Today is the Introduction of the Virgin Mary – the day of the Christian family – Bulgaria

The Orthodox Church today celebrates the Introduction of the Virgin – a holiday dedicated to the Christian family and the Christian youth.

On that day, 3-year-old Maria was taken by her parents Anna and Joachim to the Jerusalem Temple and dedicated to the service of God. Thus, the two fulfilled the promise they made before the conception of their daughter. The Holy Virgin was left on the first step in front of the temple entrance and – to the amazement of all present – unsupported by anyone, she freely climbed the 15 steps and stopped at the top. There the high priest Zechariah welcomed her and introduced her into the Holy of Holies.

The day becomes a symbol of the introduction of the young person into the temple, into the bosom of the church and the faith and of the Christian family, the prime example of which is the Virgin Mary and her husband Joseph. Introduction The Orthodox Church of Our Lady recommends that parents take their children to church services, tell them about the faith and biblical events, and thus raise them in a Christian spirit.

The holiday was introduced in the Church of Constantinople in the 7th century by Patriarch Terasius, and in the Roman Catholic Church in 1374 by Pope Gregory the Eleventh.