In February, in San Miguel de Allende, there are four main festivals:

·February 2^nd, Candelaria Day, or Blessing of Candles Day

· February 5^th, Mexican Constitution Day

· February 14^th, Valentines Day

· February 24^th, Mexican Flag Day

Día de la Candelaria or Candlemas is celebrated on February 2^nd. It was called Candlemas Day because candles were brought to the church to be blessed. In the Catholic Religion it is celebrated as the “Feast of Purification” or “Presentation of Christ at the Temple.”

As in most Mexican holidays it is a mix of Catholicism and tribal custom. Candelaria Day is a follow-up to the festivities of King’s Day on January 6^th. This is the day where the person who got the Christ figurine from the Rosca de Reyes sweet bread, hosts a party, in which they serve Tamales and Atole. Atole is a sweet,hot, cornstarch based drink, mixed with cinnamon, vanilla and sometime chocolate and or fruit.

Candelaria Day the day when baby Jesus would have been presented to the Temple. February 2^nd comes forty days after Christmas. It was customary to have this waiting period to bring a baby to the temple because according to Jewish law a woman was considered unclean for forty days after giving birth. In honor of this, Catholics in Mexico, take a doll, that is the image of the baby Jesus and starting on Christmas Eve they place him in Nativity scene. Then on January 6^th, Kings Day, they bring him presents from the wise men. On February 2^nd they dress him up in fine clothes and take him to the Church to be blessed. They may even choose Godparents for the doll.

Candelaria Day, February 2^nd, coincides with the Aztec New Years’ which marks the midway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. This day is dedicated to fertility and spring, so you will find many people selling plants and seeds in the plazas. Also it has long been used as a day that indicates future weather patterns. In the United States we call this “Ground Hog Day.”

February 5^th celebrates the signing of the Constitution of the United Mexican States in 1917. It is the present constitution of Mexico. It was drafted in Santiago de Querétaro by a Constitutional Convention during the Mexican Revolution. In Mexico, this is a government holiday and banks, schools and government offices are closed.

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Valentines Day

In Mexico, February 14^th is considered “the day of love and friendship” “El Día del Amor y la Amistad” . It is also called “El Día de San Valentín” or “Valentines Day.” In Mexico it isn’t just for lovers, it is celebrated with friends and family alike.It is celebrated with lots of balloons, flowers, and packed restaurants. If you want a dinner reservation, book it early! An incredibly romantic Mexican tradition, and a way young Mexican men expressed their love was “La Serenata” or “serenade.”The would-be suitor would contract with a mariachi band to play for his love. They would go and play outside her house often very late, waking the whole family. The suitor would stand by, often with his friends watching. It was and still is a status symbol, the bigger the band, the better.Almost every night in San Miguel, in the central jardin, you will see Mariachis playing, often contracted to perform a “serenata”