This Monday past we in the Christian church celebrated Candlemas. Within Protestantism this is often a long last holiday however the holiday is threefold. Firstly it is forty days after Jesus’ birth, which in Judaism coincides with Mary’s purification and return to normal society after the birth of a son. Secondly is Jesus’ presentation and entrance into the temple, another part of the Jewish tradition. Finally, Candlemas is sometimes termed the “Christian Festival of Lights” as it falls exactly between the shortest day of the year and the vernal equinox. It is also on this occasion that traditionally many churches have taken the opportunity to dedicate their lights.
As someone who went without electricity yesterday for around 10 hours, most of which fell after dark, the presence and dedication of light took on a certain significance. It was a gentle reminder that in the post modern world in which we live, we often are outside the scope of daily traditions and rituals. Religious rituals in particular seem only to surface when we need them such as moments of crisis, in the same way that pulling out the candles is something we may only do when we have no electricity after dark. For me though, I think I need to pull out those candles, cling to those traditions, to give a sense of meaning and deliberateness to an occasion or a day.