After the galette des rois in January, it's time for pancakes at the start of February.
Like every year, the second day of the second month of the year is synonymous with Candlemas: a day when we eat pancakes.
Like Epiphany, Candlemas has its origins in the Catholic Church and falls 40 days after Christmas.
It celebrates the presentation of Jesus by Mary at the temple in Jerusalem 40 days after his birth.
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It was in 472 that the feast of the presentation of Jesus at the Temple was associated with “candles”, hence the name Candlemas, by Pope Gelasius I who organized torchlight processions for the first time on February 2 .
Pilgrims then went to Rome to celebrate the presentation of Jesus by lighting and carrying candles and the Pope offered them cakes.
The pancakes we eat today are descendants of the pancakes that the Romans ate.
“Candlemas has a link with light”
According to the Christian religion, when the child Jesus was presented at the temple, "an old man named Siméon would have said that it was the return of light to enlighten the nations", Nadine Crêtin, historian, tells Ouest-France. festivals specializing in religious anthropology, which ensures “that Candlemas has a link with light”.
By Christianizing Candlemas in the 5th century, the Church was inspired by pagan celebrations which consisted of celebrating, during the month of February, this period when the days get longer by eating pancakes which, with their shape and color, reminded of the sun.
Candlemas also comes with its share of superstitions.
If the farmers forgot to make pancakes on February 2, the following year's wheat would be bad.
When making them, they had to pop the first pancake with their right hand and hold a golden Louis in their left hand to guarantee a prosperous year.
If the tradition of lighting candles has been lost over the centuries, that of eating pancakes is far from having disappeared.