Why do we make crepes on Candlemas?

The Candlemas festival is held every year on the same date , February 2 .

Where does the tradition of preparing pancakes on this day come from?

It is an initially religious festival, where in the 5th century, it was associated with candlelight by Pope Gelasius I who organized torchlight processions in honor of the presentation of Jesus at the temple.

This pope would have offered pancakes to pilgrims, which would be at the origin of the tradition of pancakes on Candlemas.

It is celebrated every year 40 days after Christmas, Candlemas comes from candles used in churches, they are blessed and replace torches, remaining lit to symbolize purity and ward off evil.

So, the faithful often take it home and leave it at their window on February 2.

The round shape of the pancakes and their golden colors represented the solar disk and the return of light. Because at the beginning of February, the days are starting to get longer, so eating pancakes is a tribute to the cycle of the seasons and the arrival of spring which heralds better days.

Little anecdote : if the peasants did not make pancakes on Candlemas, they were afraid that their wheat harvest would be bad the following year.

So for the harvests to be good and the finances to be prosperous, they had to return the first pancake by throwing it in the air with their right hand while holding a golden Louis in their left hand, and it was necessary that it falls perfectly into the pan. The pancake then had to be placed on top of a cupboard.

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