Candlemas

February 2 is a busy day. In Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, a groundhog is consulted about the weather; in France, everyone flips crêpes. Both customs hang on an older feast: forty days after Christmas, the Church celebrates the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple, and its English name, Candlemas, comes from the candles blessed at Mass that day. A Candlemas emoji does not exist yet, and 🕯️ on its own tells only half the story.

The other half happens in Jerusalem. Mary and Joseph bring their firstborn with the offering of families of modest means, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. An old man named Simeon takes the child in his arms and calls him “a light for revelation to the Gentiles”. Anna the prophetess, a widow of great age, starts telling everyone who is waiting for redemption. That light is why candles are blessed on this day, and why people once carried them home to light during storms.

An old man cradling a newborn, a small flame above a candle, two turtledoves in a basket: pick your version and send it in. If a groundhog sneaks into the background, we will politely pretend not to notice.