Candlemas/Imbolc/St. Brigid's Day, Groundhog Day - Feb 2

Candlemas, February 2, commemorates the ritual purification of Mary, 40 days after the birth of Christ on December 25. Candlemas is one of the four “cross-quarters” of the year, occurring halfway between the first day of Winter (Winter Solstice) and the first day of Spring (Spring Equinox). Traditionally, it was believe that if Candlemas is sunny, the remaining six weeks of Winter would be stormy and cold. But, if it rained or snowed on Candlemas, the rest of the Winter would be mild. In the US, this is known as Groundhog Day. This day is also called “Imbolc” (pronounced “im-olk”), the end of Winter, and the beginning of Spring, a day of newborn calves and lambs, and dormant seeds begin to wake-up within the Earth (Spring has sprung!). With the arrival of these newborns, milk and cheese are once again available for consumption. The promise of the return of light and renewal of life that was made at the Winter Solstice is now starting to show, to come forth and germinate. It is the start of the new planting year, a time for new beginnings.

In the past, it was a custom to bring candles to church to be blessed by the priest on February 2. The candles were then taken home where they served as talismans and protection from all sorts of disasters. This custom was the origin for the name Candles-mass. Originally, this festival was associated with fires that were built in open places. These fires would be lit from the sacred flames (of the previous years’ celebration), in which they would be allowed to burn throughout the year. Then, eventually, the fires were built in church courtyards where people would dance around the flames or jump over them. The people would carry home some of the embers to kindle their own fires from the sacred flames. If the observance of Lent starts as early as February 4, this causes Candlemas customs to become associated with Shrove Tuesday, which is also Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, or Carnival. The fasting season of Lent, a time of purification, begins on Ash Wednesday, the day after Fat Tuesday.

Celebration: The main element of your decorating scheme for this day is, obviously, candles. Beginning at sundown on Candlemas Eve (Feb 1), gather all the candles in your home into one room and light all of them from one central candle, or place a candle in each window of your home and allow them to continue burning until sunrise (but watch them carefully, don’t want any accidents). Or, if you have a fireplace, clean out your hearth, then light a new fire. Have your family and friends sit around the fire or candles to share their hopes for the New Year, like what you hope to accomplish, what your passions are, what you wish to plant in your new garden, etc. Write these ideas down in a journal and/or piece of paper, to make them concrete so that on August 2, the Festival of the First Harvest, Lammas, you can look back to see if, or what progress you have made. Crepes and pancakes are traditional foods for Candlemas because of their round shape and golden color, which are symbols of the sun -- the return of light.

Purification and Renewal: You may give up something frivolous or something serious for 40 days (Dec. 25 to Feb. 2), but it should be something that you will miss or notice. Folklore/wisdom says it takes six weeks to establish a new or better habit, so you may end up with a changed or whole new lifestyle.

Spring-cleaning is another act of purification, and since Candlemas is sometimes considered the beginning of Spring, this is a great time to start. This is a good time to get rid of your old things, change your air-conditioner filters, open your windows to let in fresh air, and do a good house cleaning to banish the gloom of Winter and to create a shiny new setting for Spring. A smudge ceremony in your dwelling or workspace this time of year is also a good idea.

Excerpt from Curiosity Expands Your Mind by Brenda Miller, available through http://www.trafford.com/; http://www.amazon.com/; or http://www.designsbybrenda.net/.