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As I was out in front of the building last night, someone passed by and wished me a “Merry Candlemas”. I Returned their greeting with “Merry Chistmas” but as they passed I was utterly confused…did they actually say Candlemas?
Is this someone simply confused, or some warped attempt to rename Christmas to a more PC sounding holiday? Or maybe just someone trying to play mind games…
Candlemas is an old Anglo-saxon (?) word for the season. Don’t know the history and am a little surprised that it still survives in this country, but would not be surprised to hear it used in England. There’s a research project for you in your “spare” time. ;-)
“Spare time” !
Glad to see the smiley face on that one…
What I was able to find online (taken with a grain of salt since I didn’t check the source reliability) does speak to Candlemas being an anglo-Saxon term for the Catholic/Anglican marking of Christ being taken to the Temple. Celebrated generally on the 2nd of February. (Information summarized from a couple of Anglo-Saxon medieval chronicles, the Catholic Encyclopedia and—of all places, would you believe a bit from our own family history — Groundhog Day has intimate ties to Candlemas…and was from German / English / Scottish tradition. From the book Gpa. Wayne gave out:
If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Come, Winter, have another flight;
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Go Winter, and come not again.
The Pennsylvania Dutch and German settlers brought their tradition of watching for a hedgehog to see it’s shadow on Candlemas—long since stripped of it’s religious significance for them—and transfered it to the American Groundhog so prevalent in their new setting.