Candlemas

Forty days after the Christmas celebration, the church observes the feast of the Purification of Mary - as women who have recently given birth should be in quarantine - and the Presentation of Jesus Child in the Temple, where he was recognized by Simeon and Anna. 

Feb 2 is also the celebration of Candlemas, where all the candles that were going to be used during the year in the church, were blessed. It was as our own Festival of Lights, like Hanukkah or Kwanzaa.

If you like maths, you have already guessed that Feb 2 is the midway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. 

If Candlemas Day be fair and bright
Winter will have another fight.
If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain,
Winter won't come again.

It is also said that if you haven't taken away your Christmas decorations of the twelfth night, they should be left until Candlemas.

The weather predictions are very common in these days, being the most popular nowadays, a groundhog as prognosticator. So, it's the weather is cloudy on this day, spring will come earlier, if not, we must cope with six more weeks of winter.

Pancakes and crepes (in general anything with wheat, as the eve before is St. Brigid protector of grains) are eaten on this day, as they resemble the sun.

Let's hope for a cloudy day on Candlemas! Actually, it's raining at the moment in Mallorca!

Teaching English by Fran | Groundhog Day

Teaching English by Fran | Christmas [Yule or Saturnalia]