Greece celebrated the Dormition of the Virgin Mary on Tuesday (August 15) with great splendour and devotion, liturgies and processions of the icon of the Virgin.
The day, also known as “the Summer Easter” of Greek Orthodoxy, honours the mother of Jesus Christ as a transcendent mother figure of humanity and one who can intercede for the salvation of the faithful or provide true solace during trying times for an individual.
For Greeks, the Virgin has been strongly connected to the historical struggles of the nation, and the evidence of the reverence in which she is held lies in the hundreds of qualifiers added to her name throughout Greece’s towns and villages.
Greece honours the Dormition of Virgin Mary in Tinos
The island of Tinos is traditionally the focus of celebrations for the feast of the Dormition annually, with the faithful making pilgrimages to the imposing Church of the Virgin Mary of Tinos.
Σήμερα, ο Ελληνισμός, η Ορθοδοξία γιορτάζουμε την Κοίμηση της Θεοτόκου. Ο Δεκαπενταύγουστος είναι μια μέρα ταυτισμένη με την ελπίδα και την αισιοδοξία και έχουμε κάθε λόγο σήμερα ως Ελληνίδες και ως Έλληνες να είμαστε πιο αισιόδοξοι για το μέλλον.
Χρόνια πολλά σε όλες και όλους! pic.twitter.com/b2DNUXKFfK
— Prime Minister GR (@PrimeministerGR) August 15, 2023
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also participated in solemn religious observances on Tinos island to mark the Dormition of the Virgin Mary on Tuesday.
Joined by Defense Minister Nikos Dendias and Chief of the General Staff General Konstantinos Floros, the prime minister engaged in activities that paid homage to both spiritual traditions and historical sacrifices.
A poignant tribute was offered to the memory of the crew of the cruiser “Elli,” which met a tragic fate when it was sunk by an Italian submarine on August 15, 1940, mere weeks before the outbreak of hostilities between the two nations.
As a gesture of respect, Prime Minister Mitsotakis laid a wreath at sea, commemorating the bravery and sacrifice of those who served aboard the cruiser.
Following the solemn maritime gesture, Prime Minister Mitsotakis took part in a celebratory divine liturgy at the island’s cathedral.
The liturgy was presided over by Metropolitan Dorotheos of Syros and Tinos, adding a profound spiritual dimension to the day’s events.
Mitsotakis seized the occasion to reflect on the significance of the day and its implications for the Greek people.
He acknowledged the historical challenges the nation has faced and conquered, including navigating through a decade-long crisis. Drawing parallels between the spirit of the observance and the nation’s resilience, Mitsotakis underscored the well-founded optimism that accompanies Greece’s journey forward.
“In the face of challenges we have encountered, our nation has triumphantly emerged from a decade of crisis and is fully justified in approaching the future with heightened hope and optimism,” Prime Minister Mitsotakis affirmed adding that the day’s events on Tinos island underscored the intertwined nature of Greece’s spiritual heritage and its historical sacrifices, offering a moment for reflection, reverence, and renewed determination to face the future with optimism.
The icon naming the Tinos church was found in January 1823 by a nun at the historic Monastery of the Dormition of the Virgin/”Lady of the Angels” on the island who was directed to its location.
A royal decree in 1836 established an eight-day celebration of the Virgin on the island of Tinos, to August 23 (nine days after her dormition), when an epitaphios (a funerary bier, usually associated with Christ) and her icon are venerated.
The annual liturgy is celebrated the same day as the commemoration of the sinking of the Greek cruiser ‘Elli’ at the port of the island by the Italians on Dormition Day in 1940. Both events are attended annually by high government and Armed Forces leaders.
Greek Orthodoxy celebrates Panagia in Trebizond
A Divine Liturgy to celebrate the Dormition of the Virgin Mary was held at the historic monastery of Panagia Soumela in the Trebizond area on Tuesday, led by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
The liturgy began shortly after 10:30 am and was attended by several people. It was broadcast live by Mega TV.
In a sermon following the completion of the Liturgy, the Ecumenical Patriarch spoke of the tribulations, faith, and legacy of Hellenism, and made a special note of the Pontian Greeks, who made pilgrimages to the historic landmark on Mt. Melas and passed their cultural legacy and faith to the next generations after their displacement.
The Greek Orthodox religion carries a message of peace to the world, he said, adding that the Virgin Mary served as a comforting and motherly figure through the generations. Bartholomew also made special mention of the late Metropolitan Pavlos of Drama, who died suddenly aged 59 in 2022, and his devoted service both to the Church as well as to the Pontian Greeks. Before concluding the event, he the Ecumenical Patriarch also thanked the Turkish authorities for providing permission to conduct the liturgy at the monastery, which was given on Friday.
Panagia Soumela Monastery was built in its present form at 1860, with the addition of four-story guest rooms spanning the facade of the cave in the mountain. Its origins go back to at least the 4th century, when the site was first occupied by monks.
