Herbal bouquets for the Assumption of Mary

This week we celebrate the Assumption of Mary, one of the most important feast days in the Catholic liturgical year. Traditionally, on this festive day, the blessing of the herbs takes place in churches. A lovely custom that brings together many ideas and traditions. Its origins can be traced back to the Celts and Germanic peoples.

Herbs have always been believed to possess special healing properties. The blessing of the herbs on 15 August is a way of paying them special honour.

In the days leading up to the Assumption of Mary, the herbs are gathered and tied into bouquets. When the herbs are then blessed, they are said to possess special powers. They thus benefit our health, but also that of animals when added to their hay. The herb bunches are even said to promote marital happiness – apparently, you simply place one under your pillow. Many myths are associated with the herb bunches.

As a general rule, everything is allowed and nothing is forbidden. This means you can include any herbs in the bundles – whether you’ve grown them yourself in your garden at home, simply like the look of them, or need them for specific health reasons, and so on.

Traditionally, a mullein belongs in the centre of a herbal bouquet. Due to the warm, and at times hot, temperatures this spring, most mulleins had already finished flowering by mid-August. This is a phenomenon that we will certainly encounter more often in the coming years, and with other plants too. For this reason, our bouquet does not have a mullein in the centre this time.

We mainly use ‘Mary’s herbs’ – that is, those associated with the Virgin Mary – such as yarrow, lavender or thyme.

It is said that on the third day after Mary’s burial, the Apostles visited her tomb, only to find it empty. It smelled of flowers and herbs, and inside the tomb there were roses and lilies, as well as Mary’s favourite medicinal herbs. That is why, in the centre of a bundle, alongside the mullein, there should also be a rose as a symbol of Mary and a lily as a symbol of Joseph.

You can either make small bundles of herbs for burning or a large bundle from which you can then pluck individual herbs as needed. The herb bundles are said to protect people, animals and homes from harm throughout the year. Some herbs are burned as incense in winter, whilst others are added to teas or infusions. In this way, their power remains palpable – long after that warm August day.

Symbolic meanings are attributed to the herbs – here are a few examples:

You can also be flexible when it comes to the number. In the Roman Catholic faith, specific numbers are used which have special significance. For example, traditional herbal bouquets consist of 7, 9, 12, 14, 24, 72 or 99 different plants.

If you have some mullein, place it in the centre. Immediately afterwards, add a rose and a lily. Gradually add all the other herbs you have available. Once you’ve finished, tie a natural string around it; for small bundles, you can wrap the lower part with twine. You should take particular care to use natural fibres for smouldering bundles, as these burn along with the bundle.

Dressed in their Sunday best, the congregation made their way to church on the morning of 15 August to celebrate the Solemnity together. Many different bouquets, ranging from small to large and from colourful to simple, lay at the side altar, ready to be blessed by the vicar after the sermon. At the end of Holy Mass, the altar servers handed out small bunches of herbs to the congregation at the church entrance. At home, the bundles of herbs are hung up to dry; in rural households, they are often placed in the ‘Herrgottswinkel’ (a niche dedicated to the Lord). Once dried, the bundles of herbs are said to have a ‘protective effect’.

As the weather was truly lovely, we can also take pleasure in the fitting farmers’ saying:

“As the weather is on Ascension Day, so may the whole of autumn be!”

As the name suggests, this is a period of thirty days. It runs from the Assumption of Mary – the Great Women’s Day – until 15 September. Its counterpart – Little Women’s Day – is celebrated on the Feast of the Nativity of Mary on 8 September. During this period, women gather and dry a large supply of herbs for the winter, as these are considered to have particularly powerful healing properties. Among other things, the herbs are used for smudging in winter. You can find out more about this on our special Rauhnacht tours during the Advent and Christmas season.

Are you interested in the healing properties of herbs, and would you like to find out which herbs grow in the region or what traditions are associated with them? Then why not take part in one of our events or find out more about Tyrolean medicinal herbs on our website. Find out everything there is to know about herbs, herbal products, herbal smudging and more.