I’m finally getting ready to take down the Christmas tree and put away the Noel decorations in the various rooms around the house, for it is Candlemas on February 2nd. The word “candlemas” has been used in English since the 12th century AD. It derives from the Old English words “candel” and “maesse,” meaning a Mass done in a church to bless candles. In the Christian calendar February 2nd is the festival in commemoration of The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple and The Purification of Mary. It is the end of the Christmas cycle.
Luke chapter two records, “And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” Mary and Joseph made the short trip from Bethlehem to Jerusalem to accomplish two things according to the directions in the Pentateuch. On the 40th day after Jesus’ birth the baby was “presented” before the Lord at the great temple in Jerusalem. Also, the writings of Moses stipulated that after the ordeal of childbirth a mother is ritually cleansed (purified) and welcomed back into the community before the altar of the Lord on the 40th day, if the child is male. The family shall give an offering for sacrifice according to their financial ability. So, in the case of Joseph and Mary, a poor couple, the donation is two birds.
The Christian Church started observing these events around 40 days after The Nativity in the 4th century AD. Egeria, on a Holy Land tour in 381-384 AD, observed the Christians in Jerusalem commemorating The Presentation and The Purification. There are also various sermons preached by early Church Fathers on these events in the 4th century. The Western Church eventually established the feast day on February 2nd, which was 40 days after December 25th. A connection with candles on the Day was meant to emphasize Christ as the Light of the World and to bless candles for use in homes during the last dark nights of Winter. In Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and some South American countries, the end of the Christmas season on February 2nd is still celebrated with processions of the Virgen de la Candelaria.
The second day of February is the cross-quarter day in the solar year. It is the day that the sun rises halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. In northern Europe February 2nd was a time to anticipate the spring planting season. Sayings about the weather became connected to the Christian festival of Candlemas. “When the wind’s in east on Candlemas Day, there it will stick till the 2nd of May.” “If Candlemas Day be fair and clear, there’ll be two winters in the year.” “If Candlemas Day bring cloud and rain, winter won’t come again.”
Weather predicters in Germany looked to badgers for a sign in connection with the adages of Candlemas Day. Many Germans immigrated to Pennsylvania in the 1700’s and brought their folklore with them. There weren’t many badgers in the area, but groundhogs were plentiful, and so Groundhog Day developed on February 2nd.
In 1887 the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club formed to make predictions about the weather. If the groundhog saw his shadow, it meant winter would stay around for a while. If the sky was cloudy and there was no shadow, spring was coming soon. And so, weather predicting groundhogs became famous in other areas of North America. Ontario had Wiarton Willie. Halifax had Shubenacadie Sam. Since there are not many groundhogs on the prairies, Moose Jaw had Snewsie the Gopher.
The Presentation and The Purification commemoration developed into Candlemas and Groundhog Day over the centuries. So, take some time on February 2nd and pack any remaining Christmas/Advent decorations away and prepare for Spring to come. The days are getting longer, and the outlook is bright. Rejoice, the Winter blues are dispersing, no matter what any groundhogs may say.
Columnist John Kreutzwieser loves to research words and writes this weekly Word Wisdom column for Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com. He has an interest in the usage, origin, and relevance of words for society today. Greek and Latin form the basis of many words, with ancient Hebrew shedding light on word usage.
John would like to know if anyone has a sincere interest in a relevant word that he could possibly research for an upcoming column. If so, please send your requests to [email protected] . Words will be selected according to relevance and research criteria. We cannot confirm that all words will be used.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
