Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God celebrated on Sunday, August 16
Each year on the Sunday closest to the date of August 15, the Armenian Church celebrates the Feast of the Assumption of St. Mary, the Holy Mother of God. In the Calendar of the Armenian Church, this feast is the fourth of five major feasts that are commemorated, and is the oldest one dedicated to St. Mary.
On the Feast of the Assumption of St. Mary, Divine Liturgies are celebrated in all the churches, and then the Ceremony of the Blessing of the Grapes is conducted, and the harvest for the entire year is blessed on that day.
The Armenian Church has a deep and abiding respect towards St. Mary. Special emphasis is placed on her being a mother, her honesty, her unique spirit of humility, her virtuous behavior and her unselfish dedication. For Armenian women, the Holy Virgin is the embodiment of virtue, pious motherhood, and the protector of family sacredness.