The best conspiracies and rituals for apple spas. Apple Spas: the history of the holiday, traditions, signs, divination, prohibitions

Apple Spas is celebrated on August 19 (August 6 according to the Julian calendar) every year. This is a folk-Christian holiday, the second of the three Spas. Its official church name is the Transfiguration of the Lord.

According to popular beliefs, Apple Savior means the onset of autumn and the transformation of nature.

The Eastern Slavs only from the Apple Savior were allowed to eat apples and dishes from the fruits of the new crop. On this day they are consecrated in the church. Apple Savior August 19 is considered the official end of summer and the arrival of autumn - after it the nights become cold, and it's time to harvest.

Other holiday names

Second Savior, Middle Savior, Savior on the Mountain, Transfiguration, Peas Day, Feast of First Fruits, First Autumn.

This day is dedicated to the memory of the transformation of Christ to his disciples on Mount Tabor. On this day, Jesus, together with his three disciples Jacob, Peter and John, ascended the sacred mountain to pray. It was at this time that the apostles dozed off and did not see the Transfiguration of the Lord. Christ was dressed in snow-white clothes, which have always been a symbol of purity, purity, faith and holiness. Climbing the sacred mountain After descending from heaven, Jesus began to talk with his prophets. After the people who gathered nearby and watched this event, they heard a voice from heaven that proclaimed Christ as their son. This was the reason for the celebration of the Second Savior.

The Feast of the Transfiguration was chosen to bless the fruits, because in Jerusalem it was at that time that the grapes ripened, which is customary to consecrate on this day. Clusters of grapes, as well as ears of corn, people carried on this day to the temple in gratitude to God. But grapes did not grow everywhere, so this tradition has changed somewhat - they began to consecrate apples.

In our time, baskets with a variety of fruits are brought to the temple for consecration. In the folk calendar, summer is seen off on this day. This holiday means the onset of autumn and the transformation of nature. Because of this, there is even another popular name for the holiday - autumn. It is believed that the nights after the Savior become much colder. Therefore, they say: "The Savior has come, keep your mittens in reserve."

The Transfiguration of the Lord, in addition to the Apple Savior, has other names: the second / middle Savior, the Savior on the Mountain, Pea Day, the Feast of the First Fruits, the First Autumn.

Read more about the Honey Spas holiday.

Apple saved omens

- If a fly lands on Spas, on your hand, twice, then this is good luck.

- What is the weather like this holiday, it will be like this in January.

- If it rains during the day, there will also be a lot of precipitation in winter.

- If it's dry on Spas, autumn will be the same.

The Savior has passed - the summer has gone from us.

— After the holiday, people begin to prepare for the onset of autumn.

- People say that the Apple Spas is the final moment of the summer.

“In any case, this bright holiday brings goodness, hope and, of course, faith in better times.


- The weather is clear - autumn will be dry, rainy - wet.

“The last piece of apple eaten that day has magical powers. If you make a wish immediately after eating it, it will come true.

- Picking unripe apples on this day is a bad omen.

Apple Saved Traditions

- According to church tradition, before the Second Savior, it was impossible to eat apples before they were illuminated, especially for women. And after lighting in the church, the ban on eating both apples and all other vegetables and fruits from the harvest was lifted.

- On the day of the Apple Savior, it is customary to cook lenten dishes with apples: pies, pancakes and desserts.

Read more about the Dormition Fast.

- Also on this day it is worth harvesting, because according to folk tradition, the crop left after the Savior will not be good for health. It is customary to treat the needy and children with apples consecrated in the church. It is believed that the more generously apples are distributed, the more favorable fate will be for a person.

On this day, worship is held in the temples. Parishioners try to wear white clothes to the service. They consecrate in the church baskets with fruits and berries: apples, pears, plums, grapes.

- On this day, housewives begin to make preparations for the winter from apples: they cook jams and compotes, and dry them.

- At Apple Spas, people commemorate the memory of deceased relatives. It is customary to bring fruits consecrated in the temple to the cemetery and leave them on the graves.

- In Rus', autumn was celebrated on August 19. People went out into the field and saw off the sun. They believed that with its sunset, summer was leaving.

Before the holiday, parents whose children died did not eat apples. They believed that in the next world they were given gifts for this - heavenly apples.

What can not be done in Apple Spas?

There was a belief among the people that there was no need to eat apples and dishes from this fruit before the onset of the Apple Savior, but after August 19, people could enjoy this fruit.

There is a ban on eating apples before the start of the Savior for women who have lost children. According to legend, if parents did not eat apples before the Savior, then children in heaven will be given gifts on this day.

Also, people say that it is impossible to drive off or kill insects on this day, especially flies. If she sat down twice on her hand - this is to fulfill her desires. It's a strange omen, but that's what they say. Whether it's true or not, check it out.

In the Orthodox calendar, the Transfiguration of the Lord is the second and most beloved by the people of the three August Spas, timed to coincide with the iconic moments of the ripening of the harvest. It is celebrated annually on August 19 and is often referred to as the Middle or Apple Spas.

Why Apple?

In fact, the transfiguration of Jesus in front of his disciples Peter, John and James on Mount Tabor, according to the text of the Gospel, took place 40 days before Easter. However, in this case, the celebration would have occurred during Great Lent, therefore, when compiling the church calendar, it was timed to coincide with the pagan harvest festival.

In the atmosphere of a solemn church service, traditional ceremonies and fortune-telling, in addition to joy from the abundance of gifts of the earth on this day, there is always a subtle note of sadness about the departing warmth. Indeed, from that moment on, the first reminders of the impending autumn appear in nature: the summer night stuffiness is replaced by invigorating freshness, the leaves of the trees gradually lose their bright greenery, and ringing showers with flashes of lightning turn into a boring, cold drizzle. Not without reason, many poets, writers and artists turned to the theme of the Apple Savior in their works: A. Blok and S. Yesenin, I. Shmelev and B. Pasternak, I. Levitan and B. Kustodiev.

The people have come up with many names for this holiday: the First Autumn, the Great Savior, the Savior on the Mountain, Gorokhov Day, the Feast of the First Fruits. However, Apple Savior remains the most beloved and popular name among believers for the Transfiguration of the Lord. In the Greek tradition, from where the calendar of Orthodox holidays came to us, on this day it was customary to bless "fruits of wine", that is, grapes. But in Russia, this exotic product was not available to the majority of the population, so it was successfully replaced by democratic apples that ripen just in time for August 19th.

Traditions of the Apple Savior

For our ancestors, the observance of festive rituals and customs was mandatory and immutable. After all, it was in strict adherence to the precepts of past generations that they saw the guarantee of their future well-being and protection from numerous adversities.

  • The most common belief associated with the Second Savior says that before the holiday, a fruit basket should be collected for consecration in the church. But you should not try apples, pears and other fruits until the day of the Transfiguration. The ban is lifted only after the end of the solemn church service and the blessing of the fruits brought.
  • Solemn worship is attended necessarily in light, preferably white clothes. During the service, brought fruits are placed on a special table for consecration. Then they become the main treat at the festive meal, for which it is customary to gather with the whole family. We must not forget that fasting has not yet ended at this time, and therefore lean pastries with apple filling and the same desserts traditionally prevail among the dishes. In addition to sweets, it is allowed to serve fish and mushroom dishes with vegetable side dishes.
  • On Oseniny they try to collect as many ripe fruits as possible. It is believed that it is on this day that fruits and berries become especially useful and even have some magical powers. It is on August 19 that good housewives begin to make apple preparations: they cook jam, make compotes, jam and jam, dry juicy slices for the winter.
  • Another tradition helps to attract the favor of fortune. To do this, on the day of the Transfiguration, one should generously treat the harvested apples and other fruits to all friends and relatives, children and those in need.
  • There is a belief that on the Middle Spas the dead kids are treated to heavenly apples in the next world, but only those kids whose parents did not taste the fruits before the holiday will be able to taste the delicacy. In connection with this legend, a tradition arose to visit children's graves on the day of the Transfiguration of the Lord and decorate them with the most ruddy and juicy apples. It is not forbidden to leave consecrated fruits on the graves of other relatives and friends.
  • Since pagan times, there has been a belief that with the sunset on the day of the Second Savior, summer leaves the earth until the next year, and autumn becomes the sovereign mistress. Therefore, by sunset, the peasants gathered on the nearest hill and saw off the blessed time and the hot luminary with songs and round dances.

Signs and prohibitions

Any holiday loved and revered by the people is always surrounded by numerous signs and superstitions. In this sense, Apple Spas is no exception.

  • If you have a cherished dream, then you should definitely think about it at the moment when you bite the first apple. Our ancestors were sure that in this case, providence would definitely find out about your desire and help it come true. But if an unripe fruit was plucked from a tree, then big trouble awaited the disobedient.
  • On August 19, attention was usually paid to the behavior of insects. If a fly or mosquito fell on your hand twice, then the favor of fortune was ensured for the year ahead. So do not dismiss too annoying insects on this day.
  • On the day of the Transfiguration of the Lord, everyone considered it their duty to treat the beggar with an apple. After all, everyone knew that this sign guarantees not only the gratitude of the unfortunate, but also the absence of material problems.
  • With the onset of the Apple Savior, signs are advised to begin active preparations for the next season: sow winter cereals, make harvesting, renew or buy warm clothes and shoes. And for those who delay preparations, there will be many problems and troubles, which, in general, is not surprising from a practical point of view.
  • The Great Savior did not do without weather beliefs. A rainy day foreshadowed snow on Pokrov and January in deep snowdrifts, a serene holiday promised a dry autumn, and a cloudless sky was a harbinger of a frosty winter.
  • In the Transfiguration of the Lord, it is forbidden to do dirty work like cleaning the house or washing clothes. But it is not forbidden to cook, as well as to engage in garden or garden care.

Holiday divination

In many cultures, and not only Christian ones, the apple was considered a mystical, but very ambiguous fruit. Most often, it symbolized love and fertility, beauty and health, but sometimes served as a pretext for contention and temptation. Folklore and religious texts, fairy tales and legends abound in relevant examples. Who does not know the story of Adam and Eve, the tale of apples of rejuvenation or the myth of the fruit that caused the Trojan War? It was with the help of this magical fruit that unmarried girls in Rus' tried to predict their fate on a festive evening on the Great Spas.

  • The most popular divination was to try to remove the peel from an apple so that it does not break and turn into a thin, fragrant ribbon. Those who managed to do this could hope for a close marriage. If you throw the skin over your left shoulder, then in its whimsical curls you could even recognize the initials of the betrothed.
  • Another ritual offered unmarried girls to inscribe apples with the names of young men they knew and lay them out on the street during the day. With the onset of darkness, the fruits were collected and carefully examined. If one of them was pecked by birds, then the guy whose name was indicated on the peel was not trustworthy and was not suitable for husbands.
  • Apples with the name of a lover were left on the street for the whole night, and in the morning they looked at what had become of him. A fruit badly spoiled by birds warned of the possibility of a rival appearing, but a disappeared apple promised a complete break in relations.
  • Often left overnight, a fortune-telling apple was found lying on the ground in the morning. Such an omen was also considered undesirable, as it foreshadowed a complex and intricate relationship with a lover. In order not to suffer in an unhappy marriage, the omen advises to break off the engagement and opt for another person.

One of the most beloved church holidays of all Christians is Apple Spas. Especially young girls are waiting for this day, since it is August 19 that abounds in signs by which you can determine your fate. The last month of summer is traditionally considered the best for love spells. Apple spas conspiracies are more powerful and often bring results. All signs come true and carry only a positive charge.

The essence of the holiday and its traditions

On this day, all believers who fast are allowed to eat apples. In order to consecrate fresh fruits in the church, people get up early in the morning and pick dewy fruits. According to tradition, on this day it is customary to treat all the poor with fruits from their garden and be sure to go to the cemetery. Apples are left on the graves of not only relatives and friends, but also on abandoned graves. It is considered a good omen to leave fruits in places where children are buried.

Folk signs about the weather and not only

  • If it rains on this day, then expect a snowy winter.
  • Hear laughter upon awakening - the harvest will be rich.
  • To see the first woman with a simple hair - to marriage.
  • If, upon waking up, you hear the singing of birds, the year will be favorable.
  • To see a tree with apples in a dream - to replenishment in the family or marriage.
  • To meet an old man in the church - to the well-being of parents.

These signs for apple savior should occur from the very early morning. In the old days, people woke up even before the sky began to brighten and closely followed all the changes in nature and weather.

How to conduct rituals?

All fortune-telling and conspiracies on this day are made on unconsecrated apples. A prerequisite is the freshness of the fruit. It should not be an apple that has been “floating” from abroad for several weeks, and then lies in the store for another month. If you don’t have your own garden, then buy fruit in the market from local sellers in advance.

Fortune telling for apple spas

Young unmarried girls tell fortunes about the groom on the night before the Savior. This is usually associated with dreams and morning signs. The surest way to find out your future chosen one is fortune telling on an apple.

  1. At sunrise, the girl should go out into the yard and find a flat place on the ground. Then gently push the apple away from you with the words: “Where the apple turns, my dear will come from there.” The direction determines the side from where to wait for the groom. If the fetus has not folded, you can not wait for the wedding this year.
  2. Before going to bed, an unmarried girl braids her braid and goes to bed with the words: “Betrothed, come to me to spend the night, unravel my braid.” If the braid is untwisted in the morning, then it is worth remembering who appeared to you in a dream.
  3. For married women, there is a way to find out about the fidelity of a spouse. The apple is cut in half and placed under the matrimonial bed, so that it lies whole and cannot turn over. In the morning you should look under the bed - if the halves are still separated, then the husband betrays you.
  4. For men, you can tell fortunes on a betrothed. Before going to bed, put an apple under the pillow and say the words: “Honey, come and taste the apple and visit me. Show yourself in all your glory, show your appearance in a dream. In the morning, eat fruit if the desired girl has appeared. If not, give it away or throw it away from sin.

Conspiracies in apple spas

Auspicious day for love spells and rituals to attract wealth. It is believed that the apple spas symbolizes the beginning of autumn and the harvest. If you have the opportunity to get fresh apples from a tree, then the following conspiracy will provide you with material wealth and prosperity for the whole year.

To attract wealth

We wrap a fresh apple in a new shirt or shirt with the words (read 7 times):

“A lot of new things, money in addition, I call for myself and wish prosperity.”

For love

If the signs did not bring you the desired results in the morning, then perform the following ritual during the day. The conspiracy should be done in complete solitude and in the nude. To do this, you will need an apple, a ring (of any metal, the simplest), a candle and a knife. Cut a shallow hole in the apple and stick the ring in there. Light a candle and drip wax directly into the place of the ring to plug the hole. Say the words:

I call love
I'm expecting a husband
A cute ring will attract
It will lure you with a sweet apple.

Hide the apple in your room. You can put it in a container so as not to lure your husband instead of your beloved.

On desire

Instead of breakfast, try a fresh apple and make your deepest wish. While eating the fruit, tirelessly repeat it to yourself many times. It is not necessary to wish for yourself, but as a rule, such desires often come true.

Prayers for Apple Savior

A church holiday implies an appeal on this day to the saints with requests for help. Another name for the second Savior is the Transfiguration of the Lord. If you have the opportunity, be sure to visit the church and bring your prayers to the Lord there.

Prayer for health

“Lord, I ask you for help to your servant (name). Grant health and cleanse my body from bodily and spiritual ailments. Give me strength on the path to healing and strengthen my faith. Amen"

Prayer for love

“The Lord Almighty, descend to the prayer of your servant (name) and cleanse me from sins and unclean thoughts. I pray you, God, help me find love and grant your servant (name) a strong and eternal union with the servant of God (name). Amen".

Amulets made on August 19

Conspiracies and signs will help you in finding mutual love, but do not forget about such things as amulets. The talisman will always help you feel more confident and retain all the power of this great church holiday. Christian customs include the ability to "pray" for the thing you need. Subsequently, such a prayed amulet will strengthen health and protect against evil spells and unwanted conspiracies.

How to choose your amulet?

Firstly, the thing should not carry negative energy and be new. It is advisable to use objects of plant origin. It can be a small bag of herbs collected with the first rays of the sun. Or a piece of apple bark from a fruit tree. Be sure to consecrate the object in the church and hold it in your hands during prayers. Carry in hidden pockets or on a string under clothing.

Today, August 19, 2018, the great Orthodox holiday Apple Spas is celebrated - the second in a series of "three Spas". Every year they are celebrated on August 14 (Honey), August 19 (Apple) and August 29 (Nut or Bread).

What kind of holiday is Apple Savior, what does it mean and what is its history

The holiday was established in honor of the memory of the transfiguration of Jesus Christ, which took place on Tabor. The Gospel states: Jesus Christ with three disciples - James, John and Peter - climbed Mount Tabor. Together they began to pray fervently. After some time, the disciples fell asleep, and when they woke up, they saw Jesus Christ transfigured, with a radiant face, in snow-white robes. Then two prophets appeared - Elijah with Moses, and soon the disciples heard a voice from heaven, saying that Jesus Christ is His Son, and He needs to be listened to. As the disciples and Jesus Christ descended from the mountain, Jesus Christ commanded them not to tell anyone what they had witnessed until He died and rose again.

The Transfiguration of Jesus Christ happened 40 days before His death, in February, but they began to celebrate it in August. The holiday had to be postponed so that it would not fall on Great Lent. Now it is celebrated 40 days before the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

Since the Apple Savior is celebrated on the days of the Dormition Fast, fish dishes, wine and vegetable oil were allowed to be eaten. In churches, the clergy wear all white. The custom of consecrating apples dates back to the 8th century, and now grapes with pears, vegetables, wheat ears with honey are brought to temples for consecration. They say that until the rescue comes, they don’t eat apples - it’s impossible, especially for those whose child has died. After the consecration of apples, they need to be distributed to the needy, the poor.

Traditions at Apple Spas

For the holiday, it is customary to bake apple pies, pancakes from lean dough. Compotes and jams are made from apples. They say that insects are not killed on such a day, and they are not even driven away, otherwise there will be no luck and happiness.

On a public holiday, you cannot:

  1. be in a bad mood;
  2. engage in physical labor - sewing, knitting, washing, minor chores;
  3. speak loudly, laugh;
  4. participate in recreational activities;
  5. allow quarrels with loved ones;
  6. to be angry, to wish evil.

On the morning of Apple Savior, you need to go to church with a basket of apples, symbolizing the harvest, the strength of the soul, bread, symbolizing home and family, horseradish, symbolizing steadfast faith, salt, symbolizing readiness for life's difficulties, baking. Everything that has been consecrated must be eaten. If the leftovers have deteriorated, they are either given to livestock or buried in the garden. The basket is complemented with candles, greens.

What not to do on Apple Spas

There are no overly strict bans on Apple Savior, and yet the holiday falls on the time of the strict Dormition Fast, which does not welcome the violation of fasting food.

You can’t eat apples before the Apple Savior, and even on this day, until the fruits are consecrated in the church.

You can not sew, knit, do cleaning and construction work. In general, it is best not to do any physical work other than cooking and harvesting.

Remember that the Dormition Fast is going on until August 27th. Therefore, you can not have fun, and also eat meat, eggs, fatty foods.

Also, do not kill or drive away insects.

On this day, it is customary to treat the children of poor and sick people. The more apples you can distribute, the more kind and generous God will be to you. Good housewives bake apple pies.

The Feast of the Apple Savior, first of all, should remind people of the importance of spiritual transformation.

Signs for Apple Spas

A sign about the weather on Apple Spas: what will be the weather on the Second Spas, this should be expected in the month of January.

If the weather is dry and hot on this day, then autumn will be dry, without rain, warm, and vice versa.

If the leaves on the trees turn yellow, it will be cold soon.

If the wind blows strong, a harsh winter will come.

The cover will be the same as the day of the Apple Savior.

It was previously believed that the weather on August 19 is a mirror image of the weather in January. Any precipitation throughout the day of the holiday suggests snow in winter, but if there is heat on the day of the Apple Savior, then there will be little snow in January.

A sign of good luck: you should expect incredible success and wealth if on the day of the Apple Savior the fly landed on your hand twice.

You will definitely spend the whole next year in abundance if you treat the beggar with apples on the day of the Savior.

Be sure to take out the fruit yourself if you suddenly see such a person on the street. And in the event that during the whole day of the holiday you absolutely do not catch the eye of a needy person, then this is a rather bad omen.

Happy Apple Savior!

Apple Savior: Faithful and Superstitious Traditions

- Is it possible to have an apple now, the Transfiguration is in a week! - the parishioner in the churchyard was indignant last Sunday.

- You can, you can, they are store-bought, so they were consecrated last year, - the gray-bearded priest jokes in response.

Today, the Orthodox celebrate the Transfiguration of the Lord or, as it is often called by the people, the Apple Spas. But such dialogues can be heard on the eve of the Honey Savior (August 14), and on the eve of the Linen or Khlebny (August 29). And to the question: why the Orthodox cannot eat honey or apples until a certain date in the summer, almost no one gives a clear answer. How to distinguish superstition from the true church tradition of celebrating the Apple Savior - in the material of RIA Novosti.

© RIA Novosti / Vitaly Ankov

Orthodox Christians celebrate Apple Savior

Holiday on the wrong day

According to the Gospel, Jesus Christ, together with his closest disciples - Peter, James and John - ascended Mount Tabor to pray. The apostles saw that he was transformed - “His clothes became shining, very white, like snow, as a bleacher cannot bleach on the ground” - and how the prophets Elijah and Moses who appeared to them talked with their Teacher. “And there was a voice out of the cloud, saying: This is my beloved Son, listen to him. When this voice was, Jesus was left alone, ”says the Gospel of Luke.

And when the vision disappeared, Jesus told the disciples that he was going to die and then be resurrected. But he strictly forbade them to tell anyone about it.

It happened 40 days before the death of Christ. Why does the Church celebrate the holiday not in February, but in August?

“The reason is that without rescheduling to another month, this celebration would always fall on the days of Holy Forty Days (Great Lent – ​​ed.), and this would be incompatible with the Lenten service and the sad time of repentance,” explains Protodeacon Dmitry Polovnikov.

The Holy Fathers of the Church called the Transfiguration the day when “the prophets and apostles rejoiced” and decided to celebrate it in August, 40 days before the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, when the faithful will again remember the crucifixion of the Savior.

The clergy on this day serve in snow-white vestments. But, despite the holiday, the observance of the Dormition fast is not canceled, although with indulgences - fish, wine and oil (vegetable oil) are allowed.

"In Russia, grapes are tight"

“Everything without a trace that is subject to a person can be consecrated by him; everything that we work on, that we touch, all objects of life - everything can become part of the Kingdom of God, if this Kingdom of God is within us and, like the radiance of Christ, spreads to everything that we touch ... Let's think about it; we are not called to enslave nature, we are called to free it from the captivity of corruption and death and sin, free it and return it to harmony with the Kingdom of God. And therefore, let us become thoughtful, reverent towards this whole created world that we see, and let us serve in it as co-workers with Christ, so that the world reaches its glory and that by us all created things enter into the joy of the Lord, ”the well-known Orthodox missionary of the 20th century explained the spiritual meaning of the feast of the Transfiguration Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh

Back in the 4th century - a reliably known time of the existence of the holiday - the fruits of the new harvest were consecrated on the Transfiguration. According to one version, this is how the Church supplanted the pagan harvest festivals - in honor of Bacchus-Dionysus, for example.

“In the priestly missal, in the Menologion, the first is a prayer for the consecration of grapes. The fact is that in Greece (read Byzantium) the grapes were ripening just at this time. And a believing person always brought the first fruits to the temple as his sacrifice to God and for the consecration of the entire harvest. The offering and consecration of the firstborn (this applies to both people and animals and various fruits) is a “standard” religious tradition, both for Judaism and for pagan religions, and Christianity could not stay away from expressing gratitude to God for the fruits . It is now that shops offer all the variety of fruits of the world all year round, and before that, what grew up was eaten. So, we must thank God for what has grown,” says Protodeacon Dmitry Polovnikov.

In the churches of the Russian Orthodox Church, after the service, not only apples are consecrated, but also grapes, plums and everything that has grown in the gardens. But why is it all the same "Apple" Spas?


© RIA Novosti / Konstantin Chalabov

Celebration of the Apple Savior in the cities of Russia

The Church does not get tired of repeating: such rituals have nothing to do with either the holiday itself or Orthodoxy. These are just superstitions.

Superstition - that is, a vain, empty faith, a belief in emptiness, when supernatural properties are attributed to ordinary objects - this is the result of religious ignorance and the loss of a living connection with the Church. Superstitions arise when minor, external, ritual things are put at the forefront, and what is really the main and important thing - the inner content - is simply forgotten, lost, ”warns Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary.

But after all, even in the church one can hear from regular parishioners that eating apples before the Transfiguration is a sin. For greater persuasiveness, Adam and Eveau are cited as an example: they supposedly tasted the forbidden apple - and get out of Eden! Only, it turns out, it's not about the date at all.

“Typicon (liturgical charter - ed.) prescribes to refrain from eating apples until they are consecrated. And the meaning of this prescription is not so much in abstaining from fruits for a certain period, but in the fact that the first fruits of the harvest must first be consecrated and only then consumed. In some monasteries, there is a tradition to consecrate the fruits of the first harvest as soon as they ripen, and then eat them at a meal, without waiting for the Feast of the Transfiguration,” explains Metropolitan Anthony.

“In the Church, everything is meaningful, everything is subject to the gospel logic, it serves the salvation of the human soul. And superstition is always devoid of internal meaning and focuses on external action, with a complete absence of internal content, ”he adds.

The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, or Apple Spas, is celebrated annually on August 19. This holiday symbolizes the end of summer and the arrival of cold weather. There are many customs, signs and prohibitions on Apple Spas. Also, on this day it is customary to attend church, consecrate apples and other fruits of the new harvest.

There are many signs and customs on Apple Savior

1. On the Day of the Apple Savior, you need to treat the poor with apples so that the whole next year will be spent in abundance. If throughout the day, such a person does not come across, then this is a rather bad omen.

2. It is from this day that it is necessary to start harvesting apples and peas, after which some part is carried to the church in order to consecrate them. There is a sign that very good health for the whole next year will await the one who eats at least one apple with honey that day. Also, pies and other various dishes were baked at Apple Spas, where apples were used.

3. Before the onset of the Apple Savior, it was strictly forbidden to eat apples, especially for children, because until that time the fruits are considered still unripe.

4. Since ancient times, they have noticed that if all the cereals are not collected before August 19, then otherwise, they will simply rot. This is due precisely to the fact that, as a rule, after the Apple Savior, it rains very often, which did not provide an opportunity for the cereals to ripen, but only spoiled them in the bud.

5. "The feast of the Savior will come - take mittens in reserve." In most cases, all kinds of work in the garden are carried out mainly in the morning or in the evening. During this period of time, some coolness is felt, so you can’t do without warm clothes, especially without mittens, both in the field and in the garden.

6. It is believed that what kind of weather will be on Apple Spas, then the same should be expected in the month of January.

What not to do on Apple Spas on August 19

  • you can’t eat apples before the Apple Savior, especially for women who have lost a child. It was believed that if a child died in the family, and his mother eats apples before the onset of the Savior, then he will not receive refreshments in the next world;
  • on Apple Spas it is forbidden to carry out various works. True, this does not apply to cooking and harvesting. However, sewing, knitting, cleaning and construction work is strictly prohibited;
  • since during the Apple Savior the Assumption fast is going on, you should not forget that you can’t have fun, as well as eat meat, eggs and fatty foods. The church also includes tea, coffee and alcohol among such products;
  • on Apple Spas it is not recommended to kill insects, because it was believed that someone who had a fly twice on his hand would be lucky. At the same time, it is very important not to drive away the insect, but to wait until it flies away on its own.

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