August 6 — Catholic Transfiguration of the Lord: traditions and the essence of the holiday

Catholics celebrate the Transfiguration of the Lord in early August. The holiday is dedicated to the gospel narrative of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ and is one of the most important after Easter. Western Christians celebrate it two weeks earlier than Orthodox Christians, on August 6. Read about the traditions associated with the celebration in the Izvestia article.

Catholic Transfiguration of the Lord – 2025: the essence of the holiday

According to the Gospel, a significant event took place on Mount Tabor 40 days before the crucifixion of Christ. The Savior ascended the mountain together with the apostles Peter, John and James. During prayer, Jesus was suddenly transformed: His face shone like the sun, and His clothes turned white like the light. Then the prophets Moses and Elijah appeared before Him, who were talking with Jesus about the upcoming exodus in Jerusalem. After that, a cloud appeared over Christ and the prophets, from which the voice of God rang out, proclaiming Christ "the beloved son."

The celebration has a deep symbolic meaning. Christian doctrine interprets the Transfiguration of the Lord as evidence of the divine and human nature of the Savior, as well as as the revelation of the mystery of Divine providence for the salvation of man.

The holiday has been celebrated by the Eastern Church since the fourth century after the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Tsarina Elena, the mother of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, ordered the construction of a temple on the site of the Transfiguration of Christ after a pilgrimage to Tabor. However, the temple was later destroyed. The oldest known depiction of the biblical event is the mosaic in the monastery at Sinai, which was created under Emperor Justinian in the middle of the sixth century.

The holiday was introduced into the calendar of the Western Church by Pope Calixtus III in 1457. The Transfiguration of the Lord is one of the eternal holidays, its date always falls on the same date. Orthodox believers celebrate it annually on August 19, while Catholics celebrate it on August 6 (old style).

Catholic Transfiguration of the Lord – 2025: traditions

On the festive date, the Divine Liturgy is held in all churches. Catholic priests dress in white robes, as on all other holidays dedicated to the earthly life of the Savior and the Virgin.

On this day, believers consecrate grapes and ears of wheat, which ripen by the end of August. The custom of blessing the first fruits in the church dates back to ancient times. In particular, the prayer for the sanctification of fruits is contained in the Apostolic Decrees.

In the Orthodox tradition, apples are illuminated instead of grapes and wheat, which is why the Orthodox have another name for the celebration — Apple Savior. It is also customary to accompany the sun on this date, watching it set, which symbolizes the end of summer and the beginning of autumn.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the traditions of celebrating Catholic Easter.