The Assumption is celebrated on August 15 in Greece with great pomp! The significance of the festival is great so it has been dubbed as the “Easter of the summer”. This is one of the biggest celebrations of orthodoxy and it is almost always combined with our return to the places we grew, and with the family gathering! The roads in the villages of Greece are filled with locals and visitors, and feasts with local dishes and all sorts of traditional items for sale, are organised!
Here in Crete the celebration of the Assumption is very important and every year in every corner of the island events are organized (concerts, theatrical performances, exhibitions, theme nights, etc.). The atmosphere is festive and people that day are visiting the churches in the name of Our Lady to pray and participate in this solemn process!
Religion says that when Mary learned that she was to die, she visited the Mount of Olives, she prayed and immediately informed the Apostles on the impending death. But the day of the Assumption some of the Apostles were not able to reach Jerusalem, which is why a cloud led them near the Virgin! After her death, they placed her in the grave of Gethsemane, which after three days they found empty.
Here in Traditional Cretan Village – Arolithos we believe that the celebration of the Assumption is an opportunity to get closer to our loved ones! Have a good time 🙂
