Candlemas, also known as theFeast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ, theFeast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or theFeast of the Holy Encounter, is aChristian feast day commemorating thepresentation of Jesus at the Temple byJoseph andMary. It is based upon the account of the presentation ofJesus inLuke 2:22–40.
The Feast of the Presentation or Purification is one of the oldest feasts of the church. ThepilgrimEgeria recorded how it was celebrated in Jerusalem in the 380s:
But certainly the Feast of the Purification is celebrated here with the greatest honour. On this day there is a procession to theAnastasis; all go in procession, and all things are done in order with great joy, just as at Easter. All the priests preach, and also the bishop, always treating of that passage of the Gospel where, on the fortieth day, Joseph and Mary brought the Lord into the Temple, andSimeon andAnna the prophetess, the daughter ofFamuhel, saw Him, and of the words which they said when they saw the Lord, and of the offerings which the parents presented. And when all things have been celebrated in order as is customary, the sacrament is administered, and so the people are dismissed.[9]
The presentation of the Lord in the temple byFra Bartolomeo, 1516
Christmas was, in the West, celebrated on 25 December from at least AD 354 when it was fixed byPope Liberius. Forty days from 25 December (inclusive) is 2 February. In the Eastern parts of the Roman Empire, Roman consulJustin established the celebration of theHypapante.[10]
Pope Gelasius I (492–496) contributed to the spread of the celebration but did not invent it. It appears that it became important around the time of thePlague of Justinian in 541 before slowly spreading west.[10] The ancient Romans celebrated theLupercalia in mid-February, in honor ofLupercus, the god of fertility and shepherds. The celebration ofFeralia occurred around the same time.[11]
The Lupercalia has frequently been linked to the presentation of Jesus at the temple, particularly byCardinal Caesar Baronius in the 16th century[12][13] especially because of the theme of purification that the two festivals share. However, this is probably inaccurate since Lupercalia was not celebrated in Jerusalem, and it was only there that one finds some celebrations of the presentation of Jesus around this date.[9] Pope Gelasius I had much earlier written a letter to senator Andromachus, who wanted to reestablish the Lupercalia for purification. But while the pope opposed the celebration of Lupercalia in the letter, there is no historical indication that he ever intended to substitute it for a Christian feast.[14][15] Also, the dates do not fit because at the time of Gelasius I the Christian feast was only celebrated in Jerusalem, and it was on 14 February only because Jerusalem placed theNativity of Jesus (Christmas) on 6 January. Jerusalem's Presentation of Jesus at the Temple on 14 February became the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary on 2 February as it was introduced to Rome and other places in the mid-7th century and onwards, after Gelasius I's time.[14]
Moreover, when Gelasius addressed Andromachus, he did not try to use his authority but contented himself to argue, for example, that the Lupercalia would no longer have the effect it once had and was incompatible with Christian ideals.[12] This could be interpreted as evidence that he had limited influence on the Roman aristocracy.[16]
Centuries later, around 1392 or 1400, an image of theVirgin Mary that represented this invocation was found on the seashore by twoGuanche shepherds from the island ofTenerife (Canary Islands).[17] After the appearance of the Virgin and its iconographic identification with this biblical event, the festival began to be celebrated with a Marian character in 1497, when the conquerorAlonso Fernández de Lugo celebrated the first Candlemas festival dedicated especially to the Virgin Mary, coinciding with the Feast of Purification on 2 February.[18]
Before the conquest of Tenerife, the Guanche aborigines celebrated a festivity around the image of the Virgin during theBeñesmen festival in the month of August. This was the harvest party, which marked the beginning of the year. Currently, the feast of theVirgin of Candelaria in the Canary Islands is celebrated in addition to 2 February also on 15 August, the day of theAssumption of the Virgin Mary in the Catholic calendar. For some historians, the celebrations celebrated in honor of the Virgin during August are asyncretized reminiscence of the ancient feasts of the Beñesmen.[19]
The Roman church's custom of blessing candles by theclergy found its way to Germany. The German conclusion that if the sun appeared on Candlemas, a hedgehog would cast a shadow, making a "second winter", was the origin of the modern American festival ofGroundhog Day, as many ofPennsylvania's early settlers were German.[20]
Catholic churches inFrance,Belgium, andSwiss Romandy celebrate Candlemas (French:La Chandeleur,Dutch:Maria-Lichtmis) on 2 February. Tradition says thatmanger scenes should not be put away until Candlemas, which is the last feast of the Christmas cycle.[citation needed]
Candlemas in those countries is also considered the day ofcrêpes.[23] Tradition attributes this custom toPope Gelasius I, who hadpancakes distributed to pilgrims arriving in Rome.[24] Their round shape and golden color, reminiscent of the solar disc, refer to the return of spring after the dark and cold of winter.[25] Even today, a specific symbolism can be associated with preparing the crêpes. A tradition is to flip the crepes in the air with the right hand while holding a gold coin (such as aLouis d'or) or some other coin in the left hand to have prosperity throughout the year. One has to ensure that the pancake lands properly back in the pan.[24]
In Belgium, it is customary to eat pancakes. All the candles in the house should be lit. It is believed that a clear sky on Candlemas foretells a beneficial year for beekeepers.[26]
Candlemas used to be an important date (Lostag [de]) in the year. It was associated with payment deadlines, fixed employment relationships, and the beginning of the "farmer's year". In addition, many customs,weather proverbs, other sayings, and rhymes are related to this feast.
The "farmer's year" began on Candlemas, and from then on, fieldwork or the preparations for it can be resumed depending on the circumstances. On Candlemas, the farmer should have had half of the winter food stock for his cattle. Depending on the proverb that one can eat by daylight on Candlemas, the time in which people worked with artificial light sources came to an end, as did when the women sat in the spinning room.
On this day, the "servant's year" also ended. The servants were paid the remainder of their annual wages and could or had to look for a new job or extend their employment with the previous employer for another year, usually with a handshake. The custom of giving the servants a pair of shoes at Candlemas as a reward for further work or looking for a job was also widespread.
InHungary, a rich array of traditions surround the holiday. The feast is calledGyertyaszentelő Boldogasszony day. Nowadays, children often dress up as bears, light candles and eat honey,[27] but the bears' foretelling is still a well-known event.[28]
Folklore has it that on this day, bears come out of their dens and if they see their shadows (because it's sunny), they get scared of it and go back to sleep, which is thought to mean that it will be cold again. On the other hand, if there is no shadow, they stay outside, knowing that this is the last attempt of winter and that the cold weather will soon ease. This is similar to theAmericanGroundhog Day traditions.
In the Szeged area, it was believed that if the candle did not go out at the time of consecration, there would be a good honey harvest.[citation needed]
Candles have been placed on doorknobs as good luck charms. Also inGöcsej, a piece of a burning candle was placed on thenavel of a patient with a bloated stomach and covered with a glass cup, because according to folklore, its extinguishing flame sucked out the disease.[citation needed]
The women of the village ofHercegszántó used to roll red, white and black yarn together with the candle. After the consecration of the candle, necklaces were made from the yarn and worn by the children until the first spring day. In the onceHungarian commune ofVinga, such necklaces were worn untilHoly Saturday when they were burnt.[29]
A descendant of an ancient torchlight procession, the current tradition ofLiichtmëssdag inLuxembourg is a holiday centered around children. In small groups, they roam the streets in the afternoon or evening of 2 February, holding a lighted lantern or homemade wand, singing traditional songs at each house or store, especially "Léiwer Härgottsblieschen". In exchange for the music, they hope to receive a reward in the form of sweets or loose change (formerly bacon, peas, or biscuits).[30]
La Virgen de la Candelaria or Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria (Our Lady of Light or Our Lady of Candles), popularly calledLa Morenita, celebrates theVirgin Mary on the island ofTenerife, one of theCanary Islands (Spain). Our Lady of Candelaria is the patron saint of the Canary Islands.
TheBasilica of Candelaria inCandelaria, Tenerife is considered to be the main church dedicated to the Virgin Mary in Canary Islands and has been aminor basilica since 2011.[31] Her feast is celebrated on 2 February (Candlemas,Fiesta de la Candelaria) and 15 August as the patronal feast of the Canary Islands.
As in many regions in Spain, Catalonia has aweather proverb asserting that bad weather on Candlemas predicts good weather to come, and vice versa:Si la Candelera plora, l'hivern és fora; si la Candelera riu, l'hivern és viu ("If Candlemas cries, winter is gone; if Candlemas laughs, winter is alive")
Traditionally, Candlemas was identified in mountainous areas of Catalonia as the date that bears awake fromhibernation:Per la Candelera, l'ós surt de l'ossera ("on Candlemas, the bear leaves its den"). Accordingly, bear festivals, where a man in a bear costume scares and annoys the populace, are celebrated in some areas of Catalonia aroundcarnival. The original meaning was linked to the popular belief that they were held at Candlemas.[32]
InSwedish andFinnish Lutheran churches, since 1774 Candlemas has been celebrated on the Sunday between 2 and 8 February inclusive. If this Sunday happens to be the last Sunday beforeLent, i.e.Shrove Sunday orQuinquagesima (Swedish:Fastlagssöndagen,Finnish:Laskiaissunnuntai), Candlemas is celebrated one week earlier.[33]
Dressing and adoration of theChrist Child and family meals withtamales on Candlemas are an important Mexican tradition.[34] The customs of this feast is closely linked to that of theEpiphany, during which the tasting of therosca de reyes (kings cake) will determine who is responsible for organizingLa candelaria. Whoever finds themuñeco (bean-shaped Christ Child) in the cake is named godparent of the Christ child, who will then dress theniño dios (an image of the Christ child in the form of a doll) on Candlemas with richly decorated clothes. This Christ child is then brought to the church to be blessed. Memories of these events are often passed down from generation to generation in families.[35]
Following this is the family meal. Whoever draws the bean on Epiphany must also preparetamales, believed to echo Mexico's pre-Christian past with its offerings of maize. The whole family is invited to this meal (often the same people as for the Rosca at Epiphany), which gives the festival an aspect of family and sharing.[35]
The Virgin of Candles is the patron saint of the city ofPuno in Peru, held in the first fortnight of February each year.[36] It is one of the largest festivals of culture, music, and dancing inPeru. In terms of the number of events related to the cultures of theQuechua andAymara peoples and of themestizos of theAltiplano, and also in terms of the number of people directly and indirectly involved in its realization, it stands with theCarnival in Rio de Janeiro and theCarnaval de Oruro inBolivia as one of the three largest festivals inSouth America.
At the festival's core are music and dance performances organized by theFederación Regional de Folklore y Cultura de Puno, consisting of more than 200 dances in more than 150 dance sets. These include "native dances" from the various communities in Puno and sets of dances organized in different quarters of the city, mostly those known as "costume dances". These performances directly involve 40,000 dancers and some 5,000 musicians and indirectly involve about 25,000 people, including directors, sponsors, embroiderers, and the makers of masks, clothing, boots, shoes, bells, and other items, as well as the bandsmen and staff. Some dance groups are linked to uniformed organizations.
This festivity officially finalizes the end of Christmas for Catholic Christians inPuerto Rico; the festivities include a procession where the statue of Nuestra Señora de Candelaria (Our Lady of the Light) is carried on the shoulders. Others follow with lit candles until they reach the church where a Mass is celebrated. In the evening, the festivities may continue with a giant bonfire and singing. Some families in the countryside burn their dried Christmas trees on this date as a culmination of the holiday season.[37]
For many Filipino Catholics, the Feast of Candelaria on 2 February marks the final close of the country'sChristmas season, particularly in keeping with the practice of leaving nativity scenes displayed until this day.
^Knecht, Friedrich Justus (1910).A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture. B. Herder. p. 410. Retrieved27 December 2016.We keep a feast on the 2nd of February, forty days after Christmas, in memory of our Lord's Presentation in the Temple. This feast has several names. First, it is known as the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord Jesus. Secondly, it is called the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. But the usual and popular name for this Feast is Candlemas-day, because on this day candles are blessed before Mass, and there takes place a procession with lighted candles. Candles are blessed and lighted on this particular feast.
^A Study Guide for William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" (2nd ed.). Cengage Learning. 2016. p. 29.ISBN9781410361349.Twelfth Night saw people feasting and taking down Christmas decorations.
^Edworthy, Niall (2008).The Curious World of Christmas. Penguin Group. p. 83.ISBN9780399534577.The time-honoured epoch for taking down Christmas decorations from Church and house in Candlemas Day, February 2nd...Candlemas in old times represented the end of the Christmas holidays, which, when 'fine old leisure' reigned, were far longer than they are now.
^Roud, Steve (31 January 2008).The English Year. Penguin Books Limited. p. 690.ISBN9780141919270.As indicated in Herrick's poem, quoted above, in the mid seventeenth century Christmas decorations were expected to stay in place until Candlemas (2 February), and this remained the norm until the nineteenth century.
^Hothersall, Barbara."Candlemas – Festival of Light".Fulwood Methodist Church Magazine. Retrieved27 December 2016.In some countries special candles are brought along to the blessing by the worshippers. These are often very elaborate and are highly treasured. Afterwards they are taken home and kept to be lighted at times of stress – during storms, in sickrooms and at the bedside of the dying.
^Mazar, Peter (6 March 2015).To Crown the Year: Decorating the Church Through the Seasons (2nd ed.). Liturgy Training Publications. p. 253.ISBN9781618331328.
^Forbes, Bruce David (27 October 2015).America's Favorite Holidays: Candid Histories.University of California Press. p. 54.ISBN9780520284722.There is no indication that in suppressing the Lupercalia, Gelasius put anything else in its place. Much later, in the 1500s, a Cardinal Baronius speculated that Gelasius converted the Lupercalia into the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin (or Candlemas), changing one purification ceremony into another, and many noted authors have repeated this claim. Recent scholarship has refuted Baronius's assertion... The letter by Gelasius to Andromachus criticizing the Lupercalia contains no reference to... any replacement observance.
^Demacopoulos, George E. (2013).The Invention of Peter: Apostolic Discourse and Papal Authority in Late Antiquity. University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 74–80.ISBN9780812245172.JSTORj.ctt3fj4j1.
^Álvarez Delgado, Juan[in Spanish] (1949).Sistema de Numeración Norteafricano. A. Numerales Canarios.- B. Sistema Numeral Norteafricano: Caracteres. Estudio de lingüística comparada sobre el sistema de numeración y cómputo de los aborígenes de Canarias (in Spanish). Madrid: Instituto Antonio de Nebrija (CSIC).OCLC459382352.
^"Message of John Paul II for the I World Day for Consecrated Life". 6 January 1997. Retrieved2 February 2025.. "Mary is associated with the presentation of Christ. The Virgin Mother who carries Jesus to the temple so that he can be offered to the Father expresses very well the figure of the Church who continues to offer her sons and daughters to the heavenly Father, associating them with the one oblation of Christ, cause and model of all consecration in the Church."
^"Feste und Traditionen in Luxemburg"(PDF).Apropos (in Luxembourgish). The official portal of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. 2013. Retrieved2 February 2021.
