The Feast of the Assumption of Mary is a major Christian holiday in Western countries. It is a national holiday in European countries such as Austria, Belgium, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland. Germany is an exception as the holiday is celebrated only in the Saarland and parts of Bavaria.
Greek television reported that the number of pilgrims to the Orthodox monastery on Kefalonia this year to witness the miracle of Serpii Maicii Domnului was much higher than in previous years.
Every year from August 5 to August 15, Orthodox Christians celebrate the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary at the Dormition of the Theotokos monastery, which means resting mother of God. It is a famous monastery on the Greek island of Kefalonia.
The images you and your brothers and sisters are seeing are a very supernatural phenomenon. During the 10-day celebration of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, herds of snakes crawled up from the sea and gathered around an image of Our Lady. These snakes are called Serpii Maicii Domnului, which means snakes of Mary the Mother of God.
They are very gentle and do not bite anyone. Members can let them crawl on their faces. Orthodox Christians believe that this is an annual miracle. It is a bad omen if this does not happen in a year.
The years snakes did not appear on the island were during World War II, and in 1953, when the island was hit by a major earthquake.
According to tradition, this miracle began in 1705, when the nuns of the convent were about to be attacked by pirates.
Legend has it that the nuns prayed fervently to the Virgin Mary, asking her to turn them into snakes to avoid capture or to fill the monastery with snakes to ward off pirates. They were finally saved.
Since then, every year just before the holiday, a herd of snakes crawls from the sea into the monastery as if to honor Our Lady. After the ceremony, they completely withdrew to the sea, there were no animals left on the island.