Three Savior

Honey Spas celebrate first, on August, 14th. It is also called First Savior, Poppy Spas, Savior on the Water or Wet Spas. According to the church calendar, this is the first day of the Assumption fast, the Origin (removal) of the fair beasts of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord.

In addition, on August 14 - the day of the memory of the Maccabees,seven Old Testament martyrs, who accepted death for their faith. As in the case of many other holidays, Christian customs intertwined with the pagan: due to the fact that the poppy is just at the time, the name of which is consonant with the word "Maccabees", the First Savior in the people was nicknamed the Makov, or simply - Makaveem. On this day it is customary to cook lean pastries with poppy seeds. Begin the meal in the First Savior pancakes, which are dipped in a poppy milk - a mixture made from honey and poppy.

Honey This Spas is called because by this timeBees fill the honeycomb to capacity, and you can start collecting honey. And wet - because on this day in Russia, cleaned old wells and consecrated new ones. On natural reservoirs made a procession for the consecration of water, and then bathed themselves and bathed livestock. It was the last bath before the next summer.

August 19 is celebrating Apple Savior - Transfiguration of the Lord. Of all three Spas, the Apple Spas is considered to be the main one, because he is one of the twelve great festivals (12 important holidays in Orthodoxy after Easter). On this holiday they perform a liturgy, read parimia and sing the canon, which emphasizes the greatness of the Transfiguration, the clergy wear white clothes.

Also on this day at the end of the festive liturgy consecrate new harvest apples, after which they can be eaten. Traditionally, grapes are consecrated, but in those countries where it does not grow, it was replaced with apples. Until the Apple Savior there are uninitiated apples - this is considered a sin. In addition to apples, other fruits of the new harvest are consecrated. After consecration apples were made to be distributed to all those present in the church, and some of the crop was given to the poor, destitute, homeless and holy fools, sent to the house for the infirm and sick.

Traditionally, the Apple Savior prepared dishes from apples, which treated their relatives and neighbors. In the evening the peasants went out into the field with songs, arranging the departure of summer, in fact it was believed that the first cold starts after the Apple Savior. The first fairs were held in the villages, where the owners were brought a new crop, and folk festivals with dances, games, competitions.

August 29 is celebrating The Third Savior, it is also called Hlebnym or Nut (Nut). According to the church calendar, this is the Transfer from Edessa to Constantinople of the Image of the Lord Jesus Christ. By the Bread Savior it is called because on this day it is usually finished to clean the bread, but nutty - because by the end of the summer the hazelnuts are ripe, and you can start harvesting them. It was believed that as this year nuts were born - so in the next will yield rye.

If it was customary for the Honey Spas to consecrate honey,on Apple - apples, then on the bread was consecrated homemade pies and bread. At the Third Savior fairs were held, on which they traded canvases and canvases (that's why they also called him Holzhov or Polotnyany). On this day, baked pies from the first meal of a new crop and cooked dishes with nuts.

Peasants on the day of the Third Savior performed "Docking" - sowing of winter rye. Therefore, the Third Spas celebrated with a smaller scale than the first two: it was necessary to have time to complete all work in the field, until the rains began. August 29, finally said goodbye to the summer: on that day the last swallows and cranes flew to the warm regions.