Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary - April 7

The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin is included in thetwelve holidays - twelve major holidays in Orthodoxy after Easter. All these holidays are dedicated to the events of the earthly life of the Theotokos and Jesus Christ. Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos is celebrated on April 7. Initially, the Annunciation is celebrated on March 25,exactly 9 months before Christmas, but since the Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar, we celebrate the Annunciation on April 7th according to the Gregorian calendar (it corresponds to March 25 in the Julian calendar).

On the feast of the Annunciation it is customary to perform a full liturgy, despite Lent. As a general rule, they perform the Liturgy of JohnChrysostom, and if the Annunciation falls on the Lenten resurrection, as well as Pure Thursday or the Great Saturday, the Liturgy of Basil the Great serves. If the Annunciation falls on Good Friday, they perform the Liturgy of John Chrysostom (the only exception on Good Friday - in all other cases the liturgy does not serve that day).

If the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos does not occur on Holy Week, on this day the rules of Lent are softened: the use of fish, wine andvegetable oil. In Orthodox churches, the icon is placed on the Royal Gates (the main gates of the iconostasis) surrounded by four evangelists, because the Annunciation is considered to be a gospel (because the word "gospel" is translated "good news" from the Greek word "Gospel").

In the people's creation the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos is associated with a number of signs and customs. It is called "God's greatest holiday,in which even "a bird does not nest a nest." On this day, spring was called for the third (and last) time, because it was believed that the Annunciation spring finally overcame the winter. And in some places on the night of the Annunciation it was customary to burn bonfires - so people "burned the winter" and "warmed the spring". People drove round campfires roundelays, sang songs, jumped through the fire.

And in the evening people went out into the street and looked at the sky. This custom was associated with the faith of the peasants that the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary opens the sky. At that moment, you could ask God for glory,which certainly led to wealth and happiness. People were looking in the sky for an abyss with a big star, and in a minute when the sky opened, it was necessary to shout: "God, give me great glory!".

Another long tradition of the Annunciation is release birds from the cells to freedom. This is done in order to recall the Goodlead and freedom, which are given to every creature of God, and not just to man. This custom is still observed: every year the Moscow Patriarch releases a flock of pigeons from the porch of the Annunciation Cathedral.

In many countries the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos is a special day. In Greece, March 25 - a national holiday,because on this day in 1821 Metropolitan Hermitage of Patron blessed the banner of the national uprising, which eventually led to the independence of the Greeks in the part of Hellas. And in England, from the day of the Annunciation, the days of the new year were counted down to 1752.

A very rare phenomenon is Kyriopascha (Lord's Passover), when the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Marycoincides with the first day of the feast of Easter. In the twentieth century, Chiropractic happened only twice, in 1912 and in 1991. In the twenty-first century, such a coincidence will happen only in 2075.

The Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos is a very important holiday for all Christians. The related evangelistic events inspired many artists and writers to create beautiful works of art.