Definition

Proper noun: * Lady Day, Annunciation, Annunciation Day: A Christian feast day commemorating the announcement by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus. In England, Wales, and Ireland, it is also a traditional quarter day.

Usage

• As a calendar date and feast day:
  • The church holds a special service every March 25.
  • According to tradition, March 25 marks the Annunciation.
• As a quarter day:
  • The rent is due on March 25, one of the four quarter days.
  • Many historical contracts used March 25 as the start of the new year.

Advanced Usage

• Historical Calendar Significance: In some historical contexts, particularly in England until 1752, March 25 was celebrated as New Year's Day (the Feast of the Annunciation marking the start of the year in the "Annunciation style" dating).
  • A document dated February 20, 1700, in the old calendar would actually be in 1701 if we consider March 25 as the new year.

Variants and Related Words

• Lady Day: The common name for this feast and quarter day in British and Irish contexts.
  • Tenancies often began on Lady Day.
• The Annunciation: The theological event commemorated on this date.
  • The painting depicts the Annunciation.
• Quarter Day: A general term for any of the four days dividing the legal year into quarters, one of which is March 25.
  • Rent is typically payable on the quarter days.

Synonyms

• Feast of the Annunciation
• Annunciation Day

Related Terms and Concepts

• Incarnation: The central theological concept celebrated on this day—God becoming flesh in Jesus Christ.
• Quarter Day: The other traditional quarter days in England and Wales are June 24 (Midsummer Day), September 29 (Michaelmas), and December 25 (Christmas).

Noun

1. a festival commemorating the announcement of the Incarnation by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary; a quarter day in England, Wales, and Ireland