The Dormition of the Mother of God

In giving birth, O Theotokos thou hast retained thy virginity, and in falling asleep thou hast not forsaken the world. Thou who art the Mother of Life hast passed over into life, and by thy prayers thou dost deliver our souls from death. (Troparion, Tone 1).

8/28/2015

The Dormition of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary

The Dormition, or "Falling Asleep."

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Rating: 6.8|Votes: 13

The Dormition of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary

The Dormition, or "Falling Asleep."

At the first movement, a wide and luminous circle of cloud appeared suddenly over the most pure body of the Mother of God like a wreath, and a host of angels joined together with the host of Apostles. The singing of the heavenly powers could be heard glorifying the Mother of God, and this singing was repeated by earthly voices. This circle of heavenly chanters and luminosity moved along in the air, accompanying the procession to the very place of burial.

Sermon on the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos

St. John of Kronstadt

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Rating: 8.6|Votes: 12

Sermon on the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos

St. John of Kronstadt

Today the Holy Church solemnly glorifies the honorable Dormition or translation of the Mother of God from earth to heaven. A wonderful translation - she died without serious illness, peacefully. Her soul is taken up in the divine hands of Her Son and carried up into the heavenly abode, accompanied by the sweet singing of angels.

Sermon on the Dormition of the Mother of God

Priest Alexander Mramornov

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Sermon on the Dormition of the Mother of God

Priest Alexander Mramornov

For three days before her blessed end, amid burning prayer on the Mount of Olives, Archangel Gabriel announced to her that she would make the final passage, and gave her a frond from heaven. The Heavenly Queen, the Mother of God, was not confounded, she did not fear for her moment of death, and joyously took to her deathbed. In response to her wish, the Holy Apostles were miraculously gathered at her deathbed to pay their last respects at her funeral.

A Homily on the Dormition of Our Supremely Pure Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary

St. Gregory Palamas

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Rating: 7.6|Votes: 7

A Homily on the Dormition of Our Supremely Pure Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary

St. Gregory Palamas

If, then, "death of the righteous man is honorable" (cf. Ps. 115:6) and the "memory of the just man is celebrated with songs of praise" (Prov. 10:7), how much more ought we to honor with great praises the memory of the holiest of the saints, she by whom all holiness is afforded to the saints, I mean the Ever-Virgin. Mother of God! Even so we celebrate today her holy dormition or translation to another life, whereby, while being "a little lower than angels" (Ps. 8:6), by her proximity to the God of all, and in the wondrous deeds which from the beginning of time were written down and accomplished with respect to her, she has ascended incomparably higher than the angels and the archangels and all the super-celestial hosts that are found beyond them.

Feast of the Dormition of our Most Holy Lady, The Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary

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Rating: 4|Votes: 3

Feast of the Dormition of our Most Holy Lady, The Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary

This great Feast of the Church and the icon celebrates a fundamental teaching of our faith—the Resurrection of the body. In the case of the Theotokos, this has been accomplished by the divine will of God. Thus, this Feast is a feast of hope, hope in Resurrection and life eternal.

The Dormition of our Most Holy Lady the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary

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Rating: 3.7|Votes: 13

The Dormition of our Most Holy Lady the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary

The respect of ancient Christians for the Mother of God was so great that they preserved what they could about Her life, what they could take note of concerning Her sayings and deeds, and they even passed down to us a description of Her outward appearance.

Our Mom

His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim of Kastoria

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Our Mom

His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim of Kastoria

Along with the entire choir of Saints in the Kingdom of Heaven, together with those also who live today in the trenches of life and with the prayers of those who support the world, we also send her our supplications. My Panagia, my joy, my consolation, my hope, my breath, save us from every circumstance.

The Vision of the Theotokos Communing the Weary Fathers

On the One Who Saw the Panagia Communing the Weary Brothers With Heavenly Bread

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Rating: 10|Votes: 6

The Vision of the Theotokos Communing the Weary Fathers

On the One Who Saw the Panagia Communing the Weary Brothers With Heavenly Bread

And when the fathers came, the Novice saw a wondrous vision, not sleeping but awake. That is, he saw a beautiful woman between two angels, who shined brighter than the rays of the sun. One held a cup full of heavenly bread, and the other a small cloth. And that beautiful woman, who was our Lady, held a golden spoon, and each brother came forward in his turn and the angel wiped their face with the cloth. After they venerated the Panagia, she took the spoon and gave them the heavenly bread.

A Strange Scene in the Icon of the Dormition

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Rating: 5.5|Votes: 15

A Strange Scene in the Icon of the Dormition

In many icons of the Dormition of the Theotokos, one can see a strange scene near the bottom: an angel invisibly cuts off the two hands of a certain man. What is the story behind this scene?

Praise on the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos

Archimandrite Iachint (Unciuleac)

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Praise on the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos

Archimandrite Iachint (Unciuleac)

Today the tongue, most tireless in prayer, which so many times conversed with angels, named the Son of God and revealed ineffable mysteries, has stopped speaking.

Why Is the Bier of the Mother of God Called a Throne?

We Analyze the Iconography of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos with the Iconographer Anatoly Alyoshin

Anatoly Aleshin

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Why Is the Bier of the Mother of God Called a Throne?

We Analyze the Iconography of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos with the Iconographer Anatoly Alyoshin

Anatoly Aleshin

An icon is called “theology in paint”, and therefore we decided to look at the iconography of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos with iconographer Anatoly Alyoshin, a teacher at the Moscow Theological Academy, one of the leading experts in the field of fresco painting.

The Gateway to the Kingdom of Heaven

Homily On the Day of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos

Hieromonk Ignaty (Shestakov)

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The Gateway to the Kingdom of Heaven

Homily On the Day of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos

Hieromonk Ignaty (Shestakov)

The main thing that distinguishes the Mother of God from us is her submission to God’s will. No murmuring, no resistance can be seen in this Handmaiden of God, the Queen of Heaven and Earth, our Intercessor.

The Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos

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The Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos

After the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, death ceased to be a departure into the darkness of oblivion.

The Dormition is the Pascha of the Theotokos

Metropolitan Luke of Zaporozhye and Melitopol

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The Dormition is the Pascha of the Theotokos

Metropolitan Luke of Zaporozhye and Melitopol

Our body will be renewed, but the soul will remain the same as it was when it left its earthly body. Death is when all around there is light, joy, and peace, but inside is darkness, stench, and godlessness. From this we can conclude that whether we go to dormition or to death depends on how we live this brief, temporary earthly life.

May the Name of the Theotokos be Inscribed Upon the Tablets of Our Hearts

A Homily for the Dormition of the Mother of God

Archimandrite John (Krestiankin)

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May the Name of the Theotokos be Inscribed Upon the Tablets of Our Hearts

A Homily for the Dormition of the Mother of God

Archimandrite John (Krestiankin)

Thus, my dear ones, let these two salvific names—Jesus Christ and the Theotokos Mary—ever be inscribed upon the tablets of our hearts; let them be the beginning and end of our prayers.

Entering into Eternal Joy Through Obedience and Receptivity to Christ: Homily for the Feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos

Fr. Philip LeMasters

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Entering into Eternal Joy Through Obedience and Receptivity to Christ: Homily for the Feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos

Fr. Philip LeMasters

If we want to follow the Theotokos as participants in the eternal life of her Son and Lord, then we must embrace the struggle for the healing of our souls with all the suffering that that will entail.

Behold Thy Mother

Sermon on the Dormition of the Mother of God, Holy Dormition Pskov Caves Monastery, August 28, 2021

Metropolitan Tikhon (Shevkunov) of Pskov and Porkhov

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Behold Thy Mother

Sermon on the Dormition of the Mother of God, Holy Dormition Pskov Caves Monastery, August 28, 2021

Metropolitan Tikhon (Shevkunov) of Pskov and Porkhov

Having adopted us, She has made her Son Jesus Christ our true, great and incomparable Lord and brother. This is how far-reaching were the Lord Jesus Christ’s brief words on the cross addressed to the Most Holy Theotokos and His disciples.

Word of the Patriarch

Seventh Sunday After Pentecost

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill

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Word of the Patriarch

Seventh Sunday After Pentecost

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill

In Church Tradition, which goes back to deep antiquity, to the second to third centuries, the great mystery of the Theotokos’s ascent to Heaven in her most pure flesh was included in her veneration.

“Thou Wast Translated to Life, O Mother of Life”

Commentary on the Troparion and Kontakion of the Feast of the Dormition

Professor Larisa Marsheva, George Surkov

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“Thou Wast Translated to Life, O Mother of Life”

Commentary on the Troparion and Kontakion of the Feast of the Dormition

Professor Larisa Marsheva, George Surkov

And in this holiness, in total devotion to God, the Most Holy Virgin showed an example of the highest life, which is possible for everyone. In holiness and purity, in ineffable motherhood, she has become so close to God that the Church ceaselessly turns to her as to an intercessor, a patroness, and places its hope on her and praises her as a “firm hope in … intercessions.”

The Mother of God is Our True Mother

A Homily on the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos

Archimandrite Cleopa (Ilie)

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The Mother of God is Our True Mother

A Homily on the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos

Archimandrite Cleopa (Ilie)

Thus this poor mother taught her children who the Mother of God is, and she taught them with her whole heart that the Mother of God is their true Mother. Therefore, the children, rising in the morning, even before speaking with their mother, would run to the Mother of God, make several prostrations, pray the Lord’s Prayer and prayers to the Mother of God, honoring her according to the strength of their childish understanding.

The Theotokos on Her Deathbed

St. Nikolai (Velimirovic)

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The Theotokos on Her Deathbed

St. Nikolai (Velimirovic)

We have read the last page of the sacred book, the content of which exudes innocence and piety from cover to cover. At the mere sight of this book, even the cruelest critics bearing the weight of prejudice and bias have silently stopped, and having read it from beginning to end, walked away with softened hearts and rejuvenated spirits.

VIDEO: Procession of the Dormition Icon of the Theotokos to Gethsemane

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VIDEO: Procession of the Dormition Icon of the Theotokos to Gethsemane

This ceremony followed a Holy All-night Vigil which was officiated by Archimandrite Demetrios Kavathas, according to the long-term established Status Quo, at the Metochion of Gethsemane opposite the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Icon is kept there and was taken to the Tomb of the Theotokos in Gethsemane.

The Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos at the Pskov Caves Monastery

Photo Report

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The Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos at the Pskov Caves Monastery

Photo Report

In the evening of August 27, 2019, on the eve of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, a festive All-Night Vigil with a cross procession was celebrated at the Holy Dormition-Pskov Caves Monastery. The service was celebrated by Metroplitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, Metropolitan Tikhon of Pskov and Porkhov, three hierarchs of the Serbian Church: Bishop Irinej of Bačka, Bishop Anthony of Moravički, and Bishop Hesychios of Mohács, the clergy of the Pskov Caves Monastery, and ordained guests.

Victory Over Fear, and Victory Over Death

Igumen Nektary (Morozov)

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Victory Over Fear, and Victory Over Death

Igumen Nektary (Morozov)

Death can then be transformed for us from a tragedy, horror, or pain into a dormition, a gentle and peaceful sleep, and will be resolved by our awakening into joy, light, and a life in which death will be no more.

The Rite of the Burial of the Most Holy Theotokos at the Pskov Caves Monastery

Photo Report

Photo: Hierodeacon Simeon (Kivailo)

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The Rite of the Burial of the Most Holy Theotokos at the Pskov Caves Monastery

Photo Report

Photo: Hierodeacon Simeon (Kivailo)

On August 29, Metropolitan Tikhon of Pskov and Porkhov celebrated the rite of the Burial of the Mother of God at the Pskov Caves Monastery, concelebrated by the ordained brethren and guests of the monastery.

Nighttime at the Tomb of the Mother of God

Photo Report from the St. Seraphim-Diveyevo Convent

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Nighttime at the Tomb of the Mother of God

Photo Report from the St. Seraphim-Diveyevo Convent

In the days of the feast of the Dormition, the Psalter of the Mother of God is ceaselessly read at the shroud of the Theotokos at St. Seraphim-Diveyevo Convent.

What Kind of Death Can Be Considered “Good?”

Pastors’ Answers

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What Kind of Death Can Be Considered “Good?”

Pastors’ Answers

The blessed repose of the Most Pure Mother of God is known as the Dormition. But what kind of death in general can be called blessed, “good?” We asked several pastors this question and also asked what kind of death they would like for themselves.

“Behold Thy Mother”

St. Seraphim (Chichagov)

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“Behold Thy Mother”

St. Seraphim (Chichagov)

Finally, the Divine Sufferer, avoiding His gaze meeting that of His poor, fervently loving Mother, deeply shaken by the Golgotha spectacle, turned His bloodied face to her, seeing His beloved disciple with her, who hadn’t abandoned the Mother of God, pronounced with an affectionate and filial voice, quiet from suffering: Woman behold they son!... Behold thy mother!

The History of the Feast of Dormition

Fr. Thomas Hopko

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The History of the Feast of Dormition

Fr. Thomas Hopko

Thus, the feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos is the celebration of the fact that all men are “highly exalted” in the blessedness of the victorious Christ, and that this high exaltation has already been accomplished in Mary the Theotokos.

The Fifth Annual Feast of the Dormition in Pakistan

Fr. Joseph Farooq

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Rating: 9.4|Votes: 24

The Fifth Annual Feast of the Dormition in Pakistan

Fr. Joseph Farooq

“Let us celebrate with joy and feel blessed as we all are saved by the intercessions of the Most Holy Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary”!

Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos at Pskov Caves Monastery

Photo Gallery

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Rating: 9.2|Votes: 73

Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos at Pskov Caves Monastery

Photo Gallery

8,000 people traveled to the Pskov Caves Monastery on its patronal feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God.

“The Door Passes Through a Door”

A Photo Essay of Dormition Holy Sites

Matfey Shaheen

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Rating: 9.6|Votes: 33

“The Door Passes Through a Door”

A Photo Essay of Dormition Holy Sites

Matfey Shaheen

She, the door from which salvation entered the world, herself marvelously passed through the door of eternal life; “The door passes through the doorway”, as the Lamentation Service of the Dormition teaches us. In celebration of this great feast, let us virtually pass through the doors of some of the most beautiful Cathedrals, Monasteries, and Holy sites in the Rus’ Lands, dedicated to Her Dormition.

Death Betrothed to Life

A Homily for the Dormition of the Mother of God

Hieromonk Herman (Majkrzak)

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Rating: 9.1|Votes: 8

Death Betrothed to Life

A Homily for the Dormition of the Mother of God

Hieromonk Herman (Majkrzak)

She kept all these things in her heart. St. Luke tells us this twice: Everything having to do with her Son was stored up in the spiritual treasure-house, in the interior sanctuary of Mary’s heart. And what that means, among other things, is that she carries in her heart all the members of the Body of her Son: every person who has been united to Christ, who has put on Christ: she is their Mother, because she is Christ’s Mother.

Victory Over Death

Homily on the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos

St. John of Kronstadt

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Rating: 9.8|Votes: 15

Victory Over Death

Homily on the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos

St. John of Kronstadt

Brothers, what does it mean that the Church calls the end of Mother of God’s earthly life not death, as we usually refer to this moment in the lives of others, but her Dormition, which is the same as repose, or peaceful sleep; and not only does it not grieve or weep by her coffin, but to the contrary sings joyful, triumphant songs to her departure?

Her Ascension Revealed Her Glory

A Word on the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos

Igumen Andronik (Trubachev)

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Rating: 9.6|Votes: 7

Her Ascension Revealed Her Glory

A Word on the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos

Igumen Andronik (Trubachev)

If it is necessary, the Lord will reveal the glory of a righteous one on Earth when he passes over to Him in the Heavenly habitations. Thus, the Most Holy Theotokos edifies and protects us by her Dormition.

Homily on the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God

Archimdrite Kirill (Pavlov)

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Rating: 10|Votes: 9

Homily on the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God

Archimdrite Kirill (Pavlov)

Why should we rejoice on this day of the Dormition of the Mother of God? Because the word “dormition” alone shows that the death of the Mother of God was unusual. It was sleep, which was soon followed by joyful wakening.

She Speaks in Beauty

Fr. Jonathan Tobias

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Rating: 10|Votes: 1

She Speaks in Beauty

Fr. Jonathan Tobias

We need Wisdom. We need to see the Beauty of God, breathe it in, taste it and drink deeply from its springs. We need to understand Life again as shining with Love. We need to look in wonder at invisible Grace becoming visible in creation. We need to desire God, and to delight in His goodness.

The Incorruptible Flower of Paradise

A Discourse on the Great Feast of Dormition

Archpriest Artemy Vladimirov

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The Incorruptible Flower of Paradise

A Discourse on the Great Feast of Dormition

Archpriest Artemy Vladimirov

Such was the humility more honorable than the seraphim and more glorious beyond compare than the cherubim of her whose purity exceeds that of the angels and astonished the heavenly moral perfections. Such was her humility, her modest self-esteem, that she supplicated the Creator to ban the fallen spirits from access to her all-chaste soul. The Queen of Heaven knew that the ascent from earth to heaven is the final exam and trial which you and I shall invariably undergo—one sooner, another later, but we are all behooved once to die and then to appear at the judgment seat of Christ. This is why the feast of the Dormition is so important for every one of us.

Dormition at the Burning Bush

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Dormition at the Burning Bush

Like families anywhere, monastic communities have their public and private challenges, and turn their best face to the world. Unstudied contentment reasserts its hold over the Sinai fortress each year however, as monastics converge on the Monastery from all directions, drawn back for the celebrations of the Dormition of the Theotokos from near or far flung hermitages throughout the Mediterranean world.

Today She Teaches Us How We Should Die: A Homily on the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God

Fr. Christopher Rocknage

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Rating: 10|Votes: 2

Today She Teaches Us How We Should Die: A Homily on the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God

Fr. Christopher Rocknage

Those who live their life in Christ, those who follow the word of God and keep it like the Mother of God did, and does, have that to look forward to—a resurrection to eternal life, a resurrection not unto judgment but unto life. And if you notice in the icon of the Holy Dormition in the center of the church today, yes, her body is laid out to be taken to her tomb in Gethsemane, but Christ is there with her soul wrapped in swaddling clothes as an infant, and He’s carrying her.

On the Dormition of the Theotokos

Jesse Dominick

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Rating: 4.8|Votes: 9

On the Dormition of the Theotokos

Jesse Dominick

She overcame nature by her unique childbearing and therefore “It was fitting that she, who preserved her virginity undamaged by childbirth, should have her body preserved from corruption in death," and thus her passing is referred to as a “deathless Dormition.” Although she was above nature, she submitted to the corruption of death as had her Son: “Imitating your Creator and Son, above nature you submit to the laws of nature. She was a little lower than the angels through mortality, but “by her proximity to the God of all … she has ascended higher than the angels and the archangels and all the hosts that are found beyond them.”

A Transition to Life: The Dormition of the Mother of God

Elder Ephraim of Arizona

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Rating: 7.3|Votes: 3

A Transition to Life: The Dormition of the Mother of God

Elder Ephraim of Arizona

Every time we celebrate the Dormition of the Mother of God, it’s as if we’re having Easter – the Easter of the summer.

The Feast of the Dormition in Greece

Photogallery

The Feast of the Dormition in Greece
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Rating: 6.5|Votes: 10

The Feast of the Dormition in Greece

Photogallery

The feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God is like a second Pascha--it is the most important summer celebration and official holiday in Greece. Photographer Vladimir Khodakov was in the center of the celebrations on the island of Paros.

Greek Customs Across Greece on Dormition Day, August 15

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Rating: 10|Votes: 2

Greek Customs Across Greece on Dormition Day, August 15

Virgin Mary is a holy figure for Greeks not only because she gave birth to Jesus but because worshippers have connected Her with the Greek nation’s freedom in many cases. As a result, the mother of Jesus has been given several different names all over Greece as locals wanted to thank Virgin Mary for her aid in some of the woes they faced. It’s the same holy figure, having taken different names, though.

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