Icon of the Annunciation – embroidered, framed, 27x33cm
The Annunciation, also known as the Day of the Cuckoo, the oldest feast of the Mother of God, known in the folk tradition as Blagoștevenia, is the feast day that commemorates the day when the Holy Archangel Gabriel brought the news to the Holy Virgin about the birth of the Son of God.
"And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her." (Luke 1:26-38).
The Annunciation is recognized in the popular calendar as the Day of the Cuckoo because on this day the cuckoo sings its first song, heralding the arrival of spring. According to Romanian tradition, all the villagers awaited to hear the cuckoo's song, but three conditions had to be met: they had to have money on them, they should not feel hungry, and they should not be saddened.
The Annunciation is celebrated every year during Lent, being one of the feasts for which the Church grants dispensation to eat fish. It is regarded as a feast of joy, heralding the beginning of salvation. According to a well-known father, "Without the Annunciation, we have neither Christmas nor Easter."
The oldest representation of the Annunciation is a fresco from the Priscilla Catacombs in Rome, dated by archaeologists to the 2nd century
It depicts Archangel Gabriel beside the Virgin Mary, who already holds the Child in her arms. In this representation, as well as in others from the early centuries, the angel is depicted without wings, perhaps to avoid resemblance to winged pagan figures, in accordance with the natural prudence of Christian artists. Only after the time of Emperor Constantine the Great, angels are depicted with wings, a symbol of their belonging to the heavenly order.
Another representation of the Annunciation dates back to the year 440, being realized in mosaic and placed on the arcade of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. The scene depicts the Virgin Mary between winged angels wearing halos, as an empress in the midst of her court. Above them, Archangel Gabriel flies, bringing the news of the Incarnation of the Son by the Holy Spirit, symbolized by the white dove descending upon her. On the right side stands Joseph, to whom the angel reveals the mystery.
