08/19/09 The Apple Day of the Saviour of Suzdal
There are three feast days of the Saviour in August - honey, apple and nut. Each of them corresponds to this or that religious feast and they received their names according to the dainties allowed to be tried that day as it was prescribed by the Orthodox tradition.
Especially popular is the second Saviour day - one of the great 12 feast days in the Orthodox calendar - the feast of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ called the Apple Day of the Saviour. This day ripened apples were brought to the church to be blessed and only after that the people could eat them. After the apples brought to the church had been blessed the special services were held in the orchards and harvesting of apples began. And then everybody rushed to the fair - to sell apples in time. And not only the fair but also festivities marked the day. Very often tables were laid in front of the churches and the festive meal was finished with the merry-making in which all the people participated.
The Vladimir and Suzdal museum decided to revive the tradition of celebrating the Apple Day of the Saviour. On August 19, at 11.00 a.m. the bells of the monastery were rung, the choir of the Brotherhood of St. John of Damascus performed and the festive service was held in the monastery's cathedral. The apples were sold and it was possible to try honey from the earthen pots during the fair in the apple garden of the monastery.
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