Saint Elijah's Day (Ilindan)
2 August 2026 — Thunder in the distance and a gentle rain — Thunder in the distance and summer rain — Saint Elijah rides by in his chariot of fire.
Saint Elijah's Day, Ilindan, falls on 2 August and honours the prophet Elijah, who according to the Bible was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind after a chariot of fire with horses of fire appeared. In the folk beliefs of Orthodox Slavs he became Elijah the Thunderer, master of thunder, lightning and summer storms, and the day often marks the turn towards cooler, autumn-like weather. People attend church services, many share a festive meal, and farmers hope for rain and a good harvest. An old belief says that no fieldwork should be done that day, lest lightning strike. In Serbia the day is also a slava (a family's patron saint day) for many households. The Serbian Orthodox Church follows the Julian calendar, so 2 August in the civil calendar matches 20 July in the Julian one. The sky is part of the story: the fiery chariot and the summer thunderstorms echo the warm nights of early August, when the Perseid meteor shower is also approaching its peak.
Flying across the sky: An ethereal, bluish-silver constellation figure made of bright points and thin lines: a chariot of swirling cloud-stars with forking lightning bolts and a veil of falling rain-dots, crossing the night sky
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