The Orthodox Church celebrates today the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple. In this regard, solemn services are held in all functioning churches and monasteries today.

The Meeting of the Lord in the Temple (also called the Presentation) is one of the Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church, celebrated on February 15 (according to Old Calendarists). This feast is also known as Candlemas, particularly in Western nations, due to the custom of blessing candles on this day.

The event is described in the Gospel of Luke. According to the gospel, Mary and Joseph took the Infant Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem forty days (inclusive) after his birth to complete Mary’s ritual purification after childbirth, and to perform the redemption of the firstborn son, in obedience to the Torah. Luke explicitly says that Joseph and Mary take the option provided for poor people, sacrificing “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons”.