The Festival Icons of the Orthodox Tradition: 1
Various days in the Orthodox calendar take on special meaning, and special canonical
icons celebrate these. The following sets display variations for each of several of the feasts.
The Birth of the Virgin Mary: September 8
And when nine moths were fulfilled to Anna, she brought forth, and said to the midwife: "What have I brought forth?" And she told her: "A girl." The Anna said, "The Lord hath this day magnified my soul;" and she laid in her bed. 5: 6-8
The source for this feast is the Protoevangelium of 
James (Mary), which was composed c. 130-140. It
emphasizes the descent of Mary from David, and the
power of God over life, as Mary's mother, Anna, was
barren: an angel promised Ann and Joachim the birth.
The feast dates from the 6th century, and the icon form
from the 9th century.

 
 

17th-century Russian version
 
 

Greek, 1785 version from the Menil Collection
 
 

Ukrainian, Lviv, 15th century
The Presentation of Mary in the Temple in Jerusalem: November 21
And when the child was three years old, Joachim said, "Let us invite the daughters of the Hebrews who are undefiled, and let them each take a lamp, and let them be lighted, that the child may not turn back again, and her mind be set against the temple of the Lord. And they did thus until they ascended into the temple of the Lord; And the High-Priest received and blest her, and said, "Mary, the Lord God hath magnified thy name to all generations..." And he placed her upon the third step of the altar... Mary continued in the temple as a dove educated there and received her food from the hand of an angel. Protoevangelium7: 3-5, 8: 2
In this scene Mary represents the beginning of the 
passage from the Old to the New Testaments. Mary 
would be the New Temple, the New Ark in which God 
would dwell, and from which He would emerge. The feast 
dates from the 7th century in the east, in Constantinople 
by the 8th. By tradition, the priest who welcomes her is
Zacharius, father of John the Forerunner. Mary is young
but pictured as a small woman in a woman's maphorion.

 
 

18th century Russian icon
 
 

17th century Russian icon
 

Late 15th century, School of Nov- gorod

Nicholas Papas, 20th century
The Annunciation: March 25
The First Theophany
And the angel came in unto her, saying: "Hail thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her: Fear not, for thou hast found favor with God... The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee... Luke 1: 28-35 passim
Emphasizing Mary's role as Bearer of God (Theotokos) 
this sixth-century feast traditionally featured Gabriel the
archangel, often with fluttering robes, and Mary in one of 
three stages: surprise, contemplation or acceptance. Mary
becomes the "door" through which Christ enters the world,
and thus the image generally decorates the Royal Doors to 
a church's sanctuary. Mary also becomes the New Eve, whose
obedience to God balances old Eve's disobedience. The mystery
is that of the creature conming to contain the creator; the allegory 
that of every Christian's obedience and acceptance of Christ. A variation
was developed at Ustiug (Ostiog) in the 12th century, in which the child
is inscribed upon Mary's torso, signifying the divine fatherhood. The 
Panagia (All-holy) icon similarly places the child, but with the angel in clipeus.

 
 

16th century Russian icon
 
 

Balkans, 17th century
 
 

Constantinople, late 12th century, now in St. Catherine's, Sinai

 
 

Constan- tinople, early 14th century, sent to Ohrid; half of bilateral icon
 
 

Constantinople, mid-14th century, mosaic, 13.5x8.5 cm
 

Novogorod School, Ustiug Monastery, 12th century

 

 
 

Yaroslavl, 12th century: Panagia Annunciation icon
The Nativity of Jesus: December 25
The Second Theophany
And Joseph took her down. And he found there a cave, and let her into it. And leaving her and his sons in the cave, Joseph went forth to find a Hebrew midwife. Protoevangelium 12: 13-14
*****
 And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them [shepherds] and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. Luke 2:16
*****
And when they [wise men] were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him; and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. Matt. 2: 11
*****
The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib...   Isaiah 1:3
Originally celebrated with the Epiphany on January 6th, 
in the West it was moved to December 25 by 354; in the 
East this was done in the 6th century. The icon's form ori-
ginated in ampullae decoration from Palestine in the 5th 
and 6th centuries, developing as an icon in the 6th (even 
5th-century Sta. Maria Maggiore lacks a proper Nativity).
Shepherds receive the message; the magi arrive; midwives 
bathe the new-born, who also lies in the coffin-like manger; 
Mary lies alone, as she will in the Dormition, while Joseph 
broods, as suggested in the Protoevangelium, chapter 10. The
figure confronting him is either Satan tempting him to doubt or 
a helpful old man comforting him. The icon served as proof of 
the human birth of Jesus, or the Incarnation. The helplessness
of the babe is a form of His kenosis or abasement, later fully 
realized on the Cross. The manger, swaddling clothes and cave
prefigure His burial, while the cave itself signifies the world and 
its darkness to this point.

 
 

8th century, St. Catherine's,  Sinai
 
 

Kastoria, Greece, c.1400
16th century, Lambardos, Greek

 

 
 

16th century, Russian icon
 
 

15th century, Novgorod School, Russia
Presentation of Jesus in the Temple: February 2 
The Third Theophany
Then he (Simeon) came by the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, then took he him up in his arms, and blest God and said, "Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation... And there was one Anna, a prophetess... And she was a widow of about four score and four years... And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of Him to all them that looked for salvation in Jerusalem 
Luke 2:27-30; 36-38
This feast, often called the Purification, originated in 
Palestine by the late 4th century. Its oldest icon depiction
is in Rome's Sta. Maria Maggiore. Here the Old Testament
meets the New Testament, in Jesus' fulfillment of this law.
The altar, usually with a ciborion over or near, prefigures
the sacrifice of Jesus (as in Simeon's words to Mary "Yea, 
a sword shall pierce through thy soul also"). Simeon's hands
are covered, and Anna stands to the rear.

 
 

Kastoria, Greece, c.1400
 
 

1470, Russian, Novgorod School
 
 

1500, Russian icon

 

 
 

Nicholas Papas, Greek, 20th century
 
 

Late 15th century Ukrainian (Lviv Poland)
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