Apple Feast of the Saviour
The Apple Feast of the Saviour is an Eastern Slavic folk name for the Feast of the Transfiguration, which is observed on August 19.
It is the second of the three Feasts of the Saviour. In Russian language it is Я́блочный . One of three holidays in Russian Orthodox Christianity on which food items are blessed at church and then consumed by the faithful rather than priests, akin to the First Fruits of Judaism. The others are the Honey Feast of the Saviour, which is celebrated on August 14 and the Nut Feast of the Saviour, which is celebrated on August 29.
The holiday has a pre-Christian origin and is associated with harvesting of ripe fruits, especially apples. In East Slavic folklore, it marks the beginning of autumn and means the transfiguration of nature. In the Byzantine Empire there was tradition to bless harvested grapes during the Feast of Transfiguration. In Russia, apples are more common than grapes, hence the name of the feast. There are processions and blessings of harvests. Usually, on that day, people from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus eat apples, apple pies, or other dishes containing apples, even if they are not Orthodox Christians.
