The Orthodox Christians celebrate on Monday, August 28, the Saint Virgin Mary, the mother of God. Each year this day the Orthodox Church celebrates the Feast of Dormition. The cultural counselor of the Basarabian Metropolitan Church, the priest of “Saint Teodora of Sihla” church, Ioan Ciuntu told IPN that Virgin Mary is honored by four feasts each year, the most important of them being the Feast of Dormition, or the Great Saint Mary, in some regions – Uspenia. There is lots of apocrypha telling about the Saint Mary’s falling asleep in 34, on August 15; then she was taken up into heaven two days later. On this occasion thousands of Moldovans celebrate their name day. Thus, all the women called Maria (in fact the most common name in Moldova) Mariana, Marina, Marieta, Mariuca, Marioara are to receive congratulations; but also men called Marin or Marian.