In Christianity, the Annunciation (Ευαγγελισμός της Θεοτόκου, Euangelismós tēs Theotókou in Greek) is the revelation to Mary, the mother of Jesus, by the angel Gabriel that she would conceive a child to be born the Son of God. Some Christian churches celebrate this with the Feast of Annunciation on March 25, which as the Incarnation is nine months before the feast of the Nativity of Jesus, or Christmas. The date of the Annunciation also marked the New Year in many places, including England (where it is called Lady Day). Both the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox faiths hold that the Annunciation took place in the desert of Nazareth, but differ as to where exactly. The Catholic Church of the Annunciation marks the site preferred by the former, while the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation marks that of the latter.

The annunciation has also been a key topic in Christian art in general, as well as in Roman Catholic Marian art, particularly during the Middle Ages and Renaissance.^[1]

(... from Wikipedia on 2009-01-01 05:24:42 )