The blessing of the throat takes place on the Feast of St Blaise, 3 February. It is an appropriate feast day for this time of the year, when so many suffer from sore throats and snuffles. As the priest blesses the throat with two crossed candles, he says “May God at the intercession of St Blaise, preserve you from throat troubles and every other evil. Amen” St Blaise miraculously cured a young boy in 316AD in the town square of Sebastea, in ancient Armenia. A young mother suddenly ran forward with a choking child in her arms, begging Blaise to help. Blaise, a former bishop, was about to be imprisoned yet he was able to stop and place his hand on the distressed child’s throat and thus release a lodged fishbone. Blaise always had a strong faith and loved philosophy. He trained as a doctor and used his gift of healing to cure not only people but animals. For a long while he lived as a hermit. Huntsmen found him and hoping for a rich reward, he was taken back to Sebastea, where he was imprisoned and had his skin scratched off with wool combs. He is honoured especially in Turkey, Italy, Sicily, Cornwall (parish church of St Blazey) and Bromley, Kent. Bromley because this was once a centre for wool trading and St Blaise is the patron saint of wool. The service of The Blessing of the Throat still takes place in the majority of churches on this day, each year
Feast of St Blaise
