Honey, Apple and Nut Spas: traditions and customs of sweet holidays. Three Spas in August: Honey, Apple, Walnut - history, traditions, signs

Three Spas come to the Orthodox in August. All three holidays go one after another: Honey, Apple and Nut Spas. The meaning of each holiday is different and unique, but all of them are related to Jesus Christ, the Savior, and therefore are named in honor of the Lord - Savior.

August 14 celebrate the First Spas - Honey. According to ancient legends, on this day the bees stop carrying honey, and the beekeepers begin to break out the honeycombs.

And it was on this day, having previously consecrated it in the church, that they began to eat honey. All the children gathered near the church or in the apiary to feast on honey. It was impossible to refuse on this day, so honey was generously poured into cups or into twisted leaves. Therefore, you can hear the following saying: "The first Savior is a gourmet." Apple Savior, which is celebrated on August 19, according to church canons, is called the Transfiguration of the Lord, and the last, third Savior, which is called not made by hands, is celebrated by the Orthodox Church in memory of the transfer to Constantinople of the Not Made Image of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Apple Savior is the name of the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord in the Ukrainian folk tradition. Once upon a time, our ancestors waited until the Second Savior, and only on this day in the early morning they began to pick apples or buy them. Then they sanctified them in the church, after which they arranged a “feast by the mountain”. In addition to apples, pears, plums and grapes are consecrated on August 19, and are also served at festive table raw and cooked. Prepare for the holiday meatless dishes- apple pies, compotes, jams and, of course, apples baked with honey and spices, pears in syrup, etc. Fish are also allowed.

Third Savior - Walnut, Bread - Transferring the Image of the Lord Not Made by Hands. The Church established this feast in honor of the transfer to Constantinople from Edessa of the Image Not Made by Hands of the Lord Jesus Christ.

What does the word "Savior" mean in the name of the holiday?

Savior is an abbreviated form of the word Savior - Jesus Christ. The people call the word Spas three summer holidays dedicated to Jesus Christ (Savior): Honey Spas, Apple Spas and Third Spas (transfer miraculous image from Edessa to Constantinople).

Walnut Spas, the history of the holiday, traditions, customs

By August 29, the hazelnuts, which existed even before the Christianization of Rus', finally ripened. Our ancestors collected nuts and held festivities with special rituals - such as making wishes, fortune telling. They tried to collect as many nuts as possible - it was believed that the amount of joy in the family depends on their number. On August 29, the Orthodox Church celebrates the transfer from Edessa to Constantinople of the miraculous image of the Savior - a piece of fabric on which, according to the gospel story, the face of Jesus Christ was imprinted (this happened in 944). Today this fabric is known as the Holy Shroud. In rural life, this holiday was celebrated by trading in linens and canvases. “The First Spas - they stand on the water; the second Spas - they eat apples; the third Savior - canvases are sold on the green mountains.

To understand various signs, one must always look at the meaning of an action or custom. In the Church, everything is meaningful, everything is subject to the Gospel logic, it serves the salvation of the human soul. And superstition is always devoid of internal meaning and focuses on external action, with a complete absence of internal content. In order not to become a victim of spiritually harmful superstitions invented by non-church people, it is necessary to go to church and strictly adhere to church tradition.

Traditions and customs

On this day, according to tradition, they finished harvesting bread and baked the first loaf of flour from the new crop. Bread was consecrated in the church and then eaten by the whole family, so the Third Spas was also called Bread.

In the old days, there were such proverbs: “The Third Savior has stored up bread”, “If the Third Savior is good, there will be kvass in winter.”

The rite to keep the remains of the first loaf, wrapped in a linen cloth behind the icon, has been preserved in some villages to this day. People believed that in this way they lured prosperity into the house and protected the family from hunger.

Fairs were organized in many cities and villages on Khlebny or Nut Spas - it was believed that trade on this day would be especially favorable.

At the fairs, one could find an abundance of various fabrics, for which the villagers willingly came, as there was an opinion among the people that on this day something should be purchased from fabrics.

Bread (Nut) Savior was not customary to celebrate with some in a special way, since at that time the suffering was in full swing, and people had no time for entertainment. They attended church in the morning, sanctified nuts, bread, grains and set off to prepare a field for winter crops.

Nevertheless, some holiday customs were still observed - they baked bread for the poor, treated relatives and passers-by with nuts, pies with nuts and other gifts of the outgoing summer were served for dinner.

The festive table was supposed to be rich and varied - the Assumption Fast ended on the eve of the holiday, so it was possible to serve fish and meat dishes. According to tradition, it was necessary to try all the dishes in order for the next year to be joyful and fat.

On this day, it was customary to give symbolic gifts to relatives, friends and colleagues - nuts, hand-baked buns, or linen towels, as fabric products are also directly related to this holiday.

On this day, the hostesses were also engaged in the preparation of medicinal nut tincture. For this, membranes were used walnuts, which were poured with cognac or vodka and insisted in a dark place.

Such a nutty tincture in cold winter was a primary remedy for the treatment of colds - it was added to hot tea.

Bread Spas is also called Nut

From this day on, you can harvest hazel in the forests. It is noticed that by this day the nuts are already ripe. If there are a lot of nuts, there is not enough bread. And vice versa: in the grain year, there are few nuts in the forests. The peasants say that both are not born together in the same year. And two years in a row there is no harvest for nuts.

From this day on, summer is considered completed. The Third Spas is not widely celebrated: there is no time. This is a milestone at which field work must be completed before the rains come.

According to Christian tradition, every Savior is a holiday in honor of the Savior Jesus Christ. In August, three holidays are celebrated at once, called by the people: honey Savior, apple Savior and nut Savior. Three Spas - one of the important holidays in church calendar. They are closely related to household and field work.

First Spas, or Honey, - the day when, according to legend, the bees stopped collecting honey. Second, Apple, marked the beginning of the apple season. From that day on, it was possible to eat apples - before that, there was a ban on the consumption of fruits.

BUT Third Spas- the time when the field work ended and the period for collecting nuts began. That is why the name is Walnut and Bread.

Honey Spas

Honey Spas or Makovey is celebrated every year on August 14th. On this day, Christians go to church and consecrate bouquets of flowers and poppies, honey and fruits.

Among the people, the first day of the Dormition Fast is called Honey Savior. In various regions, the Honey Savior is also called the First Savior, Poppy Savior, Wet Savior, Savior on the Water, Lakomka, Honey Feast, Bee Feast, Seeing Off Summer, Maccabeus.

Previously, it was after Makovey that beekeepers began to collect honey from hives. Usually by this time the combs were already filled. After the church, everyone gathered by the water, ate fruits and honey, sang songs.

According to tradition, it was allowed to eat honey consecrated by the church from this very day. They ate honey with bread. Housewives baked honey gingerbread, pancakes with poppy seeds and honey, pies, buns with poppy seeds. The villagers knew that honey has a special power and is suitable for the treatment of many diseases.

August 14 is also the day of remembrance of the seven Old Testament martyrs Maccabees. There were seven of them - Avim, Antonin, Gury, Eleazar, Evsevon, Alim and Markell. All of them were executed by the Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes on August 14 in 166 BC. e. for serving God.

There are certain prohibitions on Honey Spas. On August 14, the Dormition Fast begins and must be adhered to certain rules nutrition. Usually on this day, housewives cook lean borscht and dishes with mushrooms.

Also on August 14, a small consecration of water is performed in churches, so the Honey Savior is often called the Savior on the Water. On this day believers last time in the year they bathed in rivers and lakes, washing away all sins from themselves.

On this day, you can not quarrel, get angry or wish someone harm. According to legend, all negative wishes can return like a boomerang. Also on this day you can not clean the house and work in the garden. All work must be completed the day before.

In the evening, the whole family should gather at the table and quietly thank God for the meal. You need to start dinner with a spoonful of honey. Before use, make a wish, which, as our ancestors believed, would come true.

Signs

Swallows and swifts fly south - the nights will become colder.

If on this day it's raining This means that there will be no forest fires for a whole year.

The weather on this day tells about what the next year will be like: if it rains - to cold, heat - to heat, respectively.

Congratulations on Honey Spas

And walnut Spasov intertwined Christian and folk traditions. On the one hand, these holidays from ancient times crowned the harvest of various fruits of agriculture and gifts of the earth. On the other hand, Christian, each Savior is celebrated in honor of the Savior - Jesus Christ. Is it possible to draw a line between these traditions? The question is rhetorical. But it will not be difficult to find out when honey and are celebrated.

Honey will improve your health

Honey, walnut. And yet in the first place it would be necessary to put the honey Spas. It is he who is celebrated first, his celebration falls on August 14th. At this time, the bees finish filling the hives with honey, and you can already eat it, consecrated in the church. The people believed that honey, consecrated on the day of the Savior, would help to cope with various diseases, it strengthens health. This honey is stored for a long time. And it is important to eat a piece of bread with honey every morning on an empty stomach. If a quarrel arose in the family, it is necessary to brew tea, add a teaspoon of consecrated honey to it and drink it with the whole family.

On the day of the honey Savior, the day of remembrance of the martyrs of Macques is celebrated. Therefore, the second name of the first Spas is poppy. In the church, besides honey, they also consecrate poppies. And then they bake all kinds of honey. By the way, the most pleasant fasting begins with the honey Savior, on this day poppy cakes or pancakes are served on the table. The Assumption post is called in honor of the Assumption of the Virgin. It lasts until August 28th.

In addition, water is also consecrated on the honey Savior in the church, since on this day in 988 Rus' was baptized with water from the Dnieper, and for this reason the first Savior is also called the water or wet Savior.

With the honey Savior, the people began seeing off the summer, as well as harvesting.

Spas apple, honey, nut ... The second date Spas comes first. Why? Because it is considered more significant. Apple Savior always falls on August 19 and is celebrated along with the Transfiguration of the Lord - the manifestation of the Divine majesty of Jesus Christ before his disciples: Peter, John and James. During their joint prayer, the face of Jesus shone with the light of heaven, and the clothes became whiter than snow. Then came Elijah. They spoke to Jesus about his exodus, which would soon take place in Jerusalem. Jesus forbade his disciples to talk about what happened until he was resurrected as he was meant to be.

On this day after church service fruits were consecrated, mainly apples. Therefore, among the people, the holiday of the Transfiguration was called the Apple Savior. It is believed that only after the Apple Savior can you pick apples, bake pies and make jam from apples.

The Second Spas marks the beginning of autumn, and also draws a kind of border between summer and autumn agricultural work. Before the Transfiguration, the villagers tried to prepare the land for sowing, so that after the holiday they could sow winter crops, and also start digging potatoes.

Nut or bread

Saved apple, honey, nut ... The last on this list is always because it is celebrated after honey and apple, namely, on August 29th.

The third Savior was installed in honor of the Image of Jesus Christ Not Made by Hands. According to legend, on a piece of cloth, which Christ wiped after washing, his face was imprinted. With the help of this image, Abgar, who ruled in the Syrian city of Edessa, received healing from leprosy. This image, not made by hands, was kept for a long time in Edessa, but then was transferred to Constantinople. The holiday is dedicated to this event, it is also called the Savior on Canvas. It also has two more names: bread and nut. Because at this time nuts ripen and the harvest of bread ends. In many villages and villages, during the third Savior, dozhinki were held and pies were baked from the grain of the new crop.

In all cities of Russia Spas honey, apple, nut 2013 was celebrated with fairs and exhibitions the best varieties honey, apples, nuts and other various gifts of our land. Folk festivals organized on these holidays are considered part of Russian culture. And the delicacies prepared by folk craftsmen at these holidays, as a rule, cannot be counted.

Saved apple, honey, nut - three holidays, but at the same time the time begins on August 14 and ends on August 28. It even got the name Spasovka, since it begins during the honey Spas, its middle falls on the apple Spas, and the ending - on the walnut Spas. But thanks to the many vegetables and fruits, it is considered light by believers and ends with the feast of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos.

Summer church holidays are distinguished by a special connection with folk customs and nature. Today we will talk about the three most important of them and try to find out what date the apple, honey and nut spas 2019 will be, as well as what dishes are best to eat these days.

Our Slavic culture is fraught with many summer customs, the essence of which lies in the deep connection between pagan beliefs and Christian morality. So, Spas are very interesting - holidays celebrated in the second half of summer. The number of these holidays is small: only three. The very name of the holiday contains a reference to Jesus Christ, who is called the Savior. In the popular understanding, this name hides a deep idea that the people at this time save themselves, trying to survive on the three main summer products: apples, bread (nuts) and honey.

Apple

Apple Spas 2019 is one of the first harvest days in the Slavic tradition. It is celebrated at the very beginning of August, to be precise - on the 19th of the new style. Ambulance to follow the first rescue. The meaning of this day comes down to the fact that nature begins its transformation and prepares for autumn.

On the Apple Savior, apples of the new crop are usually illuminated in the church. Parents of dead young children are especially revered all this day. It is believed that if the family has not consumed apples up to this point, then the child in the next world receives the fruit of the tree of paradise as a gift. For this reason, it was impossible to eat apples before the apple savior. It was considered obligatory that a woman in whose family a misfortune occurred, took several fruits to the temple for service in order to illuminate them and transfer them to the grave of the dead.

On this holiday, it was customary to see off the sunset in the field with many songs and dances. Our ancestors were very fond of round dances with songs and dances. In addition, it was customary to cook various dishes using apples. Just imagine: rosy baked apples on the same table with pies and pancakes seasoned with apple jam. Lenten dough gates with mushrooms and berries were also favorite dishes of families at that time. Their photo is shown below.

What date will Apple Spas be scheduled for 2019? Apple Spas in 2019 year will pass August 19, Saturday, which is very good, because many people on weekdays simply could not visit the church and enjoy this wonderful event, which is so important for those who want to join the culture of their ancestors. When it is convenient, you can bake various apple pies and charlottes, which even a lazy person can make.

Honey

Honey Spas 2019 is a holiday that falls on August 14 according to the new style. This day is dedicated to the memory of trees from trunks and branches, which created the cross, which became a symbol of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. In addition, it is believed that from this moment the Assumption Fast begins, during which it is allowed to eat vegetables and collect honey. Traditionally, on this day it was customary to perform religious processions, hallow the water and bathe in the rivers. From that moment, the sowing of fields with winter rye began. Honey Spas pictures will help you understand how artists see this wonderful holiday.

In addition, it was customary to illuminate in the temples not only water, but also honey of the new harvest. By folk beliefs On this holiday, women were forgiven all their sins that had not been prayed for before.

It is also interesting that August 14 is the day of veneration of St. Macavey, timed to coincide with the collection of poppies. That is why on this holiday it is customary to bake and eat not only pancakes with honey toppings, but also poppy seed pies, rolls and, of course, buns.

Honey Spas in 2019 will be held on Monday 14 August. If on this day you can’t visit the church, then in the evening arrange gatherings at home with your family for a festive delicious table. Prepare for your loved ones poppy seed roll with honey and tea based on thyme or mint. All of these components enjoy great reviews and pair very well with each other.

Walnut

Nut Savior in 2019 is the last in a series of August festivities. It is celebrated on August 29 according to the new style. Dedicated to receiving the miraculous image of the Savior - one of the most revered icons in Slavic culture. Nuts are not the only symbol of this holiday. In addition to them, bread enjoys great reverence on this day. This is the essence of the second name of the holiday - the Savior of the Bread.

It is customary at this time to bake various bakery products from fresh grains, which can be eaten with nuts, berries or honey. Such food will be not only tasty, but also healthy to eat.

What date is Nut Spas 2017? In the new year, Nut Savior will be held on the 29th, which falls on Tuesday. Try to please your loved ones on this festive day with some delicious, but simple pastries or homemade bread. Congratulations on Nut Savior are best accompanied by buns and pies with walnuts or hazelnuts.

Photo gallery

Photo 1. Nut cake Photo 2. Honey cake

Apple and Walnut Spas. From year to year, the days on which they fall remain unchanged.

Spas- common name for the three holidays Orthodox Church: Honest Trees Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, the Transfiguration of the Lord and the Transfer of the Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands. It is believed that the name was given in honor of Jesus Christ the Savior.

Honey Spas, August 14 (First Spas, Makovei)

Which came to Ukraine from Byzantium, where in the IX century. during the week, parts of the Holy Cross were worn around Constantinople in order to cleanse the city of epidemics and "evil spirits".

On August 14, it is customary to honor the memory of the seven martyrs of Maccabees, who led the uprising for faith in the one God and were severely punished for this. Our ancestors believed that on the day of the Honey Savior, Vladimir decided to baptize Rus', so in the churches they blessed the water in the Dnieper, bathed cattle, and cleaned wells.

Makovey in Ukraine It's not just a religious holiday. From that day on, they always started autumn field work and honey collection, the swallows began to fly away, and the people were preparing to see off the summer.

According to ancient customs, water, honey and poppy are holy on Makovey. Lenten borscht with mushrooms and "Shulyk" are prepared at home. Bouquets of flowers and herbs are brought to the temple - "poppy seeds". It is believed that if you do not consecrate the flowers on the First Savior, then the economy will not bloom.

See: Honey Savior or Makovey is celebrated by Eastern Rite Christians

Apple Savior, August 19 (middle Savior, Great Savior)

To this day, believers carefully prepare for two weeks, the main thing: you can’t eat apples, especially women (this is how they try to warn against Eve’s sinful act).

The most common belief in our country was one belief: in the next world, children whose parents do not eat apples to this day are given gifts (among them are paradise apples). But for those children whose parents tried apples, no. Therefore, many parents, especially those whose children have died, consider it a great sin to eat an apple before the Second Savior.

On this day, apples have healing properties, you can even make a wish by biting off a piece - all of them will surely come true. Therefore, they, along with other fruits, are sacred and various dishes are prepared from them. Preparations for the winter also begin.

See: How to make a talisman for Apple Spas?

Nut Spas, August 29 (Third Spas, Khlebny Spas)

By the Third Savior, as a rule, they finished the harvest and baked pies from the flour of the new harvest. Therefore, the holiday was called Khlebny. At this time, hazelnuts also ripen and their mass collection begins, which is the reason for the second name.