Glendale Adventist Medical Center is gtting ready to present Blessing of the Grapes - an Armenian harvest-time tradition that dates back 1,700 years

Glendale Adventist Medical Center will host its 11th annual community ceremony Blessing of the Grapes from 9:45-10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 8, in the chapel of the hospital, located at 1509 Wilson Terrace, Glendale.

The Rev. Vazken Atmajian, pastor of Saint Mary's Armenian Apostolic Church in Glendale, will perform the Blessing of the Grapes.

The ceremony is designed to give the first yield of the vineyards as gifts to the Church as a way to ask for God's blessing.

"The event is a time when Armenian families and friends gather to thank and reflect on the blessings God has given them throughout the year," said Irena Aghassian, chaplain at Glendale Adventist Medical Center.

All patients in the hospital at Glendale Adventist on Aug. 8 will receive a cup of grapes on their dinner trays and a card saying: "These grapes were blessed during our Blessing of the Grapes ceremony today. Please accept them in recognition of this Annual Armenian Harvest-Time Celebration."

For more information, please call (818) 409-8088.

To learn more about the hospital, visit www.GlendaleAdventist.com.