Annunciation of the Lord, March 25
Nine months before Christmas, the Church celebrates the angel Gabriel’s message to Mary that she would bear the Son of God, and her answer: “Let it be done to me according to your word.” The scene, from the Gospel of Luke, is one of the most painted in Western art. In England the day was once New Year’s Day.
On the General Roman Calendar, March 25 is a solemnity: The Annunciation of the Lord.
Other saints on March 25
- St. Dismas, the good thief
March 25 on the calendar
March 25 is the 84th day of the year (the 85th in a leap year), with 281 days left until December 31. Here is the day of the week it falls on in the coming years:
| Year | Day |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Wednesday |
| 2027 | Thursday |
| 2028 | Saturday |
| 2029 | Sunday |
| 2030 | Monday |
Keeping March 25
March 25 falls in spring. As a solemnity, it ranks among the highest celebrations of the year: the Mass includes the Gloria and the Creed, and some solemnities are holy days of obligation. Families who keep name days often mark the day with a card, a candle or a favorite meal, and parishes named after the saint may hold a festival.
Saints of the week around March 25
| Date | Saint or feast |
|---|---|
| March 22 | St. Lea of Rome |
| March 23 | St. Turibius of Mogrovejo |
| March 24 | St. Óscar Romero |
| March 26 | St. Ludger |
| March 27 | St. Rupert of Salzburg |
| March 28 | St. Guntram |
The day before, March 24, is the day of St. Óscar Romero. The day after, March 26, belongs to St. Ludger. Looking for a name? Try the name day calendar or go back to today’s saint.