If you look at the church calendar, honey savior therefore it is not found in it – this is a popular name. The fact is that on August 14 Orthodox Christians celebrate Exhibition of Honest Trees of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord. The roots of the holiday go back to Byzantium, where in the 9th century it was customary to remove from the imperial treasury a part of the Cross of the Lord on which Jesus Christ was crucified and to bless the streets of Constantinople with it. prevent diseases. After that, everyone could worship the holy relic in Hagia Sophia.
In Russia, the holiday entered the church charter in the XIV century. Also this day is celebrated Merciful Savior and Holy Mother of GodIt was established in honor of Andrei Bogolyubsky’s victory over the Volga Bulgars in 1164. It is believed that the prince took the icon of the Mother of God and the Holy Cross of the Lord with him in military campaigns, which later became Vladimir.
Also on this day are the memory of the seven martyrs of the Maccabees (My Brother, Antoninus, Guriy, Eleazar, Eusevon, Alim, and Markell), their mother Solomonia, and the law teacher Eleazar. In 166 BC, they were severely persecuted by Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Syrian king of the Seleucid dynasty, who, as part of a policy of Hellenization of Jerusalem, forced the Jews to worship the ancient Greek gods.
Why Are The First Hot Springs Called Honey?
The name of the holiday is in two parts. According to one version, the second part – “Spas” – came from the word “stock”. On the days of the Three August Hot Springs, it was customary to prepare for winter, including honey, apples and hazelnuts, the seasonal delicacies popular in Russia. According to another, “Savior” is a shortened version of the word “Saviour”, meaning Jesus Christ.
Accordingly, they are called Honey Spas First, because by mid-August the honey in the beehives is fully ready – and beekeepers can start collecting it.
A few other names were given to the church celebration. For example, Wet Spas or water rescue. On this day in Russia, natural reservoirs and wells are consecrated, washed, and animals are bathed in order to get rid of diseases and the evil eye. It also closed the summer swimming season.
Macovey or Poppy Hot Springs it was named in memory of the martyrs venerated that day and in honor of the plant of the same name that ripened on the exact appointed date.
What traditions are associated with Honey Spas?
Special rites are held in the churches in the Honey Spas, in which priests wear purple clothes. This happens rarely throughout the year, for example, on the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-giving Cross of the Lord (September 27) and on the Sunday of the Great Lent before Easter.
During the banquet, the singers on the kliros sing hymns dedicated to the meaning of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The cross is removed from the altar so that the parishioners can honor it. Something similar, in addition to the Honey Savior, takes place during the Holy Week of the Great Lent.
The Divine Liturgy ends with the Consecrated Water Service. As a rule, honey of the new harvest is also consecrated before or after worship in temples.
On the Honey Savior, as on any other church holiday, believers should abandon worldly affairs and take time for union with God. However, besides collecting honey, it is also customary to plant winter crops these days.
Since it coincides with the beginning of the Assumption Lent, it is not customary to hold noisy feasts at the Honey Savior. Meat, fish, eggs and dairy products (as well as alcohol) should not be on the festive table. It’s customary to start dinner with a spoonful of honey – and you should always make a wish before putting it in your mouth.
how to choose natural honey
According to Ivan Pigarev, director general of the Russian Association of Natural Beekeeping, it is unlikely to distinguish natural honey from fake on your own – only a laboratory examination will give a reliable result.
“You can try to look for honey from certified beehives or from beehives that work according to organic standards, but unfortunately that also can’t guarantee anything. The best option is to find your reliable beekeeper,” he said in an interview with socialbites.ca, and also urged not to believe in folk methods for determining the quality of honey.
The same was stated by the beekeeper Denis Nazarov: “Iodine, for example, indicates the presence of only starch in honey. Of course, you can check, but believe me – today honey is falsified even without starch.
Talking about safety measures, Nazarov advised to skip the cheap product and choose “shrunken” honey.
Get the dried honey. There are varieties of honey, although it does not crystallize for years. For example, buckwheat can “sit” immediately or stay liquid for a year, depending on the pumping technology and whether it goes to old or newly built honeycombs. But still, shrunken honey guarantees maximum naturalness,” said the beekeeper.
At the same time, according to Pigarev, you should not be too afraid of falsified honey, because in most cases it is harmless:
“Naturally, attention should be paid to green, red and other faint honeys that are sold in square cube containers at fairs. It is not honey, it does not come in that color. There is also no wasp honey, and in 95% of cases wild bee honey is not wild and not wild, it’s a marketing tactic. But I don’t know of a single case where someone was poisoned with fake honey. The falsification of honey is often done at the expense of harmless additives and sweeteners – or unnecessary manipulations of honey, such as heating. All this deprives the product of the opportunity to be called natural.
How does honey affect health?
According to dietitian and endocrinologist Albina Komissarova, it is not entirely correct to call honey a healthy alternative to sugar.
“Honey refers to fast carbohydrates, that is, simple ones. It contains one molecule of glucose and fructose. Accordingly, honey is the same added sugar, although it contains a small amount of micronutrients. The recommended intake for added sugar is 25 grams, or about 5 teaspoons, per day. Remember that honey is an alternative to sugar in form and taste, not a healthy substitute.
The doctor also described the knowledge that one type of honey could be more beneficial than another as a myth:
“Can it be argued that certain types of honey are the richest in vitamins? Of course not. Choose what suits your taste buds and stick to added sugars.”