For Orthodox people death is not the end of life, but the liberation of the soul from sins, resurrection, purification, therefore the Dormition is truly a holiday and every believer should know its date. The Virgin Mary prayed that she would see her son as soon as possible and be near him all the time. Her prayers were answered and one day she was taken to heaven. We invite you to find out the history of the holiday, its traditions and find out the answer to the question: what date is the Assumption in 2017.

When will the Assumption take place? Holy Mother of God in 2017

The holiday is celebrated annually on August 28 and this year there will be no exception. The day precedes Dormition post, it lasts 14 days. This fast was considered easier, because on its days you can afford potatoes, fresh vegetables, fruits, and mushrooms. At the same time, the Assumption Fast is no less strict. Within its framework, no festivities, folk shows or other fun were held.

If you carefully study history, you can understand that a lot was written and said about the Virgin Mary in the period before the conception of Jesus Christ and before his crucifixion. When he was crucified on the cross, his mother did not leave his side, held his hand and felt all his suffering. The Virgin Mary believed that only the body died and that very soon she would meet her son.

Years passed, Mary lived in the care of John's family, but Mary had no peace. She often came to the place where her son suffered, visited the cave where he ascended and asked for death in order to meet her son. And the Lord heard Mary and instantly all the disciples of Jesus Christ gathered around her from all over the world, they suffered, feeling that the Virgin Mary would soon leave. Mary promised to pray for everyone and protect them.

Suddenly the room became too bright, Christ appeared with the angels and symbolically took her soul to take her to heaven. Maria died falling asleep. For her it was a joyful event, she fell asleep, and hence the “dormition.” Mary was taken to the tomb, where her husband also rested. The apostles remained near the tomb for three days and prayed. The Apostle Thomas did not have time for burial and was very saddened by this. Then the other apostles allowed us to worship the Mother of God and opened the entrance to the tomb. Opening the coffin, they saw that Mary’s body was not there. She, like her son, ascended to heaven. It is believed that Mary did not die, but fell asleep and awakened to eternal life. The apostles raised their heads to the sky and saw a smiling Mary there, who once again promised to pray for everyone. It was a miracle, just like the virgin birth.

It is worth noting that the holiday itself was previously called not the Dormition, but “Memory of the Blessed One,” later it was called the “Feast of the Death of Mother of God».

Feast of the Dormition - signs, customs, traditions

In Orthodoxy, the feast of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary is one of the twelve and has certain rules and traditions. On this day, as on other main church holidays you can’t work, although there are some points that we’ll talk about later.

Before this day arrives, it is necessary to fast, attend church, receive communion, and repent. On the day of the Assumption, they pray to the Mother of God, asking for health, well-being, and family happiness. The girls asked the Virgin Mary to send them a good groom and a child. If Assumption falls on Friday or Wednesday, then you can try some fish. Breaking the fast will be postponed to the next day. If the date of the holiday falls on some other day, then you can do whatever you want.

On this day, it is customary for the whole family to gather and spend time with their mothers. It is not customary to be sad, swear, or be offended on the Assumption; on the contrary, on this day they give each other happiness, kindness, smiles, and good mood.

On this day, according to custom, the harvest ended, thus the end of a successful harvest was also celebrated on the Assumption. They thanked the Mother of God for a good harvest and prosperity in the house. Seeds and ears of corn are brought to church for the Assumption to be blessed. There was a tradition of dressing the sheaf in a dress and placing it under the icon.

Previously, it was believed that the Indian summer began with the Assumption, so they carefully monitored weather changes. If a rainbow appears on August 28, then expect a warm autumn. But if on this day it’s worth good weather, then the Indian summer will not be very warm.

If you notice a lot of cobwebs in a house or barn, this means that the winter will be snowless and frosty.

We looked at the Dormition for water: if it is agitated, then expect a windy autumn and a snowy winter.

From the Assumption they began to prepare various nuts and mushrooms for the winter. By the way, if it’s foggy on Assumption, then expect a good mushroom harvest.

Housewives at the Assumption always pickled cucumbers for the winter. It was believed that they would not become moldy and would be well preserved.

The girls had a superstition that if you didn’t look for a groom on Assumption, you could spend the entire winter married to your suitor. The guys tried to propose to the chosen girl as quickly as possible in order to have time to get married.

The Church does not support all kinds of fortune telling, but on this day young women used sand and wax to tell fortunes to see their future.

On this day, women lay down on the ground and rolled on it, asking for strength and good spirits to be returned.

After the Dormition - August 29 is celebrated Nut Spas. They also call it bread. It is by this day that the nuts are fully ripened and can be collected. In addition, on this day they baked bread and pies from the new harvest.

What don't they do on Assumption?

As with many church holidays, there are certain prohibitions on Assumption Day.

• Firstly, on this day you should never quarrel with loved ones, especially mothers.
• It is believed that you cannot go to the Assumption with bare feet. People noticed that this could lead to illness. On this day, they wore comfortable shoes that would not rub or put pressure on their feet.
• According to different sources There is also different information about whether it is possible to work on this day. Some sources say that it is strictly forbidden, while others say that, on the contrary, all important matters are completed on this day. Especially, you can work if the activity is related to helping people.
• They do not take piercing objects on this day - it was believed that this could lead to trouble. Thus, no knives, no scissors, no needles were used at the Assumption. And on this day it was forbidden to stick a knife into the ground.
• On this day, it was considered a serious sin to drop bread or crumbs of bread that was consecrated in the church.
• There was a belief that girls were not supposed to cut their hair on the Assumption, much less throw it away. It was believed that such actions could evoke the tears of the Mother of God.
• In order not to attract various misfortunes and diseases to your home, you should not light a fire on this day.

The Dormition is celebrated at the end of summer - August 28. It is important not only for residents of Russia and Ukraine, far abroad, believers organize magnificent holidays in honor of the Mother.

History of the origin and development of the Feast of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary

After Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross and ascended into heaven, Mary was near the Holy Sepulcher almost constantly. She turned to God in her prayers, asking him to take Her to Heaven. And one day, when she was praying, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to her and said that she would soon die.

Mary really wanted to say goodbye to the disciples of her son Jesus Christ. And on that day, when she was dying and lying on her deathbed, the apostles came to her. The Holy Spirit heard Mary's request and gathered them near her bed. After she died, the apostles went to Gethsemane and she was buried in a cave near the garden, the entrance was blocked by a huge stone. For another 3 days, the apostles stayed near her grave and read prayers for her ascension to heaven. On the third day Thomas came. He was late and really regretted that he could not say goodbye to the Most Holy Theotokos. The apostles decided to remove the stone and open the grave so that he could say goodbye, but her body was not there. That same evening the spirit of the Mother of God appeared to the apostles.

The holiday is called the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary because she did not die, but was simply transported to heaven. Her body was not buried, but along with her spirit was taken to heaven. On the site of the cave in which she was buried is now located the Greek Orthodox church going underground.

History of the day of celebration

There are peoples who celebrate the Dormition of the Mother of God along with the feast of the “Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos,” which is celebrated the day after Christmas - January 7 (in the Orthodox Church). But there are other data that are historical for the feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

1. In the 7th century, the day was marked in the Coptic calendar - January 16th. It is considered the birth of the Mother of God.
2. In the 9th century, in the same Coptic calendar, January 16 is considered the date of “the death and resurrection of the Virgin Mary.” The inhabitants of those nations highly revered these days and in many Coptic and Abyssinian churches in the 14th-15th centuries they remembered the Assumption on January 16, and it is also believed that the Mother of God was transported to heaven to God on August 16.
3. In the Greek Catholic churches, the day of celebration was known and popularized already in the 6th century. Emperor Mauritius established the feast of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary on August 15.
4. In Constantinople, the celebration began even earlier. The Mother of God was revered back in the 4th century; many churches were built in her honor, some of which still exist. Empress Pulcheria built a temple dedicated to the Mother of God in Blachernae. There lies a robe - the things in which she was laid in the grave. Here the holiday was also celebrated on August 15th. Emperor Mauritius gave the holiday solemnity and pomp.
5. A lot of documents and historical monuments about the celebration of the Assumption date back to the 8th century. It is from this time that you can trace the history of the holiday to the present.

Traditions observed on the Feast of the Assumption

On this holiday, it is customary to pray to the Mother of God, and she will definitely help you with your problems. Among Orthodox believers, it is customary to spend this day with your parents and especially with your mother. The family gathers around a lush table full delicious dishes, where all relatives and friends are present.

Since the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary will be celebrated on August 28 in 2017, many people have already had their harvest. In the evening on the eve of the holiday, a sheaf of hay was brought from the field, dressed in a dress, and thus the successful completion of the harvest was also celebrated on the Assumption. Considering that it was the Mother of God who gave them such a rich harvest.

Bread was made from flour made from just harvested wheat, and everyone in the family broke off a piece of it - you cannot cut the bread. What remained was placed under the icon of the Mother of God. It is believed that it has healing powers and can be used to heal seriously ill people.

Signs of the Assumption

The date of celebration of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary is considered the beginning of Indian summer - hot days last until September 11. During this week, one could understand what the second Indian summer would be like. Which begins a few days after the first - September 14 and lasts almost until the end of the month - September 28.

According to the signs of nature, if ground frosts begin in the week after the Assumption Day, then the autumn will be long and the winter cold will not come soon.

If a rainbow appears in the sky after rain, then autumn will not be cold and will last a long time.

It is customary among housewives to preserve cucumbers and pickle cabbage on Assumption.

What is forbidden to do on the Assumption of the Virgin Mary

As we have already said, you cannot cut bread with a knife, but you also cannot pick up other cutting tools. Food cannot be cooked on this day.

If you walk barefoot on this day, there is a chance that you may get sick. Nature cries with dew that the Mother of God has left this world and can no longer be a helper to all people.

If you do not want there to be difficulties in your life in the next year after the holiday, wear only comfortable shoes to the Dormition. Rubbed calluses will mean future problems.

But on this day you can and even need to work. If you are asked for help, it is better to definitely agree to help.

Fasting before the Dormition

The holiday is celebrated by Orthodox believers in countries such as Georgia, Serbia, Armenia, Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. And before the holiday, in order to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary, people observe. It lasts exactly two weeks before the holiday and ends on August 27, on the eve of the Assumption. Believers deny themselves entertainment, fatty foods, and meat.

On the night of the holiday, churches hold a service that lasts all night. In the morning, another service is held, at which a variety of foods, wheat and bread are blessed. On festive table On this day there should be an abundance of different pies and other pastries. It is customary to drink wine as a drink. Before starting to eat, everyone reads a prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos.

For Orthodox people, death is not the end of life, but the liberation of the soul from sins, resurrection, purification, therefore the Dormition is truly a holiday and every believer should know its date. The Virgin Mary prayed that she would see her son as soon as possible and be near him all the time. Her prayers were answered and one day she was taken to heaven.

We invite you to find out the history of the holiday, its traditions and find out the answer to the question: what date is the Assumption in 2017.

The holiday is celebrated annually on August 28 and this year there will be no exception. The day precedes the Assumption Fast and lasts 14 days.

The Assumption Fast begins on August 14, 2017 and ends on August 27, 2017. This fast was established before the great holidays of the Transfiguration of the Lord and the Dormition of the Mother of God.

This is the shortest multi-day fast throughout the year. o In its severity, the Assumption Fast is equivalent to Holy Week Great Lent. But despite this, it is considered among the Orthodox to be the easiest: both short and sweet.

The easiest one - because the Mother of God makes sure that the yoke of Christ is easy for us. And he takes care of our body as well as our soul.

The sweetest because this Lent begins with the consecration of honey, and then the consecration of fruits: so that through the sweetness that the Lord gives to the body, we taste and see how good the Lord is.

On August 14, the first day of the Dormition Lent, the Cross of Christ will be worn for veneration. As once in Old Testament According to the word of the Lord, a tree sank into the bitter waters of Marah, and they became sweet, and so may the bitterness of our life - from the touch of the Cross of Christ on it - change into sweetness.

August 14 is the day of the Baptism of Rus'. And baptism is immersion in the water of the cross - the grace of Christ, when the mystery of the Cross is revealed. And whoever recognizes her is ready to offer everything to the Lord - both his life and his death, in order to always be with Him. Therefore, the Holy Martyrs (on the Icons they are always with the Cross in their hand) go ahead of everyone in the host of Saints. Our Russian Church, like no other, has become famous for its feats of martyrdom. And it was always there special veneration Mother of God, Her Holy Dormition, to whom many monasteries have been dedicated since ancient times. In the Dormition of the Mother of God, as in the Pascha of the Lord, death - what is considered the greatest sorrow - becomes the greatest joy.

There is a pious custom during the Dormition Fast to read the Akathist to the Dormition every day or to perform the Paraklisis - the prayer singing of the Canon to the Most Holy Theotokos “I have passed through water, as if I were dry land...”.

During the Dormition Fast, we thank God that we are approaching the end of summer and ask Him. so that he will grant us the opportunity to spend the autumn in peace and serenity. The Mother of God in the Assumption was preserved from the destruction of her body and ascended with Her resurrected body into the Kingdom of God. So on the Feast of the Dormition we also hope for the resurrection of the dead and our eternal presence next to the Mother of God where the Risen Christ is.

Also on August 14, a small blessing of water is performed in churches, which is why it is often Honey Spas called the Savior on the Water. On this day, believers swam in rivers and lakes for the last time of the year, thus washing away all their sins. According to tradition, after the start of the Dormition Lent they no longer swam.

If you carefully study history, you can understand that a lot was written and said about the Virgin Mary in the period before the conception of Jesus Christ and before his crucifixion. When he was crucified on the cross, his mother did not leave his side, held his hand and felt all his suffering. The Virgin Mary believed that only the body died and that very soon she would meet her son.

Years passed, Mary lived in the care of John's family, but Mary had no peace. She often came to the place where her son suffered, visited the cave where he ascended and asked for death in order to meet her son. And the Lord heard Mary and instantly all the disciples of Jesus Christ gathered around her from all over the world, they suffered, feeling that the Virgin Mary would soon leave. Mary promised to pray for everyone and protect them.

Suddenly the room became too bright, Christ appeared with the angels and symbolically took her soul to take her to heaven. Maria died falling asleep. For her it was a joyful event, she fell asleep, and hence the “dormition.” Mary was taken to the tomb, where her husband also rested. The apostles remained near the tomb for three days and prayed. The Apostle Thomas did not have time for burial and was very saddened by this. Then the other apostles allowed us to worship the Mother of God and opened the entrance to the tomb. Opening the coffin, they saw that Mary’s body was not there. She, like her son, ascended to heaven. It is believed that Mary did not die, but fell asleep and awakened to eternal life. The apostles raised their heads to the sky and saw a smiling Mary there, who once again promised to pray for everyone. It was a miracle, just like the virgin birth.

It is worth noting that the holiday itself was previously called not the Assumption, but “Memory of the Blessed,” later it was called the “Feast of the Death of the Mother of God.”

Feast of the Dormition - signs, customs, traditions:

In Orthodoxy, the feast of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary is one of the twelve and has certain rules and traditions. On this day, as on other main church holidays, you cannot work, although there are some points that we will talk about later.

Before this day arrives, it is necessary to fast, attend church, receive communion, and repent. On the day of the Assumption, they pray to the Mother of God, asking for health, well-being, and family happiness. The girls asked the Virgin Mary to send them a good groom and a child. If Assumption falls on Friday or Wednesday, then you can try some fish. Breaking the fast will be postponed to the next day. If the date of the holiday falls on some other day, then you can do whatever you want.

On this day, it is customary for the whole family to gather and spend time with their mothers. It is not customary to be sad, swear, or be offended on the Assumption; on the contrary, on this day they give each other happiness, kindness, smiles, and good mood.

On this day, according to custom, the harvest ended, thus the end of a successful harvest was also celebrated on the Assumption. They thanked the Mother of God for a good harvest and prosperity in the house. Seeds and ears of corn are brought to church for the Assumption to be blessed. There was a tradition of dressing the sheaf in a dress and placing it under the icon.

Previously, it was believed that the Indian summer began with the Assumption, so they carefully monitored weather changes. If a rainbow appears on August 28, then expect a warm autumn. But if the weather is good on this day, then Indian summer will not be very warm.

If you notice a lot of cobwebs in a house or barn, this means that the winter will be snowless and frosty.

We looked at the Dormition for water: if it is agitated, then expect a windy autumn and a snowy winter.

If you notice frost already on August 28, then expect early frosts, autumn will be short.

From the Assumption they began to prepare various nuts and mushrooms for the winter. By the way, if it’s foggy on Assumption, then expect a good mushroom harvest.

Housewives at the Assumption always pickled cucumbers for the winter. It was believed that they would not become moldy and would be well preserved.

The girls had a superstition that if you didn’t look for a groom on Assumption, you could spend the entire winter married to your suitor. The guys tried to propose to the chosen girl as quickly as possible in order to have time to get married.

The Church does not support all kinds of fortune telling, but on this day young women used sand and wax to tell fortunes to see their future.

On this day, women lay down on the ground and rolled on it, asking for strength and good spirits to be returned.

After the Dormition, the Nut Savior is celebrated on August 29. They also call it bread. It is by this day that the nuts are fully ripened and can be collected. In addition, on this day they baked bread and pies from the new harvest.

What they don’t do on Assumption:

As with many church holidays, there are certain prohibitions on Assumption Day.

Firstly, on this day you should never quarrel with loved ones, especially mothers.

It is believed that you cannot go to the Assumption with bare feet. People noticed that this could lead to illness. On this day, they wore comfortable shoes that could not rub or put pressure on their feet.

According to different sources, there is different information about whether it is possible to work on this day. Some sources say that it is strictly forbidden, while others say that, on the contrary, all important matters are completed on this day. Especially, you can work if the activity is related to helping people.

They do not take piercing objects on this day - it was believed that this could lead to trouble. Thus, no knives, no scissors, no needles were used at the Assumption. And on this day it was forbidden to stick a knife into the ground.

On this day, it was considered a serious sin to drop bread or crumbs of bread that was consecrated in the church.

There was a belief that girls were not supposed to cut their hair on the Assumption, much less throw it away. It was believed that such actions could evoke the tears of the Mother of God.

In order not to attract various misfortunes and diseases to your home, you should not light a fire on this day.

Interesting facts about the Feast of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary:

Many icons, paintings, poems, and songs are dedicated to the Feast of the Assumption. Temples, settlements, and streets are named in honor of this day. By the way, Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay, is named precisely in honor of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, because the word is translated from Spanish as “dormition.”

Michelangelo da Caravaggio painted The Death of Mary commissioned by the papal lawyer Laerzo Cherubini. It was intended for the family church of Santa Maria della Scala. The clergy rejected the painting because of the inappropriate pose of the Virgin Mary, and also because she was depicted dead, and not as a woman who was miraculously ascended to heaven, beautiful and peaceful. But Rubens saw in the picture one of best works Michelangelo.

The largest altar painting in Venice is the work of Titian - “The Assumption of the Virgin”. The painting consists of several levels, has bright colors, unusual poses and actions of the apostles and the Virgin Mary. This work immediately attracted the attention of many people, and Titian became very popular.

The classic icon dedicated to the Dormition looks like this: in the center of the canvas there is a bed covered with a purple veil, on it lies the body of the Mother of God, with the apostles standing around. Behind the bed is Jesus, who holds the holy soul of Mary in his hands. In addition, angels fly over the Virgin Mary and the Savior, witnessing this important event. It is believed that this is the simplest ancient image of the Assumption. Later, the creators of the icons began to expand the storyline.

Descriptions of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary are written in the form of apocrypha. Such information is completely absent from the Bible.

The Catholic Church tells the story of the Assumption with an emphasis on the Ascension of the Virgin Mary into heaven and her coronation as Queen of Heaven.

At the burial site of the Mother of God in Jerusalem, ceremonial events are held on the day of the Assumption.

What you can eat during the Dormition Fast:

According to the church charter, people adhering to the Dormition Fast must follow the following food restrictions:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday during the Dormition Fast are dry eating.On days of dry eating, you can eat the following foods: dry unleavened bread (crackers), raw vegetables, fruits and dried fruits, honey, nuts, water, salt is allowed as a seasoning.

Tuesday and Thursday during fasting - hot food without oil.These days you can eat dishes cooked over fire and without the use of vegetable oil. Such dishes include vegetable and mushroom soups, tea, coffee, compotes, and decoctions.

Saturday and Sunday during Dormition Lent- Eating vegetable oil and wine is allowed.

August 19, the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, it is allowed to eat Fish and seafood.

If the feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary falls on Wednesday or Friday, then breaking the fast is postponed to the next day, and on August 28 it is allowed to eat fish and seafood.

Is it possible to have a wedding during the Dormition Fast?

As you know, August is the most favorable time for weddings. This month accounts for almost half of all marriages performed during the year. However, if you have planned a wedding for August, be sure to have it either before the 14th or after the 28th.

Wedding in Dormition Fast, and even more so, a wedding is considered a great sin. After all, fasting is a time of prayer, repentance, abstinence not only from certain foods, but also from various pleasures, including marital intimacy. Old people say that young people who got married during fasting never live together for a long time.

In the series of church celebrations there is a significant event, which in worldly life can hardly be called a holiday. On this day, Orthodox Christians celebrate the date of death, or Dormition, of the Mother of God.

Currently everything more people becomes imbued with love for the church. Rushing to the temple of God, each of us hopes for intercession and blessing Higher powers. Great amount miraculous icons, guides between us and the saints, adorns the church. People pray for different things, but not a single person will pass by the image of the Blessed Virgin. She has the power to plead for every sinful soul with the Savior, Her Son. People are given the opportunity to praise and thank the Mother of God for her great love and mercy on the day of her Assumption.

Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 2017

The life of the Blessed Virgin did not differ in anything special from the life of other women of that time, except perhaps in righteousness, chastity and inexhaustible love for God. As soon as she became the Mother of the Son of God and the Savior of all mankind, veneration, fame, and universal praise came to her.

After the terrible execution of her Son, the Virgin Mary knew no peace. John and his entire family took care of her at the behest of Christ. The Mother of God did not need anything, but her heart did not find peace. Every day she went to the place where Jesus suffered torment, visited the cave where He was resurrected, and prayed for a speedy meeting with the Son.

The Mother of God knew that the body was dead, but not the soul; she believed and waited for death so that she could finally see her Son. Her prayers were heard: God gave her moments of forgiveness and eternal peace. All the disciples of Christ rushed with different countries, where they preached the word of God, to the hut of John, in order to say goodbye to the mother of the Savior. The Virgin Mary was weak, but with a smile she said that she would always be with them and with all Christians, that she would not stop offering prayers for their well-being and happy life. The Mother of God waited for her death and ascended to Heaven.

Traditions of the Assumption

The Dormition of the Mother of God is not a time for mourning. Only joy should be present in your thoughts. The Mother of God called not to be afraid of death: everyone who died will leave the earth, go to heaven and live forever in the Kingdom of Heaven. She awaited her death with peace. Her example instilled in people faith in the best and a premonition of joy from meeting in Heaven with loved ones who have passed on to another world.

During this time, you should refrain from heavy work and physical labor. It is necessary to visit the church, light a candle and read a prayer to the Mother of God. Even if nothing bothers you, thank the Blessed Virgin for her protection and guardianship. Keep the memory of Her in yourself, because the Mother of God gave new life not only to Jesus Christ, but to all Christians.

The Dormition of the Virgin Mary is a fixed date in the Orthodox calendar. This day is a time for joy, love and happiness. We wish you strong faith, the love of the Lord and intercession. be happy and don't forget to press the buttons and

05.08.2017 05:14

The Kiev Pechersk icon is dedicated to one of the most significant holidays in Orthodoxy and Christianity in general -...

Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich) o hidden meaning Feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The holiday is celebrated annually on the same day - August 28. Since the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary falls on Monday in 2017, then, according to the Charter Orthodox Church, this day is not fast. Allowed to eat any food.

Prohibitions

There are many superstitions and folk customs associated with the Assumption. Many of them “forbid” people from doing normal household chores. Pagan horror stories that have taken root cause confusion in the minds of even Orthodox people who have been going to church for years.

This day is no different from other days, except that we especially honor the Most Holy Theotokos and glorify Her Dormition.

“The laws of nature are defeated in You, Pure Virgin, virginity is preserved at birth, and life is combined with death: remaining a Virgin after birth and Living after death, You always save, Mother of God, Your inheritance,” is sung in the troparion of the holiday.

The main thing that every believer should take away from this event is the possibility of the victory of life over death, good over evil, faith over unbelief. This is exactly what the Holy Church says to its children through the festive service.

The image of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the quintessence of earthly life, this is personal Easter... This is a return to God.

Performing various miracles, the Lord pointed out that a true miracle for a person is a return to God, deification, because our true homeland is Heaven, and not this temporary earth.

In early Christian writings it is emphasized: “The immortal soul dwells in a mortal dwelling - so Christians are among the corruptible world, awaiting heavenly incorruption.”

Earthly life is given to man as a kind of exam before entering Eternity. And his future immortal life depends on how a person prepares for this exam.

Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh said that the main criterion for the latter Last Judgment, which awaits every person before entering Eternity, there will be only love. A person will not be asked how many prayers he said, how many fasts he observed, how many bows he made. Each of us will be asked whether we helped our neighbor, whether we fed the hungry, whether we clothed the naked, because depending on how in our lives we showed our love for our neighbors and to what extent, God will also testify to His love for us . And if there was no love in us, we, unfortunately, will not be able to enter into the love of God and abide in it.

This is precisely what the feast of the Dormition of our Blessed Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary reminds us of, being essentially a holiday of the greatest joy, affirmation eternal life with Jesus Christ.

History of the holiday: what happened on this day

After the ascension of Christ the Savior, the Most Holy Theotokos lived in Ephesus in the house of the parents of the Apostle John the Theologian.

Holy Virgin I prayed day and night to quickly meet my Divine Son. And then one day, during a solitary prayer, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Mother of God with the news that in three days the end of her earthly life would come and she would meet the Lord.

Before the transition to another world, all the apostles miraculously found themselves near the bed of the Mother of God, where she, praying, awaited the long-awaited Meeting. And the Lord himself with a host of Angels appeared to take her soul.

The apostles buried the body of the Mother of God in a cave in Gethsemane and spent three days near the cave in prayer. The late Apostle Thomas greatly lamented that he did not have time to venerate the holy remains of the Ever-Virgin. The apostles decided to open the grave slightly to console Thomas. Having opened the coffin, everyone was amazed: the body of the Virgin Mary was not found. Thus, they were convinced of Her miraculous bodily ascension to Heaven.

On the same day, the Blessed Virgin appeared to the apostles and said: “Rejoice! I am with you all the days."

Recorded by Natalya Goroshkova