Today is another national holiday, the last but one of this year. For those who would like to know, it is the remembrance of the immaculate conception of Mother Mary.

This comes a bit as a surprise, because weren’t all the Christian holidays, apart from Christmas and Easter, abolished in Argentina, and changed into bank holidays? This must be an exception.

To me, the only day to celebrate mother Mary is August 15th, the day she ascended to heaven. My mom, who is over for a visit, knows all about Christian holidays, having had a super Christian grandmother, immediately named a few more. Fortunately the details are found on the internet and I don’t really have to go 3 generations back. And this is what I found.

8th of december
The immaculate conception of Mary took place on the 8th of December, which is 9 months before Mary was born (September 8). This is one of the catholic dogmas, which were ‘necessary’ to state that Mary was she is not ‘contaminated’ by the original sin. The conception took place before her birth!

September 8 
birth of Mary

25 th of march 
Annunciation. The Lord tells Mary she is pregnant, this is 9 months before Christmas.

2nd of February 
Candlemas
40 days after Christmas. Mary is purified in the temple. This is a day you should bake pancakes…

August 15
Assumption day. Mary goes to heaven…

According to Wikipedia, Mary is celebrated by the Catholics, Anglicans, Kopts and orthodox. But not by Protestants.

Catholic or not, we in Argentina, intend to enjoy this wonderful summer day!