February 2. A date of many celebrations.
Catholics commemorates when Joseph and Mary presented their first-born son to the Temple to be redeemed according to Mosaic Law (Presentation of the Lord Luke 2:22-23, Exodus 13:1). At this time, Mary also gave a sacrificial offering to be joined with the priest's prayers for her purification after giving birth (Purification of Mary). This introduction of Jesus into the house of God symbolizes the proclamation of Christ, the Light of the World who would dispel the darkness of sin. To celebrate the feast, the faithful would process to the church with lit beeswax candles, just as the Holy Family processed to the Temple. The priest would then bless all the candles present (Candlemas).
Secondly, the Presentation is an epiphany or revelation of God which for many brings the traditional end to the Christmas season as it is the last celebration of Jesus’ childhood. This seasonal shift is very timely, because February 2 falls halfway between the winter and spring solstices. The feast day was a celebration of hope looking forward to warmer days of spring as the days became noticeably longer. As tradition went, if the sun shone brighter on this day than the candles being blessed, winter would continue in full force, but if it was dreary and the candles outshone the sun, spring was right around the corner. Non-Catholic Americans took this tradition and turned it into Groundhog Day.
While the celebration of February 2 as the Presentation of the Lord with the blessing of the candles has never gone away in the Church, we are seeing the rekindling of the tradition to bring in your own candles to be blessed on that feast day for use at home. These candles can be lit as a symbol of hope and Christ’s Light in our everyday lives on birthdays, feast days, special celebrations, or even a day when you’re feeling a little dreary.
Why candles?
Candles are a symbol of hope and the Light of Christ in our lives. They are a beautiful way to bring the faith into our homes. According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “The candle itself was given a mystical meaning: the beeswax symbolized the pure flesh Christ received from his Virgin Mother, the wick symbolized his soul, and the flame his divinity.”
Traditionally candles blessed on Candlemas (Feb. 2) are made from beeswax, because bees have deep symbolism in the Church. The bee is a symbol of the Blessed Mother Mary, both virgins and both laboring to bring forth sweetness into the world (honey being a symbol of Christ). As a hive, the order and diligence of bees as well as its vigilance (even if some bees are sleeping the hive is still running and functioning) to produce honey symbolizes the Church, who is always working to fulfill her mission of bringing Christ to the world.