On September 21, one of the twelve eternal holidays of the Russian Orthodox Church falls - the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, whose image is deeply revered throughout the Christian world. This holiday is also called the Second Most Pure.
History of the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin
Attributing the day of the Nativity of the Virgin (September 21) to the non-transient twelve-year holidays, believers emphasize the important role that the Blessed Virgin Mary plays in Christianity.
Until the 14th century, the theme of the Nativity of the Virgin was very rare in Christian art. Later, this motive became widespread enough.
However, the early Christians did not celebrate the Nativity of the Virgin. It began to be celebrated only in the second half of the 5th century, when the biography of the Mother of God was compiled, since the New Testament contains very scant information about her life.
In 1854, the Catholic Church adopted the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, thereby emphasizing her divine essence. However, the Orthodox Church does not recognize this dogma, although it agrees that Mary was conceived "by a divine promise."
The Nativity of the Virgin has always been widely celebrated. This is due to the popularity of the image of the Mother of God, especially among women.
Nativity of the Virgin
In 1958, a papyrus was found in Egypt with a detailed biography of the Mother of God. This work was called the Proto-Gospel of James, after the name of the apostle who wrote it.
The Bible practically does not say anything about the birth of the Blessed Virgin. However, a similar story about this event is contained in the apocryphal Proto Gospel of Jacob, and the Golden Legend describes it in even more detail.
The shepherd Joachim and his wife Anna, according to the Proto-Gospel, were childless and bitterly grieved about this in their old age. Once reproaching his wife for sterility, Joachim left her and went with his flock into the wilderness. And Anna, shocked by her husband's renunciation, turned with fervent prayers to God. And then an angel appeared before her with the news that the Lord had heard and heeded her prayers. He predicted that soon Anna would conceive and give birth to a child, and her offspring would be talked about all over the world.
Exactly the same lime from an angel was received by Joachim in the wilderness. Delighted, he immediately drove his flock home, and peace reigned in the lives of the spouses, filled with joyful anticipation of the event promised by the angel.
After the due date, Anna did not produce a baby light and asked the midwife: "Who was born?" She answered: "Daughter." The girl was named Maria.
Nowhere is the name of the midwife who adopted the newborn, future Mother of God, is named. The researchers believe that this is done with a deep meaning. Many centuries later, a ritual of honoring women obstetric assistants arose and became established among the people.
So in Russia, the day of the Nativity of the Mother of God from ancient times began to be celebrated by the people not only in honor of the Virgin Mary, her mother Anna, but also that nameless midwife. This holiday was called “the day of women in labor”.
