The Orthodox Christians who follow the old church calendar on October 14 celebrate the Protection of the Mother of God, also known as the feast of the Virgin Mary’s Cerementon, IPN reports.

The feast day celebrates the appearance of the Mother of God at Blachernae (Vlaherna) in the tenth century. At the end of the life of St. Andrei of Constantinople, he with his disciple St. Epiphanius, and a group of people, saw the Mother of God, St. John the Baptist, and several other saints and angels during a vigil in the Church of Blachernae, nearby the city gates. The Theotokos approached the center of the church, knelt down and remained in prayer for a long time. Her face was drowned in tears. Then she took her veil (cerement) off and spread it over the people as a sign of protection.

This feast day has a special importance because the Mother of God’s veil protects the Orthodox Christians from enemies and offers support to those who pray.

On this day, many communtiies, incluidng Chisinau city, celebrate the Patron Saint Day.