And Candlemas Day Thank you for such an image in my imagination. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced searchad free! You can draw the same conclusion by simply looking out a window in Punxsutawney on February 2. He moved to St Johns, Newfoundland in 1832. For some people, different superstitions surround this festival. Ooh icicles! Unfortunately, on this blustery winter morning, he didn't find it. Candlemas is observed on the same day as Groundhog Day, and it commemorates the occasion when the Virgin Mary, in accordance with Jewish law, went to the holy temple in Jerusalem both to be purified 40 days after the birth of her son and to present Jesus to God as her firstborn. "Maybe it's a good thing for marmots in that you have a longer growing season, but then every day you're active, you also face some risk of predation," he explains. Thats title number one. As Candlemas traditions evolved, many people embraced the legend that if the sun shone on the second day of February, an animal would see its shadow and there would be at least six more weeks of winter. One moose, two moose. So, what is Candlemas? To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. For this meeting between Simeon and Jesus in the Temple is a pivotal moment in the story of our redemption for this is the moment at which the long awaited Messiah is proclaimed to be a Light not just for Gods chosen people the Jews, but forallpeople. All rights reserved. "I hope that people have some greater appreciation of marmots and nature, and I hope that people have a chuckle over the idea that it's the middle of the winter and we're hoping that a rodent will tell us what the future is," says Blumstein. Strictly speaking, today isnt Candlemas at all as its not the 2ndyet, but we are now allowed to keep the feast on the closest Sunday. (Anonymous English poem) If Candlemas day be dry and fair, The half o' winter to come and mair, If Candlemas day be wet and foul, The half of winter's gone at Yule. In England, they used a hedgehog as a meteorologist; in Germany, a badger. If Candlemas brings clouds and rain, Winter will not come again. "If Candlemas be fair and bright, come winter, have another flight. "I strongly suspect that the people that go to Gobbler's Knob are fully aware of the power of science, but at the same time want to hold on to traditions and a deeper vibe," he says. According to North American folklore, if a groundhog emerges fromor is coaxed fromits burrow, where it has been dreamily hibernating, on February 2 (which is about midway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox), then sees its shadow and subsequently retreats into its burrow, the sleepy rodent of the squirrel family thereby presages six more weeks of wintery weather. For instance, if a candle drips on one side when carried in church on Candlemas, this denotes a death of a family member during the year. Just to insure that there is enough to get you through the winter. Nice post, the quote out of Sisters on the Edge Of The World was powerful. If Candlemas day be sunny and bright, Winter again will show its might. The ceremony itself which returned to the stage last year after a COVID-19 hiatus features dancers, music, speeches and visitors from around the world. Its high time that winter should be on its way out. Due to the poor weather at We are two retired Church of England priests, married to each other. URL for this post : https://www.tudorsociety.com/candlemas/. be taken too seriously! It was good. Yay! get nicer. "Any place that has a groundhog these days is trying to get some [cred] by it," Blumstein says. Candlemas, given its occurrence in the beginning of February, also became a day on which people would prognosticate the arrival of spring according to its sunny or cloudy skies, as the lyrics of one old English song goes, "If Candlemas be fair and bright, / Come, Winter, have another flight; / If Candlemas bring clouds and rain, / Go, Winter, and come not again." April 27 Can Henry VIII abandon Anne Boleyn? Some of the best insights into the history of families and communities in this province can be garnered from the pages of the hundreds of diaries that have been deposited into archives in the province. Walk always as a child of the light and keep the flame of faith alive in your heart. It was seen as superstitious. In the Anglican church, it is called the Presentation of Christ at the Temple in Jerusalem. Like some other Christian festivals, Candlemas draws some of its elements from Paganism. If its windy and wet or snowy then winter is coming to an end, so he emerges because spring is round the corner. It just so happens that shadows occur on sunny days. 26 April Catherine Carey, daughter of Mary Boleyn, marries Francis Knollys, Tudor and Renaissance Artists and Composers. This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. "If Candlemas Day be fair and bright, winter will have another fight. That may or may not be true who knows? So winter: snow properly, or let spring through. not entirely without sense. Though I much prefer this poem about the groundhog: Groundhog in your hole so deepLift your head and take a peepIf your shadow makes you leapCurl back up and go to sleep. This is the point at which Ancient Israel welcomes its Messiah and then gives its Messiah to the world to be a light for all peoples. But that alone doesn't make them reliable forecasters. At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus the Word made flesh. At any rate, going in procession as it was believed that Mary and Joseph had done, with lighted candles to represent Jesus the light of the world, has been a central part of this feast right from early days. Phil did not see his shadow. Its the same tradition that is celebrated in the old English rhyme which also gives us the second of the five titles: If Candlemas Day be fair and bright,Winter will have another flight;If Candlemas Day be wind and rain,Winter has gone and will not come again. before the year was out. Sisters at the Edge of the World Press Release, Roman Aberdeenshire features in authors new book, http://writingafterdark.net/2014/02/06/the-versatile-blogger-award/, If Candlemas Day is clear and bright Ailish Sinclair | Ups Downs Family History, Ailish Sinclair Featured Blogger of the Week February 4, 2022 | Ups Downs Family History, A Day Off From Writing: the Characters Relief, Contemporary Romance and Historical Fiction. If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, For this reason, Blessed John Paul II began the custom of keeping the Nativity scene in St. Peters square until Feb. 2. It dates back to ancient traditions first pagan, then Christian marking the halfway point between the winter solstice and spring equinox, says Troy Harman, a history professor at Penn State University who also works as a ranger at Gettysburg National Military Park. Set in 1st century Scotland,SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLDincludes the battle of Mons Graupius between the Romans and the Caledonian tribes. Take, for example: Pisgah Pete, a white squirrel in North Carolina, Connecticut's Scramble the Duck and a beaver at the Oregon Zoo named "Stumpton Fil.". The sun is nice today; I'd like more of that, please, I'm ready to laze in the hot place with a book. Its been an odd winter, very dark but with none of the usual bright and dramatic snow of Scotland. "So I sort of see the ability to, if you're fortunate enough to have a groundhog living in your backyard, to sort of pay attention to it and enjoy it and learn from it and maybe give up some of your tomatoes or apples.". The sun is nice today; Id like more of that, please, Im ready to laze in the hot place with a book. He has a theory for why Groundhog Day became, and remains, so popular in the U.S. "Throughout history, whenever there has been a real strong emphasis on science, its counterpart of intuition, instinct, emotion, imagination the right side of our brain pushes back a little bit," Harman says, explaining that Groundhog Day took off right around the time of the industrial revolution. What was the nature of Pope St. John Paul IIs devotion to Our Lady? If Candlemas be cloud and snow, Winter will be gone and not come again. These pages are best viewed using the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, or IE. "That many nationalities being together all in one place to remember something from the medieval past and from a premodern period, and to bring in the music and to bring in the foods and the culture it's a real uplifting event," Harman says. And a tradition which in normal times we keep at St Johns in common with Christians around the world as we celebrate the light of Jesus in our lives. Some of the best insights into the history of families and communities in this province can be garnered from the pages of the hundreds of diaries that have been deposited into archives in the province. Teach the Candlemas ditty, If Candlemas be fair and bright . How dare you called me a ninnyhammer you pillock! February 2 is Candlemas Day Blessing of the candles that are used during the year. A light for all people, in all ages, in all places, no matter who they are. It's believed that if there's bright weather on Candlemas there would be more bad weather to come (just like the Cailleach). A traditional Candlemas poem goes: If Candlemas be fair and. If Candlemas day be fair and bright, Winter will have another flight. Saint Sophronius was a bishop of Jerusalem in the early 7thcentury. A beautiful post. He held baby Jesus in his arms and blessed God, saying, Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant in peace; you have fulfilled your word. On the eighth day, the boy was circumcised. the skies started to clear and the temp dropped quickly, hard the blue of the sky was that white blue of deep cold folks who live outside the confines of microclimate in town and out in the open to wind chill temps, report forecasted below zero temps calves and baby livestock surrounds me by those who go out into this all, to ensure herd health farmers with overwintered crops planted last fall, doubt whether winter moisture will show up as needed for next falls harvest bounty and so, in new life, on flora and fauna? This tradition may have European roots and coincides with the Christian holiday of Candlemas, which was about the purification of the Virgin Mary, but also used to indicate the first signs of spring. Its observance spread throughout the Eastern Church where it is calledhyperpanteor The Meeting thats title number four. It was a campsite halfway between the Allegheny and the Susquehanna Rivers. This "interpretation" of Candlemas Day became the norm for most of Europe. Image: Presentation of Christ in the Temple, from the Sherbrooke Missal. for the ceremony called the Purification. The males typically come out first and then begin looking for females with whom to mate. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. Translation: Language: English Tags: Short Poems Rate this poem: Report SPAM Log in or register to post comments Lovely post. If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, Winter won't come again. (Traditional) Spiritual Awakening: Spirit Within