Roman Catholics celebrate Candlemas

On February 2, the Catholic Church celebrates Candlemas. On this day, the Mother of God brought a little Jesus to the temple for the first time. According to the tradition, parents were supposed to bring their children, who were forty days old, to the church to dedicate them to God.

On the Candlemas day, all Roman Catholic churches of Belarus hold festive divine services and the consecration of candles. Believers keep them throughout the year and light them when they pray to Christ in difficult moments.

Purification candles are also called thunder candles, because they are lit during thunderstorms, accompanied by strong wind, lightning and peals of thunder, so that the care of the Mother of God saved from the dangerous elements.