dry leaves and dry grass, along forest roads and clearings, in clearings, moss swamps, clearings, along the edge of the forest, along the banks of rivers and lakes. On clear sunny days, snakes go out to bask in the morning, before about 10 o'clock, and in the evening, after 18 o'clock.

In the second decade, the time of mating begins for snakes. Vipers gather in dry clearings among willow bushes, open high moss swamps with sparse small pine trees, clearings in the forest, heaps of stones on the slopes of ravines, hills and mountains.

MAY. Vipers crawl to feeding areas. Near the snakes' summer residence there is always a source of water, a convenient place to warm up, a reliable shelter - heaps of rotted hay, dry twigs, a high dry hummock, a stump.

JUNE. All snakes are in feeding areas. At this time, you can stumble upon a “snake path” that runs along manes on the banks of a river or lake, along a clearing in the forest, the edge of a swamp or a clearing in a damp forest. Vipers appear on such “paths” every day.

Snakes come out to warm up early in the morning before the dew dries and in the evening before sunset. After rain, they lie in the sun for 15-20 minutes, crawling out onto hummocks, heaps of dry branches, stumps, and hillocks.

They even love dirt roads where there is rarely traffic. if the sun is hot and the snake is tired, it reluctantly leaves the road. On cloudy days and before rain, vipers bask for a long time in open places. There is a massive molting of snakes and crawling out is common.

JULY. Snakes are still in their summer habitats. In meadows during haymaking, they often use windrows and haystacks as temporary shelters, so if you decide to rest in such places, be careful. You must also be careful when picking strawberries: vipers often nest in strawberry meadows and hillocks.

AUGUST. As the raspberries, blueberries and gonobobels ripen, some of the snakes move into the berry fields. Here vipers prey on grass frogs, which in turn are attracted by the abundance of insects that flock to the aroma of ripe berries. Berry fields are usually heavily overgrown with grass, and before picking a berry, feel the grass with a stick.

In the second half of the month, vipers begin to produce offspring. On average, one female gives birth to 8-10 vipers, but it happens that large females give birth to more than 20. Usually births occur on the ground, but sometimes vipers crawl onto low bushes.

SEPTEMBER. The bulk of snakes gradually moves to their wintering places. The young go to winter first, then the adult snakes. If wintering quarters are located in moss hummocks in a raised bog, then you can stumble upon groups of snakes. In the fall, vipers have the same concentrations as in the spring during the mating period.

On September 27, the Orthodox Church celebrates the great twelfth holiday - the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord. It is dedicated to two important events related to the Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. This is the discovery of the Cross, which occurred in the 4th century thanks to the efforts of Saint Helena (mother of Constantine the Great) and then, three centuries later, the deliverance of the shrine from “Persian captivity” by Emperor Heraclius.

Exaltation of the Holy Cross: traditions and customs of the day

People said: “ On Vozdvizhenie the heat will shift and the cold will move in. On Vozdvizhenie autumn is moving faster towards winter" And indeed, by this time, real autumn had arrived: the sun was shining, but no longer warmed with its warmth, a cold, gusty wind was blowing, birds were flying away to warmer climes, and people were taking warm things out of their chests. On this day, the third meeting of autumn takes place and Indian summer comes to an end.

According to popular legend, on September 27 there is a battle between " honor" And " wickedness“, two forces rise (“erect”) one upon the other: “holy” and “unholy,” truth and falsehood. With the help of the Holy Cross of the Lord rising from the bowels of the earth, truth wins. Since the Cross is a symbol of suffering, the day of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord was considered fast by the people.

This day was also called “Stavrov’s day” (translated from Greek as “cross”). For a long time, on this church holiday, religious processions were held around villages in order to protect them from harm for a year. They served a prayer service and walked around the fields with icons, asking the Lord for the future harvest. They also prayed for the sick. They believed that if you pray with faith, the Life-Giving Cross will rise from your deathbed.

It was customary to raise crosses on churches under construction, to build chapels and small churches in honor of the holiday. Peasants placed crosses carved out of wood or simply rowan branches folded crosswise into the bins, bottom drains and mangers next to the cow. In the old days, in order to protect their home, livestock and harvest from harm, crosses were burned on the door lintel and barn gates.

There was a belief that on the Feast of the Exaltation one should not begin any important or significant work, because everything started on this day would either be useless and unsuccessful, or would end in complete failure.

Our ancestors noticed that on this holiday, reptiles go to some unknown warm region, and swallows fly away with them. For this reason, people carefully locked the gates, gates and doors throughout the day so that the reptiles crawling into the yowl would not mistakenly crawl into the yard, and they tried not to go into the forest for the Exaltation.

This day was dangerous for going into the forest, not only because of snakes, but also because of werewolves, goblin and other evil spirits. According to legend, goblins gathered animals under their control in one place for inspection before the coming winter. They could harm the person they met.

In addition to the goblin, this day was also important for the barn-keeper - the spirit that lives in the barn and takes the form of the owner of the house. On September 27, the “name day” was celebrated. It was not allowed to heat the barn on this day. The threshers didn't work either. If sheaves had already been placed in the barn, then the owner pretended to unload it by removing the top two sheaves. The housewives spread an embroidered towel on the barn window, and left treats for the barn owner at night.

The third meeting of autumn – “Cabbage”

From this date began a series of cheerful autumn parties - “cabbage parties”, “cabbage parties”, which lasted two weeks. They were celebrated not only by residents of villages and villages, but also by townspeople. The girls, dressed in colorful, elegant clothes, went from house to house to chop cabbage. Single men were looking for brides.

In the evening, when the cabbage was chopped, real fun began, which quite often led to weddings taking place on Pokrov. To win the heart of the guy they liked, girls read a special plot.

Neighbors and acquaintances were invited to such parties. The woman, entering the house, congratulated the owners on the cabbage harvest. Beer was brewed and pies were baked for the guests. The evening ended with songs and dances.

September 27: signs and beliefs

  1. If the geese fly high, there is a large flood, if they fly low, there is a small one.
  2. The north wind blows - the summer will be warm.
  3. If a snake bites a person on the Exaltation, it will not crawl away to warmer climes. She will have to freeze in the winter cold.
  4. Frosts in the morning - early winter.
  5. If the weather is clear and warm, then the cold will not come soon.
  6. It has become sharply cold - spring will be early.
  7. North wind - for a hot summer.
  8. When you see a flock of migratory birds, you need to ask them to say hello to your departed relatives.
  9. Girls are not allowed to go into the forest, because the devil might steal it.
  10. During the Exaltation, you cannot pass by places where a murder was once committed - the evil spirits can lead you astray.
  11. If you see strange tracks on the ground, you should not cross them. These traces may belong to forest evil spirits. Whoever crosses them will soon become seriously ill.
  12. A person who gets lost in the forest on this day must take off his clothes, shake them and read a prayer. It is believed that this will help him find his way faster and protect him from meeting the devil.

To the person born 27 September, given the ability for artistic creativity. He should wear an amethyst .

Video: Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 27)

We can say that we are lucky with the fauna, and in the Krasnodar Territory there are almost no representatives of the animal world that are poisonous and dangerous to humans. However, each of us has repeatedly encountered a snake in the forest, in the mountains or on a river. They do not like to be seen by people, but if this happens, they prefer to crawl away or hide. But there are also exceptions. During “snake weddings,” the aggression of these “brides” and “grooms” greatly increases and an attack cannot be avoided when they meet.

This day falls on July 12th. Elderly people said: “Don’t go into the forest, don’t disturb the thicket, don’t torture your fate.” It was also believed that under no circumstances should one kill a snake - otherwise its relatives will take revenge. And if a snake bites you on this day, not a single doctor, not a single medicine will help.

The second dangerous day comes on September 27th. This is the beginning of snake hibernation. Everything from snakes to vipers crawl in search of better shelter for the winter, to hide until the first thunder rolls, allowing them to leave their holes again. At this time, the village men tightly close the gates, sheds and cellars - so that the snake does not accidentally climb where it should not in search of a better shelter. The belief has not lost its force even today, they say this: “The bastard is moving... You will walk, and they will just grab, grab and grab. And they will go straight along the road.” So there are two days a year when you can't go to the forest.

Now get acquainted! Our beauties - VIPER

and alpine VIPER KAZNAKOVA

There are also almost black vipers; sometimes they are confused with harmless and even useful snakes, which is why the latter are forced to suffer. It is actually not difficult to distinguish them from each other. It is usually longer than a viper and has an oval-shaped head. The viper never grows more than 70 cm, and its head is slightly pointed. If you also look into her eyes, you will see a narrow, angry pupil looking at you. While in snakes it is simply round.

If you notice a snake late and it is at a dangerous distance, try not to move and remain calm until it crawls away. The snake reacts to movement, and if you “pretend to be a tree,” you are not there for it.

IF YOU ARE BIT BY A POISONOUS SNAKE:

The victim must be taken to the hospital as soon as possible, ensuring that the bitten part of the body is immobilized. As first aid, you can apply half a fresh onion to the bite site. When the bulb, having drawn out a certain amount of poison, turns blue, apply a bandage, not weak but not too tight. The optimal one is one that you can stick your finger under without much effort. And drink as much water as possible to dilute the poison.

  • Suck out the poison, because with the slightest wound in the mouth, there will already be two victims.
  • Cutting the bite site and squeezing out the poison runs the risk of damaging the tendons or causing an infection.
  • It is useless to cauterize with hot objects, because The length of the snake fangs reaches a centimeter and the poison penetrates too deeply.
  • It is forbidden to apply a tourniquet above the bitten area - this will worsen the victim’s condition and does not affect the spread of the poison.
  • And of course, no alcohol - this leads to an increase in the effect of the poison and makes it difficult to remove it from the body.

I would like to wish you to come across only grass snakes and copperheads on your way, and that your walk in the forest will be a complete pleasure)

P.S. If a person is bitten by a snake, it means he has offended someone (Indian wisdom)