In the Christian Orthodox statutory tradition, there are many holidays. The church marks out twelve major celebrations. They are called the twelveth feast days.
At the beginning of December, according to the new style (on the 4th), the entire fullness of the Orthodox Church celebrates the day of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos. This is one of the main feasts of the Mother of God. In Russia, there are many temples consecrated in honor of the Entry into the Temple of the Virgin.
The history of this event comes down to modern times thanks to the Holy Tradition of the Church. It is known that the parents of the Mother of God Joachim and Anna were already in old age when their daughter Mary was born. Joachim and Anna prayed for a long time to God for the gift of a child to them. Godly parents made a vow to God that if they have a child, the latter will be dedicated to the service of the Lord. The parents kept their promise. When the Virgin Mary was three years old, she was solemnly led into the Jerusalem temple. It is this event that is celebrated on December 4 in the Orthodox Church.
The Virgin Mary lived in the Jerusalem temple for several years. There she received an education, studied the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament. The tradition of the Church says that the archangel Gabriel appeared to the Blessed Virgin and brought her heavenly food.
The Feast of the Entry of the Virgin always falls on the Nativity Fast. However, the church charter permits indulgence in abstinence on the very day of the holiday. So, believers are allowed to eat fish on the feast of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos.
