February 2 is the day of Our Lady of Candeias
February 2 is the day of Our Lady of Candeias and is an important date for popular devotion in Brazil, especially in states such as Minas Gerais, Bahia and São Paulo. The celebration has its roots in the Catholic tradition and is dedicated to the figure of Our Lady of Candeias, who is synonymous with light and protection.
Origin and Meaning
The festival dates back to the Christian celebration of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, also known as the Feast of the Purification of Mary, which occurs on the same day, February 2. According to the Gospel of Luke, Mary and Joseph took the baby Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem, as Jewish tradition dictated, and presented him to God. When he was received by Simeon, the elderly prophet, he recognized Jesus as the light that would come to illuminate the world, giving rise to the symbolism of the "candeia" (light).
In some regions of Brazil, the feast of Our Lady of Candeias gained a stronger meaning, associating devotion to an image of Our Lady as the bearer of divine light that protects the faithful from spiritual darkness and life's challenges.
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