Feast of the Assumption

In accordance with the beliefs of the Catholic Church, the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (March 25 and August 15) celebrates Mary's bodily passage into Heaven, known as the Assumption of Mary. This Feast is a public holiday in many countries. Among Eastern Orthodox Christians, the term used is the "Dormition" of Mary, i.e. the falling asleep of the Virgin. In the Anglican churches, the day (August 15) is commemmorated as the Feast of St. Mary the Virgin. The concept of Mary's physical body having been taken by God to Heaven is not an Anglican doctrine, although it has been an obligatory belief for Catholics since a Papal decree in 1950.