LOS ANGELES () — The holiday season officially comes to an end for many on Feb. 2 with Día de la Candelaria, a cherished Catholic tradition celebrated throughout the Latino community.
Also known as the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, this day commemorates when baby Jesus was brought to the temple in Jerusalem, 40 days after his birth.
The date also represents the purification of the Virgin Mary.
The celebration is tied to Three Kings Day on Jan. 6, when families gather to share a Rosca de Reyes, an oval-shaped sweet bread with small, plastic baby Jesus figurines hidden inside.
Whoever finds the figurine becomes the baby Jesus’ godparent or sponsor, and is responsible for hosting a Día de la Candelaria gathering, providing tamales and atole, a hot masa-based drink.
Why tamales?
Before Catholicism and the Spaniards arrived, indigenous communities in Latin America would celebrate the beginning of the agricultural cycle around this time.
Indigenous people would make maize-based offerings to the god of rain and the goddess of water to ensure a prosperous harvest.
Over time, those customs merged with Catholic traditions, making tamales a central part of the celebration.
Beyond the tamales
In addition to the feast, families continue the tradition by bringing candles and a dressed baby Jesus doll to church.
The doll is often dressed in themed clothing with cultural and religious symbolism and is brought to receive a blessing, marking the end of the holiday season.
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