Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
| Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God | |
|---|---|
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Μήτηρ Θεοῦ (Mētēr Theou, "Mother of God"), is poetically called Πλατυτέρα τῶν οὐρανῶν (Platytéra tōn Ouranōn, "More spacious than the heavens") because she bore in her womb the Creator of the universe. | |
| Also called |
|
| Observed by |
|
| Type | Christian |
| Significance | Motherhood of Mary |
| Observances | Church services |
| Date |
|
| Frequency | Annual |
| Related to | Feast of the Circumcision of Christ |
| Part of a series on the |
| Mariology of the Catholic Church |
|---|
| Catholic Church portal |
The Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God is a feast day of the Blessed Virgin Mary under the aspect of her motherhood of Jesus Christ, whom she had circumcised on the eighth day after his birth in accordance with Levitical Law. Christians see him as the Lord and Son of God.
It is celebrated by the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church on 1 January, the Octave (8th) day of Christmas. This solemnity is a Holy Day of Obligation in areas that have not abrogated it. Christians of Byzantine, West Syriac, and East Syriac Rites celebrate Mary as the Mother of God on 26 December (also known as the Synaxis of the Theotokos), while the Coptic Church (an Oriental Orthodox church) does so on 16 January.
The Eastern Orthodox Church, Traditional Catholics, Anglican Communion and the Lutheran Church observe the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ on 1 January.
In the Traditional Catholic calendar and Western Rite Vicariate of the Antiochian Orthodox Church is a feast of the Motherhood of the Blessed Virgin Mary on 11 October.