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Feast of the Nativty of the Blessed Virgin Mary
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On September 8th, the Church observes the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, meaning it's Mary's birthday celebration!
We celebrate her birthday because she is the Mother of God and without her, our salvation story could not have been completed. Mary was born to be the mother of the Jesus, the Savior of the world, the spiritual mother of all people, and the holiest of God's creations.
As Jesus's mother, she was born full of grace (just like we say in the Hail Mary), without sin. As the Queen of heaven and earth, she prays for us and asks Jesus to answer our prayers. You may have heard the phrase, "to Jesus through Mary"? It's kind of like asking your mom to ask your dad or your grandma or your coach for something you really want!
Even though we've already been in school for a few weeks, throughout the world, Sept. 8 marks the end of the summer and different countries have different ways of celebrating. In France, it's "Our Lady of the Grape Harvest," meaning the farmers go and pick their grape crops off the vines. In the Austrian Alps, it's "Drive-Down Day," when livestock is brought from pastures to valleys.
How can we celebrate our Blessed Mother's birthday? We've got a few ideas you can do on your own, with your family, or with your class! Check them out below!- For little ones, pray a Hail Mary for a special intention.
- For bigger ones, pray a decade or more of the Rosary. Consider starting the Rosary early in the day and inviting others to pray along with you at various times.
- With your family, plan a Mary garden, a tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages. Start by planting flowers that are associated with the Blessed Virgin with an image, or statue, at the center of the garden. Use this space for prayer. Learn more about this practice via Catholic News Agency.
- For everyone, sing Marian hymns with family and friends.
- For those that like to help in the kitchen, bake blueberry muffins - blue symbolizes the Blessed Virgin Mary.
- Finally, once again for the little ones, host a birthday party for Mary and sing her "Happy Birthday".