Today is not only Groundhog Day, it’s also Candlemas Day…. some proverbs link the day to the weather, much like Groundhog Day. For example: “If Candlemas Day be fair and bright, winter will have another light” and “If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, winter won’t come again.”
The word Candlemas derives from candela meaning candle — Candlemas is also known as the festival of light. The day is celebrated on February 2 to honor light warding off evil and death and assuring prosperity. It is a Christian festival commemorating the presentation of Jesus at the Temple of Jerusalem and his role as a light to enlighten pagan nations.
The first written records of this day’s celebration date back to the 5th century. They narrate the journey Mary and Joseph made to the temple with the infant Jesus. The Church created Candlemas Day to replace pagan cults that placed light at the heart of their rituals. The Romans held torchlight processions in February to purify the Earth at the end of winter. It was also the month of Lupercalia — a festival of purification held in Rome to revive fertility by releasing vital forces.
Over time, the Lupercalia became more involved with scandalous excess and the Christian community looked on the activities with a disapproving eye. In the year 494, Pope Gelasius I decided to ban this festival and replace it with Candlemas processions and the blessing of candles in churches. The blessed candles serve as a symbol of Jesus Christ, representing his day of induction into Judaism.
For most of us, Christmas ends when we take down out Christmas decorations or have to go back to work, but Candlemas, which comes 40 days after Christmas, is officially the end of Christmas.
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