Honey Spas 2022: traditions and date of celebration

When is Honey Spas celebrated in 2022

In 2022, like every year, we celebrate August 14th and coincides with the beginning of the Dormition Fast. It was believed that it was by this date that the honey in the hives ripened to full readiness and could be harvested.

history of the holiday

The very word “Spas” could come from “be saved”, equivalent to the word “stock up”. This meant collecting honey, apples and nuts for the winter on the days of the Honey, Apple and Nut Spas, respectively. Another version of the origin of the name is from the name of Jesus Christ the Savior. And the third – from the word “saviors” – the ancient Slavs called the first two weeks of August.

Honey Spas is the first of three, sometimes it is called the First Spas. Following are the Apple Savior (August 19th) and Walnut (August 29th). On this day, it is customary to honor beekeepers and their work.

It was believed that on the day of the Honey Savior, beekeepers must collect all the honey, otherwise bees from other apiaries will carry it away. Beekeepers have always chosen the hive with the richest harvest, removed the combs from it and carried them to the church for consecration. The beekeeper kept part of the consecrated honey for himself, and part as an offering to the priests. It was customary to share honey with the beggars who congratulated the beekeepers, as well as with the children who came to the apiaries that day.

Honey Savior is also called Wet Savior, or Savior on the Water. In the church calendar, August 14 is completely listed as the Origin of the Honest Trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. According to legend, in ancient times, a terrible epidemic broke out in the city of Constantinople (now Istanbul). Neither doctors nor healers knew how to defeat her. Then the local priests took out a piece of the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified from the Hagia Sophia and lit up local reservoirs with it. It is said that after that the disease disappeared and never returned. And people have a cult of water. The Slavs believed that if you plunge into a pond on this day, all sins will be forgiven. On this day, it was also customary to bless new wells and clean old ones, bathe yourself and bathe cattle. There were religious processions to the nearest reservoirs. But after the Wet Spas, no one plunged into the rivers and lakes: the water bloomed, and the summer ended. It was time to harvest, hay and harvest.

They call Honey Spas and Macavey – in honor of the martyrs of Maccabees, August 14 is the day of their memory. Seven brothers – Avim, Antoninus, Guriy, Eleazar, Eusevon, Alim and Markell – were executed by the Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes in 166 BC. e. He wanted his subjects to worship pagan gods, but the Maccabean family refused. The king killed the brothers one by one in front of his mother, but none of them betrayed their faith – the brothers were executed, and the mother died, unable to bear the torment. Since then, it is customary to honor the family of martyrs on this day.

The second version of the origin of this name, more popular, is from the word “poppy”, which ripens at this particular time. In Makavey, it is customary to cook lean pastries and pancakes with poppy seeds and honey.

Holiday traditions

Since the Honey Savior coincides with the beginning of the Assumption Lent (lasts from August 14 to 27), then the rules of nutrition must be strictly observed. The menu often includes lean biscuits – shuliks, which are sprinkled with honey on top. Meat, fatty foods and alcohol are excluded.

Honey could only be eaten after it had been consecrated in the church. Honeycombs were placed on new wooden utensils, and then treated to guests.

You can not celebrate noisily on this day, talk loudly. Fasting is still a moment of unity with God. Therefore, the quieter you behave, the faster the soul will be cleansed.

After August 14, they stopped swimming in lakes, ponds, and rivers. The Slavs believed that the water during this period is already cold and you can catch a cold.

In Honey Spas, it is customary to collect not only honey, but also poppies. They prepared holiday treats from the product, as well as amulets from spoilage and the evil eye.

On the day of the Honey Savior, the whole family went to swim in the nearest pond to get rid of sins and illnesses.

Homework and work in the field were cancelled. Everyone went to visit, ate and congratulated each other.

In the evening, everyone gathered at a large table and quietly thanked God for the food. We started dinner with a spoonful of honey. Before use, they made a wish, which, as our ancestors believed, would come true.

Signs Honey Spas

• If it rains that day, it means that there will be no forest fires for a whole year.
• Swallows and swifts fly south – the nights will become colder.
• The weather on this day speaks of what the next year will be like: if it rains – to cold, heat – to heat, respectively.
• When the roses begin to bloom, then summer is over.
• If you celebrate this day noisily, you can scare the bees and lose the next year’s harvest.
• On this day, summer ends and the rainy season begins.
• You can’t work in Honey Spas – you can only collect honey.
• If you give honey or money to a beggar at the church, then sins will be forgiven.

Useful properties of honey

The chemical composition of honey is unique and very complex. It contains many useful substances, such as potassium, magnesium and iron, amino acids and vitamins of different groups. The healing properties of this delicacy have been scientifically proven. However, long before that, honey was often used in “folk” methods of treatment. When eating honey, the main thing is not to overdo it. Children are recommended to eat no more than 50 grams of honey per day, and adults – no more than 150 grams.

We will tell you about the top five health benefits of honey.

Has a tonic effect

Do you remember the old drinks – sbiten and mead? Since ancient times, they have been prepared on the basis of honey. Such drinks gave strength and returned energy. This is because honey strengthens the body and helps it recover from stress.

Helps fight colds

Honey improves immunity, and all thanks to the unique chemical composition – a high content of potassium provides an antibacterial effect. The familiar tea with honey and lemon during an illness has a beneficial effect on the body: it alleviates sore throats, warms and promotes sound sleep. Just do not dissolve honey in boiling water – this way it loses most of its beneficial properties.

Improves skin condition

It is not in vain that beauty salons offer honey masks and wraps – honey is useful not only as a food supplement, even applying it to the body has a visible effect. Such procedures can be done at home – add a couple of drops of olive oil to honey, and after a couple of applications you will see the result. The rejuvenating effect can be achieved simply by regularly eating one teaspoon of honey: a delicacy, among other things, is saturated with beneficial antioxidants.

Helps to lose weight

Try adding honey instead of sugar to drinks and desserts – after a while you will see that your weight changes downwards. Honey, although it is sweet and high in calories, is not only a more natural and healthy alternative to sugar, but it also breaks down fats perfectly. The best drink during any diet is a glass of water with a little honey and lemon juice.

Improves memory

Honey is rich in amino acids, whose effect improves brain activity. With the regular use of honey in food, you can see positive changes – concentration increases, memory improves.

How to choose honey

The celebration of the Honey Savior can be combined with a trip to the apiary – there will be an opportunity to personally thank the beekeepers for their work, and buy real honey. If there is no opportunity to go to the apiary, honey can be purchased at the nearest market or in a store. Wherever you buy a treat – from the manufacturer or in the store, follow a few simple rules so as not to give money for a fake.

Pay attention to consistency. Liquid honey can only be within one month after collection, the period of which is from July to September. Further, the honey thickens and crystallizes, so if you are offered liquid honey in the middle of winter, it is likely that it is diluted with syrup or heated to give the desired texture. And heated honey loses most of its beneficial properties.

When choosing liquid honey, scoop it up with a spoon and see how it behaves. Real honey will flow down in a thick thin thread, and at the bottom it will form a hill, which will merge with the main mass only after some time. But if the honey flows down in separate drops and is immediately distributed inside the jar, then it is diluted.

If possible smell the honey – It has a peculiar smell. If there is no aroma, then most likely they are offering you a fake – syrups, as a rule, do not smell. A sour smell indicates that the honey has fermented, you can not eat it.

Do not be alarmed if you see that a narrow light layer has formed on the surface of the honey – this is fructose, everything is in order. But if this layer is wide – wider than 5 mm, or more than two layers appear in the jar – it means that there are impurities in the honey.

Buying packaged honey in the store, pay attention to the packaging. If the label says “GOST” – it means natural honey, without impurities. Please note that although honey as a product does not have an expiration date, honey from the store can be stored for no more than 2 years from the date of packaging.

Having already bought honey, you can do some tests at hometo evaluate its authenticity. For example, dropping honey on paper, you should not see a spreading wet spot. If it is, it means that the honey is diluted with something. If you dip a crouton in honey, and it gets wet, then the honey is not of very good quality – in real honey, the crouton will remain stale. You can drop iodine on honey – if it does not turn blue, then the product does not contain impurities.

Recipes for Honey Savior

The Feast of the Honey Savior is usually celebrated quietly, with family and friends. We will tell you what dishes can be served on the festive table on this day.

Honey gingerbread

Pour 2 tablespoons of sugar into a small pan. Once it starts to caramelize, add 2 tablespoons of water to it. Bring the liquid to a boil, then pour honey into it. While stirring, bring the resulting mass to a homogeneous state.

In a separate bowl, mix the egg and honey-sugar mixture from the skillet. Add remaining sugar, cinnamon, cloves and baking soda. Mix everything, then add flour and mix again. The resulting dough should be homogeneous.

Grease a baking sheet with oil and sprinkle with flour. Put the dough into it and put it in the oven – 180 degrees for 20 minutes.

The finished gingerbread will be an excellent dessert for tea.

honey apples

Prepare several large apples, it is advisable to choose fruits with sourness. Cut off the top and bottom of the apple, cut out the core. Dip apples in honey or brush over them. After that, the apples need to be rolled out in sugar and sent to the oven, heated to 180 degrees, for 30 minutes. Honey apples can be served with nuts, or sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Sbiten with honey

A simple recipe for a traditional drink. You will need water, honey, lemon and cinnamon. Star anise and mint can be added if desired.

In 1 liter of boiling water, add 3 tablespoons of honey and a cinnamon stick. To make the sbiten more fragrant, you can also throw an star anise and a little dried mint into the water.

Boil the mixture for 10-15 minutes over low heat, not forgetting to remove the foam. Turn off the stove and let the drink brew for another 15 minutes, then strain it.

It is customary to serve Sbiten warm, throwing a slice of lemon into it.