Being one of the 4 cross-quarter days, halfway between the solstice and equinox, Candlemas (Feb 2) is suppose to be predictive of weather.
If Candlemas Day is clear and bright,
Winter will have another bite.
If Candlemas Day brings cold and rain,
Winter is gone and will not come again.
In the US it has morphed into Groundhog's Day. Candlemas is a relic of pagan customs, and a high holy day for Wiccans. It was characterized in one of my favorite horror films, "Horror Hotel", with witches sacrificing a beautiful maiden when the clock strikes 13 on Candlemas Eve.
Christians celebrate the time as the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple in Jerusalem. According to Hebrew tradition, forty days after the birth of a male child, the mother was supposed to go to the temple go be purified. Mary took baby Jesus to the Temple where they met Simeon. 'Twas Simeon who prayed what became known as the Nunc Dimittis, which is sung at every Evensong service.
"Lord, now letest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people:
to be a light to lighten the gentiles and to be the glory of thy people Israel." (Luke 2:29-32)
The church uses Candlemas to bless all the candles used in worship services-a light to lighten the darkness. Often on Candlemas Eve, the people carry lighted candles through the town. The first signs that spring will come is around this time with bears coming out of hibernation and calves being born.
I first heard of Candlemas from Ingmar Bergman's 1960 claasic film "The Virgin Spring" where the young beautiful maiden and her ugly pregnant servant are carrying candles to the church for blessing on Candlemas when the maiden is viciously attacked in the woods: not something to forget.
