Luciad: The Festival of Lights
Also known as Candlemas, this holiday marks the vow our Lady makes to take Her light to all places.
In old Christian communities when candles were still largely handmade at home, this was the day all the new candles were taken to church to be blessed before being used the rest of the year. Madrian communities continued this age-old tradition by blessing their candles on this day. Though it is unlikely that we will have our entire upcoming year’s worth of candles ready for blessing this day, any candles you do have can be brought out and prayed over on Luciad. The Madrian method for this was to make the sign of the pentacle over the candles and say: “May our Lady’s blessing rest upon these waxen creatures.” You may also use the Fora (which looks like a plus sign enclosed in a circle), or another sign that your denomination prefers.
In old Christian communities when candles were still largely handmade at home, this was the day all the new candles were taken to church to be blessed before being used the rest of the year. Madrian communities continued this age-old tradition by blessing their candles on this day. Though it is unlikely that we will have our entire upcoming year’s worth of candles ready for blessing this day, any candles you do have can be brought out and prayed over on Luciad. The Madrian method for this was to make the sign of the pentacle over the candles and say: “May our Lady’s blessing rest upon these waxen creatures.” You may also use the Fora (which looks like a plus sign enclosed in a circle), or another sign that your denomination prefers.
Though the altar cloth was changed to purple on Purple Monday last week, Luciad is celebrated with white: the altar cloth is white for the day, and any candles, flowers, and clothes worn during a rite should be white. The flower for this day is specifically the snowdrop, that earliest of flowers that rises above the cold white snow; a legend goes that snowdrops bloomed in the footsteps of the Daughter as She walked toward Her fate.
The 5th Edition of the ECE (forthcoming) and the Calendar notes that Luciad is on the Madrian calendars for 10 Brighe (1 Feb), but the Chapel of Our Mother God celebrates the day on 11 Brighe (2 Feb).
A prayer for Luciad:
Dearest Mistress, that have prayed beside the running streams and beneath the shining moon, how dreadful is the vow that You have taken. You that are the One Spirit have become a soul, chaste as the flower that blossoms from the snow. Like to the spotless garment of the Sacrifice, pure maid You are, without a trace of sin. Yet You have vowed to tread the darkest regions, to suffer things more cruel than I can know. Most noble soul, how simple in Your courage; how steadfast and unswerving in Your love. Open my soul, I pray You, that she may be transformed by Your clear light.
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