Dia de la Candelaria | History
I’ll be honest, and say I’ve never celebrated Dia de la Candelaria. And this was the first year that we celebrated (in our own way) Dia de los Reyes which was on Jan 6th. I even made Rosca de Reyes the traditional bread for this day. These two holidays are a follow up to Christmas. This is actually the first year I’ve done research on these two events. I get self conscious when it comes to traditions or holidays I’ve never celebrated or heard of because it’s part of my culture, and I feel like I SHOULD know about this. But rather than sit in that self conscious state, I know that I want to be able to teach my children as I dive deep into historical dates and the reasons behind them.
To give you a context for the progression of the holidays:
First, on Christmas Eve, the Niño Dios, or baby Jesus is placed in the nativity scene, on January 6th, King's Day, the baby Jesus is brought presents from the Magi, and on February 2nd, the baby Jesus is dressed in fine clothes and presented in the church.
Dia de la Candelaria is based on the passage in scripture Luke 2:22-39 when Jesus was presented at the temple and was referred to as “a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people of Israel”; giving significance to the candles. It’s also 40 days from Christmas which according to Jewish law is how long a women is considered unclean after giving birth.
Dia de los Reyes is the family celebration on Jan 6th, where Pan de Reyes is eaten. Pan de Reyes is a bread with a little baby Jesus figurine hidden inside. And if you are the one who found it in your piece of bread, the torch is passed and it’s customary for you to host the Dia de Candelaria celebration with lots of tamales and atole for your family. This Mexican tradition is the acknowledgement of both the European and pre-Hispanic traditions since tamales were used as offerings to the god of water in hopes that the rain is abundant for a good harvest in the coming year.
Lastly, Dia de la Candelaria is also a sign of transition from the holiday and winter season to the Spring, in the same way Groundhog Day is that for the United States.
This year I made it a priority to start learning how to make tamales. I have a long way to go, but I’m excited to say I’ve made 3 batches, each one a little better than the last. I also shared my atole & champurrado recipe that had the perfect sweetness and thickness for my liking. Tell me, I’d love to hear if or how your family enjoys these holidays. Do you have a favorite memory from childhood that you’ve continued with your family?
And if you aren’t yet, sign up:
Join the mailing list to be the first to know when there's a new collection launch, exclusive promotions, blog posts, and to get a behind-the-scenes look as Karina travels to capture work for new print offerings.