CANDLEMAS  DAY

Quote for Candlemas Day: - February 2,  2010

"If Candlemas day be sunny and bright,

Winter again will show its might
If Candlemas Day be cloudy and grey,
winter soon will pass away."

Or another variation:

"If Candlemas Day be fair and bright,
winter will have another flight.
If Candlemas Day be shower and rain,
winter is gone and will not come again."

Or a Scottish Variation:

"If Candlemas Day be dry and fair,

Half the winter's to come and mair.

If Candlemas Day be wet and foul,

Half o'winter's gane at Yule."

["mair" means "more"; Yule means "Christmas"]

[Harry Thompson, our musician here at St. Mary's Annapolis, told me about these Candlemas Day poems. I looked them up and found these poems as well as this being a "Scottish Quarter Day" - i.e., the day rents (farms etc.) were paid. So today is not just a feast day people when people went to Mass -notice the word for "Mass" at the end of "Candlemas" - but it's also a "tax" day, as well as a day for poems and superstitions. Some see Groundhog Day in these traditions. Hey it's a long winter!]