Presentation of Christ

The Presentation of Christ is one of the twelve Feast Days celebrated in the Russian Orthodox liturgical calendar. The event took place forty days after the birth of Jesus. According to the Law of Moses, a woman could not enter the Temple of God for forty days after giving birth to a male child. At the end of this time the mother came to the Temple to offer a purification sacrifice to God.
The Mother of God and Joseph presented the infant Jesus to Simeon. Simeon took the infant Jesus in his arms and recognized him as the Savior, as foretold to Simeon by God who promised him that he would see the Messiah before he died. Simeon said: 'Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to enlighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel (Luke 2:29-32). Anna the Prophetess, who had cared for the Mother of God throughout her childhood, was also at the Temple when Simeon met the infant Jesus.
Here, we see Simeon holding Jesus, who has just left the arms of the Mother of God. Joseph holds a dove, which was traditionally sacrificed upon a mother's reentry to the Temple. Anna is shown behind Joseph and the Mother of God.