Medovníky: A Tradition of Otpust

Oy, Bože moj!  After yesterday’s somber post, I thought it would be nice to balance the thread of my memories of Otpust with a lighter topic… and what could be happier than the tradition of Medovníky?    

One very popular tradition of Otpust is that of the Medovníky (honey cookies) which the pilgrims buy to eat and take home to their loved ones. Medovníky are my all-time favorite cookies! Why? Because they trigger such fond memories and they contain some of my favorite ingredients – honey, cinnamon, and cloves.

Medovníky are popular cookies to have on hand at Christmas, but they are common year round in Slavic homes. In addition to being delicious, they are visually beautiful to behold. Medovníky are traditionally decorated with colorful icing, but they also look beautiful simply decorated with a walnut half. Since they are cut out with cookie cutters, the shape alone can be all the decoration needed.

The tradition of medovníky began in Europe, to give pilgrims sustenance for the long trip home. Honey, a natural preservative, would not spoil quickly and thus was a great food item for pilgrims during travel. Then, as today, they are decorated with brilliant colors and religious images. Mother Macrina began this tradition at the Uniontown Mt. St. Macrina pilgrimages, using a recipe she brought from Europe, to add another characteristic of the traditional pilgrimages in Podkarpatska Rus’. 

The medovníky come in various shapes and sizes: crosses, hearts, stars and more, and they contain an icon-stamp of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, as a reminder to those consuming them, of the focal point of Otpust. The medovníky are so popular that over 30,000 made each year often sell out long before the pilgrimage is over.

My attempts to purchase medovníky at the last two years that I attended Otpust  were unsuccessful. I obviously waited too long! Immediately following the Slavonic Liturgy on Sunday, I hastened to the medovník sales station to purchase a few of the treasures to take home to loved ones, only to learn that they were sold out. So… this year I intend to be aggressively proactive by visiting the medovník sales station on Saturday morning!

Delicious to eat and beautiful to behold, medovníky can last a very long time and almost seem to possess some heavenly preservative. Each time one is eaten or looked upon, it serves as a reminder of the blessed Otpust on Mt. St. Macrina.

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