The Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos is one of the 12 main Orthodox celebrations, the Mother of God feast. In 2020, it is celebrated on 28 August. The full church name of the holiday is the Dormition of the Most Holy Lady of our Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary. It is dedicated to the memory of the death of the Mother of God. The word "dormition" does not symbolize the death of an ordinary person, but the ascension of spirit and body to God.

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history of the holiday

After the ascension of Jesus Christ to Heaven, the Most Holy Mary remained in the care of the Apostle John. When King Herod began persecuting Christians, the Mother of God and John settled in Ephesus. There she prayed daily and asked the Lord to quickly take her to her. One day the Archangel Gabriel appeared to her and announced that after three days her earthly life would end.

Before her death, the Virgin Mary wished to see all the apostles who preached Christianity in different cities. Her wish came true. The apostles gathered at the bed of the Mother of God, where she humbly accepted death. The coffin with the body of the Mother of God was buried in a cave. The apostles remained at its foot for three more days and prayed. The Apostle Thomas was late for burial. He was allowed to open the entrance to the coffin and worship the holy remains. The body was not found in the cave. The apostles were convinced of the bodily ascension of the Mother of God to heaven.

Traditions and rituals of the holiday

The Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos is celebrated in the Orthodox Church with special solemnity. The holiday has 1 day of forefeast and 8 days of afterfeast. The clergy wear blue clothes.

On the eve of the holiday, the Shroud is brought to the center of the temple, which depicts the face of the Mother of God. Then an all-night vigil is performed, during which the stichera and canons are sung, the paremias are read, the troparion to the Assumption of the Mother of God is performed. On the 2nd or 3rd day of the feast, the Rite of the Burial of the Mother of God is performed in many cathedrals and parish churches. During Matins, during the great doxology, the clergy go out to the Shroud of the Most Holy Theotokos located in the center of the church and burn it. Then they carry her around the temple. After that, the clergy anoint the parishioners with consecrated oil (oil).

The Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos is preceded by the strict Dormition Fast. On August 28, parishioners break their fast. Housewives prepare festive dishes that they treat to the family and those in need.

According to folk tradition, on August 28, people harvest vegetables and fruits and make preparations for the winter. In Russia, the guys wooed that day.

What cannot be done on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

At the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, you should not wear new or uncomfortable shoes, otherwise you will feel uncomfortable throughout the year.

You cannot use foul language, offend your neighbors, refuse to help those in need, be rude and be in a bad mood.

In Russia, people compared the Mother of God with Mother Earth. On this holiday, it was forbidden to walk barefoot and stick sharp objects into the soil. These actions offended the land and resulted in crop failure.

Signs and beliefs on the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos

• Rainy weather on the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary foreshadows a dry autumn.
• If the holiday coincides with the "Indian summer", then the winter will be frosty and little snow.
• A girl who does not find a boyfriend until the Assumption will be unmarried until spring.
• It is a good omen to complete the previously started business or help a friend on this holiday.
• If you rub or injure your leg at the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, then life's difficulties and failures are expected ahead.

The Dormition of the Theotokos is celebrated annually on 28 August. The historical event of this memorable day is colored at the same time with sadness and joy. It was on this day that the Most Pure Virgin finished her life and was finally reunited with the Son.

The Dormition of the Blessed Virgin is considered one of the most important Orthodox holidays. This festival has to do with a story that is not written in the Bible, but nevertheless is known to everyone, thanks to the stories of church ministers.

The Dormition, or in other words death, of the Mother of God is a holiday of happiness and joy. But not everyone understands how such a sad moment can serve as an asset for Orthodox Christians. To do this, one should turn to the origins of the life of the Mother of God and learn the truth of the Christian faith.

Life of the Virgin

After the crucifixion of Christ, there are few words about the Virgin Mary in the Bible. It is only known that after the Ascension of Jesus into the Kingdom of Heaven, she lived in the capital of Israel, until the persecution of the Christian people began. John the Theologian, who was entrusted by Christ himself to protect and take care of the Mother of the Lord, helped her move to Ephesus. Every day the Ever-Virgin visited Bishop Lazarus the Four-Day, and also visited Mount Athos, which she later designated as a place for prayer and appeal to God.

Before her death, the Blessed Virgin returned to Jerusalem. There she indulged in daily prayers and went to those places that were associated with the life of her Son Jesus Christ. In prayer requests, the Mother of God begged for a meeting with the Son in heaven.

The Mother of God herself, before her death, left all her savings to her maids - widows. And she gave them instructions to bury her next to her parents at the foot of the Mount of Olives, in the village of Gethsemane.

History of the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

On the day the Virgin Mary passed away, all residents of the capital came to say goodbye to her. All preachers and believers under one roof gathered the news that the hour of death had struck for the Mother of God. Everyone watched her ascent, everyone came to say goodbye to the Blessed Virgin. The news of the death of the First Mother spread throughout the world, because the miracle that happened that day amazed even the most severe and ungodly person.

The Mother of God left the world of the living with light, bright, dazzling and pure, she was surrounded by angels, among whom Christ himself appeared before her. Mary turned to her Son with a request for the salvation and blessing of all those who are with her on this day and who pray for her. The Virgin Mary also called to Jesus in prayer to protect her by the power of the Lord God from demons and Satan, and then, in happiness and into ecstasy, completely surrendered herself into the hands of the Lord. Jesus Christ personally lifted up his mother in his arms into the Kingdom of Heaven.

For three days and three nights, the apostles sang biblical psalms near the tomb of the Blessed Virgin. And only on the third day did they receive true and complete peace from the Image of the Saint, presented to them in the person of the Mother of God and her speech. She demanded to rejoice and rejoice, to sing in spirit, since from that moment she will be next to everyone, forever protecting and patronizing. After the resurrection, the Mother's body left this world, going to the Lord in heaven.

Many people may think that it is completely absurd to celebrate the day of the Assumption, that is, the day when the Mother of God passed away. Indeed, for most people, death is nothing more than pain, suffering and sadness. But true believers know the truth: death is only the beginning of eternal life. Only after the repose begins a real, happy life in heaven, next to our Lord. Christians know that it is not death that brings suffering, but the actions that people do while living on earth.

The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary makes us understand that the Virgin Mary left this world with joy and peace in her soul. That life is only a difficult but forced path to gain eternal and true life. Therefore, the Dormition of the Theotokos is a blessed holiday for Christians, because only through death we know true happiness. We wish you a good mood and strong faith. be happy and don't forget to press the buttons and

The Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos is a great holiday in Orthodoxy. It is dedicated to the presentation (death) of the Mother of God and her ascension to heaven. Every year on August 28, Orthodox believers go to church to touch the origins. Why is there no need to grieve? Because death is just a transition to another world. The soul of the deceased, who led a righteous life, ascends to the Kingdom of Heaven for eternal life in happiness and peace.

So the Virgin Mary, having completed her earthly journey and fulfilling her destiny, gave her soul to the Heavenly Father, Jesus. On the icons of the Assumption of the Most Holy, dedicated to this event, you can see angels and archangels next to the deathbed of the Mother of God and in the center - Her Son with a baby in her arms. The baby symbolizes the soul of the deceased Virgin Mary. After death, there is a rebirth for eternal life. Therefore, the holiday is joyful and bright. It means the victory of life over death.

The Blessed Virgin met the Archangel Gabriel on the way to Mount Eleon, where she often prayed. He was holding a palm branch in his hand. As we know, with this plant, God's messengers brought good news to believers. This time the News was about the imminent death. The Mother of God learned that in 3 days she was to ascend to heaven and meet her Son. Jesus will take her to the Kingdom of Heaven, where her mother will live forever.

Returning home, the Virgin Mary told about the fateful meeting. Then she wrote a will in which she indicated that she wanted to be buried in Gethsemane near her parents. Also, according to her will, her vestments went to the poor servants who helped the Virgin Mary honestly and diligently for many years.

According to the old style, the Assumption of the Mother of God was to take place on the fifteenth of August. The history of the holiday says that at this time candles were lit in the church, where the Mother of God lay on a bed decorated with flowers. In an instant, space was flooded with light and all the heavenly powers appeared in it together with the Lord.

The Virgin Mary rejoiced, and Jesus embraced her, saying words of approval. Then He accepted her soul.

The body of the Virgin Mary was placed in a tomb, the entrance to which was filled with a huge stone. But after 3 days the Apostle Thomas began to ask and beg to give him the opportunity to say goodbye to the Most Pure. Then the other apostles pushed aside the stone and entered the cave with Thomas. The faces of all those who came froze the greatest amazement: only vestments lay on the bed, and Mary herself was not. There was a pleasant herbal scent in the cave.

What does the assumption of the mother of God mean

For a long time, the feast of the Assumption has been celebrated in churches with morning services, to which the Orthodox bring seeds of cereal crops for illumination. It happened after the night services, as soon as the sun rose.

The people called the Mother of God the Most Pure, the Lady. For this reason, the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin is called:

• Mistress day (Mistress);
• First Pure;
• Easter of the Virgin.

On this day, we, the believers, found our intercessor in heaven. In grief and sorrow, in suffering and sorrow, we pray to the icons of the Mother of God with requests for mercy, forgiveness, salvation. We ask for health and healing. And she helps all those who suffer, intercedes before the Lord for forgiveness and help for His lost children.

Icon of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary miraculous. This is the most powerful way that people pray for health and help. This icon is endowed with the power of help to walk the earthly path with dignity and are not afraid of death.

Dormition of the Virgin - August 28

On the eve of the holiday, many doubt the date of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos. The answer is simple - August 28 is the same every year. It is on this day that the Dormition Fast ends (it lasted from 14 to 28 August).

In the old days, this date was celebrated on the eighteenth of January. But the Emperor Mauritius timed the Assumption of the Virgin to the Day of Victory over the Persians and postponed the date to August 28.

The believers pray and rejoice all day. There is no place for sorrow and sadness. After all, this day once again reminds of the possibility of eternal life. This day gives one more hope for salvation. The Creator rewards righteous behavior. We are all his children. And eternal life is prepared for all of us. You just need to come to Him, accept Him, love Him.

our earthly path is only a stage before eternal life. You need to go through it with dignity, with love and faith. This is the path of learning, suffering and joy. Good deeds and pure thoughts affect eternal life. It will be with those who repent of their sins and come to Christ. He will take his children into the Kingdom of Heaven.

According to the Bible, death is the result of the fall of the first people. The disobedience shown by Adam and Eve led to their expulsion from paradise, where the Lord settled them forever. Now people were prepared for an earthly path in suffering in order to repent and be cleansed for eternal life.

What does "dormition" mean? This is death. But it can be defeated by opening your hearts to goodness, mercy and faith. And an example of this is the Resurrection of Christ and the Dormition of the Theotokos.

Signs and traditions on the day of Assumption

• This holiday is held in the family. They help mothers and parents. They thank them for their care, pray to the icon of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos.
• You can't put on new clothes so as not to feel discomfort all year long.
• You can't use bad language and be in a bad mood.
• It is forbidden to walk barefoot and pierce the ground with sharp objects so as not to attract crop failures.
• A leg injured on this day promises setbacks and obstacles.
• Although the church is unambiguous about the adherence of believers to rituals and superstitions. You cannot believe in ridiculous beliefs. There is one faith: in our Lord.
• A rainy day of dormancy is towards dry autumn.
• It is necessary to collect fruits and vegetables of the new harvest, to make preparations for the winter. Pickling of cucumbers will be especially good.
• Everyone prepares holiday meals for the family meal in honor of the feast of the Assumption. Bread is baked from flour of the new harvest. A piece of a loaf baked on the feast of the Assumption is placed next to the images and stored all year round. Such bread has healing powers.
• They give alms and help the poor, finish the work they have begun.
• Young men who decide to marry go to matchmakers.

We congratulate all believers on this bright holiday and wish peace, goodness and light in soul and life. Love and be loved. Live in harmony and happiness.

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August 28 The Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos is one of the twelve most important Orthodox holidays. He is very revered in the Orthodox world, as evidenced by the many temples of the Assumption, churches, monasteries. Many believers do not fully understand the concept of "dormition." Therefore, the following question will be considered - what does the feast of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos mean, what signs exist on this day and how to properly pray to the Virgin Mary.

The mention of this holiday takes believers far into the past, to the 5th century. It was then that the Assumption of the Virgin Mary began to be celebrated, but the name was somewhat different - "Memory of the Blessed", and only the inhabitants of Syria celebrated this day.

Today this holiday is celebrated on the same day every year. And it falls on August 28. This day is preceded by a short fast - the Dormition (August 14 - August 28), but it is very strict and comes second after Lent in importance. During this fast, two more holidays are celebrated - Honey Savior (August 14) and Apple Savior (August 19).

The Feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos is also called the First Most Pure or Easter of the Virgin. In churches on this day, flowers are presented to the icon depicting the deceased Mother of God and applied.

On the Most Pure, bread should be consecrated in the church. Such baked goods will have truly healing properties. Losing or dropping such bread was a very bad omen.

By tradition, on the feast of the Most Holy Theotokos, they arranged a club. Believers gathered together, laid the table, baked pies, and cooked mead. It was customary not to forget about the needy Orthodox believers.

Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, history of the holiday

According to legend, after Christ was crucified, the Blessed Virgin went to Golgotha ​​every day and prayed at the Savior's tomb. On one of these days, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to her and told her about his imminent death. This news was joyful for her, because her death meant a quick meeting with her son, so the last earthly days, and there were three of them, she lived, praying to the Lord, and urging others to do the same.

When the Most Holy Virgin departed, the Savior appeared to her, surrounded by all his angels and archangels.

The body of the Virgin was buried in the ancestral tomb, where her parents and husband were already buried. The funeral was very solemn and seemed to be surrounded by a large wall from the outside world. Many tried to prevent the body from being buried, but they were punished for their attempts.

The tomb of the Blessed Virgin was closed tightly with a stone. Three days after the funeral, the Apostle Thomas came to Jerusalem. He did not have time for the procession and tearfully asked to open the grave to say goodbye to the Virgin. When the stone was pushed back and entered the tomb, the body was not there, there were only the robes of the Mother of God.

All the apostles gathered together at a common table to celebrate the resurrection of the Blessed Virgin, and the Mother of God came to us, saying: “Rejoice! - I'm with you". Therefore, although dormition is death, this holiday should be celebrated. After all, the Blessed Virgin is next to all believers, and not only on this day.

Historically, it is on this day that the priests conduct services in light blue robes. On this holiday, the most extensive divine service is held, which is not the case on any other holy day.

Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, omens

On August 28, the people celebrated the harvest, which meant the end of the harvest. At the beginning of the day, they tried to consecrate those fields where wheat and grain grew.

This holiday falls at the end of summer, therefore, according to the weather conditions on this day, they judged what autumn will be:

• if a rainbow appears in the sky, autumn days will be warm;
• if the weather on the Assumption is clear and sunny, then autumn will be rainy and cloudy;
• a lot of cobwebs - early, frosty and little snowy winter;
• if frosts come after the Assumption, then the autumn will be very long;
• observed how the water behaves. If you are not worried, then the autumn will be calm, and there will be no snowstorms in winter;
• if it is very foggy on the day of the Assumption, a large harvest of mushrooms should be expected, and the warm season will delight people a little more;
• frost on plants on August 28 promises a very short autumn season, and frosts will come very soon.

On this day, shoes were of particular importance, in which they walked all day. To rub a callous was a long and difficult road to success. Therefore, we tried to put on old worn-out shoes.

It was customary to send matchmakers to the Most Pure. It was from that day onward that engagement and matchmaking took place. After all, autumn is the time for weddings, and those who did not have time to find their mate were left alone until next year. On this occasion, they said: "An unclean woman is carrying matchmakers - the Most Pure One has come."

Also, Orthodox Christians on this day celebrate the holiday of one of the main symbols of Ukraine - viburnum. This festival was only for girls, among whom there were competitions. The first one to reach the bush and pick the berry had to be the first to be caught. It was customary to decorate the entire courtyard with viburnum; it is a very strong amulet.

Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, what not to do

Since it follows before the feast of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos, it is very important not to sin on the 28th when leaving fasting. It means not to indulge in gluttony, which the Orthodox are very fond of doing at a lavish feast.

• On this day, you can not work either in the field, or in the garden, or in the vegetable garden, or in the house. It is considered a bad sign to stick a knife in the ground that day. The subsequent harvest will be poor.
• Believers say that on the day of the Assumption, you cannot walk barefoot on the ground. And then many diseases will attack. Also, do not offend close relatives and neighbors, scold them.
• Young girls on August 28 should not have their hair cut and thrown away. Thus, they can bring on the tears of the Virgin Mary.
• It is not advisable to make a fire on this day, so as not to attract various misfortunes into the house.

The only thing that is done on the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos is to remove damage and various conspiracies.

On the day of the Most Pure, it was customary to preserve vegetables, especially cucumbers and tomatoes. Fresh vegetables were already leaving, and preparations for the winter season had to be done. Also on this day they were harvesting in the garden: viburnum, pears and apples.

Prayers to the Virgin Mary

The bright holiday of the First Most Pure One must be combined with prayers. Prayers for the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos are aimed at mentioning the Virgin Mary, adoring her and drawing closer to the Mother of God. The main prayer is long enough and has the following text:

“O Most Holy Theotokos, Virgin, Lady, the highest Angel and Archangel, and the most honest of all creatures, great angelic surprise, prophetic high sermon, glorious apostolic praise, saints are a fair adornment, strong affirmation of martyrs, monks salutary instruction, fasting virginal purity and celibacy word, mothers quiet joy, babies in wisdom and punishment, widows and orphan nurses, naked robes, sick health, deliverance of captives, sailing silence on the sea, overwhelmed by a non-burnt refuge, wandering an easy mentor, traveling easy passage, laboring good peace, in trouble The intercessor, the offended shelter and refuge, the hopeless hope, demanding the helper, the beggars inexhaustible wealth, the sad inherent consolation, the hated loving humility, the salvation of sinners and the appropriation of God to God, the faithful of all are solid fencing, invincible help and intercession.
Through thee, the Lady, we see the invisible byst, and to Thee we offer a prayer, O Lady, Thy sinful servant: O gracious and wonderful light of the clever Queen, who gave birth to the Tsar Christ of our God, the Life-Giver of all, glorified from heaven and from earthly praises: angelic mind, radiant star , the most holy saints, the Queen of Queens, the mistress of all creatures, the Godly Maiden, the unfair Bride, the palate of the Holy Spirit, the fiery throne of the invisible King, the heavenly nod, wore the Words of God, the fiery chariot, the resting place of the living God, the ineffable composition of the flesh of the Eagle of Christ: God-voiced, gentle dove, quiet and gentle, child-loving mother, of mercies, an abyss, opening a cloud of God's wrath, immeasurable depth, inexpressible secret, unknown miracle, not made by hand to the church of the one Tsar of all ages, fragrant censer, honest scarlet, God-woven porphyry, soul-woven porphyry branch, beautiful color, heavenly joy flourished for us, the grave of our salvation, the cup of the Heavenly King , in it the wine of inexhaustible grace dissolves from the Holy Spirit, the Intercessor of the Law, conceived of the true faith of Christ, unshakable pillar, heretics perniciously, the sword of God's wrath against God-repugnants, intimidation of demons, victory in battle, Christians are all false guardians, and the world is all known salvation. "

“O all-merciful Lady, Virgin, Lady, Mother of God, hear us praying to Thee and show Thy mercy on Thy people, pray Thy Son to deliver us from all evil, and preserve our abode, and every abode, and city, and the land of the faithful, and people piously running and calling on Your holy name, from all misfortune, destruction, gladness, flood, fire, sword, invasion of foreigners, internecine warfare, from any disease, and all circumstances: neither by wounds, nor by reprimand, nor by pestilence, nor by any righteous anger Thy servants will diminish of God: but observe and save with Thy mercy, Lady, praying for us, and grant us a beneficial goodness of air by the time of a fruitful offering: make it easier, raise up and have mercy, having mercy on the Lady, the Theotokos, teaching, in every misfortune and need of existence.
Remember Thy servants, and do not despise our tears and our sighing, and renew us with the goodness of Thy mercy, but with thanksgiving we will be comforted by finding Thy Helper. Have mercy, O Lady Most Pure, on Thy weak people, our hope: gather the scattered ones, misleading to the right path; , and keep in longitude the days. "

“O merciful and gracious Queen of heaven and earth, Mother of God Ever-ever! By Thy intercession, have mercy on our country and the Christ-loving inhabitants of it, and all Orthodox Christians, who preserve them under the cover of Thy mercy, with Thy robe of honest protection: and pray from Thee incarnate without the seed of Christ our God, may we gird us from above with power on all visible and invisible enemies of ours , against foreigners and fellow tribesmen, fighting against us and our Orthodox faith.
Save and have mercy, Lady, holy patriarchs, metropolitans, most reverend archbishops and Orthodox bishops, priests and deacons, and all the worship of the church, and all the faithful people who worship and pray before your honest icon. Behold on all the charity of Your merciful intercession: Raise us from the depths of sin, and enlighten the eyes of the heart to the sight of salvation, be merciful to us here, and at the terrible judgment of Your Son pray for us, reigning in piety from the life of this servant of Yours, in eternal life Angels and Archangels, and come down with all the saints, and appear at the right hand of Thy Son and God: and by Thy prayer grant all Orthodox Christians with Christ to live, and to enjoy the joy of angels in the heavenly villages. Thou art, O Lord, the glory of the heavenly and the hope of the earthly, You are our hope, and the intercessor of all those who come to You, and Your holy help to those who ask: You are our warm prayer service to Your Son and our God: Your mother's prayer can do much for the pleading of the Lord, and By your intercession to the throne of grace of the Most Holy and His Life-giving Mysteries, we dare to approach even unworthy.
The same all-honorable image of Thy, and with Thy hand holding the Almighty on the icon, we rejoice in sin, falling down with emotion, and we kiss this love, longingly, Mistress, with Thy holy Godly prayers to reach the heavenly endless life, and it is not shameful for the Son of Thy Judgment on the right hand our, glorifying Him is bought with the Originless Father, and the Most Holy, Good, Life-giving and Consubstantial Spirit, forever and ever. Amen"

Prayer on this day to the Mother of God is obligatory for those who worship the Virgin Mary and who consciously fasted during the Dormition Fast. This will help to draw closer to the Blessed Virgin and will be spiritually enriched.

Thus, setting out what the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary means , we can confidently say that death should not be perceived as a tragedy. After his crucifixion, Christ the Savior took all sins at his own expense, and all who die after do not perish, but fall asleep (fall asleep), thus passing into the eternal kingdom. Therefore, it is customary to celebrate the day of the Assumption of the Virgin, observing certain rules and traditions.

The Lord is always with you!

It will also be interesting for you to watch a video about the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos:

Holiday event and its eortological dynamics

The Gospel does not say anything about the earthly life of the Mother of God after the Ascension of the Savior. Information about Her last days was preserved by church tradition, in particular, such lengthy apocryphal legends as "The Word of John the Theologian on the Dormition of the Theotokos", "The Word of John, Archbishop of Thessaloniki", as well as the most ancient festive word on the Assumption of the Jerusalem Patriarch Modest (+ 632), the words St. Andrew of Crete, Patriarch Herman of Constantinople, and three words of St. John of Damascus. All these sources date back to the 8th century.

However, there is also earlier evidence. The circumstances of the Dormition of the Mother of God are known in the Orthodox Church from the times of the Apostles. In the 1st century, the Hieromartyr Dionysius the Areopagite wrote about Her Assumption. In the II century, the legend of the bodily migration of the Blessed Virgin Mary to heaven was preserved in the writings of Meliton, Bishop of Sardis. In the IV century, Saint Epiphanius of Cyprus points to the tradition of the Dormition of the Mother of God.

If we summarize all the available information, the information content and reliability of which is not the same, we can say that by the time of Her blessed Dormition, the Blessed Virgin Mary again arrived in Jerusalem. Her glory as the Mother of God had already spread throughout the earth and armed many envious and proud people against Her, which prompted attempts on Her life. But God kept Her from enemies. She spent days and nights in prayer. Often the Most Holy Theotokos came to the Holy Sepulcher of the Lord, burnt incense here and knelt. More than once the enemies of the Savior attempted to hinder Her from visiting the holy place and asked the high priests for guards to guard the Tomb of the Savior. But the Holy Virgin, unseen by anyone, continued to pray before him.

On one of these visits, the Archangel Gabriel appeared before Her and announced Her imminent migration from this life to the eternally blissful life. As a pledge, the archangel handed Her a palm branch. With heavenly news, the Mother of God returned to Bethlehem with three virgins serving Her (Zipporah, Evigee and Zoila).

Then She summoned the righteous Joseph of Arimathea and the disciples of the Lord, to whom she announced Her imminent Dormition. The Blessed Virgin also prayed that the Lord would send the Apostle John to Her. And the Holy Spirit caught him up from Ephesus, placing him next to the place where the Mother of God was reclining. After the prayer, the Blessed Virgin lit incense, and John heard a voice from heaven, concluding Her prayer with the word "Amen." The Mother of God noticed that this voice signifies the imminent arrival of the apostles and disembodied heavenly powers. The apostles, whose number cannot be counted, flocked like eagles to serve the Mother of God. Seeing each other, the apostles rejoiced, but in bewilderment they mutually asked: why did the Lord gather them in one place?

St. John the Theologian, welcoming them with joyful tears, said that the time had come for the Mother of God to depart to the Lord.

Entering the Mother of God, they saw Her splendidly sitting on the couch, filled with spiritual joy. During the conversation, the Apostle Paul also miraculously appeared with his disciples: Dionysius the Areopagite, Hierotheos, Timothy and others from among the 70 apostles. All of them were gathered by the Holy Spirit so that they might be worthy of the blessing of the Most Pure Virgin Mary and more splendidly arranged the burial of the Mother of the Lord.

The third hour has come, when the Assumption of the Mother of God was to be performed. Many candles were burning. With hymns, the holy apostles surrounded the beautifully decorated bed on which the Mother of God was reclining. She prayed in anticipation of Her exodus and the coming of Her longed-for Son and Lord. Suddenly the ineffable light of Divine Glory shone, before which the burning candles dimmed. Those who saw this were horrified. The top of the room seemed to disappear in the rays of inexplicable light, and the King of Glory Himself descended - Christ, surrounded by a multitude of angels, archangels and other heavenly forces with the righteous souls of the forefathers and prophets who once foreshadowed the Blessed Virgin. Without any bodily suffering, as if in a pleasant dream, the Most Holy Virgin gave her soul into the hands of Her Son and God.

Then there was a joyful angelic singing. Accompanying the pure soul of the Bride of God as the Queen of Heaven, the angels cried out with reverent fear: “Rejoice, Blessed One, the Lord is with You, blessed are You in wives! Behold the Queen, the God-maid, come, take the gates, and this prematurely raise the Ever-Present Mother of Light; For the sake of all-nation man salvation was quick. We cannot look at Nuzha, and we cannot give that worthy honor to the weak "(stichera of the holiday on Lord, cry out). The heavenly gates were raised, meeting the soul of the Most Holy Theotokos, the cherubim and seraphim glorified Her with joy. The graceful face of the Mother of God shone with the glory of Divine virginity, and a fragrance spread from the body.

Kissing the pure body reverently and with fear, the apostles were sanctified from it and were filled with grace and spiritual joy. For the greater glorification of the Most Holy Theotokos, the almighty power of God healed the sick, who with faith and love touched the sacred bed.

Having mourned their separation from the Mother of God on earth, the apostles proceeded to burial. Peter, Paul, James and others from among the 12 apostles carried a bed on their shoulders, on which the body of the Ever-Virgin was reclined. Saint John the Theologian walked in front with a paradisiacal radiant branch, while other saints and many of the faithful accompanied the bed with candles and censers, singing sacred songs. This solemn procession began from Zion and proceeded through all Jerusalem to Gethsemane.

The unbelieving inhabitants of Jerusalem, amazed at the extraordinary grandeur of the funeral procession and embittered by the honors rendered to Mother Jesus, reported this to the high priests and scribes. Burning with envy and revenge for everything that reminded them of Christ, they sent their servants to disperse the accompanying people and burn the very body of the Mother of God. The agitated people and soldiers rushed with fury at the Christians, but the cloudy crown, which accompanied the procession through the air, sank to the ground and, as it were, enclosed it with a wall. The pursuers heard footsteps and chants, but they saw none of the escorts. Many of the intruders were struck with blindness.

Out of envy and hatred of the Mother of Jesus of Nazareth, the Jewish priest Avfonia wanted to overturn the bed on which the body of the Blessed Virgin lay. But the angel of God invisibly cut off his hands, which touched the bed. Seeing such a miracle, Avfonia repented and with faith confessed the majesty 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.

When the procession reached Gethsemane, there, with weeping and sobbing, the last kissing of the most pure body began. Only in the evening could the holy apostles put him in a coffin and close the entrance to the cave with a large stone. For three days they did not leave the place of burial, performing incessant prayers and psalmics.

In the evening, when the apostles gathered in the house to refresh themselves with food, the Mother of God herself appeared to them and said: “Rejoice! I am with you all the days. " This greatly delighted the apostles and all those who were with them. They picked up a portion of the bread set for a meal in memory of the Savior ("the Lord's portion") and exclaimed: "Most Holy Theotokos, help us." This was 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 observed in monasteries.

The question of the date of the Dormition of the Mother of God is controversial: Eusebius of Caesarea calls 48 AD, Epiphanius - 58th, Meliton of Sardi - 55th, Nicephorus Callistus - 44th, there are other opinions.

It is not known for certain at what age the Mother of God reposed. You can reason like this. Saint Dionysius the Areopagite was present at Her burial. He was converted to faith by the Apostle Paul in 52, traveled with him for three years, was in Jerusalem with the Mother of God, then lived in Athens, where he became a bishop. Consequently, he could arrive at the funeral of the Most Pure One no earlier than 57. It is believed that the Nativity of Christ followed in the 15th year of Mary's life. This means that by the time of the Assumption She was 72 years old.

Based on the foregoing, it becomes obvious that the feast in honor of the Dormition of the Theotokos could not have arisen early.

The Church much earlier came to the idea of ​​celebrating the day of the death of the martyrs than the Dormition. It is significant that in the Syrian month of the 3rd-4th centuries, in which every day of the year has the memory of a saint, there is not a single Feast of the Theotokos. The reason for this is understandable: the martyrs suffered and died in front of everyone's eyes, and the days of their death were sealed in the hearts of Christians. As for the Mother of God, a later theological deepening into the dogma of the Incarnation and the encroachment of heresies on Her dignity, which took place only in the 5th century, was needed in order to draw the reverent attention of Christians to the personality of the Mother of God.

The Theotokos holidays, or, more precisely, one such holiday, which subsequently broke up into several, must have arisen in connection with the Nativity of Christ (or the Epiphany, which previously coincided and even was identified with the Nativity of Christ). Therefore, the current Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos on December 26 is an eortological prototype of the Mother of God feasts.

So, among the Nestorians, the feast of the Most Holy Mary is located in the calendar immediately after the Nativity of Christ. In the 7th century Coptic calendar on January 16 (shortly after the Epiphany), the birth of the Lady Mary falls, and in the 9th century month, January 16 is marked as "the death and resurrection of the Theotokos."

According to the ancient Armenian Lectionary, “the day of Mary the Theotokos” is celebrated on August 15 (cf. documents of the 7th Ecumenical Council of 787, which record that the Dormition is celebrated on August 15).

In a number of liturgical monuments for the Assumption, an extremely wide chronological range is established - between January and August. In the ancient Roman pseudo-Jerome Martyrology (VII century) on January 18, it is shown as depositio(demise) Beatae Mariae, a August 14 - how assumptio(taking to heaven). This division is significant. It demonstrates how the Church of that time looked at the death of the Mother of God: without denying the bodily death of the Mother of God, she believed that this death was followed by a resurrection, although, apparently, she thought that it did not happen as soon as the later tradition suggests.

In the later Roman calendar (VIII century), one holiday is already laid - the Assumption, August 15 (cf. also the Sacramentary of Pope Gelasius in the edition of the VII century). At the same time, the Gallic Church, according to the testimony of Gregory of Tours (+ 594), celebrated the Assumption in January (see Gothic-Gallican and Luxovian Missals of the 7th – 8th centuries).

In the Greek Church, reliable information about the analyzed holiday is recorded only from the end of the 6th century. Nicephorus Callistus claims that the celebration of the Assumption was established by the emperor Mauritius (592-602). However, numerous facts cast doubt on such a late date. In Constantinople, there were many churches in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos, built by Constantine the Great, Pulcheria, which cannot but testify to the feast in honor of Her.

In all likelihood, even before Mauritius, the Assumption in the capital of Byzantium was a local and optional holiday. The emperor, in gratitude for the victory won over the Persians on August 15, made this celebration a church-wide (see the testimony of the Stishny prologue). This version acquires evidentiary force if we recall the eortological history of the Presentation.

And in the West, the feast of the Assumption at this ancient time was not widespread. It is remarkable that the Greek name of the holiday - the Assumption - is presented in the Pontifical Book of the 7th century on August 15th. In the Gospels of 740, the inscription is given: Sollemnita de pausatione sanctae Mariae(Celebration of the rest of St. Mary).

However, in the Sacramentary, which Pope Adrian I (772-775) sent to Charlemagne, a different name for the holiday is already used - Mary's Admission to Heaven.

It is possible that such variability in naming is associated, among other things, with the following circumstance: at least until the 12th century, this holiday in the West in solemnity is inferior to the days of especially revered saints.

Feast in Orthodox worship

Unlike many other holidays, the diachronic changes of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos - primarily due to the rather late establishment - are recorded in the Eastern Christian tradition in the smallest detail. See, for example, the Georgian translation of the Jerusalem Canon, where the Assumption is indicated under August 15th.

Extremely detailed remarks in connection with the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos are given in the charter of Hagia Sophia of Constantinople. In this, this celebration differs significantly from the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos, which is only indicated.

According to the statute, on the eve of the holiday, everyone gathered in the church and from there with a litany went to the square, where ordinary prayers were performed. Upon their return, the Divine Liturgy was served. The troparion sang on departure (voice 8) We are grateful to all of you, that is, modern ipakoi.

There were three readings at Vespers. Next: troparion of the 1st voice You have kept your virginity at Christmas, supplicatory litany, great Lord have mercy; Wisdom- and the reading began, and after it the requiem followed, the rank of which had been lost.

The prokeimenon, the Apostle and the Gospel in the liturgy are laid down the same as now (only the second halleluary has changed: not The Lord swears to David,a Remember your host).

Thus, instead of the current rich variety of festive hymnography, this charter contains only two songs. But he honors the holiday with a solemn litany (procession of the cross through the city) the day before.

The modern Typikon retained something similar only for the feasts of the Meeting, Annunciation and Easter. In addition, the charter of the Great Church allows consistent dating of the Dormition troparion and ipakoi - Christmas virginity, We are grateful to you, everyone.

The Sophia charter of Constantinople appoints only one day for the feast of the Assumption, except for the fact that on the second day of the feast a service is scheduled in the church of the Virgin near Xirolophus (just as the cathedral of the Virgin in Blachernae is appointed on the second day of the Nativity of Christ).

The next structural and substantive step in the liturgical development of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos is the brief charter of the Studite monastery in Constantinople. In this typicon, the holiday in question for the first time goes beyond one day.

In the charter of the Evergetida monastery in Constantinople with the practice of the 11th century (according to the 12th century manuscript), this line is continued. And for the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, the forefeast and the afterfeast are already codified, equal to the modern one, that is, until August 23 (eight days). However, both the forefeast and the afterfeast are distinguished by even less solemnity than at the present time. It is also significant that the festive vigil did not consist of Vespers, which was always served separately, but of Pannykhis and Matins.

Separate consideration is required for the Prologue to the Evergetid Typicon, where there is a chapter on the Assumption, which reads: "The Assumption should be celebrated with you light, - light and solemn, for this is a holiday of holidays and a triumph of celebrations." So, “on what (holiday) and the distribution of food ( diadosin- Greek) in the pylon (colonnade, porch), we command you to perform as far as possible and as far as your hand abounds ”. Similar recommendations contain other typicons of the type under consideration, for example Nikolo-Kazolyansky.

Turning now to the numerous varieties of the Studian Rite and comparing them with modern codification, the changes can be found mainly in the ranking of the hymnography of the various parts of the All-Night Vigil, as well as of the festive, pre-holiday, and festive hymns.

A few words must be said about the Dormition Fast, which lasts from August 1 to August 14 and takes first place after Great Lent in holiness (the degree of abstinence adopted for it), surpassing the Christmas one. During it, eating fish and vegetable oil is prohibited (the exceptions in the latter case are Saturdays and Sundays).

The Dormition fast, of course, like the holiday itself, is characterized, in comparison with the rest of the fast, with a lesser antiquity.

The history of this fast is extremely instructive, since it was established without the assistance of the power of Tradition, so powerful in the Church, but is based on a solid foundation of reverent love for the Theotokos.

Turning to church monuments, for the first time the indication (I must say, very specific and not too intelligible) to the Assumption Fast can be found in the typicon of the southern Italian Nicholas Kazolyansky monastery, that is, in the XII century. Henceforth, the need for fasting (in the Pilot's Book, in the writings of Anastasius of Caesarea, XI-XII centuries, etc.) is justified by references to the Antiochian patriarchs. From their testimonies, it is concluded that the Dormition Fast, being separated from the fast of the holy apostles, was observed even before the emperor Leo the Wise, that is, until the 9th century.

Nikon the Montenegrin says about the Dormition Fast that those who do not observe it have no foundation for themselves in antiquity, however, those who observe it are confirmed not by the apostolic tradition, but by the custom of subsequent times.

So, the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos is currently a great twelve feast, which has a stable calendar date and has one day of the forefeast (August 14) and eight days of the afterfeast (the giving takes place on August 23).

Follow-up to the repose of the Most Holy Theotokos

In order for the picture of the feast of the Assumption to be more complete, it is necessary to comment on the rite of the burial of the Mother of God - the Succession to the repose of the Most Holy Theotokos. This service is established in Gethsemane. Here, at the burial place of the Virgin Mary, there is a richly decorated basilica, the main focus of the Dormition celebrations.

So, in the morning of August 14, from 9-10 o'clock, a special service of the burial of the Mother of God is performed, consisting of the singing of the 17th kathisma with refrains - praises similar to those of Great Saturday. The patriarch is serving. Upon censing the bed with the shroud of the Mother of God in the cave of Her burial, after the usual start of the service ( Trisagion before Our Father), the bed with the shroud is brought to the middle of the temple under the chandelier. The patriarch stands behind the bed, and the bishops, archimandrites and hieromonks stand on his sides to the royal doors. The chief priest enters the cave again in order to begin the censing of the entire church from there, which is performed when the 1st article of funeral praises is sung: Life in the coffin relies... The article, as on Great Saturday, is concluded with a litany with an exclamation of the patriarch. On the 2nd article - Worthy to eat the majesty- censes (only the cave and the bed) and utters an exclamation of the oldest bishop. Article 3 states: Give birth to all the songs for Thy burial they bring, Virgo, and the second bishop censes. The third article, as on Holy Saturday, turns into the chanting of the Sunday troparia: Angelic cathedral... The litanies are followed by the Exapostilary of the feast ( Apostles from the end of the earth), praiseworthy stichera and great praise. On his Trisvyatom chanted long, the bed with the shroud is carried by the priests to the upper platform of the basilica, where the litany is pronounced. Further, the bed moves back to the middle of the temple while singing the Exapostilarius and the stichera With thunder on the clouds, the Savior sends the apostles to the Born... Then the patriarch makes a dismissal.

In Russia, the funeral rite for the Assumption was previously performed only in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, in the Kostroma Epiphany monastery and in the Gethsemane skete near the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. At the same time, in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, he did not constitute a separate service, as in Gethsemane, but joined the polyeleos at all-night vigil on the holiday itself.

At present, the succession to the repose of the Most Holy Theotokos is carried out everywhere.

In the Gethsemane skete, St. Philaret (Drozdov) established, in addition to the Dormition, the feast of the Resurrection and Ascension of the Mother of God, which is celebrated on August 17. As a liturgical custom, the celebration, however, is not supported by generally accepted statutory recommendations. On the eve, the burial rite of the Most Holy Theotokos is performed, and in the morning there is a liturgy with a procession of the cross and the icon of the Ascension of the Theotokos.

Holiday iconography

The events of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos are also presented in detail in iconography, the full formation of which belongs to the post-iconoclastic era.

Two ivory plates date from the end of the 10th century - for the frame of the Gospel of Emperor Otto III from the Bavarian Library in Munich and a plaque from the Metropolitan Museum in New York. The general composition of the scene of the Assumption in both monuments will become traditional for the art of Byzantium and Ancient Rus. The Mother of God is depicted in the center on a bed, on either side of Her are the weeping apostles, behind the bed is the Savior with the soul of the Mother of God, depicted as a swaddled baby.

The Dormition of the Mother of God, like the Resurrection of Christ, symbolized the trampling of death and the resurrection to life of the century to come. The images of the Assumption have a complex liturgical interpretation. So, the bed with the body of the Mother of God is visually likened to the throne in the temple, and the arrangement of the apostles in two groups, headed by Peter and Paul, on either side of it, is their presence at the Eucharist and communion under two views. Christ behind the bed was the image of the bishop at the meal. The image in some of the monuments of the Apostle Peter with a censer in his hand indicated, perhaps, the censing of holy gifts in the liturgy, and the image of the Apostle John, falling to the bed of the Virgin Mary, to the priest kissing the throne. Often in the scene of the Dormition, two or four bishops were depicted, along with the apostles, the coming of the Mother of God. These images of Saints Dionysius the Areopagite, Hierotheos, Timothy of Ephesus and James, the brother of the Lord, who were present at the Dormition of the Mother of God, they symbolized the bishop's communion of priests in the sacrament of the Eucharist. Angels, flying in scenes of the Dormition to Christ with covered hands, as if to receive holy gifts, seem to serve at the liturgy as deacons. According to tradition, the Assumption was portrayed as an event taking place in the house of John the Theologian in Jerusalem - in the upper room of Zion, where the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles had previously occurred.

Since about the 11th century, an expanded version of the iconography of the Assumption, the so-called "cloud type", has become widespread. For example, a fresco from the Church of Hagia Sophia in Ohrid (Macedonia); an icon of the beginning of the XIII century, originating from the Novgorod Desyatin Monastery, etc.

Most often, one or more burning candles are depicted at the bed of the Virgin, symbolizing a prayer to the Lord. Often, a stamna jug is placed at the bedside, inserted into a bowl: this is one of the poetic symbols of the Mother of God, found in Byzantine and Old Russian hymnography.

In the 15th century in Russia, icons of the Assumption were widely distributed, depicting the miracle of cutting off the hands by an angel in the foreground of the wicked Jew Avfonia in front of the bed. Perhaps the popularity of the plot at that time and in the 16th century was associated with the struggle against heretical movements. For the first time, this plot was recorded in a fresco of the Church of Panagia Mavriotissa in Kastoria (the turn of the XII-XIII centuries).

In the 17th century, monumental temple icons of the Assumption appear, accompanied by stamps, in which the "Legend of the Assumption" is illustrated. For example, the 1658 icon from the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin in the hallmarks depicts the prayer of the Mother of God before her death, the farewell of the Mother of God to her loved ones, the journey of the apostles, their conversation with the Mother of God and other scenes. The most detailed story about the Assumption of the Virgin ends with the image of the Mother of God on a bed in the garden of Eden. The same story about the Assumption contains the hallmarks of the icon of the Assumption of the late 17th century.