St. Matthew’s Day
St. Matthew’s Day (24.02) was rich in work bans and forecasts. It was a day off for hired help. On St. Matthew’s Day it was not allowed to mend clothes � snakes would bite in summer; it was not allowed to bring any firewood home � vipers would come near the house; it was not allowed to spin � "the wind made by the spinning wheel would activate all the bugs and problems.� Spinning wheels were hidden � it was believed that a person spotting a spinning wheel would see a wolf or a bear next summer. It was not even allowed to comb one’s head � that could produce dandruff. In the evening one could not light a fire, otherwise the flies would procreate. On St. Matthew’s Day it was not allowed to boil cabbage, beans or peas � so they would not be eaten by worms in their growth period. It was not allowed to eat meat, either, "because the worms would then pester and hate you next year" (Koeru). On St. Matthew’s Day it was allowed to boil "potatoes and food from groats.� The weekday on which St. Matthew’s Day fell was not suitable for planting potatoes or seed crops. If there was a wind like on St. Matthew’s Day, only flax was allowed to be sown. "If a pig is slaughtered with a wind like the one on St. Matthew’s Day, the meat would shrink very much when being boiled." (Saarde). On St. Matthew’s Day people hoped for blizzards and snow � this was a sign of a fruitful year, especially rich in berries and apples. The Northern wind was a sign of a cold spring.

Namedays:
Mattias, Madis, Madi, Matis, Matti, Mats, Mait, Maido, Maidu ja Mäidoa

Sun	rise		set		Moon Phase
	(EEST)	(GMT)	(EEST)	(GMT)	1-th day of moon cycle: new moon
Tallinn	07:37	05:37	17:33	15:33
Tartu	07:26	05:26	17:28	15:28
Pärnu	07:35	05:35	17:37	15:37
Paide	07:32	05:32	17:32	15:32
Narva	07:23	05:23	17:20	15:20
Kuressaare	07:43	05:43	17:46	15:46
Võru	07:24	05:24	17:28	15:28
Helsinki	07:38	05:38	17:31	15:31
Riga	07:34	05:34	17:43	15:43
Stockholm	08:03	06:03	18:01	16:01