November 17, 2024: On the Feast of St. Gregory the Wonderworker, there are certain activities you should avoid today.

What happened on November 17?

Today, the Orthodox Church commemorates Saint Gregory the Wonderworker. He was the Bishop of Neocaesarea, lived in the desert, and aided the outcast and the poor. Gregory had the gift of preaching, which allowed him to convert many to Christianity. When he took over the cathedral, there were only 17 Christians living in Neocaesarea, but by the time of his death, only a few pagans remained.

November 17 is also celebrated as International Student Day and Student Day in Ukraine.

What not to do on November 17:

• eat meat, fish, or dairy products;
• argue with family members;
• take out the trash after noon.

Folk beliefs and signs:

• the weather today will reflect the winter weather;
• if the moon appears in a bright circle, the weather will change soon;
• frost indicates a cold winter;
• dark ice on the river means the next year will be fruitful.

Name days celebrated:

Gregory, Lazarus, Michael, Nikon, Sergey, Andrei.

Born on November 17:

1942 - Martin Scorsese, American film director, Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA, Emmy award winner, and more;

1965 - Ruslana Pysanka (d. 2022), Ukrainian actress and TV presenter;

1982 - Sofiya Andrukhovych, Ukrainian writer, translator, and publicist;

1989 - Roman Zozulya, Ukrainian footballer, forward for the Ukraine national team and FC Dnipro (Dnipro city).

Also on this day:

1804 - the university in Kharkiv is founded;

1869 - the Suez Canal is officially opened in Egypt;

1913 - the first vessel passes through the Panama Canal;

1966 - on the night of November 17, the largest meteor shower in history is recorded.