For Christians, it is Feast of the Presentation, which is the fortieth day since the birth of Jesus Christ. It is the day Mary and Joseph bring Him to the temple.
At the heart of this celebration is the encounter of Simeon and Anna with the Christ Child in the Temple. Simeon was the first to understand and proclaim Jesus as the Savior of the World. He also prophesied that this salvation would be accomplished by a sword of sorrow that would pierce Mary’s Immaculate Heart. Anna, a prophetess, also came forward and “gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.”
For all of the Abrahamic religions, it is also the Feast of the Purification. According to the Old Testament rules in Leviticus 12, a woman who bore a son was to be purified by presenting a lamb as a burnt offering, and either a young pigeon or dove as an offering, 33 days after a boy's circumcision.
The feast falls on the same day as the Presentation, which is traditionally the fortieth day. For Christians, it is also Candlemas, where one brings candles to be blessed for the coming year.
It is the final day of the Advent-Christmas-Epiphany part of the liturgical year.
As a side note, while many in North America have removed their Christmas decorations well before this date, in other parts of the world, decorations are not removed until this date has passed to signify the end of the Christmas Season.
Secularly, this date represents the halfway point of Summer in the southern hemisphere and Winter in the northern. It is reminder that the season is drawing to a close and soon, the next season will be upon us.
In Native American lore, and carried over specifically in Canadian and American traditions, this is Groundhog Day, where we rely on an oversized rodent/woodchuck to predict the weather for the next six weeks by seeing its shadow or not.
And finally, this year, in the sports world, it is the Sunday which starts off Super Bowl Week, and ends next Sunday, February 9 with the Super Bowl. It is also ten days before Pitchers and Catchers report for Spring Training, on the 12th.
All in all, it is a day we all hold to some importance for many different reasons. And now you know.
What does this day mean for you?
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