Origins of Groundhog Day and Candlemas | Merriam-Webster Those are the words of an old English poem which helped inspire a tradition that takes place here in the U.S. every Feb. 2, dating back to 1887. 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. One goose, two geese. The "Punxsutawney Groundhog Club" was founded in 1886 by a group of groundhog hunters, one of whom was the editor of the town's newspaper and quickly published a proclamation about its local weather prognosticating groundhog (though Phil didn't get his name until 1961). 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/. That's thanks in large part to the popularity of the eponymous movie and the ability to live-stream the festivities. But that alone doesn't make them reliable forecasters. of winter, with the promise of spring to come. 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. This day also used to have great significance on the calendar, because the date lies half way between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, so it marks the day upon which winter is half over! I heard it from my bed half a mile away. Phil did not see his shadow. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. After the ceremony women were allowed to take part in religious services again. "Any place that has a groundhog these days is trying to get some [cred] by it," Blumstein says. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. (modern), According to a German tradition, badgers emerging from hibernation will immediately return for another sleep if it is sunny on Candlemas Day because they know the winter will continue. Still, he says there's a lot humans can learn from groundhogs' behavior. Winter won't come again. (Anonymous Scottish poem) The Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The story about the animal spotting its shadow comes from a German tradition about badgers. Our Autumn/Spring will begin soon , Ive nominated you for a Versatile Blogger Award : Similarly, an old Scottish rhyme is "If Candlemas Day is bright and clear, / There'll be twa winters in the year." The Irish roots behind America's Groundhog Day - IrishCentral.com "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.". Streets frozen again but no cold such as we have had. 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. 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. Image: Presentation of Christ in the Temple, from the Sherbrooke Missal. How many did you get? of spring in the middle of winter. Nowadays any Christmas decorations not taken down by Twelfth Night (January 5th) should be left up until Candlemas Day and then taken down. So, to our gospel reading. The fascinating story behind many people's favori Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz! He then blessed the Holy Family, and said in turn to Mary: This child is destined to be the downfall and the rise of many in Israel, a sign that will be opposed and you yourself shall be pierced with a sword so that the thoughts of many hearts may be laid bare (Lk 2:34-35). Ritual purification stems back to a Jewish tradition that women were considered unclean after the birth of a child. 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"). If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, winter won't come again", is perhaps the best known. In summer it can reach unbearable temperatures. My mum came out with the Doric version yesterday, one day I dont think I would mind snow! 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. The book features a neurodivergent main character and some rather complicated romance. Saint Sophronius was a bishop of Jerusalem in the early 7thcentury. What is Candlemas Day? - Catholic Straight Answers Here they are again: Well, now February 2ndis known liturgically as the Presentation of Jesus. The real story behind Groundhog Day - Inhabitat According to folklore then, the worst of the winter is over. Rachel Treisman (she/her) is a writer and editor for the Morning Edition live blog, which she helped launch in early 2021. The hot place is a point on our property that is sheltered from both north and east winds by walls, and situated next to large windows that reflect the sunlight and bestow a sort of double sunning. Some people thought that they provided protection against . The Christian festival of Candlemas commemorates the purification of Mary after giving birth, as well as the presentation of Jesus in the temple. Find company research, competitor information, contact details & financial data for ES OFFICE PROJEKT SP Z O O of Wrocaw, dolnolskie. Hence its title in the Church of Englands 1662 Book of Common Prayer of the Purification of Mary the Blessed Virgin. A rhyme called "Ceremony upon Candlemas Eve" by Robert Herrick (1591 - 1674) So Im starting this morning witha quiz question for you. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. If Candlemas be fair and bright, Come, Winter, have another flight; If Candlemas brings clouds and rain, Go Winter, and come not again. The mother continued to stay at home for 33 days for her blood to be purified. A sort of Catch 22 situation. He is the light who came into this world to dispel sin and darkness. In both heathen and Christian calendars it is a day for lighting candles and celebrating the return of the light. They immediately return for another sleep if it is sunny on 2 February because they know the winter will continue. "Whether or not there is a predictability of whether it's sunny on Groundhog Day and whether spring comes early or later, I don't know," Blumstein says, adding that Phil's predictions involve "him whispering into people who are wearing stovepipe hats and in front of a drunk crowd, so you can't really trust that.". 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. Its a day when we think about the weather. All have the same theme: sunny and cold is bad news, windy and wet is good. 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. 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.". 4, Rare and Amusing Insults: Cockalorum, Snollygoster, and More, 'Couple,' 'Few,' and 'Several': The (Mostly) Definitive Guide. A light for me, a light for you. Unfortunately, on this blustery winter morning, he didn't find it. A light for all people, in all ages, in all places, no matter who they are. Candlemas Day is another name for the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. As decades of repeated stories tell, if the famous Punxsutawney groundhog ("Phil") sees its shadow on the second of February, there will be six more weeks of winter; if not, there will be an early spring. (Traditional). It appears that the practice of blessing candles was frowned upon after the Reformation, with Archbishop Thomas Cranmer writing to Bishop Bonner on 27th January 1548 informing him that the Lord Protector has decided "that no candles should be borne upon Candlemas Day, nor also from henceforth ashes or palms used any longer." Weather eye: If Candlemas Day be fair and bright - The Times If Candlemas Day be fair and bright Winter will have another fight. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Translation: Language: English Tags: Short Poems Rate this poem: Report SPAM Log in or register to post comments It commemorates the purification (or churching, as medieval people would have seen it) of the Virgin Mary forty days after the birth of Jesus Christ, when it was traditional for the mother to make an offering or sacrifice according to Jewish law, and the presentation of the baby Jesus at the temple in Bethlehem. I doubt it somehow, unless Facebook is still going strong! These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. And usually at St Johns, like many churches around the world, we mark this day with a procession around the church with candles. Jesus brings light to show us the way ahead. On the Pagan side it occurs in the middle Both rhymes mean that if it is nice on Candlemas Day you can expect six more weeks If the child was a girl she was unclean for 66 days. Since ancient times, a procession of lit candles has observed the day, whence the name Candlemas, and the observance comes from Scripture deeming Christ as "a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.". If Candlemas Day is clear and bright - Ailish Sinclair You are warming up while we are cooling down (not quite yet though). In the diaries of Edward Morris,Mr. Morris observed on February 2, 1871. after the birth of their children, all Jewish mothers went to the Temple Well, while you try and think of all the different titles for February 2nd, and Ill be amazed if anyone can get all five, Ill start to work my way through them. If Candlemas be fair and bright, Winter will have another flight. Pop. It refers to the meeting between Jesus and Simeon. The Irish have a Gaelic hag who can make 2 February sunny so that she can gather plenty of sticks for her fire for the rest of a long winter. The price for such a redemption was five shekels, which the parents paid to the priest. and distributing candles and carrying them in procession before the mass. not entirely without sense. Simeon, who is the personification of Ancient Israel and the Old Covenant and Jesus, the baby in his arms, who is the personification of the New Israel, the New Covenant. 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. People believed that Candlemas predicted the weather for the rest of the winter. Day celebrated on the same date. . A shadow isn't all that scary. of yucky, winter weather, if it isn't nice on Candlemas Day, the weather should For this meeting between Simeon and Jesus in the Temple is a pivotal moment in the story of our redemption for this is the moment at which the long awaited Messiah is proclaimed to be a Light not just for Gods chosen people the Jews, but forallpeople. Thats title number one. If Candlemas Day be fair and bright year that is dated by reference to Christmas; In An oliphaunt fallen. Here in southern B.C., we usually experience only a few days of snow, but this year it lasted over a month. ES OFFICE PROJEKT SP Z O O Company Profile - Dun & Bradstreet I almost miss having to dig my way into the woodshed (almost, not really; it was fairly tortuous, and nasty when ice dripped down your neck too). He thinks over time there will be "some happy ground" and that may already be the case in Punxsutawney. And together we can make sure that not only Candlemas Day is fair and bright, but the whole year ahead is bright, lit by the Light of Jesus. For this reason, Blessed John Paul II began the custom of keeping the Nativity scene in St. Peters square until Feb. 2. Three loud cracks sounded as its branches broke. An 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. That was a beautiful way to sum up a harsh winter. Walk always as a child of the light and keep the flame of faith alive in your heart. The surprising Catholic connection to Groundhog Day It made me think about the passage and circle of time, of the constancy of the land on which we live and the transient nature of human life. So, what is Candlemas? If its sunny and he can see his shadow he goes back to sleep because winter is coming back. 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. If Candlemas brings clouds and rain, Winter will not come again. But if it be dark with clouds and rain, winter is gone and will not come again. The feast later spread to the Western church, but as a feast of Mary rather than of Jesus, because Mary needed to go to the Temple to be purified. An old English song went as follows: If Candlemas be fair and bright, / Come, Winter, have another flight. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. How does the Last Supper relate to Passover. 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. As we consider the feast of the Presentation, we remember that our parents presented us at church for our baptism. And their firstborn Son was presented in the Temple to God. 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. If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, Winter won't come again.' The history of candles is also a significant part of the festival.