The Day of the Assumption of the Virgin is celebrated today like every August 15. A celebration that we also have marked as “National Holiday” in our work calendar despite the fact that it falls in a period in which many are on vacation , so we now explain what this day means and why it is celebrated on August 15 .
Why is the Day of the Assumption of the Virgin celebrated on August 15?
As established by the Catholic Church, it celebrates every August 15 the Day of the Assumption of the Virgin . A day that commemorates the act of the Virgin Mary , mother of Jesus Christ, when he ascended to heaven.
As the Oral Tradition of the Catholic Church explains, it was on August 15, 43 AD when, after falling asleep, Mary woke up being transported by the angels of God to heaven.
What is the Day of the Assumption of the Virgin?
The feast of the Assumption of the Virgin was established by Pope Pius XII in 1950. In this way, it is commemorated every August 15 since then that the Immaculate Virgin is preserved from all original guilt. For this reason and as indicated by the Oral Tradition of the Catholic Church in the last days of her life, the Virgin Mary was welcomed to heavenly glory in body and soul and exalted by the Lord as queen of the universe , so that she fully conformed to His son, Lord of rulers and conqueror of sin and death.
As the Roman Missal also establishes, the Virgin of the Assumption is the first fruit of the heavenly Church and a sign of consolation and sure hope for the pilgrim church. It is understood that the Assumption of Mary is an anticipation of the resurrection of the flesh, something that for the rest of men will occur at the end of time, when the Final Judgment arrives. A solemnity that, corresponding to the natalis (death) of the other saints, is considered the main festival dedicated to the Virgin.
Why is it celebrated as a national holiday in Spain?
On August 15, the Day of the Assumption (which is also the saint of all the Marys) is celebrated as a national holiday in our country because the Virgin of the Assumption is the patron of many towns and cities so that it is of a day in which the festivities of many towns also begin to be celebrated.
It is also a tradition in our country that every August 15 offerings of flowers are made to the Virgin of the Assumption and there are even some cities such as Seville , in which the image of the Virgin Mary is taken out in procession. Specifically in this city, it is the bearers who take the Virgin of the Kings out of the Cathedral at 8 in the morning.
In the case of Madrid, moreover, the celebration on August 15 coincides with the end of the celebrations for the Fiestas de la Paloma that usually start each year on August 10.
