St. Blaise’s feast day is February 3, when Catholics traditionally receive a blessing of the throat using two crossed candles. The rite asks God for protection through Blaise’s intercession; its connection to a boy who choked on a fishbone comes from hagiographic tradition, not independently verified history.
What is the St. Blaise throat blessing?
It is a Catholic blessing traditionally given on or near February 3, the feast of St. Blaise. In the Diocese of Venice’s 2026 description, a bishop, priest, or deacon holds two candles crossed at the recipient’s throat and prays for protection from throat ailments and other illness. Some contemporary descriptions show the candles joined with a red ribbon. Diocese of Venice (2026)
The prayer printed by the diocese is:
“Through the intercession of Saint Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from ailments of the throat and from every other illness. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Why are candles used?
The use of two crossed candles is part of the devotional form of the blessing. A passage from the Book of Blessings, reproduced by Catholic Culture, describes candles blessed on February 2, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, and joined in the shape of a cross. It presents the annual St. Blaise blessing in the United States as a traditional sign in the Christian struggle against illness. Catholic Culture, reproducing the 1989 Book of Blessings
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Why is Blaise associated with throat ailments?
Tradition tells of a boy choking on a fishbone who was saved after Blaise prayed for him. That story became a familiar explanation for Blaise’s patronage in matters involving the throat and for the custom of asking his intercession. It is a hagiographic account, not a documented event: the Catholic Review recounts the story as part of the tradition, while the Catholic Encyclopedia cautions that detailed Acts of Blaise’s life and martyrdom are legendary and lack historical worth. Catholic Review (2015) Catholic Encyclopedia (1907)
Who was St. Blaise?
The historical record available in these accounts is limited. The 1907 Catholic Encyclopedia says it may reasonably be assumed that Blaise was a bishop and suffered martyrdom in the early fourth century, while distinguishing that cautious conclusion from the legendary detail in later accounts. The Catholic Review identifies him as a fourth-century bishop of Sebaste in Armenia. A 2026 Diocese of Venice account places his life in fourth-century Turkey and Armenia and gives 316 as the year of his martyrdom; that specific year should be understood as the diocese’s account, not as settled historical consensus.
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Stories that Blaise was a physician, lived in a cave, healed animals, or met a particular form of execution belong to tradition and should not be treated as independently confirmed biography.
When does the blessing take place?
The feast is February 3 in the Catholic accounts consulted. Parishes may offer the blessing on the feast itself or near it; the Diocese of Venice, for example, also offered it on the Sunday before the feast in 2026. Check a local parish schedule for the time and format. Diocese of Providence (2026) Diocese of Venice (2026)
What the blessing means—and what it does not mean
The rite is a prayer for God’s protection through the intercession of St. Blaise. It is a religious devotion, not a medical treatment or a guarantee against illness. Someone with throat symptoms should seek appropriate medical care rather than relying on a blessing as treatment.
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