Peru celebrates national potato day (Dia Nacional de la Papa).
In this country, potatoes are national pride. They call him "dad" here. It is no secret that South America is the birthplace of the potato, and the Peruvians claim that it was in their country that it appeared about 8 thousand years ago. Peru still has the largest number of wild potato species.
According to the country's Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation (MINAGRI), the potato is a very valuable genetic resource that needs to be protected and developed. There are more than 19 potato farms in 700 regions of the country, and their annual production is almost 5 million tons. Which is not surprising, since the level of potato consumption in Peru is about 90 kilograms per capita per year.
May 30 in Russia Saint Eudoxia's Day. In the old days, it was customary to spud potatoes on this day. In addition, the people watched the signs: what is Evdokia - such is the summer; the moon born in rainy Evdokia - to a wet summer, and if the north wind also blows - to a cold summer.
Also on this day, St. Andronicus was venerated - or Ondron, as he was called in Russia. This saint was considered a deliverer from drought. He was asked to "open the gates of heaven so that the rains would fall on the grain that lay in the ground." For the same purpose, special conspiracies were pronounced and various rituals were performed.
It was common, for example, like this: a peasant went out into an open field, bowed to all four sides, took an aspen branch, trimmed it and stuck it into the ground. Only a man who was already 33 years old could perform such an action.