Candlemas Day is another name for the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. So Im starting this morning witha quiz question for you. 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 . However, if the light of Candlemas Day radiates through the gloom and darkness of the day, the end of winter is near. Its high time that winter should be on its way out. It was seen as superstitious. I heard it from my bed half a mile away. If Candlemas be fair and bright, Winter will have another flight. On January 1, 1851 he began to keep a daily diary that he continued until his death on3April1887. There is something magical that happens with the light of the sunset and snow. 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.. Candlemas 2022: And Before There Ever Was Groundhog Day, There Was Is the Real Stone of Scone Hidden at Finlaggan? severe weather would continue for another forty days at least. Learn a new word every day. And because hedgehogs aren't native to the U.S., they turned to groundhogs (which were plentiful in Pennsylvania) instead. Winter won't come again. These pages are best viewed using the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, or IE. 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. Second, Candlemas Day also was important in the lives of farmers. Such verse alludes to the notion of animalshistorically, groundhogs, hedgehogs, badgers, bearsdeciding to end or prolong their winter's sleep according to the weather. Our Autumn/Spring will begin soon , Ive nominated you for a Versatile Blogger Award : For 40 days for a boy, and 60 days for a girl, women weren't allowed to worship in the temple. 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. A large industrial centre situated in Dolny lsk (Lower Silesia), Wrocaw is the fourth largest city in Poland. We're not meteorologists, but the science behind this forecast is questionable. It's almost Groundhog Day! 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. 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.". What are the origins of the May Crowning? 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. It is all completely unreliable, but surprisingly consistent across Europe and North America. 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? 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. So the focus is on Jesus consecration to God. from winter hibernation to inspect the weather as well as wolves, Kids showed . Some people believe that the Celtic Sabbat of Imbolc, . Blumstein says all animals, not just the prognosticators, deserve respect. One moose, two moose. Due to the poor weather at (Fox version) If Candlemas day be fair and bright, Winter will have another flight. (Will Morgan/WHAM) Rochester, N.Y. Our Bright Spot shines on The Children's Business Fair hosted by First American Equipment Finance on Friday. Plus, human meteorologists have far more advanced methods for predicting the weather now than they did when Phil first got the gig in 1887. after his birth (as Jewish custom required), and the purification ceremony Loved it.. Simple Preparations for Candlemas - Meagan Rose Wilson A traditional Candlemas poem goes: If Candlemas be fair and. 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. #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. If Candlemas be cloud and snow, Winter will be gone and not come again. 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. What Eucharistic miracle inspired the Feast of Corpus Christi? 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. "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. Set in 1st century Scotland,SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLDincludes the battle of Mons Graupius between the Romans and the Caledonian tribes. 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. His department always has a Groundhog Day party, even in perennially-sunny Los Angeles but he says you don't have to be a "marmot enthusiast" (as he describes himself) to get something out of the day. The festival is called Candlemas beacuse this was the day that all the Church's candles for the year were blessed. If the child was a boy he was circumcised on the eighth day and then the woman was ceremonially unclean for another 33 days. time of year. therefore falls on the following February 2. 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. The surprising Catholic connection to Groundhog Day Read the articleRoman Aberdeenshire features in authors new bookfrom Grampian Online. 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 price for such a redemption was five shekels, which the parents paid to the priest. Winter will have another fight. 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. not entirely without sense. light of the candles is symbolic of Christ as the light of the world, to stick to tradition all the We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Pop. Its observance spread throughout the Eastern Church where it is calledhyperpanteor The Meeting thats title number four. If Candlemas Day be sunny and bright | Archival Moments 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. 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. This festival And yet Christmas is not all the story. While the same principle applied to Groundhog Day . That was a beautiful way to sum up a harsh winter. 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. "There's the instincts and the intuition and the imagination that every human being has that has to come into balance with logic and reason.". "If Candlemas Day be fair and bright, winter will have another fight. Here in southern B.C., we usually experience only a few days of snow, but this year it lasted over a month. "If Candlemas Day be fair and bright, winter will have another fight. 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). "If Candlemas be fair and bright, come winter, have another flight. What is Groundhog Day? | Grammarly 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. 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. 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. How many did you get? 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.". 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.". , 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? 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. after the birth of their children, all Jewish mothers went to the Temple The day fine enough but the walking very rough. In America, Protestants decided we should replace Catholic Candlemas Day with Groundhog Day. In pre-Christian times, it was the festival of light. 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. And, in America, if the groundhog sees his shadow (i.e., Candlemas day is fair and bright . And if this saying is true, there's hope for that. The continual rain, mud and roof leakages have made the season seem long and arduous. If Candlemas bring clouds and rain, Go winter, and come not again. If Candlemas Day be fair and bright Winter will have another fight. So winter: snow properly, or let spring through. Weather eye: If Candlemas Day be fair and bright - The Times 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. And usually at St Johns, like many churches around the world, we mark this day with a procession around the church with candles. The verb to present (paristanai) also means to offer, which evokes Jesus being presented as the priest who will offer Himself as the perfect sacrifice to free us from the slavery of sin, seal the new and eternal covenant with His blood, and open the gates to the true promised land of heaven. The procession represents the entry of Jesus as light of the world into the temple. Solstice 2010: The wind has been notably fierce, bringing an ancient beech tree crashing to the ground one night. Origins of Groundhog Day and Candlemas | Merriam-Webster If Candlemas Day be fair and bright The Candlemas Connection | Faith Magazine This was the first time it lit up this year, fitting then that its Groundhog Day (wiki), Candlemas (wiki) and Imbolc (wiki). Get the latest business insights from Dun & Bradstreet. of spring in the middle of winter. "Any place that has a groundhog these days is trying to get some [cred] by it," Blumstein says. Teach the Candlemas ditty, If Candlemas be fair and bright . Forty days after His birth, Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple for the rites of purification and dedication as prescribed by the Torah. If Candlemas brings clouds and rain, Winter will not come again. Tick them off as we go through the sermon. We have some of his sermons still, and In a sermon he preached on this feast day, he emphasised this theme of light. That is still true in the Church today, but most of us have put Christmas behind us long before Candlemas. A Modern Catholic's Guide to Celebrating Candlemas Yay! If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, "If Candlemas be fair and bright, Winter has another flight. the West, the date of Christmas is now fixed at December 25, and Candlemas (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. No matter how much things may change, some things remain the same! Why, then, do we continue looking to creatures for answers on Feb. 2, year after year after year? Then there was a procession in which people carried lighted candles while the choir sang. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. The sun is nice today; I'd like more of that, please, I'm ready to laze in the hot place with a book. If Candlemas Day be fair and bright Winter will have another fight. Candlemas is the last festival in the Christian Solstice and the Spring Equinox. In 1723, the Delaware Native Americans settled in the area around Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. 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. "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.". And if this saying is true, theres hope for that. 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 Allow us to elucidate. It is believed to be an alteration of either the Ojibwa otchig or the Cree otcheck, both of which mean "fisher" or "marten.". If Candlemas Day is clear and bright, winter will have another bite. It refers to the meeting between Jesus and Simeon. 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/. If Candlemas be fair and bright, Come, winter, have another flight; If Candlemas brings clouds and rain, Go winter, and come not again. Jesus brings light to show us the way ahead. ADSGARD SP Z O O Company Profile - Dun & Bradstreet 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. Like some other Christian festivals, Candlemas draws some of its elements from Paganism. Its a day when we think about the weather. 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.". 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. Just to insure that there is enough to get you through the winter. 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. But that alone doesn't make them reliable forecasters. 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. So the Presentation is a proclamation of Christ Messiah and Priest, Lord and Savior. If the child was a girl she was unclean for 66 days. For my eyes have witnessed your saving deed, displayed for all the peoples to see: A revealing light to the Gentiles, the glory of your people Israel (Lk 2:29-32). We leave you with some facts and a question. 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. 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.