Today is Apple Savior: holiday traditions and prohibitions
6 August 2025 02:36
Today, on August 6, believers will celebrate the Apple Savior, which is considered the transition from summer to autumn. On this day, baskets with the gifts of summer are traditionally blessed in churches. [ Kommersant has gathered all the information about the traditions and prohibitions of the holiday.
Apple Savior 2025 – when is it celebrated?
Every year, Christians of the Eastern rite celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Another name for the holiday is Apple Savior.
According to biblical tradition, on this day Christ and his disciples climbed Mount Tabor. Jesus began to pray and his face was illuminated by an unearthly light, and his clothes turned white.
Previously, the Apple Savior was celebrated on August 19. However, due to the transition of the OCU to the New Julian calendar, in 2025, believers will celebrate this holiday earlier – on August 6.
Apple Savior: what to celebrate in church
On Apple Savior, baskets with the gifts of summer are traditionally blessed. These baskets contain apples (as a symbol of the holiday), as well as other fruits, vegetables, honey, bread, and flowers. These gifts are blessed in church and then distributed among family members. Meat, alcohol, and money are not allowed in the basket – they are forbidden.
You can also add vegetables, apple pastries, and decorate it with various flowers and herbs.
Traditions of the holiday
Blessed foods are considered a special blessing and are eaten as a sign of gratitude to God for the bounty of nature. People have a custom to cook apple dishes, such as pies, on this holiday.
After the blessing, apples are treated to neighbors, parents, and people they meet. Our ancestors had a sign: if you eat an apple on Savior’s Day and make a wish, it will definitely come true. According to another version, this tradition applied only to unmarried girls.
Apple Savior: what is forbidden to do
On this day, you can’t quarrel or swear.
You also can’t celebrate loudly.
It is forbidden to clean and do housework.
The Assumption Lent, which begins on August 1, continues, and therefore it is forbidden to eat dairy and meat products. However, on the Transfiguration of the Lord, the church allows a slight relaxation, adding wine and fish dishes to the diet.
