Die 25 Martii: In Annunciatione Beatæ Mariæ Virginis

Antiphon:  O Virgin Mother of God, whence the Light Eternal deigned to dawn upon us, regard we pray thee, the pleading of thy humble servants, that by thy holy intercessions we may merit to obtain the mansions eternal. 

Introit:  Drop down , ye  heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness:  let the earth open, and bring forth a Saviour.

Collect:  O God, Who didst decree that, at the angel's message, Thy Word should take flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant to us Thy suppliants that we who believe her to be indeed the Mother of God may be helped by her intercession with Thee: through the same Jesus Christ  our Lord who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

At one time today would have been New Year's Day:  the first day of Our Lord's human life on earth, the beginning of our salvation, even the beginning of spring.  Makes sense to me.  Apparently not, though to whomever it is decides these things for us.

I consulted Kevin Danaher's wonderful The Year in Ireland:  Irish Calendar Customs expecting to hand on many "Lady Day" gems of custom and tradition.  But no.  This was it, in toto:

25 March, the feast of the Annunciation, was a Holiday (sic) of Obligation on which the Lenten fast was relaxed although there was in Ireland no extensive merry-making as on St Patrick's Day.  It had some legal significance for, until Britain belatedly accepted Pope Gregory's calendar in 1752, the year began officially on 25 March, which was thus of importance as regards contracts, leases, rents and so on.    

Apart, however, from its religious and legal significance, it had little effect on popular tradition.  High winds were expected on this day, and if it coincided with Easter Sunday people feared that the following harvest would be poor, with consequent scarcity of food.

Disappointing, wasn't it.  I expected  more of our ancestors.  Maybe they were worn out from the fasting and abstaining one had to do in those days.

Finally, something from the late and greatly missed -- her column alone was worth the cost of an overseas subscription to The Spectator -- Alice Thomas Ellis:

[She] once took part in an earnest feminist questionnaire that asked her to name the most important event in women's history. "The Annunciation" she replied.