Nut Feast of the Saviour facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nut Feast of the Saviour |
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| Official name | Третий Спас |
| Also called | Bread Feast of the Saviour |
| Observed by | Slavic Orthodoxy |
| Type | Religious |
| Celebrations | processions, blessings of canvasses, new crops and new bread. |
| Date | August 31 (Gregorian calendar) August 16 (Julian calendar) |
| Frequency | Annual |
| First time | 944 |
| Started by | Constantine VII |
| Related to | Image of Edessa |
The Nut Feast of the Saviour is a special religious holiday. It is the third "Spas" feast. This feast celebrates the Holy Mandylion of the Lord. It happens after the Dormition holiday. The Nut Feast is on August 29 in the Gregorian calendar. It is on August 16 in the Julian calendar. It follows the Honey Feast of the Saviour and the Apple Feast of the Saviour.
Contents
What Does "Spas" Mean?
The word "Spas" comes from the word "Saviour." This refers to Jesus Christ. There are three Spas feasts in late summer. Each one celebrates something different. The Nut Feast is the third and last one.
Why Is It Called the Nut Feast?
This festival is called the Nut Feast of the Saviour. This is because nuts usually ripen in late August. This is when the festival takes place in central Russia.
It is also known as the "Bread Spas." This name comes from the time of year. It is when wheat harvesting finishes. The first new bread is baked from the fresh grain. People also call it "Autumn Spas." This is because winter grains are sown around this time.
How Is It Celebrated?
This holiday is sometimes called a "Small Spas." This means it is a semi-holiday. It is not as big as other major feasts of Jesus Christ.
People often have special church services. They also organize processions outside the church. During these events, special blessings are given.
The church services are connected to the Holy Mandylion. This is a special image of Jesus.
The Story Behind the Feast
A Harvest Festival
The Nut Feast is connected to the end of summer. Birds like swallows and cranes often fly away around this time. People believe that if cranes fly off by the third Spas, winter will be frosty.
This day was a time to thank God for daily bread. There is a saying: "The Third Savior has stored bread." This means the harvest is safe.
However, this feast was less about farming than the other two Spas holidays. So, when it was forbidden in the Soviet Union, many people did not know much about it. It was not strongly linked to farm work.
The Lost Image of Edessa
Slavic Orthodox Christians also celebrate the journey of the Holy Mandylion on this day. This image was believed to be "not made by human hands." It is similar to the Shroud of Turin.
The image came from Jerusalem. It was moved to Constantinople in the 10th century. In 944, Emperor Constantine VII bought the image. He moved it to Constantinople with great honor.
This move is the historical event remembered during the Nut Festival. The cloth disappeared in 1204. This happened when Constantinople was attacked during the Fourth Crusade. Some believe it later appeared in Paris. That relic also disappeared during the French Revolution.
Honoring Saints
On this day, Slavic Orthodox Christians also honor Diomedes of Tarsus. He was a doctor and a martyr. People pray to him for help with illnesses.
The festival also honors the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God. Women often pray to this icon for safe childbirth.
Traditions and Customs
City vs. Village Celebrations
In most villages in Russia, this day was not a huge holiday. People were busy finishing summer farm work. But in cities, big carnivals sometimes started on this day.
In some parts of Russia, farmers would start planting winter crops. This happened around the time of the Nut Feast. They would also bake bread from the new grain.
Blessing of Canvases
It is a tradition to bring canvases to church. They receive a special blessing. These canvases remind people of the Holy Mandylion. Prayers are made for people's own "canvases" (their lives) to be as beautiful as the holy image.
Harvesting Nuts
The harvesting of hazelnuts also begins around the third Spas. During the celebration, nuts are blessed with holy water.
Families prepare special dishes with nuts. These include pies with mushrooms and other nut-based foods. They also bake fresh bread using the new harvest.
In Books and Culture
The book The Living Grace: A Ukrainian Legend by Liudmyla Starytska-Cherniakhivska takes place during the Nut Feast. It also features the other two minor Spas holidays.
After many years of communism, some authors wanted to bring back these religious feasts. They saw it as a way to help Holy Russia find its soul again.
Related articles
- Honey Feast of the Saviour
- Apple Feast of the Saviour
