Dia de la Candeleria

February 2 is "El Dia de la Candeleria," a traditional religious holiday in Mexico. The holiday is celebrated 40 days after Christmas, the day when Jesus was presented in the temple by his parents after his birth.

On this day, Mexican families bring a doll (representing the baby Jesus) to the church to be blessed by the priest. This picture is a little blury, but you can see the huge mass of people at this church in Cholula. It is also on this day that the person who found the plastic baby hidden inside the cake on "El Dia de los Reyes" is supposed to buy tamales for everyone. I didn't have to buy the tamales, but I did eat some with my host family!

These are some of the dolls that were sold in the market for the celebration. Some are dressed like various saints or other religious figures.