Blessed 1400 Anniversary of the Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos to all brothers and sisters!
On Saturday of the fifth week of Great Lent, the Holy Church solemnly proclaims the Akathist , or thanksgiving praise to the Most Holy Theotokos. Consequently, the feast itself is called "Praise of the Most Holy Theotokos"
The Akathist to the Theotokos is believed to have originated after 626, when Constantinople was besieged by the Persians. During the siege, the people sought refuge in the churches of God, day and night imploring the fervent Intercessor to save their city, and Patriarch Sergius carried an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos [1] in his arms along the city walls. After the city's miraculous deliverance, this hymn glorifying the Theotokos was composed.
The Akathist's foundation was the kontakion to the Annunciation, which consisted of 24 ikoi. It is believed that Patriarch Sergius of Constantinople added 12 hairetisms to each ikos, every other one (heretisms are the invocations "Rejoice..." (Greek "haire"), which are a distinctive feature of the Akathist). The kontakion itself appeared a century earlier and was possibly composed by St. Romanos the Melodist. After the addition of the heretisms, the kontakion to the Annunciation evolved into a new genre of hymn—the Akathist (the word "akathist" itself means "non-seated," that is, a prayer performed standing).
Subsequently, in the 8th century, during the next rescue of Constantinople (possibly after the Arab siege), the kontakion "To the Champion Leader..." appeared . Initially an independent hymn, it was later incorporated into the Akathist. Thus, in the 8th century, the Akathist acquired its modern form.
The Feast of the Laudation of the Theotokos on the fifth Saturday of Lent arose in the 9th century and is first mentioned in the Typicon of the Great Church. In the monastic statutes (the Studite and its revisions), the Akathist to the Theotokos is prescribed for this feast. It is explained that the assignment of the Akathist to the fifth Saturday of Lent occurred after the Great Canon service began to be celebrated on Thursday. Both services share a historical connection with Constantinople: the Great Canon service commemorates the earthquake , while the Akathist commemorates the deliverance from the Persians. It appears that the Great Canon service "pulled" the Akathist service, resulting in the formation of the fifth week—the conventional "Constantinople week."
Link to the full text of the Akathist:
https://www.liturgies.net/Prayers/Orthodox/akathisttheotokos.htm