
Candlemas
Candlemas: The Presentation of the Lord and The Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary
By: Juliana Rose Pettis
This coming Sunday, February 2nd, 2020, Catholics around the world will celebrate Candlemas—a tradition which commemorates both the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple and the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Traditionally, it marks the end of the Christmas season. Many European cultures still stand by this tradition today, despite the General Roman Calendar of 1969. The addition of the solemn blessing of candles came about in the eleventh century and is still continued in some churches. As Catholics the question is, why do we celebrate the end of the joyous season of Christmas? Read more “Candlemas”