The blessing of herbs precedes the blooming appearance of special sacramentals in the High Middle Ages, and can be considered a part of an earlier layer of sacred objects the church sanctified for the use of the laity. Widespread in the Germanic liturgical sphere, it was most commonly performed on the Feast of the Assumption. It also appears sporadically in Western Europe, either on the Feast of the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist (August 29) or on the Feast of Saint Peter (Probably Saint Peter in Chains, August 1). However, these differ euchologically from their Eastern counterparts, and apart from their general theme, have little in common.
The blessings associated with the Feast of the Assumption, on the other hand, are closely related to one another. The bulk of the textual corpus consists of a few orations, which, however, often survive in numerous textual variants and are not philologically uniform. In general, it may be stated that the further we advance in time, the more elaborate the rites become, with additional orations and occasionally chants or other accompanying elements, as well as the troping of the orations themselves. In Poland and Bohemia in particular (e.g., Poznań, Kraków), highly elaborate, multi-page preces were composed for this occasion, elevating the importance of herbs to that of the important sacramentals. Most of these arose from more ornate reworkings of already existing orations, though a few original compositions also exist; such developments, however, are not typical in other regions.
The connection between the legend concerning the death and assumption of the Virgin Mary, the healing properties of herbs and the beauty of flowers symbolic of fecundity and innocence are all linked in this one occurrence.The blessing of herbs is often found together with the blessing of fruits and/or new produce, likewise connected to the Feast of the Assumption, and thus the relationship between these rites still requires further research.
For related information under the Ceremonies section, the label Assumption Day can be consulted for additional ceremonies on the day, such as processions and blessings of fruits without reference to herbs or flowers. Short link to the content: usuarium.elte.hu/l/f3b2