Candlemas Day February 2

Candlemas occurs 40 days after Christmas.  Traditionally the Western term "Candlemas" (or Candle Mass) referred to the practice whereby a priest on 2 February blessed beeswax candles for use throughout the year, some of which were distributed to the faithful for use in the home. In Poland the feast is called Święto Matki Bożej Gromnicznej (Święto, "Holiday" + Matka Boska, "Mother of God" + Gromnica, "Thunder"). This name refers to the candles that are blessed on this day and called gromnicy, since these candles are lit during (thunder) storms and placed in windows to ward off the storm.

Within the Roman Catholic Church, since the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council, this feast has been referred to as the Feast of Presentation of the Lord, with references to candles and the purification of Mary de-emphasised in favor of the Prophecy of Simeon the Righteous. Pope John Paul II connected the feast day with the renewal of religious vows.

According to over eight centuries of tradition, the swaddling clothes that baby Jesus wore during the presentation at the Temple are kept in Dubrovnik Cathedral, Croatia.^[3]

Check out our offers for candles for Candlemas Day on our online store!  Or, call us toll-free at 1-866-757-5195 for more information.

Source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candlemas_Day

Wikipedia contributors, "Presentation of Jesus at the Temple," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia,http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Presentation_of_Jesus_at_the_Temple&oldid=406254299(accessed January 8, 2011).