Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
THE COMMUNITY OF THE VILLAGE OF SAVIN CONGRATULATES EVERYONE ON THE LIGHT HOLIDAY – THE HOLIDAY OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE MOTHER OF GOD!
On August 28, Orthodox and Greek Catholics celebrate the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos or, as the people say, the First Most Pure – one of the twelve most significant holidays in the church calendar.
The feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is dedicated to the completion of the earthly life of the Holy Virgin Mary and her painless transition into eternal life. According to Christian tradition, it is called dormition, not death. It is believed that Saint Mary only fell asleep in order to wake up in three days and move to heavenly dwelling.
According to church legends, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Mother of God during prayer at the place of the ascension of Jesus Christ and announced her imminent death and transition into eternity. On that day, the apostles, who preached Christianity around the world, miraculously gathered in Jerusalem near the bed of the Mother of God to say goodbye to the Virgin Mary and carry out her funeral. The Savior himself, surrounded by angels, descended to the Mother of God to take her soul with him.
It is on this day that the 14-day fast, which began on Makoveya, ends.
On August 28, a solemn service was held in the festively decorated Ascension Church in the village of Savin.
On August 28, on the feast of the Assumption of the Mother of God, if it falls on Wednesday or Friday, you can eat fish. In this case, breaking the fast is postponed to the next day. But if the Assumption falls on other days of the week, then there is no fast. The feast of the Assumption has one day of the pre-holiday and 9 days of the post-holiday. A pre-holiday is one or several days before a big holiday, the service of which already includes prayers dedicated to the upcoming holiday. Accordingly, post-holiday – the same days after the holiday.There is a special Burial Service of the Mother of God. It is carried out as a service to the Early Great Subobota; during it they read the 17th kathisma – “Blessed blameless”. At this time, the Rite of the burial of the Mother of God can be seen in many cathedral and parish churches on the second or third day of the holiday. The service begins with an all-night vigil. The clergy of the temple goes out to the shroud with the image of the Mother of God lying in the middle of the temple; cense her, and then carry her around the temple. After that, all who prayed are anointed with oil. And finally, ektenii (a series of prayer requests) and leave (blessing of those praying to leave the church after the end of the service) are read.
Reliable statements about the history of the feast of the Assumption begin only from the end of the 6th century. Most church historians believe that the holiday was established under the Byzantine emperor of Mauritius, who ruled from 592-602. He ordered to celebrate it on August 15, because it was the day of his victory over the Persians. Most likely, to this day, the Assumption was in Constantinople a local, that is, not a general church holiday.
