La Candelaria

In the Catholic Church calendar, February 2 is celebrated as "el Día de la Candelaria" or Candlemass in English.  This day marks the traditional end of the Christmas season.  Many Mexican families will take the figure of the baby Jesus from the Nativity scene, dress it up, often in an elaborate outfit, and take the figure to church to be blessed.

This lady was kind enough to let me take her picture while she was on the way to church with the baby Jesus.

"La Candelaria" is also the follow-up to the celebration of Epiphany on the 6th of January (el Día de los Reyes Magos).  On the 6th of January it is traditional to serve a bread known as the Ring of the Kings (la Rosca de los Reyes).  Inside the bread a porcelain figurine of the baby Jesus is hidden.  Whoever receives the figurine in his or her piece of bread is supposed to host a party on the 2nd of February.   The traditional food for "La Candelaria" is tamales.

Alejandro and I observed the day by having tamales for breakfast.  We went to a little shop in Condesa called "Flor de Lis".  It sells a wide variety of tamales... wrapped in corn husks or wrapped in banana leaves... savory or sweet.  We each had three kinds of tamales along with atole, a traditional beverage made with corn flour.