This holiday is also called the Easter of the Mother of God; all-night vigils were held in churches the night before, transmits Sputnik Belarus.
The Orthodox Church celebrates one of the twelve great feasts of the religious calendar on August 28 – the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. It was established in memory of the death of the Theotokos, who after her burial was taken up to heaven.
The head of the Belarusian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Veniamin of Minsk and Zaslavl, led the festive Divine Liturgy at the Zhirovichi Holy Dormition Monastery.
Services for the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos are distinguished by their special solemnity – priests are dressed in blue vestments, which correspond to the feast of the Theotokos.
On the Assumption, it is customary to richly decorate the interior of the church with flowers – as a rule, these are white flowers, which symbolize purity and holiness.
The Dormition, Mother of God, two-week fast ended for Orthodox Christians the day before. The Dormition of the Mother of God also ends the liturgical year for Orthodox Christians.
In the Orthodox tradition, it is not customary to call the death of the Mother of God death; the word “Assumption” is used, because the death of the Mother of God was like a short sleep, followed by her transition to eternal life.
Peculiarities of the Dormition Feast
A special feature of the Divine Liturgy on August 28 is that the rite of burial of the shroud of the Most Holy Theotokos is performed in churches.
In churches they remember the events associated with the burial of the body of the Mother of God, when the apostles buried the body of the Mother of God in a cave in Gethsemane.
On the day of the Dormition, akathists are offered to the Most Holy Theotokos, believers ask for mercy, for the health of loved ones, offer prayers for the family, ask the Mother of God to protect them from illness.
In addition, prayers are offered for the Mother of God to protect children who are going to school for the first time.
