Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-02-05
The True "Groundhog Day"

Last Monday was "grouudhog day." Tor
Candlemas), and as the weather was fair and
the skies clear, we may expect lots of winter
before the balmy breezes of spring shall have
brought lighter clothing and budding vege-
tation to the fore. As some folks insist that
''groundhog day. comes on the 18th, instead
of the I'd, of February, we have been at some
pains to look the matter up, and settle the
question beyond dispute by accepted and in
controvertible authority. The Information
here given is CLEANED from standard cyclope-
dia, and may be relied upon. Candlemas, lin
its ecclesiastical meaning, is the feast of the
Publication of the Virgin Mary, and is OBJ
served on the I'd day of February. This fes-
tival is very strictly kept by the Roman
Catholic Church, there being Il procession
with many lighted candles, and those requir-
ed for the service of the ensuing year being
also on that occasion consecrated; hence the
name Candlemas Day. In Scotland, this day
is one of four term days appointed for peri
odical annual payments of money, interests,
taxes, &C., and of entry to the premises-the
three other.term- days there being Whitsun-
day, Lammas, and Martinmas.
An old document of the time of Henry
WILL, preserved in the archives of the Society
of Antiquaries, London, concerning the rites
and ceremonies in the English Church, speaks
thus of the custom of carrying candles: son
Candemas Daye it shall be declared that the
bearinge of candels is done in memorie of
Christie, the spiritual lyghte whom Simeon
dyd prophecye ia light to tighten the Gen.
tileso, as it is redde in the churche that
daye." But an older and heather origin is
ascribed to the practice. The Romans were
In the habit of burning candles on this day
to the goddess Februa, the mother of Mars;
the Pope Sergius, seeing it would be useless
to prohibit the practice of so long standing,
turned it to Christian account by enjoining a
similar offering of candles to the Virgin.
The candles were supposed to have the effect
of frightening the devil and all evil spirits
away from the persons who carried them, or
from the houses in which they were placed.
An order of council in 1854 prohibited the
ceremony in England. There is tradition
in most parts of Europe to the effect that a
fine Candlemas portends a severe winter. In
Scotland, the representation is expressed in
the following distich:
ssIf Candlemas is fair and clear,
ThereYl be twa winters i'm the year."
Christ's Presentation, the Holiday of st.
Simeon, and, in the north of England, the
Wives feast-day, were names given to Can
dlemas Day. In this country we call it
ssgroundhog day." and the legend is that if
the grounding (who cometh forth from his
winter quarters on Candlemas Day., upon
emerging from his den, see his shadow, he
returns frightened thereat, and remains hi
bernating six weeks longer, safe from the
consequent winter weather But if the sky
he overcast, with no sun to throw a shadow,
he remains atop of ground, and fair weather
may be relied upon. Whether the ground
hog eauseth the weather, or the weather in
fIuenceIh the &. h., tradition sayeth not. 1t
giyeth the fact, and seorneth vain logic.