On August 28, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos

In Georgia, the feast is called Mariamoba. The Dormition Fast precedes the celebration of Mariamoba.

In the Christian world, after the Holy Trinity, the Virgin Mary is especially glorified. Of the twelve great feasts, three — the Nativity of the Theotokos, the Dormition, and the Entry of the Most Holy Virgin into the Temple — are dedicated to Her.

According to church tradition, the Most Holy Theotokos was informed of the day of Her Dormition by the Lord Himself through the Archangel Gabriel, who appeared to Her during prayer on the Mount of Olives. The Archangel announced that in three days She would depart to the Lord, and as confirmation, he gave Her a branch of a date palm from paradise, shining with divine grace. This branch was to be placed at Her grave.

By the will of the Theotokos, the Lord gathered all the holy apostles, who had been scattered in their preaching, in Jerusalem so that they could bid Her farewell. The Lord also fulfilled the request of the Theotokos that She not see the horrors of hell, and Her soul was taken up into the Kingdom of Heaven by the Lord Himself.

The apostles buried the Most Holy Theotokos in the Gethsemane cave. The Apostle Thomas was not present at the burial. On the third day, at his request, the apostles rolled away the stone from the tomb and discovered that the body of the Theotokos was no longer there — the Lord had resurrected Her and taken Her into heaven in the flesh. This is why the Church calls the passing of the Theotokos the Dormition.