Candlemas Day
Candlemas Day - 2nd February
Candlemas Day is halfway between the shortest day of the year (21/22 December) and the Spring Equinox 21/22 March). According to folklore, Candlemas Day celebrates the worst of winter is over, and is a day for lighting candles and celebrating the return of the light.
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TirGlas Celebrates Candlemas Day
Each 2nd February, we celebrate Candlemas Day and Gŵyl Fair y Canhwyllau (Welsh for Mary’s Festival of the Candles) by lighting candles throughout the day. We always have special Candlemas Day/Gwyl Fair y Canhwyllau candles in January to mark this day, celebrating that the worst of Winter is over and that Spring is coming.
Candlemas Meaning
Candlemas is a traditional Christian festival 40 days after the birth of Jesus Christ. It is also known as the
- Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ
- Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary
On this day, Christians remember the presentation of Jesus Christ in the Temple. Forty days after the birth of a Jewish boy, it was the custom to take him to the temple in Jerusalem to be presented to God by his thankful parents.
It was the day of the year when all the candles that would be used in the church during the coming year, were brought into church and were blessed. It would become known as the festival of candles, or Candlemas Day.
Candlemas Day Weather Rhymes and Proverbs
All the rhymes and proverbs are weather related. Basically, if the weather is sunny or good, the rest of the winter would be bad. If the weather was wet or windy, fair weather was coming.
- "If Candlemas Day be fair and bright, Winter will have another fight. If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, winter won't come again", is perhaps the best known.
- When Candlemas Day comes fierce and rough, Winter is gone far enough. When Candlemas Day comes bright and clear, the worst of the winter is to appear.
- If Candlemas Day is fair and fine, the worst of winter is left behind.
- If the wind's in the east on Candlemas Day, there it will stick till the first of May
Candlemas in the Europe and the USA
In Europe, Candlemas is more widely recognised, especially in countries with a strong Catholic or Eastern Orthodox tradition, such as Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Greece, and Russia. The feast is commemorated by the lighting of candles, which symbolize the arrival of Jesus as the light of the world, as well as by special prayers and services, processions, and cultural traditions, such as the "Candelora" in Italy or the "Día de la Candelaria" in Spain. In some countries, it is also customary to bless candles on Candlemas and to use them for devotional purposes throughout the year. In the USA, Candlemas is not a widely recognised holiday, but it is observed by some churches and religious communities, especially among those with a strong Catholic tradition.