Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary: what you can and cannot do on this day. Signs and beliefs on the feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary Rules of behavior on this day
Any Christian knows that on holy holidays it is necessary to attend church and the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary also requires attendance at the service. But what cannot be done on the Feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a more complicated question, because There are many different signs associated with this day.
The history of the holidayThe Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the dozen most important church holidays. According to legend, Mary’s earthly life lasted 72 years, and before her death he appeared to her and announced her imminent death. Three days after the death of the Virgin Mary, it was discovered that her crypt was empty.
Christians consider the Dormition a dual holiday: on the one hand, they mourn for the Mother of God, on the other, they rejoice at her meeting with the Creator and the upcoming eternal life. That is why the holiday is called the Dormition - not death, but the transition from earthly life to eternal life.
Now believers celebrate the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary on August 28, or on the 15th according to the old style. In Syria, where the tradition of celebrating the Assumption appeared for the first time, the holiday was celebrated for a long time on December 26. For two weeks before the Dormition, believers observe fasting; the day before is pre-holiday, and the next 8 are post-holiday.
Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary: what should not be done on this day?
One of the most famous prohibitions is that you cannot go barefoot to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Dew on this day symbolizes the tears of Mary, so getting your feet wet with it is a sign of troubles and misfortunes. In addition, on the Assumption you cannot stick anything into Mother Earth, otherwise you can offend and upset her.
It is not advisable to cook food on the Feast of the Dormition - this must be done in advance. In general, on this day you should not pick up piercing or cutting objects. Even believers try to break bread rather than cut it. But what you should do for the holiday is to salt cabbage and cucumbers. They will turn out tasty, aromatic and will definitely last until spring.
You shouldn’t even work on the Feast of the Assumption. The only exception is work that cannot be postponed, as well as deeds to help others. But if work begun in advance is completed precisely on the Assumption, this is very good sign, promising good luck.
Ancient beliefs say that for the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary you should not wear bad shoes - old, uncomfortable, rubbing calluses. If you neglect this sign, your future life will be overshadowed by various difficulties and problems.
An unmarried girl who dreams of finding family happiness cannot talk to anyone on the morning of the Assumption. Before starting to communicate with her family, the girl must wash herself with cold water, repeating the spell to herself three times: “Most Holy Theotokos, you marry everyone, unite families, help me find a groom. In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen".
What can you do on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary?In the villages, on the Feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, it was customary to finish the harvest, and dress the last sheaf as a maiden and place it under the icons. On this day they also prepared mead, picked apples and pears, and held large celebrations.
A person who fasted before the Dormition could afford all the festive dishes on this holiday. And, besides, he could believe that the “evil one” would not come close to him for a year.
On the Assumption, bread was required to be brought to church. The consecrated crust acquired excellent taste and medicinal qualities. But when eating this bread, you couldn’t drop even one crumb on the floor.
Christians also looked closely at the weather for the Assumption - for this holiday they were considered very accurate. The sun and fine weather promised a rainy and cold autumn, but bad weather for the holiday promised favorable and dry weather until the cold weather.
We have already told you what, according to tradition, for example. But it died down, and a new holiday is approaching - the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary!
What holiday is it?
According to legend, Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, lived seventy-two years on Earth, and then Gabriel, the archangel himself, came to her and said that she would soon die. Mary was buried in the crypt, and three days later they discovered that it was empty! And it is therefore unclear whether the holiday is a joyful one or a sad one. Mary is no longer with us - but Mary is now in the arms of the Creator! So the Assumption does not mean death at all, but only the transition from earthly life to eternal life.
It is celebrated on the twenty-eighth of August, and according to the old style - on the fifteenth, that is, thirteen days earlier. Initially, the Assumption was celebrated in Syria, and it took place on the twenty-sixth of December. And, of course, Orthodoxy has its own traditions...
Prohibitions regarding land
The dew on the Assumption is the tears of Mary, and there is no need to wet your feet with these tears—you shouldn’t walk barefoot. And there is no need to stick anything into the ground either, it will offend her. Just like wearing bad, uncomfortable shoes - walk on the ground in them, life will be difficult.
Prohibitions on business
Don't prepare food on holiday, do everything in advance. You don’t need to pick up anything that can stab or cut; it’s even better to break bread. But you can do pickling, since the vegetables will definitely be in good condition until spring! Don't work except helping people. But you can complete work that you have already started earlier on the Dormition - this is a great sign!
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Unmarried girl She should not talk to anyone before she washes herself with cold water, saying to herself three times: “Most Holy Mother of God, you marry everyone, unite families, help me find a groom. In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen".
What can you do?
Finish things, as we have already said - for example, our ancestors finished the harvest and dressed the last sheaf as a maiden. You can't cook food, but you can brew mead. If you observed the Dormition Fast, then you can eat anything and understand that you will not have troubles all year. Bread is brought to church and blessed, but even a crumb cannot be dropped from the blessed bread.
What does the weather promise?
If the sun is shining on Assumption, then autumn will be rainy, but if, on the contrary, there is bad weather, everything will be fine, autumn will be dry until the coldest weather. So either a good holiday and a wet autumn - or the holiday is ruined, but autumn is what we need!
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Journalist JoeInfoMedia Diana Lynn reminds that traditions have long been outdated and few people observe them. - someone wears, someone wears something completely wrong, but believes that everything is fine... So how you celebrate the Dormition is your business and the matter of your adherence to ancestral traditions and the memory of your ancestors!
An important and solemn day in Orthodox world is the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. For believers, this is truly a holiday, since the Mother of God was accepted into heaven.
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 of the Blessed Virgin Mary take place in 2017?
The holiday is celebrated annually on August 28 and this year there will be no exception. The day precedes the Assumption Fast, which 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 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 good groom, 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 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 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.
Most Christian holidays are celebrated as a tribute to the memory of saints and apostles on the days of the end of their mortal life.
A special place among these events is occupied by the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, dedicated to the memories of believers about the death of the Virgin Mary. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that the death of the Mother of God is practically not described in the Holy Scriptures, but is well known thanks to church traditions.
The canonical texts contain neither information about the time of death of the Virgin Mary, nor details of her burial. Only the New Testament says that she remained in the care of John and remained in prayer for a long time.
According to church traditions, shortly before Mary’s death, the Archangel Gabriel appeared and 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, when they opened the crypt, they discovered 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 Dormition, and not death, since she 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, joy from the anticipation of eternal life and the meeting with the Creator.
Dormition is not death, but a temporary sleep of the human body until the resurrection and entry into the 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 it begin to be celebrated in Syria, and from the 6th century - 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 new dates appeared.
Around 460, the Assumption began to be celebrated on August 15 in Jerusalem, and in the 6th century, according to the edict of the Emperor Mauritius, this date was officially recognized as a holiday in Byzantium.
IN Orthodox Church The Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary belongs to the twelve feasts 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 Dormition Fast and one day of pre-celebration, during which believers prepare for celebrations and listen to prayers in churches. After the Assumption, eight post-holiday days are celebrated, when the church glorifies Mother of God and perform memorial services.
Among the people, the feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary coincides with the harvest period. Earlier on this day, it was customary to dress up the last sheaf of the harvested wheat (“dozhinka”) in a sundress and carry 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 day after the holiday, Nut Spas 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 fatty foods. If the Assumption falls on Wednesday or Friday, breaking the fast is postponed to the next day. You can do housework, work in the garden, make pickles and sauerkraut.
Among the residents of villages and hamlets there is a belief that on the Assumption one should leave a few ears of corn in the fields, which helps increase the harvest for the next year.
It is believed that during the Assumption 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, since rubbing calluses on the Assumption entails difficulties and problems. During the celebration, it is customary to bake and consecrate a loaf of bread in churches, but when cutting and eating the consecrated bread, not a single crumb should be dropped on the floor.
Now let's do everything right!
Any Christian knows that on holy holidays it is necessary to attend church and the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary also requires attendance at the service. But what cannot be done on the Feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a more complicated question, because There are many different signs associated with this day.
The history of the holiday
The Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the dozen most important church holidays. According to legend, Mary’s earthly life lasted 72 years, and before her death, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to her and announced her imminent death. Three days after the death of the Virgin Mary, it was discovered that her crypt was empty.
Christians consider the Dormition a dual holiday: on the one hand, they mourn for the Mother of God, on the other, they rejoice at her meeting with the Creator and the upcoming eternal life. That is why the holiday is called the Dormition - not death, but the transition from earthly life to eternal life.
Now believers celebrate the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary on August 28, or on the 15th according to the old style. In Syria, where the tradition of celebrating the Assumption appeared for the first time, the holiday was celebrated for a long time on December 26. For two weeks before the Dormition, believers observe fasting; the day before is pre-holiday, and the next 8 are post-holiday.
Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary: what should not be done on this day?
One of the most famous prohibitions is that you cannot go barefoot to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Dew on this day symbolizes the tears of Mary, so getting your feet wet with it is a sign of troubles and misfortunes. In addition, on the Assumption you cannot stick anything into Mother Earth, otherwise you can offend and upset her.
It is not advisable to cook food on the Feast of the Dormition - this must be done in advance. In general, on this day you should not pick up piercing or cutting objects. Even believers try to break bread rather than cut it. But what you should do for the holiday is to salt cabbage and cucumbers. They will turn out tasty, aromatic and will definitely last until spring.
You shouldn’t even work on the Feast of the Assumption. The only exception is work that cannot be postponed, as well as deeds to help others. But if work begun in advance is completed precisely on the Assumption, this is a very good sign, promising good luck.
Ancient beliefs say that for the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary you should not wear bad shoes - old, uncomfortable, rubbing calluses. If you neglect this sign, your future life will be overshadowed by various difficulties and problems.
An unmarried girl who dreams of finding family happiness cannot talk to anyone on the morning of the Assumption. Before starting to communicate with her family, the girl must wash herself with cold water, repeating the spell to herself three times: “Most Holy Theotokos, you marry everyone, unite families, help me find a groom. In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen".
What can you do on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary?
In the villages, on the Feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, it was customary to finish the harvest, and dress the last sheaf as a maiden and place it under the icons. On this day they also prepared mead, picked apples and pears, and held large celebrations.
A person who fasted before the Dormition could afford all the festive dishes on this holiday. And, besides, he could believe that the “evil one” would not come close to him for a year.
On the Assumption, bread was required to be brought to church. The consecrated crust acquired excellent taste and medicinal qualities. But when eating this bread, you couldn’t drop even one crumb on the floor.
Christians also looked closely at the weather for the Assumption - the signs for this holiday were considered very accurate. The sun and fine weather promised a rainy and cold autumn, but the bad weather for the holiday promised favorable and dry weather until the cold weather.