![Annunciation - Google Art Project](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Annunciation_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg)
The Annunciation (from the
Latin ), 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 by the archangel
Gabriel to
Mary that she would conceive and bear a son through a
virgin birth and become the mother of
Jesus Christ, the
Christian Messiah
Christ, used by Christians as both a name and a title, unambiguously refers to Jesus. It is also used as a title, in the reciprocal use "Christ Jesus", meaning "the Messiah Jesus", and independently as "the Christ". The Pauline epistles, the e ...
and
Son of God, marking the
Incarnation. Gabriel told Mary to name her son Immanuel, meaning "God is with us".
Two separate churches, both in
Nazareth
Nazareth ( ; ar, النَّاصِرَة, ''an-Nāṣira''; he, נָצְרַת, ''Nāṣəraṯ''; arc, ܢܨܪܬ, ''Naṣrath'') is the largest city in the Northern District of Israel. Nazareth is known as "the Arab capital of Israel". In ...
but around half a mile apart, are venerated as believed locations of the event – the
Catholic Basilica of the Annunciation
: ''This article refers to the basilica in Nazareth. For information on the church associated with the Blagoveschenskaya Tower in Russia, see Kremlin towers or Cathedral of the Annunciation.''
The Church of the Annunciation ( la, Basilica Annunti ...
and the
Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation
The Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation ( el, Ορθόδοξος Ναός του Ευαγγελισμού), also known as the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Gabriel, is an Eastern Orthodox church in Nazareth, Israel. Likely first estab ...
.
According to Luke 1:26, the Annunciation occurred "in the sixth month" of
Elizabeth's pregnancy with
John the Baptist. Many Christians observe this event with the
Feast of the Annunciation
The Feast of the Annunciation, in Greek, Ο Ευαγγελισμός της Θεοτόκου, contemporarily the Solemnity of the Annunciation, and also called Lady Day, the Feast of the Incarnation ('), or Conceptio Christi ('), commemorates the ...
on 25 March, an approximation of the northern
vernal equinox Spring equinox or vernal equinox or variations may refer to:
* March equinox, the spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere
* September equinox, the spring equinox in the Southern Hemisphere
Other uses
* Nowruz, Persian/Iranian new year which be ...
nine full months before
Christmas, the ceremonial birthday of Jesus.
The Annunciation is
a key topic in Christian art in general, as well as in
Marian art in the Catholic Church, having been especially prominent during the
Middle Ages and
Renaissance. A work of art depicting the Annunciation is sometimes itself called an ''Annunciation''.
Religious sources
Gospel of Luke
The
Gospel of Luke contains the longest description of the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary:
The archangel
Gabriel's greeting to
Mary forms the first part of the prayer
Hail Mary
The Hail Mary ( la, Ave Maria) is a traditional Christian prayer addressing Mary, the mother of Jesus. The prayer is based on two biblical passages featured in the Gospel of Luke: the Angel Gabriel's visit to Mary (the Annunciation) and Mary's ...
. Mary's response to the archangel forms the second
versicle and response of the
Angelus prayer. Various Bible translations also give Gabriel's salutation as a variation on: "Greetings, you who are highly favored!" (Luke 1:28,
NIV).
Gospel of Matthew
A separate, briefer and different annunciation is that given to
Joseph in
Matthew 1:18:
Apocryphal Gospel of James
There is a different version contained in the
apocryphal
Apocrypha are works, usually written, of unknown authorship or of doubtful origin. The word ''apocryphal'' (ἀπόκρυφος) was first applied to writings which were kept secret because they were the vehicles of esoteric knowledge considered ...
Gospel of James, which includes a first appearance of the archangel at the well.
Manuscript 4Q246
Manuscript
4Q246
4Q246, also known as the Son of God Text or the ''Aramaic Apocalypse'', is one of the Dead Sea Scrolls found at Qumran which is notable for an early messianic mention of a son of God. of the
Dead Sea Scrolls reads:
It has been suggested that the similarity in content is such that Luke's version may in some way be dependent on the Qumran text.
In the Quran
![The Remaining Signs of Past Centuries - Annunciation](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/The_Remaining_Signs_of_Past_Centuries_-_Annunciation.jpg)
The Annunciation is described in the
Quran, in (
Al-Imran – The Family of Imran), verses 45–51 (
Yusuf Ali translation):
(
Maryam – Mary), verses 16–26, also refers to the Annunciation.
Location
Both the
Roman Catholic and
Eastern Orthodox Churches hold that the Annunciation took place at
Nazareth
Nazareth ( ; ar, النَّاصِرَة, ''an-Nāṣira''; he, נָצְרַת, ''Nāṣəraṯ''; arc, ܢܨܪܬ, ''Naṣrath'') is the largest city in the Northern District of Israel. Nazareth is known as "the Arab capital of Israel". In ...
, but slightly differ as to the precise location. Catholic tradition holds that the Annunciation occurred in Mary's home, while Eastern Orthodox tradition holds that it occurred at the town well, known as
Mary's Well
Mary's Well ( ar, عين العذراء, ''ʿAin il- ʿadhrāʾ'' or "The spring of the Virgin Mary") is reputed to be located at the site where, according to one Christian tradition associated with the New Testament apocrypha, apocryphal Gosp ...
. The
Basilica of the Annunciation
: ''This article refers to the basilica in Nazareth. For information on the church associated with the Blagoveschenskaya Tower in Russia, see Kremlin towers or Cathedral of the Annunciation.''
The Church of the Annunciation ( la, Basilica Annunti ...
marks the site preferred by the former, while the
Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation
The Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation ( el, Ορθόδοξος Ναός του Ευαγγελισμού), also known as the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Gabriel, is an Eastern Orthodox church in Nazareth, Israel. Likely first estab ...
marks that preferred by the latter.
Feast day
Catholicism
The
feast of the Annunciation
The Feast of the Annunciation, in Greek, Ο Ευαγγελισμός της Θεοτόκου, contemporarily the Solemnity of the Annunciation, and also called Lady Day, the Feast of the Incarnation ('), or Conceptio Christi ('), commemorates the ...
is usually held on 25 March. It is moved in the
Catholic Church,
Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
and
Lutheran liturgical calendars when that date falls during
Holy Week or
Easter Week or on a Sunday.
The Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodoxy, and
Eastern Catholic Churches do not move the feast. Instead they have special combined liturgies for those years when the Annunciation coincides with another feast. In these churches, even on Good Friday a Divine Liturgy is celebrated when it coincides with the Annunciation.
When the calendar system of
Anno Domini was first introduced by
Dionysius Exiguus in AD 525, he assigned the beginning of the new year to 25 March since, according to Catholic theology, the era of
grace began with the
Incarnation of Christ. The first certain mentions of the feast are in a
canon of the 656
Council of Toledo
From the 5th century to the 7th century AD, about thirty synods, variously counted, were held at Toledo (''Concilia toletana'') in what would come to be part of Spain. The earliest, directed against Priscillianism, assembled in 400. The "thi ...
, where it is described as celebrated throughout the church. The 692 Council of Constantinople "
in Trullo" forbade observance of any festivals during
Lent
Lent ( la, Quadragesima, 'Fortieth') is a solemn religious observance in the liturgical calendar commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke ...
, excepting
Sunday
Sunday is the day of the week between Saturday and Monday. In most Western countries, Sunday is a day of rest and a part of the weekend. It is often considered the first day of the week.
For most observant adherents of Christianity, Sunday ...
and the Feast of the Annunciation. An earlier origin had been claimed for it on the grounds that it appeared in manuscripts of the sermons of
Athanasius and
Gregory Thaumaturgus but they were subsequently discovered to be spurious.
Along with Easter, 25 March was used as the
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is a festival observed in most of the world on 1 January, the first day of the year in the modern Gregorian calendar. 1 January is also New Year's Day on the Julian calendar, but this is not the same day as the Gregorian one. Wh ...
in many pre-modern Christian countries. The holiday was moved to January 1 in
France by
Charles IX's 1564
Edict of Roussillon The Edict of Roussillon (french: Édit de Roussillon) was a 1564 edict decreeing that the year would begin on 1 January in France.
During a trip to various parts of his kingdom, the King of France, Charles IX, found that depending on the diocese, ...
. In
England, the feast of the Annunciation came to be known as
Lady Day, and Lady Day marked the beginning of the English
new year until 1752. Also in England, the 1240
Synod of Worcester banned all servile work during the Feast of the Annunciation, making it a day of rest.
Eastern Christianity
![Annunciation to Zechariah British Library Add](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/Annunciation_to_Zechariah_British_Library_Add._MS_59874_Ethiopian_Bible.jpg)
In the
Eastern Orthodox,
Eastern Catholic, and
Oriental Orthodox
The Oriental Orthodox Churches are Eastern Christian churches adhering to Miaphysite Christology, with approximately 60 million members worldwide. The Oriental Orthodox Churches are part of the Nicene Christian tradition, and represent o ...
Churches, the Feast of the Annunciation is one of the twelve "
Great Feasts" of the
liturgical year
The liturgical year, also called the church year, Christian year or kalendar, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches that determines when feast days, including celebrations of saints, are to be observed, and whi ...
, and is among the eight of them that are counted as "feasts of the Lord". Throughout the Orthodox Church, the feast is celebrated on 25 March. In the churches that use the new style Calendar (
Revised Julian
The Revised Julian calendar, or less formally the new calendar, is a calendar proposed in 1923 by the Serbian scientist Milutin Milanković as a more accurate alternative to both Julian and Gregorian calendars. At the time, the Julian calendar w ...
or
Gregorian), this date coincides with 25 March on the civil calendar, while in those churches using the old style
Julian calendar, 25 March is reckoned to fall on 7 April on the civil calendar, and will fall on 8 April starting in the year 2100.
Greek Independence Day
The celebration of the Greek Revolution of 1821 (Greek: Εορτασμός της Ελληνικής Επανάστασης του 1821, ''Eortasmós tis Ellinikís Epanástasis tou 1821''), less commonly known as Independence Day, takes place i ...
is celebrated on the feast of the Annunciation and 25 March is also a national holiday in the Lebanon.
The traditional hymn (
troparion) for the feast of the Annunciation goes back to
Athanasius of Alexandria
Athanasius I of Alexandria, ; cop, ⲡⲓⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲑⲁⲛⲁⲥⲓⲟⲩ ⲡⲓⲁⲡⲟⲥⲧⲟⲗⲓⲕⲟⲥ or Ⲡⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲑⲁⲛⲁⲥⲓⲟⲩ ⲁ̅; (c. 296–298 – 2 May 373), also called Athanasius the Great, ...
. It runs:
, and grc, τοκος, tokos, bearer, label=none).
"Rejoice, O Full of Grace, the Lord is with you!"
As the action initiating the
Incarnation of Christ, the Annunciation has such an important place in Orthodox Christian theology that the festal
Divine Liturgy of St.
John Chrysostom is always celebrated on the feast, even if it falls on
Great and Holy Friday
Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday (also Hol ...
, the day when the
crucifixion of Jesus is remembered. The Divine Liturgy is celebrated on Great and Holy Friday only when the latter coincides with the feast of the Annunciation. If the Annunciation falls on
Pascha (Easter Sunday) itself, a coincidence which is called , then it is celebrated jointly with the Resurrection, which is the focus of Easter. Due to these and similar rules, the rubrics surrounding the celebration of the feast are the most complex of all in Orthodox Christian liturgics.
Ephraim the Syrian
Ephrem the Syrian ( syc, ܡܪܝ ܐܦܪܝܡ ܣܘܪܝܝܐ, Mār ʾAp̄rêm Sūryāyā, ; grc-koi, Ἐφραὶμ ὁ Σῦρος, Efrém o Sýros; la, Ephraem Syrus; am, ቅዱስ ኤፍሬም ሶርያዊ; ), also known as Saint Ephrem, Saint ...
taught that the date of the conception of Jesus Christ fell on 10
Nisan
Nisan (or Nissan; he, נִיסָן, Standard ''Nīsan'', Tiberian ''Nīsān''; from akk, 𒊬𒊒𒄀 ''Nisanu'') in the Babylonian and Hebrew calendars is the month of the barley ripening and first month of spring. The name of the month is ...
on the
Hebrew calendar, the day in which the passover lamb was selected according to
Exodus 12
Bo ( — in Hebrew, the command form of "go," or "come," and the first significant word in the parashah, in ) is the fifteenth weekly Torah portion (, ''parashah'') in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the third in the Book of Exodus ...
(Hymn 4 on the Nativity). Some years 10 Nisan falls on 25 March, which is the traditional date for the Feast of the Annunciation and is an official holiday in
Lebanon.
In art
The Annunciation has been one of the most frequent subjects of
Christian art. Depictions of the Annunciation go back to early Christianity, with the
Priscilla catacomb
The Catacomb of Priscilla is an archaeological site on the Via Salaria in Rome, Italy, situated in what was a quarry in Roman times. This quarry was used for Christian burials from the late 2nd century through the 4th century. This catacomb, ac ...
including the oldest known fresco of the Annunciation, dating to the 4th century.
It has been a favorite artistic subject in both the Christian East and as Roman Catholic Marian art, particularly during the
Middle Ages and
Renaissance, and figures in the repertoire of almost all of the great masters. The figures of the virgin Mary and the angel Gabriel, being emblematic of purity and grace, were favorite subjects of Roman Catholic Marian art, where the scene is also used to represent the
perpetual virginity of Mary via the announcement by the angel Gabriel that Mary would conceive a child to be born the
Son of God.
Works on the subject have been created by artists such as
Sandro Botticelli,
Leonardo da Vinci,
Caravaggio
Michelangelo Merisi (Michele Angelo Merigi or Amerighi) da Caravaggio, known as simply Caravaggio (, , ; 29 September 1571 – 18 July 1610), was an Italian painter active in Rome for most of his artistic life. During the final four years of hi ...
,
Duccio,
Henry Ossawa Tanner,
Jan van Eyck
Jan van Eyck ( , ; – July 9, 1441) was a painter active in Bruges who was one of the early innovators of what became known as Early Netherlandish painting, and one of the most significant representatives of Early Northern Renaissance art. Ac ...
, and
Murillo among others. The mosaics of
Pietro Cavallini in
Santa Maria in Trastevere
The Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere ( it, Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere); en, Our Lady in Trastevere) is a titular minor basilica in the Trastevere district of Rome, and one of the oldest churches of Rome. The basic floor plan and ...
in Rome (1291), the
fresco
Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaste ...
s of
Giotto in the
Scrovegni Chapel
The Scrovegni Chapel ( it, Cappella degli Scrovegni ), also known as the Arena Chapel, is a small church, adjacent to the Augustinian order, Augustinian monastery, the ''Monastero degli Eremitani'' in Padua, Italy, Padua, region of Veneto, I ...
in
Padua (1303),
Domenico Ghirlandaio
Domenico di Tommaso Curradi di Doffo Bigordi (, , ; 2 June 1448 – 11 January 1494), professionally known as Domenico Ghirlandaio, also spelled as Ghirlandajo, was an Italian Renaissance painter born in Florence. Ghirlandaio was part of ...
's fresco at the church of
Santa Maria Novella in
Florence (1486), and
Donatello's gilded sculpture at the church of
Santa Croce, Florence (1435) are famous examples.
File:The Annunciation - Johann Christian Schröder - Google Cultural Institute.jpg, ''The Annunciation'' by Johann Christian Schröder,
File:Paolo de Matteis - The Annunciation.jpg, ''The Annunciation'' by Paolo de Matteis, 1712, Saint Louis Art Museum, Saint Louis. The white lily
''Lilium candidum'', the Madonna lily or white lily, is a plant in the true lily family. It is native to the Balkans and Middle East, and naturalized in other parts of Europe, including France, Italy, and Ukraine, and in North Africa, the Canary ...
in the angel's hand is symbolic of Mary's purity[Purity is a wider concept than virginity, which is comprised within it, but which relates to a physical aspect only of purity.] in Marian art
Mary has been one of the major subjects of Western Art for centuries. There is an enormous quantity of Marian art in the Catholic Church, covering both devotional subjects such as the Virgin and Child and a range of narrative subjects from the ' ...
.
File:The annunciation (Trinity-Serguis Lavra).jpg, ''The Annunciation'' in Russian art, 14th century.
File:The annunciation, Gladzor.jpg, ''The Annunciation'' in Armenian art by Toros Taronetsi, 1323
Music
Hans Leo Hassler composed a motet ''
Dixit Maria'', setting Mary's consent.
Johann Sebastian Bach and others composed cantatas for
the feast of the annunciation which is still celebrated in the
Lutheran Church
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
, such as
''Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern'', BWV 1.
See also
*
Angelus
*
Annunciade
Annunciade (English: Annunciation), and various alternate spellings, may refer to:
Religious orders
* Servites, also known as the ''Servants'' or ''Annunziata'', first religious order of its kind was instituted in 1232 by seven Florentine merch ...
, religious order
*
Annunciation of Ustyug
''Annunciation of Ustyug'' (russian: Устюжское Благовещение) is a Russian Annunciation icon, created in Novgorod in the 12th century, and one of the few icons which survived the Mongol invasion of Rus'. The ''Annunciation of Us ...
*
Basilica of the Annunciation
: ''This article refers to the basilica in Nazareth. For information on the church associated with the Blagoveschenskaya Tower in Russia, see Kremlin towers or Cathedral of the Annunciation.''
The Church of the Annunciation ( la, Basilica Annunti ...
*
Chronology of Jesus
*
Expectation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Feast of the Expectation of the Blessed Virgin Mary ( es, Nuestra Señora de la Expectación) was a Catholic Feast that was originally celebrated in Spain, but started to be celebrated in other Catholic countries. It is not on the universal cal ...
*
Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation
The Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation ( el, Ορθόδοξος Ναός του Ευαγγελισμού), also known as the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Gabriel, is an Eastern Orthodox church in Nazareth, Israel. Likely first estab ...
, Nazareth
*
Incarnation (Christianity)
In Christian theology, the incarnation is the belief that the pre-existent divine person of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ, God the Son, the second person of the Trinity, and the eternally begotten ''Logos (Christianity), Logos'' (Koine Gr ...
*
Order of the Most Holy Annunciation
*
Roman Catholic Marian art
*
Perpetual Virginity of Mary
Notes
Citations
References
*
*
*
Further reading
*
*
External links
The Annunciation Icons
{{Authority control
1st-century BC Christianity
Angelic apparitions in the Bible
Christian terminology
Gabriel
Gospel of Luke
Joyful Mysteries
Mary, mother of Jesus
Nativity of Jesus in worship and liturgy
New Testament miracles
Vulgate Latin words and phrases