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The feast of the Presentation of the Theotokos to the Temple (4 December) is dedicated to an event that is not described in the Gospel, but has come down to us from the Church Tradition. This event is most vividly expressed in the icon of the Presentation of the Theotokos into the Temple, which reflects both the chronicle of the event of the feast (as it is transmitted by Church Tradition) and its meaning. In the centre of the icon is the three-year-old Virgin Mary, who was brought to the temple by Her parents - Joachim and Anna. Joachim and Anna. For a long time they had been childless and made a vow: if the Lord gave them parental happiness, they would dedicate the infant to God. It was a sacrifice to give up their only, long-awaited child. The icon shows the fulfilment of the promise: Joachim and Anna bring the little Mary to the temple, where the family will give up their only child. Mary into the temple, where the family is greeted by a Jerusalem priest. According to the Church According to Church tradition, he was the righteous Zacharias, the future father of John the Baptist, so on the icon his head is surrounded by a halo.