In the Western liturgical year, Lady Day is the common name in some English-speaking and Scandinavian countries of the Feast of the Annunciation, celebrated on 25 March to commemorate the annunciation of the archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she would bear Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
| Lady Day | |
|---|---|
 The Annunciation c. 1472 Leonardo da Vinci (1472–1475) Uffizi Gallery | |
| Official name | Feast of the Annunciation |
| Observed by | Anglophone and Scandinavian Christians internationally |
| Type | Religious, with later secular effects |
| Date | 25 March |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Related to | Christmas, March equinox |
Religious significance
The commemorated event is known in the 1549 prayer book of Edward VI and the 1662 Book of Common Prayer as "The Annunciation of the (Blessed) Virgin Mary" but more accurately (as in the modern Calendar of the Church of England) termed "The Annunciation of our Lord to the Blessed Virgin Mary". It is the first of the four traditional English quarter days. The "(Our) Lady" is the Virgin Mary. The term derives from Middle English, when some nouns lost their genitive inflections. "Lady" would later gain an -s genitive ending, and therefore the name means "(Our) Lady's day". The day commemorates the tradition of archangel Gabriel's announcement to Mary that she would give birth to the Christ.
It is celebrated on 25 March each year. In the Catholic Church's Latin liturgical rites, when 25 March falls during Holy Week or Easter week, it is transferred forward to the first suitable day during Eastertide. In Eastern Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholicism, it is never transferred, even if it falls on Pascha (Easter). The concurrence of these two feasts is called .
The Feast of the Annunciation is observed almost universally throughout Christianity, especially within Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, Catholicism, and Lutheranism. It is a major Marian feast, classified as a solemnity in the Catholic Church, a Festival in the Lutheran Churches, and a Principal Feast in the Anglican Communion. In Orthodox Christianity, because it announces the incarnation of Christ, it is counted as one of the 8 great feasts of the Lord, and not among the four great Marian feasts, although some prominent aspects of its liturgical observance are Marian.[better source needed] Two examples in liturgical Christianity of the importance attached to the Annunciation are the Angelus prayer and, especially in Roman Catholicism, the event's position as the first Joyful Mystery of the Dominican Rosary.
Secular significance
In England, Lady Day was New Year's Day (i.e., the new year began on 25 March) from 1155 until 1752, when the Gregorian calendar was adopted in Great Britain and its Empire and with it the first of January as the official start of the year in England, Wales and Ireland. (Scotland changed its new year's day to 1 January in 1600, but retained the Julian calendar until 1752.) A vestige of this remains in the United Kingdom's tax year, which ends on 5 April, or "Old Lady Day", (i.e., Lady Day adjusted for the eleven "lost days" of the calendar change in 1752). Until this change Lady Day had been used as the start of the legal year but also the end of the fiscal and tax year. This should be distinguished from the liturgical and historical year.
As a year-end and quarter-day that conveniently did not fall within or between the seasons for ploughing and harvesting, Lady Day was a traditional day on which year-long contracts between landowners and tenant farmers would begin and end in England and nearby lands (although there were regional variations). Farmers' time of "entry" into new farms and onto new fields was often this day. As a result, farming families who were changing farms would travel from the old farm to the new one on Lady Day. In 1752, the British empire finally followed most of western Europe in switching to the Gregorian calendar from the Julian calendar. The Julian lagged 11 days behind the Gregorian, and hence 25 March in the Old Style calendar became 5 April ("Old Lady Day"), which assumed the role of contractual year-beginning. (The date is significant in some of the works of Thomas Hardy, such as Tess of the d'Urbervilles and Far from the Madding Crowd, and is discussed in his 1884 essay "The Dorset Farm Labourer").
See also
- International Women's Day – Holiday to promote women's rights worldwide
- Mother's Day – Celebration honouring mothers
- Mothering Sunday – Christian celebration during Lent
- National Women's Day – Public holiday in South Africa
- Quarter days – Four dates in each year, one of which is (or was) Lady Day
References
- "BBC - Religions - Christianity: The Feast of the Annunciation". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
- Melton, J. Gordon (13 September 2011). Religious Celebrations: An Encyclopedia of Holidays, Festivals, Solemn Observances, and Spiritual Commemorations. ABC-CLIO. p. 39. ISBN 9781598842067.
- Feast of the Annunciation at EWTN
- Annunciation#Eastern Christianity
- n.d. "Solemity of the Annunciation of the Lord," Archived 26 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- Catholic Encyclopedia, General Chronology (Beginning of the Year)
- Adams, Leonard P. "Agricultural Depression and Farm Relief in England, 1813–1852" Reviewed in Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, 95(4):735–737 (1932)
- "The Tenant League v. Common Sense" Irish Quarterly Review 1(1):25–45 (March, 1851)
In the Western liturgical year Lady Day is the common name in some English speaking and Scandinavian countries of the Feast of the Annunciation celebrated on 25 March to commemorate the annunciation of the archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she would bear Jesus Christ the Son of God Lady DayThe Annunciation c 1472 Leonardo da Vinci 1472 1475 Uffizi GalleryOfficial nameFeast of the AnnunciationObserved byAnglophone and Scandinavian Christians internationallyTypeReligious with later secular effectsDate25 MarchFrequencyAnnualRelated toChristmas March equinoxReligious significanceThe commemorated event is known in the 1549 prayer book of Edward VI and the 1662 Book of Common Prayer as The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary but more accurately as in the modern Calendar of the Church of England termed The Annunciation of our Lord to the Blessed Virgin Mary It is the first of the four traditional English quarter days The Our Lady is the Virgin Mary The term derives from Middle English when some nouns lost their genitive inflections Lady would later gain an s genitive ending and therefore the name means Our Lady s day The day commemorates the tradition of archangel Gabriel s announcement to Mary that she would give birth to the Christ It is celebrated on 25 March each year In the Catholic Church s Latin liturgical rites when 25 March falls during Holy Week or Easter week it is transferred forward to the first suitable day during Eastertide In Eastern Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholicism it is never transferred even if it falls on Pascha Easter The concurrence of these two feasts is called The Feast of the Annunciation is observed almost universally throughout Christianity especially within Orthodoxy Anglicanism Catholicism and Lutheranism It is a major Marian feast classified as a solemnity in the Catholic Church a Festival in the Lutheran Churches and a Principal Feast in the Anglican Communion In Orthodox Christianity because it announces the incarnation of Christ it is counted as one of the 8 great feasts of the Lord and not among the four great Marian feasts although some prominent aspects of its liturgical observance are Marian better source needed Two examples in liturgical Christianity of the importance attached to the Annunciation are the Angelus prayer and especially in Roman Catholicism the event s position as the first Joyful Mystery of the Dominican Rosary Secular significanceIn England Lady Day was New Year s Day i e the new year began on 25 March from 1155 until 1752 when the Gregorian calendar was adopted in Great Britain and its Empire and with it the first of January as the official start of the year in England Wales and Ireland Scotland changed its new year s day to 1 January in 1600 but retained the Julian calendar until 1752 A vestige of this remains in the United Kingdom s tax year which ends on 5 April or Old Lady Day i e Lady Day adjusted for the eleven lost days of the calendar change in 1752 Until this change Lady Day had been used as the start of the legal year but also the end of the fiscal and tax year This should be distinguished from the liturgical and historical year As a year end and quarter day that conveniently did not fall within or between the seasons for ploughing and harvesting Lady Day was a traditional day on which year long contracts between landowners and tenant farmers would begin and end in England and nearby lands although there were regional variations Farmers time of entry into new farms and onto new fields was often this day As a result farming families who were changing farms would travel from the old farm to the new one on Lady Day In 1752 the British empire finally followed most of western Europe in switching to the Gregorian calendar from the Julian calendar The Julian lagged 11 days behind the Gregorian and hence 25 March in the Old Style calendar became 5 April Old Lady Day which assumed the role of contractual year beginning The date is significant in some of the works of Thomas Hardy such as Tess of the d Urbervilles and Far from the Madding Crowd and is discussed in his 1884 essay The Dorset Farm Labourer See alsoInternational Women s Day Holiday to promote women s rights worldwide Mother s Day Celebration honouring mothers Mothering Sunday Christian celebration during Lent National Women s Day Public holiday in South Africa Quarter days Four dates in each year one of which is or was Lady DayReferences BBC Religions Christianity The Feast of the Annunciation www bbc co uk Retrieved 3 July 2020 Melton J Gordon 13 September 2011 Religious Celebrations An Encyclopedia of Holidays Festivals Solemn Observances and Spiritual Commemorations ABC CLIO p 39 ISBN 9781598842067 Feast of the Annunciation at EWTN Annunciation Eastern Christianity n d Solemity of the Annunciation of the Lord Archived 26 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine Catholic News Agency Retrieved 26 May 2019 Catholic Encyclopedia General Chronology Beginning of the Year Adams Leonard P Agricultural Depression and Farm Relief in England 1813 1852 Reviewed in Journal of the Royal Statistical Society 95 4 735 737 1932 The Tenant League v Common Sense Irish Quarterly Review 1 1 25 45 March 1851
