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.
There are many folk signs on August 28, because Feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary for more than a thousand years. At first, Christianity on Russian soil was not what it is now. People knew little about God and his plans, so they often interpreted the holidays a little distorted. They are according to their custom continued to observe nature and the processes occurring with it.
On August 28, the Assumption Fast came to an end. The time had come for the Meat Eater, and with him, as they said, folk signs, and a happy time - the time of weddings.
Before the holiday arrives Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary young people were in a hurry to complete the matchmaking ritual in order to have time to marry the girls they liked. Matchmaking and wedding on the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a guarantee of a happy family life in the future, as the old people believed in folk signs and customs.
On Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary housewives usually made preparations for the winter, salted cucumbers, tomatoes, and made jam.
Folk signs They also ordered the potato harvest to begin on August 28, and the peasants also tried to finish sowing winter crops.
Many differences exist in the two branches of Christianity, Orthodox and Catholic. But it's a holiday Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary dedicated to the death of the Virgin Mary in both religions.
Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary- a holiday with a very long history. It began to be celebrated a very long time ago - in the early religious period. Already in the sixth century it was celebrated wherever Christianity was preached.
Orthodox Church Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary refers to one of the most important holidays after Easter - the twelfth holiday (1 of the 12 most important holidays). The date when the Assumption began to be officially celebrated is formally considered to be 582.
The feast of the memory of the Blessed Virgin Mary is preceded by the Assumption Fast, which in itself is quite strict. The fast lasts two weeks.
Since ancient times, the date August 28 has also been surrounded by rituals, traditions and folk signs. After all, for the Slavs, Mother Earth was associated with the Mother of God. Therefore, this day was rich in rituals, yes folk signs.
Folk signs on the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary:
On this day, women tied sickles with straw and rolled on the ground, asking the stubble to return to them the energy and strength spent this season on harvesting. The last sheaf of hay on this day was dressed up in a dress or sundress and carried around the village, singing and dancing;
Folk signs on this day they also ordered that seeds and ears of corn be blessed;
On this day it was also customary to treat the beggars and the poor with food from their table;
Autumn will be warm if a rainbow was seen in the sky on Assumption;
Indian summer will be cool if the weather is warm on Assumption;
Winter will be frosty and almost snowless if the branches of plants are completely entangled in cobwebs.
This is a bright holiday that strengthens faith, unites people and helps cleanse the soul of filth.
One of the most important holidays of the Christian people is August 28th. A large number of believing people are waiting for the coming of this day. As described in biblical beliefs, on one of the last days of summer a miracle happened: the Holy Mother of God, leaving her soul with her body, met the Son of God. From that moment on, the Orthodox world has a great prayer book and the main intercessor of Heaven, and a number of customs and beliefs have appeared among believers.
Signs dedicated to the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The church calendar in August of each year has a specially designated holiday - the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This day has long been famous for the fact that by observing the behavior of the weather and the natural environment it is possible to understand what the weather will be like in autumn and winter.
In our article you will learn a number of the most interesting signs on the great feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, get acquainted with the folk traditions that came to us from ancient Orthodox times, and also receive information about what should not be done on this Holy Day. To begin with, let us reveal the essence of the celebration of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. At first glance, the main paradox is the contradiction of sadness on this holiday.
Dormition of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos.
In the last days of summer, August 28 according to the new calendar, and August 15 according to the old calendar style, the traditions of the Russian Orthodox Church celebrate a celebration that, in its full name, sounds like the Dormition of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary. The Dormition of the Virgin Mary is a celebration dedicated to a phenomenon not described in biblical legends, but which has come to us according to church tradition. The literal translation of the word “dormition” is “death.” The Most Holy Mother of God, after Jesus ascended into heaven, began to live with the Apostle John the Theologian, under his care. Subsequently, Christian persecution by King Herod, John and the Virgin Mary settled in Ephesus, in the house of his parents. At this place She often read prayers, begging the Lord to take her to her. One day, during prayer, at the place where Christ Ascended into Heaven, the Spirit of Archangel Gabriel came to the Mother of God and notified Her that, at the end of the next 3 days, Her existence on earth would end, and She would come to the Lord.
The only request of the Blessed Virgin Mary before the end of her life was the desire to meet with all the apostles. But at that time, they were in different places preaching Christian beliefs. By the forces of the Holy Spirit, the desire of the Mother of God was fulfilled. All the apostles immediately appeared at the chambers where the Most Holy Theotokos was, where She was reading a prayer, awaiting the end. The Most High Himself, in the presence of the Lambs, appeared to Her in order to take Her soul to Himself. The Most Holy Theotokos’s petition to the Lord was a prayer of gift, with which She begged for the blessing of those who honored Her memory.
She showed great humility. Having received holiness, which is incomparable with absolutely any person, the most honest Cherub and the most glorious without any comparison Seraphim, carried prayers to her Son, for the protection of Her soul from the dark satanic forces and the ordeal that every soul has to endure. Having seen each of the apostles, the joyful Mother of God gave her soul into the palm of the Lord and at that very moment angelic singing began to sound.
When her death occurred, the body of the Blessed Virgin was placed in a coffin, which was then taken to a cave located in Gethsemane. After the burial, the entrance to the cave was blocked with stones. For 3 days, the apostles were next to the cave, where they read prayers. One of the apostles, Thomas, being late for the burial process, was very excited and upset that he did not bother to pay homage to the remains of the Blessed Virgin. Taking pity, the apostles allowed the entrance to the grave to be opened so that Thomas could bow to the ashes. Having opened the coffin and seeing that the body of the Most Pure Virgin had disappeared, those present froze, convinced that she had miraculously ascended to heaven. During the evening meal of the same day, the Spirit of the Mother of God appeared to them, saying “Rejoice! I am with you all the days!”
The church speaks of the death of the Mother of God as about the Dormition, but not about death. The explanation for this is the difference in death compared to human death. This means returning the body to the earth and the spirit to heaven, which does not fall under the description of a dowry.
The Most Pure Virgin just fell asleep to awaken, having received an eternally blessed life, and after waiting 3 days in her incorruptible body, she moved into the walls of the heavenly incorruptible dwelling. Difficult wakefulness, Her many sorrowful life turned into a sweet dream for Her. Having become the “Mother of Life” among believers, the Most Pure Virgin, with the help of her prayers and forgiveness, leading many earthly souls away from death, began to instill in them, by Her Dormition, faith in eternal life.
Orthodox traditions for the holiday
In Christian traditions, the approach of this holiday is the beginning of a 2-week fast. A long time ago, this time ceased to refer to strict and difficult fasting, explained by the fact that in August vegetables, fruits, nuts and other gifts of nature, which are allowed to be consumed during fasting, have greater yields.
The day of the holiday itself is named “The First Most Pure One,” and has the meaning of a real holiday and a significant event, which has a number of its own beliefs and signs. On the eve of this holiday, the harvest comes to an end, which brings with it joy, creating a majestic and special atmosphere that has been established and consolidated over time.
It is necessary to pay significant attention to preparation on the eve of this day:
The house must be tidy and clean.
It is necessary to resolve all conflicts, resolve differences and be puzzled by reconciliation with relatives.
The dining table should be decorated with generous and varied treats.
The atmosphere at home throughout the holiday should be calm and friendly.
Bans for an important day.
Many customs associated with the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary have a direct connection with the spirit of the celebration, and also reflect features associated with the season and time of year.
This day in the calendar has long had a sufficient number of prohibited actions, compliance with which is mandatory.
The use of piercing and cutting objects is a big ban. In this case, using a fork or knife at dinner will be insignificant. Basically, food should already be prepared before the holiday, in order to avoid violating an important prohibition.
On the holiday, barefoot walking on the grass is prohibited. This condition has two explanations: according to believers, drops of dew on the holiday are called tears, which the Blessed Virgin dropped in grief, leaving the earth and deprived of the opportunity to help people. The second interpretation is the cooled earth, walking on which barefoot could bring hypothermia and illness.
Particular attention should be paid to ensure that your feet are not chafed by shoes that may be uncomfortable. How to indicate folk beliefs can contribute to the involvement of problems and troubles.
Customs of the holiday.
Special rituals and ceremonies are the basis of the signs that are observed on the Feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The majestic spirit of this holiday has been understood since ancient times as special and unique. This understanding was consolidated among the people by customs that have a direct connection with the holiday of the last days of summer. The chronology of such rituals and customs originates in settlements that considered this holiday to be a patronal holiday. In the afternoon, at the end of the prayer address to the Mother of God, people converged on the center of the settlement. Raising the icon high, organizing themselves in a religious procession, the people went to the field, loudly reading prayers to the Mother of God. Thus, people praised the miracle worker and intercessor.
The morning service was marked by the glow of bread, which was then taken out into the field. On the spot, the consecrated loaf was distributed, bitten and washed down with holy water. The purpose of this ritual was to ensure the harvest for the next year. A strict rule to follow was to prevent bread crumbs from falling to the ground.
Home holiday rituals.
In order to attract prosperity and healing from any illness to your chambers, it was necessary to perform a special ritual at home. A good omen for the feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary is to place an icon depicting the Face of the Mother of God in the yard near the house on the day of the feast. The icon must remain in place throughout the day, and the owner must pay attention to its location.
The image of the Mother of God, looking at the house from the entrance to the courtyard on a holiday, foreshadows the coming of happiness, good luck and prosperity.
The location of the icon of the Mother of God almost in the middle of the yard will protect against various diseases that plague the family.
Signs for healing.
One of the important points on the holiday that believers do not miss is a number of signs and rituals that should be performed in order to get rid of illness and disease.
Families whose members suffer from serious illnesses to a greater extent should pay attention to such rituals. The sick person himself is obliged to come to the Temple for a prayer service, and also to take part in the procession of the cross, at the beginning of which there is an icon depicting the Mother of God. Eager to perform this ritual, the relatives of a seriously ill family member carried him in their arms.
At the end of the move, the patient had the opportunity to dip his pectoral cross into a reservoir of holy water. the patient was sprinkled with the remnants of holy water flowing from the cross. Areas of the body that were more affected by the disease were also lubricated with holy water.
The main belief of the people was the ability to receive healing from any ailment. In particular, we are talking about joints and the spine. On August 28, people had the opportunity to relieve pain in a stretched muscle or joint, which can be caused by arthrosis. There was an opportunity to heal from post-traumatic illness in the limb.
Signs for personal happiness.
Many girls waited with special thirst for the approach of this day. This is explained by the fact that there are signs that could make a girl happy.
When the Assumption Lent ended, the “meat-eater” period came, in which most young people tried, before the intercession came, to positively end the search for a mate for themselves. Those who did not manage to do this on time were threatened with loneliness before the onset of spring.
In order to ensure well-being in the next period, and for young people to have no difficulty in finding each other, beliefs advise that in the house where a young unmarried girl lives, lay a generous table, treating every visitor and guest. In such a house you cannot start a quarrel and swear. It is important to maintain the necessary festive and bright atmosphere.
Each family member is supposed to spread goodness and positive spirit. When evening came, the youth were given the opportunity to get together.
The Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary is not one of the most important holidays of the Orthodox people, but is an important day for those who exist with the Lord
The Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary is widely celebrated by both Catholics and Orthodox Christians. This is one of the 12 most important holidays after Easter celebrated by the Orthodox. This significant date ends the two-week Assumption Fast, lasting from August 14 to 27.
In this topic:
This holiday is dedicated to the transition of the Ever-Virgin to another world; this is not a sad commemoration, but a joyful holiday, marking the meeting of the Mother of God with her son in heaven. All signs for the Dormition on August 28 are associated with love for Mother Earth, with the desire to help neighbors and the church.
history of the holiday
The first mention of this holiday dates back to the 5th century. Before this, the Assumption of the Virgin Mary was not celebrated in any way. Moreover, the Gospel says nothing about her death. People learned the now well-known story of her last hours of life on earth from the apocrypha.
They say that Mary learned about her upcoming meeting with her son from the archangel when she lived in Jerusalem. He warned that in 3 days she would have to ascend to heaven. She mentally prepared herself for death and turned to God with prayers so that he would give her the opportunity to see the disciples of Christ. Her prayers were heard, and the apostles were carried on clouds to Jerusalem. After saying goodbye to them, she died and was buried. The apostles carried her to a cave and closed the entrance with a stone. And when they came to the burial place at the request of Thomas, who did not have time to say goodbye to her, there was no one in the cave.According to another version, the Mother of God did not die, but was taken by Jesus Christ and the angels to heaven during her lifetime.
Folk signs
The special energy of this bright day led to the appearance of the following signs:
- You are allowed to tell fortunes using wax and sand. The energy of nature is at a high level, so this is how you can find out the future.
- On August 28, it is forbidden to work; you can only pick apples and other crops, and women can pickle cucumbers.
- In memory of the Blessed Virgin Mary, you need to treat the poor and give alms. Part of the harvest is taken to the church.
- Since mother earth was associated with the image of the Mother of God, on the Orthodox holiday of her Dormition they did not stick anything into the ground, did not walk on it barefoot, so as not to desecrate it or cause wounds. However, there is a logical explanation for the sign. If you walk on August 28, when it is no longer hot, with bare feet on the cold ground, you can easily catch a cold and become seriously ill.
Among other things, this holiday is the starting point for Indian Summer, which lasts until September 11. The first 3 days were called young Indian summer; their weather predicted the air temperature in mid-autumn.
Based on the weather that prevailed on the Feast of the Assumption, they judged the coming autumn and winter. The most common signs are:
- Quiet, warm weather foreshadowed a calm winter without severe frosts and violent snowstorms. Moreover, good weather promised a bountiful harvest for next summer.
- The rainbow on the Assumption was an omen of a warm autumn.
- A warm sunny day warned of a cool Indian summer.
- A large amount of cobwebs means heavy snow and frost in winter.
- The dew appearing on the grass is a symbol of the tears with which the earth mourns the departed Virgin Mary.
Traditions of the people
The Assumption also played a role in the formation of folk traditions. Before this holiday came, it was necessary to have time to get married. After August 27 this year, matchmakers were no longer accepted. This holiday was a measure for many agricultural works:
- 3 days before the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, winter crops were sown. Superstitious peasants believed that on this day the earth gratefully accepts all the seeds and gives them the opportunity to sprout together on time. If they didn’t have time, then they finished work 3 days after the holiday.
- From this day on, they began digging potatoes.
- A ritual was performed to consecrate the ears and seeds.
- Girls who were already 15 years old wore a woolen skirt to symbolize their entry into adulthood.
We had a general party
An interesting custom is the women's request to the earth to return to them the strength spent on growing crops during the summer. To do this, they wrapped their sickles with straw left over from the harvest, and they themselves rolled on the ground in the field. These actions were explained by the unity of perception of the earth and the Mother of God.
The Orthodox holiday was organically combined with Obzhinki, which came from pagan times. Women decorated the reaping sheaf (the last one specially left in the field) and carried it to the settlement in the form of a woman. To do this, elements of women's folk costume were put on the sheaf to give it a resemblance to a woman - a mother. The whole action was accompanied by ritual songs.
It was widely believed that a field that was completely harvested and plowed for the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary would produce an additional harvest the following year.
On this Orthodox holiday, the girls went into the forest to get viburnum. To tell fortunes who would get married first, when they entered the forest, they raced to the bushes. The one who comes running first will get married first. The collected viburnum was brought to prepare delicious dishes. Bunches of berries were hung around the rooms to protect against dark forces.
After that, everyone had fun together at a feast, which the whole village contributed to. The traditional treats at such feasts were cabbage soup and pies. In some places, sheep were slaughtered. In some places, rooster dishes and vodka were an obligatory element of the feast. Everyone was invited to the table, even the poorest who could not participate in the fundraiser.
Prohibitions on the Assumption
The signs used by the people for August 28 not only taught what needed to be done on this day, but also imposed prohibitions on certain actions.
- A complete ban on sewing, cleaning, washing.
- Moderation must be observed at the festive table; gluttony is a sin.
- Girls are not allowed to cut their hair; signs say that this will bring tears to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
- It is forbidden to offend loved ones or speak badly about others.
- It is not allowed to light fires or stoke stoves. These actions are believed to lead to illness and trouble.
There are also prohibitions regarding walking on the ground with bare feet and sticking sharp objects into the ground. They were mentioned above. In general, there are not many forbidden signs, but their observance was a mandatory guarantee of health and prosperity for all families.
Loading...
