The Cincture (Belt) of the Most Holy Mother of God is the only relic in the world that has been preserved since Her earthly life. According to legend, the Cincture was made by the Holy Virgin herself from camel hair and given to Thomas the Apostle. For centuries, it was kept in Jerusalem; then in the 4th century, Emperor Arcadius transferred it to Constantinople and placed it in the Church of Chalkopratia. Later, in 458, during the reign of Emperor Leo I, the Cincture was moved to the Church of Blachernae. Empress Zoe, the wife of Emperor Leo VI the Wise, embroidered the Cincture with a golden thread in gratitude for her miraculous healing.
Today, the Cincture is divided into three parts. According to existing records, Emperor John VI donated one part of the Cincture to the Vatopedi monastery, as he especially favored it. Another part was given to the monastery by the ruler of Serbia, Lazar I, and it is kept in the altar of the main church. The celebration of the Holy Cincture takes place on August 31.
The Cincture of the Mother of God has performed and continues to perform many miracles. The Vatopedi monastery provides believers suffering from infertility with ribbons blessed on the Holy Cincture. During the annual celebration on August 31, as well as some other holidays (July 2, October 1, and October 10), the Cincture is transferred to the left side of the proskinitarion. On the feast day of Saints Modestus and Tryphon, the Holy Cincture participates in the religious procession.
The Cincture of the Theotokos is placed in a richly decorated silver casket, the lid of which depicts the scene of the transfer of the Cincture to Thomas the Apostle.
