Where to celebrate the Assumption of Mary in Europe

Where to celebrate the Assumption of Mary in Europe

August 15 is a big celebration in most European cities. It is a religious event, honouring the Assumption of Mary, and the day is marked with a principal feast of the Blessed Virgin, or the mother of Jesus Christ. The Assumption of Mary is celebrated across Europe, and if you’re visiting in August, here is where you can join in the festivities and celebrations in Poland, Spain, Greece and Romania.

Poland

Krakow

If you are going to spend your holiday in Poland, don’t miss the August 15 celebrations! This is a unique day where old pagan traditions mix with folk and Catholic traditions — to such an extent that sometimes it’s difficult to recognise where sacrum ends and profanum begins.

The Assumption of the Virgin Mary is also known as The Lady of Flowers holiday. Why this name? There are at least two reasons. Firstly, the religious dogma says that Mary, mother of Jesus, did not die, but fell asleep on Earth and woke up in heaven. Instead of a body, people found fresh flowers and herbs at her grave. The other reason is that mid-August is the time of harvest in Poland. This big, colourful festival to celebrate the end of field work has endured in Polish culture since pagan times. It is a time to dress up, using flowers and herbs for decoration, share fresh bread and beer, and dance for as long as you can move your legs.

August 15 is also the same day Poles celebrate the Day of the Polish Army, when, in August 1920, soldiers won the victory in the famous battle of Warsaw. This is known in Poland as the “Miracle on the Vistula River.”

If you’ve visiting Krakow, you can choose between going to the church with a bouquet of flowers for blessing, participating in the colorful harvest holiday — where local beer is drunk and people are dressed in folk clothes — or watch a military parade in the city centre. You could try to take part in everything that day. At the end of the day, the results will be similar: you’ll likely have drunk and eaten a lot! All the while wearing flowers on your head.

Warsaw

If you happen to be in Warsaw on August 15, you can participate in two big celebrations. The first derives from the Catholic tradition and the second commemorates the history of Poland. During the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (who is also known as Our Lady of Herbs), you’ll see people bringing bouquets for blessing in churches. According to the old tradition, seven different herbs, cereals, flowers and even vegetables are picked, formed into decorative bunches and carried home after the Holy Mass. Poles hang them in chambers and believe they will protect them against disease. On this day, the scent of chamomile, mint, basil, rosemary and lovage fill the air. In the countryside, celebrations take place at the end of harvest, so this date is also an opportunity to give thanks for the harvest and ask for a blessing for further work.

The Feast of the Polish Armed Forces is a national holiday commemorating the anniversary of the Battle of Warsaw during the Polish-Soviet War in 1920. This year Poland celebrates 100 years of regaining independence, so this year’s parade through the city centre will be big, with 3,000 people and 500 horses representing changes in uniforms and weapons from the Middle Ages up until today. The official pageantry will be held in Piłsudski Square near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and plenty of other events are available at the Museum of the Polish Army.

Mallorca, Spain

Nowadays, people believe less and less in religious customs and festivities. However, August 15 is considered the religious summer festivity par excellence for the Mediterranean. Since the 14th century, the feast day of the Assumption of the Virgin has been honoured in a special way. Celebrations include a series of rituals, theatrical performances and protocols that accompany the mystery of death and the coronation of the Virgin with the scent of basil.

Palma also celebrates this festival its own way. The city churches remain open, so visitors can contemplate the images of the reclining virgins. The Consell de Mallorca publishes a program that includes churches in Palma and Mallorca where you can visit the beds of the sleeping virgins. Apart from this religious manifestation, many villages of Mallorca also celebrate with festivities in a more playful way.

Greece

Mid-summer is already a busy time in Greece. But August is a lively time in the country, due to the feast of the Assumption of Mary, also known as Assumption Day. As one of the major celebrations of the Orthodox Church, it’s a great excuse for Greeks to holiday and follow the non-stop celebrations and parties taking place. Religious festivals and saints’ name days are an important celebration in Greece, whatever your religious beliefs.

During this period, some places are marked as top pilgrimage destination, while great traditional festivals called “Panigiria” also take place. Every city’s church celebrates the Virgin’s icon by adorning it with flowers and holding a formal mass. However, if you find yourself in the main city during this time, do like locals do and organise a few days trip to the countryside to feel this special festive atmosphere.

Crete

If your trip destination is the island of Crete during Assumption Day, don’t miss most famous celebrations of the island in the Monastery of Panagia Chrissoskalitissa. The historical building is located on the southwestern side of the island, near Elafonisi Beach with its majestic green-blue waters, pink sand and exotic atmosphere. Built on the top of a rock, this whitewashed monastery includes one gold step. According to tradition, the colour of this step is only revealed to the sinless. Leave aside your sins and enjoy live Cretan music and plenty of food.

Most villages in Crete celebrate Assumption Day in their own special way. Certain villages organise their own Panigiri, where local musicians who are masters of the lyra and lagouto instruments gather in the village. There they play traditional music, while people dance in the main square, drink local wine and eat food – all offered for free. Don’t be upset if you hear celebratory gunshots!

 

Near Athens

If you’re in Athens,  catch a ferry and in a couple of hours you’ll be in the islands of Tinos or Paros: two of the most famous places for Assumption Day celebrations in Greece.

The Church of Panagia Evangelistria (Virgin Mary) is the reason why Tinos is linked with religious festivities and a top pilgrimage destination. Every August, thousands of believers flock to the island to pay respects the miraculous image of Virgin Mary. Celebrations start on August 15 and run through to August 23, incorporating the commemoration of the sinking of the warship Elli in 1940 by Italians. While you’re here, don’t miss the local festival cuisine!

The island of Paros is a popular spot to commemorate Assumption Day, as it is home to the Paleochristian Virgin Mary of Ekatontapiliani Church in Parikia, one of the oldest and best preserved Christian churches. After the Epitaph procession of Panagia Ekatontapyliani, created in the 17th century, people start dancing to the local traditional rhythms and enjoying local delicacies and wine. At night, in the nearby port of Naoussa, boats approach the pier with lit torches reenacting the arrival of pirates.

Thessaloniki

If you are in Thessaloniki, follow the annual pilgrimage of Pontians to Panagia Soumela Monastery, located on the slopes of the Vermion Mountains. The church holds the holy image of Panagia, crafted by Evangelist Luke. It was built in 1951 by Greek refugees, in memory of the historical Orthodox Monastery located on Mount Mela, near Trabzon (now part of Turkey). Greek Pontians still preserve their strong traditions, so get ready to experience the procession of the miraculous icon. Dressed in characteristic Pontian costumes, locals listen to traditional songs played by Pontian bands from Macedonia, and engage in mystical Pontian dancing.

Romania

If you plan a visit to Romania around mid-August, know that August 15 is a national public holiday in honour of Saint Mary’s death. Both Orthodox and Catholic churches pay their respects for the Dormition of the Mother of God on this day. The Assumption of Mary, or simply Assumption Day or St. Mary’s Day, is one of the most important feasts in the Christian calendar. The event honours the belief that when Mary died, her body did not decay but was “assumed” up to heaven and reunited with her soul.

During the day churches and monasteries all over the country, especially with Saint Mary as their holy patron, will honour and welcome pilgrims with a special service dedicated to the Dormition of the Mother of God.

Saint Mary’s Assumption Day is also known as the Feast of Our Lady of the Harvest, the patron saint of the Navy. And so, the date corresponds with the Day of the Romanian Naval Forces. Shows featuring navy ships, helicopters, divers and parachute-jumping are held in Constanta, Romania’s biggest port, and often attract thousands of visitors.

The day also represents the beginning of fall sowing, as well as the start of descent of shepherds coming back from the mountains and the first grape harvest. Take the opportunity to try unfermented wine if you get the chance — one of Romania’s most exquisite flavours.

10 things about Poland that might surprise you

Every country has its stereotypes: Swedes are tall, blonde vikings, the Scottish all wear kilts, Germans have no sense of humour, and every Australian knows how to surf.

Poland is no different. While everyone assumes we drink nothing but vodka, that’s not the full story of our drinking habits — or anything else. Here are 10 things about our country that might just surprise you.

Poland has an incredibly diverse landscape

Poland is a really interesting country in terms of sightseeing. Our landscape changes from the north to the south, like a kaleidoscope showing its great variety and beauty. In the north is the Baltic Sea with sandy beaches and vast forests. Go further south and you’ll find the famous land of a thousand lakes, Masuria, an area with many opportunities for activities in the summer months. The central part of Poland is rather flat, covered with light birch forests and agricultural lands (not counting Warsaw, our capital city). South of the country, where the city of Krakow is situated, is hilly and mountainous.

In addition to our natural attractions, there are many cultural attractions to explore in Poland. We have many interesting cities full of old churches, castles and palaces. There are plenty of charming villages with wooden, hand-decorated houses, still alive with local folklore.

READ: Things to do in Krakow

There are many famous Poles who you probably didn’t know were Poles

Visitors to Poland don’t realise that so many famous people and celebrities were born here. On their first visit to Krakow or Warsaw, visitors discover the most famous astronomer, Nicolaus Copernicus, was a Pole. World-class composer Fryderyk Chopin originated from the small village of  Zalazowa Wola, close to Warsaw. Other surprises include scientist and Nobel Prize-winner Marie Curie from Sklodowska, and Karol Wojtyla (widely known as Pope John Paul II), born in Wadowice. If you want to impress Poles, surprise them with your knowledge. Believe me, they will be eternally grateful.

Today’s Poland has lost much of its multiculturalism

Today’s Poland is a homogeneous country. Not only is most of the population native Poles, but more than 90% of us, according to statistics, are Roman Catholics. This situation is a sad picture after World War II. Previously, our society was multicultural, multi-religious and multi-ethnic. Nowadays, only in big cities will you meet other foreigners, among whom are tourists, temporary workers or foreign students. The situation is changing slowly, and in my generation there are some intercultural marriages (like mine for example!). Still, it is currently a very small percent of our community. What can be really strange for visitors is that many Chinese, Indian and Arabic restaurants are run by Poles, and mostly local students of the Academy of Music perform famous Klezmer concerts in the Jewish quarter of Krakow.

Our language isn’t as hard to speak as you think

The Polish language is not the easiest to master. On the other hand, at least pronunciation is quite simple and regular. If you know the basic rules, you can be confident of your pronunciation. The only troublemaker is the number of consonants, especially those humming and hissing, often situated close to each other. The distinction between c, cz, s, sz and rz can be confusing. The best way to learn is to try to properly pronounce geographical names like: Suwalszczyzna (beautiful lake district in the northeast part of Poland) or Plac Trzech Krzyży (the big square in Warsaw). For the advanced, try to order scrambled eggs with onion, which in Polish sounds as easy as “jajecznica ze szczypiorkiem.”

We love to ask questions

While on a sightseeing tour in Poland, if you think the person with the microphone at the front of the coach is a bit much because they talk non-stop, just know that for us it’s perfectly normal to listen to so much information. Poles love to visit places and ask questions about those places. A Polish tourist entering a restaurant wouldn’t ask what was on the menu — the questions would be about the history of the restaurant or some interesting fact. Don’t worry, our pwn Krakow tour guides know that sometimes it is more important to eat than to bombard guests with historic details about where you’re dining.

Polish pop culture is often about WWII

Although World War II ended many years ago, it was such a big trauma for our society and it had such a big influence for Poles even today that it remains very much part of our daily life. The war is present in many Polish movies, even modern ones. We have a lot of documentaries and psychological films or dramas connected to the war. What may seem even more weird is that even Polish comedies or soap operas always have at least one episode from the war time, or about heroes from World War II.

READ: How to be a responsible tourist in Krakow

We sleep without blinds and dislike air conditioning

In Poland, the sunlight is something really precious, as during the winter we don’t have it in abundance. Don’t be surprised then, that in many homes there are no blinds or even curtains. The average Pole sleeps with uncovered window and wakes up to natural light. The same works for air conditioning, which doesn’t make us happy at all. The only places which are fully air-conditioned are big offices of international companies, employing mostly foreigners. And, believe me or not, for many Poles, air conditioning in the workplace is such a big obstacle, that they will quit their jobs and look for somewhere with natural light and air.

Expect a small payment to use a public toilet

Don’t be surprised if somebody asks you to pay 1 or 2 zlotys (about 0.25 to 0.50 euro) to use the toilet. Sometimes it happens even in the restaurant where you are dining, or in the popular museum you’re visiting. It is a common thing in Poland and the money serves to support the cleaning service. Be prepared for this and bring some coins, as sometimes you need to pay by machine. For our justification, I can only add that such a payment is not a Polish invention. The idea came from the Roman Empire and was introduced by the emperor Vespasian (ruled AD 69-79), who knew very well that ‘pucunia non olet’ (money does not stink).

 

Restaurants are always open and there are no ‘proper’ hours to eat

Poland doesn’t have siesta and our restaurants are open all day long and always ready to serve  anything you want. Of course, in the morning people would rather eat cereal or sandwiches than pierogi. At lunchtime, we more frequently eat soup than apple cake, but if you want to have something different, it’s perfectly okay. We are definitely less strict than Italians or French when it comes to eating habits and the proper order of dishes to be served. Order a pizza and cappuccino together and you’ll probably see a surprised look on your server’s face, but without any doubts, everything would be delivered as ordered. The best hour to observe our different eating habits is noon. Enter any restaurant in the middle of the day, and you’ll see people still eating breakfast, while others are tucking into meat with potatoes, or coffee with cake. We enjoy our liberty when it comes to eating out.

We drink much less vodka than the stereotype

Many people visit Poland thinking that everyone here drinks a lot of vodka, on any occasion. Nothing could be further from the truth. Maybe in the past, during communist times, people drank more homemade vodka, because it was hard to get any other alcohol. Today, most friends meet over a beer, and when the opportunity arises to enjoy an elegant dinner, we drink good wine (yes, yes, there is such a thing as Polish wine, although it is difficult to get, and sometimes a glass of Polish wine is more expensive than the entire meal!). Vodka is usually reserved for the most important toasts, such as toasting the happy couple at a wedding.