Walk always as a child of the light and keep the flame of faith alive in your heart. But how accurate is Punxsutawney Phil? Some people believe that the Celtic Sabbat of Imbolc, The Christian church later expanded this idea into the festival of Candlemas, which commemorates the moment when the Virgin Mary went to the Temple in Jerusalem 40 days after Jesus' birth to be purified and present him to God as her firstborn. It lies along the Oder River at its confluence with the Oawa, lza, Bystrzyca, and Widawa rivers. The Celtic tradition of Imbolc, which involves lighting candles at the start of February, goes as far back as the 10th century A.D. If Candlemas bring clouds and rain, Go winter, and come not again. I wonder what Phil will predict this year! If Candlemas brings clouds and rain, Winter will not come again." Like some other Christian festivals, Candlemas draws some of its elements from Paganism. The date is significant because it is half way between the winter solstice and spring equinox. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Candlemas Day is another name for the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. So Candlemas looks backwards to the birth of the child and the joy of Christmas, but also forwards to the suffering and death on the cross.". If Candlemas Day be fair and bright Winter will have another fight. How did the U.S. end up celebrating Groundhog Day in the first place? And together we can make sure that not only Candlemas Day is fair and bright, but the whole year ahead is bright, lit by the Light of Jesus. In the past, when there was no electricity, candles were a source of light and warmth. 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. Have one of the children, or a guest, read the Nunc Dimittis of Simeon (Luke 2:22-40). Something shared (winter) on a completely different note, considering I live in Mexico. An oliphaunt fallen. As decades of repeated stories tell, if the famous Punxsutawney groundhog ("Phil") sees its shadow on the second of February, there will be six more weeks of winter; if not, there will be an early spring. before the year was out. Blumstein says all animals, not just the prognosticators, deserve respect. Read more. Today is Candlemas, when, according to folklore, the weather is supposed to predict the conditions for the rest of the winter: If Candlemas Day be fair and bright, Winter will have another flight, But Nowhere in the Churchs celebrations throughout Christmas do we see this more clearly than in this feast which marks the end of the Christmas season, as Simeon proclaims Jesus to be a light for all the nations. This is our feast, and we join in procession with lighted candles to show both that the light has shone upon us and to signify the glory that is yet to come to us through him. The Gospel of Luke says that Jesus was met by Anna and Simeon. Is the Real Stone of Scone Hidden at Finlaggan? These candles would be taken out and lit during a gale or storm. If Candlemas Day be fair and bright, winter will have another flight. More good reminders: brave little snowdrops. It was seen as superstitious. If Candlemas day be cloudy and grey, Winter soon will pass away. 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. If Candlemas Day be fair and bright, Winter will take another flight; If Candlemas Day be foul and rain, Winter is gone and won't come again. 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. What was the nature of Pope St. John Paul IIs devotion to Our Lady? bell represents a day that will pass before the unfortunate news is learned. And because hedgehogs aren't native to the U.S., they turned to groundhogs (which were plentiful in Pennsylvania) instead. That's thanks in large part to the popularity of the eponymous movie and the ability to live-stream the festivities. To end, we pose this question: if the weather is "fair and bright," why doesn't the groundhog stay outside and get some sun instead of retreating to darkness? The Christian festival of Candlemas commemorates the purification of Mary after giving birth, as well as the presentation of Jesus in the temple. He thinks over time there will be "some happy ground" and that may already be the case in Punxsutawney. It is all completely unreliable, but surprisingly consistent across Europe and North America. Winter won't come again. The sun is nice today; I'd like more of that, please, I'm ready to laze in the hot place with a book. Daniel Blumstein is a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UCLA who studies marmots, the group of 15 species of large ground squirrels that includes groundhogs. Copyrighted poems are the property of the copyright holders. The groundhog is a woodchuck. Candlemas commemorates the ritual purification of Mary, 40 days after the birth of her son Jesus. States and Canada, Candlemas For 40 days for a boy, and 60 days for a girl, women weren't allowed to worship in the temple. If Candlemas be fair and bright, Winter will have another flight. It makes sense that early February was a good time to prognosticate about the weather, especially as February 2nd marks the midpoint between Winter and Spring. 'If Candlemas Day be fair and bright Winter will have another fight. (Traditional). So Im starting this morning witha quiz question for you. Two other interesting tidbits highlight this day: First, in many Eastern European countries, the feast of the Presentation officially closes the celebration of Christmas. In the diaries of Edward Morris,Mr. Morris observed on February 2, 1871. Commentdocument.getElementById("comment").setAttribute("id","a1b60d840fe181a41e8e61828534ddea");document.getElementById("b2348bb89a").setAttribute("id","comment"); John Rogers, the first Protestant martyr of Mary I, http://www.wellscathedral.org.uk/worship/the-seasons-at-wells-cathedral/candlemas/. That was one of several traditions that German settlers in Pennsylvania brought to the U.S., Harman says, along with Christmas trees and the Easter bunny. If someone brings snowdrops into the house on Candlemas day it symbolises a parting or death. What are the origins of the May Crowning? That may or may not be true who knows? At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus the Word made flesh. Great article! If Candlemas Day is clear and bright, winter will have another bite. the time of year, it was almost impossible to have a bonfire festival and Streets frozen again but no cold such as we have had. If Candlemas day be cloudy and grey, Winter soon will pass away. April 27 Can Henry VIII abandon Anne Boleyn? 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. While some people consider groundhogs a nuisance because they like to snack on garden produce, he thinks living with urban and suburban wildlife is a good thing as it brings people closer to nature. 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. Groundhog Day is celebrated on February 2nd and dictates that if a groundhog emerges from hibernation to see its shadow, and retreats, six more weeks of winter are ahead. year that is dated by reference to Christmas; In This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, Winter will not come again. This section is in advanced English and is only intended to be a guide, not to The procession represents the entry of Jesus as light of the world into the temple. (Anonymous Scottish poem) This day also used to have great significance on the calendar, because the date lies half way between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, so it marks the day upon which winter is half over! Let me give you a clue to the first two titles. At the end of this time, women were brought to the Temple or Synagogue to be purified. In the diaries of Edward Morris,Mr. Morris observed on, The Sale of Obscene Pencils in Chance Cove, World Photo Day and Newfoundland and Labrador Collections, Lady Day Fish; August 15th in Newfoundland. So the focus is on Jesus consecration to God. If Candlemas Day be fair and bright "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. #ballet #ballerina, Scottish wild cherry trees were traditionally asso, Sisters at the Edge of the World - Historical N. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. One moose, two moose. Some people lit candles to scare away evil spirits on the dark winter nights. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Ritual purification stems back to a Jewish tradition that women were considered unclean after the birth of a child. (Will Morgan/WHAM) Rochester, N.Y. Our Bright Spot shines on The Children's Business Fair hosted by First American Equipment Finance on Friday. If she forgets to do this or oversleeps the weather is wet and windy, thus bringing winter to a rapid end because of her lack of firewood. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. He is the light who came into this world to dispel sin and darkness. This ancient festival marked the mid point of winter, half way between the winter solstice (shortest day) and the spring equinox. He moved to St Johns, Newfoundland in 1832. 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. 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. If Candlemas be cloud and snow, Winter will be gone and not come again. 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.". These pages are best viewed using the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, or IE. Candlemas is known as Ground-hog Day, for on that day the ground-hog comes annually out of his hole, after a long winter nap, to look for his shadow. If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, winter is gone and wont come again. Then, to complete this time of purification she was required to offer a sacrifice for her purification on the 40thday following the birth of a boy, which is why Mary and Joseph went to the Temple. celebrates the presentation of Christ in the Temple in Jerusalem 40 days Feeling the sun on my face, without the usual buffeting wind, was a good reminder that the Earth is turning and spring is on its way. the West, the date of Christmas is now fixed at December 25, and Candlemas When the Lord comes, may you go out to meet Him with all the saints in the heavenly kingdom (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults). Spring is just around the corner. The first Gobbler's Knob ceremony took place the next year, and the rest is history. As we consider the feast of the Presentation, we remember that our parents presented us at church for our baptism. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The festival was formerly known in the Roman Catholic church as the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary but is now known as the Presentation of the Lord. The book features a neurodivergent main character and some rather complicated romance. The males typically come out first and then begin looking for females with whom to mate. Morris when writing in his diary about Candlemas he also wrote:The day fine enough but the walking very rough.. candles should be made of beeswax. Groundhog Day was officially recognized in the United States during the late 1800s and was popularized in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, by news media. If Candlemas Day be fair and bright For this reason, traditionally at least since the seventh century, candles have been blessed at Mass this day that will be used throughout the year, hence coining the term Candlemas.. I guess my part of the world has taken all the snow this winter. The eve of Candlemas was the day on which Christmas decorations and greenery Note Joseph and Mary made the offering of the poor (Lk 2:24). He then blessed the Holy Family, and said in turn to Mary: This child is destined to be the downfall and the rise of many in Israel, a sign that will be opposed and you yourself shall be pierced with a sword so that the thoughts of many hearts may be laid bare (Lk 2:34-35). I wonder if any of my sermons will still be read 14 centuries from now? It's almost Groundhog Day! Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Simeon held the baby Jesus and called him a Light to the World. One goose, two geese. If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, winter won't come again", is perhaps the best known. An old English song contained the lyrics: If Candlemas be fair and bright, If Candlemas day be sunny and bright, Winter again will show its might. Crowds as large as 30,000 have turned out to Punxsutawney for multi-day Groundhog Day festivities, which the state calls a significant tourism boost for the town of fewer than 6,000 people. In summer it can reach unbearable temperatures. In the Anglican church, it is called the Presentation of Christ at the Temple in Jerusalem. PublishedFebruary 2, 2023 at 4:11 AM CST. Set in 1st century Scotland,SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLDincludes the battle of Mons Graupius between the Romans and the Caledonian tribes. If the child was a boy he was circumcised on the eighth day and then the woman was ceremonially unclean for another 33 days. (Traditional) Spiritual Awakening: Spirit Within I just sat in the hot place. A large industrial centre situated in Dolny lsk (Lower Silesia), Wrocaw is the fourth largest city in Poland. Punxsutawney Phil's handlers, known as the "Inner Circle," continue to wear dark tuxedos, long tails and top hats even today, he points out. The Irish have a Gaelic hag who can make 2 February sunny so that she can gather plenty of sticks for her fire for the rest of a long winter. just before sunset? Read more. And yet Christmas is not all the story. Get the latest business insights from Dun & Bradstreet. To this very day people still comment that walking about St. Johns is very rough. of yucky, winter weather, if it isn't nice on Candlemas Day, the weather should Through Simeons eyes we too have seen the salvation of God which he has prepared for all the nations. 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. "If Candlemas be fair and bright, come winter, have another flight. New Englanders who lived in old houses used to watch the cracks and crevices in their walls on February 2. It's not only groundhogs that are getting in on the fun. "I see a shadow on my stage, and so no matter how you measure, it's six more weeks of winter weather," a handler read off the scroll he said Phil had chosen. "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. This festival Then there was a procession in which people carried lighted candles while the choir sang. Many of us love a good quiz. Ronald Hutton, in The Stations of the Sun, writes of how in the 15th and early 16th centuries the craft guilds of Aberdeen "provided pageants to accompany their members through the streets with their candles" and that some towns and cities held municipal feasts and put on entertainment. of spring in the middle of winter. "And the first celebration that we know of was in the 1880s," Harman says. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. The sun is nice today; Id like more of that, please, Im ready to laze in the hot place with a book. On Groundhog Day, the fate of spring is determined in the quaint town of Punxsutawney, Pa. indoors. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. On that feast day, clergy would bless and distribute all the candles needed for winter and over time the focus of the day became increasingly about predicting how long winter would last. Later, animals got involved. If Candlemas Day be weet and foul, half the winter wis ower at Yule! On January 1, 1851 he began to keep a daily diary that he continued until his death on3April1887. Unfortunately, on this blustery winter morning, he didn't find it. How dare you called me a ninnyhammer you pillock! Down with the holly, ivy, all, February 2 is Candlemas Day Blessing of the candles that are used during the year. 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. The price for such a redemption was five shekels, which the parents paid to the priest. Jesus brings light to show us the way ahead. Germany went a step further by making animals specifically hedgehogs part of the proceedings. In the Greek Church, it is called Hypapante (a word for "meeting"), in reference to Jesus' meeting in the temple with the aged Simeon, to whom it had been revealed that he would not die before the meeting of the Messiah. Photographer: Nicholas Mackay If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, The ceremony of Candlemas Day, a ritual celebratedthroughout the Christian world that Mr. Morris observed was the blessing of the annual supply of the Churchs candles. Candlemas is around the time that bears emerged In pre-Christian times, it was the festival of light. The half o' winter to come and mair. so forth weren't removed there would be a death among the congregation All poems are shown free of charge for educational purposes only in accordance with fair use guidelines. If Candlemas be fair and bright, Come, winter, have another flight; If Candlemas brings clouds and rain, Go winter, and come not again. goes:-, "Down with the rosemary, and so 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. News and views from a couple of retired clergy. time of year. It was seen as superstitious. 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 . In his book The English Year, Steve Roud explains that, as the name suggests, Candlemas's "key element" was "the preponderance of candles". from winter hibernation to inspect the weather as well as wolves, Down with the bays and mistletoe; All rights reserved. Plus, human meteorologists have far more advanced methods for predicting the weather now than they did when Phil first got the gig in 1887. 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. According to folklore then, the worst of the winter is over. If Candlemas day be shower and rain, Winter is gone and will not come again. Candlemas is the last festival in the Christian Read the articleRoman Aberdeenshire features in authors new bookfrom Grampian Online. Farmer's Proverbs 'A farmer should, on Candlemas Day, Have half his corn and half his hay.' 'On Candlemas Day if the thorns hang adrop, You can be sure of a good pea crop.' German Proverb. How disorienting to stand among high boughs and look through to what was the ground, upended like the tree: The world on its side. Traditional For some people, different superstitions. Nice post, the quote out of Sisters on the Edge Of The World was powerful. Come through the castle door to sign up to my occasional emails for exclusive photos and news of my writing and life. The day fine enough but the walking very rough. 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. http://writingafterdark.net/2014/02/06/the-versatile-blogger-award/. If the child was a girl she was unclean for 66 days. 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. With dictionary look up. candles are thought to have been used as a replacement to move the ritual This page has been archived and is no longer updated. There is some scientific basis for the Candlemas lore, according to Blumstein. Its high time that winter should be on its way out. severe weather would continue for another forty days at least. But most people in the Church know it as Candlemas. One tradition associated with Candlemas is the idea that the weather on Candlemas Day is a predictor of whether winter is nearly over: If Candlemas be fair and bright,Come winter, have another flight;If Candlemas bring clouds and rain,Go winter, and come not again. And Candlemas Day Thank you for such an image in my imagination. If Candlemas Day be fair and bright by Anonymous If Candlemas Day be fair and bright, Winter will have another flight; But if it be dark with clouds and rain, Winter is gone, and will not come again. It was a campsite halfway between the Allegheny and the Susquehanna Rivers. What a beautiful picture for my mind. If Candlemas bring clouds and rain, Go winter, and come not again. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so. Jews at the time of Jesus, like most cultures, had their own particular laws and customs surrounding child-birth. So if the bright sun overshadows the brightness of Candlemas Day, there will be more winter. Find company research, competitor information, contact details & financial data for ES OFFICE PROJEKT SP Z O O of Wrocaw, dolnolskie. Fri, April 28th 2023, 4:03 PM PDT. Bloggy blogs all on ailishsinclair.com, The Dule Tree at Leith Hall is one of the best kno, MERMAID: witchcraft, a stone circle, a castle and. 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. And usually at St Johns, like many churches around the world, we mark this day with a procession around the church with candles. The Irish have a Gaelic. From the Archives What did Tudor people sound like? who if they chose to return to their lairs on this day was interpreted as meaning The "Punxsutawney Groundhog Club" was founded in 1886 by a group of groundhog hunters, one of whom was the editor of the town's newspaper and quickly published a proclamation about its local weather prognosticating groundhog (though Phil didn't get his name until 1961). Tick them off as we go through the sermon. Candlemas became an important date to these Christians in the centuries following their conversion. If Candlemas Day be fair and bright Winter will have another fight. According to the Book of Leviticus (12:1-4), when a woman bore a male child, she was considered unclean for seven days. If Candlemas day be shower and rain, Winter is gone and will not come again. The Wells Cathedral website explains that "this feast of Candlemas, celebrated by the lighting and extinguishing of candles (hence its name), is a bittersweet feast, for the old man also warns the childs mother of the pain and suffering she is to face because of her Son. Simeon, who is the personification of Ancient Israel and the Old Covenant and Jesus, the baby in his arms, who is the personification of the New Israel, the New Covenant. Edward Morris was a businessman, politician, and office-holder; born in 1813 at Waterford (Republic of Ireland). Lovely post. late? 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. After many years in the Diocese of Southwark we are now enjoying life on the south coast of England in the Diocese of Chichester. Winter will have another fight. People believed that Candlemas predicted the weather for the rest of the winter. "If Candlemas Day be fair and bright, winter will have another fight. Groundhog and woodchuck are both names for the grizzled, thickset marmot that is known in biological classification as Marmota monax and that is found principally in the northeastern United States and in Canada. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Various traditions developed about Candlemas, including the following: Weather Predictions Candlemas was the day when some cultures predicted weather patterns. And if this saying is true, theres hope for that. All have the same theme: sunny and cold is bad news, windy and wet is good. Both rhymes mean that if it is nice on Candlemas Day you can expect six more weeks of yucky, winter weather, if it isn't nice on Candlemas Day, the weather should get nicer. A traditional Candlemas poem goes: If Candlemas be fair and. After the ceremony women were allowed to take part in religious services again. A light for all people, in all ages, in all places, no matter who they are. But if it be dark with clouds and rain, winter is gone and will not come again. Wrocaw, German Breslau, city, capital of Dolnolskie wojewdztwo (province), southwestern Poland. And there are more furry forecasters out there too. There are many weather rhymes associated with the festival. Though it incorrectly states that Jesus waa presented at the temple in Bethlehem. There's still a lot we can learn from Groundhog Day, both about our climate and our culture, several experts told NPR. Our Autumn/Spring will begin soon , Ive nominated you for a Versatile Blogger Award : Any Christmas decorations not taken down by Twelfth Night (January 5th) should be left up until Candlemas Day and then taken down. set sail on Candlemas Day, believing that any voyage begun then will end in For in the Christian Church this event in the life of the Holy Family was first celebrated regularly from about 350 AD in Jerusalem. An 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. No enchanted snowy moonlit walks where surprised owls fly low overhead, no snow angels or sledging. A rhyme called "Ceremony upon Candlemas Eve" by Robert Herrick (1591 - 1674) Even before our friends the groundhogs got involved, Candlemas was associated with predicting when spring would come. Sailors are often reluctant to Such verse alludes to the notion of animalshistorically, groundhogs, hedgehogs, badgers, bearsdeciding to end or prolong their winter's sleep according to the weather.
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