The Assumption of Mary
- What
- The Assumption of Mary
- When
- 8/15/2021
- Where
- Catholic
Assumption of Mary is a Catholic holiday that commemorates the Virgin, the mother of Jesus Christ when her spirit and body entered heaven. This holiday is celebrated on the 15th of August every year.
During the early 3rd and 4th centuries AD, apocryphal texts debated over the assumption of Mary, identifying three factions of belief but remaining unable to establish a broad consensus. It was not until the 8th century AD, an apocryphal text called the “Transitus Mariae” had become so generally accepted that John of Damascus was able to establish its storyline with the church as the official story from that point forward.
The holiday has not only survived but also has thrived to this day, despite the church never having pointed to any concrete historical or explicit Biblical evidence (the Biblical citations being only metaphorical), nor fully admitting the story’s reliance on apocrypha.
Assumption celebrations are accompanied by festivals, colorful street processions, fireworks, and pageantry. While a “feast” isn’t actually required, there is a longstanding tradition of blessing the summer harvest.