The Apple Feast of the Saviour or Apple Spas (sometimes the Feast of the Saviour on the Hill) is an Eastern Slavic folk name for the

Feast of the Transfiguration The Feast of the Transfiguration is celebrated by various Christian communities in honor of the transfiguration of Jesus. The origins of the feast are less than certain and may have derived from the dedication of three basilicas on Mount Tabor.'' ...

, which is observed on August. It is the second of the three Feasts of the Saviour. Taking its roots in Ukraine, this holiday just like the whole Orthodox Christianity later on was adopted in Russia. In Russian language it is Я́блочный Спа́с. 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 First Fruits is a religious offering of the first agricultural produce of the harvest. In classical Greek, Roman, and Hebrew religions, the first fruits were given to priests as an offering to deity. In Christian faiths, the tithe is similarly g ...

of Judaism. The others are the ''

Honey Feast of the Saviour The Honey Feast of the Saviour or Wet Saviour known as the Honey ''Spas'' is the First Saviour Day of a triduum in honor of the Saviour, celebrated on August 1 in the Julian calendar which corresponds to August 14 in the Gregorian calendar. It is ...

'', which is celebrated on August 14 (or August 1, Julian Calendar) and the ''Nut Feast of the Saviour'', which is celebrated on August 29 (or August 16, Julian Calendar). 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 Ukraine 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 Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

and

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...

eat apples, apple pies, or other dishes containing apples, even if they are not Orthodox Christians.

Feast of Transfiguration in Spas village. Ukraine

Blessing In religion, a blessing (also used to refer to bestowing of such) is the impartation of something with grace, holiness, spiritual redemption, or divine will. Etymology and Germanic paganism The modern English language term ''bless'' likely ...

Holy water Holy water is water that has been blessed by a member of the clergy or a religious figure, or derived from a well or spring considered holy. The use for cleansing prior to a baptism and spiritual cleansing is common in several religions, from ...

of fruits during the celebration of the

in the Spas village (

Kolomyia Raion Kolomyia Raion ( uk, Коломи́йський райо́н, translit=Kołomyjśkyj rajon) is a Raions of Ukraine, raion (district) of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast (Oblast, region). The administrative center of the raion is the city of Kolomyia. Popula ...

) ( uk, }
Спас (Коломийський район)
, Ivano-Frankivsk region in

. File:Feast of Transfiguration in Spas village 21.jpg, File:Feast of Transfiguration in Sopiv, Ukraine 06.jpg, File:Feast of Transfiguration in Spas village 13.jpg, File:Feast of Transfiguration in Sopiv, Ukraine 09.jpg, File:Feast of Transfiguration in Spas village 06.jpg, File:Feast of Transfiguration in Spas village 08.jpg,

References

{{Slavic holidays, state=collapsed Eastern Orthodox liturgical days Belarusian traditions Ukrainian traditions Russian traditions Folk calendar of the East Slavs August observances Apple festivals Slavic holidays