According to folk beliefs, the summer festival of honey is celebrated every year on July 8 under the patronage of St. Procopius the beekeeper - the Patron Saint of Bees.
Bees are believed to be blessed by God
to cross the border between the visible and the invisible world,
to sense evil,
and to be faithful helpers of goodness.
They are blessed to create honey - the elixir of life. Invulnerable to evil, the industrious bees donate a cure for people's diseases through their honey. Honey is a propitiator and a cure for hard hearts. According to preserved folk traditions of the present day, beekeepers get up before sunrise to boil the bees in the hives. They go to them with one white loaf - "goddess" named for the Lord, and another - "saint" is for St. Procopius) and smoke the bread in front of the beehives, smear it with honey and then distribute it for health and fertility. The hives are "trimmed" by breaking off a piece of the honeycomb. This first honey has magical properties because it is believed to be a remedy for all kinds of diseases.
