How to celebrate the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. About the feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary Born on the day of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the twelfth immutable church holiday and is celebrated every year on the same day - August 28.

People call this celebration Bolshaya or Pervaya Prechistaya, Obzhinki, Dosevki or Dozhinki, since in folk tradition the holiday is timed to coincide with the end of the grain harvest.

The peculiarity of the Feast of the Assumption is that it is preceded by fasting days. The Assumption Fast is not very long, it lasts from August 14 to 27, but in severity it is almost as good as the Great Fast.

According to the weather on August 28 in Rus', they predicted what autumn and winter would be like. On this day, there were a number of folk signs, superstitions and prohibitions that should be observed in order to attract health and good luck in love.

Traditions and customs, weather signs for the Assumption on August 28

On the Feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, believers attend church services and pray for family well-being, finding love, and peace for the souls of deceased relatives. Seeds and ears of various breads are brought to church for blessing and consecration.
In the villages on this day they organized a club (brotherhood), baked pies from the flour of the new harvest, and brewed beer.
In the field, after harvesting, they knitted the last sheaf, dressed it up and carried it home. This sheaf was called dozhinochny or obzhinok, gossip, strawman, Solokha, Ovsey, ergot, Ivanushka, Christ's shirt, master. It was customary to keep it until the New Year.
On August 28, it was supposed to leave several uncut ears of corn in the field, tie them with a ribbon (“curl the beard”), saying: “God grant that there will be a good harvest next summer!” Sometimes a salt shaker was placed inside the bundle. The peasants believed that in this way they could appease the spirit of the field, which, according to signs, always hides in the last sheaf.
Another widespread tradition was the ritual of “sending matchmakers.” It was believed that weddings played after the Assumption would be the most fun, and families created at this time would be the happiest.
At this time, the girls looked closely at the guys, choosing grooms for themselves. It was not for nothing that the old people said: “Since the Assumption, if you don’t look after the groom, you’ll spend the winter as a girl.”
On the Assumption, it was customary to pickle cucumbers. The housewives said: “On the Assumption, pickle the cucumbers; on Sergei, chop the cabbage.”
August 28 - the beginning of the young Indian summer (until September 11) or Semenov Day (September 14). On this day, they predicted the weather for the old Indian summer (from September 14 to 21): if the young Indian summer is stormy, expect bad weather for the old one; if a rainbow appears on Dormition or on these days, it means a long and warm autumn; if there are a lot of cobwebs in Indian summer, it means a clear and cold winter.
If Assumption is without frosts, then there won’t be any until mid-September.
If frosts come after August 28, then autumn will be protracted.
When there are a lot of cobwebs on the Assumption, this is a sign of a frosty and little snow winter.
Strong and dense fog on August 28 predicts a mushroom harvest and long warm days.

Signs for the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary - what can and cannot be done on August 28

During the Assumption, you cannot thrust any sharp objects into the ground, since the earth personifies the Mother Intercessor.
You cannot overeat or indulge in bad habits on August 28th. One should honor the memory of the Mother of God and lead a humble life, avoiding everything bad.
Girls are forbidden to cut their hair or throw out their hair during the Assumption. It is believed that this is how the tears of the Most Pure One are brought on.
Anyone who rubs his foot on this day dooms himself to a difficult life full of problems and failures.
It is forbidden to walk barefoot in the dew on August 28, Dormition. Whoever breaks this ban will take all the diseases upon himself.
A girl won’t find a guy by the Assumption - she won’t get married by spring.
As on most holidays, on Assumption it is forbidden to quarrel with family and friends. Otherwise, the whole family will face hardships and losses.
If a married woman prays to the Most Holy Theotokos on the Feast of the Assumption, this will discourage her wandering husband from his mistresses.
Anyone who fasts before the Dormition will be delivered from the evil one’s attempt on his soul.

Thank you very much, I’ll definitely take everything into account!

I didn't know everything! Thanks a lot! May all the good things that we ask the Mother of God come true!

An important and solemn day in the Orthodox world is the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. For believers, this is truly a holiday, since the Mother of God was accepted into heaven.

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. 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.”

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 a good groom and a child.

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.

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.

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.

Our Orthodox prayers are such a pearl, something truly extraterrestrial... And this prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos penetrates into the very heart, I cannot listen without tears... Let's watch a touching video with prayer together! God bless you!

Often people, both far from the Church and believers, wonder whether it is possible to work for the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It happens that a person goes to work in a large Christian church, but during the activity various problems begin (for example: things don’t go well, injury).

Thus, many begin to associate these coincidences with the fact that you cannot work, you need to relax and have fun. But let's figure out how to actually do it, how to make it really happen.

Some information about the Orthodox holiday

The Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the most important of the Twelves. Many people believe that dormition is death. At the same time, the question arises of how this can be a holiday. In fact, this is a transition from earthly life to the afterlife. The Most Holy Theotokos was originally chosen by God the Father. She lived her life piously, setting an example for all people, especially women and mothers. And people who please the Lord always come to the kingdom of heaven. The Most Holy Theotokos endured sorrow and suffering on earth. I received great consolation when I passed into eternal life. Therefore, Her Dormition is a holiday for Christians. Every deeply religious person also desires to find heaven and hopes for the help of the Mother of God.

But still, many people ask priests about whether it is possible to work for the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Ever-Virgin Mary. Often the answers are: “It is not forbidden if it is not possible to move the working hours to a more appropriate period.” Lord knows that modern people have to work on weekends and holidays, in shifts or even for days. Under no circumstances should you shirk your responsibilities or take sick leave with a false diagnosis. It is better to devote the morning hours of September 28 to the prayers of the Mother of God. If a worker knows by heart the kontakion and troparion for the holiday, as well as prayers, then it is better to mentally engage in pious work without disturbing the work process.

How a Christian should behave on the eve of the Assumption

During the two weeks before the Dormition of the Mother of God, it is advisable to observe a feasible fast: do not eat meat and dairy products, go to confession, pray and deny yourself entertainment. This is done in order to remember: the transition from earthly life to eternal life awaits us. Orthodoxy mentions that the Most Holy Theotokos was very afraid of meeting demons when she had to go through the ordeal. But Her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, led his earthly mother into the kingdom of heaven painlessly and fearlessly, bypassing demons. It is about Christian death that we need to pray to the Mother of God.

But is it possible to work for the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos if the profession is mental and it will be impossible to be distracted by prayer? Most likely, you will be able to find at least one minute to remember the Mother of God. The main thing is sincere and attentive prayer.

Work at Assumption

In past centuries, when the Orthodox Church was practically in first place in Rus', it was not allowed to work both on Sundays and holidays. But nowadays, unfortunately, it is often impossible to even take a couple of hours off in the morning. In no case is this a reason for despondency. As we discussed above, there is always the opportunity to pray.

But is it possible to work on the holiday of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the garden, in your own vegetable garden, or do housework? Often priests answer something like this: if it cannot be postponed until the next day, then you can work, but only after the festive service in the temple, which you must attend.

On holiday you need to be in church

It will be regrettable if a Christian, without a good reason, does not come to the festive service in the temple, where praise will be offered to the Lord, where troparia and kontakion will be sung for the holiday in honor of the Mother of God.

A very important point should be noted that it is not by chance that people ask each other and clergy: “Is it possible to work for the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary?” Customs, beliefs and various signs lead to confusion and raise various doubts.

Every experienced priest will say that various signs and prohibitions associated with church holidays are from demons. There is no need to take seriously certain instructions from people close to the church. Below we will look at what signs are common and how to behave.

What signs exist and should you believe them?

There is a belief that you should not walk barefoot on the Feast of the Assumption. If you ask advisers about what this is connected with, you will definitely not get an answer.

It's just a sign. The same applies to a knife: supposedly you can’t cut bread on this day, you need to break it off. And there is no explanation for the reason. And, of course, the most pressing question: “Is it possible to work composed by demons and instilled in people to cause confusion.

What can you do on the Feast of the Assumption?

In fact, it is allowed to do any pious deeds, do good, pray. But it is advisable not to be late for the liturgy in the morning, to pay attention to the service and stay for communion. And about whether it is possible to work for the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, it is better to ask the parish priest.

We hope that you were able to figure out what to do on September 28, a major church holiday. Remember that omens are not applicable, and troubles at work are a reason to pray and understand that it was worth going to the service if possible.

So is it possible to work for the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary? Yes, of course, if there is no way to postpone things. Therefore, if your boss won’t let you go, then don’t shirk your responsibilities and don’t get discouraged.

The Orthodox holiday is associated with joyful feelings and the belief that the Most Holy Theotokos did not die, but simply fell asleep for a while. On the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin, the signs concerned the future in personal and family life. They predicted next year's harvest and the weather for autumn and winter. The Virgin Mary is still recognized as an intercessor, which is why people love and respect this holiday. They believe that everything you ask for with a pure thought will come true. This is a day of quiet bright joy, harmony and peace.

When is it celebrated and what traditions are honored?

On this day the harvest ended and farewell to summer began.

In 2018, the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated on August 28. This date is fixed. Celebrations last ten days and begin one day before the holiday, which ends one of the strictest fasts. The most important celebrations and rituals take place on the day of the Assumption. Indian summer has begun - the last warm days, which are always sincerely rejoiced.

People call August 28 the Memory of the Blessed One, the First Most Pure One, Obzhinka, Spozhinka, Lady's Day, Lady's Day.

This is a celebration of the end of the harvest and the veneration of the Mother of God. The last sheaf was dressed up in a sundress and carried into the house to be placed near the icons. Then the solemn celebration began. Tables were set and neighbors were invited. Harvest songs were heard throughout Rus', young people led round dances, and old people prepared mead. The housewives baked pies and cooked a rooster. This is how we spent the summer and welcomed the golden autumn.

What to do on Assumption

They believed in the power of the Mother of God and believed that the intercessor would definitely give signs foreshadowing the future. The signs concerned different areas of life. So, if weddings are traditionally held on Intercession, then it was on the Assumption that grooms and matchmakers came.“The First Most Pure One came - the unclean one brought matchmakers!” said those who did not plan to get married this fall. If a girl has not found a lover by the holiday, she should remain unmarried at least until spring. This was also the last chance of the year for the guys to ask for their hand in marriage. Wooing the Most Pure One means ensuring a joyful family life.

In the past, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary traditionally marked matchmaking

Despite the greatness of the holiday, which is one of the 12 largest in Orthodoxy, it is possible and necessary to work on this day. Successfully complete the work started. Preserving cucumbers and making jam will be especially successful. Such preparations are a symbol of a well-fed winter, a kind of amulets against hunger. It’s also good to go into the forest and pick mushrooms for pickling.

The sowing of winter wheat should have been completed: “Whoever manages to plow the land before the Dormition will have time to reap another hay.” But starting to dig potatoes on this day is an excellent decision.

On Dormition the deceased are remembered.

Children can be baptized if the priest is not busy with the solemn liturgy.

Signs about the weather for autumn and winter

Seeing a rainbow on Dormition means a good autumn

To see a rainbow on Assumption - we are waiting for a dry and warm autumn.
Cobwebs on branches - expect severe frosts without snowfall next winter.
Warm day on August 28 - it will be cool in Indian summer.
Fog means a good mushroom harvest and excellent weather for two weeks.

Swallows leave for the winter on this day.

What is prohibited on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

There is a strict ban on quarrels, family discord, swear words, and criticism.
Help cannot be refused.
There is no wedding on the Assumption, but on August 29 you can already walk down the aisle or have a wedding.
Women are strictly forbidden to cut their hair at the First Most Pure One and throw away their hair with the trash.
They tried not to do any work related to fire, so as not to cause illness and trouble.
Cutting anything is also not recommended. They believed that you inflict wounds on the Mother of God with a knife or scissors. They were just breaking bread.
They did not cook red dishes, did not eat red vegetables and fruits.
It was a bad sign to rub a callus on the day of the Assumption - expect trouble and illness. They did not wear any uncomfortable shoes, but it was strictly forbidden to walk barefoot, otherwise you would become seriously ill. The dew was perceived as Mary's tears.

Rituals, ceremonies and signs

It is favorable to ask the Most Holy One for the joy of motherhood. Effective on the First Most Pure Prayer for healing and health of the sick. It is good for mothers to pray to protect their children from adversity and the evil eye. In addition to patronage, Orthodox Christians ask the Lady to strengthen their faith and get rid of the fear of death. The girls pray that the Mother of God will send them a good and reliable husband. If the spouse is a wanderer, an effective method is to ask the Virgin Mary for help at the Assumption in order to ward off his mistresses. Peace in the family was strengthened by hanging an icon on the gate on this holiday.

Rituals for next year

In order for there to be a good harvest, on the Assumption you need to collect the ears of corn and take them to the temple for consecration.

To bless the harvest and ask for future prosperity, you need to take ears of wheat for consecration at the festive liturgy and light a thanksgiving candle in the temple. And on the field you need to leave a handful of spikelets tied with a ribbon so that the next harvest will also please you.

Healing bread

The women baked bread from the new harvest and gave it to the children, who were supposed to stand near the gate of the house. If a pregnant woman passed by before noon, she had to be treated too. If this was not found, the bread was blessed during the festive service. Such a loaf was considered healing. The ritual also helped improve the hostess's culinary abilities.

Among the Eastern Slavs, the image of the Earth was personified by the goddess Makosh. From the First Most Pure One to the Third, it was believed that female power was especially powerful. Therefore, during this period, the weaker sex can take care of women’s happiness with the help of rituals.

A simple love ritual with viburnum

For the groom to appear, you need to perform a ritual with viburnum berries

Kalina on the roof of the house reported that a girl of marriageable age lived here. If a girl has not met her lover, she should go to the Assumption to pick bunches of this red berry, place them on the window and near the icon of the Mother of God. Then a relationship with a young man will soon appear.

For the future groom

On the Assumption, rituals associated with marriage are unusually effective. The girl must bathe in a decoction of herbs. Place a mirror, and church candles on the sides, and while combing your hair, say: “There is a tower, there is a beautiful maiden on it. That’s what I want, I’ll become a beauty. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!"

Having spoken the plot, she must put out the candles and hide everything under the pillow for three days. Then in a dream she can see the groom. After three days, the girl needs to light the candles and let them burn out.

Sign for happiness in the family

For the Assumption, you definitely need to make homemade preparations - pickled mushrooms and cucumbers

According to tradition, pickles were made on August 28th. Several cans can be used to spell family happiness:

“The mushroom is salty, woe is out of the family, the cucumber is crispy - there will be no one sick in our house. I sprinkle salt on everything and attract good luck.” When 40 days have passed, such jars are opened and eaten while reading “Our Father,” crossing ourselves three times.

On the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, you can ask for what is missing. The main thing is that your thoughts are pure and bright. Rituals had extraordinary power, especially if they were associated with family and harmony.

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 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 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 - for this holiday they 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.