December 8 is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception or Immaculate Conception Day, an important Christian religious holiday in many countries of the world, celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church and some denominations of Protestants. It honors the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, who is claimed to have lived a sinless life and was free from original sin (both conditions modern theologians claim was necessary for the birth of Jesus). It is to the Virgin Mary, not Jesus, to whom the Immaculate Conception refers to. Eastern Orthodox Churches reject the dogma of the Immaculate Conception but still recognize the Virgin Mary as "all-holy" and never having committed a sin in her life.

It is the feast day of Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Korea, Nicaragua, Paraguay, the Philippines, Spain, the United States, and Uruguay via Pontifical decree and of Portugal via royal decree, all of whom claim the Virgin Mary as a patroness.

More Information

Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Wikipedia)

Also see

• December (month)