Dormition of the Holy Mother of God 2024: history and traditions of the holiday, signs and prohibitions.

From September 1, 2023, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) switched to the New Julian church calendar, and now all immovable holidays with a fixed date are celebrated 13 days earlier. Therefore, in 2024, the parishioners of these churches celebrate the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God on August 15.

On this day, the Dormition fast ends. The holiday is also called the First Pure or Dormition.

Dormition of the Holy Mother of God

After the two-week Dormition fast, on August 15, Orthodox Christians and Greek Catholics celebrate one of the twelve greatest holidays of the ecclesiastical year – the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God.

The holiday has a dual meaning: human sorrow is combined with the certainty that death as destruction and non-existence does not exist.

According to church tradition, on the day when the Mother of God was to depart into eternity, the apostles left their places of preaching and miraculously gathered in Jerusalem to bid farewell to the Holy Mother of God and perform the burial of her pure body. While around her bed, they were blinded by a bright light in which Christ appeared surrounded by angels and archangels. At that moment, the pure soul of the Virgin Mary, without suffering, as if in a dream, departed to the Lord. The iconographic tradition of the holiday tells that the Holy Mother of God handed her pure soul into the hands of her Son and Lord Jesus Christ, and at that Time the sounds of angelic choirs were heard from the heavens.

The Gospel does not specify when and where the Dormition of the Mother of God took place, and most of the information about Her earthly life and departure into eternity remained from the church tradition of the apostles and their disciples.

The apostles buried the body of the Mother of God, according to Her wish, in the Garden of Gethsemane – in a cave where the bodies of Her parents and righteous Joseph rested.

The Dormition is one of the oldest feasts of the Mother of God, which appeared in Jerusalem immediately after the Council of Ephesus (431 AD). In the 6th century, this holiday received its present name – the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God.

In Ukraine, the holiday has gained special reverence. The three lavras of Ukraine: Kyiv-Pechersk, Pochaiv, and Sviatohirsk – are dedicated to this holiday. Also, many churches in Ukraine are dedicated to the Dormition of the Mother of God.

Traditions

In popular culture, the feast of the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God is also called the First Pure. During the autumn period, there are three Pure ones: August 15, September 8, and October 1.

It is said about them: "The First Pure sows rye, the second waters it with rain, and the third covers it with snow." After the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God, the wedding season begins.

On the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God, it is customary to go to church. There, Christians usually bless seeds and ears of wheat from the new harvest, as this period coincides with the harvest.

In addition, it is necessary to light a candle in the church for all relatives and friends, as well as pray for the health of the closest people, especially children. Since the Dormition fast ended the day before, on this day one can already set a lush table, on which there should be consecrated bread made from fresh flour. However, it was not only feasting that accompanied the holiday.

A good tradition for the Dormition, in particular, was to engage in the salting of cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, and other vegetables for the winter, as well as gathering mushrooms and nuts.

What not to do on the Dormition holiday:

• It is forbidden to walk barefoot on the dew this day. It is believed that the dew on the holiday is the tears of the Virgin Mary. Ignoring this can bring bad luck and misfortune.
• It is forbidden to wear old or uncomfortable shoes because if you rub your feet this day, the whole life path will be full of blisters.
• It is forbidden to cut hair on this day, especially for girls. It may anger the Virgin Mary.
• Do not quarrel, especially with family. Do not think ill of others, even enemies, and do not wish them harm on this day – it will certainly come back to you.
• Do not sew, cut, or use needles, knives, or scissors. Even bread is broken by hand on the holiday to avoid cutting.
• Do not work or clean, wash, etc. Neither at home nor in the garden or yard.

Folk weather signs:

• According to folk signs, if the weather is good on the First Pure – the whole autumn will be good.
• Good weather – Indian summer will be cool and rainy.
• A rainbow in the sky – to a warm autumn.
• Morning fog – to a rich mushroom harvest.