The Presentation

And so our Christmas observance concludes. Today, the Nativity scene in St. Peter's Square will be dissembled. Next week is Ash Wednesday, and another 40 days will begin. Have we drawn any closer to Christ? Are we ready to purify ourselves through Lent as Mary has done? Are we ready to present ourselves as a Temple of the Holy Spirit? This season of Lent came about as the time of catechetical preparation for those who were to be received into Christ at Easter. Are we ready to become Neophytes ourselves? To see with new eyes of faith?

Here is a quick explanation of the origins of this day, from American Catholic:
"At the end of the fourth century, a woman named Etheria made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Her journal, discovered in 1887, gives an unprecedented glimpse of liturgical life there. Among the celebrations she describes is the Epiphany (January 6), the observance of Christ’s birth, and the gala procession in honor of his Presentation in the Temple 40 days later—February 15. (Under the Mosaic Law, a woman was ritually 'unclean' for 40 days after childbirth, when she was to present herself to the priests and offer sacrifice—her 'purification.' Contact with anyone who had brushed against mystery—birth or death—excluded a person from Jewish worship.) This feast emphasizes Jesus’ first appearance in the Temple more than Mary’s purification.
The observance spread throughout the Western Church in the fifth and sixth centuries. Because the Church in the West celebrated Jesus’ birth on December 25, the Presentation was moved to February 2, 40 days after Christmas.
At the beginning of the eighth century, Pope Sergius inaugurated a candlelight procession; at the end of the same century the blessing and distribution of candles which continues to this day became part of the celebration, giving the feast its popular name: Candlemas."

Also worthwhile is my other favorite site, Catholic Culture.