A feast of the Mother of God
The Dormition of the Theotokos
The Church keeps the falling-asleep of the Mother of God and her taking up into heaven, the great feast of summer. Her great feasts trace her life, from her Nativity and her Entry into the Temple to the Annunciation and this falling-asleep. Orthodox Christians ask her intercession before her Son and pray to her for a peaceful Christian end.
The dates
- Kept on
- 15 August (28 August on the Old Calendar)
- Next, New Calendar
- Next, Old Calendar
The New Calendar (the Greek, Antiochian, Romanian and Bulgarian churches, the OCA and most converts) keeps fixed feasts on the church date; the Old Calendar (the Russian, Serbian and Georgian churches, Jerusalem and Mount Athos) keeps them 13 days later. Pascha and the feasts that follow it are kept on the same day by both.
How the day is kept
Two weeks of the Dormition Fast lead up to the feast.
Greeks call the feast the summer Pascha.
In Greek custom every Maria, Panagiotis and Panagiota, and Despina keeps the name day on this feast; Russians do not keep the feasts of the Mother of God as name days.
Name days
These names keep their name day on this feast:
- Maria (Greek custom)
- Mary (Greek custom)
- Panagiotis (Greek custom)
- Panagiota (Greek custom)
- Despina (Greek custom)
- Gethsimani (Greek custom)
- Theotokis (Greek custom)
- Mariangela (Greek custom)
- Marinela (Greek custom)
- Eleousa (Greek custom)
- Elona (Greek custom)
- Iliostalakti (Greek custom)
- Katholiki (Greek custom)
- Krystallo (Greek custom)
- Presvia (Greek custom)
- Symela (Greek custom)
- Marios
The saint
Icons for the feast
Folding diptychChrist (Zvenigorod Saviour) & Vladimir Mother of God Folding Diptych$99$69
Folding diptychChrist Pantocrator & Our Lady of Kazan Folding Diptych$99$69
IconOrthodox Virgin Mary Holding Jesus - Gold Color - Icon$41$29
IconOrthodox Virgin Mary and Child Jesus - Silver&Gold Color - Icon$41$29
IconOrthodox Virgin Mary (Our Lady of Kazan, Rectangular) - Silver&Gold Color - Wooden Icon$41$29
IconOrthodox Mother of God - Gold Color - Wooden Icon$41$29
IconOrthodox Jesus Christ and Virgin Mary - Folding Wooden Icon$56$39
IconOrthodox Christ & Virgin Mary - Silver&Gold Color - Folding Wooden Icon$56$39
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