The Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God, also known as the Blessing of Grapes (Khaghoghorhnek), will be celebrated by the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church on August 16 this year.
The feast is the fourth of the five major feast days of the Armenian Apostolic Church and is the oldest celebration dedicated to the Virgin Mary. One of the central traditions of the holiday is the Blessing of Grapes, during which the season’s first grapes are blessed in churches before being shared with the faithful.
The day following the feast is observed as Memorial Day (Merelots). On this occasion, churches hold the Divine Liturgy and memorial services for the departed, after which many families visit the graves of their loved ones to pay their respects.
Although the Armenian government has the authority to designate the following working day as a non-working day or move it to another date, no such decision has been adopted this year.
As a result, Monday, August 17, will remain a regular working day.
