There was once a seminary student who used to call it “Hippopotamus,” which sorta stuck in memory. In the West, the Church has three names for this feast: the current official name (Presentation of the Lord in the Temple), the former official name (the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary) and the popular nickname (Candlemas). The feast is 40 days since the Holy Nativity which signals the end of the Christmas season. In some quarters of the Church the focus on the Infant Jesus closes and makes a transition to preparing for Great Lent. St. John Paul II began the custom of keeping the Nativity scene in St. Peter’s square until February 2.