Significance

    ‘Vavedenje’ is an Orthodox Christian festival celebrated in remembrance of the day of Mother Mary’s initiation. On this day, Mother Mary at age three was taken to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem to be initiated by the head priest there. This festival is celebrated every year on December 4 in Orthodox Christianity; it is not celebrated in the Catholic or Protestant denominations of Christianity.

Historical perspective

    Before Mother Mary was born, Her parents had vowed to The Lord that they would give their daughter to be in service to Him. When Mother Mary was three years of age, Her parents took Her to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem to be initiated into service to The Lord. Upon reaching the steep stairs of the Temple, the young Mary joyously climbed on Her own to the main entrance of the temple without once looking back at Her parents. The head priest took Her by the hand and led Her into the sacred altar called ‘The Holiest of the Holy’, where women or ordinary priests were not allowed and even the head priest was allowed only once a year. There Mother Mary vowed to The Lord that she would remain a virgin and be in His service all Her life. She lived in that Temple for the next twelve years, at the end of which, She was ready to be given in marriage. Due to Her vow to remain a virgin, the priests arranged a marriage with an elderly man, Joseph, who vowed to take care of Her and remain in celibacy, despite the marriage vows.

    The story about Mother Mary’s initiation (Vavedenje) was first found in early Christian testaments in the 2nd century AD. It is celebrated in the Eastern Christian denominations since the 4th century AD and in some Western Christian denominations since the 14th century AD.

Method of Celebration

    Celebration of Vavedenje consists of going to the church or monastery, attending liturgy (worship including recitation of holy verses at the church), lighting candles and singing devotional hymns in Her glory. Attending church helps one remain in satsang, an environment conducive to the experience of God, due to the higher purity (sattvikta) during worship. The sound energy (naad shakti) from the recitation of holy verses - full of divine consciousness (chaitanya) - increases the purity (sattvikta) of the atmosphere. Monetary offerings are also made to nunneries, as a part of this celebration. Such offering unto The Truth (Sat) is an opportunity to perform spiritual practice of the businessman (vaishya) spiritual class.

    It is believed that celebrating this day helps women, who have problems conceiving, to become pregnant. It is also believed that on this day, if there is rain, there will be a good harvest that the year, whereas if there is a great wind, the land will be barren that year.