Marian feast days in the

liturgical year The liturgical year, also called the church year, Christian year, ecclesiastical calendar, or kalendar, consists of the cycle of liturgical days and seasons that determines when feast days, including celebrations of saints, are to be obse ...

are celebrated in honour of the

Blessed Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

. The number of Marian feasts celebrated, their names (and at times dates) can vary among

Christian denomination A Christian denomination is a distinct Religion, religious body within Christianity that comprises all Church (congregation), church congregations of the same kind, identifiable by traits such as a name, particular history, organization, leadersh ...

History and development

Early history

The earliest feasts that relate to Mary grew out of the cycle of feasts that celebrate the Nativity of Jesus Christ. Given that according to the

Gospel of Luke The Gospel of Luke is the third of the New Testament's four canonical Gospels. It tells of the origins, Nativity of Jesus, birth, Ministry of Jesus, ministry, Crucifixion of Jesus, death, Resurrection of Jesus, resurrection, and Ascension of ...

(), forty days after the birth of Jesus, along with the

Presentation of Jesus at the Temple The Presentation of Jesus is an early episode in the life of Jesus Christ, describing his presentation at the Temple in Jerusalem. It is celebrated by many churches 40 days after Christmas on Candlemas, or the "Feast of the Presentation of Jes ...

, Mary was purified according to Jewish customs, the ''Feast of the Purification'' began to be celebrated by the 5th century, and became the ''Feast of

Simeon Simeon () is a given name, from the Hebrew (Biblical Hebrew, Biblical ''Šimʿon'', Tiberian vocalization, Tiberian ''Šimʿôn''), usually transliterated in English as Shimon. In Greek, it is written Συμεών, hence the Latinized spelling Sy ...

'' in

Byzantium Byzantium () or Byzantion () was an ancient Greek city in classical antiquity that became known as Constantinople in late antiquity and Istanbul today. The Greek name ''Byzantion'' and its Latinization ''Byzantium'' continued to be used as a n ...

.''The Cult of the Virgin Mary in Anglo-Saxon England'' by Mary Clayton 2003 pp. 26-37 The origin of Marian feasts is lost to history. Although there are references to specific Marian feasts introduced into the liturgies in later centuries, there are indications that Christians celebrated Mary very early on. Methodius, a bishop (died 311) from the 3rd and early 4th century, wrote:

And what shall I conceive, what shall I speak worthy of this day? I am struggling to reach the inaccessible, for the remembrance of this holy virgin far transcends all words of mine. Wherefore, since the greatness of the panegyric required completely puts to shame our limited powers, let us betake ourselves to that hymn which is not beyond our faculties, and boasting in our own unalterable defeat, let us join the rejoicing chorus of Christ’s flock, who are keeping holy-day ... We keep festival, not according to the vain customs of the Greek mythology; we keep a feast which brings with it no ridiculous or frenzied banqueting of the gods, but which teaches us the wondrous condescension to us men of the awful glory of Him who is God over all ... Do thou, therefore, O lover of this festival ...

A separate feast for Mary, connected with the Christmastide, originated in the 5th century, even perhaps before the

First Council of Ephesus The Council of Ephesus was a council of Christian bishops convened in Ephesus (near present-day Selçuk in Turkey) in AD 431 by the Roman Emperor Theodosius II. This third ecumenical council, an effort to attain consensus in the church th ...

of 431. It seems certain that the sermon by

Proclus Proclus Lycius (; 8 February 412 – 17 April 485), called Proclus the Successor (, ''Próklos ho Diádokhos''), was a Greek Neoplatonist philosopher, one of the last major classical philosophers of late antiquity. He set forth one of th ...

before

Nestorius Nestorius of Constantinople (; ; ) was an early Christian prelate who served as Archbishop of Constantinople from 10 April 428 to 11 July 431. A Christian theologian from the Catechetical School of Antioch, several of his teachings in the fi ...

(the Archbishop of

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

whose

Nestorianism Nestorianism is a term used in Christian theology and Church history to refer to several mutually related but doctrinary, doctrinarily distinct sets of teachings. The first meaning of the term is related to the original teachings of Christian t ...

rejected the title of

Theotokos ''Theotokos'' ( Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are or (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations are "Mother of God" or "God-beare ...

) which began the controversy that led to the council was about a feast for the Virgin Mary. In the 8th and 9th centuries four more Marian feasts were established in the

Eastern Church Eastern Christianity comprises Christian traditions and church families that originally developed during classical and late antiquity in the Eastern Mediterranean region or locations further east, south or north. The term does not describe a ...

. Byzantine Emperor Maurice selected August 15 as the date of the feast of Dormition and Assumption. The feast of the

Nativity of Mary The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Nativity of Mary, Marymas or the Birth of the Virgin Mary, refers to a Christian feast day celebrating the birth of Mary, mother of Jesus. The modern Biblical canon does not record Mary's birth. The ...

was perhaps started in the first half of the 7th century in the Eastern Church. In the

Western Church Western Christianity is one of two subdivisions of Christianity (Eastern Christianity being the other). Western Christianity is composed of the Latin Church and Western Protestantism, together with their offshoots such as the Old Catholic C ...

a feast dedicated to Mary, just before Christmas was celebrated in the Churches of

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

and

Ravenna Ravenna ( ; , also ; ) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire during the 5th century until its Fall of Rome, collapse in 476, after which ...

in Italy in the 7th century. The four Roman Marian feasts of Purification,

Annunciation The Annunciation (; ; also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord; ) is, according to the Gospel of Luke, the announcement made by the archangel Gabriel to Ma ...

, Assumption and

were gradually and sporadically introduced into England and by the 11th century were being celebrated there.

Development of feasts

Over time, the number and nature of feasts (and the associated

Titles of Mary Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary, the mother of Jesus in Christianity, is known by many different titles (Blessed Mother, Virgin Mary, Mother of God, Our Lady, Holy Virgin, Madonna), epithets (Our Lady, Star of the Sea, Star of the Sea, Queen of He ...

) and the venerative practices that accompany them have varied a great deal among diverse Christian traditions. Overall, there are significantly more titles, feasts and venerative Marian practices among

Roman Catholics The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

than any other Christian tradition.''Encyclopedia of Catholicism'' by Frank K. Flinn, J. Gordon Melton 2007 , pp. 443–444 Some differences in feasts originate from doctrinal issues – the Feast of the Assumption is such an example. Given that there is no agreement among all Christians on the circumstances of the death, Dormition or

Assumption of Mary The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Catholic Mariology#Dogmatic teachings, Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it on 1 November 1950 in his apostolic constitution as follows: It leaves open the question of w ...

, the Feast of the Assumption is celebrated among some denominations and not others. In his early years,

Martin Luther Martin Luther ( ; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, Theology, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Reformation, Pr ...

used to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption, but towards the end of his life he stopped celebrating it. While the Western Catholics celebrate the Feast of the Assumption on 15 August, some Eastern Catholics celebrate it as Dormition of the Mother of God, and may do so on 28 August, if they follow the

Julian calendar The Julian calendar is a solar calendar of 365 days in every year with an additional leap day every fourth year (without exception). The Julian calendar is still used as a religious calendar in parts of the Eastern Orthodox Church and in parts ...

. The

Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, otherwise known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity or Byzantine Christianity, is one of the three main Branches of Christianity, branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholic Church, Catholicism and Protestantism ...

also celebrate it as the Dormition of the Mother of God, one of their 12

Great Feast In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the feast of the death and Resurrection of Jesus, called Pascha (Easter), is the greatest of all holy days and as such it is called the "feast of feasts". Immediately below it in importance, there is a group of T ...

s. The

Armenian Apostolic Church The Armenian Apostolic Church () is the Autocephaly, autocephalous national church of Armenia. Part of Oriental Orthodoxy, it is one of the most ancient Christianity, Christian churches. The Armenian Apostolic Church, like the Armenian Catholic ...

celebrates the Feast of Dormition not on a fixed date, but on the Sunday nearest 15 August. Moreover, the practices apart from doctrinal differences also vary, e.g. for the

the feast is preceded by the 14-day Dormition Fast. Feasts continue to be developed, e.g. the feast of the Queenship of Mary was declared in 1954 in the papal encyclical '' Ad Caeli Reginam'' by

Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII (; born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli; 2 March 18769 October 1958) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death on 9 October 1958. He is the most recent p ...

. The initial ceremony for this feast involved the crowning of the Salus Populi Romani icon of the Virgin Mary in Rome by Pius XII as part of a procession in Rome, and is unique to Roman Catholics. Other differences in feasts relate to specific events that occurred in history. For instance, the Feast of Our Lady of Victory (later renamed Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary) was based on the 1571 victory of the

Papal States The Papal States ( ; ; ), officially the State of the Church, were a conglomeration of territories on the Italian peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope from 756 to 1870. They were among the major states of Italy from the 8th c ...

against the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

in the

Battle of Lepanto The Battle of Lepanto was a naval warfare, naval engagement that took place on 7 October 1571 when a fleet of the Holy League (1571), Holy League, a coalition of Catholic states arranged by Pope Pius V, inflicted a major defeat on the fleet of t ...

, is hence unique to Roman Catholics.

In the Catholic Church

The most prominent Marian feast days in the

General Roman Calendar The General Roman Calendar (GRC) is the liturgy, liturgical calendar that indicates the dates of celebrations of saints and Sacred mysteries, mysteries of the Lord (Jesus Christ) in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, wherever this liturgic ...

are: * January 1:

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God The Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God is a feast day of the Blessed Virgin Mary under the aspect of her motherhood of Jesus Christ, whom she had circumcised on the eighth day after his birth in accordance with Levitical Law. Christian ...

* May 31 (in some locations July 2): The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary * Monday after

Pentecost Pentecost (also called Whit Sunday, Whitsunday or Whitsun) is a Christianity, Christian holiday which takes place on the 49th day (50th day when inclusive counting is used) after Easter Day, Easter. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spiri ...

: The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church * 1 day after the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus: The Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary * August 5: Saint Mary Major (

Santa Maria Maggiore Santa Maria Maggiore (), also known as the Basilica of Saint Mary Major or the Basilica of Saint Mary the Great, is one of the four Basilicas in the Catholic Church#Major and papal basilicas, major papal basilicas and one of the Seven Pilgrim C ...

; also known as Saint Mary of the Snows) * August 15: The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Solemnity) * August 22: The Queenship of Mary * September 8: The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary also known as Marymas * September 12: Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary * September 15:

Our Lady of Sorrows Our Lady of Sorrows (), Our Lady of Dolours, the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows (), and Our Lady of Piety, Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of the Seven Dolours are Titles of Mary, names by which Mary, mother of Jesus, is referr ...

* October 7:

Our Lady of the Rosary Our Lady of the Rosary (), also known as Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, is a Titles of Mary, Marian title. The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, formerly known as Feast of Our Lady of Victory and Feast of the Holy Rosary is celebrated on 7 October ...

* November 21: The

Presentation of Mary The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known in the East as The Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple, is a liturgical feast celebrated on November 21 by the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and some Anglo-Catholic Churches. The fea ...

* December 8: Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Note: Solemnities and feasts are in bold face. Memorials are in regular face. Optional Marian memorials in the General Roman Calendar are: * February 11:

Our Lady of Lourdes Our Lady of Lourdes (; ) is one the Marian devotions, devotional names or titles under which the Catholic Church venerates the Mary, mother of Jesus, Virgin Mary. The name commemorates a series of Lourdes apparitions, 18 apparitions reported by ...

* May 13: Our Lady of Fatima * July 16:

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Our Lady of Mount Carmel, or Virgin of Carmel, is a Roman Catholic Titles of Mary, title of the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated as patron saint, patroness of the Carmelites, Carmelite Order. The first Carmelites were Christian hermits living on M ...

* December 10: Our Lady of Loreto * December 12:

Our Lady of Guadalupe Our Lady of Guadalupe (), also known as the Virgin of Guadalupe (), is a Catholic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with four Marian apparitions to Juan Diego and one to his uncle, Juan Bernardino reported in December 1531, when t ...

There are many more Marian commemorations celebrated in various localities, but not included in the General Roman Calendar.

May devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary May devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary refer to special Marian devotions held in the Catholic Church during the month of May honoring Mary, mother of Jesus, as "the Queen of May". These services may take place inside or outside. A "May Crownin ...

take place in many Catholic regions. There is no firm structure as to the content of a May devotion. It includes usually the singing of Marian anthems, readings from the

Scripture Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They often feature a compilation or discussion of beliefs, ritual practices, moral commandments and ...

s, a

sermon A sermon is a religious discourse or oration by a preacher, usually a member of clergy. Sermons address a scriptural, theological, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law, or behavior within both past and present context ...

or a presentation by local choirs. The whole

rosary The Rosary (; , in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"), formally known as the Psalter of Jesus and Mary (Latin: Psalterium Jesu et Mariae), also known as the Dominican Rosary (as distinct from other forms of rosary such as the ...

is prayed separately and is usually not a part of a Marian devotion, although

Hail Mary The Hail Mary or Ave Maria (from its first words in Latin), also known as the Angelic or Angelical Salutation, is a traditional Catholic prayer addressing Mary, the mother of Jesus. The prayer is based on two biblical passages featured in the ...

s are included. The devotion was promoted by the Jesuits and spread to

Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

colleges and to the entire Latin Church and since that time it has been a regular feature of Catholic life. Marian devotions may be held within the family, around a "May Altar" consisting of a table with a Marian picture decorated with many May flowers. The family would then pray together the

. May devotions exist in the entire Latin church and since that time have been a regular feature of Catholic life. In the Catholic Church, traditionally the month of October is called

month, since the faithful are encouraged to pray the rosary. Since 1571, the ''Festum Beatae Mariae Virginis a Rosario'' (Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary), is celebrated on October 7. In 2005

Pope Benedict XVI Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as p ...

stated:

In the Eastern Orthodox Church

Among the most prominent Marian feast days in the

and

Greek-Catholic Greek Catholic Church or Byzantine-Catholic Church may refer to: * The Catholic Church in Greece * The Eastern Catholic Churches that use the Byzantine Rite, also known as the Greek Rite: ** The Albanian Greek Catholic Church ** The Belarusian Gr ...

liturgical calendars are: * February 2 Purification of the Most Holy Theotokos * March 25

of the

* March 30 The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary * Fifth Saturday in Lent Saturday of the Akathist Hymn * Bright Friday Feast of the Mother of God, the Life-Giving Spring * July 2 The Placing of the Honorable Robe of the Most Holy Mother of God at Blachernae * July 25 Dormition of the Righteous Anna, the Mother of the Most Holy Theotokos * 1 August Feast to the All-Merciful Saviour and the Most Holy Mother of God. * August 15 Dormition of the Mother of God * August 31 The Placing of the Cincture (Sash) of the Mother of God * September 8 Nativity of the Theotokos * September 9

Afterfeast An Afterfeast, or Postfeast, is a period of celebration attached to one of the Great Feasts celebrated by the Eastern Orthodox Church, Orthodox Christian and Eastern Catholic Churches (somewhat analogous to what in Western Christianity would be ca ...

of the Nativity of the Mother of God,

Holy Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

and Righteous

Ancestor An ancestor, also known as a forefather, fore-elder, or a forebear, is a parent or ( recursively) the parent of an antecedent (i.e., a grandparent, great-grandparent, great-great-grandparent and so forth). ''Ancestor'' is "any person from ...

s of

God In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...

Joachim Joachim was, according to Sacred tradition, the husband of Saint Anne, the father of Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary (mother of Jesus), and the maternal grandfather of Jesus. The story of Joachim and Anne first appears in the Gospel of James, part of ...

and Anna * October 1 Protection of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary * November 21 The Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple * December 9 Feast of the Conception of the Most Holy Theotokos * December 26 Synaxis of the

Note: Feasts ranked among the twelve Great Feasts are in bold face. Minor feasts are in regular face. Feast days are also established for famous icon of Mary. Purification of the Most Holy Theotokos is also considered as Feasts of Jesus Christ. Protection of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary in Russian Church is treated as twelve Great Feasts. In 10th century Visitation of Mary was commemorated on 1 April.

In the Oriental Orthodox Church

In the

Coptic Orthodox The Coptic Orthodox Church (), also known as the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria, is an Oriental Orthodox Churches, Oriental Orthodox Christian church based in Egypt. The head of the church and the Apostolic see, See of Alexandria i ...

rite St. Mary is commemorated on the 21st of each Coptic month (Generally the 30th/31st of each Gregorian month). * January 22

Wedding at Cana The wedding at Cana (also called the marriage at Cana, wedding feast at Cana or marriage feast at Cana) is a story in the Gospel of John at which the first miracle attributed to Jesus takes place. In the Gospel account, Jesus, his mother and ...

* January 29 Dormition of Saint Mary, the Theotokos * April 2 Apparition of Saint Mary in the Church of Zeitoun * April 7

of the Birth of Christ * May 9 Birth of Saint Mary * June 1 Entry of the Lord Christ into Egypt * June 28 Commemoration of the First Church for the Virgin Mary in the City of

Philippi Philippi (; , ''Phílippoi'') was a major Greek city northwest of the nearby island, Thasos. Its original name was Crenides (, ''Krēnĩdes'' "Fountains") after its establishment by Thasian colonists in 360/359 BC. The city was renamed by Phili ...

* August 13 Annunciation of the Birth of Saint Mary * August 22 Assumption of the Body of Saint Mary * December 13 Entrance of Saint Mary into the Temple at Jerusalem In the

Syriac Orthodox The Syriac Orthodox Church (), also informally known as the Jacobite Church, is an Oriental Orthodox denomination that originates from the Church of Antioch. The church currently has around 4-5 million followers. The church upholds the Mia ...

rite St. Mary is commemorated on the following 8 Major feast days: * January 15 Virgin Mary of the Sowing * March 25 Annunciation of the Virgin Mary * May 15 Feast of the Virgin Mary of the Harvest * August 15 Dormition and Assumption of the Virgin Mary * September 8 Nativity of the Virgin Mary * December 26 Glorification of the Mother of God In the Malankara Orthodox church St. Mary is commemorated on the following feast days: * January 1 Virgin Mary, Mother of God * January 15 Virgin Mary of the Sowing * March 25 Annunciation of the Virgin Mary * May 15 Feast of the Virgin Mary of the Harvest * August 15 Assumption of the Virgin Mary (preceded by 15 days of lent) * September 8 Nativity of the Virgin Mary(preceded by 8 days of lent) * December 26 Glorification of the Mother of God

In the Anglican Communion

In calendars throughout the

Anglican Communion The Anglican Communion is a Christian Full communion, communion consisting of the Church of England and other autocephalous national and regional churches in full communion. The archbishop of Canterbury in England acts as a focus of unity, ...

and

Continuing Anglican The Continuing Anglican movement, also known as the Anglican Continuum, encompasses a number of Christian churches, principally based in North America, that have an Anglican identity and tradition but are not part of the Anglican Communion. The ...

churches, the following Marian feasts may be observed, although the practice of different provinces varies widely: * February 2 Purification of the Blessed Virgin * February 11

* March 25 Annunciation of Our Saviour to the Blessed Virgin Mary (

Lady Day In the Western liturgical year, Lady Day is the common name in some English-speaking and Scandinavian countries of the Feast of the Annunciation, celebrated on 25 March to commemorate the annunciation of the archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mar ...

) * May 1

Queen of Heaven Queen of Heaven () is a title given by the Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodoxy, to Mary, mother of Jesus, and, to a lesser extent, in Anglicanism and Lutheranism. The title has long been a tradition, included in prayers and devotional literat ...

* May 31 Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary * August 15 The Blessed Virgin Mary or "The Falling Asleep of the Blessed Virgin Mary" * September 8 Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary * October 15 Our Lady of Walsingham (Catholics feast on September 24, as of 2001) * December 8 Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

In Lutheranism

Lutherans tend to de-emphasize the importance of Mary out of respect for the centrality of Jesus, yet many or all of the traditional medieval Marian days are retained. Due to disagreements about the perpetual virginity of Mary, many Lutherans avoid using the traditional title of "Blessed Virgin Mary" to preface the feasts or don't celebrate them, although many still retain the title and continue the observances (the

Book of Concord ''The Book of Concord'' (1580) or ''Concordia'' (often referred to as the ''Lutheran Confessions'') is the historic doctrinal standard recognized as authoritative by many Lutheran church bodies since the 16th century. It consists of ten creeda ...

also explicitly reaffirms the perpetual virginity of Mary in the Latin form of

's Smalcald Articles, and suggests it strongly elsewhere in the German form). The following are Marian festivals celebrated within the Lutheran liturgical calendar: * February 2 Presentation of the Lord, usually referred to as "The Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Presentation of Our Lord" together (sometimes the order of terms is switched for emphasis), also known as

Candlemas Candlemas, also known as the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ, the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or the Feast of the Holy Encounter, is a Christian holiday, Christian feast day commemorating the presentation of ...

* March 25 Annunciation of Our Lord * May 31 The Visitation of the Virgin Mary to Elizabeth * August 15 Mary, Mother of Our Lord (most refer to it simply as St. Mary's Day instead of the Assumption, and some prefer to call it the Dormition) * September 8: The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary also known as Marymas (few observe this) * November 21: The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (few observe this) * December 8: The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary ( Conception of Mary) (although they almost never use the term "immaculate" and very few observe this due to its Roman Catholic association) When

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Help:IPA/Standard German, �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety ...

worked as ''

Thomaskantor (Cantor at St. Thomas) is the common name for the musical director of the , now an internationally known boys' choir founded in Leipzig in 1212. The official historic title of the Thomaskantor in Latin, ', describes the two functions of Cantor ( ...

'' in Leipzig, three Marian feasts were observed for which he composed church cantatas: * February 2 Purification * March 25

* July 2 Visitation

References

External links

Comprehensive List of Marian Feasts
{{Authority control