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We are blessed this year that the feast of Candlemas, also known as the Presentation of the Lord, falls on a Sunday. This means that the traditional date of the end of the Christmas season can be kept with a special significance and solemnity in this Holy Year. Since I became parish priest, I have always tried to mark this feast, as it is a beautiful ceremony that begins with the blessing of candles and a procession. As such, and building on previous years here, I will leave the outdoor Crib in place until Sunday 2 February, and across the three Masses that weekend, will bless candles for you to take home as a focus for your prayer, when someone is poorly, when you are visited with Holy Communion, or for your family prayers. If you have your own Crib at home, perhaps on your mantlepiece or by your bed, why not consider leaving it in place until Candlemas. If people ask, you can tell them why: as Catholics our tradition is to keep Christmas for forty days, until 2 February.