This holiday, which is called Nut Spas, is celebrated by Orthodox believers on August 29. Tradition reports that the Savior of the World, Jesus Christ, wiped his face with a towel, thus leaving his divine face on it. The miraculous image of the Savior (Savior) is dedicated to the icons that have long been in special esteem in Russia. The aforementioned legend reports on the grievous illness of the ruler of Edessa named Avgar, who received miraculous healing and salvation.
Edessa is a city of antiquity, which is considered an important center of early Christianity in ancient Syria. Today it is Sanliurfa - Turkey. To the leprosy ruler came the rumor about the miracles of healing that Jesus Christ performed. He wrote a letter and sent with him to the Savior his man named Ananias. The letter contained a request for healing from a serious illness. Then Christ washed his face, and after he wiped himself with a towel, he handed the canvas with his face to the messenger of Hugar. Jesus also promised to send his disciple to the ruler of Edessa.
After the Lord was crucified, buried and resurrected on the third day, the Apostle Thomas sent one of Christ's disciples to Syria. The name of this messenger was Thaddeus. Having come to Hagar, this man preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to him and all the inhabitants of the city, along with the ruler, believed in the Lord and were baptized. Also for Augar, a miracle of healing was revealed with the help of the previously mentioned Miraculous Image of Christ the Savior. Having been cured of leprosy and having believed, the governor of Edessa installed a canvas with the image of Jesus above the gates of the city.
Later, Muslims abducted him, but then, nine centuries later, the image was bought by Michael - the emperor of Byzantium, and in 944 he was transferred to Constantinople. This day is considered the beginning of the celebration of the described event - the Transfer of the Miraculous Image of Christ. The events of ancient tradition are based on a document that contained the Edessa Archive. There he was discovered in the 5th century by Eusebius of Caesarea. The fact that rumors about the miracles that Jesus performed spread throughout Syria is also said in the Gospel of Matthew.
Nut Savior is the day on which the cycle of religious holidays ends: The First Savior is Honey, believers celebrate on August 14. The second - apple - on August 19. In ancient times, the last holiday from this cycle was also called "Bread Spas." With the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary celebrated on the eve, the end of the grain harvest is associated, to this day the end of the most pleasant and easiest Assumption fasting in Russia is also taking place . Love him for the abundance of fruit in this period.
Nut Spas is called so because of the ripening of hazelnuts by this time and the beginning of their collection. On a certain day, carpets were spread in the forests. Then nuts were collected by yard people, maids, women. It is believed that the more nuts collected, the more plentiful will be the harvest of bread (rye). Residents of cities celebrated this holiday with folk "Velikodensky" festivities, held fairs. And in our time, the Third Savior is marked by the baking of pies, breads, for which the flour of a new crop is used.
Previously, peasants sowed winter rye, the so-called "seedings," in Orekhovy Spas. The ritual began with a general family prayer, and then, accompanied by their wives, the husbands went to the field. Sheaves should traditionally be laid on a cart, on top of which bags of sowing rye were laid. Buckwheat porridge was already waiting in the field of sowers, with which they were met by home. After the sowing ended, the whole family ate porridge with pies. On this day, they also prepare a variety of dishes with nuts, which are recommended to treat your relatives and friends. For example, you can make a simple salad, which immediately includes nuts, apples and honey:
- Two peeled apples are grated.
- The resulting apple substance is mixed with three tablespoons of honey.
- Add chopped nuts in the amount of three tablespoons.
- One carrot should also be grated and added to the salad.
It remains only to pour everything with lemon juice, mix well and sprinkle with chopped nuts on top. Salad ready.