Orthodox feast of the Transfiguration (Apple-Blessing feast – Jablychny Spas), August 19, 2019.
This was the fifth year in a row I was able to celebrate the blessing of apples with the parish of the Resurrection in Tsjerablichy.
The feast of the Transfiguration/Jablychny Spas falls in the middle of the two-week fast which ends with the feast of the Dormition (Orthodox equivalent of the Roman Catholic feast of the Assumption). The second of three harvest-related church celebrations in the liturgical cycle, the feast of the Transfiguration/Jablychny Spas incorporates a pre-Christian rite of blessing apples. In memory of children who have died young, women who have lost a child avoid eating new apples or other newly-ripe fruit before the blessing. It is a traditional Belarusian belief that deferring the eating of apples permits deceased children to receive apples from the Lord in heaven first.
Праабражэньне Гасподняе (Яблычны Спас) 2019 г.
У 2019 г. мне пяты год запар пашансавала прысутнічаць на асьвячэньні яблыкаў для прыхаджанаў царквы Ўваскрэсеньня Хрыстовага ў Цераблічах.
