A Tipperary tradition - You can eat three meals today and only by natural light
Our Mullinahone scribe Ricky Sheehan points out that today is Candlemas Day, one steeped in tradition in Tipperary and far beyond.
Today Wednesday, February 2 is the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord or Candlemas Day. This is the day on which candles for use in the Church are blessed. It is also the day on which the old people believed that people could eat their three meals by natural light, in other words no candles, no oil lamps or certainly no electric light.
Candlemas Day is also the day which falls half way between Mid Winters Day (December 21) and the middle of Spring (March 21/22).