Syriacs mark Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary Day in Tur Abdin

TUR ABDIN — Syriac Orthodox Christians in Tur Abdin celebrated the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in large numbers on August 14 and 15 in the various towns and villages of Tur Abdin, reports Gazete Sabro.  

Archbishop of Tur Abdin Mor Timotheos Samuel Aktaş presided over evening prayers at the “Shahro” service at the historic Virgin Mary Church in Hah. The “Shahro” service is traditionally held on the evening and night before, i.e. 14 August, where believers spend the night inside church reading the Bible and praying for the blessings of the Virgin Mary.

Before the Feast of the Assumption, Syriac Christians fast for five days refraining from animal products. 

In most churches of Tur Abdin, the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (Syriac: “Şunoyo d’Yoldath l’Aloho”) was celebrated with a morning service on 15 August, where blessed grapes were eaten. The occasion is associated with grapes because they hold a special place in Christianity as the crop for wine used in holy mass.