A feast of the Mother of God
The Annunciation of the Theotokos
The Archangel Gabriel brought the Virgin Mary the good news that she would bear the Son of God. She answered, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.”
The dates
- Kept on
- 25 March (7 April on the Old Calendar)
- Next, New Calendar
- Next, Old Calendar
The New Calendar (the Greek, Antiochian, Romanian and Bulgarian churches, the OCA and most converts) keeps fixed feasts on the church date; the Old Calendar (the Russian, Serbian and Georgian churches, Jerusalem and Mount Athos) keeps them 13 days later. Pascha and the feasts that follow it are kept on the same day by both.
How the day is kept
The feast falls in Great Lent, and the fast is eased for the day.
In Greek custom every Evangelos and Evangelia, named for the good news, keeps the name day on this feast.
In Greece the day is also a national holiday.
Name days
These names keep their name day on this feast:
The saint
Icons for the feast
Folding diptychChrist (Zvenigorod Saviour) & Vladimir Mother of God Folding Diptych$99$69
Folding diptychChrist Pantocrator & Our Lady of Kazan Folding Diptych$99$69
IconOrthodox Virgin Mary Holding Jesus - Gold Color - Icon$41$29
IconOrthodox Virgin Mary and Child Jesus - Silver&Gold Color - Icon$41$29
IconOrthodox Virgin Mary (Our Lady of Kazan, Rectangular) - Silver&Gold Color - Wooden Icon$41$29
IconOrthodox Mother of God - Gold Color - Wooden Icon$41$29
IconOrthodox Jesus Christ and Virgin Mary - Folding Wooden Icon$56$39
IconOrthodox Christ & Virgin Mary - Silver&Gold Color - Folding Wooden Icon$56$39
Have it consecrated by our priest before it reaches you — Consecration, $49.