August 14 - the first Savior, the Honey Savior, the Savior on the Water. This is the first of three August holidays that are dedicated to the Savior, Jesus Christ. The full church name is “The Origin of the Honest Trees of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord.”
The emergence of this holiday is explained by the fact that on hot August days Constantinople suffered from heat and from the spread of large quantity various diseases. And in order to somehow help the residents, a custom was established to remove from the Church of St. Sophia a piece of the cross on which Jesus was crucified. This was done for the purpose of consecrating the entire city. The first salvation was previously celebrated without unnecessary frills and pomp, because at that time the simple peasant had no time for rest. However, some traditions were still observed. On August 14, the poppy harvest began, so this spas is called poppy or Makovey.
This salvage was also called honey, since it was believed that from this time bees stopped collecting pollen from flowers. 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 curled leaves. Therefore, you can hear the following saying: “The First Savior is a gourmet.”
Arrived Honey Spas,
What I want to congratulate you on.
I wish you warmth,
Let life be sweet.
Don't get sick all year round
Eat delicious, fresh honey.
Summer is coming to an end
But honey will remind you of him!
Spas Honey, Makovey,
Church bells ringing,
There is sweetness on the lips from honey,
There is joy in the soul and heart.
Let the first Savior bring
We have enough honey for the whole year.
I wish everyone well
Life without sin and evil.
Let the Savior give Holy Communion with honey,
He blesses for good.
Congratulations on your Honey Savior! I wish your life to have more sun, warmth and summer to last for a long, long time! Let your supplies be well stored, and your prosperity be replenished with honey sweetness! Health, patience, hard work, sincerity and simplicity. May there always be prosperity and understanding in your home!
The Honey Savior has arrived,
Congratulations on this!
So that you live in abundance,
I wish I had everything in reserve.
Don't let obstacles scare you
But they just harden it.
Many summers of happiness
Always be healthy!
I hasten to congratulate you all,
After all, the Honey Savior has come to us!
May the holiday bring happiness,
So that life is sweet like honey,
Smile as often as possible
And enjoy your bright life,
I wish you sun, peace, harmony
And a positive charge!
Spas Honey arrived in time,
Saying goodbye to summer.
The honey is already ripe in the honeycombs,
Promising a holiday.
This calendar day
They don’t call it Lakomka for nothing:
First Spas, Honey Spas,
He has something in store for us,
Prepared sweets
For honey joy!
Honey Spas smells fragrant,
Brings goodness and light to people.
Honey sparkles with an amber sheen,
The heart blooms with joy.
I wish you a honey-sweet life,
May God's grace descend upon you.
The family was big and healthy!
Love you, happiness! There are no sorrows.
Congratulations on the Honey Savior,
I wish you a sweet life,
May the Lord help you
Keeps you from troubles, insults and dramas.
Open your heart to pray
Ask honestly, from the heart,
Let your thoughts be pure
All intentions are good.
Good luck to you, peace and prosperity,
In the family - love and understanding,
Good luck to you in good deeds,
Happy years and prosperity.
Happy holiday, with the Savior!
Eat honey and drink kvass.
I wish you from the bottom of my heart
Keep peace and quiet in your soul,
Hold off on getting older.
Let life be sweet like honey,
Cheers to the stormy river
Bathes you in its waves.
And let a smile on your lips
From happiness and joy
Doesn't leave you.
And tenderness and sweetness
I wish you this Saviour!
First Savior, honey Savior!
Oh, so we have a reason -
Wonderful and sweet -
For fun without looking back.
Get angry less often, don’t fuss,
And treat yourself to some honey.
Eat it to your heart's content,
It's useful, listen to us!
Eat the pies now
Rejoice day and hour,
Smile, celebrate the Savior!
Let life be sweet like honey.
Let happiness flow like a river.
May your days be as bright as the skies
And there will be no more darkness.
I wish that from this pure day
Life would be a fairy tale for you.
May health, prosperity and joyful ringing
They will never leave your home.
It's time to talk about the folk tradition of this holiday and, finally, understand the origin of the word SAVED.Why the first of the 3 Spas - honey? What meanings does the word have? SAVED? It’s no secret that in Rus' a later, Christian, tradition superimposed on the folk one - no less GOD, Original and filled with deep meanings...
ATTENTION!!! The information is unique!
So! What do we “officially” know about the word? SAVED And Honey Spas from open sources?
Saved is a church holiday dedicated to the harvest, and Honey Spas timed to coincide with the beginning of honey collection in apiaries, since the honeycombs in the hives are already overcrowded by mid-August (and after August 14, the bees allegedly begin to make "wrong honey"…)."Saved"- this is the popular name for the calendar church holiday " Origin(wearing) honest tree of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord" To Honey Spas during small blessing of water in addition to honey they consecrated healing herbs and poppy (hence the other names Honey Spas - Spas on the Water, Wet Spas, Makovey). According to tradition, it was allowed to eat honey consecrated by the church from this day on.
SPAS is " Christ the Savior". And the title national holidays"Spas" is an abbreviation for " Savior».
But is everything so simple with the Spasov tradition? What MORE the origin of the word is known for certain SAVED? What other “secret” meanings are there that shed light on history? Russian root word?
A comprehensive answer to this and other questions is given by Institute of Russian Language (Yasna-Center). Namely:
And in the next article we will talk about the Apple Savior and the holiday of the Transfiguration of the Lord. And about why Apple is a “culture-bearing” word in Russian culture!
In August, one of the most beautiful church holidays is celebrated - the Honey Savior. Holiday with deep Christian meaning and pagan origin. Any church holiday is associated with special religious events, which leaves an imprint on its traditions. Let's try to figure out how to spend August 14 so as not to violate the basic principles and protect yourself and your home from evil spirits.
August is a generous and colorful month. Moreover, his wealth is associated not only with the gifts of nature, the harvest, but also with folk, church holidays. The series of these celebrations begins with Honey Spas - in 2018, Spasovka starts on August 14th. It is from this day that the Assumption Fast or Lakomka begins, harvesting and preparation for winter, summer turns to cold, and birds turn to the south. It is not for nothing that people celebrate August, and the date falls exactly on the 1st date according to the old style, with magnificent festivities. The history of the holiday and the traditions of the Honey Savior are associated with many historical names of this day, which became the basis for many rites, rituals, and signs.
The pagan holiday, which was dedicated to the beginning of the harvest, is associated with the beginning of August. People will be busy harvesting vegetables and fruits, forest gifts, and honey almost until mid-autumn. But in the future, the days will rapidly shorten and the weather will deteriorate. In fact, the popular celebration before the start of the harvest is a way to appease the pagan gods so that they will give good weather and the opportunity to work hard. Traditional festivities were especially lavish: with dancing and songs to the accordion, lighting fires and laying sumptuous tables in the villages. The very name Spas is associated with the custom of helping widows and orphans before the onset of cold weather, which helped save their lives.
Church Honey Spas
As historical practice shows, many pagan holidays were successfully replaced by the church with church dates of similar semantic meaning. This feature made it possible to shift the emphasis from folk customs to Christian postulates.
Therefore, the description of the Honey Savior includes both folk rituals and church traditions. The same first day of the last month of August was chosen as the date of the Christian holiday.
However, when asked what date the Honey Savior will be celebrated, we hear the date August 14, which is associated with the transition to a new calendar.
In church legends, the holiday of the Savior is associated with the Savior, since it was the consecration of Constantinople in the 9th century that helped rid the city of epidemics, which traditionally killed many people in August. It was possible to stop the diseases spreading against the backdrop of the summer heat after the Life-Giving Cross was carried through the village. Since then, on this day it has been customary to celebrate Procession of the Cross to reservoirs where clergy bless water.
It is also customary to celebrate other important dates in the church on this day:
It was these events that formed the basis of the modern church holiday.
The holiday of bees, Poppy Spas, opens a series of Spas and the Assumption Fast itself, which ends with the nut Spas.
This fast is considered one of the strictest - it is prohibited to consume any products of animal origin.
But the fast was also called Gourmand, which is associated with the abundance of sweets and gifts from gardens and forests. The main treat at Honey Spas was, of course, honey. It was on this day that the collection of bee nectar was completed. According to signs, later the gifts of the bees lost their value, and the unharvested honey could be stolen by neighboring bees.
The blessed nectar is partially donated to the church. The owners tried to congratulate their friends and distribute as much honey as possible so that their bees would be even more hardworking next year. You need to eat the first spoon of honey after making your deepest wish - it will definitely come true.
It is at Poppy Spas that honey fairs open, where beekeepers offer to taste their the best varieties honey Such fairs are accompanied by musical performances, competitions, and games.
But until the next Savior, which falls on the 19th, it is forbidden to treat yourself to gifts of apple trees and pears. Therefore, it is better to postpone the custom of dipping juicy apples in aromatic honey until Apple Rescue.
It’s better to celebrate on Makovey with mead and honey baked goods. Housewives bake honey cakes, rolls with poppy seeds, and serve pancakes with honey. It is customary to congratulate friends by giving honey cakes and poppies.
This is a special amulet in the form of a wreath of herbs, which girls weave with their own hands and consecrate in church. Makoveychik is able to protect a home from unkind people and troubles, and people from diseases and mental illnesses.
But such a wreath is assembled from special herbs, each of which has its own meaning. In addition to the poppy, add to the wreath:
Such a talisman is tied with a red ribbon and, after consecration, is kept in the house on the windowsill until next year.
You can congratulate your relatives not only with honey treats and herbal wreaths, but also beautiful pictures depicting church events, honey, bees.
To congratulate you on the Honey Savior, use our ideas.
August 14, 2017 Russian Orthodox Church notes the Origin (destruction) of the trees of the Holy Cross. And among the people this day is often called the Honey Savior. You should know that Honey Spas August 14- this is the first day of the Assumption Fast, which ends on August 27 on the eve of the Assumption. Honey Spas falls on Sunday in 2017. All three Spas are somehow linked not only to the great Orthodox holidays - the Exposition of the Cross of the Lord and the beginning of the Dormition Fast (Honey Savior), the Transfiguration of the Lord (Apple Savior) and the Dormition of the Virgin Mary ( Nut Spas), but also with rural field work, namely, harvesting: honey, grapes, pears, apples, grain. The main thing is that during the religious ritual of blessing the fruits, people do not forget about the significance and solemnity of these Orthodox holidays.
Assumption Post- this is the only multi-day Orthodox fast in honor of the Mother of God and her Assumption. Therefore he is very strict. Strict, but sweet, just like the life of worthy people, believing Orthodox Christians after death.
What you can eat during the Dormition Fast:
In different regions, Honey Spas can also be called First Spas, Poppy Spas, Wet Spas, Spas on the Water, Lakomka, Honey Festival, Medolom, Bee Festival, Farewell to Summer, Spasovka, Maccabee. Therefore, on Honey Spas it is customary to consecrate not only honey, but also water, and also poppy seeds.
Spasovki or Spas begins - the popular name for the first half of August in the old style, when three Spas and Obzhinki are celebrated. It is believed that the names are given in honor of Jesus Christ the Savior (Savior). According to folk etymology, the meaning of the word “saved” comes from “to be saved,” that is, to save oneself, to survive by eating something, namely: honey (Honey Spas), apples (Apple Spas), bread, nuts (Nut or Bread Saved).
After the Honey Spa we no longer swam: summer is coming to an end, the water is blooming, the birds are falling silent, the bees are not paying their fees, the rooks are gathering in flocks and preparing to fly away, the roses are fading, the departure of the first swallows and swifts is celebrated.
Farewell to summer begins with Spas. They say: The Savior has everything in stock: rain, buckets, and gray weather. The weather of this day is used to judge what the third Savior will be like.
On the First Savior, “women’s sins” are atoned for: women are forgiven all their unforgivable sins.
According to tradition, on this day it is performed small consecration of water, as well as honey of the new collection, its consumption is blessed - they bake honey gingerbreads, pancakes with poppy seeds and honey, pies, buns, buns with poppy seeds.
For the peasant it is a time of suffering, field work, haymaking, harvest. Peasants are preparing threshing floors, barns for the new harvest of bread, and arable land for winter crops. The church also illuminated wreaths of ears of new grain., the first fruits of the harvest. On this day, the first sowing of winter rye was organized in the central and southern zones of Russia.
On the eve of Makovia they prepare “Makovia flower”: bouquet consisting of different colors and plants including mint, thyme and calendula. Each plant has its own magical meaning, and they all together, with several poppy heads, are blessed in the church. After this, the blessed poppy heads are kept at home for peace and well-being in the family. IN folk medicine A bouquet of dry heads is placed by the bed of those who suffer from insomnia - for a restful sleep.
In spring, blessed poppies are scattered in the garden, and girls weave dried flowers into their hair to prevent their hair from falling out.
Honey was sacred in new dishes, which has not yet been used, where the beekeeper, wearing clean clothes, placed part of the honeycomb from the richest hive. It was customary to treat the poor with blessed honey; parents were also commemorated with it. Part of the honey remained in the church; the clergy, beggars and children were treated to it.
On this day, they organized the so-called “widows’ and orphans’ help” - that is, they helped them with the housework and brought refreshments: “You are for yourself, We are for you, And Christ’s Savior is for us all!”
On this holiday, dishes and drinks are prepared from honey, pies or gingerbreads are baked, and poppy seeds are used for decoration and filling. We bring to your attention a small selection of recipes that are appropriate and can be prepared on Honey Spas.
Ingredients:
1.5 l. water,
500 gr. honey,
5 gr. carnations,
5 gr. cinnamon,
5 gr. ginger,
5 gr. allspice,
50 gr. yeast.
Preparation:
Bring the water to a boil, add honey to it and bring to a boil again, constantly skimming off the foam. Then add ginger, cloves, allspice and cinnamon. Boil everything again and cool. Dissolve the yeast in small quantity warm water and mix with honey infusion. Pour the finished sbiten into bottles and leave for 12 hours in a warm place. Then close the bottles tightly and leave them in the cold for 2-3 weeks to allow the sbiten to ripen.
Ingredients:
5 l. water,
800 gr. honey,
25 gr. yeast,
2 lemons.
Preparation:
Boil water, add honey to it and stir thoroughly. Cool the honey to a temperature of 20 ° C, add yeast, juice of 2 lemons and leave at room temperature for 10-12 hours. Cool the finished kvass in the refrigerator, pour into bottles or serve immediately.
Ingredients:
500 gr. honey,
500 gr. rye flour,
1 tbsp. mixtures of cinnamon, cloves, ginger and cardamom,
2 tbsp. cognac or vodka,
2 tbsp. starch,
vegetable oil.
Preparation:
Mix flour and spices, melt honey over low heat and bring it to a boil, add flour to it and start stirring very quickly until the dough turns white. Then add vodka or cognac, knead the dough until smooth and put it in the refrigerator for several hours. Roll out the dough, adding starch to it, cut out the gingerbread cookies using cookie cutters, place them on a greased baking sheet and, without browning, finish cooking in the oven.
Ingredients:
carrots - 2 pcs (large)
soy sauce - 1-2 tbsp. l.
liquid honey - 11.5 tbsp. l.
garlic - 1-2 cloves
olive oil - 1 tbsp. l.
water - 1-2 tbsp. l.
Preparation:
1. Grate one clove of garlic and carrots on a coarse grater, then fry on olive oil within two to three minutes.
2. Add some garlic and carrots soy sauce and honey, then add a little soy sauce and honey, another clove of garlic (squeeze it through a garlic press), mix all the ingredients and cover the pan with a lid. Let it cook for another three minutes.
3. After three minutes, taste the contents of the pan, and if necessary, add a little more soy sauce, honey, garlic, plus 1-2 tbsp. l. water. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer over low heat until fully cooked.
This dish can be served as an appetizer or as a side dish for meat or fish.
Ingredients:
Sugar - 180 - 200g
Eggs - 4 pcs.
Butter - 120g
Flour - 250g
Poppy - 100-130g
Baking powder - 1 tbsp. lie
Water -60 ml
Vanilla sugar - 7g
Vegetable oil for mold
Semolina
Powdered sugar for sprinkling
How to make poppy seed pie:
In a small saucepan, combine poppy seeds with 3 tablespoons of sugar. Add water and stir. Place the bowl with the poppy seed mixture on the fire and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and leave until the poppy seeds swell and the mixture cools completely. Butter room temperature grind with some sugar (2-3 tablespoons). Separate the yolks from the whites and add to the cream mixture. Mix the contents thoroughly (can be beaten with a mixer or whisk). Add sifted flour and mix again. You should get a fairly thick mass. In a dry, fat-free bowl, mix the chilled egg whites with vanilla sugar and the remainder granulated sugar. Using a mixer, beat the whites with the remaining ingredients (sugar and vanillin) into a stable cream. Add the cooled poppy seed mass to the resulting dough (from step 6) and mix everything thoroughly. Stir baking powder into the dough. Add the whipped whites and mix the contents with gentle movements (so as not to disturb the airy consistency). Grease a baking dish with vegetable oil and sprinkle with semolina. Pour over the finished dough and smooth it out. Place the pan in a hot oven. Bake the poppy seed cake until cooked at a temperature of 180 0C for about 40-50 minutes. Remove the finished poppy seed cake from the oven and leave in the pan to cool slightly.
Before serving, sprinkle the poppy seed cake powdered sugar and cut into portions.
Ingredients:
2 eggs
50 grams sugar
6 grams yeast
150 grams butter
0.5 glasses milk
1 pinch salt
150 grams poppy seed
Preparation:
Pour milk or water into a bowl, add yeast and leave to dissolve for about ten minutes. Using a fine sieve, sift the flour into a clean plate and add salt and sugar. Then we start kneading the dough with water. Pour in the yeast, melted in a saucepan butter over medium heat, add salt and mix everything. Then knead the elastic dough on the table with your hands, constantly sprinkle it with flour, it should not end up sticking to your hands. Afterwards we form it into a lump and leave it in a deep bowl, the edges of which are greased with vegetable oil. Cover with a towel or cotton cloth. Leave in a warm place for a while, the dough should rise and double in size.
Steam the poppy seeds and chop them. To do this, pour boiling water over the poppy seeds, let it stand for ten or fifteen minutes, and then evaporate over low heat. excess water. Using a blender, grind the poppy seeds almost into a puree. Then pour sugar into it. In the meantime, roll out all the dough into a layer, the thickness of which is one and a half centimeters. Place the prepared filling on it and roll it into a roll. Preheat the oven in advance, then grease a baking sheet with vegetable oil and place the roll on it. Bake for about forty minutes, brush the risen roll with beaten egg and continue baking until done.
We hope that the proposed recipes for dishes with honey will help you in preparing for Honey Spas!
Very soon one of the most important holidays for believers will come - Spas. These holidays remind believers of the Savior! But in our time, not everyone knows what these holidays mean and how they should be celebrated.
For this holiday is set in the calendar specific date, and it takes place at the same time every year. Honey Savior Day - August 14th.
As you know, many Orthodox traditions among the Slavs, holidays and valuable dates are inextricably linked with ancient religious views and beliefs, in general, with paganism. From here you can even describe the same Honey Savior from both the Christian side and the folk side. Let's give each of them a little attention.
By the way, “Spas” means salvation, saving yourself.
As mentioned above, this day is called “Wet Savior”, and this is not at all because there may be precipitation in the form of rain. The fact is that August 14 is considered the Origin of the Honest Trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord.
According to legend, some kind of epidemic broke out in Constantinople, doctors and healers did not know what to do - nothing helped. Then the priests took a piece of the cross from the Church of Hagia Sophia (Jesus was crucified on this cross), walked along local rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, blessed everything, and the infection passed.
People believed in the power of water, and therefore it is believed that if you swim in a reservoir on August 14, then all your sins will be forgiven, your health will improve, and in general your life will go uphill. Very comfortably.
This is also the day of remembrance of the Maccobean martyrs (there were seven of them), who were executed by the Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes in 166 BC. As for honey matters, on this day you can take the first sample of honey, since it has gained strength, taste, volume, in general, it has infused.
Beekeepers inspect their hives, select the fullest honeycombs, break off some and take them to the church for blessing. There the priests take part for themselves, and give part to the poor. Those who treat themselves praise and pray for the beekeeper. Ordinary people They also bring honey and water to the church for blessing.
Since this is the first day of the Dormition Fast, any bright fun and feasting is not welcome. On the contrary, it is recommended to spend the day in prayer, quietly, calmly, in the family circle.
If you believe the beliefs, Honey Spas ends summer, then cold weather begins. After Honey Spas there are two others, namely: Apple and Nut. According to established custom, on this holiday all beekeepers are obliged to treat everyone with fresh honey, this will help big harvest next year.
The First Savior coincides with the beginning of the Assumption Lent, which will last until August 28. After the first Savior, swallows and swifts fly away to warmer climes, cold dew appears and roses fade.
In church legends, the holiday of the Savior is associated with the Savior, since it was the consecration of Constantinople in the 9th century that helped rid the city of epidemics, which traditionally killed many people in August. It was possible to stop the diseases spreading against the backdrop of the summer heat after the Life-Giving Cross was carried through the village. Since then, on this day it has been customary to take a religious procession to reservoirs, where clergy bless the water.
It is also customary to celebrate other important dates in the church on this day:
It was these events that formed the basis of the modern church holiday.
According to folk beliefs, the bees are already finishing collecting honey and preparing for the cold weather. The main beliefs are the following:
1) The First Savior carries with him the sun, wind and rain.
2) The cranes begin to fly away to warmer regions.
3) Even a beggar on Spas will try honey.
4) On Poppy Spas you need to collect poppies.
5) Any sin of a woman is forgiven at the Savior.
6) If it rains on Spas, then you can’t expect fires.
7) On Spas they begin to harvest forest raspberries, bird cherry and other berries.
8) On the second day after the Savior in the house you should do general cleaning to get rid of negative energy.
Traditionally, for many centuries, it is on this day, when the Honey Savior arrives, that beekeepers begin collecting honey from the hives, and this is quite reasonable - after all, by mid-August, the honey collected by the bees, as a rule, is already ripening. Traditionally, the first honey is served to the table - it is eaten with bread, apples, prepared mead and other traditional dishes. Traditional honey gingerbreads are a must at Honey Spas.
Since Makovey is also Orthodox holiday, after collecting honey, it must be blessed in the church. Moreover, it must be brought in a new container - for believers this is a matter of principle.
But the Honey Savior is not famous for honey alone; it is not for nothing that it is also called Makovey. By mid-August, the pods with poppy seeds ripen, which are collected and used in baking. It is on Makovey that there are always dishes with poppy seeds on the table - pies, buns, and everything that your imagination allows for.
On Makovei, not only honey and poppy heads are blessed, but also water; it is especially important to bless newly built wells on this day. You can swim in any open water on this day, this should add health, especially since after Makovei you can no longer swim.
Blessed poppy seeds should be sprinkled on the far corners of the room, this way you can protect yourself from evil spirits - another option for merging Orthodox traditions with pagan superstitions.
In the old days, they also believed that on Makovei women were forgiven all their unforgivable sins if they forgave themselves and prayed for forgiveness.
You cannot do any heavy physical work, washing, cleaning the house; it is better to complete such tasks the day before.
You cannot quarrel or swear or wish anyone harm.
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