8 Facts you Didn’t Know About The Feast of Candelora

February 2 is the feast day of Candelora. This feast day gets its name from the mass on this former day of obligation with a traditional blessing and procession of beeswax candles. It is on this day that all the candles in Roman Catholic Churches get consecrated as the symbol of Jesus Christ. Jesus is often called “the light of the world,” and “ a light to lighten the Gentiles.” 

This feast day and the special blessing of the candles led many to call this day “Candlemas” in Medieval Europe. It was then looked at as the last day of the Christmas season. 

In church, the priest will wear purple, much like they do during advent. The priest will stand at the altar and bless the candles which are mostly made of beeswax. These candles are then sprinkled with holy water with incense passed around them. Mass then ends with a precession of all participants carrying lighted candles. 

Each European country celebrates Candlemas a little differently. In Italy, special cakes get baked to celebrate the day. 

Here are 8 facts about the Feast of Candelora that you didn’t know. 

Facts about the Feast of Candelora

1. The feast was originally called the Purification of the Virgin Mary. This reflected the custom where Jewish women get purified 40 days after the birth of their male child. By the 5th century, the day evolved into lighting candles. 
2. Many Italian proverbs about weather come from this feast day. Italians would say: Per la Santa Candelora se nevica o se plora, dell’inverno siamo fora, ma se è sole o solicello, siamo sempre a mezzo inverno. In English this would translate to: If Candlemas day is sunny and bright, winter will have another flight, if Candlemas day is cloudy with rain, winter is gone and won’t come again.
3. The tradition for this holiday came to Pennsylvania dutch country. This is where we get the origins of Groundhog Day. 
4. In Campania, specifically in Naples and on the Sorrento Peninsula, they serve a sweet dessert called Migliaccio. This dessert is a type of pudding made with semolina flour, eggs, milk, and butter. 
5. In Naples, the Migliaccio gets crafted differently than on the Sorrento Peninsula. They add ricotta cheese, much like in sfogliatelle.
6. In Campania, the tradition of having stocked blessed candles being lit served as a propitiatory sign in case of an illness in the family. 
7. The Feast of Candelora has links to the Feast of San Biagio. Celebrated on February 3rd, The Feast of San Biago honors the coming of summer. 
8. Many associate this day with astronomy. February 2nd is the halfway mark between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Many believe that if the sun comes out on this day, there are 6 more weeks of winter.