Annunciation, Feast of the

a religious holiday observed by Christians on March 25; some churches observe it according to the Gregorian calendar and some according to the Julian calendar. It relates to the Gospel myth of the archangel Gabriel announcing to the Virgin Mary her “immaculate conception” and the coming birth of Jesus Christ (the Gospel according to Luke, chapter 1). Specific instructions for the Feast of the Annunciation were contained in the rules of ecclesiastical councils of the seventh century. Possibly the holiday was introduced even earlier, in the fourth century, but it was not generally observed. The Annunciation has been a constant subject of religious painting.