Catholics Around the World Celebrate the Assumption of the Virgin Mary

Catholics around the world celebrate a Marian feast day on Saturday, 15 August: the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.

The feast was established in Rome by Pope Sergius I, who served from 687 to 701. In Jerusalem, a related observance developed in the fifth century as the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God, celebrated under that name by Greek Catholic and Orthodox believers. In 1950, Pope Pius XII proclaimed as an article of faith the doctrine that the Virgin Mary was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.

In many Catholic countries, the ancient custom of blessing flowers and herbs is still observed alongside pilgrimages and processions. The custom dates back to the 10th century in Germany.

15 August is also a major and obligatory feast day in the Greek Catholic Church, where it is celebrated as the Dormition (Uspenije) of the Most Holy Mother of God. In this church, the feast is preceded by a two-week fast known as the Dormition Fast, which always runs from 1 to 14 August.

In several European countries, 15 August is also a public holiday.

(tasr, kul)