The Congregation of the Mother of God

The Congregation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated by the Orthodox Church on the day after Christmas (26 December/8 January). The iconography is based on the words of an Orthodox hymn sung during the Christmas watch service. Illustrations of the hymn first appeared in medieval art in the thirteenth century. The composition was influenced by the scene of the Nativity of Christ, which included the Adoration of the Magi and the Worship of the Shepherds.