Медовий Спас--Saviour of the Honey
St. Elias Church (Ukrainian Catholic--Eparchy of Toronto),
Brampton, ON Canada.
Video: Maria-Lynn Turi, 2011
Медовий Спас--Saviour of the Honey
August 1/14...Feast of the Procession of the Venerable Wood of the Cross
On August 14, Orthodox Christians celebrate a special holiday known as Medoviy Spas, or Honey Saviour.
Traditionally on this day priests bless fresh honey with water, after which people are allowed to eat this healthy and delicious product.
The festival is celebrated in mid-August because honeycombs are usually full of honey by then and beekeepers can start to collect it.
From Wikipedia: The history of this feast begins in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul, Turkey). It was the custom there to carry the relic of the True Cross through the streets and squares of the city to ask for God's blessing, and for relief from sickness. On the eve of the feast (July 31), which is observed as a forefeast, it was taken out of the imperial treasury, and laid upon the altar of the Great Church (Hagia Sophia). On August 1 it was solemnly placed in the middle of the Great Church for the faithful to venerate. The relic was taken in procession daily throughout the city, offering it to the people to venerate until the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos (August 15), when it was returned again to the imperial treasury.
In commemoration of this tradition, it is customary to have a crucession (a procession headed by the cross) and celebrate the Lesser Blessing of Water on August 1. It is the first of three Feasts of the Saviour in the month of August, the other two being the Transfiguration (August 6) and the Icon of Christ Not Made by Hands (August 16). Because of the blessing of holy water, this holy day is sometimes called Saviour of the Water. There may also be celebrated on this day the Rite of Blessing New Honey, for which reason the day is also referred to as Saviour of the Honey.
From zik: У неділю, 14 серпня, або 1 серпня за юліанським календарем, православні та греко-католики відзначають свято Винесення чесних древ Животворящого Хреста Господнього та пам'ять старозавітних мучеників Макавіїв. У народі цей день називають «Медовий Спас» чи «Маковій».
Ця дата у церковному календарі також згадується як День Хрещення Русі. По церквах цього свята правлять водосвятні молебні та освячують мед.
Церковнослов'янська назва цього свята - «Проісхожденіе чесних древ...» — не зовсім вірний переклад грецького слова, яке означає урочисту процесію, або хресний хід. Свято було встановлене у Константинополі в IX столітті.
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