The date of the event is unique for each year. In 2024, this date is June 13. Annually, on the 40th day after Easter, on Thursday of the 6th week after Easter, the entire Orthodox world celebrates one of the twelve major feasts of the church year — the Ascension of the Lord. The name of the feast reflects the essence of the event — it is the Ascension to Heaven of the Lord Jesus Christ, the completion of His earthly ministry. The number 40 is not accidental but carries meaning. Throughout Sacred History, it was the time of the completion of great deeds. According to the Mosaic law, on the 40th day, infants had to be brought to the temple by their parents, to the Lord. And now, on the fortieth day after the Resurrection, as if after a new birth, Jesus Christ had to enter the heavenly temple of His Father, as the Savior of humanity. Having conquered death, this terrible consequence of sin, and thereby giving the opportunity to rise in glory, the Lord ascended in His Person the human nature, including the human body. Thus, the Lord opened to every person the possibility, in the universal Resurrection, to ascend to the highest abode of light, to the very Throne of the Almighty. Giving the disciples final instructions, Jesus Christ "led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up His hands, He blessed them. And while He blessed them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy...". The Feast of the Ascension is the feast of Heaven, the opening of Heaven to man as a new and eternal home, Heaven as the true homeland. In honor of the feast, solemn services are held in all Orthodox churches, and on the eve of Thursday, on Wednesday, the feast of the Leave-taking of Pascha is celebrated in the churches, when the last service of the year is conducted according to the Paschal rite, and in the evening, an all-night vigil is served.