Occurring 40 days after Christmas, Candlemas celebrates the birth of light. It commemorates the presentation of Jesus at the Temple, which occurs in Luke 2:22-40. On this day, all candles to be used in the church for the next year are blessed. Also known as the Feast of the Holy Encounter, the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ.