The many meanings of February 2nd, a very auspicious day!
For most Americans today represents that time when that big rodent “Punxsutawney Phil” makes for the biggest meteorological holiday of the year. Yep, its Ground Hog day with all eyes on Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania as he emerges from his burrow on Gobbler’s Knob for the 138th annual prediction. Today, Phil did not see his shadow so an early spring, well at least for some regions of the country ;)
World wide there is a deeper meaning to February 2nd, much older than the late 1800s founding of the US Groundhog Day prognostications. The extensive use of candles or tapers in the ritual of the Roman Catholic church (as well as Anglican/Episcopal church) is well known. February 2nd is known as Candlemas Day (or Candelaia; candle mass) and thus today, there is a blessing of candles by the clergy and a distribution of them to the people, by whom they are in some churches lighted and carried in procession. Candlemas Day is also observed by Catholics as the festival of the Purification of the virgin Mary (also of renewal and hope), and hence some writers have supposed the candle bearing on that day to refer to Simeon's words (Luke 2:29-32): "a light to lighten the Gentiles."
In astronomical time it coincides with half winter in the rural cycle, when we approach the end of winter and the beginning of spring. To the delight of many, Snowdrops (galanthas nivalis) also known as Candlemas Bells because they often bloom early in the year, even before Candlemas have shown themselves in gardens. According to folklore, an angel helped these Candlemas bells to bloom and gave them as a sign of hope to Eve, who wept in despair over the cold and death that had entered the world.
This leads to a much older than Christianity tradition in Celtic culture, today is Imbloc. Imbolc celebrations took the form of a festival in honor of the pagan goddess Brigid (St. Brigid in Christianity), who was evoked in fertility blessings and oversaw poetry, crafts and prophecy. Brigid was worshipped by the Filid, a class of poets and historians among the Celts of ancient Ireland and Britain. The energy that Brigid is bringing is the one of the returning Sun. It is this energy that is honored during Imbolc bringing new energy, inspiration and creative forces. It is symbolized by St. Brigid’s crosses that look like the sun weaved from last years wheat stalks.
Its also instructive to see that in the Western world we incorporate both the ancient pagan and Christian calendars into our lives as traditions and important agricultural dates (created by Dennis Kolcek). The ancient past is always underlying the present.
