The celebration is Candlemas (Chandeleur) on February 2, 2023.

Also known as a feast of the presentation of Jesus Christ and a feast of the purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary it is also a Christian holy day commemorating the presentation of Jesus at the temple.

The Chandeleur is a Christian holiday (Holy-day) celebrated every 2nd February, 40 days after Christmas.

Chandeleur comes from the word festival of candles which is translated from the Latin festa candelarum for the faithful to celebrate the bright light of Jesus as well as the purity of the Virgin Mary.

Indeed, the chandeleur ( Candelmas) commemorates the presentation of Jesus in the temple, the Jewish tradition that every male firstborn in the family is brought to the temple in order to be consecrated to the Lord.

This time corresponds to the time during which mothers were considered unclean by Jewish law after childbirth, so they were prohibited from going to a place of worship.

Once this time had passed, mothers could go to the temple to make an animal sacrifice and this recover their purity.

On the day Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple, the gospel of Luke tells that a man whose name was Simeon arrived and said he was told by the holy spirit that he would not die until he has seen the Messiah.

He then took baby Jesus in his arms and said “Lord, now you let your servant go in peace according to your words. For my eyes have seen your salvation. You have prepared this moment for all the people to enlighten the nations and glory of Israel”.

How Does France Celebrate the Chandeleur (Candelmas) ?

In the Catholic religion, the chandeleur gives rise to a blessing of candles, then a candlelight procession to the church where a solemn Mass is held, in order to remind the faithful of the ascent of Joseph and Mary and bringing Jesus to the temple at the end of this mass, each faithful brings home a candle that has been blessed according to local or national traditions.

What Other Popular Culture Derives from the Chandeleur or Pancakes as More Commonly Known?

This festival is also associated with pancakes that are cooked on this occasion in a tradition that goes back to the custom of handing out pastries to pilgrims coming to Rome or more simply, to remember that the end of winter is approaching and that will all have food supplies.

Enjoy how to make scrumptious pancakes enjoyed at ‘Gone Fishin’ your holiday home here in the sunny Lot et Garonne courtesy of the BBC

This practice, which combines the feast of enlightenment with the consumption of this desert, is also reflected in the Jewish tradition of eating doughnuts during the festival of Hanukkah, the festival of the lights of Judaism

Another tradition whilst making the first pancake, it is common to toss it up in the air several times in a row in order to ward off the bad spell for the coming year.

This old tradition reports also that peasants used to do this by holding a coin in the left hand or for the rich people it would be gold in order to attract happiness and prosperity to them.

In Luxembourg, the current tradition is a torchlight procession. The reason is that children can go walking the streets in groups during the evening of February 2 holding a lamp or a baguette.

They Celebrate in the United States and Canada it is associated with the festival also on February 2nd called Groundhog Day where tradition dictates that the groundhog’s reaction to the exit of its burrow is observed. If she comes out and doesn’t see her shadow because of the clouds in the sky it’s a sign that winter will end soon. On the contrary, if it says shadow due to a clear sky it will mean that winter will last another six weeks.

New thoughts should now emerge when eating pancakes.You too could be eating them here at Gone Fishin with a fishing rod in one hand and a scrumptious pancake in the other. The carp fishing is free … a bonus. Enjoy https://gonefishin-holiday4two.com/