The Feast of the Immaculate Conception, December 8, celebrates the Catholic doctrine that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was conceived without original sin. It is a public holiday in many Catholic-majority countries.
Popular devotion to Mary's immaculate conception developed over centuries. Pope Pius IX formally defined the doctrine in 1854 with the bull Ineffabilis Deus. The Marian apparitions at Lourdes (1858) and elsewhere reinforced the devotion.
Special church services. Processions in Spain, Portugal, Italy, the Philippines, and Latin America. In Spain, this day traditionally opens the Christmas season.
Public holiday in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Philippines, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and others.
Future dates for moving holidays (Easter, Eid, Lunar New Year, Diwali, etc.) are computed and approximate; the actual public-holiday date in some countries is fixed by official decree closer to the date.
This holiday is also publicly observed in: