The Blessing of Throats is a Catholic sacramental celebrated on February 3 – the feast day of St. Blaise. The purpose of this blessing is to pray for God’s healing and protection against throat ailments and other illnesses through the intercession of St. Blaise. As the priest or deacon invokes this prayer, he puts two crossed, unlit candles on the throat of the person being blessed. The practice of this blessing demonstrates a sign of faith in God’s protection for the sick and a sacramental defense against illness.
The origin of this blessing is rooted in the 4th-century account of St. Blaise, a bishop from Armenia who miraculously saved a young boy from choking to death on a fishbone. St. Blaise was a physician before he became a bishop. During the time when Christians were being persecuted, he was arrested, tortured with iron combs and beheaded in 316 AD.