How Candelabra Is Celebrated

La Candelabra is, with all possibility, one of the most celebrated festivals within the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands. It is important to know how Candelas is celebrated, since it is a festival that coincides with the moment in which the presentation of our Lord is celebrated and a ritual for the purification of the Virgin Mary herself. Remember the Pillar party.

A great curiosity that we will discover about how Candelabra is celebrated is that it has two different dates of celebration in which different activities are carried out, even paying homage and respect to the Virgin on both dates.

What do you need to celebrate Candelabra?

• The birth of the Candelabra celebration.
• Understand its religious origin and tourist derivation.
• Know the dates on which it is celebrated.
• What Virgin is venerated in Candelabra?
• Where does the celebration of Candelabra take place?
• What is done during the celebration?
• What we need to be able to enjoy the celebration of Candelabra.

Instructions for celebrating Candelabra

1. The moment in which the processions began to be related to this celebration of Candelabra is not known with certainty; there is already evidence of its celebration since the 10th century, which makes it one of the oldest Catholic celebrations in the country.
2. According to tradition, the birth of this celebration of Candelabra, originating in Tenerife, is based on the appearance of the Virgin of Candelabra before two Gouaches or native aborigines of Tenerife in 1392 while they were grazing with their flock. She saw a one-meter-high wooden image where you could see a lady with a candle in her left hand and carrying a child in her right arm, who was carrying a small golden bird.
3. The celebration of Candelabra is celebrated both on February 2 and in the middle of summer during the early hours of August 14 to August 15 and throughout August 15. During both dates, the presentation that took place in the Temple of Jerusalem of our Lord is celebrated; the purification that the Virgin experienced once the birth was over and, of course, the appearance of the Virgin of Candelabra in Tenerife, in the Canary Islands. .
4. At first, this celebration of Candelabra was only held in Tenerife, although it became the patron saint of the Canary Islands, extending its festival to the entire Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands. Later, this festival and devotion spread to the continent of South America to countries such as Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.
5. The devotion for this Virgin of Candelabra has reached such a point in the American continent that in Puno, in the southern part of Peru, they have managed to be declared as the Festival of the Virgin of Candelabra of Puno as Intangible Heritage of Humanity since the year 2014.
6. In this city of Peru, they carry out different actions during the celebration of Candelabra, from totally religious processions with floral offerings and prayers, to the unification of different music and specific dances for these celebrations during the different streets of the city. All this has made her processions through the streets of the city with dances and music have made this Virgin known and her Catholic sense has increased in faithful and followers.
7. During February 2, which is considered a holiday throughout the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands, different masses are held to venerate the Virgin de la Candelabra as patron saint of these Canary Islands. In addition, being considered a holiday within the work and school calendar makes it a day of family celebrations and moments to share these moments of faith and adoration for the Patron Saint of the Canary Islands with friends and family.
8. It is different from what is done on the 15th of August and the early hours of the 14th to the 15th, since it is usually a holiday only in the Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where the municipality of Candelabra is located, where the discovery of the Virgin of Candelabra. During the early morning, many people from all over the island of Tenerife and other islands make the traditional pilgrimage to the Basilica where the image of the Virgin is found.
9. This pilgrimage does not have an exact duration, since it is done on foot and by different routes, but it is an incredible experience that is part of the indispensable and unforgettable Candelabra celebration.
10. Throughout the day of August 15, different acts are carried out in the municipality of Candelabra with a high religiosity and whose roots focus on beliefs and respect for the Virgin. The most anticipated spectacle is the representation of the moment in which the image of the Virgin de la Candelabra is found in the Plaza de la Basilica, according to tradition, with a pilgrimage, with the participation of different folk groups from the area and the island and ending with a floral offering of all those people who so wish.
11. This celebration of Candelabra only happens once a year, but it is true that it is an experience that whenever you try it, you want to repeat it one year after another because we never feel the same way nor do we live the pilgrimage or the offering of the same way.

Tips for celebrating Candelabra

• Knowing the birth of the Candelabra celebration, we can learn more about the place we will visit to be inundated with said celebration. We can decide to travel to the areas of South America where this celebration exists, such as Colombia, to compare them and have an excuse to travel and compare.
• We have to mark both dates of the Candelabra celebration on our calendar to be clear about which one we want to go to or which activities we want to visit or carry out.
• If we decide to make the pilgrimage, as part of the Candelabra celebration, and it is our first time, it is best to visit a tourism center so that they can indicate the best route.
• In order to start and finish the pilgrimage of the Candelabra celebration in good conditions, we cannot forget proper footwear; go in a group, good lighting (since the pilgrimage takes place at dawn), food and hydration to accompany us throughout the road.
• Carry our mobile phone with enough battery for the entire journey and, if we can, charge an external battery to be able to access our mobile phone if we need anything. Although during the pilgrimage we will find emergency devices available all the way to avoid any problem.
• We must respect the faith and beliefs of all the people who are in the municipality during the celebration of Candelabra and, even if we decide to make the pilgrimage or attend the activities out of curiosity only, we cannot forget that they are religious activities.
• Enjoy all the activities that are carried out on the occasion of the celebration of Candelabra as part of the town and the people who live the faith, to create unforgettable memories.