Happy Candlemas

Candlemas, or the Purification of the Virgin, was celebrated in Christian nations as early as the Middle Ages. It is a fixed festival and is held on February second--forty days after Christmas.

Mosaic Law states that a woman who has given birth to a boy remains unclean for seven days, after which, for 33 days, she must "remain in her blood of purification" thus cannot enter the temple prior to this. After this, she must bring the appropriate sacrifices to the temple and the priest will then pray and she will be cleansed. (If you have a girl your time is doubled to eighty days). Mary the Blessed Mother did this forty days after Christ was born. She was purified by the prayer of Simeon the just (who calls him, as a baby "the light for revelation") , in the presence of Anna the prophetess . This was the first formal introduction of Jesus in the Temple of God, a solemn event. The actual date became standardized when the Roman Feast of the Nativity was introduced at December 25. On this holy day, candles are brought to and blessed during Mass and brought home (light for revelation). This day kind of does double duty in Christendom whereas not only is the Virgin purified, but the Lord Jesus is presented as well.

This date also has pagan influences in regard to purficiation and rites for fecundity and fertility.

"In Ireland, this holy day is called Imbolc and begins at sunset on February 1 continuing through sunset February 2nd. There are several different derivations offered for the name Imbolc: from Ol-melc (ewe's milk) because the ewes are lactating at this time, from Im-bolg (around the belly) in honor of the swelling belly of the earth goddess, and from folcaim (I wash) because of the rites of purification which took place at this time. All of these explanations capture the themes of this festival.

February 1st is the feast day of St. Brigid, who began her life as a pagan goddess and ended up a Christian saint. She was a fire and fertility goddess. In her temple at Kildare, vestal virgins tended an eternal fire. On her feast day, her statue was washed in the sea (purification) and then carried in a cart through the fields surrounded by candles."

To celebrate St. Brigid's day, people put out a loaf of bread on the windowsill for the Saint and an ear of corn for her white cow, offerings for the grain goddess like the loaf buried in the first furrow. A small quantity of special seeds are mixed with those to be sown. Wheat stalks are woven into X-shaped crosses to serve as charms to protect home from fire and lightning.

reference: http://www.schooloftheseasons.com/candlemas.html

On a practical note, this date was considered to be an excellent time for forecasting the weather and there are several ancient rhymes, dating as far back as 1612, which indicate that the weather was a significant element on this special occasion.

"If Candlemas day be fair and bright
Winter will have another flight
If Candlemas day it be shower and rain
Winter is gone, and will not come back again"

Interestingly, the groundhog or woodchuck also makes his appearance to forecast the weather. The groundhog belief and Candlemas are in perfect harmony. If the sun is out, the groundhog will see its shadow and there will be another winter. If no shadow, winter is done. I have yet to see a year when he didn't see his shadow.

This day marks half-way through winter. Self-sufficient folks before the days of refrigeration and modern technology considered weather to be an important concern because severe hardship could occur if the winter was especially long. So this day is a good day to check on the size of the woodpile, inventory the kitchen pantry and root cellar and the level of feed left for the livestock.

Half the wood and half the hay
You should have on Candlemas Day.