Celebration commemorating the visit of the archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary
The Feast of the Annunciation or Solemnity of the Annunciation commemorates the announcement of the archangel Gabriel to Mary, that she would miraculously conceive and give birth to a son, becoming the mother of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, marking his incarnation. It is celebrated on 25 March, which is nine months before Christmas in Western Christianity and the traditional date of the spring equinox. However, if 25 March falls either in Holy Week or in Easter Week, the feast is postponed to the Monday after the Second Sunday of Easter. Other names for the feast include Annunciation Day, Lady Day, the Feast of the Incarnation, and Conceptio Christi.
