The history of the holiday saved. Apple Spas: an Orthodox holiday with pagan roots

The end of the summer season is significant for Orthodox Christians and especially for those who harvest from their gardens and farms. It is the end of summer that is characterized by many long-loved by everyone for their importance among the people.

First of all, August is also marked by the Bread (aka Nut) Savior. The Savior is the salvation of the soul, cleansing from sins, gaining repentance and peace of mind in the face of God. All three of these holidays are celebrated in August of each year (with a short interval). Orthodox prepare for them in advance, because they mark the beginning of the harvest, which can be eaten. Everything that was harvested during the summer is stored all autumn and winter until the next harvest. It is important that the harvest be harvested on time, not earlier than prescribed by the Orthodox calendar.

Honey Savior - put honey on the table!

The first holiday falls on August 14th. On this day, the number is not chosen by chance, because by this time the honey in the combs has ripened and the first harvest can be harvested. Spas is when it is customary in the church to consecrate honey, after which it becomes not just healing, but has healing properties. For a person who eats such honey, no diseases are terrible, ailments completely disappear and spiritual and physical forces appear in the body. It is believed that such honey promotes rejuvenation by renewing the cells of the whole body, since it is saturated with the holy spirit.

Helpful information

The following recipes can be used as traditional tips.

To improve metabolic processes in the body, every morning on an empty stomach, eat a piece of bread smeared with honey. It is also recommended to dissolve honey in a glass of boiled water and drink it. This will add the whole complex of trace elements to the body, as well as improve the state of the hematopoietic system. That is why it is commonly believed that with the Honey Savior, a holiday begins in the house, warmth in the soul and health of the whole family.

What date is Apple Spas?

After the honey salvage, fasting begins immediately, during which poppy-seed pies, pancakes are baked, honey and cucumbers are eaten. In church calendars, it is referred to as the Assumption, and it is associated with the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. This post celebrates another holiday - Apple Savior. The number 19 marks the transition to autumn, and this great holiday is important for the parishioners and all who grow apples, and for ordinary laity. It is pleasant to treat the poor, the sick and everyone who meets with a fresh harvest. The blessed Apple Savior is the beginning of the first frosts or simply a decrease in temperature on the soil.

Apples ripen just in time for this holiday. Many varieties are ripe in August, and therefore it is believed that they can only be tasted from August 19th.

On this day, August 19, a great Orthodox holiday is celebrated - the Transfiguration of the Lord, when fruits from trees are brought to all churches for refreshment and illumination. All apples become magical and fulfill the most cherished desires.

history of the holiday

The beginning of this holiday falls on the time of the life of Jesus Christ. Before the crucifixion, Jesus prayed so earnestly that the disciples present at the same time noticed how the Lord was transformed, and his clothes shone with white heavenly light. This confirmed the fact that Jesus Christ is the son of God, and therefore the holiday is called "The Transfiguration of the Lord."

Events are associated with this holiday that help a person find a path to God and through repentance to be spiritually transformed. To do this, you need to remember all your bad deeds and repent, then the Lord will help you find the true path and forgive all sins.

In agriculture, the beginning of the Apple Savior is associated with the planting of winter crops. In ancient times, Orthodox farmers invited priests to receive a blessing, who prayed that the next harvest would be just as good, and thanked God for a fruitful year. In Rus', they saw off the day with songs, because it was believed that from that day the first autumn sun began to shine. After that, the first cold weather had already set in, which meant that preparations for winter had to begin.

Walnut Spas - the beginning of autumn!

The next event in August is Nut Savior - this is a holiday when nuts and bread ripen, and therefore it is called both Nut and Bread at the same time. On Nut Savior, it is customary to visit the temple to receive blessings for the next year and to express gratitude for the harvest this season.

August 29 is celebrated Nut Savior. This number, like the previous holidays, helps people to unite in order to thank the Lord God for the harvest, because it is on this day that bread ripens in the fields. In Orekhovy, also known as Khlebny Savior, it is customary to treat with nuts and eat them. It is not necessary to consecrate the nuts.

Walnut Spas is also called Not Made by Hands, which means that the image of Christ is not made by hands. This name also came from the time of the life of Jesus Christ. The story goes that Jesus, after washing his face with water, wiped his face with a towel, which displayed his face. Then the image of Christ was painted from this towel, which was passed from one generation of emperors to another, but was lost in the 12th century and restored only in copies.

Blessed time of the year!

With the advent of the Nut Savior, the time for picking mushrooms and berries in the forests begins. All holidays are associated precisely with the transition from one season of the year to another. So people learned to follow the sequence in harvesting, they could properly eat ripened food, store it for the winter and treat various diseases.

During the Walnut Savior, hazel branches were harvested and put into habitual use as a talisman against evil forces and ailments. Hazel is also used for brooms in baths. With their help, many rheumatic and catarrhal diseases are cured.

The power of nature is given to man through fruits!

Nuts, like honey, were especially valued in Rus', since they contain all the power of nature. Tinctures were made from cedars, which subsequently healed various diseases of the internal organs. In particular, tincture of pine nuts can increase human immunity. A person uses all the gifts of nature with the mind and the blessing of the Lord, therefore holidays are often associated with Christian celebrations in order to further strengthen faith and spirituality. Many healers observe church fasts in order to use certain ingredients in their recipes that ripen in certain seasons of the year.

Thus, the gifts of nature contribute to strengthening human health, strengthening the spirit of the Orthodox, and in addition, they are a symbol of the unification of the people.

In August there are three holidays in honor of the Savior, which are called Spas. The first Savior is celebrated on August 14, popularly called “on the water”, the second on August 19, “on the mountain”, and the third on August 29. The second Savior, celebrated on the day of the Transfiguration of the Lord, is popularly called the Apple Savior.

Why is the Second Spas called Apple

There is also a belief that at the Transfiguration apples become magical. Having bitten off a piece, you can make a wish that will certainly come true.

Other holiday names

Transfiguration of the Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ

history of the holiday

Apple spas: all about the holiday

Why is the Second Spas called Apple
Other holiday names
Transfiguration of the Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ
history of the holiday
Rites and signs for the Apple Savior
Apples

In August there are three holidays in honor of the Savior, which are called Spas. The first Spas is celebrated on August 14, popularly called “on the water”, the second - on August 19, “on the mountain”, and the third - on August 29, “on the canvas”.

Apple Spas

The Second Savior, celebrated on the day of the Transfiguration of the Lord, is popularly called the Apple Savior.
Why is the Second Spas called Apple

Apple Savior is the popular name for the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. It is associated with many folk rituals. First of all, Apple Savior means the onset of autumn, the transformation of nature. Previously, before this holiday, it was not supposed to eat fruits, in general, no fruits, except cucumbers. On August 19, they were illuminated in the church, after which all fruits were allowed to be eaten. After consecration, part of the fruits brought should be given a parable, and the rest should be taken to the house where they break the fast.

It is believed that if parents do not eat apples before the Second Savior, then in the next world their children are given gifts, among which are paradise apples. And those children whose parents have tried apples are not handed out. Therefore, many parents, especially those who buried their children, consider it a sin to eat apples before this holiday. Mothers who have lost children bring several apples to the church on the Apple Savior morning, consecrate them, and then take them to the graves of their dead children. If the grave is far away, the illuminated apple can be placed on any children's grave or left in the temple. Previously, consecrated apples were often carried to cemeteries to put to all deceased relatives.

There is also a belief that at the Transfiguration apples become magical. Having bitten off a piece, you can make a wish that will certainly come true.

From that day on, a hot season begins in the orchards, apples are harvested for the future according to a variety of recipes: they are dried, preserved, and soaked. During the holiday, you also need to cook a lot of dishes with apples, bake in the oven or oven with honey, and make pies. Spasov apples were given to the poor and the sick.

On the same day, the mass consumption of peas begins, sometimes even a special "Pea Day" was arranged. With the Apple Savior and the Feast of the Transfiguration, the harvest of spring crops and the sowing of winter crops (rye) began. Healers tried to prepare medicinal herbs until that day, the Hutsuls did not take fire out into the street, in Transcarpathia that day they did not lend fire.

Mass festivities and fairs were timed to coincide with the holiday.

According to popular beliefs, after the Apple Savior, the nights become colder. This holiday is also a meeting of autumn. "The Second Savior has come - take mittens in reserve."
Other holiday names

The Second, Apple Savior also has other popular names - for example, the Feast of the First Fruits, the Middle Savior, the Savior on the Mountain, Pea Day, the First Autumn, Autumn, the Second Meeting of Autumn, the Transfiguration. On this day, the Russian Orthodox Church venerates the Transfiguration of the Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ.
Transfiguration of the Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ

The Gospels describe a mysterious transfiguration, the manifestation of the Divine majesty and glory of the Lord. It happened on the mountain in front of the three closest disciples of Jesus Christ during prayer. This event is reported by all the evangelists, with the exception of John.

The Orthodox celebration takes place on August 19, and if according to the Julian calendar, then on August 6. In the Catholic Church, August 6 is also celebrated, or transferred to the Sunday following this day. The Armenian Apostolic Church considers this holiday to be rolling from June 28 to August 1.

The traditional place of the Transfiguration of the Lord is a mountain in Galilee called Tabor. However, there is a version that the place of the Transfiguration was a spur of Mount Hermon, located in the vicinity of Caesarea Philippi.

The Gospels describe that Jesus went up with Peter, James and John to the mountain to pray, and during the prayer he was transformed. His face shone like the sun, and His garments became white as light. And two prophets from the Old Testament, Elijah and Moses, appeared and talked with the Savior about the Exodus. He forbade his disciples to talk about what they saw until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
history of the holiday

The holiday has been celebrated in Palestine since the 4th century, from the time when the Temple of the Transfiguration was built by Empress Elena on Mount Tabor. In the East, references to the holiday date back to the 5th century.

The gospel texts say that this event happened in February, 40 days before Easter, but the Orthodox Church postponed the celebration to August 6 (19) - so that it would not fall on the days of Great Lent. And on the 40th day after the Transfiguration, the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord always takes place.

In France and Spain, the holiday has been celebrated since the 7th century, but in the Catholic Church it was established by Pope Calixtus III in 1456.

In the Orthodox Church, the holiday belongs to the twelfth great feasts, the liturgy is performed, parimia are read, the canon is sung. The color of liturgical robes is white. The holiday falls on the Dormition Fast, which was previously almost equal to the Great Fast.

In Rus', Apple Savior was one of the most celebrated holidays. In the evening, the peasants watched the sunset, and when it touched the horizon, chants began.

In the southern regions, it was not apples that were consecrated and tasted, but the first grapes. Or all the fruits that are.
Rites and signs for the Apple Savior

Apple Savior is also called the "first autumn" - a meeting of autumn. In the evening, seeing off the sunset, they also saw off the summer. "Apple rescue came - summer left us."

It is also believed that it reminds of how spiritual transformation is necessary. On this day, they first treated relatives, friends, orphans, the poor with apples, commemorated their ancestors who had fallen asleep forever - and only then they ate themselves.

Many signs and customs are associated with this holiday. In the old days, people considered them important for the health and well-being of the whole family. For example, the fruits collected from the garden were treated to the poor - in order to harvest an excellent harvest next year.

There is also a sign that if it is hot on the day of the Second Savior, then there will be little snow in January, and if it rains, then the winter will be snowy.

There is another interesting sign: if a fly sits on a hand twice on this holiday, then success awaits a person. On this holiday, you need to be patient even with flies and not drive them away, so as not to frighten off good luck.

According to archaeologists, even cavemen ate apples. In ancient Rome, 23 varieties of apples were known, and thanks to the Roman soldiers, apples also came to Europe. Now apple trees are the most popular fruit trees in the world.

Apples can be used in a huge number of dishes, they even produce vodka with cider, not to mention jams, desserts, salads, compotes, pies, cakes, sauces. Ducks are baked with apples, meat is stewed.

According to physiological norms, a person should consume about 50 kilograms of apples per year, of which 40% are in the form of juices. Apples contain almost all the substances that the body needs: calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, iron, vitamins C, E, PP, B1, B2, B6, folic acid, carotene. They are easily digestible and their combinations are optimal for people.

No wonder the British say: "An apple a day - and the doctor is not needed." And even better - two or three apples. These amazing fruits will help maintain the body in excellent health.

Happy Holidays everyone, all the best!!!

Apple Savior is a folk holiday dedicated to the Orthodox celebration of the Transfiguration of the Lord. This day is one of the most significant church holidays and falls on the strict Dormition Fast.

Apple Savior is celebrated every year on August 19th. On this day, Orthodox Christians go to church to bless apples and other fruits of the new harvest, including ears of corn, which become a strong home amulet.

history of the holiday

The pagan holiday passed into the Christian religion, and the traditions of our ancestors were closely intertwined with church canons and customs. The apples consecrated on this day, according to popular belief, possessed exceptional power, capable of returning beauty, health and happiness to every person.

The church holiday of the Transfiguration of the Lord is called the Savior on the Mountain. It was on this day, exactly 40 days before the crucifixion, that Jesus and his disciples climbed Mount Tabor. Jesus began to pray, and his face was lit up with an unearthly light, and his clothes were transformed into snow-white. So Jesus was transformed in front of his disciples, revealing to them his true destiny.

Returning to the people, Jesus forbade telling his followers about the miracle that had taken place and commanded them to start picking apples, which had to be consecrated before the face of the Lord.

Traditions of the day

Apple Savior begins with a morning service in the church. During the service, the priests bring a cross to the center of the temple so that everyone can bow and pay tribute to the Lord. Then the procession and the consecration of the fruits of the new harvest take place. Parishioners dress in white clothes for the service - a symbol of transformation and the beginning of a new stage in their life path.

On the day of the holiday, all housewives bake sweet treats using apples, which were placed on the festive table after the service. On this day, they began to prepare jam and dried fruits.

One of the main traditions of the Apple Savior is to treat those in need with apples. A visit to the cemetery was also obligatory, where relatives left fruits on the graves of their loved ones.

Apple Savior in folk traditions meant the beginning of autumn and was accompanied by the harvest of wheat, the preparation of medicinal raw materials for the winter. On this day, clear weather foreshadowed a harsh winter, and rain foreshadowed a dank, cold autumn.

Dormition Fast, during which Apple Savior is celebrated - a time of rigor and spiritual growth. Use this period to cleanse your soul of negativity through abstinence and sincere prayers. We wish you happiness and prosperity, and do not forget to press the buttons and

14.08.2017 06:58

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In August there are three holidays in honor of the Savior, which are called Spas. The first Savior is celebrated on August 14, popularly called “on the water”, the second on August 19, “on the mountain”, and the third on August 29. The second Savior, celebrated on the day of the Transfiguration of the Lord, is popularly called the Apple Savior. Why is the Second Spas called Apple







Other holiday names




Transfiguration of the Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ




history of the holiday




In August there are three holidays in honor of the Savior, which are called Spas. The first Spas is celebrated on August 14, popularly called “on the water”, the second - on August 19, “on the mountain”, and the third - on August 29, “on the canvas”.

Apple Spas

The Second Savior, celebrated on the day of the Transfiguration of the Lord, is popularly called the Apple Savior.

Why is the Second Spas called Apple

Apple Savior is the popular name for the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. It is associated with many folk rituals. First of all, Apple Savior means the onset of autumn, the transformation of nature. Previously, before this holiday, it was not supposed to eat fruits, in general, no fruits, except cucumbers. On August 19, they were illuminated in the church, after which all fruits were allowed to be eaten. After consecration, part of the fruits brought should be given a parable, and the rest should be taken to the house where they break the fast.

It is believed that if parents do not eat apples before the Second Savior, then in the next world their children are given gifts, among which are paradise apples. And those children whose parents have tried apples are not handed out. Therefore, many parents, especially those who buried their children, consider it a sin to eat apples before this holiday. Mothers who have lost children bring several apples to the church on the Apple Savior morning, consecrate them, and then take them to the graves of their dead children. If the grave is far away, the illuminated apple can be placed on any children's grave or left in the temple. Previously, consecrated apples were often carried to cemeteries to put to all deceased relatives.

There is also a belief that at the Transfiguration apples become magical. Having bitten off a piece, you can make a wish that will certainly come true.

From that day on, a hot season begins in the orchards, apples are harvested for the future according to a variety of recipes: they are dried, preserved, and soaked. During the holiday, you also need to cook a lot of dishes with apples, bake in the oven or oven with honey, and make pies. Spasov apples were given to the poor and the sick.

On the same day, the mass consumption of peas begins, sometimes even a special "Pea Day" was arranged. With the Apple Savior and the Feast of the Transfiguration, the harvest of spring crops and the sowing of winter crops (rye) began. Healers tried to prepare medicinal herbs until that day, the Hutsuls did not take fire out into the street, in Transcarpathia that day they did not lend fire.

Mass festivities and fairs were timed to coincide with the holiday.

According to popular beliefs, after the Apple Savior, the nights become colder. This holiday is also a meeting of autumn. "The Second Savior has come - take mittens in reserve."

Other holiday names

The Second, Apple Savior also has other popular names - for example, the Feast of the First Fruits, the Middle Savior, the Savior on the Mountain, Pea Day, the First Autumn, Autumn, the Second Meeting of Autumn, the Transfiguration. On this day, the Russian Orthodox Church venerates the Transfiguration of the Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Transfiguration of the Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ

The Gospels describe a mysterious transfiguration, the manifestation of the Divine majesty and glory of the Lord. It happened on the mountain in front of the three closest disciples of Jesus Christ during prayer. This event is reported by all the evangelists, with the exception of John.

The Orthodox celebration takes place on August 19, and if according to the Julian calendar, then on August 6. In the Catholic Church, August 6 is also celebrated, or transferred to the Sunday following this day. The Armenian Apostolic Church considers this holiday to be rolling from June 28 to August 1.

The traditional place of the Transfiguration of the Lord is a mountain in Galilee called Tabor. However, there is a version that the place of the Transfiguration was a spur of Mount Hermon, located in the vicinity of Caesarea Philippi.

The Gospels describe that Jesus went up with Peter, James and John to the mountain to pray, and during the prayer he was transformed. His face shone like the sun, and His garments became white as light. And two prophets from the Old Testament, Elijah and Moses, appeared and talked with the Savior about the Exodus. He forbade his disciples to talk about what they saw until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

history of the holiday

The holiday has been celebrated in Palestine since the 4th century, from the time when the Temple of the Transfiguration was built by Empress Elena on Mount Tabor. In the East, references to the holiday date back to the 5th century.

The gospel texts say that this event happened in February, 40 days before Easter, but the Orthodox Church postponed the celebration to August 6 (19) - so that it would not fall on the days of Great Lent. And on the 40th day after the Transfiguration, the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord always takes place.

In France and Spain, the holiday has been celebrated since the 7th century, but in the Catholic Church it was established by Pope Calixtus III in 1456.

In the Orthodox Church, the holiday belongs to the twelfth great feasts, the liturgy is performed, parimia are read, the canon is sung. The color of liturgical robes is white. The holiday falls on the Dormition Fast, which was previously almost equal to the Great Fast.

In Rus', Apple Savior was one of the most celebrated holidays. In the evening, the peasants watched the sunset, and when it touched the horizon, chants began.

In the southern regions, it was not apples that were consecrated and tasted, but the first grapes. Or all the fruits that are.


Rites and signs for the Apple Savior

Apple Savior is also called the "first autumn" - a meeting of autumn. In the evening, seeing off the sunset, they also saw off the summer. "Apple rescue came - summer left us."

It is also believed that it reminds of how spiritual transformation is necessary. On this day, they first treated relatives, friends, orphans, the poor with apples, commemorated their ancestors who had fallen asleep forever - and only then they ate themselves.

Many signs and customs are associated with this holiday. In the old days, people considered them important for the health and well-being of the whole family. For example, the fruits collected from the garden were treated to the poor - in order to harvest an excellent harvest next year.

There is also a sign that if it is hot on the day of the Second Savior, then there will be little snow in January, and if it rains, then the winter will be snowy.

There is another interesting sign: if a fly sits on a hand twice on this holiday, then success awaits a person. On this holiday, you need to be patient even with flies and not drive them away, so as not to frighten off good luck.


According to archaeologists, even cavemen ate apples. In ancient Rome, 23 varieties of apples were known, and thanks to the Roman soldiers, apples also came to Europe. Now apple trees are the most popular fruit trees in the world.

Apples can be used in a huge number of dishes, they even produce vodka with cider, not to mention jams, desserts, salads, compotes, pies, cakes, sauces. Ducks are baked with apples, meat is stewed.

According to physiological norms, a person should consume about 50 kilograms of apples per year, of which 40% are in the form of juices. Apples contain almost all the substances that the body needs: calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, iron, vitamins C, E, PP, B1, B2, B6, folic acid, carotene. They are easily digestible and their combinations are optimal for people.

No wonder the British say: "An apple a day - and the doctor is not needed." And even better - two or three apples. These amazing fruits will help maintain the body in excellent health.

“The Savior has come - keep your mittens in reserve,” - this is exactly what one of the sayings about the Apple Savior, a great religious holiday, sounds like. Apple Savior is also often called the Second Savior: the First Savior (Makovey) is celebrated on August 14, and the Third, or Nut Savior, is celebrated on August 29.

history of the holiday

Three Gospels (from Mark, Matthew and Luke) describe the Transfiguration of the Lord. Jesus Christ told his disciples that he must die and rise on the third day. Christ, together with his disciples Peter, James and John, climbed Mount Tabor to pray. During the prayer, Jesus was transformed: his face shone, and his clothes became dazzling white. At that moment, the Old Testament prophets Moses and Elijah descended to Christ and talked with Jesus. However, a cloud soon came up, from which came a voice: “This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him!"

And the Feast of the Apple Savior began to be celebrated in the 4th century, when Empress Helen, the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine I, built a temple on Mount Tabor as a reminder of the Transfiguration of the Lord.

Traditions of the Apple Savior

On the Savior, people put on festive clothes, took baskets with apples and other fruits from their own garden and kitchen garden, decorated all this beauty with a bouquet of wheat or rye, and went to the temple. The traditions of the Apple Savior are interesting and varied:

  • according to church rules, before the Second Savior it was impossible even to taste an apple of a new harvest;
  • especially adhered to this rule by women whose small children died. It was believed that if mothers did not eat apples before the Savior, then their children in heaven would be given a golden apple that grows on a silver tree;
  • after the family with consecrated apples returned from the church, the head of the family with a consecrated candle walked around the apiary. After this ceremony, it was possible to sit down at the festive table. The main dish was baked apples. The Second Savior falls on the Assumption Post (Spassky), but on this day it is allowed to eat fish and wine;
  • housewives cooked a lot that day, and distributed dishes and apples to the poor;
  • there is a belief that on the Second Savior apples acquire miraculous properties: they believed that if you eat a consecrated apple completely, even with seeds, then diseases will bypass you;
  • on this day, people shared their harvest with neighbors and relatives, so that next year there would be a lot of everything;
  • on the Second Spas, deceased relatives were commemorated. It was believed that on this holiday the dead come to earth for the third time in the spring-summer period: the first arrival falls on Good Thursday, the second on Trinity.

In fact, there are many traditions associated with the Savior, and in each region they are different and interesting in their own way.

Photo source: my-city.in.ua.

Folk omens associated with the Apple Savior

Our ancestors were observant people, so there are many signs that are related to the Second Savior:

  • if it was hot for the holiday, you should not wait for snow in winter; if it rained on the holiday, the winter will be snowy;
  • if it rains on Spas, autumn will be dry and warm;
  • if Antonovka (a variety of apples) is plentifully born, then next year bread will be good;
  • what the weather was on the Second Spas, it will be the same on Pokrov (October 14).

Photo source: firtka.if.ua.

Where you can celebrate the Apple Savior

People on the Savior go to church with a festive mood to bless full baskets of goodies. On this day, each temple is filled with festive baskets, from which the aroma of fruits and vegetables is heard. If you want to spend this religious holiday in a special setting, you can go to, to,


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