Get the latest business insights from Dun & Bradstreet. If Candlemas Day be fair and bright Winter will have another fight. Solstice and the Spring Equinox. Legend & Lore | Punxsutawney Groundhog club On the Pagan side it occurs in the middle Origins of Groundhog Day and Candlemas | Merriam-Webster Yay! If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, Winter will not come again. God has sent his Son to bring light where there was darkness. But if it be dark with clouds and rain, winter is gone and will not come again. If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, winter won't come again", is perhaps the best known. A traditional Candlemas poem showcases this same idea of sunny weather being a bad omen: If Candlemas be fair and bright, Then Winter will have another flight; If Candlemas brings clouds and rain . The story about the animal spotting its shadow comes from a German tradition about badgers. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Still, he says there's a lot humans can learn from groundhogs' behavior. "Any place that has a groundhog these days is trying to get some [cred] by it," Blumstein says. Down with the holly, ivy, all, lighting of candles, as slightly longer days begin to be noticeable at this "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. Read more. Photographer: Nicholas Mackay Those are the words of an old English poem which helped inspire a tradition that takes place here in the U.S. every Feb. 2, dating back to 1887. which was celebrated in pre-Christian Europe (and Pop. Here in southern B.C., we usually experience only a few days of snow, but this year it lasted over a month. It's believed that if there's bright weather on Candlemas there would be more bad weather to come (just like the Cailleach). 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? Nice post, the quote out of Sisters on the Edge Of The World was powerful. Winter won't come again. 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." The Celtic tradition of Imbolc, which involves lighting candles at the start of February, goes as far back as the 10th century A.D. Many parts of the U.S. and Canada now have their own beloved animal prognosticators, with some of Phil's better-known contemporaries including New York's "Staten Island Chuck" (aka Charles G. Hogg) and Ontario's "Wiarton Willie.". The date is significant because it is half way between the winter solstice and spring equinox. Beeswax candles were blessed by being sprinkled with holy water and having incense swung around them, and then the candles distributed to everyone in the church. The price for such a redemption was five shekels, which the parents paid to the priest. The Christian festival of Candlemas commemorates the purification of Mary after giving birth, as well as the presentation of Jesus in the temple. Latin Mass Society - Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. No matter how much things may change, some things remain the same! If Candlemas bring clouds and rain, Go winter, and come not again. The eve of Candlemas was the day on which Christmas decorations and greenery An old English song went as follows: "If Candlemas be fair and bright, / Come, Winter, have another flight. Also, we must realize that we, too, will be a sign that will be opposed, especially on issues of the sanctity of human life, marriage and the family. Both rhymes mean that if it is nice on Candlemas Day you can expect six more weeks Traditional For some people, different superstitions. All poems are shown free of charge for educational purposes only in accordance with fair use guidelines. Due to the poor weather at If Candlemas be fair and bright, Come winter, have another flight. "If Candlemas be fair and bright, Winter has another flight. Simple Preparations for Candlemas - Meagan Rose Wilson And that name comes from the ancient custom of processing with candles on the day, symbolising the entry of Christ into the Temple, and celebrating Christ as the Light of the World. Solstice 2010: The wind has been notably fierce, bringing an ancient beech tree crashing to the ground one night. Image: Presentation of Christ in the Temple, from the Sherbrooke Missal. year that is dated by reference to Christmas; In of spring in the middle of winter. By registering with PoetryNook.Com and adding a poem, you represent that you own the copyright to that poem and are granting PoetryNook.Com permission to publish the poem. Despite lack of badgers this tradition crossed the Atlantic and became Groundhog Day. It appears that the practice of blessing candles was frowned upon after the Reformation, with Archbishop Thomas Cranmer writing to Bishop Bonner on 27th January 1548 informing him that the Lord Protector has decided "that no candles should be borne upon Candlemas Day, nor also from henceforth ashes or palms used any longer." And his light is for all. It was good. 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 half o' winter gane at Yule. Two other interesting tidbits highlight this day: First, in many Eastern European countries, the feast of the Presentation officially closes the celebration of Christmas. He says the thinking was that if there was a high-pressure system in early February, things likely weren't changing and it would probably continue to be cold, while a low-pressure system suggests the potential for better weather ahead. Jews at the time of Jesus, like most cultures, had their own particular laws and customs surrounding child-birth. The sun is nice today; I'd like more of that, please, I'm ready to laze in the hot place with a book. Well, while you try and think of all the different titles for February 2nd, and Ill be amazed if anyone can get all five, Ill start to work my way through them. Today, in the Church, we celebrate Candlemas but its no good checkingtodaysweather against the rhyme. The hot place is a point on our property that is sheltered from both north and east winds by walls, and situated next to large windows that reflect the sunlight and bestow a sort of double sunning. Well, we may not be able to join in the procession with lighted candles today, but why not on Tuesday the day of the feast of Candlemas itself light a candle and say a prayer as we thank God for the light that Jesus gives us. 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. It just so happens that shadows occur on sunny days. In Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, a groundhog known as "Punxsutawney Phil" predicts the weather every 2nd February: "According to legend, if Phil sees his shadow on Feb. 2, the scared groundhog returns to his burrow and the USA is in store for six more weeks of winter. As one English folk song put it: "If Candlemas be fair and bright / Come, Winter, have another flight; If Candlemas brings clouds and rain / Go Winter, and come not again.". Learn a new word every day. Candlemas Day - British Culture, British Customs and British Traditions Candles were blessed in church services and then carried around the parish, their light symbolising Christ lighting the way for his followers and harking back to Simeon's words, when he blessed the Christ child and his parents in the temple, recorded in the Gospel of Luke about Christ being "A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel". You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Therefore, as a light, each of us must bear witness to Our Lord. http://writingafterdark.net/2014/02/06/the-versatile-blogger-award/. Luke tells us how a during the visit of the Holy Family to the Temple a just and devout man called Simeon takes the child in his arms blessed him and says, Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.. late? time of year. Before Groundhog Day, It Was Candlemas - New England Historical Society (Traditional). Ooh icicles! How every letter can be (annoyingly) silent. 29 April William Dacre, 3rd Baron Gilsland, a lucky man. Winter will have another fight. If Candlemas Day is clear and bright, winter will have another bite. Photograph: Steve & Ann Toon/Robert Harding World Imagery/Corbis. There was a brief moment of sunshine on Candlemas Day 2 February but any animal emerging from hibernation would have been lucky to surface at the right moment to see its shadow. After many years in the Diocese of Southwark we are now enjoying life on the south coast of England in the Diocese of Chichester. Statistics say not so much: Phil's accuracy rate is about 40% over the last decade. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Wrocaw, German Breslau, city, capital of Dolnolskie wojewdztwo (province), southwestern Poland. As we consider the feast of the Presentation, we remember that our parents presented us at church for our baptism. And if this saying is true, there's hope for that. Every fishing boat would also have a blessed candle. candles should be made of beeswax. indoors. (Traditional) In Branch, St. Mary's Bay an expression that is particular to Candlemas Day was the expression: Half your prog and half your hay, Eat your supper by the light of the day. I just sat in the hot place. So he's able to confirm that while Groundhog Day is pegged to Candlemas, it also coincides with the time of year when groundhogs in the northeastern U.S. start to emerge. In fact, the feast of the Presentation of Jesus thats title number three counting Christmas Day as day one, is kept 40 days after Christmas as it has been since the 4thcentury. , Sigh after drought ridden summer and fall and early winter with too many years of such things in a row winter as I remember it from childhood/early adulthood, sorta, kinda arrived today bitter cold, snow arrived without the blizzard winds to accompany it but this afternoon? States and Canada, Candlemas That may or may not be true who knows? not entirely without sense. If Candlemas be fair and bright, Come winter, have another flight. If Candlemas Day be sunny and bright | Archival Moments "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. People believed that Candlemas predicted the weather for the rest of the winter. Like some other Christian festivals, Candlemas draws some of its elements from Paganism. / If Candlemas brings clouds and rain, / Go, Winter, and come not again.. Theyre a more intimate space than the blog. No enchanted snowy moonlit walks where surprised owls fly low overhead, no snow angels or sledging. The superstitious believed that If all traces of berries, holly and Many of us love a good quiz. 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. I heard it from my bed half a mile away. Three loud cracks sounded as its branches broke. Yes February 2ndis, of course, Groundhog Day! While the same principle applied to Groundhog Day . After the 40 days, the mother and the father came to the temple for the rite of purification, which included the offering of a sacrifice a lamb for a holocaust (burnt offering) and a pigeon or turtledove for a sin offering, or for a poor couple who could not afford a lamb, two pigeons or two turtledoves.