Honey, Apple and Nut Saviours in August 2025: dates, what and when to celebrate
Every year in August there are three holidays, popularly called Honey, Apple and Walnut Spades. Each of them is connected with the life of Jesus Christ, but there are no such holidays in the church calendar, they are all named differently. For more information about each Savior, their traditions, signs and dates in 2025, see the Izvestia article.
Rescuers in August 2025: what are they like, why are they called that?
The word "Saved" itself is an abbreviated form of the Savior. The name indicates that all the events of the holidays are somehow connected with Jesus Christ, who gave believers hope for salvation and eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Three significant days are celebrated every August.:
— Honey, or Saved on the water, Saved wet and Saved Makovey. It falls on August 14, when the church calendar celebrates the Wearing down of the Precious Trees of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord.;
— Apple, or Saved on the mountain. In the church calendar, on this day, August 19, falls one of the twelve feasts — the Transfiguration of the Lord.;
— The Nut or Bread Savior coincides with the church holiday of the transfer of the Uncreated Image of the Savior to Constantinople and is celebrated on August 29.
When the Honeymoon was Saved in 2025, the essence of the holiday
Honey Savior is the first of three in August and is celebrated on the 14th. In addition to the feast of the Origin of the Precious Trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, the Dormition Fast begins on this day. Like the Great One, it is one of the strictest, although not as long-lasting. In 2025, it will end on August 27.
The Feast of the Origin of the Precious Trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, with which Honey Savior is closely associated, dates back to the 9th century in Constantinople. August was the hottest month of the year, which is why diseases spread with particular force. As an attempt to cope with the scourge, a piece of the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified was taken out of St. Sophia's Church while prayers were being read. She consecrated local reservoirs, from which people then drank water, and also applied themselves to the cross itself, and their health returned to them. It is believed that it was because of these events that the Savior was also called the Wet One, or the Savior on the Water.
It is important to note that initially the holiday was celebrated only in Constantinople, but then it spread throughout the Orthodox world.
In Russia, August 14 also marks the Feast of the All-Merciful Savior and the Most Holy Theotokos. It was established in 1164 in honor of the signs from the icons of the Savior, the Most Holy Theotokos and the Honorable Cross during the battles of the Holy Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky with the Volga Bulgars.
The national holiday is closely connected with the beekeepers, who at that time started their work and collected fresh honey.
The version of why Honey Savior is also called Wet is connected with the Baptism of Rus, which, according to some, took place on August 1, 988 in the old style (14th in the new).
What to consecrate in the church on the Honeymoon on August 14
Since honey is already being harvested in August, it is customary to consecrate a new harvest in the temple. They do this because honey has always been considered a gift from God. In addition to honey, according to a long tradition, it is customary to bring water, medicinal herbs and poppies to the church for consecration.
The consecration of the latter is due to the fact that on August 14, believers remember the feat of the seven Maccabean martyrs. Because of the consonance of the words, Spas is also called Makovoi or Spas Makovei.
Yablochny Spas – 2025: when, what kind of holiday
Yablochny Spas is the popular name for the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. On this day, the Church remembers how, shortly before ascending Golgotha, Jesus Christ revealed his divine essence to three disciples and ordered them to remain silent about it until his Resurrection.
«<... And his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as the light," says the Gospel of Matthew.
This event took place 40 days before Easter, but was postponed to the summer.
The holiday is of great importance to every believer, so on this day they try to transform themselves internally for the better, give up bad habits, and cultivate love for their neighbor.
The Apple Savior, or the Transfiguration of the Lord, is a reason for Christians to start a new life without bad habits.
The holiday got its popular name because at that time they began to actively harvest apples. The second name, Savior on the Mountain, was given to the holiday precisely in honor of the evangelical events related to the Transfiguration.
What to sanctify in the church on Yablochny Spas on August 19
As in the case of the Honey Saviour, during the Apple Season, a new crop is brought to the church for consecration. It is customary to thank the Lord for these fruits and to give thanks for the invisible gifts given by Christ to mankind after his Crucifixion and Resurrection.
Sometimes grapes are brought to the consecration, because in Israel and Greece the day of the Transfiguration of the Lord fell at the time of the ripening of grapes.
In Russia, these berries do not grow everywhere, so they were replaced with apples, just as palm branches were replaced with palm branches on Palm Sunday.
At the same time, grapes are of great importance in the church, because they are used to make Sacrament wine, cahors, for the sacrament of the Eucharist.
The Eucharist, or Communion, is one of the seven sacraments of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), during which believers eat white bread and wine, symbolizing the body and blood of Jesus Christ.
Nutty or Bread Savior: when in 2025, description of the holiday
The final, Nutty, Feast falls annually on August 29 and is celebrated after the end of the Dormition Fast. On this day, the Church celebrates the feast of the transference of the Uncreated Image of Jesus Christ.
According to legend, during the reign of the Syrian king Abgar, he was afflicted with leprosy all over his body. The rumor about the miracles performed by Jesus Christ reached the tsar. Believing in him as the Son of God, he asked for healing. He sent the letter together with his painter Ananias, who was commissioned to paint an image of the Divine Teacher. In Jerusalem, the Lord was surrounded by people, which was why Ananias could not approach him. Climbing on a high stone, he tried to paint the image of Christ from afar, but even here he failed. Then the Son of God himself called the painter, called him by name and handed him a letter for the king. In it, he praised Abgar's faith and promised to send a disciple for healing and guidance. After that, the Lord asked for water and ubrus (canvas or towel). After washing, he dried himself with a cloth on which the Divine Face was imprinted — the first image of Jesus Christ not made with hands, from which icons were then painted. Abgar was cured of his illness, and subsequently he and his subjects were baptized.
For many years, the image of the Savior Not Made with Hands was kept above the city gates of Edessa. In the 7th century, the city was captured by the Arabs, and in 944 the Byzantine emperor bought the shrine and moved it to Constantinople. It is this event that is remembered on August 29.
In addition to the Savior Not Made with Hands, there are other names for the day.:
— Bread. Bread was being baked from the flour of the new harvest;
— Canvas, or Saved on canvas / canvas. It was customary to trade linen on this day, and fairs were held for this purpose. Leaving without buying was considered a bad omen;
— Autumn/Cold. Summer is almost over, and the cold weather is coming soon.
What to consecrate in the church on Orekhovy Savior on August 29
As on other Saviours, an important tradition of the day was to attend a church service, where nuts, grain and bread were consecrated after the end of the Divine Liturgy.
What not to do: the main popular bans on Christmas Holidays in August
Each Rescue is subject to certain restrictions. Since two of them, Honey and Apple, fall during the Dormition Fast, strict food restrictions are imposed: you can not eat meat, fish (with the exception of the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord) and dairy products, as well as drink alcohol.
As during other church holidays, believers abstain from physical labor. It is forbidden to quarrel with relatives and friends, as well as to enter into conflicts.
It was forbidden to hold noisy festivities on the Honey Holiday — it was believed that this could scare the bees and harm the next year's harvest.
In Orekhovy Spas, it was believed that it was not worth starting new businesses, as well as quarreling, so as not to bring trouble on yourself and your family.
The most popular folk signs for the Savior in August
Honey Saved:
— winter crops should be planted on August 14th. If it rains, the harvest will be good.;
— at the same time, if the day turned out to be rainy, next year will be cold, and there will be no forest fires. If it is hot, the year will be warm.;
— if the swifts and swallows have already flown south on this day, the cold weather will come soon.
Yablochny Saved:
— if the weather is clear on August 19, autumn will be dry. If it rains, autumn will be wet.;
— a strong wind in Yablochny Spas foreshadowed a harsh winter;
— to see a lot of starlings in the trees — by the cold January;
— a person will have great success if an insect lands on one hand twice in a row.
Orekhovy Saved:
— if the nut harvest is rich, the winter will be harsh;
— nuts collected on August 29th have healing powers. Therefore, they were used as amulets.;
— the girls believed that breaking nuts meant making wishes. If it turned out to be sweet, the dream will come true. Gorky said the opposite.;
— rainy weather on August 29 and lightning meant that autumn would be warm;
— cranes are flying south — there will be frosts on the Cover.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
