A Fresno church has celebrated its 100th blessing of the grapes.
The Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church of Fresno celebrated on Sunday a tradition that began in the summer of 1913, AP reports quoting The Fresno Bee.
The blessing of grapes dates to ancient Armenia at the beginning of harvest in mid-August, marking a time of rebirth and regeneration.
Priests went into the vineyards, carrying a pair of clippers in their right hand and a cross in their left hand. They asked God to bless the grapes and save the vineyards from natural disaster.
After the ceremony, parishioners exchanged best wishes.
Armenians settled in the San Joaquin Valley in the 1890s and framed grapes there.
