Candlemas Day 2023: On Candlemas Day, February 2, Jesus’ followers commemorate his Presentation at the Temple and the Purification of the Virgin Mary by bringing candles to their churches to be blessed. Consequently (in Poland, for instance, where they are lighted and placed in windows to ward off storms), the candles symbolise Jesus and the day of his initiation into Judaism, and they contribute to the explanation of the name of the holy day, Candlemas.
HISTORY OF CANDLEMAS DAY
The Feast of the Presentation, or the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary, on Candlemas Day is one of the oldest Christian holy days, held in Jerusalem from the fourth century A.D. Egeria, a woman of that time who is credited with penning a detailed description of a lengthy pilgrimage to the Holy Land, described the Candlemas celebrations in that region:
“…all is accomplished with great happiness, exactly like on Easter. All the priests and the bishop preach, always referring to the passage of the Gospel where, on the fortieth day, Joseph and Mary brought the Lord into the Temple, and Simeon and Anna the prophetess, the daughter of Famuhel, saw Him, as well as the words they uttered when they saw the Lord and the gifts that His parents brought.
In the 6th century, in 541 A.D., in response to a terrible plague that had devastated Constantinople, Emperor Justinian I ordered massive prayer processions to be held throughout the city during the Feast of the Presentation in order to petition God for deliverance from the evil of the disease. During this period, the custom of holding blessed lights in reverence had existed for some time, and with the end of the epidemic, the celebration of Candlemas became widespread throughout the Roman Empire.
There are as many additional customs and guidelines for celebrating Candlemas as there are Christian sects and groups. Even historically significant events are occasionally questioned and debated. At its foundation, a person of faith can refer to Luke 2:22–24. This passage describes Mary and Jesus’ observance of the rule in Leviticus that an infant boy must be circumcised on the eighth day after birth and that, thirty-three days later, the mother is considered “clean” and must burn an offering at the boy’s presentation at the temple on the forty-second day.
Today, the name “Candlemas” may sound archaic, as if it were a reference to a scene from “Oliver Twist” or an old black-and-white film. Still, for devout Christians, Candlemas is a time of solemn worship and striving to be “a light in the world.”
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FIVE CANDLEMAS CELEBRATIONS IN SIX DIFFERENT COUNTRIES
- Candlemas Day is commemorated with a particular type of crepe preparation.
- On Candlemas Day, tamales are served.
- Bonfires and chanting mark the end of Candlemas Day.
- Children roam the streets singing and hoping for candy or dollars as a reward.
- The two-week period of Candlemas singing, dancing, and feasting is a festival that ranks among the top three in South America, with Rio’s “Carnival” and Bolivia’s “Carnaval de Oruro.”
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CANDLEMAS DAY DATES
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | February 2 | Thursday |
| 2024 | February 2 | Friday |
| 2025 | February 2 | Sunday |
| 2026 | February 2 | Monday |
| 2027 | February 2 | Tuesday |
