On August 28, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This holiday is one of the twelve, that is, 12 important. We will tell you what the essence of the Assumption is, what cannot be done on this day and what traditions are associated with the Assumption of the Virgin 2018.

What is the essence of the church holiday of the Assumption?

The word "dormition" means death. On August 28, Orthodox Christians remember the death of the Theotokos - Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ.

According to legend, the death of the Mother of God was righteous. She said goodbye to the apostles and rested. And after the burial, the body of the Virgin Mary disappeared from the coffin. Christians believe that the Mother of God is ascended to heaven, where she prays for all people, writes the "Thomas" magazine.

Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary: traditions of celebration

The holiday is preceded by the Assumption Fast. It lasts for two weeks, from 14 to 27 August. The Assumption Fast is dedicated to the Mother of God.

If the Assumption falls on a fast day - Wednesday or Friday - then it is advisable to give up meat, dairy food and eggs, but you can eat fish. If August 28 falls on other days of the week, then there are no restrictions on food.

In 2018, the Assumption is not a fast day.

In folk creation, the church traditions of the Assumption were mixed with the customs of the farmers. At this time, the peasants were working on the harvest. The Eastern Slavs timed a harvest holiday - "Obzhinka" to coincide with the Dormition. This day was also called "Lady" or "Lady's Day": the name reflects the popular veneration of the Virgin, writes the magazine "Thomas".

And on August 29, the Nut Savior is celebrated, which is also called the Bread Savior in another way. At this time, nuts were collected and preparations were made for the winter.

What cannot be done at the Assumption of the Virgin?

The Church advises on the feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos not to get carried away by various beliefs and omens. For example, that if you rub your leg on August 28, you will bring in trouble: this is superstition.

There is a widespread, but incorrect opinion that on Orthodox holidays it is forbidden to work in the garden, sew, and do cleaning. This is not true. It is recommended to devote the holiday to God and communication with loved ones, but if this is not possible, no one will condemn.

The church advises on Orthodox holidays (as on other days) to refrain from conspiracies, occult and magical rites. This is clearly negative in the church.

On the Orthodox holiday of the Assumption, you do not need to swear, envy, swear with others.

Is it possible to get married on the Assumption-2018?

There is no direct ban on the wedding on August 28. However, in many churches they try not to hold weddings on the days of the twelve holidays, so that the emotions of a personal celebration do not overshadow the joy of the church holiday.

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 2018 is one of the most important church holidays in 2018. The holiday date remains unchanged annually and falls on August 28. According to the chronicles, it was on this day that the mother of Jesus Christ, Mary, died. In Orthodoxy, the Assumption of the Virgin is sometimes called the second Easter.

The meaning and history of the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 2018

The name of the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary has a special meaning. So, literally "dormition" is translated as "peaceful end", that is, on this day it is customary to celebrate the date of the death of St. Mary. But at the same time, the Orthodox call the Assumption of the Mother of God a holiday. This is due to the fact that the fact of the reunification of the mother of Christ with the Lord in the spiritual plane is noted, and not the physical fact of death.

According to legend, after the crucifixion and subsequent resurrection of Jesus Christ, Mary remained to live in Jerusalem, coming daily and praying over the tombstone of the Lord. Until her last breath, the Mother of God knew that her death would not be the end of her life and that she would be able to see her son, so she was looking forward to this moment with joy.

It is still not truly known how Mary died, and what happened to her after that. The beliefs describe that at the age of 70, during prayer, the archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary and announced an imminent meeting with God. After three days, the saint really died, having had time to say goodbye to her loved ones before that.

The burial of the Most Holy Theotokos was performed in a cave, which after the ceremony was securely walled up with stones. Three days later, the tomb was opened, but only the burial clothes remained from Mary. Therefore, they say that the son of the Most Holy Theotokos, Jesus Christ, took to heaven not only the soul, but also the body of his mother.

When and how the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated in 2018

The Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos is included in the twelve main holidays of the Orthodox Church. It comes after the strict Assumption Fast, which lasts for two weeks - from 14 to 27 August.

In Jerusalem, not far from the suburb of Gethsemane, on the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, a special Burial Service of the Mother of God is held annually. At this ceremony, the priests appear in blue robes as a sign of heavenly purity and purity. The beginning of the service lies in an all-night vigil, and after that a procession with the cross with a shroud depicting the face of the Virgin is performed around the church.

A special ceremony on the day of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos is the performance of the Great Doxology. It tells the story of the birth of Jesus Christ, previously transmitted by an angel to the shepherds in Bethlehem.

The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary has one day of the forefeast and nine whole days of the afterfeast.

As for the consumption of food, despite the fact that the Dormition Fast is coming to an end on August 28, if the Feast of the Dormition of the Virgin falls on Wednesday or Friday, then the believers can eat only a little fish. But if the date is celebrated on any other day of the week, then you can eat absolutely all products, including meat. In 2018, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a non-fasting day.

Folk traditions and signs, in the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 2018

The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is rich in traditions and special customs. So, starting from this very day, it is customary to celebrate the completion of the harvest. On August 28, believing peasants bring ears of fresh harvest to the church, consecrating them and thereby blessing peasant labor. It is noteworthy that it is customary to carry out the same ceremony in a country like Greece - the only difference is the subject of consecration - vegetables and fruits are used there.

In the old days, believers prepared very carefully for the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. Fresh rams were prepared everywhere, the meat of which was then used to prepare festive dishes. They also served a variety of pies, mead and beer on the table.

On this day, it is customary to harvest vegetables for the winter in order to provide themselves with supplies for the cold period.

Unmarried girls on this day can begin to look for a betrothed-mummer in order to have time to get married before next spring.

It is customary to pay attention to the weather conditions in the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God. So, if the weather is good outside, then in the middle of September there will be rainy days.

On the Assumption, it is contraindicated to quarrel, but it is advisable to give your love and goodness to people.

The feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, following the feast of the radiant Resurrection of Christ, was more revered by the Russian people.

"Theotokos Easter" - so it was called in Russia. And this is no coincidence. Through Her Assumption, the Mother of God became even closer and dearer to Christians, for she became a diligent intercessor for them before the throne of God.

During His execution, Jesus Christ, seeing the Mother of God and the Apostle John, whom he especially loved, standing nearby, said to His Mother: “Wife! behold, Thy son ", and to John:" Behold, Thy mother "(John 19: 25-27). From that time on, the Apostle John took care of the Mother of God until the end of her life. Since then, we know about the earthly life of the Virgin only from the apocrypha. She lived in the house of the Apostle John the Theologian in Jerusalem, becoming a common Mother for all of Christ's disciples, and on the day of Pentecost, like them, received the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The Mother of God led a closed, secret life, but many knew about Her great wisdom and came to talk with Her from distant countries. Like the apostles, She planted and established the Christian Church with Her presence, word and prayer.

So about ten years passed, and when the Jewish king Herod began persecuting the Church, the Mother of God, together with the Apostle John the Theologian, moved to Ephesus, which fell to him by lot for the evangelical preaching. While living here, She visited the righteous Lazarus in Cyprus and Mount Athos, blessing her as Her destiny.

The reverence of the ancient Christians for the Mother of God was so great that they preserved everything about Her life that they could only notice from Her words and deeds, and even conveyed to us about Her appearance. "She was a Virgin, not only in body, but also in soul, humble in heart, prudent in words, prudent, little talkative, lover of reading, hardworking, chaste in speech. Her rule was not to offend anyone, to have good will, to honor elders, not to envy equals, avoiding boasting, being sane, loving virtue. When did she even offend her parents by the expression on her face, when she was in disagreement with her family? When did she take pride in front of a modest man, laughed at the weak, avoided the poor? She had nothing harsh in her eyes, nothing careless in words, nothing indecent in actions: her body movements are modest, her step is quiet, her voice is even; so her bodily appearance was the expression of her soul, the personification of purity. All Her days She turned into fasting: she indulged in sleep only at the request of need, but also then as She rested, in spirit She was awake, repeating in a dream what she had read, or thinking about carrying out the intended intentions, or prescribing new ones. ma went only to church, and then in the company of relatives. However, although She appeared outside Her house, accompanied by others, She Herself was the best guard for Herself; others guarded only Her body, and She guarded Her own morals. "

According to the legend preserved by the church historian Nikifor Callistos (XIV century), the Mother of God "was of average height or, as others say, somewhat more average; golden hair; quick eyes, with pupils, as it were, the color of an olive tree; arched eyebrows and moderate black, oblong nose, blooming lips, full of sweet speeches; face not round and not sharp, but somewhat oblong; hands and fingers are long ... She maintained decorum in conversation with others, did not laugh, did not indignant, especially did not get angry; completely artless , simple, She did not think at all about Herself and, far from being effeminate, was distinguished by complete humility. Regarding the clothes she wore, She was content with their natural color, which even now proves Her sacred head cover. In short, in all Her actions a special grace".

Struck by Her beauty even in his advanced years, the Greek Dionysius the Areopagite, a disciple of the Apostle Paul, testified that if he had not confessed the One God, he would have decided that before him was a "beautiful goddess."

Not long before Her death, the Mother of God returned to Jerusalem. She often visited those places that were closely associated with Her Son: Bethlehem, Golgotha, the Holy Sepulcher, Gethsemane, the Olive. There She prayed fervently, and over time more and more often for the Son to take Her to Heaven as soon as possible. According to legend, the Jews attempted to kill Her, for which, by order of the high priests, a guard was placed at the Holy Sepulcher, but at the right moment the soldiers lost their sight, and they could not see the Mother of God.

The Most Holy Virgin awaited the end of earthly days calmly and even with joy - after all, She knew that there, in Heaven, she would meet Her Son and Her God. Once the Mother of God was in deep prayer on the Mount of Olives. Suddenly the Archangel Gabriel appeared before Her and informed Her that in three days Her earthly life would end, that the Lord pleased to take Her to Himself. To commemorate his words, the archangel handed the Mother of God a luminous paradise branch - a symbol of victory over death and decay - (Dimitri Rostovsky specifies that it was a branch from a date palm), and ordered to carry it in front of the coffin during burial. With the Heavenly message, the Mother of God returned to Bethlehem with three virgins serving Her (Zipporah, Evigee and Zoila). The Mother of God, having come home, happily informed her baptized son John about this, and he informed the Apostle James and through him the entire Church of Jerusalem. The Mother of God ordered to bury Herself in Gethsemane, next to the graves of Her righteous parents and righteous Joseph the Betrothed.

On the day of the Dormition of the Theotokos, in a miraculous way, almost all the apostles, who had previously dispersed to different countries to preach the Word of God, were gathered together to say goodbye to Her. Later, the Apostle Paul arrived with his disciples: Dionysius the Areopagite, Hierotheos, Timothy and others from among the 70 apostles. She called each of them by name and blessed them. Only the apostle Thomas was absent.

The third hour came when the Dormition of the Mother of God was to be performed. Many candles were burning. The holy apostles surrounded the splendidly decorated bed with hymns, on which the Most Pure Virgin Mary was reclining. Suddenly an unspeakable light shone, darkening the lamps; the roof of the upper room was opened, and Christ Himself came down with many angels. The Most Holy Theotokos turned to the Lord with a prayer of gratitude and asked to bless all those who honor Her memory. She also prayed to Her Son to protect Her from the dark satanic power, from air ordeals. Then the Mother of God joyfully gave Her soul into the hands of the Lord, and immediately there was an angelic song.

There are many versions regarding the age of the Virgin at the time of her dormition, but it is most likely that she lived for about 72 years and died about A.D. 57

From Her fragrant body, the sick immediately began to receive healing. The solemn transfer of the Most Pure Body from Jerusalem to Gethsemane began. Peter, Paul, and James, along with the other apostles, carried the bed of the Mother of God on their shoulders, and St. John the Theologian walked in front with a paradisiac luminous branch. The Apostle Peter began singing the psalm "In the Exodus of Israel from Egypt", solemn hymns sounded. A cloudy circle in the form of a crown, illuminated by radiance, appeared over the bed. This crown floated over the procession to the very place of burial. The procession was followed by the Jews who did not believe in Christ.

The high priests sent their ministers to disperse the procession, kill the apostles and burn the body of the Mother of God, but the angels struck the blasphemers with blindness. The Jewish priest Athonius (according to other legends, Iphonius or Zephanius), who tried to overturn the bed of the Virgin, was punished by an angel who cut off his hands. Seeing such a miracle, Affonia repented and with faith confessed the greatness of the Mother of God. He received healing and joined the host of those who accompanied the body of the Mother of God, becoming a zealous follower of Christ. Those who repented from the blind also became clear.

For three days the apostles stayed at the tomb of the Mother of God, chanting psalms. On the fourth day, the absent Apostle Thomas returned to Jerusalem and was very saddened that he could not say goodbye and worship the Mother of God. The apostles, taking pity on him, decided to go and roll the stone away from the grave cave in order to give him the opportunity to say goodbye to the Mother of God. But, to their amazement, the body of the Mother of God was not in the cave, only the burial clothes remained. Returning home, the astonished apostles fervently prayed to God that He would reveal to them what had become of the body of the Virgin. And through their prayers a miracle happened.

On the evening of the same day, the Mother of God herself appeared to them and said: “Rejoice! I am with you all the days; and I will always be your prayer book before God. " This made the apostles and all those with them so happy that they lifted up a portion of the bread set aside for the meal in memory of the Savior ("part of the Lord") and exclaimed: "Most Holy Theotokos, help us." This marked the beginning of the rite of offering panagia - the custom of offering part of the bread in honor of the Mother of God, which is still preserved in monasteries. That is why the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos is not a cause for sorrow, but a holiday. After all, “with you” means that She and with all of us, too, “all the days” ...

The Lord, according to His special watch, delayed the arrival of Saint Thomas to the day of the repose of the Most Pure Theotokos, so that the tomb was opened for him, and the church, thus, was convinced of the resurrection of the Mother of God, just as earlier, through the unbelief of the same Apostle, she was convinced of the resurrection of Christ. There is an Orthodox tradition that on the third day after the burial, the Mother of God appeared to the Apostle Thomas and threw her belt from Heaven to him for consolation.

Since then, the Church has been celebrating this event. Everything in it is a memory of the earthly life of the Mother of God, sadness and joy, because this is also the day of Her birth for eternal life, where She is placed above the angelic ranks, the day of testimony that the promises of the Lord are immutable, about the life and the miracle of the Resurrection ...

The feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God has been established by the Church since ancient times. In the 4th century, it was already widely celebrated in Byzantium. At the request of the Byzantine emperor Mauritius, who defeated the Persians on August 15, on the day of the Assumption of the Mother of God (from 595), the holiday became a general church. The main purpose of establishing the holiday was the glorification of the Mother of God and Her Assumption. To this main goal in the IV-V centuries. another is added - the denunciation of the errors of heretics who encroached on the dignity of the Mother of God, in particular, the errors of the Collyridians, heretics of the 4th century, who denied the human nature of the Blessed Virgin (as a result of which they also denied Her bodily death).

The demise of the Blessed Virgin Mary is called dormition because She “seemed to fall asleep for a short time, and, as if from a dream, rose to eternal life,” because death, as the return of her dust to the earth, and the return of her spirit to God, did not touch Her. She only fell asleep in order to awaken at the same moment for eternally blessed life and after three days with an incorruptible body move into the heavenly incorruptible dwelling.

Place of the Assumption of the Virgin in Jerusalem

According to legend, before her death, the Most Holy Theotokos lived in the house of the Apostle John the Theologian. Here she died.

In 1910, on this place, on the top of Mount Zion, a German Benedictine abbey was built - the monastery of the Assumption of the Virgin (Dormition).

In the crypt of the temple, in the center of the hall, there is a sculpture of the Virgin, reclining on a stone.

Tomb of the virgin

The Most Pure Body of the Mother of God was buried, as She requested, in the tomb where her parents Joachim and Anna, as well as Joseph the Betrothed, were previously buried. The tomb of the Virgin is located in Gethsemane, at the foot of the western slope of the Mount of Olives, in the Kidron Valley, in Jerusalem (East Jerusalem). In the 5th century, a temple was erected at the burial site. There is a legend that earlier St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Elena built a basilica here. In 614 the temple was destroyed, but the tomb of the Mother of God survived.

In 681, the tomb of the Mother of God was opened by decision of the Sixth Ecumenical Council. According to legend, a belt and burial shroud were found in it.

Now over the tomb there is a cave church of the Assumption of the Virgin.

Church of the Assumption of the Virgin in Gethsemane, 12th century facade

Much of the modern building dates back to the time of the Crusaders. This is an underground temple, into which 50 steps lead, with the side-chapels of Sts. Godfathers Joachim and Anna and Joseph the Betrothed, located on the sides of the stairs.

Staircase, view from the entrance to the church

The temple has a cruciform shape: in the center is the tomb of the Virgin with two entrances, at the end of the cave there is an altar. In the stone nod is the miraculous icon of the Jerusalem Mother of God in Russian writing

Tomb of the Virgin (kuvukliya), view from the west. To the left of the entrance is the Armenian throne

The temple belongs to the Greeks and Armenians. It is here, according to tradition, before the feast of the Dormition from Little Gethsemane near the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, by the procession of the cross, the Orthodox carry the Shroud of the Most Holy Theotokos along the same path as the apostles once carried the body of the Mother of God for burial.

Veneration of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos in Russia

The Holy Patriarch Juvenalius of Jerusalem (420-458) affirmed before the emperor Marcian (450-457) the authenticity of the legend of the miraculous ascent of the Mother of God to Heaven and sent him to his wife, Saint Pulcheria (+ 453; Comm. 10 September), the burial shroud of the Mother of God, which he took from Her coffin. Saint Pulcheria laid these shrouds in the Blachernae church. In 866 the Russian fleet approached Constantinople, and the city was besieged by the pagans. The Emperor and Patriarch of Constantinople prayed all night in the Blachernae Church, and then plunged the funeral robe of the Mother of God into the sea. Suddenly a storm arose and scattered the Russian ships in different directions. Russia suffered a defeat, which marked the victory of Christianity.

It was this event that contributed to the special veneration of the Russian Mother of God, her Assumption and vestments. The Mother of God became the patroness of the Russian army, and the Feast of the Intercession, dedicated to the vestments of the Mother of God, was a holiday that until the 19th century. was celebrated only in Russia.

The Blachernae Monastery itself, the Intercession and the Assumption acquired a special "military", "protective" significance for Russia. That is why, since the time of Saint Prince Vladimir, the main churches of the main cities of Russia have been dedicated to the feast of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos: the cathedral church in Kiev, the Church of the Tithes.

Similarly, the construction of the Sophia Cathedrals, taken from Byzantium, gradually passed into the tradition of building cathedrals in honor of the Assumption. Among the famous Assumption temples and monasteries today can be called Holy Dormition Kiev-Pechersk and Pochaev Lavra, Holy Dormition Pskov-Pechersky Monastery, Pyukhtitsky Dormition Convent, Dormition Cathedrals in Vladimir, Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, Dormition Church of Novodevichy Monastery .

Built in the 15th century by the outstanding architect Aristotle Fioravanti, the majestic Assumption Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin became the main cathedral of the Russian land. Here, in front of the miraculous icon of the Vladimir Mother of God, most revered by Russians, there were weddings for the great reign and for the kingdom, the coronation of emperors. The rite of "ordination" of metropolitans and patriarchs was performed right there.

Celebration of the Assumption of the Virgin in Greece

In Greece, the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos is celebrated almost as widely as Easter. In the center of celebrations tinos islandand his miraculous icon of the Virgin "Tinos" : miraculous healings, volleys from ship cannons, flowers and flags, military bands and religious processions.

A solemn procession emerges from the church, the icon is placed on a stretcher carried by sailors

Everyone who passes under the icon tries to touch it with his hand or attach an object to the icon.

Under the numerous gifts that the faithful have adorned the icon with in gratitude for miracles, it is difficult to discern the plot of the icon - the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary with the good news. Nevertheless, every year on the feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, thousands of people flock to the Greek island of Tinos to make their knees from the port to the temple and touch the miraculous icon.

There is a straight road from the port to the temple on the hill. Along the side of the road, specially for pilgrims, there is a path made of material like a carpet. Sometimes parents take sick children on their backs to get them healed.

In Greece on the island of Kefalonia , or "island of miracles", as it is called, every year on August 15 to the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the village of Markopulo, where miraculous icon of Panagius Fedus (translated as "Theotokos of the Serpent"), poisonous snakes are crawling. Believers call them "the serpents of the Virgin Mary" because on this very day they are harmless. They do not exceed one meter in length; they have a cross on their heads, as well as on the tip of their tongues. According to tradition, if snakes do not appear, this is a bad sign. This happened twice - in 1940 before the outbreak of World War II in Greece and in 1953 - before the devastating earthquake.

The villagers notice the snakes on the eve of the holiday, often get together with the priest in advance, read prayers and wait for the snakes to appear. Small snakes crawl here, and they are brought to the temple for worship. They are collected, put on the neck and stroked. Orthodox Greeks believe that this touch brings happiness. During the festive service, snakes are placed on the icon of the Mother of God, and they lie quietly there throughout the not-so-short service. According to ancient tradition, snakes are left in the church overnight.

Snakes are mentioned in Christian books, mostly with a negative connotation, but Kefalonia is practically the only place in the world where these reptiles are, as it were, rehabilitated in the eyes of believing Christians.

Troparion, voice 1
Thou hast kept virginity at birth, Thou didst not forsake the world in the suppression of the world, the Mother of God; Thou hast reposed to the belly, Mother of the Belly, and by Thy prayers save our souls from death.

Kontakion, voice 2
In the prayers of the relentless Mother of God and in intercessions, the immutable Hope of the coffin and mortification will not hold back: as if the Mother of the Belly to the belly, put the ever-virgin All-in-One into the womb.

According to BF "Orthodox heritage of Ukraine on Mount Athos" , Church tradition tells about the departure to the Lord and the funeral of the Mother of God.

In the manuscripts of the 4th century there is evidence that the Mother of God, after death, went to Heaven in body and soul. Three days before her dormition in Jerusalem, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Her and said that the day of Her death was approaching. He gave the Mother of God a branch of the tree of paradise shining with unearthly light - a symbol of the victory of eternal life over death, given by the Savior on the cross. Therefore, the Assumption is not a mourning event, but a holiday.

Then all the apostles arrived in Jerusalem to say goodbye to the Virgin Mary. Only the apostle Thomas could not come. The roof of the upper room in which they had gathered was opened, and an unearthly light shone on everyone present. The Savior descended into the upper room, surrounded by angels. The Mother of God prayed to her Son and gave her soul into His hands.

The Apostles buried the body of the Mother of God in Gethsemane, where Her holy parents, Joachim and Anna, and the betrothed Joseph, were buried. At the head of the funeral procession was John the Theologian, who carried the paradise branch, and the coffin with the body of the Mother of God was carried by all the apostles, except Thomas. Many Christians carried lighted candles and censers. People and angels sang, glorifying the Most Holy Theotokos.

In the funeral procession was the Jewish priest Affonia, who tried to turn the bed on which lay the body of the Mother of God. The angel did not allow this and cut off Affonia's hands at the moment when he touched the coffin. He repented and received healing, after which he converted to Christianity.

The Apostle Thomas arrived in Jerusalem on the third day after the funeral. He wanted to see the coffin of the Mother of God. When the coffin was opened, Her body was not in it, only a shroud remained. The Virgin Mary ascended in body and soul to Her Son.

The Apostle Thomas said that he saw how the Mother of God ascended to Heaven. At that moment he asked her to bless him. Then the Mother of God threw off Her belt for him.

Also, the Mother of God appeared to the apostles, saying: "Rejoice, for I am with you all the days."

On August 28, the Panigir celebrates the Iversky Monastery on the Holy Mountain. As you know, Athos is called the earthly lot of the Mother of God. Many miraculous icons of the Most Holy Theotokos are kept in the Athonite monasteries, and Her belt is kept in the Vatoped monastery.

The people call the feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos the "First Chistaya". The Dormition Fast ended today.

Dormition of the Virgin. Icon / Pravmir

August ends with two important religious holidays at once - the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary-2018 and.

In today's material, we have collected the most important things to know about the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin.

Dormition of the Virgin-2018: date

The date of the holiday does not change from year to year - it is August 28. At the same time, the feast of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos is 1 day of the forefeast and 9 days of the afterfeast.

The day before is just ending.

How to celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary: what they ask for

On this day, believers will ask the Most Holy Theotokos for help and intercession. They also pray before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos:

• about getting rid of the fear of physical death;
• about strengthening faith;
• in case of illness.

Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary: signs

There are many signs associated with the holiday. In particular, it is believed that after the Assumption, Indian summer begins - but it's time to prepare for autumn. Summer harvest by this time had already ended, as well as the main harvest. But they began to collect mushrooms and nuts, storing them for the winter.

Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary-2018: what not to do

At the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos you cannot:

• work both at home and in the garden - read more in our material;
• walk barefoot to the Assumption;
• wearing old or uncomfortable shoes;
• pick up piercing and cutting objects;
• spread the fire;
• quarrel and swear;
• wish someone harm;
• On 28 August, young girls were forbidden to cut their hair and then throw it away.

Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary-2018: congratulations

To you on the day of the Assumption of the Virgin

I want to sincerely wish from my heart

To heavenly blessings

Always accompany you in everything.

May the Virgin of Blessed Prayer Power

Will protect you from all adversity.

So that there is a lot of joy in life,

The one that the heart longs for and calls!

Today, on the feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, I want to sincerely wish to always appreciate everything that you have in your life, not waste time on offenses and stupid quarrels with loved ones, cherish every moment of happiness and joy, give your heart the opportunity to sincerely love and hope. May the life of the Mother of God and holy prayers warm and fill souls with grace.

Congratulations on the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos,

Great heavenly and earthly Lady,

Virgin Mary Holy Mother of Christ,

From those centuries and now she is devoted to God.

May the heavenly angels bring us love,

By the prayer of heaven they will save from Satan,

Pray the Virgin Mary for health and happiness,

Drive away all troubles, drive away bad weather.

From the bottom of my heart I congratulate everyone on the feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos! May the joy and grace of the holiday not leave our souls for as long as possible!

Holy Mother of God,

We don't forget about you

We pray and praise

In the temple we often remember.

Holy Mother of God,

We only beg for love

And we rely on strength

By Christ God we conjure.

Holy Mother of God,

We wish you all good, love,

You will help, we know for sure

We expect a miracle of happiness.

With the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos! May the Blessed Virgin Mary protect and save you and your loved ones from adversity. May warmth, love and understanding always reign in your home.

On the 28th, in the month of August,

We will gather in honor of the Mother of God,

Feast of the Assumption and Ascension,

To the son of Jesus of spiritual zeal.

Sinless, beloved, pure virgin,

Looks at us from the azure sky

Pray to her and ask

To live this holiday in love.

More congratulations in our material.