Candlemas << KAN duhl muhs, >> Day, is a Christian festival observed on February 2. It celebrates what is now called the Presentation of the Lord, when the infant Jesus was taken to the Temple by His parents according to Jewish custom. Candlemas Day occurs 40 days after Christmas. The festival marks the end of the Christmas cycle.
The name Candlemas comes from the traditional observance of blessing candles and distributing the candles to worshipers. The candles recall the lights of Christmas. The candles also symbolize Simeon’s words to God in Luke 2:32 that Jesus would be “a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”
Candlemas Day formerly honored Mary’s purification after the birth of Jesus. However, modern observances have shifted the emphasis of the day to Jesus.
