Every September 8, Orthodox Christians celebrate the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, one of the major feasts of the Orthodox Church.
But there is a fascinating gap behind the celebration: the Bible does not tell us when Mary was born, where she was born, or describe the circumstances of her birth.
So how did the story of Mary’s birth become part of Christian tradition?
The Story of Joachim and Anna
The traditional account begins with Joachim and Anna, an elderly couple who had remained childless for many years.
Their story does not appear in the Gospels. Instead, it comes from an early Christian text known as the Protoevangelium of James, or Book of James, generally dated to the second century. The text is apocryphal and was not included in the New Testament, but it became an important source for later Christian traditions about Mary’s parents and childhood.
According to the account, Joachim went to the Temple in Jerusalem to make an offering, but the high priest rejected him because he had no children. Deeply distressed, Joachim withdrew to the countryside to pray.
Anna, meanwhile, was also grieving and praying.
The tradition says that an angel appeared to them and announced that their prayers would be answered. Anna would have a child, and the couple would eventually have a daughter whom they named Mary.
The story of the elderly couple finally receiving the child they had long hoped for became central to the feast of Mary’s Nativity. In Orthodox hymns, Joachim and Anna are specifically remembered as being freed from their childlessness through Mary’s birth.
What Does the Bible Actually Say?
This is where the distinction between Scripture and tradition becomes important.
The New Testament tells us about Mary in connection with the life of Jesus, but it does not give an account of her birth or childhood. There is no Gospel passage naming the date of her birth, nor is September 8 presented in the Bible as her birthday.
The detailed story of Joachim, Anna and Mary’s birth therefore belongs to Christian tradition rather than to the biblical record.
That does not mean the story is unimportant within Christianity. The Orthodox Church has preserved it through its liturgical tradition, hymns and iconography, while also acknowledging that the biblical record itself does not provide these details.
This distinction is especially important when discussing Mary’s birthplace or the precise circumstances of her birth. Such details belong to later tradition and should not be presented as established historical facts.
Why Is the Feast Celebrated on September 8?
September 8 is the traditional liturgical date for the Nativity of the Theotokos, the title meaning “Birthgiver of God” that is given to Mary in Orthodox Christianity.
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America lists September 8 as the annual feast of Mary’s Nativity, while the Orthodox Church in America likewise commemorates it on that date.
The feast also holds a special place in the Orthodox calendar: it is the first major feast of the liturgical year, which begins in September.
The tradition surrounding Mary continues with another important celebration. According to the ancient account of her childhood, Mary was later brought to the Temple as a young child. Her entrance into the Temple is commemorated separately on November 21.
A Birthday Known Through Tradition, Not History
The Nativity of the Virgin Mary sits at an interesting intersection of faith, tradition and history.
There is no surviving biblical account that gives Mary’s date of birth. The story of Joachim and Anna comes from an ancient Christian text outside the New Testament, and September 8 is the date on which the Church traditionally celebrates Mary’s Nativity.
What has survived for centuries, therefore, is not a historically documented birthday but a deeply rooted Christian tradition.
Every September 8, that tradition brings Joachim, Anna and their long-awaited daughter back into the center of the liturgical calendar—and commemorates the birth of the woman Christians believe would become the mother of Jesus Christ.
The exact date of Mary’s birth remains unknown. September 8 is the day on which the Church celebrates her Nativity, preserving a story that has shaped Christian tradition for centuries.
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