Assumption of what needs to be done on this day. Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - what date it is celebrated. What to do on the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. Rules for this day

Most Christian holidays are celebrated as a tribute to the memory of the saints and apostles on the days of the end of their mortal life.

A special place among these events is occupied by the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos, dedicated to the memories of believers about the death of the Virgin Mary. Its exclusivity lies in the fact that the death of the Mother of God is practically not described in Holy Scripture, but is well known thanks to church traditions.

In the canonical texts there is no information about the time of the death of the Virgin Mary, nor the details of her burial. Only in the New Testament it is said that she remained in the care of John and remained in prayer for a long time.

According to church traditions, shortly before the death of Mary, the archangel Gabriel appeared, who said that in three days she would die. After her death, the Mother of God was buried in the family tomb, but three days later, having opened the crypt, they found that her body was not in it, and they were convinced of her miraculous Ascension to Heaven.

The death of the Mother of God is called the Assumption, and not death, since it was not affected by ordinary human death, when the spirit goes to Heaven, and the body remains on earth. Hence the dual nature of the holiday: on the one hand, grief for the departed Mother of God, and on the other, the joy of foretaste of eternal life and meeting with the Creator.

Dormition is not death, but a temporary sleep of the human body until the resurrection and entry into that life that awaits everyone at the end of time.

For a long time, the Dormition was not considered a celebration. Only in the 5th century did they begin to celebrate it in Syria, and from the 6th century onwards in Christian countries. In the Syrian Church, the date of the event fell on December 26, and this day remained solemn for a long time even after the appearance of new dates.

Around the year 460, the Assumption began to be celebrated on August 15 in Jerusalem, and in the 6th century, according to the edict of Emperor Mauritius, this date was officially recognized as a holiday in Byzantium.

In the Orthodox Church, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary belongs to the twelfth holidays and is celebrated on August 15 according to the old style or August 28 according to the Gregorian calendar.

It is preceded by a 2-week Assumption Fast and one day of pre-feast, during which believers prepare for the celebrations and listen to prayers in churches. After the Assumption, eight post-holiday days are celebrated, when the Mother of God is glorified in the church and memorial services are performed.

Among the people, the feast of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos coincides with the harvest period. Earlier on this day, it was customary to dress up the last sheaf of harvested wheat (“dozhinka”) in a sundress and wear it around the villages with songs.

After the procession, the sheaf was placed under the icon and a noble feast was held with songs, round dances and the preparation of mead. On August 29, the first post-holiday day, Nut Savior falls, when, according to tradition, it is customary to collect nuts and make preparations for the winter.

Since the holiday falls at the end of the Dormition Fast, you can eat any food on this day, but it is advisable to limit yourself to meat and fat. If the Dormition falls on Wednesday or Friday, the breaking of the fast is postponed to the next day. You can do housework, work in the garden, roll pickles and sauerkraut.

Among the inhabitants of villages and villages, there is a belief that on the Assumption it is necessary to leave a few ears of corn in the fields, which helps to increase the harvest for the next year.

It is believed that during the Dormition one should not walk barefoot, especially on grass covered with dew. According to legend, dew is the tears of the Virgin Mary, so walking on it promises illness and misfortune.

It is not recommended to wear tight and uncomfortable shoes on this day, as rubbing corns on the Dormition entails difficulties and problems. During the celebration, it is customary to bake and consecrate the loaf in temples, however, when cutting and eating consecrated bread, not a crumb should be dropped on the floor.

On this day you can not work - neither in the garden, nor at home

On Wednesday, August 28, 2019, the Orthodox celebrate the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos or the First Pure. This great holiday ends the Assumption Fast, which lasts from August 14th.

On the day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Catholics have a tradition, as a token of thanksgiving, to bring the first fruits of the new harvest as a gift to churches and chapels dedicated to the Madonna. As on other holidays of veneration of the Mother of God, on this day it is obligatory for believers to attend Mass and pray.

A celebration dedicated to the memory of the death of the Mother of God appeared among Christians as early as the 4th century. In 595, a permanent date for the celebration was set - August 15 (in honor of the victory over the Persians, which was won on this day by the Byzantine emperor Mauritius).

In the Roman liturgy in the VIII century, the holiday was called the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (from the Latin Assumption - "taking", "acceptance", in contrast to the Greek Koimesis - "plunging into sleep", consonant with the Church Slavonic "assumption"). In Ukraine, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is also called the Taking of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heavenly glory.

Believers of the Eastern Rite began preparations for the Assumption on August 14 with a two-week strict fast.

“This event is not mentioned in the Bible, but we learn about it from the Tradition of the Holy Church. The word “dormition” itself means “sleep”, because after the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ there is no death that awaited everyone, causing fear and sorrow " - told the readers of "Vesti" the rector of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, Metropolitan of Vyshgorod and Chernobyl Bishop Pavel.

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary: signs and traditions

It is believed that on this day a trip to a holy place becomes a prerequisite. You need to put a candle on the Assumption in the church.

And in the old days, on the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos, believers brought seeds and ears of various breads to the church for blessing and consecration, leaving only a small handful of uncut ears on the field, who tied them with a ribbon and said: “God grant that there will be a good harvest next summer!” .

On the Assumption, the peasants finished their harvest, baked pies, called relatives and neighbors for a holiday.

After the Assumption, the Meat-Eater begins, with whom the time for weddings comes. Therefore, the young men try to have time to woo the girls before August 28, since this was the last opportunity this year to ask for their hands and hearts. And unmarried girls had to start looking after their betrothed, otherwise they would not be able to get married until next spring.

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary: what not to do on this day

Icon "Assumption of the Blessed Virgin". Theophanes the Greek. 14th century

There are a number of prohibitions for this holiday. So:

on this day you can not work - neither in the garden, nor at home;
on this day it is impossible to pick up piercing and cutting objects, as well as to cook food. Believers break bread with their hands, since a knife cannot be used - it is believed that this leads to serious illnesses;
it is undesirable to make a fire on this day, so as not to attract various misfortunes to the house;
you can’t walk barefoot on the Assumption - it was believed that it was possible to collect all diseases in this way, since the dew on this day is the tears of nature that the Mother of God left this world and cannot be with people and help them;
you can not quarrel with family and friends;
On August 28, young girls should not cut their hair and throw it away. Thus they may draw the tears of the Virgin Mary;
you can’t wear old or uncomfortable shoes - to avoid problems in life: if you rub your foot on this day, then a difficult life full of problems and failures awaits.

Folk omens in the Dormition

People have long noticed that:

See off the Assumption, and meet autumn: the time after the Assumption in the old days was called Indian Summer - it continued until Ivan the Lenten (September 11).
Good weather - Indian summer will be cool.
Frost on plants this day promises a very short autumn season, and frosts will come very soon.
A rainbow appeared in the sky - a sign that autumn will be warm.
A lot of cobwebs - a sign that the winter will be frosty and with little snow.
If it is very foggy on the day of the Assumption, a large harvest of mushrooms should be expected, and the warm time will still please people a little.
If the water is not disturbed, then the autumn will be windless, and in the winter there will be no snowstorms.
You won’t have time to look after your betrothed from Uspenshchina - you’ll spend the winter in girls.
The Dormition of the Mother of God ends the summer harvest and the main harvest.
From the feast of the Assumption, people began to gather mushrooms and nuts in the forests and store them for the winter.

You will not have to guess for a long time what date the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos comes into the world. The bright Orthodox event is attributed to the twelfth celebrations, and is always celebrated on the same day - August 15 in the old style or August 28 in the new style. When a significant date is celebrated in cities and villages, bells ring in churches, and priests dress in ceremonial clothes and hold a liturgy in honor of the Mother of God and her ascension to heaven. Signs say that on this warm summer day you only need to do good, charitable deeds, namely, help weak neighbors to harvest, remove vegetables from the beds and preserve vegetables, consecrate fresh spiked crops in the church and gather in a friendly company at a generous, plentiful and rich table. .

What date is the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and where did the holiday come from

The church dedicates the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the Mother of God and her righteous death. This event carries a shade of sadness due to the fact that the earthly path of the Representative has ended. But the joy at the thought of uniting the Most Pure Mother with her son brightens the sadness and inspires humanity with hope for a better life awaiting the righteous in heaven.

The final decision as to what date the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos should be celebrated by believing Christians was made by Emperor Mauritius. It was he who, at the end of 500 AD, issued an edict indicating August 15 (28) as the exact official date of the significant celebration.

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - what can and cannot be done

In order to conduct the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos correctly and in accordance with ancient customs, you need to know exactly what can and cannot be done on this day.

On the Assumption, you can work both at home and on the ground. Completion of the previously started business promises success and peace of mind.
It is possible and necessary to consecrate freshly baked or purchased bread in churches. After such exposure, it acquires medicinal properties, and the taste characteristics are noticeably improved.
You can’t walk barefoot on the earth, otherwise you will collect all the diseases on yourself. According to church texts, the soil on this day is covered with dew, which symbolizes the tears of the Most Holy Theotokos, yearning because of the inability to be near people and help them in everything.
You can not wear narrow, uncomfortable shoes. Calluses and corns, acquired on the Assumption, promise a lot of anxiety and life problems.

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - signs of the weather and a ritual for love

Clear weather on the 28th indicates that autumn will be rainy, dank and dirty.
A bright, beautiful rainbow portends a warm autumn next year.
Morning clouds on Assumption predict heavy evening rain.
Fogs for the holiday signal that warm days will last for a long time, and the forest will please with a large harvest of mushrooms.

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin - signs for girls

Knowing exactly what date the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos is coming, the girls prepared for this day in advance. On this beautiful holiday, unmarried young ladies read love plots and asked the higher powers for help in finding their betrothed. According to the signs, it was believed that by the Dormition it was necessary to find a mate. Otherwise, creating a family in the next six months will not work.

But what to do if there is no suitable groom yet and when exactly he will appear is unknown? For such a case, a separate ritual was invented, which the girls performed on the day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Wake up early in the morning. Without talking to anyone, go to the tap, open the water, scoop a little in your palms and wash yourself, saying to yourself: “Blessed Mother of God, how you crown everyone, how you unite families, so help me, find a groom as soon as possible. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen". Repeat the plot three times, and then gently blot your face with a dry and clean linen towel.

On August 28, Orthodox believers celebrate the holiday - the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary 2017. On this day, the Assumption Fast ends in honor of the transition of the Virgin from one life to another. tells about the history and main traditions of the holiday.

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary 2017: holiday traditions

According to church legend, the Mother of God knew exactly the time of her death and prepared for this day with prayer and fasting. Subsequently, the fast was called Assumption, and every year all believers adhere to it, paying tribute to the Virgin Mary.

According to legend, on this day the apostles gathered in Jerusalem to perform the rite of burial of the Virgin Mary.

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary: holiday traditions

On this day, be sure to attend the liturgical service in the church, as well as light a candle.

Harvest ended on the Dormition. In honor of the holiday, it was customary to bake pies and gather guests in the house.

There is a sign that on this day it is easy for young girls to find a betrothed with whom she will spend her whole life. Traditionally, on the Assumption, the guys went to woo those whom they would like to marry.

On the Dormition of the Theotokos, people went to church to bless the ears and seeds, and then they baked bread, which they distributed to the poor and needy.

Also on this day, the housewives began to make preparations for the winter.

On August 28, 2020, the Orthodox Church celebrates the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is known that this day has been celebrated as a church holiday since the 5th century. For several centuries, many traditions have developed that are customary to observe on this day.

What is possible and what is not allowed on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary?

On the eve, believers observe a strict two-week Assumption fast, when it is forbidden to include animal products in the diet: meat, fish, eggs and milk.

From August 28, the Autumn Meat-Eater begins, when fast food is allowed on all days of the week, except Wednesday and Friday, when it is prescribed to include bread, raw vegetables and fruits in the diet.

Be sure to visit this day in the temple, attend a church service and pray in front of the icon of the Mother of God. On the eve, an all-night vigil is held in the temples.

The priests perform rituals near the shroud with the image of the Most Holy Theotokos lying in the middle of the temple, and then they carry the shroud around the church. Then the parishioners are anointed with oil and prayers are read.

What can not be done on the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary? As on other twelfth holidays, on this day it is not recommended to do work in the garden and around the house (washing floors, washing, embroidering, sewing).

The meaning of such a ban is not that certain actions cannot be performed, but that an Orthodox holiday is, first of all, a day that we dedicate to God.

Large works that will not give the opportunity to devote time to the holiday, it is advisable to move to another day. It is also recommended to stop watching entertainment TV shows, visiting theaters and cinemas.

Try to show more attention and care to your loved ones, help the poor and do other good deeds.

In the old days, peasants did not work in the field on the feast of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos. Among the villagers there is a belief that on the Assumption you need to leave a few ears in the fields so that a good harvest will be born next year.

Also on this day, you can not walk barefoot on the ground, especially in dew. It is believed that dew is the tears of the Mother of God. Therefore, walking barefoot promises illness and adversity.

It is also believed that the Indian summer begins with the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which lasts two weeks. And the weather on this holiday determines the weather for almost the entire autumn.