holiday date
Every year on August 19, Russia celebrates the Apple Savior – this is the popular name of the Transfiguration of the Lord. It falls in the middle of the Dormition Lent and is one of the twelfth holidays – the twelve most important dates of the church calendar.
The history of the Transfiguration of the Lord is told in the Bible. According to the Evangelist Luke, Jesus Christ (the Savior) went to Mount Tabor to pray with his three closest apostles, Peter, James, and John. As the Savior began to recite the prayer, “the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became white and shone.” At that moment, the prophets Moses and Elijah appeared next to him.
“Appearing in splendor, they spoke of His departure from Jerusalem. But Peter and those with him were crushed by the weight of sleep; but when they awoke they saw his glory and the two men standing beside him,” Luke stated.
This happened during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, when the Jews built tents (special tents) to commemorate the wanderings of their people. When the prophets began to disappear, Peter offered to build three tents for the Savior, Moses and Elijah.
“Tent is three: active, natural, and theological. Peter gave the theological tent to the Lord, for He is God; natural contemplation – to Moses, because he wrote about the creation of all things; It is Elijah who is active, because he is a virgin, a fanatic, and an ascetic,” says the Bible.
When Peter offered to build a dwelling, a cloud appeared and “overshadowed them”: “And a voice came from the cloud: This is my beloved Son, listen to him. When this voice came, Jesus was left alone. And they remained silent and did not tell anyone what they saw in those days.
This event, in which the human and divine nature of Jesus Christ was revealed, was called the Transfiguration of the Lord. According to the clergy, this happened so that during the trials people would not hesitate in their faith and see what transformation awaited them in the Kingdom of Heaven.
And here are the apples
On August 19, the clergy serve in white robes symbolizing the “light of Tabor”, the mysterious Divine light at the time of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ. After the service, the priest blesses the fruits of the new harvest and sprinkles them with holy water and recites a special prayer.
Christians began to celebrate the Transfiguration of the Lord from the 4th century, when Emperor Constantine the Great’s mother Helena built a temple in honor of the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor. About a hundred years later, the holiday spread throughout the Christian East.
In Greece, Cyprus, Serbia and Israel, it is customary to bless ripe grapes for the holiday on Transfiguration day. It is then used to make wine for the Communion Sacrament. In Russia, grapes do not grow everywhere, so they replace them with apples. They are blessed with the prayer “For the blessing of the beginning of the vegetables (fruits)”.
How to celebrate the Transfiguration of the Lord
Since the Transfiguration always occurs at the center of the Dormition Fast, believers try to attend a divine service on this day and go to confession. The priest Nikolai Dubinin told socialbites.ca that the crown of the celebration is union with Christ, that is, Communion, which is performed during the liturgy.
“Our religious people have a custom of bringing the first fruits of their harvest for blessing. Why is the Savior called Apple: people brought apples, grapes and gave thanks that the Lord had sent the harvest, ”said Dubinin.
According to an ancient tradition, our ancestors tried not to eat apples before the Transfiguration: before that they should bless the new crop and thank God for it. Pears, plums, peaches and other seasonal fruits were also brought to the temple for consecration. It was customary to bake pies, pancakes and other pastries from lean dough with them. On the day of the Transfiguration, it is important to offer fruits to the needy and take into account their wishes.
According to the priest, if a person is unable to attend church for any reason, one can pray from afar.
“Such a practice has developed in recent years – parishioners have the phone number of Batiushka. Some congregations have chats in messengers. A person can write names from afar before the ritual so that they can pray for him in the temple. You can also call or SMS Batushka and ask him to pray for her, ”Dubinin shared.
What not to do on Apple Savior day
Priest Dubinin said that on the day of the Transfiguration one should not forget about love for God and neighbors. He explained that to forget God means to live outside church holidays and events.
“You know, as if someone had a birthday – and we did not congratulate him, but we did not even remember him. Forgetfulness is what should not be allowed. Secondly, you cannot turn away from the needs of your loved ones on this day. It is impossible to refuse if someone needs us, on big holidays it is necessary to show mercy, help, remember someone. This is like an additional incentive,” said Dubinin.
As with any major Orthodox holiday, quarrels, gossip, noisy feasts and heavy physical work are prohibited on August 19.