If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, Winter will not come again. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Phil did not see his shadow. 'If Candlemas Day be fair and bright Winter will have another fight. Candlemas hot or cold is a world of difference. One moose, two moose. As the Wells Cathedral website explains, "The season of Christmas, which includes the celebration of the visit of the wise men to the child at Epiphany, lasts for forty days and ends with the Feast of Candlemas on 2nd February." 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. 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. It's believed that if there's bright weather on Candlemas there would be more bad weather to come (just like the Cailleach). In the time of Jesus and the Jewish Law with its rules on what was clean and unclean, it was thought that a mother needed cleansing after the birth of a child. And their firstborn Son was presented in the Temple to God. Still, he says there's a lot humans can learn from groundhogs' behavior. My mum came out with the Doric version yesterday, one day I dont think I would mind snow! In the deepest months of winter the sun doesnt touch it at all. Allow us to elucidate. This "interpretation" of Candlemas Day became the norm for most of Europe. 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. Winter will not come again. Accordingly, no appearance of a shadow means, inexplicably, an early spring, which the squirrelly rodent uncannily has promised because it wasn't frightened by a shadowbut, according to historical records, don't put away the snow shovels too soon. And, in America, if the groundhog sees his shadow (i.e., Candlemas day is fair and bright . the birth and nursing of the spring lambs as a sign of the first stirrings 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. The eve of Candlemas was the day on which Christmas decorations and greenery get nicer. Something shared (winter) on a completely different note, considering I live in Mexico. Such verse alludes to the notion of animalshistorically, groundhogs, hedgehogs, badgers, bearsdeciding to end or prolong their winter's sleep according to the weather. After the ceremony women were allowed to take part in religious services again. Simeon, thereby, announced that the Messiah has come not just for the Jew but the gentile; not just the righteous, but the sinner. "But the idea of watching animals and whether they see their shadow out of hibernation had been going on before that, it just hadn't turned into a public festival until later in the 19th century.". Poems taught young people the importance of the holiday as a forecasting tool. Day celebrated on the same date. My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord! Fine morning, light frost, wind from the north, north west. How did the U.S. end up celebrating Groundhog Day in the first place? It was good. 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.. Read more. Jews at the time of Jesus, like most cultures, had their own particular laws and customs surrounding child-birth. http://writingafterdark.net/2014/02/06/the-versatile-blogger-award/. So Im starting this morning witha quiz question for you. Always on our minds: Texas celebrates 90 years of Willie Nelson, Sun shines on San Antonians celebrating 132nd Battle of Flowers parade, Fiesta enters final weekend; police probe Market Square shooting, Carolyn Bryant Donham, who accused Emmett Till before he was lynched, dies at age 88. An oliphaunt fallen. 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. Nice post, the quote out of Sisters on the Edge Of The World was powerful. If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, The belief, originating from central Europe and now widely celebrated in North America, is that the groundhog emerges from his burrow where he has been hibernating and pokes his head out to see what the weather is like. It's not only groundhogs that are getting in on the fun. Simeon held the baby Jesus and called him a Light to the World. Punxsutawney Phil's handlers, known as the "Inner Circle," continue to wear dark tuxedos, long tails and top hats even today, he points out. If Candlemas day be shower and rain, Winter is gone and will not come again. Some people believe that the Celtic Sabbat of Imbolc, These cookies do not store any personal information. (Traditional). He runs a long-term project that is about to begin its 62nd year of studying yellow-bellied marmots in Colorado, as a window into longevity and how flexible animals are in responding to a warming climate. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. And because hedgehogs aren't native to the U.S., they turned to groundhogs (which were plentiful in Pennsylvania) instead. Both rhymes mean that if it is nice on Candlemas Day you can expect six more weeks And usually at St Johns, like many churches around the world, we mark this day with a procession around the church with candles. So the Presentation is a proclamation of Christ Messiah and Priest, Lord and Savior. The groundhog arguably the most famous member of his species and the most recognizable of all the country's animal prognosticators did what he has done for the last 137 years: search for a sign of spring in front of a group of top hat-wearing handlers and adoring fans at Gobbler's Knob in Pennsylvania. It was seen as superstitious. If we have inadvertently included a copyrighted poem that the copyright holder does not wish to be displayed, we will take the poem down within 48 hours upon notification by the owner or the owner's legal representative (please use the contact form at http://www.poetrynook.com/contact or email "admin [at] poetrynook [dot] com"). I wonder if any of my sermons will still be read 14 centuries from now? Ritual purification stems back to a Jewish tradition that women were considered unclean after the birth of a child. Plus, human meteorologists have far more advanced methods for predicting the weather now than they did when Phil first got the gig in 1887. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so. (2011) 630,131; (2017 est.) The fascinating story behind many people's favori Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz! Jesus the light who shines in the darkness and who guides us on our journey in the darkness that so often seems to surround us. There is some scientific basis for the Candlemas lore, according to Blumstein. which was celebrated in pre-Christian Europe (and It's almost Groundhog Day! The groundhog is a woodchuck. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. lighting of candles, as slightly longer days begin to be noticeable at this The Irish have a Gaelic. Get the latest business insights from Dun & Bradstreet. A light for each of us, a light for every one of us. If Candlemas be fair and bright, Come winter, have another flight. 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." Groundhog Day was officially recognized in the United States during the late 1800s and was popularized in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, by news media. 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. (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. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Three loud cracks sounded as its branches broke. evolved into Groundhog 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.". Therefore, as a light, each of us must bear witness to Our Lord. 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. Candlemas became an important date to these Christians in the centuries following their conversion. 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. If Candlemas brings clouds and rain, Winter will not come again. It just so happens that shadows occur on sunny days. Two other interesting tidbits highlight this day: First, in many Eastern European countries, the feast of the Presentation officially closes the celebration of Christmas. so forth weren't removed there would be a death among the congregation They immediately return for another sleep if it is sunny on 2 February because they know the winter will continue. If someone brings snowdrops into the house on Candlemas day it symbolises a parting or death. Our Autumn/Spring will begin soon , Ive nominated you for a Versatile Blogger Award : light of the candles is symbolic of Christ as the light of the world, to stick to tradition all the Winter will have another fight. candles should be made of beeswax. With dictionary look up. "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. In Newfoundland there is an established tradition that on this day a blessed candle would be lit and the mother of the household would bless the children in the home with the candle. If Candlemas be fair and bright, Winter has another flight. 29 April William Dacre, 3rd Baron Gilsland, a lucky man. It was sunny and bright, though it offered only a vague warmth today. of yucky, winter weather, if it isn't nice on Candlemas Day, the weather should 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. On Candlemas day if thorns hang a drop, You can be sure of a good pea crop. 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. It was a campsite halfway between the Allegheny and the Susquehanna Rivers. If Candlemas day be shower and rain, Winter is gone and will not come again. Its observance spread throughout the Eastern Church where it is calledhyperpanteor The Meeting thats title number four. Learn a new word every day. On the Pagan side it occurs in the middle In his book The English Year, Steve Roud explains that, as the name suggests, Candlemas's "key element" was "the preponderance of candles". If Candlemas day be cloudy and grey, Winter soon will pass away. But, if he doesn't see his shadow, the country can expect warmer temperatures and an early spring." BBC 2014 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Morris when writing in his diary about Candlemas he also wrote:The day fine enough but the walking very rough.. "If Candlemas be fair and bright, Winter has another flight. April 27 Can Henry VIII abandon Anne Boleyn? 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. Second, Candlemas Day also was important in the lives of farmers. For this reason, Blessed John Paul II began the custom of keeping the Nativity scene in St. Peters square until Feb. 2. 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. A rhyme called "Ceremony upon Candlemas Eve" by Robert Herrick (1591 - 1674) The males typically come out first and then begin looking for females with whom to mate. set sail on Candlemas Day, believing that any voyage begun then will end in Various traditions developed about Candlemas, including the following: Weather Predictions Candlemas was the day when some cultures predicted weather patterns. Some people thought that they provided protection against . Traditional For some people, different superstitions. Germany went a step further by making animals specifically hedgehogs part of the proceedings. Copyright The Learn English Network - All Rights Reserved. And yet Christmas is not all the story. 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. No matter how much things may change, some things remain the same! As part of that research, Blumstein spends time on skis, in the snow, waiting for the yellow-bellied marmots to come out from hibernation. before the year was out. Come through the castle door to sign up to my occasional emails for exclusive photos and news of my writing and life. If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, Let me give you a clue to the first two titles. Teach the Candlemas ditty, If Candlemas be fair and bright . 4, Rare and Amusing Insults: Cockalorum, Snollygoster, and More, 'Couple,' 'Few,' and 'Several': The (Mostly) Definitive Guide. If Candlemas be fair and bright, Come, winter, have another flight; If Candlemas brings clouds and rain, Go winter, and come not again. The Thats title number one. marked the mid-way point between the Winter The book features a neurodivergent main character and some rather complicated romance. There was only one Temple for the Jews and it was in Jerusalem, not. This was the first time it lit up this year, fitting then that its Groundhog Day (wiki), Candlemas (wiki) and Imbolc (wiki). If Candlemas day be sunny and bright, Winter again will show its might. 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?
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