Candlemas Day

Candlemas Day
By: Jessica de la Portilla M.
www.JessicaDeLaPortilla.com

Last February 2nd we celebrated the "Candlemas Day", in Spanish "Candelaria", an icon of the Virgin Mary. These icons refer to some mistery, virtue, attribute, moment or place related to a holy person: Our Lady of Guadalupe in my country, and Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, Cuba. Our Lady of Candelaria is venerated at Canarias and Tenerife.

Every January 6th, kids from México wake up happier as they know they'll find toys under the Christmas tree: The Three Wise Men brought presents from the East... or from some supermarket. This tradition is about the gold, the frankincense and the myrrh that baby Jesus got two thousand years ago.

Every January 6th, kids from México don't go to sleep before eating our "Rosca de reyes" and drinking foaming chocolate.

Inside the bread there are small plastic figures that represent Jesus when his parents ran away to Egypt to avoid Herod. Every December 28th, our Fool's Day (Día de los Inocentes), we remember the babies that were killed then according to Matthew 2:16.

Every February 2nd, Mexican families gather. The ones that got the plastic figure from the Rosca de Reyes have the duty of buying tamales and atole (a corn-based hot drink). You can find tamales made of green chile, red chile, peppers, mole; with raisins, with pineapple... And there are lots of flavors for your atole! Strawberry, vanilla, chocolate (also known as "champurrado"), rice...

Did you know?

*In Candlemas we celebrate that Jesus was presented to the Lord "when the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed" (Luke 2:22). Candlemas takes place 40 days after Christmas (I've already counted them!). This day, priests blessed the candles they'd use for the rest of the year.

*In Mexico, corncobs were blessed as natives believed this day was the first of the year.