A day honouring Jesus' earthly mother is called Synaxis of the Mother of God, which is observed on December 26. One of the oldest religious days in the Christian calendar entirely honouring the Mother of God falls on this Monday. Also known as Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos or "Snaxis Yperagas Theotókou Maras," it is a yearly official holiday in Greece.
On the second day of the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, Churches observe the celebration for Holy Mother of God, the Virgin Mary. According to spiritual blogs, this occasion dates back to very ancient times.
In the IV century, some Holy Fathers, such as Saint Epiphanios of Cyprus (May 12), were already preaching about it. The Feast of the Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos was known as "the Nativity Gifts" in ancient Menaia. This alludes to the presents that the Magi from the East gave to the Divine Child Jesus, the infant King of the Jews. The "Flight into Egypt" was another name for the Feast of the Synaxis of the Mother of God.
Before the massacre of the 14,000 Holy Innocents (December 29), an Angel warned Saint Joseph to take the Child and His Mother and flee to Egypt and to remain there until the Angel brought him word that it was safe for him to return to Nazareth, "for Herod will seek the child to destroy him" (Matthew 2:13). "Out of Egypt have I called my Son" (Hosea 11:1). This is also mentioned in the Church's hymns.
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