The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known as the Feast of the Dormition in the Byzantine Rite and among Orthodox Christians, is a holy day of obligation celebrating that God brought Mary’s uncorrupted body into heaven upon her death. According to Vatican Media, the Church has celebrated the feast on Aug. 15 since at least the fifth century. 

Although the Scriptures do not record the event, apostolic tradition has preserved that she was brought body and soul into heaven, as stated in Catechism of the Catholic Church 966: “Finally the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and death.” 

The Church does not state whether she died before her Assumption. Some traditions hold that she died, was buried, and disappeared. Franciscan Media states that many of the Church’s theologians hold that she died first, in order to conform with Christ, who also died for man. 

Now celebrated around the world with Mass and processions, the Feast of the Assumption was also traditionally linked with the season of harvest in which it occurs, according to the website Catholic Culture. The faithful would bring fruits, flowers, and herbs to Mass for a blessing and sometimes place these plants on the altar.

The 1964 edition of the Roman Ritual includes a blessing of fruits, flowers, and herbs that was traditionally given on the feast day, connecting the fruitfulness of the Blessed Mother with the fruitfulness of the harvest: 

“God, who on this day raised up to highest heaven the rod of Jesse, the Mother of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, that by her prayers and patronage you might communicate to our mortal nature the fruit of her womb, your very Son; we humbly implore you to help us use these fruits of the soil for our temporal and everlasting welfare, aided by the power of your Son and the prayers of His glorious Mother; through Christ our Lord.”

While some parishes still offer blessings for plants, Catholics can find other ways to celebrate the feast in addition to, of course, attending Mass. The faithful could bring a bouquet of roses or lilies to the Blessed Mother, or plant a “Mary Garden” in their home, surrounding a garden statue of the Blessed Mother with flowers traditionally associated with her. 

This year, the feast day falls on a Friday: perhaps the faithful could celebrate the feast with a barbecue before the school year returns. After all, the solemnity overrides the traditional practice of abstaining from meat on Friday! 

Catholics can also celebrate by singing or listening to the Akathist Hymn for the Dormition, a Byzantine Catholic and Orthodox tradition honoring the Blessed Mother.