2020.02 | Candles, Groundhogs, and Valentines, Oh My!

February 2nd is Candlemas, or Día de la Candelaria in Spanish. Candlemas is often looked over in Protestant tradition. It is a feast day that occurs 40 days after the birth of Jesus. It’s known as the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord Jesus, and we’ll hear more about this presentation in the Student Minister, Nadia Tavera’s Sermon this coming Sunday. 

In Europe, many bring candles to mass where they are blessed before being used throughout the course of the new year, hence the name, Candlemas. In early Christianity— like a looong time ago— it was celebrated 40 days after Epiphany, so on Feb. 14th, but this was later moved to Feb. 2nd to usurp pagan festivities of Northern Europe (that involved badgers and groundhogs), and so Saint Valentine could later get the 14th. 

In parts of Europe, crêpes are eaten on this day, similar to pancakes on Shrove Tuesday before Lent. Early pagan syncretism with Candlemas can be noted in our secular Feb. 2nd holiday, Groundhog Day: “If Candlemas be fair and bright, Come, winter, have another flight. If Candlemas brings clouds and rain, Go, winter, and come not again.” 

In Mexico City, Yuliana grew up across the street from the Church of la Candelaria, where every year on Feb. 2nd people present baby Jesus for a blessing, and stay for tamales and a carnaval. Tradition as practiced obliges whomever received the baby Jesus tucked away in their slice of the King’s Cake or Rosca de Reyes on Epiphany at the Tres Reyes family get-together would be the one who would prepare the tamales. 

This month, we will be partaking in not one, but all of these festivities. Nadia will be preaching to us on Día de la Candelaria and the Compañeras Ministry participants will be launching a financial education training course in Spanish language. We will celebrate Día de Amor y Amistad or Valentine’s Day with recognition of our friends, the Compañeras volunteers, without which many of our ministries simply could not be sustained. We want to be sure to recognize the light in each of us that makes the ministries of Eden Church possible. And as we journey closer to Lent, I’m sure there will be pancakes. 

So, I invite us to begin February not stuck on repeat, as in Groundhog Day, but intentionally living into our New Year’s resolutions. And while it's nearing the end of winter and our candles may be low, know that God gives us new ones so that God’s light and ours is never extinguished. Thank God for all you emitters of light! 

-Pastor Marvin