December 3, 2024: Prophet Zephaniah - activities to avoid today.

What happened on December 3?

Today, the Orthodox Church commemorates the prophet Zephaniah. He is one of the twelve minor biblical prophets and authored the Book of Zephaniah, which is the ninth among the "minor prophets." The saint foretold severe divine punishments that would befall Jerusalem because the city had turned away from God; its princes and priests were wicked, desecrating the holy places and disregarding the laws. According to his prophecy, after God's punishment, forgiveness will come. The prophet also predicted the birth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

What not to do on December 3:

• consume meat, fish, eggs, or dairy products;
• celebrate or shout;
• lend or borrow money.

Folk beliefs and signs:

• bright stars indicate a snowstorm is coming;
• birds singing loudly suggest a thaw;
• if snow is already on the ground, the next year's harvest will be poor;
• birds flying low signal bad weather;
• crackling firewood means frost is on the way;

Angel day is celebrated for:

Andrew, Gabriel, George, Ephraim, John, Nicholas, Theodore.

Born on this day:

1722 - Grigory Skovoroda, Ukrainian philosopher, poet, educator;

1948 - Ozzy Osbourne, British rock musician, singer, songwriter.

Also on this day:

1992 - the first SMS message was sent;

1994 - Sony introduced its first gaming console, PlayStation;

2004 - The Supreme Court of Ukraine ruled that the results of the presidential elections held on November 21, 2004, were falsified (the actions of the Central Election Commission were deemed illegal, and the CEC protocol was invalid).