Introduction to the Temple of the Mother of God: history and traditions of the holiday on November 21

On November 21, the holiday of the Introduction to the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos is celebrated. This holiday honors the bringing of the young Virgin Mary to the temple in Jerusalem, where she was consecrated to God. It is celebrated according to the Gregorian and New Julian calendars; on the Julian calendar, its date falls on December 4.

The legend of this holiday is based on apocryphal texts, particularly the Protoevangelium of James, which tells the story of the parents of the Virgin Mary, Joachim and Anna, who, being childless, promised to dedicate their daughter to God in gratitude for her birth. When the girl turned three years old, they brought her to the Jerusalem temple.

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The holiday of the Introduction to the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos marks the bringing of the Virgin Mary to the temple for consecration to God and has deep religious roots in apocryphal texts and the beliefs of Christianity.