"The veil of the Most Holy Mother of God"

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The Cover of the Most Holy Mother of God is a non-transitory great Orthodox holiday celebrated by the Orthodox Church. In the tradition of Russian Orthodoxy, the holiday is celebrated; in Greek Orthodoxy it is celebrated on October 1 and 28 according to the new style, with the exception of that part (Jerusalem Orthodox Church, Athos, Old Calendarists), which still uses the old style in worship. In the latter case, one of the dates of the celebration coincides with the one adopted in Russian Orthodoxy.

The full name of the holiday in the liturgical books in the Church Slavonic language: ("Holy Intercession of the Most Holy Mother of God" or - "Remembrance of the Holy Intercession of the Most Holy Lady of our Mother of God and the Virgin Mary").

The holiday is based on the legend of the appearance of Andrew, Christ for the sake of the fool, the Mother of God in the Vlachern temple in Constantinople, in which the robe of the Mother of God was kept. The liturgical features in many respects correspond to the two-tieth feasts of the Virgin, although the feast of the Intercession of the Most Holy Mother of God itself refers to the great not-two-tenth feasts.

The Appearance of Our Lady

The story of the event is taken from the Life of Andrei Yurodivoy, who, together with his disciple Blessed Epiphanius, saw the Virgin Mary spread her omophorion over the people gathered in the temple.

Description in the Great Four Minaeas
In the Life of Andrew Yurodivoy, placed in the Great Four Menea, neither the day of the week nor any number is indicated, it is only said that the vision was during the All-Night Vigil, at the fourth hour of the night, in the Vlachern temple. According to Life, the Virgin “high”, that is, by air, came by the royal gates, accompanied by John the Forerunner and John the Theologian, who on both sides supported the All-Pure; next to the Virgin there were many saints singing spiritual hymns, in white robes, some walked ahead of the Virgin Mary, others after her. Stopping near the pulpit, before the altar, the Mother of God removed the omophorion, which was on top of her head, and held over the praying people, while the omophorion shone like an instructor (the radiant light, the sun, the fiery element, (cosmic) fire). After a while, the Virgin left, leaving grace.

Description of Dimitri Rostovsky
According to the description of Demetrius of Rostov, compiled only at the end of the seventeenth century, a miraculous vision occurred during the reign of Emperor Leo the Wise, on Sunday, October 1, at the fourth hour of the night. In the Vlacherna Church of Constantinople, which was filled with a large people, an all-night vigil was held, Andrei Yurodivy, who was in it, raised his eyes and saw
The Most Holy Virgin, standing in the air and praying, shining with the sunshine and covering people with her honest omophorion. Seeing this, Saint Andrew said to his disciple, blessed Epiphanius:
- Do you see, brother, the Queen and Lady of all, praying for the whole world?

Epiphanius replied:
I see, Father, and I am terrified.

The Virgin was accompanied by angels and “all the saints” among whom were John the Forerunner and John the Theologian. The Mother of God with Angels and Saints