Annunciation of the Virgin Mary

The Catholic Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord (In Annuntiatione Beatæ Mariæ Virginis) is celebrated on March 25 - exactly nine months before Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25. It is based on the visit of the archangel Gabriel to Mary according to Luke 1:26-38, when the angel announces to Mary that she has been chosen to give birth to the Son of God. Despite the name "Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary", the feast day is a celebration of God's incarnation in terms of salvation history. This is why today it is one of the feasts of the Lord and no longer one of the feasts of Mary.

The feast on March 25 is celebrated in many denominations. Older names are Conceptio Christi ('Conception of Christ'), Mary's Incarnation and Ancilla [Domini] ('Handmaid [of the Lord]'). The biblical event is a frequently depicted motif in Christian iconography. Many churches are dedicated to the Annunciation.