Why is December 8th celebrated?

Every December 8thMillions of believers around the world celebrate Day of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Marya special date that marks the national holiday in several countries. This day is a symbol of faith and devotion for those who profess Catholicism.

In addition to the religious character, the day is also full of cultural traditions: Putting together the Christmas tree It has become a ritual associated with December 8th, combining spirituality with the official start of the Christmas season.

For this reason, some are wondering if there will be a long weekend. He Day of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary Falls on a Monday, so you can take a longer break fixed holiday.

The festival originated in Spain when Catholics decided to celebrate the festival in 1644 Immaculate Conception Day to remember the events at the Battle of Empel.

However, this is a tradition realized in 1854when she met Pope Pius IX. asked to proclaim a dogma Immaculate. This dogma claims that Virgin Mary She was free from original sin from the first moment of her conception through the merits of her Son Jesus Christ, thus gathering the feeling of a two-thousand-year-old Christian tradition in this regard.

“We declare that the doctrine that Mary was conceived without original sin is a doctrine revealed by God and obliges everyone to believe it as a dogma of faith. The Blessed Virgin Mary, at the first moment of her conception, was preserved by the unique grace and privilege of Almighty God, immune from all stains of original sin, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of humanity,” says the Apostolic Exhortation (Ineffabilis Deus). of the Pope, where he proclaims the dogma.

The chosen date is due to a mathematical calculation in which the birth of the Virgoon September 8th, pending receipt the date on which she was conceived by her parents Ana and Joaquín, i.e. December 8th.

Every year during this celebration many families decide to put this together Christmas treeThere is a belief that this gives houses blessings Virgin Mary. Since it is a public holiday in Argentina, employees also have the opportunity to enjoy the day off and decorate the tree with the family.