

Generally, Mexican celebrations of Día de la Candelaria include a family gathering where a big dinner is served. (It’s not far from the Diego Rivera Museum.) Historical festivals can be found to take place in this area.

A small section of the borough of Coyoacan, this is considered one of the most traditional neighborhoods in all of CDMX. There is even a neighborhood in Mexico City called La Candelaria. One of the most visited sites in Mexican Christendom, the cathedral in San Juan de los Lagos is flooded with religious pilgrims for a week-long celebration in the village.

Traditionally, these events included bull runs.Īnother popular location for celebrating Día de la Candelaria is San Juan de los Lagos, in the Mexican state of Jalisco. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, this Mexican pueblo mágico hosts a massive festival of local food and public events. Nowhere is this holiday celebrated more than in a Mexican town on the Gulf of Mexico called Tlacotalpan, Veracruz. Whoever finds this figurine has to host the Candlemas celebration, which includes cooking loads of tamales for the whole family.Ī Mayan depiction of tamales featured in one of their codices. Inside this bread is hidden a tiny figurine of Baby Jesus. Traditionally, Rosca de Reyes (a special loaf of sweet bread) is served on Three Kings Day-which is celebrated on January 6th. One of the typical features of Día de la Candelaria is the eating of tamales. However, there are many places that celebrate Día de la Candelaria with special mass services that commemorate the religious holiday. It can sometimes land on Constitution Day (which is the first Monday in February), but as a holiday, it’s not observed throughout the whole country. Where is Día de la Candelaria Celebrated?ĭía de la Candelaria is not an official holiday in Mexico. Candlemas has since been observed in locations throughout Europe and the Americas. The themes of purification involved in Dia de la Candelaria meant that it was often combined with other pagan celebrations around that time, such as Lupercalia. We also have evidence for Candlemas being celebrated in Rome, and other parts of the Roman Empire. Historical records attest to festivals held in Jerusalem during the 4th Century C.E. It also is considered the true end of the holiday season-after Three Kings Day-which signals the complete end of the winter festivals.ĭía de la Candelaria is one of the oldest celebrations in Christendom. Therefore, Día de la Candelaria celebrates when the Virgin Mary was allowed to enter the Jewish Temple. The holiday is celebrated on February 2nd because, according to ancient Jewish tradition, a woman was considered unclean after giving birth, and was not allowed in the Temple for 40 days after the birth of a child. When is Día de la Candelaria?ĭía de la Candelaria takes place 40 days after Christmas.

However, Candelaria in Mexico has special traditions that are only found in Mexico, some of which even date back to the Aztecs. Known as Candlemas in English, there are many Catholic countries that celebrate Día de la Candelaria. While in the United States, they have Groundhog Day, in Mexico they have Candelaria.
