Holy Resurrection Armenian Apostolic Church 

The Blessing of the Grapes (Khaghogh Orhnek)

Celebrated Sunday, August 3rd

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On the Feast of the Assumption of the the Holy Mother-of-God, the blessing of the grapes takes place immediately after the Divine Liturgy.  The ceremony is rich in symbolism and emphasizes the important role the Virgin Mary assumed in the revelation of God. 

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The custom of blessing the grapes, the first fruits of the harvest, can be traced to Old Testament times when farming was a common vocation. Grapes had a special place of honor and were considered the "first fruits" because they were the first produce to harvest. 

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Among the Israelites, grapes were regarded as belonging to God since they were the first fruits. It was He who gave the gift of the harvest and to offer Him the first fruits acknowledged complete dependence on Him. Special services of thanksgiving were conducted in Temple, a tradition that prevailed to the time of Christ.  

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With the birth of Jesus, these dedications took on new meaning. Jesus Christ was the first born, or the first fruit, of Mary and was offered to God in the temple. (Luke 2:25-30)

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Armenian Church doctrine teaches Mary has a primary place of honor because it was of her and by the Holy Spirit that God became incarnate (took human flesh). She is seen as the image of humanity, fully obedient to God and ultimately sanctified by doing God's will. Therefore on the feast remembering her dominion, we celebrate the blessing of grapes. 

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Christ gave His blood to us for eternal life, and in remembrance we bless the grapes, the fruits of the earth. 

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It is traditional to use seedless grapes to emphasize that this fruit came into being without seed, just as Christ became man without any human agent.  

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