February 1-2 | Candelaria, Quezon, Philippines.

This is the celebration of the ritual purification of Mary, which, as required by Jewish law, took place forty days after the birth of her child.

The first celebration took place in the late seventh or early eight centuries. The custom of blessing the candles that were carried in processions gave the day its popular name of candle Festival.

In many countries, Candle Festival has been looked upon as the end of the Christmas season. This was the day when the decorations would be taken down and stored for another year. The Christmas plants would be burned, with the remnants of the Yule log for the next year would be chosen then.

Candle Festival was also a good day for weather forecasting. If it was sunny day, there would be forty more days of cold and snow. In Almonacid del Marquesado, La Endiablada (The Fiend) pays tribute to the Virgin Mary, and appears the following day when the feast of St. Blaise is celebrated.

This feast-day is structured in an unusual yet precise way. The cowbells ring out ceaselessly, becoming even more prominent once inside the church. The devils (children, youths, adults and old people) are present at the processions both for Candle Festival and St. Blaise, running and jumping and raising their arms whilst staring obsessively at the statues.

Source:

Tourism.qzn.ph