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When is Apple Spas celebrated in 2022
Apple Spas is celebrated every year on August 19, and it coincides with the Orthodox feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Our ancestors harvested apples on this day. The fruits were consecrated in churches and harvested for the winter.
history of the holiday
The Bible says that it was on this day that Jesus Christ revealed his divine essence to the people. With three apostles, the Son of God climbed Mount Tabor and had just begun to pray, when suddenly his face was lit up with a bright light, and his clothes turned white “like snow.” And from heaven a voice was heard: “This is my beloved son, listen to Him!”. This day is celebrated by the church – the official name is the Transfiguration of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ. The people call the holiday the Apple Savior, the Second Savior or the Savior on the Mountain – in honor of the events on Mount Tabor.
For Orthodox Christians, this is a significant event. Believers are trying to transform themselves internally – of course, no one can repeat the Transfiguration of the Lord, but this day is an occasion to start a new life, free from vices and bad habits.
Apple Savior is revered by the fruits that have ripened by this time, first of all, of course, apples. The Slavs believe that their smell is similar to the aroma of apples in the Garden of Eden.
Traditions
In Our Country, it was believed that apples should not have been eaten before the Transfiguration of the Lord – after all, since ancient times they were considered “sinful” fruits, because Eve plucked an apple from the Tree of Knowledge, thereby depriving humanity of life in paradise. And only on Apple Spas did these fruits already consecrated be placed on the table. Having bitten off an apple, they made a wish, and believed that it would come true.
In the morning, the hostesses cooked apple jam, baked apple pies. At the same time, it was necessary to say the cherished words: “What is guessed is contrived. What is imagined will come true. What will come true will not pass.
By dinner, the families went to the apple orchards to harvest. And only in the evening everyone sat down at the table and congratulated each other on the holiday. Food was usually served modestly, but apples had to be present in all forms: baked, boiled, fried, raw.
It was customary to see off the sun with songs and dances. People believed that on August 19, our planet “turns towards autumn.” So the warm days are coming to an end.
On August 19, the Dormition Fast is in full swing, so almost all restrictions were observed – it is not customary to eat meat, fatty foods and drink alcohol on Apple Spas. However, this day is considered a holiday, so on August 19 it is allowed to eat fish, wine purchased in the temple, and lean pastries with apple filling.
On Apple Savior, festive services are held in churches: ministers decorate churches, and priests dress in solemn white clothes and conduct a procession.
It was believed that on the Apple Savior, as many consecrated fruits as possible should be distributed to the poor, sick and suffering – then the Lord will certainly appreciate virtue. But if you skimp and do not share fruit with anyone, you can earn the indignation of your neighbors and become almost an outcast.
Signs
- What will be the day on Apple Spas, so will autumn. If the day is clear, then the autumn will be dry; if it is rainy, then it will be wet.
- Feast of the Transfiguration – and the weather is changing. The days are getting shorter and the nights colder.
- If a strong wind blows on this day, then a harsh winter awaits.
- The leaves on the trees have turned yellow – the cold is coming.
- Many starlings on the trees – by cold January.
Useful properties of apples
It is difficult to overestimate the importance of apples for health – a huge amount of trace elements and nutrients makes these fruits an indispensable source of vitamins. But do not forget that fresh fruits that have not undergone heat treatment will bring you the most benefit. We tell you about the most amazing properties of apples.
1. Improve digestion
Apples are a natural source of fiber and pectin, which promote cleansing and intestinal health. If you do not have ulcers or an acute reaction to the malic and salicylic acids found in these fruits, you can eat an apple a day and notice positive changes in a short time.
2. Promote weight loss
Apples are low-calorie: they have almost no fat, but they have a large amount of carbohydrates, so after a couple of eaten apples, you will not want to eat again for a long time. Here’s a life hack for you – if you want to lose weight, in between breakfast, lunch and dinner, snack not on sweets, but on apples.
3. Increase hemoglobin levels
People with low hemoglobin levels are advised to eat more apples, because they contain a lot of iron. It is believed that the faster the cut of an apple darkens, the more iron it contains, and the more useful the fruit.
4. Beneficial effect on the state of the blood
Pectin, which is contained in apples, does not allow excess fats to be absorbed into the blood. Ultimately, this has a beneficial effect on the condition of blood vessels and blood pressure.
5. They are a natural source of vitamins
80% of an apple consists of water, but the remaining 20% is made up of vitamins and beneficial trace elements. Each fruit contains a quarter of the daily requirement of vitamin C, as well as vitamins E, A and B. Useful trace elements that you will find in apples are iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc. And also pectin and antioxidants – the first helps to cleanse the body, and the second prevents oxidative processes.
How to choose apples
Not everyone has the opportunity to grow apples in their own garden – in this case, we go to the store or the market to buy them. But how to choose high-quality and useful fruits? We tell.
When choosing apples, give preference to those that look like summer ones – yellow green, red, red-yellow. The huge, dark red, shiny fruits tend to be dry and tasteless, and their appetizing appearance is aided by the wax rubbed into the fruit for added appeal. That is why after buying apples should be washed thoroughly.
The apple should be whole – without dark spots, roughness and cuts. It should be clean and pleasant to the touch. And, of course, strong – although broken apples seem tastier to many, it’s better not to take them in stores. The surface of the fruit should be dry, without moisture and drops – this indicates that the apples were stored correctly. The fruits should be large enough – from 6 cm in diameter and from 90 g of weight. Smaller fruits are most likely not yet ripe. Apples should not smell like anything foreign, and they should not have a strange aftertaste either.
Recipes for Apple Spas
Apples are one of the most popular fruits in our country. They are not only eaten fresh, but many different dishes are prepared from them. We offer you several recipes that you can try at Apple Spas.
Apple Charlotte
| Egg | 5 piece. |
| Sugar | 1 glass |
| Flour | 1 glass |
| Apples | 3 piece. |
| Butter | to taste |
Break the eggs into a bowl and beat them with a fork, whisk or mixer until lush foam appears. While beating the eggs, gradually stir in the sugar until it is completely dissolved. Next, stir in the flour in the same way – you will get a homogeneous mixture without lumps, and its consistency should be similar to a thick sauce.
Apples need to be washed, peeled, core removed and cut into small thin pieces. Then add fruits to the dough and mix everything.
Grease a pie pan well with butter and pour the batter into it. Place the future pie in an oven preheated to 180-200 degrees for 25-35 minutes. Be sure to check the readiness of the pie – with a toothpick and when a delicious golden crust appears on the surface.
baked apples
| Apples | optional |
| Flour | 1 Art. a spoon |
| Sugar | 1-2 Art. spoons |
| Salt | pinch |
| Cinnamon | to taste |
| Nuts | 100-150 g |
| Butter | small piece |
For this dish, choose large sweet fruits – sour apples after the oven will only become sourer. Wash the selected apples properly, cut off the tops – they can cover the fruits when baking like lids.
Use a spoon to remove the pulp and core of the apple, but leave thick enough walls so that the surface is not damaged during baking. Get a kind of pot.
Prepare the filling – in a bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of flour, a few tablespoons of sugar, add a pinch of salt and a little cinnamon. Add 100-150 grams of crushed nuts in a blender to the same bowl, mix. Stuff the apples with the mixture, leaving some space on top. Then pour 1 tablespoon of water into each apple, and put a small piece of butter on top.
We put the apples in a greased form and put them in a preheated oven – 30 minutes at 180 degrees.
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apple smoothie
| Apple | 1 piece. |
| Milk or kefir | 300 ml |
| Cinnamon | to taste |
Smoothies are a healthy alternative to regular apple juice.
Wash the apple, peel, remove the core and cut into slices. Add pieces of fruit to a blender and pour milk or kefir (300 ml per apple). In the first case, you get a tastier drink, in the second – a more dietary one. Whisk the resulting mixture in a blender. If desired, you can add a pinch of cinnamon and beat again – the main thing is that as a result you get a homogeneous mass.