29 August 2011. Today is the Feast of the Transfer of the Wonderworking Icon of Christ “Not Made by Hands” (“Third Spas” and “Walnut Spas”)… the Peasants Say It’s the End of Summer… The “Day of Knowledge” is on Thursday!

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Icon of “Christ Not Made By Hands”

Unknown Artist

14th century

Russian

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If you have bread by Third Spas,

In winter, you’ll have kvass.

Old Russian Orthodox peasant saying

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According to Russian Orthodox peasant folklore, 29 August, the Feast of the Transfer of the Wonderworking Icon of Christ “Not Made by Hands” from Edessa to Constantinople, is the end of summer. As there are two other feasts of the Lord in August, people call it “Third Spas” (Третий Спас: Trety Spas, “Third Saviour’s Day”). Just as popular tradition associates the Procession of the Wood of the Cross (14 August) with honey (“Honey Spas”), and people connect the Transfiguration (19 August) with fruit and apples (“Apple Spas”), Third Spas has acquired a linkage with either nuts (ореховый Спас: Orekhovy Spas, “Walnut Spas”) or the harvest (хлебный Спас: Khlebny Spas, “Bread Spas”), as the nuts are ripe on the trees and the harvest is mostly complete in these northern latitudes at this time.

As I posted earlier:

After this day, according to folklore, the last swallow leaves and winter starts its entrance. It’s the first full day of feast after the end of the Assumption Lent; it’s the unofficial “end of summer” holiday (it’s the Russian analogue of Labour Day). The beginning of September brings “The Day of Knowledge” (the first day of school), the first autumn chills… time to clean out the stove and to check the caulking for leaks… winter does come EARLY in this part of the world…

Toast your friends; it’s a GREAT day!

Barbara-Marie Drezhlo

Monday 29 August 2011

Albany NY

20 August 2011. A Point of Unity. August: The Month of Feasts, Part Six. 29 August, The Feast of the Wonderworking Icon of Christ “Not Made by Hands” “Walnut Spas”

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Editor’s Foreword:

Can you forgive me? I FORGOT the last feast of the Lord in August, on 29 August, the Feast of the Wonderworking Icon of Christ “Not Made by Hands”. Here are some images from that feast…

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Editor’s Afterword:

Peasants called the Church holiday on 29 August “Third Spas”, “Walnut Spas”, “Canvas Spas”, or Bread Spas”. It’s easy to figure out that this was the Third Feast of the Lord in August, that nuts appeared to be ripened by this day, and that much of the harvest was in by then. However, it’s a bit harder to explain the “canvas” bit. On 29 August, the Church celebrates the transfer of a wonderworking icon of the Saviour from Edessa to Constantinople in 944, a piece of cloth on which, according to the Gospel story, was imprinted an image of the face of Jesus Christ. “By Third Spas, we’ll make our kvass”… after this day, according to folklore, the last swallow leaves and winter starts its entrance. It’s the first full day of feast after the end of the Assumption Lent; it’s the unofficial “end of summer” holiday (it’s the Russian analogue of Labour Day). The beginning of September brings “The Day of Knowledge” (the first day of school), the first autumn chills… time to clean out the stove and to check the caulking for leaks… winter does come EARLY in this part of the world…

BMD