Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 2025: the true story of a sad holiday
On August 28, Orthodox Christians celebrate one of the most important church holidays — the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is preceded by a strict Dormition fast, which is why the holiday is also popularly called the Easter of the Virgin. In 2025, this day falls on Thursday. About the meaning of the holiday, its customs and related prohibitions — in the material of Izvestia.
August 28 — Assumption of the Mother of God: a description from the Gospel
The Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the most important Orthodox holidays, belonging to the number of the twelve. This day is dedicated to the memory of the earthly death of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, and her subsequent bodily ascension to heaven.
Despite the absence of a direct description of this event in the canonical Gospels, the church tradition has preserved the details that formed the basis of the liturgical and theological tradition.
According to apocryphal sources, in particular "The Word of John the Theologian on the Assumption," the Mother of God spent the rest of her life in prayer and humility after the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ. The Apostle John the Theologian, to whom the Savior entrusted the care of His Mother, accompanied her and lived with her.
Shortly before her death, the Blessed Virgin received news from the Archangel Gabriel about her imminent transition to eternal life. As a sign, the archangel presented her with a heavenly palm branch.
By God's will, at that moment, the apostles, who were in different parts of the world, were miraculously transported to Jerusalem to say goodbye to the Most Holy Theotokos. Only the Apostle Thomas did not have time to say goodbye.
Maria's death was peaceful and painless. At the time of her death, Christ appeared to receive His Mother's soul. Her body was buried in the Garden of Gethsemane, near the burial sites of her parents and St. Joseph the Betrothed.
Three days after the burial, the Apostle Thomas arrived in Jerusalem and wished to venerate the body of the Virgin. However, when the coffin was opened, it turned out that it was empty — only a funeral veil remained.
The Assumption: what does this word mean?
Dormition ("falling asleep", "falling asleep") is an ecclesiastical term denoting a peaceful, peaceful death that occurs without suffering, in spiritual peace, as well as the hope of eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven.
This term is a tracing paper from the Greek "coimesis" and the Latin assumption, which emphasizes the idea not of death as a tragedy, but of a transition to another, transformed world, where the material aspect is inferior to the spiritual.
How can believers celebrate the Dormition of the Virgin Mary
The two-hundredth holiday is preceded by a strict two-week fast. In its severity, it is second only to Lent. It always starts on August 14th and ends on the 27th. In the evening, at its conclusion, an all-night vigil is held in churches: the shroud with the image of the Mother of God is solemnly taken out of the altar.
On the morning of August 28, the Divine Liturgy takes place in the churches. The clergy dress in blue robes— the symbolic color of the Virgin, personifying purity and purity. Parishioners bring flowers to the icons and light candles with a prayer for the health of their loved ones.
In Russia, the Assumption coincided with the completion of agricultural work. The peasants brought ears of corn to the temples, as well as the first bread from the new harvest, to be consecrated after the divine service.
The holiday also marked the beginning of Indian summer. In the villages, it was a time when young people decided to get engaged in order to have a wedding in the fall. It was believed that marriages concluded during this period would be strong and blessed, because the Mother of God herself patronizes this day.
According to church customs, on the day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, it is not customary to engage in hard work, sewing, cleaning, quarreling or refusing help to those in need. Attention should be paid to the spiritual, for example, to attend a festive service in the temple. For those who for some reason cannot do this, it is recommended to spend time in home prayer and silence.
Meat and fish are allowed on the festive table, and moderate wine consumption is also allowed. However, the church urges to remain prudent and avoid excesses: this day is sacred and requires a respectful, restrained attitude, not noisy feasts.
Service at the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 2025
On the day of the Assumption, morning and evening services are held, including the main Liturgy. In large churches, worship services and akathists, confession and special evening services can be additionally organized. As a rule, divine services are held in the Church of the Assumption on Uspensky Vrazhka and in other cathedrals dedicated to this holiday both in the evening of the same day and in the morning of the next day. For example, in St. Petersburg, the akathist is read on Thursdays in honor of the Assumption.
On the morning of August 28, the Divine Liturgy is served in churches, including the singing of the troparion of the Dormition: "At Christmas you preserved your virginity ..." and the reading of three parodies from the Old Testament, each of which emphasizes the spiritual significance of the holiday and the connection between heaven and earth.
The icon of the Assumption of the Virgin: the most famous, where it is located
The central place in the celebration is occupied by the shroud with the image of the "Assumption of the Virgin" — a symbol of her transition from earthly to heavenly life.
The most famous is the icon of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary from Jerusalem, kept in the Gethsemane skete on Mount Olivet. According to legend, the apostles performed the burial of the Virgin here, and the glory of the miracles of this image plays an important spiritual significance.
Temples dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin
There are many temples in Russia and abroad named after the Dormition of the Virgin. Among them is the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Gonchary in Moscow, which is a compound of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and has a main altar in the name of the Assumption, as well as a side chapel in the name of St. Tikhon of Amafunt.
The Church of the Assumption in the Trinity is also famous in Moscow.‑Lykov, built in the 19th century, which is valuable for its architecture and historical significance, with chapels dedicated to the Great Martyr Catherine and St. Nicholas.
Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Gonchary in Moscow
In Crimea, there is the Assumption Church in Kerch, consecrated in 1907, temporarily closed and re-consecrated in 1943. Her main patronal feast day is celebrated on August 28.
The 17th-century Naryshkin Baroque Assumption Church, one of the oldest stone churches in the city, is located in Suzdal, Vladimir region. In the Moscow region, in Domodedovo, there is the Church of the Assumption, a late Baroque monument built in the 18th century, with an active altar and shrines of the same period.
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