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Annunciation


 
 


In Christianity, the Annunciation (, Evangelismós tes Theotókou in GreekGreek language Summary

Greek has a documented history of 3,500 years, the longest of any single language within the Indo-European family....
) is the revelation to Mary, the mother of Jesus by the angelAngel

An angel is a supernatural being found in many religions....
 GabrielGabriel Overview

In Abrahamic religions, Gabriel is an archangel who is thought to serve as a messenger from God....
 that she would conceiveConception

Conception can refer to one of the following:...
 a child to be born the Son of God. Some ChristianChristian

A Christian is a follower of Jesus of Nazareth, referred to as Christ....
 churches celebrate this with the Feast of Annunciation on March 25, which as the IncarnationIncarnation (Christianity)

The doctrine of the Incarnation of Christ is central to the traditional Christian faith as held by the Catholic Church, the ...
 is nine months before the feast of the NativityNativity of Jesus

The Nativity refers to the birth of Jesus....
 of JesusJesus

Jesus,Some of the historians and Biblical scholars who place the birth and death of Jesus within this range include D....
, or ChristmasChristmas Summary

Christmas is a holiday on the Christian calendar, celebrating the birth of Jesus....
. The date of the Annunciation also marked the New YearNew Year

The New Year is an event that happens when a culture celebrates the end of one year and the beginning of the next....
 in many places, including EnglandEngland

England is the largest and most populous constituent country of the United Kingdom....
 (where it is called Lady DayLady Day

In the Christian calendar, Lady Day is the Feast of the Annunciation and the first of the four traditional Irish and English...
). Both the CatholicCatholic

Catholic - derived, through Latin, from the Greek adjective , meaning "general", "universal" - when used as a specifical...
 and Eastern Orthodox faiths hold that the Annunciation took place in the then village of NazarethNazareth

Nazareth is an ancient town in the North District in Israel....
, but differ as to where exactly. The Catholic Church of the AnnunciationChurch of the Annunciation

The Church of the Annunciation, sometimes also referred to as the Basilica of the Annunciation is a church in Nazareth...
 marks the site preferred by the former, while the Greek Orthodox Church of the AnnunciationGreek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation

The Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, known colloquially among the Arab citizens of Nazareth, Israel whom it serves...
 marks that of the latter.

The Annunciation in the Bible

In the Bible, the Annunciation is narrated in the book of Luke, Chapter 1, verses 26-38:

26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel GabrielGabriel

In Abrahamic religions, Gabriel is an archangel who is thought to serve as a messenger from God....
  to NazarethNazareth

Nazareth is an ancient town in the North District in Israel....
, a town in Galilee, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

34"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"35The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37For nothing is impossible with God."38"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.


Eastern traditions

In Eastern Orthodoxy Mary is referred to as TheotokosTheotokos

Theotokos is a title of Mary, the mother of Jesus....
 (Te?t????="God-bearer"). The traditional Eastern Orthodox TroparionTroparion Overview

A troparion in Byzantine music and in the religious music of Eastern Orthodoxy is a short hymn of one stanza, or one of a s...
 (hymn for the day) of the Annunciation is:
Today is the beginning of our salvation,
And the revelation of the eternal mystery!
The Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin
As Gabriel announces the coming of Grace.
Together with him let us cry to the Theotokos:
"Rejoice, O Full of Grace, The Lord is with You!"

The Feast of the Annunciation is one of the twelve Great Feasts of the church year. As the action initiating the Incarnation of ChristIncarnation (Christianity)

The doctrine of the Incarnation of Christ is central to the traditional Christian faith as held by the Catholic Church, the ...
, Annunciation has such an important place in Eastern Orthodox theology that the Festal Divine LiturgyDivine Liturgy

The Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy....
 of St. John ChrysostomJohn Chrysostom

John Chrysostom was a notable Christian bishop and preacher from the 4th and 5th centuries in Syria and Constantinople....
 is always celebrated on March 25, regardless of what day it falls on—even if it falls on PaschaEaster

Easter, also known as Pascha , the Feast of the Resurrection, the Sunday of the Resurrection, or Resurr...
 (Easter Sunday) itself, a coincidence which is called . The only time the Divine Liturgy may be celebrated on Great and Holy Friday is if it falls on March 25. Due to this, the rubrics regarding the celebration of the feast are the most complicated of all in Orthodox liturgics. The Annunciation is called Euangelismos (Evangelism) in GreekGreek language

Greek has a documented history of 3,500 years, the longest of any single language within the Indo-European family....
, literally meaning "spreading the Good News".

Related dates


In the Roman Catholic, AnglicanAnglican Communion

The Anglican Communion is a world-wide affiliation of Anglican Churches....
, and Lutheran liturgical calendars, the feast is moved if necessary to prevent it from falling during Holy WeekHoly Week

Holy Week is the Christian week from Palm Sunday through Holy Saturday....
 or Easter WeekEaster Week

Easter Week or Bright Week is the period of seven days from Easter Sunday through the Saturday following....
. In the Roman Catholic and Lutheran Churches it may also be moved to prevent its falling on a Sunday. To avoid a Sunday before Holy Week, the next day would be observed instead. In years like 2008 when March 25 falls during Holy Week or Easter Week the Annunciation is moved to the Monday after Octave of EasterOctave of Easter

The Octave of Easter, formerly know as Low Sunday is the first Sunday after Easter....
, which is the Sunday after Easter.

It might be thought that with a very early Easter, the feast of St Joseph would be displaced from 19 March to the Monday after Easter week, thus displacing the Annunciation to the Tuesday. However, in the Roman Catholic calendar, if the Feast of St Joseph, normally falling on March 19, must also be moved as a consequence of Easter falling on one of its earliest possible dates, it is moved to an earlier rather than a later date. This will normally be the Saturday before Holy Week. (This change was announced by the Congregation for Divine WorshipCongregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments Overview

The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments is the congregation of the Roman Curia that handles...
 in Notitiae March-April, 2006 (475-476, page 96).) In the Church of EnglandChurch of England

The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, and acts as the 'mother' and senior branch ...
 it is moved to the Tuesday after Easter Week, following the Annunciation on the Monday, which is of higher rank and takes precedence.

The Eastern churches do not move the feast of the Annunciation under any circumstance. They have special combined liturgies for those years when the Annunciation coincides with another feast. In these churches, even on Good FridayGood Friday

Good Friday is a holy day celebrated by most Christians on the Friday before Easter or Pascha....
 a Divine LiturgyDivine Liturgy

The Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy....
 is celebrated when it coincides with the Annunciation. One of the most frequent accusations brought against New CalendarismNew calendarists

The New calendarists are those Eastern Orthodox Churches that adopted the Revised Julian calendar, namely the Greek and Syri...
 is the fact that in the New Calendar churches (which celebrate the Annunciation according to the New CalendarRevised Julian calendar

The Revised Julian calendar is a calendar scheme, originated in 1923, which effectively discontinued the 340 years of diverg...
, but Easter according to the Old CalendarJulian calendar

The Julian calendar was introduced in 46 BC by Julius Caesar and took force in 45 BC ....
), these special Liturgies can never be celebrated any more, since the Annunciation is always well before Holy WeekHoly Week

Holy Week is the Christian week from Palm Sunday through Holy Saturday....
 on the New Calendar. The Old Calendarists believe that this impoverishes the liturgical and spiritual life of the Church.

The date is close to the vernal equinox, as Christmas is to the winter solsticeWinter solstice

*The solstice that occurs in winter:** December solstice in the northern hemisphere....
; because of this the Annunciation and Christmas were two of the four "Quarter daysQuarter days

In British and Irish tradition, the quarter days were the four dates in each year on which servants were hired, and rents an...
" in medieval and early modern England, which marked the divisions of the fiscal year (the other two were Midsummer Day, or the Nativity of St. John the Baptist—June 24—and MichaelmasMichaelmas

Michaelmas or the Feast of Ss. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael is a day in the Christian calendar, taking place on 29 Sep...
, the feast day of St. Michael, on September 29).

When the calendar system of Anno DominiAnno Domini

Anno Domini , abbreviated as AD, defines an epoch based on the traditionally-reckoned year of the birth of Jesus o...
 was first introduced by Dionysius ExiguusDionysius Exiguus

Dionysius Exiguus was a sixth century monk born in Scythia Minor, in what is now the territory of Dobruja, Romania, and memb...
 in AD 525, he assigned the beginning of the new yearNew Year Overview

The New Year is an event that happens when a culture celebrates the end of one year and the beginning of the next....
 to March 25, since according to Christian theology, the era of graceDivine grace

In Christianity, divine grace refers to the sovereign favor of God for humankind, especially in regard to salvation — ...
 began with the Incarnation of Christ.

The first authentic allusions to it are in a canonCanon law

Canon law is the term used for the internal ecclesiastical law which governs various churches, most notably the Roman Cathol...
, of the Council of Toledo (656), and another of the Council of Constantinople "in TrulloQuinisext Council

This particular council of Constantinople, held in 692 under Justinian II, is often known as the Council in Trullo, because it...
" (692), forbidding the celebration of any festivals during LentLent

In Western Christianity, Lent is the period from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday....
, excepting the Lord's DayLord's Day

The "Lord's Day" is one of the traditional Christian names for Sunday, the first day of the Judaeo-Christian seven-day week,...
 (Sunday) and the Feast of the Annunciation. An earlier origin has been claimed for it on the ground that it is mentioned in sermons of Athanasius and of Gregory ThaumaturgusGregory Thaumaturgus

Saint Gregory of Neocaesarea, also known as Gregory Thaumaturgus, was a Christian bishop of the 3rd century....
, but both of these documents are now admitted to be spurious. A synodSynod

A synod is a council of a church, usually a Christian church, convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or app...
 held at WorcesterWorcester

The city of Worcester is a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England, situated some 30 miles southwest of Birm...
, England (1240), forbade all servile work on this feast day. See further Lady DayLady Day

In the Christian calendar, Lady Day is the Feast of the Annunciation and the first of the four traditional Irish and English...
.

Annunciation in the Quran

Annunciation is also cited in the Quran, in Suras 3 (Aal 'Imran - The family of Imran) verses 45-51 and 19 (Maryam - Mary) verses 16-26, although without mentioning Jesus as the son of God.

From chapter 2

[45] (Remember) when the angels said: "O Maryam (Mary)! Verily, Allâh gives you the glad tidings of a Word ("Be!" - and he was! i.e. 'Isâ (Jesus) the son of Maryam (Mary)) from Him, his name will be the Messiah 'Isâ (Jesus), the son of Maryam (Mary), held in honor in this world and in the Hereafter, and will be one of those who are near to Allâh."[46] "He will speak to the people in the cradle and in manhood, and he will be one of the righteous."[47] She said: "O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me." He said: "So (it will be) for Allâh creates what He wills. When He has decreed something, He says to it only: "Be!" - and it isBe, and it is

"Be, and it is" is a phrase that occurs several times in the Qur'an....
.[48] And He (Allâh) will teach him ('Isâ (Jesus)) the Book and Al-Hikmah (i.e. the Sunnah, the faultless speech of the Prophets, wisdom), (and) the Taurât (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel).[49] And will make him ('Isâ (Jesus)) a Messenger to the Children of Israel (saying): "I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, that I design for you out of clay, a figure like that of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by Allâh's Leave; and I heal him who was born blind, and the leper, and I bring the dead to life by Allâh's Leave. And I inform you of what you eat, and what you store in your houses. Surely, therein is a sign for you, if you believe.[50] And I have come confirming that which was before me of the Taurât (Torah), and to make lawful to you part of what was forbidden to you, and I have come to you with a proof from your Lord. So fear Allâh and obey me.[51] Truly! Allâh is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him (Alone). This is the Straight Path.

From chapter 19

[16] And mention in the Book (the Qur'ân, O Muhammad (peace be upon him) the story of) Maryam (Mary), when she withdrew in seclusion from her family to a place facing east.[17] She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; then We sent to her Our Ruh (angel Jibrîl (Gabriel)) and he appeared before her in the form of a man in all respects.[18] She said: "Verily! I seek refuge with the Most Gracious (Allâh) from you, if you do fear Allâh."[19] (The angel) said: "I am only a Messenger from your Lord, (to announce) to you the gift of a righteous son."[20] She said: "How can I have a son, when no man has touched me, nor am I unchaste?"[21] He said: "So (it will be), your Lord said: 'That is easy for Me (Allâh): And (We wish) to appoint him as a sign to mankind and a mercy from Us (Allâh), and it is a matter (already) decreed, (by Allâh).' "[22] So she conceived him, and she withdrew with him to a far place (i.e. Bethlehem valley about 4-6 miles from Jerusalem).[23] And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a date-palm. She said: "Would that I had died before this, and had been forgotten and out of sight!"[24] Then (the babe 'Iesa (Jesus) or Jibrîl (Gabriel)) cried unto her from below her, saying: "Grieve not: your Lord has provided a water stream under you.[25] "And shake the trunk of date-palm towards you, it will let fall fresh ripe-dates upon you."[26] "So eat and drink and be glad. And if you see any human being, say: 'Verily! I have vowed a fast unto the Most Gracious (Allâh) so I shall not speak to any human being this day.'"

Annunciation in art

The Annunciation is one of the most frequent subjects of artistic representation in both the Christian East and West, particularly during the Middle AgesMiddle Ages

The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three "ages": the clas...
 and RenaissanceFacts About Renaissance

In the traditional view, the Renaissance was understood as a historical age in Europe that followed the Middle Ages and ...
, and figures in the repertoire of almost all of the great masters. The figures of the Virgin Mary and the Archangel Gabriel, being emblematic of purity and grace, were favorite subjects of Roman Catholic Marian artRoman Catholic Marian art

The Blessed Virgin Mary has been one of the major subjects of Christian Art, Catholic Art and Western Art for many centuries....
.

Because the natural composition of the scene–two parallel figures, often elegantly clad–the subject was often employed in the decoration of a diptychDiptych

...
 or tympaneum (decorated arch above a doorway). In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Annunciation is typically depicted on the Holy Doors (decorative doorway leading from the naveNave

Links to full descriptions of the elements of a Gothic floorplan are also found at the entry Cathedral diagram....
 into the sanctuarySanctuary

Sanctuary has multiple meanings. A sanctuary is the consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar....
).

See also

  • GabrielGabriel Summary

    In Abrahamic religions, Gabriel is an archangel who is thought to serve as a messenger from God....
  • Fleur de lysFleur de Lys

    Fleur de Lys is a superheroine from Quebec and an ally of Northguard, created in 1984 by Mark Shainblum and Gabriel Morrisse...
  • AnnunciadeFacts About Annunciade

    Annunciade is a denomination common to several orders, both religious and military, instituted with a view of the Annunciati...
    , orders instituted with a view of the Annunciation
  • Maryland DayMaryland Day

    Maryland Day is a legal holiday in the U.S....
  • Church of the AnnunciationChurch of the Annunciation

    The Church of the Annunciation, sometimes also referred to as the Basilica of the Annunciation is a church in Nazareth...
    , in Nazareth
  • Greek Orthodox Church of the AnnunciationGreek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation

    The Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, known colloquially among the Arab citizens of Nazareth, Israel whom it serves...
    , in Nazareth
  • Roman Catholic Marian artRoman Catholic Marian art

    The Blessed Virgin Mary has been one of the major subjects of Christian Art, Catholic Art and Western Art for many centuries....


External links

  • at the
  • (various versions)
  • MP3 of Orthodox Byzantine Hymn(s) for the Annunciation