On this day, we remember the events described in the Gospel of Luke. Candlemas took place 40 days after the Birth of Christ. 
The Jews of that time had two traditions related to the birth of a child in the family.
First, after giving birth, a woman could not appear in the Jerusalem Temple for forty days (and if a girl was born, then all eighty). As soon as the deadline was up, the mother had to bring a cleansing sacrifice to the Temple. It included a burnt offering, a one—year—old lamb, and a sacrifice for the remission of sins, a dove. If the family was poor, a pigeon was also brought instead of a lamb, which turned out to be "two turtledoves or two pigeon chicks."
Secondly, if the firstborn in the family was a boy, the parents on the fortieth day came with the newborn to the Temple for the rite of dedication to God. It was not just a tradition, but the law of Moses: the Jews established it in memory of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt — liberation from four centuries of slavery.
And so, Mary and Joseph arrived from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, the capital of Israel. With the forty-day-old Baby of God in their arms, they set foot on the threshold of the Temple. The family did not live richly, so two doves became the purifying sacrifice of the Virgin. The Blessed Virgin decided to make the sacrifice out of humility and respect for Jewish law, despite the fact that Jesus was born as a result of the immaculate conception.
After the ceremony, the Holy Family was on their way out of the Temple, when an ancient man, perhaps the oldest man in Jerusalem, approached them. His name was Simeon. In Hebrew, "šim'on" means "hearing." The Righteous Man took the Baby in his arms and joyfully exclaimed:
"Now, O Master, according to Your word, you are letting your servant go in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all nations, a light to enlighten the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel." (Luke 2:29-32)
According to legend, Simeon was over 300 years old at the time of his encounter with Christ. He was a respected man, one of the seventy-two scholars who were commissioned to translate the Holy Scriptures from Hebrew into Greek. The translation of the Septuagint was made at the request of the Egyptian king Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285-247 BC).
This Saturday, the elder was in the Temple for a reason — the Holy Spirit brought him. Many years ago, Simeon was translating the book of the prophet Isaiah and saw the mysterious words: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son." How can a virgin, that is, a virgin, give birth? The scientist doubted and wanted to correct "Virgo" to "Wife" (woman). But an Angel appeared to him and not only forbade him to change the word, but said that Simeon would not die until he was personally convinced that the prophecy was true. The evangelist Luke writes about this.:
"He was a righteous and godly man, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It was foretold to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he saw the Lord's Christ." (Luke 2:25-26)
And now, the day has come. What the scientist had been waiting for all his unbearably long life came true. Simeon took the Baby born of a Virgin in his arms, which means that the Angel's prophecy was fulfilled. The elder could have died peacefully. "Now you release Your servant, Vladyka..." The church named him Simeon the God-receiver and glorified him as a saint.
Bishop Theophan the Recluse wrote: "In the person of Simeon, the entire Old Testament, the unredeemed humanity, peacefully departs into eternity, giving way to Christianity...". The memory of this gospel story is heard every day in Orthodox worship. This is the Song of Simeon the God—Receiver, or in other words, "Now let us go."
Having received the Infant from the hands of the Most Pure Virgin, Elder Simeon addressed her with the words: "Behold, the people will argue about Him: some will be saved, and others will perish. But the weapon itself will pass through Your soul, so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed" (Luke 2:34-35).
Disputes among the people are persecutions that were prepared for the Savior. The opening of thoughts is God's Judgment. What kind of weapon will pierce the heart of the Virgin? It was a prophecy of the Crucifixion that awaited her Son. After all, the nails and the spear from which the Savior died went through her mother's heart with unbearable pain. There is an icon of the Virgin Mary, a vivid illustration of this prophecy. It's called "Softening evil Hearts." Icon painters depict the Mother of God standing on a cloud with seven swords stuck in her heart. 
On Candlemas day, another meeting took place in the Jerusalem Temple. An 84-year-old widow, "Fanuilov's daughter," approached the Mother of God. The townspeople called her Anna the Prophetess for her inspiring speeches about God. She lived and worked at the Temple for many years, as the evangelist Luke writes, "serving God day and night by fasting and prayer" (Luke 2:37-38).
Anna the prophetess worshiped the newborn Christ and left the Temple, bringing the news of the coming of the Messiah, the redeemer of Israel, to the townspeople. And the Holy Family returned to Nazareth, as they fulfilled all the requirements of the law of Moses.