Immaculate Conception Day – December 8, 2024

History of Immaculate Conception Day

Christians believe Mary was born without original sin, although this notion was not linked to the holiday’s earliest celebrations in the fifth century. The Feast of the Conception of the Most Holy and All Pure Mother of God, as it was once called, focused on Mary’s mother, Saint Anne. The topic of Mary’s ‘immaculate’ and ‘pure’ conception was highly debated, and the Roman Catholic Church only reached a consensus in 1854, when Pope Pius IX stated it as dogma.

Immaculate Conception Day is celebrated on December 8, exactly nine months before the Nativity of Mary, a commemoration of her birth on September 8. December 8 is also an important date in Spain. On December 7, 1585, when the country was fighting in the Eighty Years’ War, Spanish soldiers fighting in Northern Dutch territory were outnumbered, surrounded by enemy soldiers and two giant rivers, and low on supplies. After retreating to a high point near the town of Emple, a soldier found a painting of Mary while digging a trench near a church. Believing it was a divine sign, the soldiers prayed to Mary for help. The next day, one of the rivers froze, allowing the troops to cross safely and win the battle against enemy forces. This event became famous among the fighters and, eventually, the entire Spanish empire, further cementing Mary’s importance in Spanish culture.

Immaculate Conception Day spread throughout the country during the 16th and 17th centuries, leading to Mary’s designation as patroness of Spain and its territories. Over the years, the celebrations have incorporated modern trends and multicultural traditions. Spaniards attend church services and plan religious activities, such as parades and fairs. The streets are filled with families enjoying Christmas lights and starting their Christmas shopping.