Nut Savior 2024: history, traditions, omens, and what needs to be blessed in the church.

From September 1, 2023, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) adopted the New Julian calendar, and now all fixed-date holidays are celebrated 13 days earlier. Therefore, the first of the three summer holidays in honor of the Savior – Makovey (Honey Savior) was celebrated by believers on August 1, August 6 – Apple Savior, and today, August 16, 2024, they will celebrate – Nut Savior.

Nut Savior or Savior on Canvas – this is the third and final holiday of the three summer Saviors. In church tradition, it is most often called the Day of the Mandylion of the Savior. This holiday also goes by other names: Bread Savior, Linen Savior, Little Savior, Cold Savior, and the Day of the Mandylion of the Savior. 

The holiday is called «Cold» because it is celebrated in mid-August, when the heat begins to subside and it becomes noticeably cooler. The name «Bread» was given to the holiday due to the ancient tradition of baking bread from the first grain harvest.

The Nut Savior holiday is considered folk, because at this Time the harvest season ends, nuts and other gifts of nature are collected, summer gradually fades, and the amount of work in the fields and gardens decreases. 

History of the holiday

The Nut Savior is a church holiday dedicated to the transfer of the Mandylion of Jesus Christ from Edessa to Constantinople in 944 AD. The image is considered miraculous because it was formed after Jesus pressed a cloth to his face, leaving an imprint of His image. Hence the other name of the holiday – Mandylion or Savior on Canvas. 

On this day, it was customary to hold fairs and sell handwoven linens. There was even a saying among the people: The First Savior – they stand by the water, the Second Savior – they eat apples, the Third Savior – they sell linen on the hill.

What is blessed on Nut Savior

On the Third Nut Savior on August 16, it is customary to bless nuts and bread baked from the flour of the new harvest at the church. Also, like other Savior holidays, believers bring new harvest fruits, water, and honey to the church.   

After the blessing, people would go home and set a rich table with treats, which must include nut tincture, fresh bread, and pies with fruit fillings. The celebrations were lavish and loud, as the strict Dormition fast had ended, so one could have a rich feast.

The Third Nut Savior: ancient traditions

On Nut Savior, according to ancient traditions, the village would choose the oldest woman to make the first collection of nuts. However many nuts she brought, that was how many other villagers were supposed to collect.

On the third Savior, peasants baked bread, made winter preparations, collected nuts, and made nut tincture. It was believed that it would have exceptional healing properties. Nut partition tincture helped with colds and joint diseases.

According to ancient traditions, one could work actively on Nut Savior, as this was a time of active harvesting of vegetables, fruits, their preservation for winter, nut gathering, and flour milling.   

Folk omens:

• Many nuts on the Savior – there will be plenty of bread next year.
• The crane flies away by the Third Savior – it will be frosty on Pokrov.
• Nut Savior – the sun has gone to autumn.
• Nut Savior, Bread Savior, or Cold Savior – this is a farewell to summer and preparation for autumn and cold weather.

What shouldn't be done on Nut Savior

There are important prohibitions associated with this great holiday. Believers in ancient times strictly observed them to avoid bringing misfortune upon themselves and their families:

• do not gossip, slander, curse, quarrel, or wish harm to others;
• do not be lazy, as this period should be spent doing physical work;
• if someone asks for help, do not refuse;
• it was forbidden to go to the forest without an amulet (a pectoral cross), as one might encounter evil spirits.