The first extraordinary solemnities in honor of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn were held following the Great Fire of Vilnius on May 18, 1706. Many residents of Vilnius claimed to have experienced the aid of Mary; some even maintained they had witnessed Her rising above the Church of St. Teresa and the Chapel to extinguish the flames herself. From that time on, every May 18th, orchestras from all over Vilnius would voluntarily gather at the Gate of Dawn to play the most exquisite melodies for the Most Blessed Virgin from dawn until dusk. This custom faded away after the wooden chapel burned down in 1715.
Since 1735, the Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God has been celebrated at the Gate of Dawn during the second week of November. In 1761, the Confraternity of the Protection of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary was established, to which Pope Clement XIV granted two privileges in 1773. The first privilege granted an indulgence to the members of the confraternity on the day of their entry and on the Feast of the Protection of Mary. The second indulgence was granted for Holy Masses offered for the deceased members of the confraternity. Since then, the Feast of the Protection of Mary has evolved into the solemn eight-day Indulgence of the Protection of the Mother of Mercy of the Gate of Dawn. These feast days used to conclude with a litany solemnly performed by the city’s finest soloists and the municipal orchestra. Today, the Main Feast of the Protection is celebrated for eight days during the week of November that includes the 16th day of the month.
As Palm Sunday approaches, vendors of verbos (traditional Easter palms) traditionally gather at the Gate of Dawn, creating a uniquely colorful spectacle. On Sunday itself, these verbos are blessed and carried in a solemn procession.
Following the local tradition of Vilnius, the Corpus Christi procession concludes at the Chapel of the Gate of Dawn. This tradition was forbidden during the years of Soviet occupation but was revived following the restoration of independence.
Throughout the second half of the 20th century and up to the present day, Holy Mass is offered and the Litany of Loreto is sung at the Gate of Dawn in both Lithuanian and Polish, as both communities live in harmony and jointly care for the parish.