The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Gospels say nothing about Mary's birth, but an ancient Christian tradition, recorded in the second-century Protoevangelium of James, names her parents as Joachim and Anne and tells of their long wait for a child. The feast of her birth began in the East, probably connected to the dedication of a church in Jerusalem near the Pool of Bethesda, traditionally the site of Anne's home.

By the seventh century the feast was celebrated in Rome, and its date, September 8, set the date of the Immaculate Conception nine months earlier, on December 8. The Church celebrates the earthly birthdays of only three persons: Jesus, Mary and John the Baptist, because each is bound up with the coming of salvation. Saint Andrew of Crete called this day the beginning of the feasts, the first step toward Christmas and Easter.

Across the Hispanic world, September 8 is one of the great Marian days. Cuba honors Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, and Venezuela celebrates the Virgen del Valle, Patroness of eastern Venezuela, whose shrine on Margarita Island draws huge crowds of pilgrims and fishermen. Spain celebrates many local patronesses, such as Covadonga in Asturias and Guadalupe in Extremadura.

In Italy and Malta, families mark "Maria Bambina" with processions, and many people simply bring flowers to Mary's statue or bake a birthday cake for her.