The Feast of the Placing of the Virgin Mary's Belt

The Feast of the Placing of the Belt of the Mother of God commemorates a significant Christian relic believed to have been woven by the Virgin Mary from camel hair. According to tradition, the belt was discovered by Saint Thomas the Apostle following the Assumption of Mary.

Historical accounts and religious traditions trace the relic's journey from Jerusalem to Constantinople, where it was kept in a sealed casket in the Blachernae Church. A notable event occurred during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Leo VI the Wise, when his wife, Empress Zoe, was reportedly healed of a mental illness after the belt was placed upon her following a vision. In gratitude, the Empress decorated the belt with gold thread and divided it into three parts.

Today, fragments of the relic are preserved in various locations within the Orthodox world, including Zugdidi, Georgia, and the Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos, Greece.