Presentation of Virgin. The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known in the East as The Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple, is a liturgical feast celebrated on November 21 by the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.
The feast is associated with an event recounted not in the New Testament, but in the apocryphal Protoevangelium of James. According to that text, Mary's parents, Joachim and Anne, who had been childless, received a heavenly message that they would have a child.
In thanksgiving for the gift of their daughter, they brought her, when still a child, to the Temple in Jerusalem to consecrate her to God. Later versions of the story tell us that Mary was taken to the Temple at around the age of three in fulfillment of a vow.
Tradition held that she was to remain there to be educated in preparation for her role as Mother of God. In Eastern Orthodox tradition, this is one of the days when women named Mary and Despoina celebrate their name day.
A series of articles on Mother of Jesus Chronology Presentation of Mary. Annunciation. Visitation. Marriage Joseph. Virgin birth. Nativity Holy Family. Presentation of Jesus at the Temple. Flight into Egypt. Finding in the Temple. Cana. Crucifixion. Resurrection. Pentecost. Marian perspectives Catholic. Eastern Orthodox. Protestant Anglican. Lutheran. Ecumenical. Latter Day Saint. Islamic. Catholic Mariology Mariology. History of Mariology. Papa