You know what that means, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019re on the hook to make a big batch of tamales<\/a> when everyone comes over February 2\u2014if you\u2019re one of the many Mexican families who get together every year to feast on tamales, hot chocolate<\/a>, atole (my favorite!), and maybe a caballito or two of good tequila<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But have you ever wondered why this is the day families come together again so close to the holidays\u2014and why tamales, hot chocolate and atole are on the menu?<\/p>\n\n\n\n February 2 is D\u00eda de la Candelaria or Candlemas. And it\u2019s the followup to the annual Epiphany festivities of Reyes every January 6. While we\u2019re looking for groundhogs in the States, the day is celebrated pretty differently across Latino countries and cultures. In this Familia Kitchen food and feasting report, we\u2019ll focus on how Mexico does La Candelaria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grounded in Mexico\u2019s Catholic heritage, Dia de la Candelaria celebrates the day young Jesus was presented by his parents at the temple of Jerusalem and when the Virgin Mary was purified. According to Jewish tradition of the day, a woman was considered \u201cunclean\u201d for 40 days after giving birth. For that reason, since Jesus was born on December 25, Mary and Joseph would wait until February 2 to present their baby at the temple. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Luke 2:22-39<\/a> tells the story: A devout man named Simeon was at the temple that day. When he saw Jesus, he prophesied the child would one day be \u201ca light of revelation to the Gentiles.\u201d Those words sparked a centuries-long custom of bringing candles to church to be blessed every February 2 and helped give La Candelaria or Candlemas its name. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Two thousand years later, depending on the region, this feast day honoring the holy family\u2019s mother and child is observed in a variety of traditions across Mexico. One common element at most Candelarias: a statue of the baby Jesus is dressed festively and carried to church for viewing and blessings. Some communities go all out and organize a street festival to parade decorated statues of Jesus and the Virgin Mary to the local church. Earlier in the year, \u201cgodparents\u201d are chosen for baby Jesus and they have the honor of hosting several celebrations leading up to February 2. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The ritual of celebrating with tamales, chocolate and atole with friends and family is a blending of Mexico\u2019s centuries-old history and traditions. While the day itself is connected to Catholicism\u2014brought by the Spaniards\u2014the custom of how we feast goes way goes back to the Aztecs.\u00a0The word tamale<\/em> comes from the Nahuatl tamalli<\/em>, which means \u201cwrapped food.\u201d As in what the Aztecs offered the gods each year on Feb. 2, the start of the Mexican New Year: wrapped food made with maize. And of course, chocolate beans and the corn in atole are both crops used and honored by the Aztecs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Let’s start with the tamales\u2014since they are the main meal in the traditional Candelaria celebration feast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are two of Familia Kitchen\u2019s most popular recipes for these masa delicacies. Choose the one that speaks most to you for your Candelaria gathering. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Our first Mexican tamales recipe are the<\/strong> red<\/strong> pork<\/strong> tamales<\/strong><\/a> served by none other than Mexican painter Frida Kahlo in her home, La Casa Azul. (Which means her esposo, the muralist Diego Rivera, loved them, too!) They are classic, spicy and filling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our second Mexican tamales recipe is close to my heart: these red<\/strong> pork<\/strong> and<\/strong> ancho<\/strong> chiles<\/strong> tamales<\/strong> <\/a>were made by my beloved grandmother, Nanni, every year, for our Noche Buena family celebration. Nanni made them with so much love you can taste it on the plate. Her tamales are one my favorite foods on the entire planet. Try them and you\u2019ll see why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To go deeper into this fascinating food\u2019s ancient roots and evolving ingredients and cooking techniques from country to country, check out our deep dive into the history of tamales<\/strong><\/a> across Latino cultures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another delicacy associated with Candelaria is champurrado, a drink whose main ingredient, chocolate, comes from the cacao bean. Calling it xocolatl<\/em><\/a>, the Aztecs used chocolate in rituals and thought its beans a gift from the gods.\u00a0They made a beverage precursor to both today\u2019s champurrado and hot chocolate by grinding cocoa beans and adding chiles and hot water. To make a delicious, modern version, check out this easy Mexican<\/strong> hot<\/strong> chocolate<\/strong><\/a> recipe<\/strong><\/a> from one of our favorite Mexican home cooks, MariCarmen Ortiz Conway<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My favorite Candelaria traditional drink is atole<\/strong>, which stars another ingredient revered by the Aztecs: corn<\/a>. This Candelaria, my boyfriend and I plan to make his mother\u2019s family-famous recipe\u2014again. She serves her atole nice and hot\u2014cozy thick with corn and ground nuts. Chicago winters mean mucho snow, and his mom\u2019s atole is just what we crave every February. Try it! Check out her recipe, below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As you prep your choice of tamales, hot chocolate and\/or atole this year, take the time to enjoy the ancient ritual you are participating in. Remember: You\u2019re helping keep alive a part of Mexican history. The feast of Dia de la Candelaria\u2019s elements remain as essential today as they were hundreds of years ago for the Aztecs and early Mexicans: family, food, ritual, home.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nCandelaria: A Day of Light & Tradition Every February<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
An Aztec & Spanish Mashup Celebration With Food and Drink<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You Got the Baby Jesus! Which of These Tamales Will You Make? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Frida](\"https:\/\/familiakitchen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Frida-Kahlo-red-tamales-recipe-1024x845.jpg\")
![\"Nanni](\"https:\/\/familiakitchen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Mexico-tamales-ancho-and-pork-Nanni-903x1024.jpg\")
![\"hot](\"https:\/\/familiakitchen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Hot-Chocolate-Mexican.jpg\")
My Family Recipe for Atole\u2014Check It Out Below!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to Make Atole for Your Candelaria Feb. 2 Feast! <\/h2>\n\n\n
![\"My](\"https:\/\/familiakitchen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Atole-Tamales-Candelaria-800x530.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t