December 8th - Feast of the Immaculate Conception

St. Anna & St. Joachim

The feast comes nine months before the feast of the Nativity of Mary on September 8th.  It was first celebrated as early as the 5th century.  Mary is said to be the daughter of St. Anne and St. Joachim.  Tradition holds that from the moment of her conception, Mary was filled with grace and preserved from sin in order to be a pure vessel for Christ to come into the world. In several countries Moravian ginger cookies are made on the eve of the feast.