Milwaukee Armenians

       February 14th, marks the Presentation of Jesus to the Temple (Dyarnuntarach, which literally means “going forward to meet the Lord”). In English it is known as “Candlemas.” This is a fixed feast since it always occurs on February 14.
       Forty days after the birth of Christ, Mary obeyed Mosaic Law and presented her son to the temple (Numbers 18:15). She was purified by the prayer of Simeon the Just in the presence of Anna the Prophet (Luke 2:22-40). This was the first introduction of Jesus into the house of God.
       Some pre-Christian Armenian customs have been incorporated with the feast, including one of the most popular. On the eve of the holiday a bonfire is lit using a flame from the church. Young people gather around the fire and the young men leap over the flames. The light of the bonfire is symbolic of Christ, the light of our lives.