Candlemas Tea 2013

This year for Candlemas celebrations we finally had a Candlemas Tea similar to the Our Lady of Guadalupe Tea, we have each year. Both of these were originally inspired by the lovely Alice at Cottage Blessings and while we did not get around to making candles on this day we had a full and very thought provoking day.
We actually are still in the process of making these and I am very excited about making my first candle in a tea cup!
Did you notice the lovely  Doves at the top of the post. Rogan made these quickly for me as we could not access our Christmas ones in the storage area of this house to decorate our table with.
I think he did an excellent job, especially at the last minute, thank you dear son.

Our main reading for this feast was from the New Catholic Picture Bible. I really love this Bible for our younger children and it even is a very good read as a brief summary for us others too. We bought two copies about 10 years ago and they are very much dog eared and sticky taped back together, ie, well read.

One of our main features of this feast day for us  is the making of a candle cake. Again we took the easy way and used a jam sponge roll and then put cream on the outside after slicing the top to give that  candle look.

Then we used some Cadbury chocolate stick biscuits for the wick and a dried apricot for the flame.
Seriously I cannot see us continuing to use these 'sugar full, wheat full' items for much longer as they really do  affect the children in a big way afterward

As part of the tea we also made little cupcake candle cakes. Once again little cupcakes bought from woolies with the Cadbury sticks broken in half and the apricots cut into smaller pieces.

I think these were the most interesting and favourite food items we had.

Our feast table all ready.......
Well almost I forgot to add the jug of water and cheese sticks until later!

Children all ready to eat.........

Yes I just love the candle cake and the little cupcakes.

Here are the food items on the table all laid out.

Individual items each one representing some part of the Presentation of Jesus and Candlemas.
From top left down and then larger image on right:
Marshmallow Hearts - pure hearts of Mary and Joseph
White Chocolate Hot Chocolate with cream - white representing purity of Mary
Chocolate Royals - representing Anna: the black(dark brown chocolate) representing her widowhood, the white inside representing her purity and the biscuit base representing the floor of the temple where she continually prayed
Pretzels - represent Holy Simeon's Arms crossed in prayer
Cheese sticks with swords - this is to fulfill the prophesy of Mary's heart being pieced as declared by Simeon
Candle Cupcakes -representing purity - representing light
Dove Shaped Vegemite Sandwich - indeed to represent the offering made
Candle cake - the light
Strawberries dipped in White chocolate - again pure hearts

And all this we ate for lunch and enjoyed.

Prayer for Candlemas:
Lord God, you are the source of everlasting light.
Your son, our beloved Lord Jesus was presented in the temple 40 days after his birth.
He was recognised by Simeon and Anna,
and welcomed as the promised Messiah.
May we like them, behold the glory of the Lord Jesus.
Grant that we may stand before you with hearts cleansed by your forgiving love.
May we serve you all our days
and make your name known as we worship you as our Lord.
So may we come by your grace to eternal life .
 Amen.

Blessings to you and your homes,