When the Transfiguration of the Lord in 2022 among the Orthodox

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

In the church calendar, in addition to Easter, there are 12 important holidays associated with key events of the Gospel. One of them is the Transfiguration of the Lord that took place on Mount Tabor. Knowing when the Orthodox will have the Transfiguration of the Lord in 2022, it will be possible not only to celebrate an important Christian holiday, but also the Apple Savior, which coincides with it.

Basic information about the holiday

Like most significant days of the church calendar, the Transfiguration of the Lord is associated with the earthly life of the Savior Jesus Christ. This is the twelveth holiday, which is celebrated on the Assumption Lent - one of the most beloved and brightest periods of abstinence that falls at the end of summer.

The Dormition Fast is dedicated to the Most Holy Theotokos, who gave the Savior to the world. The Mother of God is very revered in the Orthodox tradition and is considered the patroness of the Russian land.

The Transfiguration of the Lord is always celebrated on the same day - August 19, unlike many other Orthodox holidays, the date of which is tied to Easter.

This is the twelveth holiday, during which Orthodox Christians remember the most important event that took place on Mount Tabor, located in Galilee. According to the Gospel, Christ, together with his three disciples, ascended to pray on Mount Tabor, and during his prayer the Transfiguration took place.

The word transformation means "reincarnation." Jesus appeared to Peter, John and James in all his divine majesty. The light that emanated from the Savior blinded the two disciples, and only Peter did not turn his face away from Jesus, from whom an unburning bright light emanated. The Savior appeared to the disciples in all his glory, whose clothes became white, and whose face was transformed. He spoke with Moses and Elijah, who appeared from the cloud, famous Old Testament prophets.

After that, a white cloud descended on the mountain, and a thunderous voice said: "This is my son, obey him." When Jesus and his disciples came down from the mountain, he ordered them not to tell anyone about what they saw. The Savior said that silence must be maintained until "the son of man rises from the grave."

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The religious significance of the holiday

Church people should not only know what date the Transfiguration of the Lord is celebrated each year, but also understand the deep religious meaning of this holiday, experiencing every year on August 19 what the Savior's disciples happened to experience.

The religious meaning of the event on Mount Tabor is that the closest disciples and common people saw in Jesus the earthly king. He, having appeared to his disciples in the extraterrestrial image of the Lord of Heaven, who is subject to life and death, wanted to warn the apostles that execution on the cross and death is not defeat, but the triumph of the divine principle on dark forces and death. He also said that this is the atonement by the son of God for all the sins of mankind, for which he gave his life.

If we follow the logic of the Gospel, the Transfiguration should have taken place shortly before the last Easter of Christ, after which he was crucified, that is, in February or March. However, the holy fathers, establishing Christian holidays for different nations, tried to connect them with important pagan celebrations for missionary purposes. Thus, the church tried to replace pagan views with Christian ones.

For the first time, the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord was established in Armenia, which became the first state to adopt Christianity as an official religion. The day of veneration of the Tabor light was timed to the day of the pagan goddess Astghik, who was an analogue of the ancient Greek goddess Aphrodite, and fell on the 6th week after Easter.

In Italy and Greece, the Transfiguration of the Lord coincided with the beginning of the harvest, and in Russia on August 19, they usually began to harvest a new harvest of apples.

celebration tradition

On the 18th, solemn services begin in Orthodox churches. After the liturgy and canon, which are performed on August 19, church festive rites continue for a week. The priests wear snow-white robes, which symbolize the Tabor light. Parishioners bring the harvested apple harvest to churches for consecration.

It is believed that the blessed harvest will last longer and will not deteriorate during the winter. In the evening, the parishioners begin festive festivities. Despite the fact that the celebration falls on the Assumption Lent, the tables are bursting with treats. Guests and loved ones are treated to a new harvest of fruits and vegetables, which are served raw, as well as a variety of dishes.

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At this time, it is allowed to serve fried or stewed fish, a new crop of nuts and honey on the table.

Due to the fact that the holiday falls on the time of fasting, you should abandon secular entertainment events:

• watching TV;
• attending a concert and theater;
• going to restaurants and cafes.

On August 19, you cannot clean the house. You should devote your time to prayer and caring for loved ones and people in need of help. It is worth ending the day with a prayer in which to ask for health and protection from the Lord for all those who suffer. On the days of fasting, you should also give up intimacy.

Despite the fact that the holiday falls on the time of fasting, it enjoys great love among the people, like the Assumption Fast. On this day, people experience peace, a surge of love for others and a bright state of mind.

Outcomes

When the Transfiguration of the Lord will be celebrated in 2022, the Orthodox need to:

1. Observe restrictions on the use of food of animal origin, because at this time there is the Assumption Fast.
2. Visit the temple in the evening before August 19 or in the morning on a holiday.
3. Be sure to set a festive table for loved ones, where you can serve vegetable and fish dishes, as well as fruits, honey, mushrooms and nuts.
4. Reread the passage of the Gospel, which tells about the light of Tabor, and try to understand the full depth of the event that happened thousands of years ago.