The Catholic celebration of Mariä Himmelfahrt is a lesser known yet rather floral public holiday in many parts of southern Germany. Commonly celebrated on August 15th each year, Mariä Himmelfahrt is known in English as the Ascension of the Virgin Mary. Mariä Himmelfahrt is considered a public holiday in the state of Saarland and a large number of towns and cities in Bavaria - 1,704 out of Bavarian 2,056 municipalities, to be exact.