You may think of today as Groundhog Day, but here in San Miguel de Allende we celebrate Dia de la Candelaria with fresh flowers sold in the Parque.
It’s February 2nd, and gringos everywhere—especially fans of Bill Murray—know it as Groundhog Day. Hmmm… maybe that’s why every day seems to repeat itself: wake up to a sunny, beautiful day, enjoy another beautiful day in Mexico, watch the sun set over a beautiful Mexican village. And repeat.
In Mexico, however, February 2nd is known as Día de la Candelaria—called Candlemas in English—the mid-way point between the winter solstice and spring equinox. Like many other Mexican celebrations, Candelaria represents a fusion of pre-Hispanic traditions and Catholic beliefs. February 2nd falls forty days after Christmas and is celebrated by Catholics as the “Feast of Purification,” or as the “Presentation of Christ at the Temple.” According to Jewish law, it was customary to bring a baby to the temple 40 days after birth, so Christ would have been taken to the temple on February second.
Those lucky recipients on January 6—Three Kings Day—o f the Rosca de Reyes cake who found a figurine in their slice get to serve tamales to all their friends today, or host a party. You can bet there will be fireworks at some point, too!
Despite the bad news—groundhogs everywhere saw their shadow today—your Alma Realty blogger is delighted to see some sun after three days of gray skies, an almost unheard phenomenon. Wondering where that shadow-watching tradition derived? Legend says it’s from the Celtic tradition where Cailleach—the hag of Gaelic tradition—gathers her firewood for the rest of the winter. The story goes that if she intends to make the winter last a good while longer, she’ll make sure the weather is bright and sunny so she can gather plenty of firewood. Therefore, winter-haters are generally relieved if February 2 is a day of foul weather because it means Cailleach is asleep and winter is almost over.
Remember, even if we’re in for six more weeks of winter, it always reaches the mid-70’s in San Miguel de Allende, even in February. That means the weather is always good for searching for that new home in our UNESCO village—just give us a shout here, and we’ll show you how sweet the livin’ is in a land where the days repeat themselves in a sort of magical bliss. Eat your heart out, Bill Murray!