Candlemas is a Christian holy day on February 2nd. It marks the day, forty days after Christmas, when Mary brought the baby Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem — so it is about a mother's return to normal life and a child being shown to God. The name comes from the church custom of blessing on this day all the candles the church will use for the coming year, and of carrying lit candles in a procession.

Candlemas is a Christian holy dayCandlemas是一個基督教節日，on February 2nd在2月2日。It marks the day, forty days after Christmas它紀念聖誕節過後第四十天，when Mary brought the baby Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem瑪利亞把嬰兒耶穌帶到耶路撒冷聖殿的那一天——so it is about a mother's return to normal life所以講的是一位母親恢復日常生活，and a child being shown to God以及一個孩子被獻給神。The name comes from the church custom of blessing這個名字來自教會的祝福儀式：on this day all the candles the church will use for the coming year在這一天祝福教會接下來一年會用的所有蠟燭，and of carrying lit candles in a procession還有點著蠟燭遊行。

In Britain it also works as a date marker in the old calendar, roughly the middle point between winter and spring, and there are country sayings about the weather on Candlemas telling you how long winter will last. That same idea travelled to North America and became Groundhog Day, which falls on the very same date.

In Britain it also works as a date marker in the old calendar在英國它也是舊曆法裡的一個日期標記，roughly the middle point between winter and spring大概是冬天和春天中間那一點——and there are country sayings about the weather on Candlemas而且有關於Candlemas當天天氣的鄉間諺語，telling you how long winter will last用來預測冬天還會持續多久。That same idea travelled to North America同樣的概念傳到北美，and became Groundhog Day變成Groundhog Day（土撥鼠日），which falls on the very same date剛好是同一天。

It is capitalised, like Christmas and Easter. Outside church circles, older people in Britain and Ireland know the word better than young people do; many English speakers today have simply never heard it.

It is capitalised它要大寫，like Christmas and Easter就像Christmas和Easter一樣。Outside church circles教會圈子以外，older people in Britain and Ireland know the word better than young people do英國和愛爾蘭的年長者比年輕人更熟悉這個字；many English speakers today have simply never heard it很多現代講英文的人根本沒聽過這個字。

For a Taiwanese student, the useful thing is not the ceremony but the shape of the word: -mas at the end of a day-name means it is a church feast day, the same -mas that is hiding at the end of Christmas.

For a Taiwanese student對台灣學生來說，the useful thing is not the ceremony but the shape of the word有用的不是這個儀式，而是這個字的形狀：-mas at the end of a day-name節日名字結尾的-mas，means it is a church feast day表示這是教會的節慶日，the same -mas that is hiding at the end of Christmas跟藏在Christmas結尾的-mas是同一個。