So many writeups on Annunciation assume (as I had) that once the church placed Christmas on December 25, it was a simple matter of counting backwards to mark Annunciation and Jesus' conception.

The title of this piece, The Annunciation to Mary – Lily and Violet, refers to the legend that when the archangel Gabriel appeared, he held a lily in his hand in recognition of Mary’s purity. He told ...

The feast of the Annunciation marks the visit of the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary, during which he told her that she would be the mother of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is celebrated on 25 ...