Among the Christian holidays of the Theotokos, those that are celebrated with special solemnity by the entire fullness of the Orthodox Church stand out. The historical recollection of the Church of the birth of the Virgin Mary was reflected in the holiday called the Nativity of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary.
Most Orthodox Churches solemnly celebrate the birthday of the Mother of the Savior of the World on September 21 in a new style. The Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin is twelve and begins the annual calendar circle of the greatest Christian celebrations. The Orthodox Church announces that great joy shone throughout the world in the birth of the Most Holy Theotokos, due to the hope for the salvation of mankind, because it was the Virgin Mary who was chosen by God as the Mother of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Gospels do not provide information about the circumstances of the birth of the Mother of God, but the apocryphal Proto-Gospel of James, dating from about the 2nd century, contains the story of the birth of the Mother of God, which is currently an important component of the Orthodox Holy Tradition.
It is known from New Testament history that the Mother of God was the daughter of a pious married couple Joachim and Anna. In the very event of the birth of the Mother of God, a miracle is seen. To the best of their old age, Joachim and Anna could not have children, which caused great sorrow for the spouses, because in ancient Israel sterility was considered a shame and God's punishment for sins. This attitude to infertility was due to the fact that the Jewish people were given the promise of the birth of the Messiah, and the absence of offspring indicated not a special God's "dislike" for spouses.
The proto-Gospel of James tells that when Joachim once again came to the Jerusalem temple to offer a sacrifice to God, the Jewish high priest did not accept the offering, referring to the sterility of the righteous. After that, Joachim in sorrow went into the wilderness to pray. During the prayer stand, an angel appeared to Joachim, announcing the birth of a child. At the same time, the angel prophetically announced that the whole world would talk about the child of Joachim and Anna. During the prayer of the righteous Joachim, his pious wife was at home and was also in prayer. The proto-Gospel of James says that the angel of the Lord also appeared to Anna, announcing the miraculous birth of a child. After these visions, the couple hurried to meet each other and met at the Golden Gate of Jerusalem, sharing great joy.
Nine months after the events described, the angelic prophecy came true - a daughter was born to Joachim and Anna. The parents named the girl Mary, which means "Lady", "Hope" from Hebrew. The parents decided to consecrate the child to God and gave the girl at the age of three to the Jerusalem Temple for upbringing until the last adult age.
The history of the appearance of the official holiday of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos dates back to approximately the 6th-7th century. It is believed that special celebrations in honor of the birth of the Mother of the Savior of the world were introduced into church use by the Byzantine emperor Mauritius.
At present, the Orthodox Church, which venerates the Mother of God as the main intercessor and intercessor before God for the human race, celebrates a special solemn service on the day of the Nativity of the Mother of God. Orthodox believers strive on September 21st to postpone all everyday worries and cares and devote this day to the Virgin Mary.
