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Feb 2 La Candelaria fiestas in Torrevieja
Also known as the Festival of Lights, the holiday will be celebrated in the Costa Blanca with a special blessing for babies
Also widely known as La Purísima (the Purification of the Virgin), La Candelaria is a Catholic holiday commemorated on February 2 each year. This celebration honours the presentation of Jesus in the temple, the purification of the Virgin Mary following birth, and the candlelit Mass associated with this devotion, which originated in Tenerife in the 15th century.
Another name for this day is Fiesta de la Luz, or Festival of Lights, which highlights the custom of lighting candles as part of the festivities.
Depending on the region of Spain, the fiesta can often last for several days but it usually begins on the first weekend of February.
In the Costa Blanca city of Torrevieja, the "Hijos de la Inmaculada" association is set to host their annual "Candle Mass Day" on February 2, where infants born throughout the past year will have the privilege of being introduced to the Virgin Mary.
This heartwarming ceremony will culminate in a Mass at 7pm, followed by a moving ritual involving the young children in chapel. To add to the festivity, the La Purísima choir will perform soulful hymns accompanied by the Carmelite sisters. As a memento of this special moment, each child presented to the Virgin Mary will receive a thoughtful keepsake.
History of the festival
It’s believed the Candlemas Festival or the Festival of Lights originated in the East under the name "Encuentro" (gathering), and then spread to the West in the 6th century, and was celebrated in Rome as an occasion of penance.
Several hundred years later, around the year 1392 or 1400, two Guanche shepherds from the Canary Island of Tenerife found an image of the Virgin Mary that represented this devotion.
Also of interest: Feb 2-4 Orihuela Medieval street market
Image: Archive
staff.inc.ali
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