The Feast of the Dormition (“falling asleep” in the Lord) of the Theotokos (the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary) is a very special holy day in the Eastern Catholic Churches, which have a 2-week fast prior to the Feast Day.

From ancient times we have been taught that when the Mother God fell asleep, the whole company of the Apostles - except Thomas - was miraculously brought together in Jerusalem. Amid divine & heavenly praises they commended her soul into the hands of God & placed her body in a small tomb in Gethsemane. For 3 days a choir of Angels continued to sing above her tomb. On the 3rd day Thomas arrived. So that he could venerate the body that had given birth to Christ God, the Apostles opened the tomb. They found not the body of the Mother of God, but the winding sheet & the most beautiful and sweet-smelling flowers. Mary’s body had been taken up into the heavens by her Son. Flowers were blessed from the earliest times in both East & West. Over time seeds & herbs used for medicinal purposes were also blessed, in commemoration of the many healings & blessings that were bestowed upon the pilgrims at Mary’s tomb. The Book of Needs (Trebnyk or Euchologian) contains several possible prayers to bless seed, herbs and flowers, one of which is below:
O Almighty, God from before all ages, by Your word alone You created out of nothingness the heavens, earth, sea and all things visible and invisible. You commanded that the earth bring forth plants and trees to serve both man and animal, each according to its need. In your infinite goodness You ordained that these plants serve not only as food but also as medicine for the sick body. We beseech You, bless this seed, these herbs and these flowers and bestow upon them Your blessing and endow them with Your power. Make them to serve man and animal alike as a defense against all sickness and every defilement, for You are our God, and we send up glory to You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

In our parish, it is a tradition to bring sweet-smelling basil & flowers to be blessed after the Divine Liturgy.  This is a good post by Fr. Joseph Homick of Holy Transfiguration Monastery on the Feast of the Dormition called “Heaven Couldn’t Wait”:
http://icxcmary.wordpress.com/2011/08/14/heaven-couldnt-wait/

Below is a beautiful reflection from St. Theophan Academy on the Dormition Fast & Feast…
                              The Call
Last week Father asked a question at the Paraklesis service.  When you get the call saying your mother is dying, what do you do?  Does anything else matter?  Do you concern yourself with daily life and routines?  Do you explain, I am just so busy, I’ll try to get there when I can, but you know how it is, so many other commitments, it’s such a busy time of year?  No, you drop everything to be at her side.  You rearrange your schedule, you lay aside all earthly cares, do whatever it takes to be with her, to show her you love her.  Every August first we get that call.  Our Mother is dying.  Do we notice?  Have we changed our own lives and pace to be with her?  Will we come running to her side?  Or will we allow the world to pull us in a thousand directions?  The church gives us two whole weeks to come, to mourn, to offer our prayers, to be with her, to sing those beautiful hymns. Our Mother is dying, let us run to her.

In the Dormition icon, the 12 Apostles surround the funeral bier of the Blessed Mother to venerate her all-pure body for the last time.  St. Peter stands at her head, incensing her body, St. Paul stands at her feet.  Christ is shown receiving her spotless soul, depicted as an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes in His arms.  A red seraph (angel) is shown above Christ’s head.  The color of the angels surrounding Christ is blue, which is the color of the liturgical season for the Theotokos.  The blanket her head rests on is red, which symbolizes the future universal resurrection.