Candlemas Day

Candlemas Day

Candlemas day is celebrated on February 2 of every year. It is a Christian holiday. According to Christian faith, Candlemas day celebrates three instances; the first one is: the presentation of the Lord Jesus, next is: Jesus 1st entry into the temple and the last one is: the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In Spanish speaking countries, this day is also called as Candelaria. Many Christians observe this day all around the world but Candlemas day is not a public holiday in countries like United States, Australia, United Kingdom, and Canada. This day is also known as “the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary” and “Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord Jesus“.

“Our lighted candles are a sign of the divine splendor of the one who came to expel the dark shadows of evil and to make the whole universe radiant with the brilliance of his eternal light. Our candles also show how bright our souls should be when we go to meet Christ.”

History of Candlemas day

Candlemas Day is celebrated on February 2 of every year, because this date is typically the 40th day of the Christmas epiphany season. Candlemas day focuses on Jesus early life. Many Christians around the world trust that Jesus mother Mary gave him to God in Jerusalem at a Temple after observing the 40-day period of purification following his birth. It is a tradition for Christians in few countries to remove their decorations they made on Christmas on the Twelfth Night, i.e. Epiphany Eve, but few other Christians in other Christian nations historically remove the Christmas decorations on Candlemas Day. Many people believe Jesus as the ‘light of the world‘ like this name suggests candles are blessed in Candlemas, and a candle-lit celebration precedes the mass. On this particular occasion, many orthodox Christians also bring their candles to a local church, and they request for these candles to be blessed. Then they use these blessed beeswax candles in the church or at home for the rest of the year. On this Candlemas day, it is a tradition in some parts of Europe like France to eat crepes. Everyone from a family prepares and makes a pancake on Candlemas by holding a coin in hand. By doing like this, it is believed to assure happiness and wealth until the next Candlemas Day.

How to Celebrate Candlemas Day

On Candlemas day, like the traditional belief take some candles to your local church and get them blessed and use it for the rest of the year. As eating crepes on Candlemas is a habit in few countries, you can also enjoy eating pancakes on this day with your family members and friends. Then post pictures and share your thoughts about the day with others on social media using the hashtag #Candlemasday.

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