Why is the Annunciation not a Day of Obligation?

[alcuin18]

Hello. I’ve posted this question a couple times to the apologists (one of which was answered, but I had accidentally said Immaculate Conception instead of Annunciation), but it hasn’t really been answered. My question is: since Christ was incarnate at His conception, as we all are, which occurred at the Annunciation, why is the Annunciation not a Holy Day of Obligation and even more important than Christmas? Why has Christmas taken such a preeminent place as a liturgical holiday over the Annunciation? I understand Christmas is important and I see why, but I don’t see why the Annunciation should be any less important. God bless.

 

[Will_B]

I have often wondered the same… Especially since we are a pro-life Church and Life begins at Conception… Therefore the life of Christ, as a human, began at the Annunciation…

Mystery of Mysteries… The creator of the universe allowed himself to be in the womb of a woman for 9 months… Even after his birth, he was dependent on Mary and Joseph for all his needs… Food, Shelter, clothing and learning how to use the potty (or whatever type of facility they had in 4 BC)

 

[PluniaZ]

I did some digging on this, and apparently the Annunciation was originally celebrated by the church on the same day as Good Friday. It seems the early church believed our Lord’s Incarnation took place at the same day (and perhaps time) as his death.

I’m not sure what the reasons were for moving the Annunciation to its own day. Even when that happened, it was still a Holy Day of Obligation until relatively recently. It seems the church has been steadily reducing the number of Holy Days of Obligation over the centuries.

Maybe they feel that because the Incarnation is celebrated three times a day at Angelus, and basically every time we say a Hail Mary, there is no need to elevate the day itself.

That said, I think it would help the fight against abortion, and increase respect for life in general, if the Annunciation were celebrated to the same extent as Christmas.

 

[Phemie]

I did some digging on this, and apparently the Annunciation was originally celebrated by the church on the same day as Good Friday. It seems the early church believed our Lord’s Incarnation took place at the same day (and perhaps time) as his death.

I’m not sure what the reasons were for moving the Annunciation to its own day. Even when that happened, it was still a Holy Day of Obligation until relatively recently. It seems the church has been steadily reducing the number of Holy Days of Obligation over the centuries.

Maybe they feel that because the Incarnation is celebrated three times a day at Angelus, and basically every time we say a Hail Mary, there is no need to elevate the day itself.

That said, I think it would help the fight against abortion, and increase respect for life in general, if the Annunciation were celebrated to the same extent as Christmas.

Pope Pius X reduced them from 36 to 8 in 1911.

Christmas,
New Year’s Day or the feast of the Circumcision,
Epiphany
the Ascension of Our Lord,
the Immaculate Conception (8 Dec.),
the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin (15 Aug.),
the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul (29 June)
the feast of All Saints (1 Nov.)

Body and Blood of Christ and feast of St. Joseph were added when the 1917 Code of Canon Law was promulgated.

 

[twf]

While the focus of Christmas is the birth of Christ, this great feast does also focus on the general mystery of the Incarnation. Proof? John 1 is one of the Gospels appointed for Christmas…“and the Word became flesh.” I would say that both the Annunciation and Christmas celebrate the mystery of the Incarnation, even if the latter places greater focus on the event of His birth.

Keep in mind too that days of obligation vary from country to country.

 

[JimG]

The Annunciation of the Lord, is celebrated nine months before Christmas, on March 25th. I guess it could also be called the celebration of the Incarnation.

 

[alcuin18]

Thank you all for your very informative responses.

As some of you have said, I also thought having the Annunciation be a Day of Obligation would help the fight against abortion, perhaps, since it would emphasize that Christ’s life started at His conception, not birth. To me, Christmas is essentially the beginning of His earthly ministry, since it was His entry into the social life of the world, as a sort of preparation for the official beginning of His ministry at Cana, as well as His baptism. But, the Annunciation, as J.R.R. Tolkien said, is the eucatastrophe of human history, its climax and heroic rescue, what everything has led to since the Fall, and it had already been accomplished for nine months before Christmas.

Does anyone know if the Annunciation is obligatory in countries other than the U.S.?

God bless.

 

[SMHW]

Does anyone know if the Annunciation is obligatory in countries other than the U.S.?

God bless.

There is a Wikipedia list of Holy Days of Obligation but I did not see any countries in the list that listed the Annunciation as a Holy Day of Obligation. I do not know if that list is authoritative.

At least the Annunciation is a solemnity, even if not a day of obligatory Mass attendance.

 

[Glennon_P]

Pope Pius X reduced them from 36 to 8 in 1911.

I did not know that.

I wonder if people in 1911 were accusing Pius X of making things lax and easy for the faithful by cutting the number of Holy Days by 78%?

 

[Kielbasi]

I did not know that.

I wonder if people in 1911 were accusing Pius X of making things lax and easy for the faithful by cutting the number of Holy Days by 78%?

I wasn’t around in 1911, but I wouldn’t think so. Pius X was obviously very highly thought of in regards to spirituality, as he was the first pope canonized in several centuries- and canonized very quickly only 40 years after he passed.

 

[Kielbasi]

I don’t see why the Annunciation should be any less important. God bless.

Maybe due to the fact that the timing of the Annunciation might make it coincide with Easter or Good Friday?

It hasn’t been a civil holiday in Catholic countries for quite some time.

The adoption of the Gregorian Calendar- 1570’s in Catholic Europe and 1753 in England and America moved New Years Day to January 1st- March 25th was New Years Day in the old style.

 

[SMHW]

I did not know that.

I wonder if people in 1911 were accusing Pius X of making things lax and easy for the faithful by cutting the number of Holy Days by 78%?

Some might have.

But my guess is that many people did not really notice the universal number of days had been reduced and just continued to observe the days that the various national bishop’s conferences had established for their countries.

The United States has observed her current six days since 1884, (although, of course, in many provinces the observance of the Ascension has been moved to Sunday.)

 

[GoGoDiego]

Though the Annunciation marks the beginning of Jesus’ life as a human, the date sometimes falls within the Holy Week/Triduum/Easter Octave. So (as how many priests here say it) even if the feast is moved, the obligation isn’t.

 

[Phemie]

Some might have.

But my guess is that many people did not really notice the universal number of days had been reduced and just continued to observe the days that the various national bishop’s conferences had established for their countries.

The United States has observed her current six days since 1884, (although, of course, in many provinces the observance of the Ascension has been moved to Sunday.)

Exactly.

From what I read, even in the days of 36 many countries only had a fraction of those, their bishops having written Rome for permission to abrogate many of them. If you look at the list it would have been an onerous law, with 3 HDoOs in a row including Sunday.

You’ll find a list of all 36 here.

 

[Brownginger]

That the question needs to be asked is a reprobation of the teaching of the Church over the last decades in this regard. The question is legitimate and focuses on a core issue of our Faith. I have been asking the question for over 25 years – bishops, priests, Catholic publications, etc. It is exactly correct that the Annunciation is one of the three most significant feasts on the Church calendar and, in the estimation of many scholars, is more important than the Feast of the Birth of Our Lord.

Why, then, the disconnect? Why the lack of respect? Why are pastors not enthusiastic about giving their flocks this opportunity to learn about Jesus and to welcome Him as He enters the world? It is poignant that the world had awaited that moment for generations and that now the world – and the Church – barely acknowledge that it happened.

Yes, the Annunciation usually comes during Lent and many years during Holy Week, when it must be moved. However, it does not “interfere” with the Lenten/Holy Week message – it underscores it and makes it more remarkable. I attribute the Church’s attitude to laziness, on the part of pastors who don’t want to make more work during Lent than already exists and who view Christmas as a catch-all celebration for the Incarnation. More importantly, however, I have come to the conclusion that the Holy Spirit will inspire the Bishops to act on this subject at the appropriate time, which, obviously, is not yet.

A Feast, in this case, a Solemnity, does not have to be a Holy Day to be viewed as important. At this moment in history, it is up to the individual to make it special. Even without the obvious ties to the anti-abortion movement, it is an opportunity for the Church to bestow numerous graces on the Faithful. And each Catholic can attend Mass on the Day and, together with our Blessed Mother, welcome Jesus. How sad if no one were to remember!