Happy Candlemas!

Today is Candlemas Day recalling the time when the baby Jesus was presented in the temple. It's also the time when, traditionally, churches were filled with candles to mark the lightening of the days, the coming of Spring - and the coming of Christ.

Yesterday was Imbolc Day, from the Celtic seasonal calendar, marking the beginning of the lambing season and the coming of Spring. Yes, I know, the Christian Church adopted a lot of the pagan festivals and made them their own.

But this year particularly seems a good time to celebrate this festival - whichever one you choose. The original word Imbolg means in the belly. There is an expectancy in the air. Everything is getting ready to be renewed. It's the promise and hope of the earth awakening, and a new beginning. You only have to look at the snowdrops and the crocuses that have been hidden all winter but which now are lifting their heads and saying, 'It's time to wake up.'

After a year of lockdowns and not-living it's time to look to the future with hope, with expectancy. The dark days of winter will not last forever - even though it may feel at the moment as if you're still buried in the dirt.

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Yesterday was also Saint Brigid's Day. Brigid's story is another tragic one that you can read more about here. She is the patron saint of, among others, dairymaids, cattle and midwives. You may have heard of or seen St. Brigid's cross. The story behind that goes as follows.

A pagan chieftain was dying and they called for Brigid to sit by his bedside to calm his spirit. Story goes that she sat she picked up rushes form the floor and began weaving them into the now distinctive cross. As she weaved she explained to the chieftain about the meaning of the cross. The words brought peace to him and he asked to be baptised as a Christian before he died.

That's one story anyway. There are variations and nobody really knows. 

So yesterday, having been wished a happy Imbolc, and having no idea what that was, I googled it and found out all this stuff, including how to make a Brigid's cross. Well, you know me. 'That looks easy; I'll do that.'

I was going to gather grasses while we were walking George, but Husband said, 'No need to pick them now. We've got plenty in the garden.'

Then just as we got home he said, 'Although I might have cut them down.'

He had. But fortunately they're in plentiful supply everywhere.

With my bits of grass to hand I sat down to weave. I discovered that it was easy but only if you had four hands. But I resolved the problem with elastic bands and here is the finished item.

Okay, on reflection, it looks a bit pathetic but blame Husband for cutting them down.

This is what it's supposed to look like.

Back to Candlemas day for a moment. According to old country proverbs if the weather's good on Candlemas Day there's more winter to come but if it's bad then the worst of winter is over.

If Candlemas Day be fair and bright,

Winter will have another flight,

But if it be dark with clouds and rain,

Winter is gone, and will not come again.

It's grey and rainy here so let's hope the saying is right. 

It's also Groundhog Day in America today too!