Assumption

The Assumption of the Virgin Mary on 15 August is a Roman Catholic feast day commemorating the taking up of the Virgin Mary into heaven following her death. The dogma of the bodily assumption of Mary was formally proclaimed by Pope Pius XII in 1950, though the celebration itself is far older. In Belgium, a traditionally Catholic country, this is an official public holiday.

In numerous Belgian parishes, special masses are held on 15 August in honour of the Virgin Mary, and in some municipalities traditional processions take place. As the feast day falls in the height of summer, many Belgian families use it for a day trip, a family gathering or a final summer holiday. Marian pilgrimage sites such as Scherpenheuvel attract particularly large numbers of visitors on this day.