The Feast of Assumption of Mary is a sacred Catholic holiday that’s celebrated in the Middle East and in some European countries on August 15th.
The holiday represents the end of Mary’s earthly life and her reunion with her Son in heaven, thus calling it the Heavenly Birthday.
Lebanon celebrates it yearly by performing certain rituals and prayers in Catholic churches on the night of August 14th and continues its celebrations on August 15th.
But, this year is like no other.
The coronavirus pandemic and now the Beirut port explosion and its horrific aftermath have deeply affected the lives of the Lebanese and changed their lifestyle.
In the heart of Beirut, they held a special celebration surrounded by the debris, to pray for the victims of the explosion.
They prayed and talked about the declining situation, urging the Lebanese to hold on to their faith and stay strong.
Later that night, the Lady of Lebanon statue in Harissa lit up with the Lebanese flag to show support to the nation.
Also, a miniature statue of the Lady of Lebanon in Jezzine was holding a Lebanese flag while fireworks went off in celebration.
Lebanon also lit up its flag in Zaytouna Bay, downtown Beirut, in solidarity with the people as the nation is adamant to survive this catastrophe.
