Date according to the old calendar: August 28. This day commemorates two saints—Anna the Prophetess and Savva Krypetsky. Saint Anna from Jerusalem was a pious widow, who, along with Saint Simeon the God-Receiver, was honored to meet the infant Jesus Christ in the temple, where His parents brought Him to give thanks to God for their firstborn. Saint Savva Krypetsky, also known as Pskovsky, lived in the 15th century. After taking monastic vows on Mount Athos, he moved to Pskov and settled in the remote Krypetsky wilderness. Savva observed a strict fast and spent all his free time in prayer. People often came to him for advice and blessings. On one occasion, Prince Yaroslav of Pskov came to Savva with his sick wife; after a prayer service, the woman was miraculously healed. It is known that the venerable saint taught people to maintain purity—both physical and moral—and advocated for a righteous way of life. Even after his death, Savva did not abandon his monastery, providing it help on several occasions, such as once protecting it from robbers, forcing their leader to repent. In Russia, the final grain harvest was completed on Anna and Savva's day. The sheaves were taken from the fields and stacked into skirdas (haystacks)—hence the name of the holiday, Skirdniki. Farmers rushed to gather the grain before the onset of bad weather and cold. "The field is beautiful with sheaves, and the threshing floor—with skirdas," people would say. At this time, the harvest was celebrated with large festivals and fairs. Strangely enough, this day was dedicated to prayers for deliverance from drunkenness. However, it was considered unlucky to propose marriage on Anna and Savva's day; a visit from a suitor to the bride’s parents was thought to bring misfortune. Name Days on this Day: Alexander, Alexey, Anatoly, Anna, Arseny, Athanasius, Vasily, Benjamin, George, Gregory, Denis, Yefim, Zakhar, Ivan, Ignatius, Ilarion, Joseph, Lavrenty, Leonty, Lukyan, Makar, Moses, Nikolay, Pavel, Savva, Sergey, Stepan, Susanna, Fedor