August 15 – Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

On August 15, the Orthodox church celebrates one of the 12 greatest Christian holidays – the assumption of Mary, the day, in which the God’s mother was taken bodily to Heaven after her death. According to the Holy Writ, when Mary was 64 years old, one day while she was praying archangel Gabriel appeared, telling her God wanted to take her with Him in His kingdom, where she would rule with Him forever. The Blessed Mother’s last wish was to see all of Jesus’s apostles together before her death. And so it happened – they were all miraculously transported to her bedside from their various mission-fields. Three days later, Jesus came down from Heaven to take Mary’s soul. She was buried in a cave near Getsimania. In another three days, Virgin Mary rose from the dead and appeared in front of the apostles, surrounded by angels, with the words: “ Be happy, for I am with you in all the days.” The Blessed Virgin Mary cult is one of the most popular among Bulgarians, for whom she is a symbol of mercy and charity. She is also seen as protector of all sinners, women , mothers, and children.