This Thursday, August 15, the Assumption of the Virgin, also known as the Virgin of the Dove, is celebrated. A day that marks the middle of summer with a non-recoverable national holiday, which means that the autonomous communities do not have the power to change it, as if it happened on July 25, the day of Santiago Apóstol.
This 2024, the holiday also falls on a Thursday, so many will be able to enjoy a long weekend to start the second half of August well. The feast of the Assumption has been celebrated since the time of the first Christians. In fact, in Spain it has become one of the most important days on the calendar due to the importance of the Virgin in Catholicism and Spanish history.
The origin of the Assumption of the Virgin
It belongs to the Marian dogmas, which are based on the fact that the Virgin Mary is one of the most important figures of Christianity. Specifically, the doctrine of the Assumption of the Virgin or Virgin of the Dove maintains that Mary, at the end of her earthly life, was taken to heaven both in body and soul.
The feast has its roots in ancient Christian tradition and has been celebrated since the 5th century. It was in 1950 when Pope Pius XII, in the apostolic bull Munificentissimus Deus, proclaimed the dogma of faith of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The proclamation of this dogma underlined the importance of the Virgin Mary in Catholic spirituality and reinforced devotion to the Mother of Jesus, highlighting her special role in the divine plan.
August 15, the day of the Assumption, is an important holiday in the Catholic liturgical calendar and is celebrated with masses, processions and other religious activities in honor of the Virgin Mary. Also, depending on the autonomous community, there are many points that overlap with patronal festivals or regional celebrations typical of this time.
