Celebrate Mary's birthday with doughnuts, cake, and candles!

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One of the many reasons I love being Catholic is that our church celebrates Mary throughout the entire year with lots of Marian feast days. Mary did have such an important role in salvation history by having the privilege of cradling Jesus in her womb for nine months after her “yes,” or fiat, and she and St. Joseph raised Jesus. I love that the church honors her on several days throughout the year, not just at Christmastime when we celebrate Jesus’ birth. We don’t actually know the exact date of Mary’s birthday, but Sept. 8 was chosen by the Church as her birthday because nine months prior, on Dec. 8, the Church celebrates the feast of the Immaculate Conception, when Mary was conceived without original sin.

The Church gives us so many wonderful Marian feast days throughout the year and celebrating Mary’s birthday is one of our family’s favorite. My children love birthdays (I bet yours do too!) and celebrating Mary’s special day is definitely a birthday party you don’t want to miss! It has been a tradition for several years now that our homeschool group gathers for Mass Sept. 8, and then we have a birthday party for Mary. What’s so great about these parties is that they can be with a large or small group of friends and family members. The best part is that children and adults are coming together to celebrate the joyous birth of one very special lady and mother.

Before we partake in eating any birthday foods, we say a decade of the rosary with the children and parents, then we sing “Happy Birthday to Mary!”

I thought I’d share some photos of sweet treats that have been enjoyed by several of our local homeschool families throughout the years in hopes to give ideas and inspiration if you are interested in making this a tradition in your home or parish community.

Doughnut Rosaries and “M” cake for Mary

For the edible rosaries using doughnuts, we purchase the doughnut munchkins from Dunkin’ for the Hail Mary “beads” and use the glazed doughnuts for the Our Father “beads.”

Rosaries made with small and large cupcakes

Rosaries made with Hershey Kisses and cupcakes

As you and your family and friends are enjoying the birthday party treats, be sure to read “On the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, here are 15 ways to live the ‘Marian Option’ in your life” from the National Catholic Register. And I love this list from EpicPew of the 26 Names of Mary with explanations that are used in the Litany of Mary, a powerful prayer written in the Middle Ages.

Also, what’s a party without gifts? If you need gift ideas I found Five Things to Give Mary for Her Birthday.

Happy birthday, Mother Mary!

What is your favorite sweet treat or way to honor Mary’s birthday Sept. 8?

Impart to your servants, we pray, O Lord, the gift of heavenly grace that the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin may bring deeper peace to those for whom the birth of her Son was the dawning of salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen