The symbolism of March 25 and the Customs of the Feast of the Annunciation
The Annunciation of the Virgin Mary is the only one included in the Twelve Courts, of the five great feasts of the Mother of God, which is based on the New Testament. The rest are based on the occult literature. We do not know when the Annunciation began to be celebrated. The holiday appears in Syria, the M.. Asia and Istanbul before 431.
The 560 Justinian A.’ screened on March 25th as the appropriate day to celebrate the Annunciation.
There were the following main reasons for its establishment 25 March as the day of the celebration of the Annunciation.
The day of the arrest of John the Baptist (24 September) coincided with the autumnal equinox, since that day, that the Jews celebrated the feast of the Atonement, Zacharias received the message from the archangel Gabriel that he would have a son.
Therefore, if according to Lk. 1, 26 the Annunciation took place six months later, this date coincided with the vernal equinox, that is, on 25 Of March, and the Nativity of Christ was determined nine months later, that is, on 25 December, in the winter solstice.
In addition, the view that the death of Christ happened on 25 Of March and because the Lord, as always a perfect man, "Have a terrestrial life determined by an exact number of years", he should have been arrested on the day of his crucifixion.
The joyful feast is celebrated in M.. Lent, period of mourning, during which the celebration of festivals and fairs is prohibited. With its 52nd rule Pentateuch Ecumenical. Session The feast of the Annunciation was celebrated as an exception, during which the Divine Liturgy of St.. John Chrysostom and not the function of the pre-sanctified Gifts. During the feast they eat fish even in case the Evangelism falls in the Holy Week (5of Kanon Nikiforos the Confessor).
To Constantinople, according to custom, on the day of the Annunciation the emperor in a procession from Hagia Sophia went in the church of Agios Konstantinos in Foro and from there it ended at the church of the Virgin of the Coppersmiths, where a majestic celebration took place.
In the Greek folklore tradition the customs related to the feast of the Annunciation are based on the notion that with this feast spring begins and the swallows return.. That’ the children take "March" out of their hands and leave it in the trees to be taken by the swallows.
In many places they welcome the 25th of March with songs and with bells seeking to drive away the reptiles, housewives do not do chores at home or knead small pies and put in an ap’ they a currency, for the lucky one to find, όπως στην Πρωτοχρονιά.
The beekeepers as we read in dogma.gr, take out the hives in the open, breeders move their herds from winter to mountainous areas, the people of Sarakatsani "arm" their flocks with the cypress bells etc..
As a custom for the celebration of March 25 was established and cod with garlic. During Lent, the Church allowed the faithful to eat fish only twice, of the Annunciation and Palm Sunday.