Dormition of the Virgin Mary: From the Panagias of the Cyclades and Vermio to Imbro - Silence again this year at the Panagia Sumela of Pontustranslated

The feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated again this year with particular splendor in all the Theotokos Pilgrimages of our country, but also in every place where Hellenism and Orthodoxy flourish. The festive atmosphere, however, is partially overshadowed for another year by the devastating fires of the last few days.

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From the evening of the eve of the feast, August 14, multitudes of believers come to the churches and the pilgrimages to honor the Virgin Mary, the person who, according to the faith of the Church, deserved by the grace of God to become the Mother of Life. On Thursday, August 13, this year's cycle of Prayers to the Most Holy Theotokos for the Fifteenth of August was completed.

In every corner of Greece, from the unspoiled islands and villages to the great pilgrimages that keep miraculous and historical icons of the Virgin Mary, the faithful participate in the Holy Masses of the great Mother of God feast.

The fifteenth of August, the "Easter of summer", is one of the leading holidays of Orthodoxy and is associated with a multitude of local customs and traditions. The celebrations culminate in the parishes and pilgrimages that…