In Christianity, the Annunciation records the announcement by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she would bear a Son of the Holy Spirit, to be called Jesus. The story is found in the Bible at Luke 1:26–38. The Annunciation had an important place in the arts and church decoration of the early Christian and medieval periods and also in the devotional art of the Renaissance and the Baroque period.
The Feast of the Annunciation is one of the principal feasts of the Christian church. It is celebrated on March 25 (Lady Day). The first authentic allusions to the Annunciation (apart from early Christian liturgical books) are in acts of the Council of Toledo (656) and of the Quinisext Council (692). These councils were held by the Roman Catholic Church to discuss matters and issue decrees pertaining to the Christian faith.