Thursday, 8 September 2022 Feast Day for Orthodox church – Nativity of the Theotokos.

Every year on September 8, Orthodox people celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of Our Most Holy Lady, the Theotokos, and Ever-Virgin Mary. The Feast honours the birth of Panagia, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Book of James, also known as the Protevangelion, a second-century text, contains details about the Virgin Mary’s birth and early years that are not contained in the Gospels or other New Testament works.

The narrative in this book claims that Mary’s parents, Joachim and Anna, remained childless for a considerable amount of time. They continued to be obedient to God, but their requests for a child were not granted.

One day, Joachim went to the temple to make a gift, but the High Priest forbade him because he had no children. Joachim fled to the hill country to live with the shepherds and their sheep in order to hide his guilt.

At their home in Jerusalem, Joachim and his wife Anna were both praying at the same time. Both of them saw an angel who revealed that Anna would give birth to a child whose name would be famous all over the world. Anna vowed to present her kid to the Lord as a gift. Joachim came back home, and Anna soon became pregnant with Mary.

The principal figures of the Nativity of the Thetokos icon are Mary’s parents, Saints Joachim and Anna, and the baby Mother of our Lord. Saint Anna is depicted in the centre of the icon, reaching out to her daughter with her right hand. Saint Joachim, Mary’s father, is also looking at the child and reaching out his right hand to her. There are witnesses surrounding Anna who helped with the birth.

Despina, Kalamiotissa, Kalamia, Maria, Marietta, Marianos, Marianni, Marios, Panagiotis, Panagiota, Tsambikos, and Tsambika all have names days today.

Xronia Polla!
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