Feast of the Immaculate Conception - Portugal

The Feast of the Immaculate Conception in Portugal is celebrated on December 8th each year. It celebrates the belief that Jesus's mother, Mary, never sinned throughout her entire life.

Celebration\ Observance

In Portugal it is celebrated with a feast for the Virgin Mary and a mandatory church service. Some places such as schools, banks, post offices, and governmental offices will be closed.

History

This holiday is based off the bible who says that Mary's mother was St. Anne to which and angel had spoken to her to tell her that her child would be honored by the world. It celebrates the birth of Mary, but many scholars argued if they should make it a holiday and it wasn't until Pope Pious IX proclaimed this belief to be an essential dogma of the Roman Catholic Church that it became a national holiday in 1854.