The Dormition of our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary….
Our incredible bond with the mother of the Godman
The Assumption of the Virgin Mary is celebrated again this year in every corner of Greece, focusing on Panagia of Tinos and Panagia Soumela. Each greek island and all the small and big cities of the country have….
from a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary that has hundreds of adjectives, depending on the region, and which gathers on the 15th of August a multitude of believers.
The holy mary, the holiest of the persons of Orthodoxy, is glorified in every corner of Greece.
The great worship that the Greeks have for the "mother" of God and people is proven of the many names given to it!! Blessed virgin, Ekatontapyliani, Revealed, Cosmos, Hozoviotissa, Eikosifoinissa, I was holding a baby, I was having mercy, Seafood, Doctor, Myrtidiotissa and many more.
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the greatest celebrations of Christianity
The preparation of the faithful begins on the 1st of August with the fast that lasts until the 15th of August., constituting for the Orthodox Christians the "Easter of summer". At 15 August thousands of believers with souls full of hope and despair, they attend the countless pilgrimages, where the miraculous icons of the Virgin Mary are liturgized to testify to their faith in her face.
The Virgin of Tinos
The icon of the Virgin of Tinos was found on 30 Of January 1823, after many efforts and "at the suggestion of the Virgin Mary to the nun Pelagia", in the historic Monastery of the "Lady of the Angels", in Kechrovouni. By his Royal Decree 1836, It was established that the celebration of the Virgin Mary in Tinos should be eight days long and last until the "nine days of the Virgin Mary"., at 23 August, where in an atmosphere of emotion, contemplation and respect, hymns and praises are sung, in front of the epitaph and the image. The road that leads from the port to the temple of the Annunciation, where the image was found, is the greatest proof of the inseparable relationship of Hellenism with Orthodoxy. This path is traveled by thousands of believers on their knees as a curse. In Tinos in parallel with the celebration of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the Greeks also honor those who were lost, when the Italians torpedoed and sank "Elli" in the port of the island on the day of Panagia in 1940.
Saint Mary of Soumela
Panagia Soumela is the symbol of the Pontian faith, although the first name of the miraculous image was Athiniotissa. The icon of Panagia Soumela was painted by the Evangelist Luke. After his death, Ananias's student transported her to Athens and placed her in a beautiful church of the Virgin Mary.. This is how Atheniotissa was originally named Panagia. At the end of the 4th century (380-386 A.D.), according to tradition, Panagia Athiniotissa appeared as a vision to the monks Sophronios and Barnabas, in Athens, and called them to church. There they saw the image rising from the shrine, to come out of the window and fly to the heavens. At the same time, they heard the Virgin Mary say: "I am going to the East. I am ahead of Mount Mela. Follow me…».
The monks followed her to Mount Mela, in Pontus, where he stood, a large Temple and Monastery was built. Thus the image got the name Soumela from the phrase "in Mela". The 1922, after the Asia Minor catastrophe, monks buried the image, along with other heirlooms. By exchange, the sacred relics were given and the 1931 he dug them up and brought them to Greece, Ambrosios the Soumeliotis. The icon was returned to Athens and remained in the Museum until 1951. Then, The "Panagia Soumela" Association of Thessaloniki proposed the construction of a church on the slopes of Vermi, in Kastania, Veria.
The Virgin Mary in Mikrokastro, Kozani
The celebration of the 15th of August in the historical monastery of Panagia in Mikrokastro is special, of the municipality of Voio. Every year thousands of believers worship the image of the Virgin Mary, dating from 1603, while the revival of the custom of the pilgrims from Siatista makes an impression. The custom of the cavalry pilgrims comes from the Turkish occupation, when it was an opportunity for the enslaved to show their valor and desire for freedom.
Panagia of Ekatontapyliani, Paros
The church of Panagia Ekatontapyliani is located in Parikia, of Paros. There are two names for the temple: "Katapoliani" and "Ekatontapyliani". According to tradition, Katopoliani has ninety-nine open doors, while the centimeter is closed and not visible. This door will be visible and open, when the Greeks take the City. Many traditions refer to the founding of Ekatontapyliani. The first informs that, when St. Helen's mother went to Palestine to find the Holy Cross, arrived in Paros and prayed in a small church located on the site of Ekatontapyliani. During her prayer she vowed that if she found the Holy Cross, will build in this place a large temple. Her prayer was answered. He found the Holy Cross and, making her vow, erected the majestic temple of Ekatontapyliani. A second tradition states that Agia Eleni's vow was completed by her son Agios Konstantinos, emperor of Byzantium, as she did not catch up.
The "Ofiousa" of Kefalonia
In southern Kefalonia, near the village of Markopoulo, is the temple of the Assumption. There from the feast of the Transfiguration of the Savior (6 August) small snakes appear inside and outside the temple. They are the so-called "snakes of the Virgin". In this position, says tradition, there was an old monastery of Panagia, big and rich. When the monastery was attacked by pirates, the nuns, in order not to fall into their hands, asked the Virgin Mary to make them birds., or snakes. So, like snakes, sacred now, they return every year at the beginning of August and as the days go by they multiply. On the eve of the Assumption, they "flood" the temple. According to tradition if some year the snakes do not appear, is a bad sign. This is what happened 1940 and 1953, when the island was hit by earthquakes.
Panagia Agiasotissa of Lesvos
In the hinterland of Lesvos, in Agiassos, August 15 is a special experience for everyone. The icon of the same name is the work of the evangelist Luke, decorated with candle and mastic. Many of the pilgrims, starting from the city of Mytilene, they walk 25 kilometers to reach the churchyard, where they spend the night. On the day of the feast of the Virgin, after operation, the image is rotated around the temple, while the festive events reach their climax with the music and dance events in the village square.
Our Lady of Olympus in Karpathos
The celebration in Olympus of Karpathos is different. The services are deeply connected with the mourning that characterizes the day of the 15th of August and the culmination of the traditional celebration is the dance that takes place in the small square, in front of the church of Panagia, with the organists playing the Bottom Dance. The dance is slow and always with a steady step and an all-night mood, lasts for hours.
The epitaph of the Virgin Mary in Patmos
On the island of Apocalypse, on Patmos, the monks observe the custom of the epitaph of the Virgin Mary, custom with Byzantine origins. The gilded epitaph of the Virgin Mary wanders the alleys of the island in a majestic procession, while the bells of the monastery and other churches ring incessantly.
Koufonisia – By boat to Panagia
On the 15th of August, the Virgin Mary celebrates in Kato Koufonisi. After the service, food is offered by the residents and then they are transported by boats which compete for who will pass the other to Pano Koufonisi.
Man's – Panagia Faneromeni
Faneromeni Castle is one of the most characteristic places in the area of Korthio, on a hill near the village of Kochilou. On the 15th of August, a big festival takes place here at Panagia Faneromeni, located inside the Castle.
NewsRoom mykonosticker.com