The Presentation of the Lord

Forty days after the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph brought him to the Temple in Jerusalem, as the Law of Moses required for a firstborn son, and offered the gift of the poor: a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. Saint Luke tells how the aged Simeon, who had been promised he would not die before seeing the Messiah, took the child in his arms and blessed God, calling him a light for revelation to the Gentiles. He also told Mary that a sword would pierce her own soul. The prophetess Anna, a widow of great age, gave thanks and spoke of the child to all who awaited redemption.

The feast was kept in Jerusalem by the late fourth century and spread to Rome and the whole Church. Because of Simeon's words about the light, it became known as Candlemas, when candles are blessed. Since 1997 it is also the World Day for Consecrated Life.

Mass begins with the blessing of candles and a procession, and many families take blessed candles home to light in storms, sickness and times of prayer.

In Mexico, Día de la Candelaria closes the Christmas season: whoever found the little figure of the Baby Jesus in the Rosca de Reyes on January 6 hosts a tamales and atole party, and families dress their Niño Dios in new clothes and carry him to church to be blessed.