Orthodox Christians in Ukraine celebrate the feast of the Transfer of the Image Not Made by Hands of Jesus Christ on August 16 under the new Orthodox Church of Ukraine calendar. The holiday is popularly known as Nut Spas, Third Spas, Bread Spas, or Canvas Spas. Under the old calendar, August 16 honors Venerable Isaacius the Confessor, Dalmatus, and Faustus, while the Transfer of the Image falls on August 29.
Church tradition states that King Abgar of Edessa in Syria suffered from leprosy during the earthly life of Jesus. Abgar sent a messenger to Jerusalem asking for a portrait, but the painter failed because the face of Jesus changed in the radiance coming from Him. Jesus then washed His face and wiped it with a cloth, miraculously imprinting His features. The cloth healed King Abgar and became regarded as the first icon in history.
Arabs conquered Edessa in 630 and banned worship of the shrine. Byzantine Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus bought the image in 944, making it the primary relic of Constantinople, before the canvas was lost during a crusade in the 13th century. On the holiday, believers attend church services to pray for health as strong as a nut shell, prosperity, and gratitude for harvested crops. Women pray to the Mother of God for easy childbirth, sufficient milk, family protection, and healing.
Church Traditions and Feast Customs
Nut Spas receives its name because hazelnuts ripen in forests by this date, grain crops mature, and bread harvesting finishes. Believers bring fresh nuts, fruits, vegetables, wheat ears, and water to churches to be blessed before preparing holiday meals. The Dormition Fast ends on this day, allowing meat and fish to return to tables alongside nut pies, gingerbread, and rolls shared with relatives and neighbors.
Popular belief holds that hosting more guests at the table brings a bountiful year ahead. Housewives make medicinal tincture by infusing walnut membranes in vodka or cognac in a dark place to treat winter colds. People also craft bath brooms and protective amulets from hazel branches to guard homes against the evil eye, illness, and evil spirits. Buying fabrics or towels promises good luck for the year, while keeping fused nuts in a wallet promises financial success.
Work Rules and Moral Guidelines
Church teachings call on believers to refrain from anger, swearing, slander, envy, greed, revenge, despair, offending people or animals, and refusing help to those in need. While garden and orchard work is permitted during this peak harvest season, heavy physical labor and housework like laundering, ironing, or needlework should be avoided.
Folk customs advise against cutting hair or nails on this day to avoid losing luck. Refusing requests for assistance is believed to cause poverty, while laziness is considered a bad omen that brings a difficult streak in life.
Weather Signs and Name Days
Weather omens on August 16 predict upcoming seasons. If all cranes migrate away by Nut Spas, frosts will arrive by Pokrov. A rich hazelnut harvest portends a strong rye crop next year, while calm water in rivers and lakes signals a quiet autumn without blizzards. A thunderstorm portends a warm summer next year, while steady rain indicates bad weather will linger for two to three days. Spotting a snake on this day is considered a sign of good luck and happiness.
August 16 marks the name day for Constantine and Joseph. People born on this day seek independence from childhood, easily make acquaintances, build good relationships with colleagues and neighbors, resolve emerging conflicts quickly, and restore peace to their families or workplaces.
