Summer salvation

Every Orthodox church was filled on Aug. 14 with religious people who came to pray for the seven holy Maccabee martyrs and their mother Solomonia, who died for their faith.

Volodymyrsky Cathedral, the main Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchy, was crowded with those who wanted to bless poppy, honey and get sprinkled with holy water




Kyiv Patriarch Filaret Denysenko joined the mass.

Traditionally this day is called Honey Spas ("spas" means salvation). This day people started harvesting poppyseeds and honey. Also it was the day when all new wells and ponds were consecrated, which earned the tradition another name - Wet Spas.


Spas signifies the end of harvest time. Every farmer ties a bundle of grain to honor the God and to get a good crop the next year. This bundle was called "the beard of Spas".




Before going to church, girls dressed up and prepared beautiful and rich trusses of flowers and grass, including thyme, absinthe, mint, poppy and marigolds.

These days, everyone can buy these bouquets by the church ready-made from the vendors who try to make a profit on the holy tradition.

Elena ZAGREBINA

August 19, 2010 KyivPost