From Candlemas to Groundhog Day

    Candlemas celebrates Jesus' presentation in the Temple 40 days after Christmas. It has pre-Christian roots as the mid-point between winter solstice and spring equinox.

    Linda McDonnell

   Christians traditionally celebrated Candlemas as a festival day honoring the presentation of Jesus in the Temple to be dedicated to God. In keeping with Jewish custom, this ritual took place 40 days after his birth. On our current calendar, this comes on Feb. 2, falling 40 days after Christmas. Christians celebrated the day with candles to commemorate the light of Jesus coming into the world.

    In the Catholic Church, the day is also called the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. It is celebrated with a procession and the blessing of candles. The day also marks the end of the season of Epiphany, which commemorates the visit made by the Three Kings to the infant Jesus 12 days after his birth.

    But even in pre-Christian times, Feb 2 was a day of celebration known as the "Festival of Lights." Coming midway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, it heralded the coming of spring. Candles were lit to symbolize the return of the sun and lengthening days after the long months of winter darkness. Called Imbolc in Celtic cultures, this day marked the beginning of lambing season, and according to folkloric tradition, the initial stirrings of seeds in the earth.

    In Ireland, Feb. 2 was also the festival day of Brigid, known in various sources as the pagan goddess of fertility, grain and fire. Candles were lit on her festival day.

    A number of customs developed around Candlemas:

   In some cultures, children brought money to school so their teacher could buy treats. The boy or girl bringing the most money was crowned king or queen of Candlemas.

   In Luxembourg, children sang and carried candles door-to-door. They were treated with candy at the houses where they stopped.

   Any Christmas decorations not taken down on Epiphany were to be left up until Candlemas. At that time, all decoration had to be taken down.

    Imbolc, the pre-Christian celebration, also had its customs:

    In ancient Ireland, a "bride's bed" might be prepared.

     Sheafs of grain from the previous harvest were made into a doll. The doll would then be dressed and placed in a basket by the door. The next day, the grains were planted or left for the birds.

      Also in Ireland, some people believed Brigid visited homes on this day to bless the residents. Food might be left in anticipation of her visit.

      Feb. 2 also was a day for predicting weather. Ancient tradition holds that on this day bears and wolves ventured out of their dens to test the air. If winter weather was to continue, they'd return to their dens till the equinox, still six weeks away.

      Some cultures had another way of predicting the weather: If Feb. 2 dawned clear and sunny, winter would continue for another six weeks. If it was cloudy and rainy, the worst of winter was ending and spring would come early.

      A traditional English song celebrates this forecasting lore:

     If Candlemas be fair and bright,

     Come, winter, have another flight;

     If Candlemas bring clouds and rain,

     Go winter, and come not again.

     In some European cultures, a hedgehog did the predicting. If the hedgehog saw his shadow on Feb. 2, winter would continue; no shadow and spring was on the way.

     In the early North American colonies, the tradition was continued using the native groundhog. Today, U.S. calendars designate Feb. 2 as "Groundhog Day."

     References:

    The New Catholic Encyclopedia, Second Edition (Catholic University of America)

    Encyclopedia of Irish Spirituality, Phyllis G. Jestice (ABC-CLID, Inc., Santa Barbara, CA)

     A Year of Holidays around the World: Celebrations of Light, Nancy Luenn (Atheneum Books for Young Readers)