Saint Catherine's Day in Hungary

On the 25th of November Catholic and Orthodox Churches all over the world celebrate Saint Catherine of Alexandria, one of the most influential virgin-martyrs venerated by religious culture. Claimed to have been a noted scholar in the early 4th century, Catherine was an important focus of devotion during the Middle Ages and a model for proper feminine behaviour later on; she also inspired many painters and artists throughout the centuries.
According to a legend with many variations and little historical basis, she attempted to convince the Roman Emperor Maximinus of the error of his ways in persecuting Christians - she succeeded in converting his wife and fifty pagan wise men whom he sent to dispute with her. Angered by his failure the emperor ordered her to be put in prison, and when her visitors were converted too, she was condemned to death on the breaking wheel; the instrument of torture broke when she touched it, so she was beheaded, and her body was eventually taken away by angels.

In Hungary her day of remembrance is a very popular folk holiday, as is her name itself (in Hungarian: Katalin), and St. Catherine is considered to be the patron of young girls who wish to get married. In the countryside on the eve of her day they dress up in special costumes and masks and go around the village reciting blessings and expressing wishes of health and matrimonial happiness. According to popular belief on this night each girl should cut off the bough of a fruit-tree and put it in water - if Catherine's bough ("katalingally") grows green until Christmas, it predicts marriage in the near future.
Saint Catherine's Day is a holiday of women, one on which work is forbidden to them, but many other folk traditions are linked to it as well. The best known one is an interesting weather forecast: if this day is chilling and frosty, then Christmas will be rainy and muddy, if Catherine brings a mild weather, then Christmas will be freezing cold. Also in rural areas this date marks the beginning of a resting stage: between this day and Christmas, no balls, dances and wedding parties are organized.