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Name day of everyone named Sava, Slavka, Slav, Vladislav, Slavi. The name Sava comes from the Old Greek for "Saturday" (having the meaning of "foreseeing").































































In folk legends this is the holiday of saint Androgin. That is why in some villages Sava is a woman, a saint, sister of St. Varvara and St. Nicholas. At other places Sava is a man, protector of wolves, also called "wolf herd".































































That day childless women get up very early and sift the flour in a new sift, turned upside down. The oldest woman in the house pronounces the words: "Turn the sift, my child, and your belly will be turned". And they believe that after the ritual bread is given out at crossroads, the woman will have a child within a year.































































Saint Sabbas the Sanctified was born in the fifth century in Cappadocia, in the pious Christian family of John and Sophia. His father was a military commander. Journeying to Alexandria on military matters, his wife went with him, but they left their five-year-old son in the care of an uncle. When the boy reached eight years of age, he entered the monastery of St. Flavian, located nearby. The gifted child quickly learned to read and became an expert on the Holy Scriptures. In vain did his parents urge St. Sabbas to return to the world and enter into marriage. At seventeen years of age he received monastic tonsure, and attained such perfection in fasting and prayer that he was given the gift of wonderworking. After spending ten years at the monastery of St. Flavian, he went to other monasteries. St. Sabbas lived in obedience at this monastery until the age of thirty.































































He was later blessed to seclude himself in a cave. On Saturdays, however, he left his hermitage and came to the monastery, where he participated in divine services and ate with the brethren. After a certain time St. Sabbas received permission not to leave his hermitage at all, and he struggled in the cave for five years. After several years, disciples began to gather around St. Sabbas, seeking the monastic life. As the number of monks increased, a lavra sprang up. When a pillar of fire appeared before St. Sabbas as he was walking, he found a spacious cave in the form of a church.































































St. Sabbas founded several more monasteries. Many miracles took place through the prayers of St. Sabbas: at the Lavra a spring of water welled up, during a time of drought there was abundant rain, and there were also healings of the sick and the demoniacs. The saint surrendered his soul to God in the year 532.