The Orthodox Christians who follow the Julian calendar on August 28 celebrate the Feast of Dormition of the Theotokos that the people also call the Feast of Saint Mary the Great. It ends the Dormition Fast that lasted for two weeks, IPN reports.

The feast commemorates the “falling asleep” or death of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and her bodily resurrection before being taken up into heaven. The Orthodox Church commemorates Mary as the Mother of Saint Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Dormition requiem mass is held in churches on the eve of the feast.

There are four Marian feast days in the liturgical year celebrating the events in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Nativity of the Theotokos observed on September 21; the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple on December 4; Annunciation of the Theotokos on April 7, and the Dormition of the Mother of God on August 28.