Why is Monday August 16 a holiday in Colombia

On Monday , August 16, the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin is celebrated in Colombia ; a celebration of the liturgical calendar that has great religious significance for the Colombian people.

Officially, the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin is on August 15 , however thanks to Law 51, better known as the Emiliani Law, its celebration runs the following Monday after the date to create a festive bridge. For this 2021, the holiday for the Day of the Assumption of the Virgin corresponds to Monday, August 16.

Reason for the holiday on August 16 in Colombia

The Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin recalls the moment in which the body of Mary, the mother of Jesus, ascended to heaven, after finishing her days on earth. The origin of this celebration dates back to the 4th century, when a festival was held in honor of the memory of the Virgin Mary and her entry into heaven. At that party, a special mention was made of her assumption being received by the arms of her son.

At that time the festival was called the "Dormition of Mary", however, the belief of the assumption of the body of Mary began to develop in the 12th century. Specifically, it was in the year 1849 when this dogma took shape and the first requests arose for this doctrine to be declared.

Finally, in 1946, Pope Pius XII declared the dogma of the Assumption of the Virgin and four years later, in 1950, the apostolic constitution was published in which this feast was made official.