How Candelaria is celebrated in Mexico

On February 2, the Fiestas de la Candelaria is celebrated in many towns in Mexico . It is a big day, one of the celebrations that has the greatest number of followers. With the celebrations of Candlemas Day, the cycle of Christmas Festivities ends. That day the birth rises, candles are carried to bless, the presentation of the child God is made in the Temple.

The lifting of the child God

On the day of Candelaria, the "raising of the child" takes place in cities and towns of Mexico. This consists in bringing images and representations of the child god to bless the temples, and in raising and keeping the figurines of birth until the next year. In addition to those people who touched the "child" when starting the thread of Kings on 6 January, are required to invite all concurrent tamales and atole (typical Mexican dishes) on this date. For the celebrations of the Candelaria, also this day in some places like Xochimilco, the change of Mayordomía is made, there is music of band accompanying the dance of the Chinelos, estudiantinas, rockets, etc.

Indigenous celebrations

Undoubtedly, Candelaria is a symbol of purity, but also of fertility and hence these rituals. For some indigenous groups, the day of the Candlemas are blessed the ears that will serve as seeds for the next planting season. For several indigenous peoples in this celebration, everything is purified, from the commemoration of the end of the quarantine of Mary and the presentation of Jesus in the temple, to the seeds of corn, beans, wheat and other cereals that will be planted that year. All this, going through the blessing of the candles that will be used so that the soul of some deceased has a light that accompanies him on his way to the beyond.

Mixed celebrations

In many towns, the union of both traditions, religious and indigenous, takes place. You can still see this syncretism in Coatetelco, Morelos, because in this place it is customary to place food offerings on the altars such as pipián and tamales de "ceniza", called tlaconextamalli, which once blessed are distributed among the assistants and a part of This offering is taken to a nearby hill, where he deposits it in a cave to ask for rains. It is also customary to take the Virgen de la Candelaria in a procession with music, rockets and dances.