[4] The Gospel of James, which was probably put into its final written form in the early second century, describes Mary's father Joachim as a wealthy member of one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.

[6] However, Charles Souvay, writing in the Catholic Encyclopedia, says that the idea that Joachim possessed large herds and flocks cannot be asserted with certainty, as the sources for this are "of very doubtful value.

[8] This supposition is supported by the presence of hymns for the feast in the Georgian Chantbook of Jerusalem[9] which was compiled in the mid-6th century; the hymnographic content pre-dates this terminus ante quem.

[10] The first liturgical commemoration is connected with the sixth century dedication of the Basilica Sanctae Mariae ubii nata est, now called the Church of St. Anne in Jerusalem.

The original church, built in the fifth century, was a Marian basilica erected on the spot known as the Shepherd's Pool and thought to have been the home of Mary's parents.

[8] Saint Andrew of Crete says that the whole creation is jubilant on this special day because the birth of Mary is a joyful prelude to the gift of humanity's salvation.

During this period, vegetarian food is prepared in all families of Saint Thomas Christian and churches organize charitable activities, evangelical conventions and special prayers to honor Virgin Mary.

[18] On the day of Marymas, a ceremonial pudding called Pachoru (പാച്ചോറ്) which is made using milk, rice and jaggery is prepared in churches and distributed to the devotees in the afternoon as part of the feast celebration.

In 1730, devotion to Mary in her first infancy among the Franciscan nuns in Lovere, Italy, where a wax statue of the Santissima Maria Bambina was venerated and later brought to Milan under the care of Sisters of Charity.

A similar devotion showcasing the toddler years of Mary began to develop, mainly in former Spanish territories such as Mexico, Guatemala and the Philippines, where the La Niña María is portrayed as a prepubescent girl.

In 19th-century Mexico, the Conceptionists nun Sister Magdalena endorsed a devotion to the infant Virgin, using the Cabeza or head of a cherub angel from a damaged monstrance to create a Santo image.

The image which once adorned a Catholic galleon was shipwrecked in 1618 near the Dalmatian islands and was rescued to the present town, which also celebrates its feast on 8 September.

Similar to Hispanic traditions, candies and cakes are popularly offered in the infant Virgin's honour, emphasizing her honorific title as La Dulce María or the Sweet Mary.

On 27 December 2018, the House of Representatives of the Philippines officially approved bill #7856, in honor of the Virgin Mary's birthday for 8 September as a working holiday.

On 13 August 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 11370, a law declaring 8 September a special working holiday in the entire country to commemorate the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

[30] Nativity of Mary Catholic Church and School is located in Bloomington, Minnesota and is part of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul-Minneapolis.